Category: XP

Come see me  speak at Tech- Ed talking about Windows Server 2008 and Client and NAP better together. I will be speaking Friday at 9am In room 502.

How to confirm your PC can run Windows XP Mode

Although OEMs have been shipping hardware virtualization in PCs for three years, hardware virtualization is not available in all PCs — so even if your PC is new, it may not have hardware virtualization. Additionally, those PCs with hardware virtualization have it turned off by default, so you will need to turn on the hardware virtualization capability before you can use it.

To determine whether your PC works with Windows XP Mode:

Step 1. Does my PC have a CPU with support for hardware virtualization?

For Intel processors:

• Download, install and run the Intel Processor Identification Utility.

• Navigate to the CPU Technologies tab and read the value in the "Intel Virtualization Technology" field.

  • If the value is No then your CPU does not support hardware virtualization.

  • If the value is Yes then the CPU supports hardware virtualization. Go on to step 2 below.

For AMD processors:
AMD Virtualization Compatibility Check Utility.

Step 2. Does my PC BIOS support hardware virtualization, and is it turned on?

Instructions to turn on hardware virtualization in your PC BIOS are specific to OEM models. It is important that after changing your BIOS settings the PC is completely shut down at the power switch before restarting so that the new BIOS settings can take place.

 

Windows Virtual PC Beta, a feature of Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate, and Windows 7 Enterprise, provides you the capability to run multiple Windows environments such as Windows XP Mode from your Windows 7 desktop.

 

This is really cool you can run XP or just publish an XP Application while running Windows 7

to download go here

Welcome to Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) testing. We’re on our way to Windows 7, and if you like trying out pre-release software, now’s your chance. You get to see what’s coming, and we get to see if our changes and fixes from the Beta testing are working correctly.

How do you test the software? You put it on your PC, and then do what you’d normally do. Your PC will automatically and anonymously send our engineers the information they need to verify the fixes and changes they made based on the Windows 7 Beta tests.

You don’t need to rush to get the RC. The RC will be available at least through July 2009 and we’re not limiting the number of product keys, so you have plenty of time.

Watch the calendar. The RC will expire on June 1, 2010. Starting on March 1, 2010, your PC will begin shutting down every two hours. Windows will notify you two weeks before the bi-hourly shutdowns start. To avoid interruption, you’ll need to install a non-expired version of Windows before March 1, 2010. You’ll also need to install the programs and data that you want to use. (Learn more about installing Windows.)

To download the software go here

Improve your productivity at work and impress your family at home with tips and tricks from Microsoft Press books. When you register for this free offer, each week (for eight weeks) we deliver to your inbox an e-mail message that includes a link to download a chapter from a key Microsoft Press book, as well as information about special offers. You can opt out of these communications at any time.
Click the following link to receive a chapter from Create Dynamic Charts in Microsoft Office Excel 2007 and Beyond, to be followed by a new chapter from a different book each week.

Week   Book chapter

1 Presentations in Excel that pack a punch

2 Dress up your Word documents with pictures, graphics, and stylized text

3 Organize your photos, music, videos, and more using Vista

4 Storyboard first – a way to improve your PowerPoint slide shows

5 Addicted to e-mail? Get ideas on how to process and organize your Outlook inbox

6 Setting up file sharing in Vista is easier than you think

7 Summarize data painlessly with pivot tables in Excel

8 Create an easy home movie using Vista

Go here to sign up

Talk About Windows

This video blog provides insight on Windows 7 from the Microsoft engineers who helped build the product.

Additionally, it provides real-world commentary from IT professionals who have chosen to shift to a modern OS. 

Watch. Connect.

http://talkingaboutwindows.com/

There certainly has been a lot of discussion about Windows 7 in the last few weeks. A lot of folks want to know when they can get their hands on the official RC, when we are going to RTM,

On the Microsoft Windows 7 Blog  Brandon LeBlanc was pleased to share that the Release Candidate is on track for April 30th for  download by MSDN and TechNet subscribers. Broader, public availability will begin on May 5th. !!!!!

To see some some of the changes and refine the new and improved taskbar, the behavior of Aero Peek, Touch, Windows Media Player, and much more. In case you have missed the previous E7 blog entry outlining some of these changes in detail, you can read about them here and here.

 

To see the full Microsoft official Blog notice go here..

Open Beta for MOF Companion Guide— Now Available for Download Planning for ISO/IEC 20000: A MOF Companion Guide The Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) team is extending the MOF 4.0 core content with the release of additional MOF companion guides. We’re pleased to announce the beta of the latest guide, Planning for ISO/IEC 20000. Visit the Connect site to download the beta now. The companion guide will allow IT management staff and service providers to understand ISO 20000 requirements and assist them in planning for streamlined and efficient implementation using MOF as a navigation tool. The guide enables users to take informed steps toward certification, make cost-reducing process improvements, and increase organizational efficiency and flexibility. Ultimately, the steps outlined in this guide will help an organization meet ISO 20000 requirements and deliver effective IT services. Tell us what you think! Test drive our beta guide and send us your honest feedback. What are your thoughts on the MOF companion guide? What other scenarios would you like us to address? We appreciate the input and will work to make each guide as helpful and useful as possible. Tell your peers about MOF 4.0! Please forward this to anyone who wants to learn more about Microsoft Operations Framework. More information about MOF 4.0: Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) 4.0 delivers practical guidance for everyday IT practices and activities, helping IT professionals establish and implement reliable, cost-effective IT services. It integrates community-generated processes, governance, risk, and compliance activities, management reviews, and Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF) best practices. MOF 4.0 is a framework that provides guidance across the IT service lifecycle. Join the Beta This is an open beta download. See below for instructions on how to access the beta guide. To join the MOF Beta, follow these steps: Visit the MOF Beta at http://connect.microsoft.com. Sign in using a valid Windows Live ID to continue to the Invitations page. Scroll down to Microsoft Operations Framework. If you have not previously registered with Microsoft Connect, you might be required to register before continuing with the invitation process. If the link in step 1 does not work for you, copy and paste the link into the Web browser address bar. Related Resources Check out all the MOF team has to offer! For additional resources, including our latest companion guides and job aids, visit the MOF page on TechNet: http://www.Microsoft.com/mof. We appreciate your comments and feedback. Please send mail to [email protected]. Already using MOF 4.0? We’d like to hear about your experiences. Send mail to the MOF team: [email protected]. Thanks Bill Chapman for originally posting this.

In this and future blogs i will be talking about new changes in Windows 7 and security.  Bitlocker allows you to protect a desktop, server or laptop with encryption solution.

This issue BitLocker Enhancements

Bitlocker 1st appeared in Vista and could only protect the system volume which required user to have 2 different partitions on for boot and one for data. With service pack 1 you could encrypt the full drive. The issues were this was not easy to deploy. There is now a new tool for migrating and existing drive to support BitLocker from a Wizard!

In Windows 7, enhancements include the management of BitLocker.  and use of Group Policy settings that allow you to  update your passwords and integrate with Smart Cards  and manage fixed drives.

BitLocker to GO is all a new feature for portable devices and will discuss that in another article.

For information on how BitLocker work go here

This guide is designed to provide you with guidance, instructions, and recommendations to help you elevate the security of virtualized Microsoft® Windows Server® 2008 environments to address your business-critical needs.

The Hyper-V Security Guide focuses on three key areas and provides the following information:

• Hardening the Hyper-V role. Prescriptive guidance for hardening the Hyper-V role, including several best practices for installing and configuring Hyper-V with a focus on security. These best practices include measures for reducing the attack surface of Hyper-V as well as recommendations for properly configuring secure virtual networks and storage devices.
• Delegating virtual machine management. Prescriptive guidance to help you safely and securely delegate administrative access to virtual machine resources within an organization.
• Protecting virtual machines. Prescriptive guidance for securing virtual machine resources, including best practices and detailed steps for protecting virtual machines by using a combination of file system permissions, encryption, and auditing.

 

Get it HERE