Windows 7 Pricing Announced and Upgrades Policy

So here’s the low-down on pricing for Windows 7. The estimated retail prices for upgrade packaged retail product of Windows 7 in the U.S. are:

• Windows 7 Home Premium (Upgrade): $119.99
• Windows 7 Professional (Upgrade): $199.99
• Windows 7 Ultimate (Upgrade): $219.99

And the estimated retail prices for full packaged retail product of Windows 7 in the U.S. are:

• Windows 7 Home Premium (Full): $199.99
• Windows 7 Professional (Full): $299.99
• Windows 7 Ultimate (Full): $319.99

This means that Windows 7 Home Premium full retail product is $40.00 less than Windows Vista Home Premium today.

• What about if i buy a new computer now

But, you don’t have to wait until Windows 7 ships to get a new Windows PC. In fact, we know many people need that new PC sooner – for back to school specifically. And we have the answer for people who need a new PC now but still want to get Windows 7 and that’s the Windows 7 Upgrade Option Program, which kicks off tomorrow, June 26th! Anyone who buys a PC from a participating OEM or retailer with Windows Vista Home Premium, Business or Ultimate on it will all receive an upgrade to the corresponding version of Windows 7 at little or no cost to customers. The Windows 7 Upgrade Option Program will be available until January 31st, 2010 – and is global! For more information on taking advantage of the Windows 7 Upgrade Option Program, visit www.windows.com/upgradeoffer.

• Also  !!!

Finally, as a way of saying thank you to our loyal Windows customers, Microsoft is excited to introduce a special time limited offer! We will offer people in select markets the opportunity to pre-order Windows 7 at a more than 50% discount. In the US, this will mean you can pre-order Windows 7 Home Premium for USD $49.99 or Windows 7 Professional for USD $99.99. You can take advantage of this special offer online via select retail partners such as Best Buy or Amazon, or the online Microsoft Store (in participating markets).

 

See the full article  at http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windows7/default.aspx

Technorati Tags: Microsoft,Windows 7,Windows 7 Upgrade,Vista

Windows 7 Beta WARNING

“Still on the Windows 7 Beta,? You need to move to the RC and fast. Starting July 1^st, the Beta will start to reboot every 2 hrs and expire Aug 1^st.

Want to download the RC? . The RC download program closes August 15th. After that, you won’t be able to get the download, but you can still install the RC and get a key if you need one. (To get a key, just go to the Downloads page and follow the instructions.)

If you’re using the Windows 7 Release Candidate, we hope you like what you see. Let us know -- go to http://input.microsoft.com and tell us what you think. You’ll be able to give feedback on various aspects of the operating system.”

 

to learn more go to http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/springboard/default.aspx

 

Technorati Tags: Microsoft,Windows 7,Beta

Microsoft Security Essentials – Beta

What is Microsoft Security Essentials

You're too busy to spend a lot of time worrying about protecting your PC. With Microsoft Security Essentials Beta, you get high-quality protection against viruses and spyware, including Trojans, worms and other malicious software. And best of all, there are no costs or annoying subscriptions to keep track of.

Security Essentials is easy to install and easy to use. Updates and upgrades are automatic, so there's no need to worry about having the latest protection. It's easy to tell if you're protected – when the Security Essentials icon is green, your status is good. It's as simple as that.

When you're busy using your PC, you don't want to be bothered by needless alerts. Security Essentials runs quietly in the background, only alerting you if there's something you need to do. And it doesn't use a lot of system resources, so it won't get in the way of your work or fun.

This beta is available only to customers in the United States, Israel (English only), People's Republic of China (Simplified Chinese only) and Brazil (Brazilian Portuguese only).

System requirements for Microsoft Security Essentials Beta

• Operating System: Windows XP (Service Pack 2 or Service Pack 3); Windows Vista; Windows 7 (Beta or Release Candidate)
• For Windows XP, a Personal Computer with a:
  • CPU with clock speed of 500 MHz or higher
  • Memory: 256 MB RAM or higher
• For Windows Vista and Windows 7, a Personal Computer with a:
  • CPU with clock speed of 1.0 GHz or higher
  • Memory: 1 GB RAM or higher
• VGA (Display): 800 x 600 or higher
• Storage: 140 MB of available hard-disk space
• An Internet connection is required for installation and to download the latest virus and spyware definitions for Microsoft Microsoft Security Essentials.
• Internet Browser:
  • Windows Internet Explorer 6.0 or later
  • Mozilla Firefox 2.0 or later

To learn more go to http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/

Technorati Tags: Microsoft,Security,Free,Beta,AV

AOL and Comcast Top the MSN Money 2009 Customer Service Hall of Shame

Customer Service Hall of Shame

No. 1 AOL

No. 2 Comcast

No. 3 Sprint

No. 4 Capital One

No. 5 Time Warner Cable

No. 6 HSBC

No. 7 Qwest

No. 8 Abercrombie & Fitch

No. 9 Bank of America

No. 10 Citigroup

Doing Things Right

On the flip side of the coin, discount retailers and supermarkets continued to satisfy the public with their customer service as six retailers were recognized in the Hall of Fame. Grocers, in particular, stood out — with Trader Joe’s, Publix, Whole Foods and Costco all being ranked among the nation’s best companies for customer service.

Customer Service Hall of Fame

No. 1 USAA

No. 2 Trader Joe’s

No. 3 Netflix

No. 4 Amazon

No. 5 Nordstrom

No. 6 Publix

No. 7 Whole Foods

No. 8 Apple Computer

No. 9 Costco

No. 10 Southwest Airlines

to see the full article go here

 

Technorati Tags: Hall of Shame

Free E-learning Class - Database Fundamentals

Clinic 6339: Database Fundamentals in Microsoft SQL Server 2008

Introduction

In this 1 hour clinic students are introduces to the fundamental concepts of database, how Microsoft SQL Server 2008 fits into the enterprise and be introduced to the applications used in Microsoft SQL Server 2008.
Topics covered in the courses within the course Include:

• Introduction to fundamental database concepts.
• Describe SQL Server 2008 in the enterprise.
• Introduction to applications used to manage SQL Server.

This clinic provides useful pre requisite know for Microsoft E-Learning collections 2778BE, 6369AE  and 6370AE.

 

To take this course click here.

Technorati Tags: microsoft,learning,e-learning

Free E-Learning Class - SQL Server 2008

Clinic 10164: Essential SQL Server 2008 for Developers

Introduction

The entirety of the offering is 12 hours but it is designed to be modular, allowing the user to skip to the tracks which are most relevant to them. this clinic will help you understand how to build enterprise-class applications which deeply exploit the rich data types, programming models and new development paradigms in SQL Server 2008.
This clinic covers the following topics.

• TSQL Improvements and Data Types
• Beyond Relational
• SQLCLR: .NET Code In SQL Server
• Service Broker and Messaging
• SQL Server and Visual Studio
• Client Programmability
• ADO.NET Entity Framework
• HTTP Programming and SQL Server
• Occasionally Connected Systems

To take this course click here.

Technorati Tags: microsoft,learning,e-learning

Free E-learning Class – Exchange 10

Clinic 6901: Exchange Server 2010 in an Enterprise

Introduction

This one-hour clinic describes Exchange Server 2010 features that are useful in an enterprise. It covers features such mailbox server configurations, unified messaging, and high availability.
This clinic covers the following topics:

• Features of a Mailbox server
• How Unified Messaging works in 2010
• Mailbox Availability in Exchange Server 2010                                    
• Data Protection in Exchange Server 2010

Users completing this collection should have three or more years of experience working with previous versions of Exchange Server, including the implementation of Exchange Server 2007. They should be familiar with Active Directory, Exchange messaging, and SharePoint and fundamentals of Microsoft Office 2003, Microsoft Office 2007, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008. It is beneficial if they have experience with a Windows or command-line scripting language.

To take this course click here.

Technorati Tags: microsoft,learning,e-learning

Free E-learning Class - Windows 7

Clinic 10088: What's New in Windows 7 for Information Workers

Introduction

This two-hour clinic provides you with an overview of key enhancements in Windows 7, which help information workers to improve their productivity as well as work in a more secure environment.
This clinic covers the following topics.

• Be More Productive with Windows 7
• Be More Secure with Windows 7
• Get Connected Faster and Easier with Windows 7

Information workers completing this clinic should have experience working with previous versions of Windows.

Objectives

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Describe some of the new features and enhancements in Windows 7 that can help users be more productive in their work.
• Describe some of the security enhancements in Windows 7 that can help users protect their computers and data.
• Describe some of the new features and enhancements in Windows 7 that can help users work with devices and other computers on the network.

To take this course click here.

Technorati Tags: microsoft,learning,windows 7,e-learning

Free E-learning Class - Windows 7

Clinic 10125: What's New in Windows 7 for Consumers

Introduction

This one-hour clinic provides you with an overview of key enhancements in Windows 7 that help you work more efficiently and easily with your computers. It describes the new features and tools that you can use to organize, find, protect, and share your information. It also describes how these features and tools help you work with your devices and enhance your online experience. 
This clinic covers the following topics.

• Desktop and Taskbar Enhancements
• Sharing, Search, and Security
• New Tools and Experiences

Consumers completing this clinic should have experience working with previous versions of Windows.

Objectives

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Describe the new features in Windows 7 that make your computer easier and more enjoyable to use.
• Describe the new features in Windows 7 that help you organize and find your information, protect it, and share it with others.
• Describe the new features in Windows 7 that help you work with devices, keep your computer running smoothly, and do new things online.

to take this course click here.

Technorati Tags: microsoft,learning,windows 7,e-learning

Free E-learning Class – Windows 7

Clinic 10077: What's New in Windows 7 for IT Professionals

Introduction

This two-hour clinic provides you with an overview of the new and enhanced deployment, security, manageability, and performance features in Windows 7. It describes how these features meet the day-to-day needs of IT professionals.
This clinic covers the following topics.

• Overview of Deployment Enhancements
• Overview of Security Enhancements
• Overview of Manageability and Performance Enhancements

IT professionals completing this clinic should have basic familiarity with deploying, managing, and maintaining Windows Vista or the Windows XP operating system.

Objectives

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Describe the new and updated deployment features and tools for Windows 7.
• Describe new and enhanced security features in Windows 7.
• Describe the improvements in performance and manageability in Windows 7.

To take this course click here.

Technorati Tags: microsoft,Learning,Windows7,E-learning

First Virtual Lab-based Microsoft Exam

83-640 is part of the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) track, an alternative to taking 70-640.

This Technology Specialist (TS) exam, Exam 83-640: TS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring, became available in November 2008. This exam maps to the same objectives as 70-640, but this version (where available) contains a Performance Based component in addition to the standard exam item types. This exam is available in English only.

 

Technorati Tags: Microsoft,Microsoft Learning,MCTS,Testing

The Imagine Cup Update

This was sent to the Finalists of the year Image Cup Congratulations on being a worldwide finalist in the 2009 IT Challenge invitational!  The worldwide finals in Cairo are going to be a great experience and we hope you are excited.

We also know that your challenge in the finals is going to be quite daunting.  You will be expected to know everything you’ve been tested on in Rounds 1 and 2 and much more.  Microsoft IT Academy program wants to help you get ready for this challenge, so we’ve asked a few volunteers from the Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) community to help you out.

I happen to be one of the MCT who will be helping one of the finalist There are a few MCT’s, who has volunteered to answer any questions you have about the Microsoft technologies you’ll need to be familiar with for the final competition. MCTs are accredited teachers and experts in Microsoft technologies. They do not have any information about the challenge you’ll face in Cairo, but they will do their best to answer the questions you have as you prepare.

Good luck to All Finalist

 

Technorati Tags: Imagine Cup,MCT,Volunteer

Elevate America

Microsoft is committed to strengthening the U.S. economy and increasing global competitiveness by improving access to education and workforce-readiness skills required for twenty-first-century jobs. To support this commitment, we launched Elevate America, an initiative designed to provide 1 million vouchers for Microsoft E-Learning courses and select Microsoft Certification exams at no cost to recipients. Elevate America will be implemented in cooperation with states across the country as part of our overall effort to help train 2 million people over the next three years.

Each State Agency Determines Which Training Benefits to Offer

As resources become available in a state, the designated agency selects from one or more of the following:

Expanded access to basic technology literacy and skills training

Foundation-level skills through Microsoft Unlimited Potential and Digital Literacy curricula and Windows and Microsoft Office Basics via Learning Plans.

Intermediate technology-skills training courses, online and instructor-led, plus selected certification exams

Vouchers for e-learning courses offered by Microsoft

• Vouchers for certification exams leading to Microsoft Business Certification

• Discounted Microsoft IT Academy membership rates for academic institutions

To keep up with what states have signed up to offer these services go to here.

In addition the program also has an entrepreneurs component.

Give your small business the boost it needs to become a successful company in today’s challenging economic climate with Microsoft BizSpark, a program designed to help young companies receive funding at a time when credit is hard to come by.

In addition to funding, BizSpark members get direct access to software, developer tools, technical assistance, and server products at no upfront cost. Microsoft also helps promote network startups with scalable marketing solutions and visibility.

 

Technorati Tags: Microsoft training,Free Training,Bizapark,Elevate America

SBS and the second Domain Controller

I hear this all the time But you can not add a Second Domain Controller to Small Business Server, can you ?

The answer is Yes you can in Windows Small Business Server (SBS) versions 2000, 2003 and  2008

"There can be only one Windows Small Business Server 2003 in a domain. Each Windows Small Business Server server is typically connected to the Internet either directly, or via a firewall. Windows Small Business Server  does not support trusts between domains; therefore, user names and resources could not be shared between those Windows Small Business Server  servers. Further, Windows Small Business Server  installs at the root of the Active Directory forest, and it cannot be demoted, or have the flexible single-master operation (FSMO) roles removed."

However, the second server has to be a same Server OS as SBS. Simple as that, no other "SBS" box.  It can always have a backup domain controller, it' just can't do trusts with a second [or other domains]. We do have to have all the FSMO roles. Though you can play Trick to have SBS Sites all talking to each other.

Robocopy a Quick way to copy lots of files or Richcopy with a GUI interface

Do you need to copy allot of files from on directory to another Quickly ?

do you do this over a network ?

Robocopy is the answer, This utility come in the windows server resource kit. It works with all the Microsoft OS’s. you can find robocopy here. This is a replacement for Copy or Xcopy.

Basic commands are robocopy <Source> <Destination> [<File>[ ...]] [<Options>]

Parameters

Parameter  Description

<Source> = Specifies the path to the source directory.

<Destination>  = Specifies the path to the destination directory.

<File> = Specifies the file or files to be copied. You can use wildcard characters (* or ?), if you want. If the File parameter is not specified, *.* is used as the default value.

<Options> = Specifies options to be used with the robocopy command.

some option include

/s = Copies subdirectories. Note that this option excludes empty directories.

/e = Copies subdirectories. Note that this option includes empty directories.

/lev:<N> =Copies only the top N levels of the source directory tree.

/z =  Copies files in Restart mode.

/b = Copies files in Backup mode.

/zb = Uses Restart mode. If access is denied, this option uses Backup mode.

/efsraw  =Copies all encrypted files in EFS RAW mode.

/And there over 70 more commands But you say With that to hard to remember So now you can download Richcopy with a graphical user interface.

from this simple page you can get to all these options

  You can download at here which opens a dialog box to save the file HoffmanUtilitySpotlight2009_04.exe

Technorati Tags: Microsoft,File copy,Robocopy,Utilities,Richcopy

4Chan Strikes Again, Hiding Porn in Kids Clips on YouTube

Notice this is a copy of a post from Mahmoud Al-Qudsi at http://neosmart.net/blog/2009/4chan-attacks-children-on-youtube/

but is directly quoted here because of the importance.

Please note: that this sort of post is what the losers at 4Chan get a kick out of and look forward to seeing, it's clear that they get a perverse sort of pleasure out of hearing these complaints, but isn't possible for anyone with a shred of dignity to let events like this go without speaking.

4Chan, a group of immature script-kiddies that anonymously post online and organize "attacks" against various groups, organizations, and websites, are it again. This time, it's not the Church of Scientology they're attacking, but innocent children. As the BBC reports, members of 4Chan have been uploading videos containing explicit sexual content in droves to YouTube today, specifically targeting children.

The videos uploaded by members of 4Chan consisted of children's clips that start off innocently enough, showing cartoons and other rated-G material usually targeted at children around 5 years old, but soon enough change to videos of adults engaged in sexual activity. 4Chan has the uncanny ability to strike a nerve, driving even the most liberal of internet users to condemn their behavior as pure evil. The problem is, the anonymous 4Chan members are perversely motivated by this sort of response, and cannot be shamed into bringing an end to their disgusting activities.

This isn't the first time 4Chan does something that can only be described as pure evil. In March of 2008, 4Chan members flooded an internet board for victims of epilepsy with fast-moving and colorful images intending - and succeeding - in bringing about photosensitive seizures in visitors to the site. The last attack was carefully planned to occur just over the Easter weekend, guaranteeing less moderator activity on the forum and giving the attackers a bigger window of opportunity to maximize their damage.

The difference between the behavior that 4Chan engages in and what just about every other script kiddy organization on the web does is that 4Chan doesn't do it to prove a point. They don't do it just to prove they can, they do it to hurt. And the malicious intent makes all the difference. The internet isn't the best place to pride yourself in holding the moral high ground, but in cases like this, it's near impossible to understand just what it is that makes people like this tick.

Obviously there is no clear solution to bringing about the end of groups like 4Chan, but someone needs to do something, or else we're all guilty of standing by and letting evil go.

Are You Certifiable An Online Game To Play

Have you ever considered taking a certification exam?  Here's your chance to practice, in a very fun way.  Choose an avatar, select your expertise, and pit yourself against a worldwide community in a quest for Tech IQ supremacy, a top spot on the leader board-and ultimate bragging rights!  "Are You Certifiable?!?"  Find out today at:  http://www.areyoucertifiable.com/

 

Technorati Tags: Microsoft learning,Certification

Ramp UP a Free Training Site for Developers

A Microsoft Online site that you can learn how to develop Software on.

Ramp Up is a free, online, community-based learning program, with a number of different tracks that will help you build your portfolio of professional development skills. Ramp Up has a solid foundation of premium technical content from subject-matter gurus, and provides easy-to-access content in a variety of forms that guide you in learning the important skills. Join Ramp Up (it's free!) and help advance your career - click on a track now to start.

Tracks include

• Move from ASP to ASP.Net
• Move from PHP to ASP.Net
• Web Development
• Developing Windows Mobile Applications
• SharePoint
• Visual Studio
• Developer basics
• Java to .Net
• VB 2005
• VS 2005

Go here http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/rampup/default.aspx to join the site and learn for free.

Technorati Tags: Microsoft,Developer,Mobile,Sharepoint,Online training

Important notice Microsoft Money Plus

 

Microsoft Money Plus will not be available for purchase after June 30, 2009. All purchased Money Plus products must be activated prior to Jan. 31, 2011.

With banks, brokerage firms and Web sites now providing a range of options for managing personal finances, the consumer need for Microsoft Money Plus has changed. After suspending annual updates of Money Plus in 2008, Microsoft is announcing today that we will no longer offer Microsoft Money Plus for purchase after June 30, 2009.
We would like to thank the many dedicated users who have been enthusiastic supporters of Microsoft Money over the years, as well as our partner financial institutions who helped pioneer a digital vision of financial management.

Microsoft remains committed to helping customers chart a course to financial well-being. The MSN Money Web site will continue to provide personal finance information and advice plus comprehensive market news and quotes. We will continue to evolve and enhance the online MSN offering in the coming months.

Current Money Plus customers who have questions or concerns can find additional information here.

As posted on the Microsoft Site

Technorati Tags: Microsoft Money,Money Plus

The 2009 Imagine Cup Finalists

The World’s Premier Student Technology Competition

"I wish there had been an Imagine Cup when I was growing up. It gets people involved in seeing that software is changing the world."

--Bill Gates                        
Chairman, Microsoft Corp.

Everything that the world may become "someday" lies in the hands of young people today. As they look at the road ahead, their close relationship with technology enables them to dream in ways we never have before. Put the two together, and you have young minds holding the tools that can make their vision a reality.
This is the recipe that inspired Microsoft to create the Imagine Cup. What begins with a burst of inspiration and a lot of hard work can become a future software breakthrough, a future career, or a flourishing new industry. The Imagine Cup encourages young people to apply their imagination, their passion and their creativity to technology innovations that can make a difference in the world – today. Now in its seventh year, the Imagine Cup has grown to be a truly global competition focused on finding solutions to real world issues.
Open to students around the world, the Imagine Cup is a serious challenge that draws serious talent, and the competition is intense. The contest spans a year, beginning with local, regional and online contests whose winners go on to attend the global finals held in a different location every year.  The intensity of the work brings students together, and motivates the competitors to give it their all. The bonds formed here often last well beyond the competition itself.

This was taken from the site http://imaginecup.com/

 

So now here the link to the finalists http://imaginecup.com/Competition/Finalists.aspx 

Technorati Tags: Imagine Cup

Need to share Files with friends or coworkers

 

Office Live Workspace lets you securely store documents on the Web and share large files with anyone you want from virtually anywhere. Now with 5GB of storage!

For FREE….

go here https://signup.workspace.office.live.com/signup/default.aspx

 

Technorati Tags: Live service,Workspace,File Share

Infrastructure Planning and Design Guides Released

SharePoint Online—Evaluating Software-plus-Services
The Infrastructure Planning and Design team has released a new guide: SharePoint Online—Evaluating Software-plus-Services.
Considering an online solution for your organization’s collaboration services? The SharePoint Online—Evaluating Software-plus-Services guide presents a clear comparison of SharePoint collaboration technologies across on-premises, standard hosting, and dedicated hosting scenarios. It is designed to be used as a framework for evaluating the business and technical feasibility of moving to Microsoft SharePoint Online. It identifies key SharePoint workloads, and provides a customized assessment to help the organization determine which offering best meets the organization’s requirements.
Download the guide by visiting http://www.microsoft.com/ipd and selecting “SharePoint Online–Evaluating Software-plus-Services” under the IPD One-click Downloads, listed on the bottom right of the page.
Infrastructure Planning and Design streamlines the planning process by:

• Defining the technical decision flow through the planning process.
• Listing the decisions to be made and the commonly available options and considerations.
• Relating the decisions and options to the business in terms of cost, complexity, and other characteristics.
• Framing decisions in terms of additional questions to the business to ensure a comprehensive alignment with the appropriate business landscape.

Tell your peers about IPD guides! Please forward this mail to anyone who wants to learn more about Infrastructure Planning and Design guides.

Technorati Tags: sharepoint,SharePoint Online,SASS

IIS Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Toolkit is Beta now available

Microsoft has announced a beta of the IIS Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Toolkit, a set of new tools that help Web developers, hosting providers, and server administrators improve their sites' relevance in search results by recommending how to make them more search engine-friendly (read: more Bing-friendly). To install the toolkit, you'll need the Microsoft Web Platform installer for use with IIS 7.0 and IIS 7.5.

Technorati Tags: Server 2008,server 2008 r2,IIS,Beta

Microsoft Rolls Out SCVMM 2008 R2 RC

The release candidate (RC) of System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) 2008 R2 is now available for public testing, Microsoft announced on Monday.

The application can be downloaded at the Microsoft Connect portal here, using a Windows Live ID. The RC is the last test version before final product availability.

This version of SCVMM 2008 R2 contains about six new features since the beta was released in March. Those features include storage migration, live migration queuing, rapid provisioning, host compatibility checks, Microsoft's announcement.

To get the RC code go to connect.Microsoft.com

 

Technorati Tags: Servr 2008 r2,SCVMM,Beta

Microsoft Hardware Launches Exclusive Features for Windows 7

Microsoft Hardware will launch several new features for Windows 7 in the coming months for its peripherals; the first of which is a timesaving feature called Taskbar Favorites that gives Microsoft keyboard users a smart new way to access their most frequently used programs and documents. Taskbar Favorites will map to the location of applications on the improved Windows taskbar. The applications in the taskbar can be easily rearranged just by clicking and dragging, and Taskbar Favorites will automatically adapt to the applications’ new locations. Additional new benefits of the Microsoft Hardware and Windows 7 connection include the following:

• Device Stage. Microsoft Hardware mouse and keyboard products will support Device Stage, a Windows 7 feature that gives customers quick and easy access to common tasks, including product information, registration, settings and more for popular device categories such as cell phones, cameras, printers, portable media players and input devices.

• Windows Flip. Microsoft mouse and keyboard users can easily see a thumbnail preview of all open windows with the press of a button. A full-screen preview of the application will automatically display, enabling the user to better identify and select the desired application.

• Windows Live Movie Maker and Windows Live Photo Gallery. LifeCam users will be able to do more with photos and movies. With Movie Maker they can start a movie project with one click, and then upload video to social networking sites. Photo Gallery access will enable them to easily upload a photo that they can edit, tag and share with friends and family.

Beta versions of Microsoft mouse, keyboard, controller and webcam software are available now for Windows 7. Final versions of product software, which include Taskbar Favorites, Device Stage, Windows Flip, Windows Live Movie Maker and Windows Live Photo Gallery, will be available June 26 for mice and keyboards and July 31 for LifeCam products. For people currently using the Windows 7 release candidate, beta versions of software can be downloaded at http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/windows7/support.mspx.

 

Technorati Tags: Windows7,Server 2008 r2,Microsoft Hardware,Beta drivers

How to add to Boot Manager in Windows 7 or Server 2008 r2 Boot From VHD

How to add a boot from VHD to Windows Server 2008r2 or Windows 7 computer

Batch file follows

We will be backup up your current Boot configuration to c:\Boot _backup\

and store VHD in the c:\vhd

for this demo we use the name with the actual file name of

Win7Ult.vhd

and add entry in the boot manager of "Windows 7 Ultimate - VHD Boot of Windows 7 Ultimate, 32 bit"

-----------------------------

@echo off

Echo : This command should be run from an elevated command prompt, and you should

Echo : have administrator rights on your local system.

Echo :

Echo : *** You should have Windows 7 installed as the base OS on your system. ***

Echo :

Echo : Your existing boot configuration will be backed up to c:\boot_backup\BCDBACKUP.

Echo :

Echo : One new boot entry will be created.

Echo : Windows 7 Ultimate - VHD Boot of Windows 7 Ultimate, 32 bit.

Echo :

Echo ------------------------------------------------------------

Echo Press CTRL+C to cancel, or

Pause

Echo Backup BCD Database

BCDEdit /Export c:\Boot _backup\BCDBACKUP

IF NOT EXIST c:\Boot _backup\BCDBACKUP. (

Echo BCD Backup Failed

Echo Press CTRL+C to cancel or

Pause

) Else (

Echo BCD Backup Completed

)

ECHO Testing to verify VHD Files Available.

IF NOT EXIST c:\VHD\ Win7Ult.vhd.VHD (

ECHO NOT FOUND: Win7Ult.vhd

Echo Press CTRL+C to cancel or

Pause

)

Echo Creating VHD Boot Entry for Windows 7 Ultimate

Start /W c:\VHD\Boot2VHD Win7Ult.vhd "Windows 7 Ultimate - VHD Boot of Windows 7 Ultimate, 32 bit"

 

Technorati Tags: Windows 7,Server 2008 r2,Boot to VHD

Cool Web sites

Some good web sites

1. Secunia .com – Up to day security post of software and hardware security issues.

2. Seatguru.com – See what see are good on the plane you are flight you are taking. Sort by airline and aircraft.

3. Xe.com – Currency converter look up US dollars to euros or whatever currency easy and quickly.

4. Farecast.com – Searches multiple sites to get best airfare and also predicts fare prices.

 

Technorati Tags: Web Sites

Backup or Not that is the question!

It is not a question that should need to be discussed as we all need backups. You need a backup to protect you from what WILL happen! Your hard drive will die, you will get a virus, or your will just delete some by mistake. I do lot talks and when I ask when the last time you backed up I always get Hum… Let me think about that. Ask yourself when you backup last. Yesterday, Last week, Last month, Never? Why do user never back up is it too hard, is it I do not thing about It, or I am lazy? I believe no one taught you to back up! So here you go my top 5 reason to backup.

1. Backup because it protects you

2. Saves you Time

3. Because you have document you cannot replace

4. Because you have photos you cannot replace

5. Backups will save you MONEY

Yes not having a backup will cost you lots of money and time, just think about the cost of going to a computer shop and having them rebuild your computer from scratch. What do they get an hour $ 100.00, $ 150.00 or more? How many hours would it take to rebuild your computer 3, 6, 8 hours, do you have the original disks? Some people just buy a new computer as it cheaper than the labor charge but what about the software and data, you need to have a backup process and run it regularly.

Now that I explained what backup let talk what you can do.

My solution is two steps.

Step 1 make an Image copy of your computer this means make a full copy of your computer so if you have a major issue you can rebuild your computer quickly, (Great for hard drive failure) for example there are other solution I just showing you one, that you could use.

Reflect Free - Here a solution that free and make an Image file of your computer so that if you lose your computer you can quickly re-image it and be up in running in minutes not days. You need to make updated Image every time you install new hardware or software then you can just use another backup process to back up the changed data. This is a free product, Reflect Free can be found here at www.macrium.com

Step 2 run a backup at least once a week, daily would be better. You use programs like to do this (you could use the built-in backup program that come with your operating system

Or

If you have a spare USB drive you can also use Clickfree transformer or the Monster cable version, this hardware product connects your computer to the USB drive and automatically backs up all your data files.

There is a Solution that combines Step1, and step2 into 1 process you can purchase a hardware solution that will automate the complete solution. For example Seagate Replica you buy this solution, for 1 computer or you can but a version that protects multiple computers you connect via USB and it does all the work for you ( make a backup and keep any change you make to you system backup in real time!

Do the above steps and you can sleep knowing your computer is backed up, if you do not want to do this then at least do this use a USB flash drive and copy your important files to that so if you need a copy you have them. You can also use online backup services to backup you DATA not you applications, example of these services include www.box.net, or www Idrive.com.

Do yourself a favor pick a solution, and start NOW and backup.

 

Technorati Tags: backup,backup software,online backup,refect free

Utilities and Applications you want part 3

This is the third of a series of blogs on Free software that you can use I will be reviewing the software and explain how you can use this software to save money and increase your productivity. In this series I will be covering both Applications and Utilities.

Microsoft Shareview – This is an application that you install to your computer – Then you can invite other to an online Video Meeting where you can share your computer with up to 15 users at the same time. This is a free solution to a live meeting. The interesting part of this software is that it allows user who are part of the meeting to move there mouse and highlight an area of the share screen and point out a question, you can also share control of your computer or a participant can take over the meeting and share their desktop or an application.

Microsoft Sharedview can be found here at www.microsoft.com/shareview

Crossloop Connect – this is a free application that allow you to control another computer connect on the internet. My mom call she is having a computer issue, I have here download this program, I done the same. Then I tell mom to tell me her access code and with her name and access code you can see and control her computer. (Saves lot time as you can see the problem and fix it remotely.

Crossloop Connect can be found here at www.crossloop.com

Live Writer – this program is for all of you blog writers. The easy to use editor allow you to create blogs add pictures and tags. This tool works with all most blogging services including Google Blogger, Typepad, Wordpress and Microsoft blogging sites. Some features I like are the ability to open old blogs easily and edit old posted blog articles.

Live Writer can be found here at Download.live.com/writer

 

 

Technorati Tags: windows,shareview,crossloop connect,live writer

Utilities and Applications you want part 2

1. This is the second of a series of blogs on Free software that you can use I will be reviewing the software and explain how you can use this software to save money and increase your productivity. In this series I will be covering both Applications and Utilities.

CutePDF Writer- this is a free version of a product that allow you to create PDF files form your computer this install as a printer driver then what ever you print will become a PDF. This is a lightweight solution and gives all users the ability to create PDF files

Can be found here at www.cutepdf.com

Foxit Reader 3.0 PDF this allows you to read PDF files with a SMALL memory footprint of software that will open PDF files. Yes you can get Acrobat reader for but this user less space, and less memory

Can be found here at www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/reader

Reflect Free - Backups are issues for most computer users – they just do not do it! Here a solution that free and make an Image file of your computer so that if you lose your computer you can quickly re-image it and be up in running in minutes not days. You need to make updated Image every time you install new hardware or software then you can just use another backup process to back up the changed data. (Look at my Allway Sync)

Reflect Free can be found here at www.macrium.com

Allway Sync – This is a toll for syncing data file that have changed between two or more computer. However I use this to back up to a USB flash drive or USB Hard drive that way if you keep a Big Flash Drive and once a day or week connect it to your computer it will copy the changed files from your computer to the USB device and you have current backup of your data. Allway Sync can be found here at www.allwaysync.com

Technorati Tags: windows,cutepdf,pdf,foxit reader,reflect direct,allways sync

Date Windows 7 will Ship !

This was announced today that Windows 7 will be in stores beginning October 22nd.

Some people may not be able to wait for Windows 7 to arrive before having to order a new PC (like parents who are sending their sons or daughters off to school who need of a PC to take with them). Fortunately, there is no need to wait. Soon, customers will be able to take advantage of the Windows 7 Upgrade Option Program. This program enables participating retailers and OEMs to offer a special deal to upgrade to Windows 7 for customers purchasing a qualifying PC. I’ll be doing another blog post about this program with a date and more details when we get closer to availability.

Obviously, Release To Manufacturing (RTM) is an important milestone on the path to GA. We anticipate that we’ll be able to make the RTM code for Windows 7 available to our partners sometime in the 2^nd half of July. We also expect to be able to make RTM code for Windows Server 2008 R2 available to our partners in this time frame as well.

 

Technorati Tags: Windows 7 Beta,Microsoft,Server 2008 r2

Utilities and Applications you want

This is the first  of a series of blogs on Free software that you can use I will be reviewing the software and explain how you can use this software to save money and increase your productivity. In this series I will be covering both Applications and Utilities.

Belarc Advisor – the audit tool for your computer. This tool will look at your computer and tell you what hardware your computer has. This best part is then it looks at Software and shows the same. When it find software it will give you the Product keys that you used to install the products, this includes Windows, and Office. Run this program and print out the report, IF you ever need to reinstall your computer form scotch this is the report you will with you had.

Belarc Advisor can be found here at www.belarc.com

Gparted – This is a Linux boot manger that allows you to resized drives, and move part ions. You can do this in Vista or windows 7 but this tool gives you more flexibility. Gparted can be found here at gparted.sourceforge.net.

Format Factory is an all in one sound, and video converter. This one application will convert almost any video or audio file form one format to another. You pick the source file or director and you can convert to the file type you like. One powerful function is that ability to pick a directory and batch convert

Can be found here at www.formatoz.com

Process Explorer – This is the urber geek tool see what happing in you windows computer. This tool will tell you what running but goes into much more detail buy showing you how much memory, Network and CPU.

Process Explorer can be found here at technet.microsoft.com

 

Technorati Tags: software,Utilities,Application