Volkswagen has equipped its most potent Golf GTI and R models and its entire Scirocco range with a new ESP system that allows the driver to fully disable electronic aids. VW has responded to criticism from media and customers that said the models were not adjustable or sporting enough, were too sensible compared with rivals and did not allow the driver full control of the vehicle What about the Jetta GLI ? Source : www.autocar.co.uk
Are PC makers finally getting the message that their customers don’t want crapware? A close look at three consumer PCs delivers a mixed answer. See the accompanying image gallery:
12 ways hardware makers screw up a perfectly good Windows PC Source : The Ed Bott Report
It hasn’t been a good year for Firefox. Mozilla has lost share to Google, it’s lost the loyalty of enterprise customers, and it’s lost key talent. And a deal with Google that supplied 84% of its revenue last year was scheduled to end in November. Can Firefox avoid a slide into irrelevance? Source : Th Ed Boot Report
The Jetta We've Been Waiting For The motoring press hasn't had the greatest of relationships with the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta. When the sedan debuted, critics slammed the newest generation as a Walmart interpretation of a model many of us had grown up loving. The nicer-than-expected materials, playful handling and quiet cabin had all been scrapped in favor of a bargain basement price tag wrapped in styling as risky as sunblock in summer. The machine simply felt like the latest casualty of the Volkswagen campaign to become the world's
Microsoft may have done an about-face and decided against offering the Desktop App and thus non-Metro-style apps, on Windows 8 ARM tablets. Source : All about Microsoft Blog RSS | ZDNet
This is a project to port Android open source project to x86 platform, formerly known as "patch hosting for android x86 support". Project Goal : To provide complete solution for Android on Eee PC platforms first and then to provide solutions for common x86 platforms as well. Source : www.android-x86.org
Security Compliance Manager 2 (SCM 2) is a free tool from the Microsoft Solution Accelerator team that enables you to quickly configure and manage your desktops, traditional datacenter, and private cloud using Group Policy (GPO) and System Center Configuration Manager. Links : SCM Download SCM Blog Security Compliance Manager Demo SCM TechNet Wiki Security Compliance Manager (SCM)
There are many new features of MDT 2012 but one that I particularly like is the ability to apply GPO Packs created using Security Configuration Manager (SCM) during the deployment process. Source : The Deployment Guys
The aspnet.config file is a little known config file which is supported by ASP.NET 2.0 and greater Source : Scott Forsyth's Blog
This is just precious. A new Samsung advertisement goes after the trendy hipster types that stand in line for hours to buy new Apple products, even though in this case--with the iPhone 4S--there are superior devices out there already. The ad nicely parodies the whole Apple Store line experience--you know, because they may not make enough of them, so you better get in line. My favorite sequence is the hipster who dismissively says, "I could never get a Samsung. I'm creative." To which the guy next to him responds, even more dismissively, "Dude, you're a barista." LOL. Classic because it's true. Source : Paul Thurrott
I've often imagined a computing environment in which you could run mobile apps on a full desktop OS. For example, I figured it made sense for Apple to replace the widgets capabilities in Mac OS X with the ability to run iOS apps. Or, Microsoft could provide a way to run Windows Phone apps on Windows instead of gadgets. Well, someone has brought this dream to life: Via a utility, you can now run Android apps on Windows.
The utility, called BlueStacks, is available in an early, pre-beta release right now. And while I've only just started testing it on the Windows 8 Developer Preview slate PC, I was so surprised by how well it's working already that
Here’s the situation: You are called into consult for a client, and in examining their IT infrastructure you observe no organization as to how service accounts are deployed. For instance, some line-of-business (LOB) applications are using the domain Administrator as their service account identity, while others use the Local Service or Network Service identity. Recently, the client began associating application services with dedicated domain user service accounts. However, because domain password policy forces password changes every 60 days, the manual reassignment of service account passwords created organizational headaches for the IT support staff. How can you resolve this mess of a real-world situation? Source : 4sysops.com
Released earlier this week, a new survey pegs the eminently mobile iPad as much more of a homebody than previously thought. After gathering usage data from 15,000 iPad owners across more than a dozen countries, research firm McKinsey & Company were surprised to find that 62 percent of those polled never take their iPads out of the house. Source : appadvice.com
I’ve always been a little bit reluctant to use Microsoft Log Parser. I know it’s really powerfull, but it’s command line interface is not really fun to use. Last week I decided to give it another try and I discovered Log Parser Lizard (better late than never). It’s a FREE GUI Tool to use the Log Parser API. It’s a must have !
In Microsoft Windows, we have Safe Mode. In SQL Server 2008, we have the Dedicated Administrator Connection, or DAC. We can use DAC to obtain emergency access to a SQL Server 2008 database instance in cases where the instance is blocked up, locked up, or just plain hosed. Full article : 4sysops.com
Google+ launched its business pages a week ago. One of the highest profile sites is from Bank of America. Or is it? Judging by the biting satirical content, Google has been thoroughly punked. Complete article : www.zdnet.com/blog/bott
Faster iPhones and Android devices have been taking market share from Research in Motion's once-addictive BlackBerry, but analysts and its executives are not ready to count the smartphone out yet. Interesting article from the LA Times. Source : www.latimes.com
Here’s my favorites shortcuts in Internet Explorer (IE) 9 : Ctrl + W Close the current window (tab) Ctrl + F Find on this page Ctrl + I Open Favorites Ctrl + E Open a search query in the address bar (with last query string) Ctrl + click Open links in a new tab in the background Ctrl + Shift + click Open links in a new tab in the foreground Ctrl + P Print Complete IE 9 keyboard shortcut list :
windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Internet-Explorer-9-keyboard-shortcuts
If you’re like most people, the terms “roomy and practical” don’t exactly call to mind performance-driven fun. The 2012 Volkswagen Jetta GLI might just change your mind. Source : blogs.vw.com/jetta
there are serious integration problems between Apple Mac OS X 10.7 Lion and Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS). Specifically, we are seeing (a) sluggish binding between the Macs and AD; (b) super-slow domain logons; and (c) completely blocked domain logons. Source : 4sysops.com
The original MDTDebugger that I wrote is a great help for debugging tasks running in a litetouch (LTI) deployment task sequence, but it doesn't work for zerotouch (ZTI) deployments. The reason for this is that it needs to be able to display a window on the desktop of the computer that is running the task sequence; something that Systems Center Configuration Manager actively prevents. Well, this is no longer a problem because now there is a version of the MDTDebugger for ZTI deployments! This tool works in the same way as the LTI version but with a key difference: you open the debugging window on a different computer. In order to achieve this, I split the tool into
Steve Jobs was a great CEO, but Bill Gates has moved beyond technology and is trying to save the world. Why isn't he getting more recognition? Also forgotten has been a simple yet critical bit of history: Jobs, in his second and more successful period as Apple's CEO, stood on the shoulders of Bill Gates. Had Microsoft not made computing ubiquitous, there wouldn't be any reason to have an iPod, or an iPhone, or an iPod. In fact, they simply wouldn't exist. Source : www.infoworld.com
We are pleased to announce the availability of Service Pack 3 (SP3) for our 2007 family of products. Source : blogs.technet.com/b/office_sustained_engineering
Microsoft iSCSI software target 3.3 is available for download at Microsoft.com The Microsoft iSCSI Software Target 3.3 is an economical solution suited for a development or test environment and a small, medium, or branch office production environment. It enables storage consolidation and sharing on a Windows Server by implementing the iSCSI (Internet Small Computer Systems Interface) protocol, which supports SCSI-block access to a storage device over a TCP/IP network. Download : www.microsoft.com/download
WPKG is an Open Source software deployment tool that allows you to install software, upgrade and remove applications on remote Windows computers. Source : 4sysops.com
Excellent post from Robert McMurray : I've mentioned in previous blog posts that I use the Windows WebDAV Redirector a lot. (And believe me, I use it a lot.) Having said that, there are a lot of registry settings that control how the Windows WebDAV Redirector operates, and I tend to tweak those settings fairly often.
I documented all of those registry settings in my Using the WebDAV Redirector walkthrough, but unfortunately there isn't a built-in interface for managing the settings. With that in mind, I decided to
Researchers have discovered a serious weakness in virtually all websites protected by the secure sockets layer protocol that allows attackers to silently decrypt data that's passing between a webserver and an end-user browser. The vulnerability resides in versions 1.0 and earlier of TLS, or transport layer security, the successor to the secure sockets layer technology that serves as the internet's foundation of trust. Although versions 1.1 and 1.2 of TLS aren't susceptible, they remain almost entirely unsupported in browsers and websites alike, making encrypted transactions on PayPal, GMail, and just about every other website vulnerable to eavesdropping by hackers who are able to control the connection between the end user and the website he's visiting. Source : www.theregister.co.uk
We wanted to do a quick post on compatibility with respect to virtualization technologies. We know there were some initial challenges and we've seen the community support process kick in and many people are unblocked as "how to" posts have gone up in various places. As this is a developer preview we expect to see other classes of issues related to app or device compatibility—the full breadth of our testing was not done (or intended to be done) for the Preview. Obviously this one was found early and we could have done a bit better. Sue Bohn, David Hicks, Cornel Lupu of our ACDC team (App Compat, Device Compat) authored this quick post. -- Steven Sinofsky Functional: Hyper-V
A must have tool for any Windows Administrator. Ref : WMI Explorer download 4sysops post on WMI Explorer
In building Windows 8 we worked to enable Hyper-V, the machine virtualization technology that has been part of the last 2 releases of Windows Server, to function on the client OS as well. Really cool ! I can’t wait to install Windows 8 on my Thinkpad. Sources : Bringing Hyper-V to “Windows 8” Hyper-V to be in Windows 8 client, Microsoft acknowledges officially
I'll be rethinking passwords in this blog, and what you can do to make authenticating with passwords more secure. Technically, adding a single non-letter character to an English word would indeed prevent a dictionary attack. Yes, a bad one! "I needed a password eight characters long so I picked Snow White and the Seven Dwarves." Very good article : www.eventlogblog.com
What we've really been waiting for is this, the 2012 Jetta GLI. Packing VW's ubiquitous turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, a six-speed manual or optional DSG and an independent rear suspension, the GLI is here to assuage enthusiasts' fears that VW has lost the plot in its relentless pursuit of global market dominance. Read the complete “Jette GLI First Drive Review ” on autoblog.com
Microsoft just published two new self-study guides for Sharepoint 2010 : Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 Self-study Installation Guide Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 Self-study Upgrade/Migration Guide
It was the biggest tech news of the year so far, but last week's revelations by HP about its PC and mobile OS businesses was so badly bungled by the computing giant that we all got the wrong message. The net effect, of course, is that HP has accomplished what it never intended: It has killed any future for its webOS mobile system. And it has possibly mortally wounded its thus-far dominant PC business as well. The headlines earlier this week were clear enough: "HP Kills webOS" and "HP to Sell, Spin Off PC Business" are representative. But amazingly, neither of these is accurate. Read more : www.windowsitpro.com/article/paul-thurrotts-wininfo
I just wanted to make you all aware of a new KB article myself and a couple of teammates put together around component store growth and remediation. I wanted to have something short and to the point and I think a lot of you might find this more useful than sifting through the blog trying to piecemeal together the same information. I'll probably try to put together something a little more verbose here that goes more into the internals of some of this but I am busy working on a new project and dont have tons of time. If you have any questions or comments about the material please ask them here. How to Alleviate Disk Space Pressure
Hi guys, Joji Oshima here again. Today I want to talk about configuring Kerberos authentication to work in a load-balanced environment. This is a more advanced topic that requires a basic understanding of how Kerberos works. If you want an overview of Kerberos, I would suggest Rob’s excellent post, Kerberos for the Busy Admin. In this post, I will be using a load balanced IIS web farm as the example, but the principal applies for other applications. Read the complete article : blogs.technet.com/b/askds
AT&T has announced that they will be partnering with 2,000 campuses across the country to bring mobile applications to the attendees instead of handing out campus maps and other paperwork. The applications are designed to enhance the experience of the people attending, giving them easy access to campus maps, phone directory, courses, and campus events AT&T* is the first carrier to offer this type of mobile platform, an affordable, leading-edge technology for higher education institutions. The AT&T Campus Guide app, which users can download for free, works with any service provider and on most major mobile operating systems. AT&T is working with DubMeNow, a pioneer in mobilizing higher education, to bring AT&T Campus Guide to schools all over
AD uses a multi-master replication mechanism, meaning that updates can originate on any RWDC. For all kinds of services AD is highly redundant assuming you have more than one RWDC. Within AD some operations cannot operate using the multi-master principle, but rather use the single-master principle to ensure consistency. The roles for those operations are the so called Flexible Single Masters of Operations (FSMO). From a forest perspective two forest wide FSMO roles exist and from a domain perspective three domain wide FSMO roles exist. Below you will find which one is which. Complete article : blogs.dirteam.com/blogs/jorge
Over the years, when I’ve had to deal with McAfee products, I have been known to unleash torrents of invective that would make a pirate blush.Over the past month I tried the latest McAfee release. Here’s why it’s still on my Not Recommended list. Read the complete article : www.zdnet.com/blog/bott
Luke Chung of FMS, Inc. has published an interesting article on the Enterprise Features site that discusses some of the negative perceptions about Access, especially within enterprise settings. Luke argues that Access can be a big productivity booster for individuals and teams in the enterprise, and that IT departments should not put restrictions on the use of Access. Here's an excerpt: "Organizations should recognize end users and line of business managers can create a lot of solutions on their own and are best equipped to do so (like giving bullets to infantry). These solutions should be considered tactical (special forces) not strategic (nuclear weapons) and should not be held to the same standards. Get things done quickly and
The Microsoft Safety Scanner was just released a few days ago. The free portable antivirus tool only comes as a simple EXE file and is available as a 32-bit and 64-bit version. The EXE file contains all the virus signatures. Source : 4sysops.com
The free portable tool TMnetSim Network Simulator enables you to simulate a poor or slow network connection in your lab. TMnetSim sits between the client and the server and allows only as much network quality as you admit. Source : 4sysops.com
downrightnow monitors the status of your favorite web services, combining user reports and official announcements to tell you when there's service trouble. Great way to find out if service is up. Currently monitor the follwing services : Facebook Foursquare Google Mail (Gmail) Tumblr Twitter Windows Live Hotmail Yahoo! Mail Youtube Blogger LinkedIn LiveJournal Netflix Ning PayPal Skype TypePad Link : downrightnow.com
Compat Inspector is a JavaScript-based testing tool that analyzes your site while it runs. Compat Inspector reports patterns of interaction which cause issues in standards mode. This allows you to identify problems quickly without memorizing a bunch of documentation or searching through the entirety of your site's code. We developed Compat Inspector during the course of IE9 to speed up the process of recognizing common issues across different sites. Along the way many members of the IE team contributed to the set of test cases that make up the rules in Compat Inspector. Now we're making it all available to you. Check out the Compat Inspector Test Drive to try it out before using it on your own
Oh, the rationalizations people come up with to explain away what they don’t want to hear. Last week, when I wrote Coming soon to a Mac near you: serious malware, I expected to get an earful from Mac partisans telling me how wrong I was. They didn’t disappoint. In this post, I want to respond, in detail, to the arguments that I heard in response to that post. They’re the same ones that come up over and over again when the topic turns to Macs and malware. Source : Ed Bott's Microsoft Report
Last week I looked at a fascinating sample of malware that specifically targeted users of Google Chrome. Over the past few days, I’ve been looking more closely at this particular malware attack, which appears to be widespread and extremely persistent. Source : Ed Bott's microsoft report
This post about making ODBC connections more secure is provided by Access MVP Ben Clothier. Now and then, we come to a point where we decide to upsize an Access database to a server-based RDBMS. The reasons for upsizing can vary, but a common theme is security. With a server-based RDBMS, we have more options for security than when we are working with a file-based data source. Even if security wasn’t the reason for upsizing, we do have an obligation to ensure that we develop a “good citizen” application and protect the company’s assets contained in the RDBMS. When our RDBMS supports Windows authentication (e.g., SQL Server, Oracle, FireBird), we have it easy – no username or password
Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) for Windows® 7 with SP1 enables IT administrators to manage roles and features that are installed on computers that are running Windows Server® 2008 R2, Windows Server® 2008, or Windows Server® 2003, from a remote computer that is running Windows 7 or Windows 7 with SP1. Download : www.microsoft.com/downloads
Top-notch consumer magazine Consumer Reports has given a very negative review to the 2011 North American VW Jetta. "The new Jetta is unimpressive. In an effort to bring the car's starting price down, VW cheapened the previous Jetta's interior and suspension, making it less sophisticated and compromising handling." Source : www.worldcarfans.com The new for 2011 Volkswagen Jetta received a new, far lower base price tag of $15,995, but Consumer Reports evidently feels that the more affordable sticker has come at too high of a cost to the vehicle itself. The buyer-centric organization ranked the Jetta dead last among 11 small sedans tested for the April edition of its magazine. Source : www.autoblog.com
For the last few years, I’ve been blogging about the Microsoft iSCSI Software Target and its many uses related to Windows Server Failover Clustering, Hyper-V and other server scenarios. Today, Microsoft has made this software publicly available to all users of Windows Server 2008 R2. Source : Jose Barreto's Blog
Today’s blog will discuss support for UEFI with Microsoft Deployment Toolkit and other deployment tools. Read more : blogs.technet.com/b/askcore
Hello, my name is Emmers Presson. I am a Support Escalation Engineer for Microsoft in the Windows Core team. The purpose of this blog is to give you the steps to install a hotfix (or any other “package”) on the currently running operating system using the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) command. Source : Ask the Core Team blog
This article describes the System Update Readiness Tool for Windows Vista-based computers, for Windows Server 2008-based computers, for Windows Server 2008 R2-based computers, and for Windows 7-based computers. Microsoft released the System Update Readiness Tool to resolve certain conditions that could cause installing updates and other software not to work. You do not have to manually run this tool. This tool is offered automatically through Windows Update to computers that have a condition that the tool could resolve.
After you download the System Update Readiness Tool, it runs a onetime scan for inconsistencies that might prevent future servicing operations. This scan typically takes less than 15 minutes to run. However, the tool might take significantly longer on some computers.
You may receive the following error when installing Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 or Windows 2008 R2:
0xC0000022 (STATUS_ACCESS_DENIED)
This can be due to McAfee Host Intrusion Protection being installed on the system. To workaround this problem, disable the following option in McAfee: Startup IPS Protection Enabled
More information is available on this thread: https://community.mcafee.com/message/177267#177267
Source : The Windows Servicing Guy
Some of you probably noticed a new download showed up today:
The Windows® Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows® 7 SP1
Be sure to read the “readme” that goes along with this at:
Windows Automated Installation Kit for Windows 7 Readme
A quick Q&A that I assembled from information in this readme and our own MDT testing ... Source : Michael Niehaus' Windows and Office deployment ramblings
If you tried to logon on a MacBook Pro (OS X) with an Active Directory account you may have seen the following error in the system.log : createmobileaccount[4146]: MCXCCacheMCXRecordAndGraph(): [localNode createRecordWithRecordType:dsRecTypeStandard:Users name:"paradisj"] == 4100 (Unable to set value or values for dsAttrTypeStandard:Password in the record.) First of all, many thanks to Travis J. Garrison who pointed me in the right direction. The problem was that I had two accounts in our Active Directory with the same value for the email attribute. The logon with the first account worked fine, but I wasn’t able to logon with the second one (on the same Mac). The DirectoryServices.Error.log gave me the identity of the first account : T[0x0000000102281000] - CDSLocalPluginNode::AttributeValueMatchesUserAlias(), alias
A few days ago Microsoft launch a redesigned “Microsoft Answers” site. The new version introduces a “reputation model” that helps identify “good” answers provided by experts. The new site had a performance issue which now seems to be resolved. Maybe they should post a question about it
Source : www.zdnet.com
I guess those of you who are responsible for patch management have heard of the trick before. I tried it with RSAT on Windows 7 SP1, and it appeared to work fine. In the description of this workaround, I assume that you want to install x86fre_GRMRSAT_MSU.msu. If you need amd64fre_GRMRSATX_MSU.msu, you have to change the file names accordingly. I also assume that you downloaded the RSAT MSU file to c:\tmp.The workaround description is slightly different than in chibisuke’s comment. Install RSAT on Windows 7 SP1 Launch a command prompt with Administrator rights. Execute the following commands:
md c:\rsat
expand -f:* c:\tmp\ rsat-windows-7-x86fre_GRMRSAT_MSU c:\rsat
cd c:\rsat
pkgmgr /n:Windows6.1-KB958830-x86.xml /l:log.txt Wait until this line appears in c:\log.txt: DISM Provider Store:
Scott Forsyth has started a new series of walkthrough videos about web technologies. It’s worth watching. 
Il you have exprienced an error with SP1 for Windows 7 / Windows 2008 R2 installation you should take a look at the Ramblings of a Support Engineer blog from a Microsoft Engineer. Source : www.zdnet.com/blog/bott
If you’ve ever tried to use Wake-on-LAN technology, you may know that its configuration can be confusing sometimes. You have to enable WOL in BIOS and motherboard settings and correctly specify the WOL command parameters. Wake-on-LAN utilities (see a review for one of them) usually allow waking up one remote PC and require that you specify its IP and MAC addresses in order to generate and send a magic packet to it. In order to wake up multiple PCs, you have to write scripts to detect MAC addresses
It is officially out ! Download details Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (KB976932) Source : Bink.nu
When you try to install RSAT (Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7) on Windows 7 SP1, you will get this error message: "This update is not applicable to your computer".
Source : 4sysops.com/archives/install-rsat-on-windows-7-sp1
This language add-in allows you to see the corresponding PowerShell script for static methods on classes. Most of the common language structures are supported. Source : reflectoraddins.codeplex.com
Very interesting : Google and Apple are very different. Apple has a design DNA. Google has a technology DNA. Apple has a different feel. Its the, I'm cool, feel. Its the look, we made this thing look cooler and prettier and now there are too many people vying for your employee discounted stuff. My manager at Apple told me that it is a hardware company, and that software is not the chief priority. This affects Apple, and software engineering is, without question, a second class citizen. Working at Apple is like working in the Army. Sure you can ask why you should jump into the river, but you better be soaking wet before you ask that question Source
Apple officially called an end to its server line on Tuesday and it’s a bitter pill for some Mac stalwarts in the data center. Part of the problem is that enterprise customers have a comfort-level problem when it comes to living with questions about Apple’s product and strategic plans like the rest of us. Cupertino’s cone of silence is absolute, whether it’s the details of the next iPad or the continuing support for Mac OS X Server. Source : The Apple Core Blog RSS | ZDNet
The 2011 Volkswagen Jetta that we get in the United States is a different animal than the one enjoyed throughout Europe. European Jettas are fitted with a multi-link rear suspension setup, upgraded wiring harness to handle more complex optional features and more upscale interior materials. Why don't we get these things? The main answer is cost. Strong sales would show that the Jetta is in high demand, meaning Volkswagen could realistically introduce the upgraded European features by way of a mid-model change, perhaps by 2014. Will it happen? Somehow, we tend to doubt it... but a lot can happen in three years.
Source : Autoblog
Web farm framework has in built extensibility to work with any load balancer. The intent of this article is to show how you can use a load balancer like F5. Integration with a load balancer like F5 is great with WFF because it allows you to simplify the management and deployment of your web farm (in presence of a load balancer) without having to do these operations manually. These benefits and provisioning details are discussed in more details in WFF detailed walkthroughs. Through its extensibility model, the Web Farm Framework is able to communicate with the F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) through the LTM's open SOAP/XML based API. This API allows WFF to make dynamic configuration changes
With the free Microsoft utilities LockoutStatus and Acctinfo of the Account Lockout and Management Tools, you can quickly access a user account’s lockout status, unlock the account, and reset the password. Source : 4sysops
Download : Microsoft’s Account Lockout and Management Tools.
Group Policy Search is a free online tool from Microsoft that allows you to find Group Policy settings easily. When I discovered the power of the System Policies in Windows NT 4, I wondered why Microsoft didn’t offer a search tool that allows to me find all policies easily. I had to wait only 15 years until I stumbled across the Group Policy Search service. Source : 4sysops
Microsoft released its very first official Office app for iPhone today – OneNote Mobile, which is available in the U.S. iTunes app store only and free for a limited time. OneNote Mobile for iPhone is a note taking and organizing app. It allows you easily create and edit notes that can include text, photo and list. With automatic SkyDrive cloud sync capability, you can always keep your OneNote notes up to date on your iPhone, and access them from anywhere – your phone, your PC and browser. Source : LiveSide.net
Ashley McGlone has a great script up for merging GPOs together through powershell. I wish I had this script five years ago. At the time I was searching for a way to combine or merge GPOs, but there simply wasn’t a way to do it. And today there still isn’t a way to do it… until POWERSHELL! Almost every environment I see (including my own former environment) has a collection of GPOs that have evolved over time and really need to be consolidated and cleaned up. In Windows Server 2008 R2 we released a new PowerShell module for Group Policy administration. I haven’t seen much written about it, and I don’t think many people realize it is there.
Excellent wrap-up of DFS on non-MS OS Hi all, Ned here again. I’ve been asked a few times if other operating systems can utilize DFS Namespaces running on Windows Server. It’s a sticky wicket; as a “voice of Microsoft” my statements carry a lot of weight - deserved or not. It’s not smart or ethical for me to say that something not made by Microsoft works well, works better than something else, or doesn’t work at all. In some cases, lawyers may be summoned from Vhoorl. Complete article : Ask the Directory Services Team
Earlier this summer I blogged about IIS Express. IIS Express is a free version of IIS 7.5 that is optimized for developer scenarios. We think it combines the ease of use of the ASP.NET Web Server (aka Cassini) currently built-into VS today with the full power of IIS. Specifically: It’s lightweight and easy to install (less than 5Mb download and a quick install) It does not require an administrator account to run/debug applications from Visual Studio It enables a full web-server feature set – including SSL, URL Rewrite, and other IIS 7.x modules It supports and enables the same extensibility model and web.config file settings that IIS 7.x support It can be installed side-by-side with the full IIS
WSUS Offline Update is a free portable tool that allows you to download updates for Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, and all Office versions and install those updates on computers with no Internet connection. Source : 4sysops
IIS 7.5 Express is a simple and self-contained version of IIS 7.5 that is optimized for developers. IIS 7.5 Express enhances your ability to develop and test web applications on Windows by combining the power of IIS 7.5 with the convenience of a lightweight web server like the ASP.NET Development Server (also known as Cassini). The benefits of using IIS 7.5 Express include: The same web server that runs on your production server is now available on your development computer. Most tasks can be done without the need for administrative privileges. IIS 7.5 Express runs on Windows XP and all later versions of Windows. Many users can work independently on the same computer. Download details Internet Information Services
Migrate Web applications between IIS 6.0 and IIS 7.0 with ease Synchronize your server farm efficiently Package, archive and deploy Web applications more easily
For more information, see the following articles: Web Deployment Tool Overview Installing the Web Deployment Tool Source : Bink.nu
Microsoft also is releasing the 1.0 version of its free, open-source “Orchard” content-management system (CMS). Like WebMatrix, Orchard’s goal is to require users to do less coding, making the product appealing for a less techie audience, Microsoft is hoping. Source : www.zdnet.com
Ref : orchardproject.net
The free Microsoft tool WSUS ClientManager allows you to add Windows workgroup computers to a WSUS server. To add multiple computers to WSUS, you can use the REG file that WSUS ClientManager creates. Source : 4sysops.com
Download : wsusworkgroup.codeplex.com
I was recently talking with some good friends about tips for performance and what an IIS Administrator could do on the server side. I also see this question from time to time in the forums @ http://forums.iis.net . Of course, you should test individual settings in a controlled environment while performing load testing before just implementing on your production farm. IIS Compression enabled (both static and dynamic if possible, set it to 9) If you are running IIS 6, check this article out by Scott...(read more) Source : The Official Microsoft IIS Site
Planning guide for server farms and environments for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 Planning guide for sites and solutions for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, Part 2 Capacity planning for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 Source : microsoft.com/downloads
This is a list of free e-books that are useful for Windows administrators. It will be regularly updated. Source : 4sysops
GDism ELDI is a free GUI for DISM of the WAIK (Windows Automated Installation Kit) that allows you to manage WIM images. GDism ELDI Source : 4sysops
Organizations are always on the prowl for cost-effective storage solutions. In a number of previous posts, whenever a free storage product is mentioned, TechRepublic members frequently suggest FreeNAS as an alternative to StarWind, Openfiler and other software storage solutions. By its name, FreeNAS is a free solution. In this gallery, FreeNAS will be installed as a virtual machine and provisioned as a Windows file resource using the common internet file system (CIFS) storage protocol. Source : TechRepublic
