As you move in your journey to Windows Server 2012 certification, you need to understand the path to get certified, This is a tool that will assist you in choosing the type of training that fits your learning style and schedule and prepare for your first—or next—exam to reach your certification and career goal.
| What’s New in Windows 8 Security |
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| Windows 8 Security Demonstrations
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Security Events and Training
| Windows 8 Jump Start: Recovery and Security |
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| Microsoft Virtual Academy: Operating and Managing a Secure Windows 8 Environment |
This is a repost off the Microsoft security newsletter .
Mitch Tulloch has updated his very popular free ebook on Windows Server 2012 based on the RTM version of the software.
A key feature of this book is the inclusion of sidebars written by members of the Windows Server team, Microsoft Support engineers, Microsoft Consulting Services staff, and others who work at Microsoft. These sidebars provide an insider’s perspective that includes both “under-the-hood” information concerning how features work, and strategies, tips, and best practices from experts who have been working with the platform during product development.
• Performance, reliability, and security features
• Deployment options
• Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit
• Windows PowerShell™ 3.0 and Group Policy
• Managing and sideloading apps
• Internet Explorer® 10
• Virtualization, Client Hyper-V, and Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack
• Recovery features
get the ebook here
We're pleased to announce the return of Second Shot, the highly popular offer that gives you a free second chance to pass your IT pro, developer, and Microsoft Dynamics certification exams.
Second Shot is available now through May 31, 2013.
Read more about Second Shot on Microsoft Learning.
How it works
If you're getting ready to earn another certification, make sure you register for Second Shot so you can retake your exam, if necessary, for free!
I have been nominated as a SBS influencer, an SMB 150 influencer is a person that has made a meaningful and lasting impact on the worldwide SMB channel. Impact may mean (i) providing products widely used by significant numbers of MSPs, SMB channel partners and resellers, or (ii) influencing significant numbers of MSPs, SMB channel partners and resellers by being a thought leader, or (iii) providing information or services of note to significant numbers of MSPs, SMB channel partners and resellers.
The SMB 150 honors individuals who have made a significant impact on the worldwide small and medium business (SMB) channel . You and an all-star judging panel will vote for the top 150. It all culminates with honoring the SMB 150 Influencers in late-April 2013, with an awards gala in May at the iconic Westin Bonaventure in Los Angeles, CA!
by clicking here
With Windows 8 now out and the holiday season approaching lot of people will be getting new computers and electron devices that have personal information on them. I thought this would be a good time to remember how to dispose of those devices
When you get rid of paper documents you should shred them, This include the offers for new credit cards, or any information that would compromise your personal information and make it easy for to become an identity theft victim from loss of information that is printed.
If you think about your Computer you have lots of information as well that could allow thief's to steal from you.
1st backup what you want to keep.
You can use Flash Drives, Hard Drives or Cloud based solutions like https://skydrive.live.com
SkyDrive is a free service from Microsoft that gives you 7 gig of free storage (by the way this work with PC, Mac and Phones)
You can transfer you data using tool like Windows Easy Transfer or lot of 3rd party tools.
2nd Now that you backup you data it time to decide how you are going to clean up and erase your personal data off the old computer.
You can use specialized software that is designed to government standards and will overwrite your information. By the way formatting the hard drive or deleting files does not protect you from someone undeleting you data on a Secure Wiping program does that like (Active@ KillDisk and Softpedia DP Wiper are free downloads).
3rd Now you need to decide what you are doing with the old hardware.
Now is the time to think about those who do not have computers.
You could donate the computer to a local Non-profit.
There are national groups who can find a home for your old computers like the National Cristina Foundation
For Windows Phones: Follow these four steps or contact your service provider for instructions.
1. Tap Start and flick left to the App list.
2. Tap Settings and then tap about.
3. At the bottom of the screen, tap reset your phone.
4. To confirm the reset, tap yes.
For Xbox consoles:
Copy your games, movies, and other files onto a new device and then wipe the old one. Learn how to copy, move, or delete files from your Xbox and then reformat the hard drive.
For other phones: go to the manufacture site and look on how to do a factory reset.
I will be helping with the HP Windows 8 Day and I though a couple of articles would help.
Before upgrading to Windows 8, I recommend that you run the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant. It scans your current PC to see if it is ready for Windows 8 and then provides a compatibility report and optional steps for you to buy, download, and install Windows 8.
If your PC is currently running Windows 7, your files, apps, and settings will easily transfer to Windows 8. If your PC is running Windows XP or Windows Vista, you'll need to reinstall your apps after you upgrade.
You can run Upgrade Assistant without purchasing or installing Windows 8.
To check if your peripheral devices like printers or monitors will work with Windows 8 is sure they're plugged in and connected to your PC before you run Upgrade Assistant.
What does Upgrade Assistant do?
There are four main things that Upgrade Assistant does:
It scans your hardware, apps, and connected devices to see if they'll work with Windows 8. Make sure all the peripheral devices that you need to work with your PC, like printers and monitors, are connected to your PC and turned on before you run Upgrade Assistant.
Upgrade Assistant checks your PC hardware to see if it meets the Windows 8 system requirements to install on your PC, including features of the processor such as CPU speed, PAE, NX, and SSE2, as well as RAM size and hard disk capacity. It also checks for compatibility of your currently installed apps and devices.
It provides a compatibility report. Windows 8 generally works with the same apps and devices that work with Windows 7, but in some cases, a product might need an update, or you might need to uninstall and reinstall it after you upgrade. The compatibility report lists your apps and devices that will work in Windows 8, those that might not work, and what you can do to get them working again after you upgrade. If some of your apps and devices aren’t listed, it might be because we don't have compatibility info for that product yet. For more info on specific products, check the Windows Compatibility Center, or contact the product manufacturer.
You can save or print the compatibility report to use later. Unless you choose the option to "keep nothing" during the upgrade, you'll be able to find the report on your desktop after the upgrade. For more info, see get your apps and devices working in Windows 8.
It checks your PC for support of certain Windows 8 features. Specifically: the Windows Store, snap, secure boot, and multitouch. If your PC doesn't support one or more of these features you'll see a warning. You'll still be able to install Windows 8, but specific features won't be available to you.
It provides the option to buy, download, and install Windows 8. If your PC is ready to go, Upgrade Assistant provides a recommendation on which edition to buy, and walks you through the steps to upgrade.
Is my PC ready to upgrade?
The best way to tell if your hardware, apps, and connected devices are ready to upgrade is to download and run Upgrade Assistant, which scans them and tells you if there is anything you'll need to do before or after upgrading.
General System requirements Link
HP Specific Link Information
Windows 8 works great on most of the same hardware that runs Windows 7. To automatically check your PC, apps, and connected devices to see if they'll work with Windows 8, download and run Upgrade Assistant.
Not necessarily. When you run Upgrade Assistant, it scans your apps and connected devices, and provides a compatibility report about the products that we know will or won't work in Windows 8. If you have a product that worked in Windows 7, then most likely, it will work in Windows 8, too. But there might be apps or devices on your PC that we have no info for.
The compatibility info we provide is based on these sources:
Independent software and hardware vendors test and officially certify some apps and devices for Windows 8.
Microsoft tests the most popular apps and devices on the market, and provides compatibility info based on this testing.
If we didn't test a product on Windows 8, we might base its compatibility status on whether it worked on Windows 7.
We also base some compatibility info on reports from the manufacturer. This info hasn't been tested or confirmed by Microsoft.
Check for more compatibility info for a specific app or device (including info from community forums) in the Windows Compatibility Center, or contact the app or device manufacturer.
Can I upgrade a Windows 7 touch-enabled PC to Windows 8?
If you have touch input hardware that isn't specifically designed for Windows 8, but is compliant with the Windows Certification Program for Windows 7, you can upgrade to Windows 8 and will experience touch responsiveness at least as good as it was on Windows 7. Because Windows 8 touch requires a higher degree of responsiveness and precision, Windows 8 touch PCs that qualify for the Windows Certification Program provide a much better experience typing on the touch keyboard and using certain features than on Windows 7 PCs. For example, certain Windows 8 features and apps won't work on touchscreens that support fewer than five simultaneous touch points.
Can I upgrade from a 32-bit version of Windows to a 64-bit version of Windows 8?
Yes, but you can't do this using Upgrade Assistant. If your PC has a 64-bit capable processor (CPU) but is currently running a 32-bit version of Windows, you can install a 64-bit version of Windows 8 Pro, but you'll need to buy it as a DVD and perform a custom installation You won't be able to keep any files, settings, or apps when you upgrade from a 32-bit to a 64-bit version.
For HP devices Specific Devices go to these links
Windows 8: Frequently Asked Questions for IT Professionals
Get answers to common questions about Windows 8 editions, applications, deployment, virtualization, administration, security, and more.
Windows 8 Downloads
Quickly access the most popular Windows 8 downloads for IT professionals including planning and deployment tools, Sysinternals process utilities, and Windows PowerShell 3.0.
Windows 8 Jump Start
Take advantage of free, online, fast-paced training courses designed specifically for experienced IT professionals with jobs that demand that they know how to best leverage the emerging features and technologies in Windows 8, such as:
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Windows 8 Technical Demonstrations
Short on time, but want to know more about key features in Windows 8 for IT professionals? Check out these brief, but informative technical demonstrations:
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Manage and Operate Windows 8
Find resources and tools to help you better manage Windows 8 PCs, laptops, tablets, and other devices as well as guidance on how to control settings and access to important data, and optimize system performance.
Support and Troubleshooting Resources for Windows 8
Find resources and tools to help you support Windows 8 in your organization, troubleshoot common issues and error messages, and address installation and compatibility concerns.
You might be tempted to think that Windows 8 simply is a consumer release, and there are certainly a lot of great new features that consumers are going to love, but Windows 8 has a lot for businesses and IT pros, too. The new user interface and application model enable businesses to create their own line–of–business (LOB) apps to help improve user productivity. The operating system improves on the fundamentals, such as speed, reliability, and security. Lastly, Windows 8 works with your existing infrastructure but also offers new ways to deploy and manage users’ desktop environments. Learn more with this free preview of an upcoming Microsoft Press book designed to help you prepare to deploy Windows 8, deliver apps, manage recovery, security, and virtualization. Download the free ebook preview today and pre–order a hard copy.
If your PC is running Windows 8 Pro and you'd like to get Windows 8 Media Center Pack so you can watch and record live TV with Windows Media Center.
Media center adds Windows Media Center will support all previous features including including DVD playback (in Media Center, not in Media Player), broadcast TV recording and playback (DBV-T/S, ISDB-S/T, DMBH, and ATSC), and VOB file playback, you can take advantage of the following special offer:
To receive a free product key and get Windows 8 Media Center Pack, provide a valid email address in the space provided. Once you receive your free product key through the email address you provided, follow the instructions for adding Windows 8 Media Center Pack that appear later on this page.
click here
If you have Windows 8 and have created a Windows to go USB drive, one of the restrictions that is applied to Windows To Go machines is that the Windows Store is disabled by default. If you are in a domain environment, you might have enabled a policy that doesn't allow the Windows Store to install apps on Windows to go Workspaces.
Go to the group policy editor. You can go to the gpmc.msc for the Active Directory Group Policy Management Console, or gpedit.msc for the local Group Policy Editor.
Go to Computer Configuration/Administrative templates\Windows Components\Store.
Go to the “Allow Store to install apps on Windows To Go workspaces” policy.
If you are running Windows 8 Enterprise and want to active your version but do not have a KMS server in place, run the following command, and you are using a MAK key
Run an elevated CMD window and execute slmgr.vbs -ipk “YOUR_PRODUCT_KEY”. Now you can use the activation wizard found in the control panel.
This is really Cool…
Mouse without Borders is a prototype that makes you the captain of your computer fleet by allowing you to control up to four computers from a single mouse and keyboard.
This means that with Mouse without Borders you can copy text or drag and drop files across computers. You load a small program on each of your computers, then you can copy text or drag and drop files across computers
This APP is a Side project of a Microsoft employee
The download the APP click HERE
For support see this site
Get familiar with the capabilities of Windows Server 2012 in this free Ebook
Introducing Windows Server 2012 is 256 pages and includes 5 chapters loaded with insider information from the Windows Server Team.
Chapter 1 The business need for Windows Server 2012
The rationale behind cloud computing Making the transition
Technical requirements for successful cloud computing
Four ways Windows Server 2012 delivers value for cloud computing Foundation for building your private cloud
Chapter 2 Foundation for building your private cloud
A complete virtualization platform
Increase scalability and performance Business continuity for virtualized workloads
Chapter 3 Highly available, easy-to-manage multi-server platform
Continuous availability
Cost efficiency
Management efficiency
Chapter 4 Deploy web applications on premises and in the cloud
Scalable and elastic web platform
Support for open standards
Chapter 5 Enabling the modern work style
Access virtually anywhere, from any device
Full Windows experience
Enhanced security and compliance
FORMAT LINK
PDF
Introducing Windows Server 2012 PDF eBook
EPUB
Introducing Windows Server 2012 EPUB eBook
MOBI
Introducing Windows Server 2012 MOBI eBook
As part of the reinvented Microsoft Certification Program, Microsoft today announces the new Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD) credential for developers. Microsoft has rebooted the MCSD certification for the new world of cloud and the application marketplace. This early-to-market certification addresses new skills for a broader audience, including next generation developers who thrive on bleeding edge technology.
With approximately 100 million people writing code today in a multi-billion dollar application marketplace, you need to stay at the forefront of technology to deliver fast, light, stunning applications that deliver high value and are accessible on any device.
Visual Studio 2012 provides the best tools and experience for you to develop apps that target platforms across devices and services. And Microsoft developer certification helps you extend your Visual Studio and developer skills beyond traditional platform boundaries. The Microsoft Certified Developer certification (MSCD) helps you get the essential skills you need to develop fast and fluid applications and web applications that run across the growing range of platforms your customers use every day.
Rebuilt, Not Just Renamed
Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD) emphasizes solutions
The Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD) certification is Microsoft’s new flagship set of certifications for Developers. These certifications validate the new skill sets needed to develop, deploy, and maintain Microsoft technology solutions, and recognize Developers and IT Pros who have skill sets that run both broad and deep.
With updated rigor and relevance built into the certifications to emphasize real world skills, Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer is the destination for established Developers who have expertise developing solutions with Microsoft tools
Download your free copy of the Microsoft Press eBook Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2012. Written by Stacia Misner and Ross Mistry, this book explores enhancements and new capabilities, including improvements in operation, reporting, and management.
Download the ebook here
The best path to cloud certifications is to complete your Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) or Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) certification. Show your continued dedication and expertise by then upgrading to the equivalent MCSE certifications when they become available.
To help you move to the cloud, Microsoft is offering a limited time* "Two for One" exam offer. When you purchase and take a qualifying exam at full price between April 11, 2012 and June 30, 2012, you will be emailed a voucher valid for the next version exam of your chosen technology path, at no additional cost. Your voucher for the second qualifying exam will be emailed to you when the new exams release and will expire 90 days after the new Certification in your technology path becomes available.
For more details go Here
Microsoft has detected a new piece of malware targeting Apple OS X computers that exploits a vulnerability in the Office productivity suite patched nearly three years ago.
The malware is not widespread, wrote Jeong Wook Oh of Microsoft's Malware Protection Center. But it does show that hackers pay attention if it's found people do not apply patches as those fixes are released, putting their computers at a higher risk of becoming infected.
"Exploiting Mac OS X is not much different from other operating systems," Oh wrote. "Even though Mac OS X has introduced many mitigation technologies to reduce risk, your protection against security vulnerabilities has a direct correlation with updating installed applications."
The security update that Microsoft released in June 2009, MS09-027, addressed two vulnerabilities that could be used by an attacker to gain remote control over a machine and run other code. Both vulnerabilities could be exploited with a specially-crafted Word document.
The exploit discovered by Microsoft doesn't work with OS X Lion, but does work with Snow Leopard and prior versions. Oh wrote that it is likely attackers have knowledge about the computers they are attacking, such as the victim's operating system version and patch levels.
The malware delivered by the exploit is written specifically for OS X and is basically a "backdoor," or a tool that allows for remote control of a computer.
Microsoft advised those who use Microsoft Office 2004 or 2008 for Mac or the Open XML File Format Converter for Mac to ensure those products have applied the patch.
"In conclusion, we can see that Mac OS X is not safe from malware," Oh wrote. "Statistically speaking, as this operating system gains in consumer usage, attacks on the platform will increase."
To see the full article go here
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2012 is the newest version of Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, a Solution Accelerator for operating system and application deployment. MDT 2012 supports deployment of Windows 7, Office 2010 and 365, and Windows Server 2008 R2, in addition to deployment of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP.
Deploy Windows 7, Office 2010 and 365, and Windows Server 2008 R2 with the newly released Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2012. MDT is the recommended process and toolset for automating desktop and server deployment. MDT provides you with the following benefits:
Supported operating systems: Windows 7, Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition (32-Bit x86), Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard Edition (32-bit x86), Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2, Windows Vista Service Pack 2, Windows XP Service Pack 3
Download it here
April 20, 2012
Doctor Web's virus analysts continue to monitor the largest to date Mac botnet discovered by Doctor Web on April 4, 2012. The botnet statistics acquired by Doctor Web contradicts recently published reports indicating a decrease in the number of Macs infected by BackDoor.Flashback.39 The number is still around 650,000.
According to Doctor Web, 817 879 bots connected to the BackDoor.Flashback.39 botnet at one time or another and average 550 000 infected machines interact with a control server on a 24 hour basis. On April 16, 717004 unique IP-addresses and 595816 Mac UUIDs were registered on the BackDoor.Flashback.39 botnet while on April 17 the figures were 714 483 unique IPs and 582405 UUIDs. At the same time infected computers, that have not been registered on the BackDoor.Flashback.39 network before, join the botnet every day. The chart below shows how the number of bots on the BackDoor.Flashback.39 botnet has been changing from April 3 to April 19, 2012.
However recent publications found in open access report a reduction in the number of BackDoor.Flashback.39 bots. Typically, these materials are based on analysis of statistics acquired from hijacked botnet control servers. Doctor Web's analysts conducted a research to determine the reasons for this discrepancy.
BackDoor.Flashback.39 uses a sophisticated routine to generate control server names: a larger part of the domain names is generated using parameters embedded in the malware resources, others are created using the current date. The Trojan sends consecutive queries to servers according to its pre-defined priorities. The main domains for BackDoor.Flashback.39 command servers were registered by Doctor Web at the beginning of April, and bots first send requests to corresponding servers. On April 16th additional domains whose names are generated using the current date were registered. Since these domain names are used by all BackDoor.Flashback.39 variants, registration of additional control server names has allowed to more accurately calculate the number of bots on the malicious network, which is indicated on the graph. However, after communicating with servers controlled by Doctor Web, Trojans send requests to the server at 74.207.249.7, controlled by an unidentified third party. This server communicates with bots but doesn't close a TCP connection. As the result, bots switch to the standby mode and wait for the server's reply and no longer respond to further commands. As a consequence, they do not communicate with other command centers, many of which have been registered by information security specialists. This is the cause of controversial statistics — on one hand, Symantec and Kaspersky Lab reported a significant decline in the number of BackDoor.Flashback.39 bots, on the other hand, Doctor Web repeatedly indicated a far greater number of bots which didn’t tend to decline considerably. The image below shows how a TCP-connection to the command center makes a BackDoor.Flashback.39 bot freeze.
Doctor Web once gain warns Mac OS X users of the BackDoor.Flashback.39 threat and strongly recommends you to install Java updates and scan the system to determine whether it has been infected. For more information about BackDoor.Flashback detection and neutralization visit https://www.drweb.com/flashback/. To remove the Trojan, you can use Dr.Web for Mac OS X Light available free of charge.
This article is a repost of http://news.drweb.com/show/?i=2386&lng=en&c=14
Doctor Web once gain warns Mac OS X users of the BackDoor.Flashback.39 threat and strongly recommends you to install Java updates and scan the system to determine whether it has been infected," the company said in the blog post.
Apple issued a patch for the Java vulnerability April 4, but security researchers criticized the company for its slow response to the issue, which was first reported in February.
On April 12, Apple released an update for Mac OS X v10.7 and v10.6 that removes most common variants of Flashback.
Last week, security researchers identified a Flashback variant, called SabPub, that appears to have been built to carry out targeted attacks, potentially against pro-Tibetan activists.
PATCH you computer this is an example of how all computer system are at risk without constant updating…
TechNet Webcast: Everything You Wanted to Know and Ask about Windows Deployment (Part 1)
Registration URL: http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9807963 or http://bit.ly/JLTQLM
Date/ Time: Tuesday, May 15, 2012 - 9-10am (Pacific)
Abstract: In this demonstration-rich, question and answer webcast, Windows Product Manager Stephen Rose moderates an open conversation with Microsoft Deployment Toolkit Product Manager Michael Niehaus and deployment guru Johan Arwidmark. They discuss the new Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2012 release as well as tips and tricks from the experts about using the Windows Deployment Toolkit.
__________
TechNet Webcast: Everything You Wanted to Know and Ask about Windows Deployment (Part 2)
Registration URL: http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9807964 or http://bit.ly/Kgny8y
Date/ Time: Thursday, May 17, 2012 - 9-10am (Pacific)
Abstract: In this demonstration-rich, question and answer webcast, Windows Product Manager Stephen Rose moderates an open conversation with Microsoft Deployment Toolkit Product Manager Michael Niehaus and deployment guru Johan Arwidmark. They discuss the new Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2012 release as well as tips and tricks from the experts about using the Windows Deployment Toolkit.
This is a remind that if they have received any promotional exam vouchers for Exam 70-659: Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization, the time to redeem them is now. All offers for the exam will expire on May 31, 2012. They can register to take their exam at the Prometric Registration website
My sister asked how did you know my phone number, what your phone number… and the hung up…
She and you should know that Microsoft and other software vendors do not call you.. Unless you opened a ticket for support. If you not sure ask for their name and the call the vendor back on a Support phone number that you get from the vendors web site.
And now
US-CERT: has created a warning….
Social engineers target utilities with fake Microsoft support calls
I will be helping with this event
Every organization has the power to employ cloud technologies in their own way, at their own pace and with their own terms. The use of private cloud technologies help transform how organizations manage infrastructure resources, provision applications and automate services for their business. It also helps them leverage and manage public cloud services that expand their current infrastructure and application capabilities. As an end result, organizations increase IT operational agility, improved business focus and achieve value-add economics that evolves their IT infrastructure into a strategic asset.
Over 24 hours, you will hear from top industry and technical professionals from around the world to help you better understand the private cloud technology solutions that are available today. You will hear from industry organizations about how they view the public cloud and how the role of the IT Professional will evolve as more and more organizations begin a private cloud transformation. Listen to the number of technical professionals who will be on hand talking about the required components to simplify private cloud creation and management. Talk with them and your peers about the numerous operational efficiencies that come from deploying a private cloud with the reduction of servers and the benefits of provisioning and managing virtual applications across multiple platforms.
We hope that you will come away from this event with the knowledge and experience to help you in your private cloud infrastructure decisions and be prepared to have thought-leadership based discussions focused on building and managing your organization’s agile and efficient private cloud environment.
Event Start: May 10, 2012 8:00AM GMT
Event End: May 11, 2012 8:00AM GMT
register here
Microsoft has reinvented its certification program by building a broader and deeper set of technology solutions skills validation, starting with cloud-enabled solution skills. As one of the most recognized and respected certification programs, Microsoft is charting the path for IT Professionals and Developers to keep their skills relevant as new technology solutions are released.
Microsoft has reinvented its certifications to validate the skill sets needed to develop, deploy, and maintain Microsoft technology solutions. These certifications recognize IT Pros and Developers who have skill sets that run both broad and deep. Certifications are available at three skill levels:
The Associate level is the prerequisite certification necessary to get your Expert level certification. This certification validates the core skills you need to get your 1st job in IT.
The Expert level is Microsoft’s flagship set of certifications validating that your skills are relevant in the constantly changing tech environment. The Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) is the destination for established IT Professionals who have expertise working with Microsoft technology solutions. The Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD) is the destination for established Developers who have expertise developing solutions with Microsoft tools.
After you have achieved your Expert level certification, Master is the next destination. This certification is for the select few who wish to further differentiate themselves from their peers and achieve the highest level of skills validation.
“With the demand for cloud skills growing quickly, the gap between hiring demand and talent supply across the United States is getting larger and causing more difficulties in sourcing candidates.”
Wanted Analytics, Hiring Demand for Cloud Computing Skills Skyrocketing, March 2012
The need for cloud computing skills has been pushing the market for months. Solution providers are seeking cloud-ready employees to bring their businesses to the next level. The cloud computing market is evolving at such a pace that while the number of job postings is skyrocketing, the talent isn't there to fill the positions.
In the past 20 years, Microsoft Certifications have been THE tool to address the skills gap. To be relevant, certifications need to continue to be the tool needed and recognized in the market.
That’s why Microsoft has reinvented its certification program—to certify a deeper set of skills that are mapped to the Cloud and to real-world business contexts. Rather than testing only on a component of a technology, IT Professionals and Developers are now tested on more advanced skills and a deeper understanding of the technology.
New Certifications Are Available Now
Private Cloud and SQL lead the Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) reinvention
We’ve posted a lot more information about the reinvented program and the first new certifications: Private Cloud MCSE, Database MCSE & Business Intelligence MCSE:
Microsoft Certification overview page: http://aka.ms/MSCerts
Microsoft Certification overview video: http://aka.ms/MSCertsVideo
MCSE information page: http://aka.ms/MCSE
MCSE video on YouTube: http://aka.ms/MCSEvideo
MCSE Private Cloud: http://aka.ms/MCSEpvcloud
MCSE Data Platform: http://aka.ms/MCSEDP
MCSE Business Intelligence: http://aka.ms/MCSEBI
You may also wish to encourage your readers to take advantage of a new 2-for-1 exam offer from Prometric:
Prometric 2-for-1 offer: http://aka.ms/Prometric241
Free ebook: Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 (10 chapters by Ross Mistry and Stacia Misner)
Free ebook: Introducing Windows Server 2008 R2 (9 chapters by Charlie Russel and Craig Zacker)
Free ebook: First Look Microsoft Office 2010 (14 chapters by Katherine Murray)
Take control—and put the built-in security and privacy features in Microsoft Office to work! Whether downloading documents, publishing a presentation, or collaborating online—this guide offers concise, how-to guidance and best practices to help protect your documents and your ideas.
• Get practical, proactive guidance for using the security and privacy management features in Office 2010 and Office 365
• Walk through everyday scenarios, and discover everyday techniques that help you take charge
• Understand common risks and learn best practices you can apply right away
Making a USB to go Windows 8 Stick, in 13 steps!
The will show you the step by step process that I use.
My configuration is as follows:
The C: drive has Windows 8 on it
Using the E: as location of windows source
Using D: as USB drive to put windows to go
Using F: as location that I mounted install.
All commands are bolded for easy in using the document;
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Do:
Open a Dos Command Prompt as Administrator
2. Type:
Diskpart
Note: this open Diskpart program
3. Type:
List disk
Note: show disk drive in my computer
Disk ### Status Size Free Dyn Gpt
-------- ------------- ------- ------- --- ---
Disk 0 Online 128 GB 0 B *
Disk 1 Online 256GB 0 B
Disk 2 Online 64 MB 0 B
Note: my USB drive is 64 gigs
4: Type:
Select disk 2
Note: put focus on drive 2
5: Type:
Clean
Note: cleans all data off drive
6: Type:
Create partition primary
Note: creates primary partition
7: Type:
format fs=ntfs quick
Note: format the drive using ntfs and fast format
8: Type:
Active
Note: make the drive active so you can boot USB drive
9: Type:
assign letter=d
Note: make the USB drive letter d
10: Type
Exit
Note: end Diskpart program
11: Do the following:
Either put Windows 8 DVD in Drive for or Mount Image as f drive
Note in Windows 8 point to and ISO Image and in explore click mount or put Windows DVD in drive f
12:Type in dos windows:
dism /apply-image /imagefile=f:\sources\install.wim /index:1 /applydir:d:\
Note this will install Windows to d drive using the Install. Win then you will see if you done the steps correctly.
Applying image
[===========================55.0% ]
When 100 %
When done
13: Type:
bcdboot.exe d:\windows /s d: /f ALL
Note: This install the boot manager to D: so windows will boot.
You are now done..
Take USB computer to a computer start computer by pressing F12 and choose USB device to boot...
This will take some time first time you use it to add all the new devices that the USB drive finds in the host computer
Do you know what on the internet about you, what you doing on social media site, what are your children doing, here are some links that I found to help you protect yourself.
Learn more about managing your online privacy.
Own Your Space – An Online Reputation That Counts: A Guide for Teens supplemental chapter (PDF)
Digital Citizenship (PDF)
Safer Social Networking (PDF)
Here is a list of data Breaches
With Window XP coming to an end of life here is a site that will teach you how to easily how to do this. You will get a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to the Windows 7 deployment process, from application compatibility testing and volume activation to image creation and data migration. Here are the modules and what they cover
Windows 7 Deployment Methods and Technologies
This module covers the different methods available for deploying Windows 7. After completing this module you will have covered how to choose a deployment strategy, the licensing options, and the tools that can be used to plan a deployment process.
Prepare the Environment for a Windows 7
This module covers the tasks that have to be performed to prepare an environment for Windows 7 deployment. After completing this module you have an understanding of what is required before using Windows Deployment Services (WDS), the Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT), Multicast deployments, Volume activation, Windows Automated Installation Kit and Zero-touch deployments.
Create a Windows 7 Image
This module covers the core deployment task of creating Windows 7 images. After completing this module you will have an understanding of how to build standard images, how to prepare a reference machine for capture, capturing the image and then applying it to other computers. Finally the module will cover the tools that you will use during the creation process; SYSPREP, ImageX, PnPUtil and how to then work with the images these tools help create.
Update a Windows 7 Image
After completing this module you will have an understanding of how to use Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) to update an existing Windows 7 Image. The module will cover servicing offline strategies and how to do service them
Deploy a Windows 7 Image
This module looks at the various methods for deploying a Windows 7 image. There are a number of methods for deploying Windows 7 in various scenarios, after completing this module you will have an understanding of how to deploy manually, using an unattended deployment method, using the Windows Automated Installation Kit and using WDS.
Migrate Computers to Windows 7
In this module you will learn about how to migrate existing computers to Windows 7. Moving existing settings, files and application to new installations is key deployment task, this module covers the tools available to extract and migrate these settings and deploy them on new machines. Finally this module covers how to use these tools to do this in high volume deployments.
Configure and Manage Application Compatibly
When deploying a new desktop OS knowing that the applications your organization uses will work on the new system is a critical task. The module covers the aspects of application compatibility, starting with getting an inventory of what applications are running in your organization. Once you understand what is running you can analyze the applications and use the tools to ensure these applications run under Windows 7. There are a number of tools available to help; this module covers the Application Compatibility Toolkit, MED-V, Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode. After completing this module you will understand these tools, how and when to use them.
Light Touch Installation using Windows Deployment services
After completing this module you will have an understanding of how to use Windows Deployment Services (WDS) as a deployment tool. The module covers getting started with WDS and step-by-step information on using WDS.
Deploy using System Center Configuration Manager
This module covers using System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) to deploy Windows 7. After completing this module you will have an understanding of zero touch deployment of Windows 7 using both SCCM and the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, how to create distribution points, use multicast to deploy the bits to computers, task sequencing and finally using SCCM for software updates.
Create and Manage Windows PE Environment
This module provides a comprehensive view of the Windows PE environment. During the module you will learn about how to create a PE environment using the Oscdimg command, booting computers from a Windows PE bootable image. Because all deployment environments are different, the module will cover how to customize the PE environment by loading drivers and applications into the image. Finally the module will cover the Windows Recovery Environment, what it is and how it works.
Manage Deployments with Microsoft Deployment Toolkit
This module covers the use of the Microsoft Deployment toolkit for deploying Windows 7. After completing this module you will have an understanding of how to use the toolkit to build the deployment environment, including building Images, using the deployment workbench and migrating from Windows XP.
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The Microsoft Virtual Academy: Deploying Windows 7 is the place to learn all of this
To learn more go Here
