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Wanted! IT Administrators with Windows Server experience (Puget Sound Only) Microsoft User Research is conducting a study focusing on the next version of Windows Server between August 22 and August 28, 2008

This is a great opportunity for IT administrators who have experience with Windows Server to provide feedback and help improve the next version. You do not need to prepare anything for this. We want to learn from you, the experts. We highly value your feedback and will be offering you a gratuity option in appreciation of your time and participation.We are recruiting individuals who: • Have experience managing 3-16 Windows Servers. • Are available for a 2 hour study session during the week of August...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: et. all, News, Microsoft

Windows Server 2008 RTM on Jan 16

If the other offerings RTM at the same time we should see server 2008, Vista SP1, Visual Studio 2008, and SQL Sever 2008 all in a few weeks. This means NAP, Hypervisor, multicasting... Source . If you would like to attend the launch event in Los Angeles on Feb. 27th or any of the other launch events you can register here . Regards, Anthony Anthony Clendenen | Solutions Engineer | 1E http://configmgr.com © 2007 - 2008 Anthony Clendenen I Recommend These Books! SMS 2003 Administrator's Reference...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: SQL , Beta, News, Microsoft, Virtual Server, ConfigMgr, Server 2008

Top Ten Events in Systems Management During 2007

First of all, Happy New Year, and may everyone find that in 2008 that your glass is more than half full, you and your loved ones are all very healthy and overly happy, that your careers are very prosperous, and that you gain all that you desire and more. As we welcome another year and reflect on the year ending it is always nice to note what was the highlights of the year. So below is my personal top ten of 2007 when it comes to Systems Management. 10. Thursday, October 23rd, System Center Partner...  ... Read the full post or  the first comment. Filed under: SMS 2003, et. all, System Center, Vista, News, TechNet, Microsoft, myITforum, SCOM, MMS 2007, Blog, OSD, SoftGrid, ConfigMgr

Server 2008 RC0 Free Download

If you want to give Server 2008 a spin prior to its release next year you can download the release candidate zero here . Regards, Anthony Anthony Clendenen | Solutions Engineer | 1E Inc. http://configmgr.com © 2007 Anthony Clendenen Technorati Tags: Server 2008 , Beta , Download , ConfigMgr.com  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: Beta, News, Microsoft, ConfigMgr, Server 2008

BDD 2008 Beta 3 Available On Connect

The ConfigMgr compatible version of BDD (Beta 3), which I will call BDD 2008 for now, is available through open beta on the Connect site. The RTM version is expected to be out in November of this year. In this version there is the previously discussed multicasting , USMT, WAIK, and ACT 5.0. On Friday October 5th there is also a webcast on deploying an OS with ConfigMgr, you can register for it here . Official announcement below. Deployment 4 is the code name for the next version of Business Desktop...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: Beta, News, Microsoft, SCCM 2007, Blog, OSD, Webcast, WAIK, BDD, SMSNomad Branch, OSD Plus Pack, ConfigMgr, Server 2008

Microsoft ConfigMgr Community Forums Now Live

In another move to get away from the newsgroups Microsoft has opened up the System Center Configuration Manager Community that includes a web based forums section . On the front page you will find a link to the subforums of ConfigMgr, Microsoft employee blogs, MVP blogs (not mine however?), and links to related communities like myITforum.com . Regards, Anthony Anthony Clendenen | Solutions Engineer | 1E Inc. http://configmgr.com © 2007 Anthony Clendenen Technorati Tags: ConfigMgr , SCCM , CM , Config...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: System Center, News, TechNet, Microsoft, myITforum, SCCM 2007, Blog

System Center Virtual Machine Manager Released

The other day SCVMM went RTM . So what does this mean? This is a management tool that will allow you to rapidly deploy/create VM's, manage the resources they are using, suck in a physical server to a VM config file (or P to V) and add new virtual resources to existing VM's. If you use Virtual Server you should spend some time looking at this to see if it will benefit you or your organization, for larger Virtual Server farms it will be a no brainer. System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2007...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: System Center, News, Microsoft, PowerShell, Virtual Labs, Virtual Server

Multicasting in Server 2008

Kevin is right, this has already been talked about , but he does a nice job of explaining the two types of multicasting. Two drawbacks to this however...First you cannot multicast across subnets, well you can but if your network supports this you are wide open to a SQL Slammer type of attack where one laptop brings your network to its knees. Second, you have to have Server 2008 to make this work. A simple, less costly solution, that you can utilize now is to use the 1E OSD Plus Pack , or SMSNomad...  ... Read the full post or  the first comment. Filed under: Active Directory, Group Policy, Packaging, Patching, Beta, Longhorn, News, Microsoft, SCCM 2007, OSD, SMSNomad Branch, OSD Plus Pack, ConfigMgr, Server 2008

Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 Delayed

What is the status? Windows Server 2008, formerly Longhorn, will be delayed until Q1 of 2008 but will be available to SA and MSDN subscribers prior to RTM. SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008 are scheduled to be released with Server 2008 so I can only assume they will be delayed as well. Vista SP1 also suffers from the same fate, delayed until Q1 of 08. The BETA of Vista SP1 will be available to participants in about two weeks however. And SP3 for XP is moving along with its BETA also being out...  ... Read the full post or  the first comment. Filed under: Active Directory, System Center, Beta, Vista, Longhorn, News, Microsoft, SCCM 2007, NAP, ConfigMgr, Server 2008

Podcast On SoftGrid Competitor Endeavors Technology

In this podcast the CEO of Endeavors Technologies is interviewed and covers their application virtualization technology and their patent agreements with other vendors. The highlights of the podcast are listed below. The most important information I found out of this interview is that their technology will allow virtualized or streamed applications to talk to each other. This means with their product you will not need to sequence all the dependencies with each application, for example, you would not...  ... Read the full post or  the first comment. Filed under: News, Microsoft, SaaS, SoftGrid, Application Virtualization

Malware Removal Starter Kit

Released today is a new free tool from Microsoft, this is a solution accelerator with scanning tools included. This includes making a WindowsPE CD to boot from to scan a computer for malware. "This guidance provides a set of tasks that licensed Windows® users can perform at no cost to create the Malware Removal Starter Kit. Recommendations for free malware-scanning tools are included. You can use these tools in combination with the kit to conduct scans, detect problems, and remove malware from...  ... Read the full post or  the first comment. Filed under: Security, News, Microsoft

WMI Stability Improvements Fix For Windows XP

Back in May Microsoft released the same type of fix for Windows 2003 and now it is ready for XP clients. SMS admins understand the pain of WMI corruption as well as anyone, and probably better than most. Getting permission denied errors when it has nothing to do with permissions, trying to diagnose client issues remotely when WMI is not reporting the correct or latest data, the painful memories return so quickly... With this update applied you should get better stability from WMI, integrated into...  ... Read the full post or  the 6 comments. Filed under: SMS 2003, Patching, News, Microsoft, WMI

SoftGrid 4.1 Service Pack 1 Released

How did I miss this? This has happened twice to me in the last couple weeks. Must be that slave driver of a manager I have! SoftGrid Sequencer (v 4.1.1.303) SoftGrid Server (v 4.1.1.302) SoftGrid for Terminal Services (v 4.1.1.302) SoftGrid for Windows Desktops (v 4.1.1.302) Microsoft SoftGrid 4.1 SP1 improves support for sequencing SxS applications that have public assemblies, such as the 2007 Microsoft Office release. You can upgrade a client to SoftGrid 4.1 SP1 from a client version 3.2, version...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: News, Microsoft, SoftGrid

Windows Home Server Hits RC

It's on the Microsoft Connect site if you are part of the Beta. Regards, Anthony Anthony Clendenen | Systems Engineer | 1E Inc. We are considered a premier SMS Solution Provider by Microsoft. See us at http://www.microsoft.com/smserver/partners "1E's tools add significant value to SMS in particular, around patch management, simplified branch designs and desktop migration. Having been a trusted Microsoft partner for five years, 1E's track record in consultancy and software solutions...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: Beta, News, Microsoft

System Center Desktop Reporting (Added)

Microsoft has added a fifth piece to the Desktop Optimization Pack, System Center Desktop Error Reporting. From the looks of the brief description this doesn't add a whole lot of detail but since they modified the MOM licensing to make you pay $20 per hook into the db we can't complain too much. The Vista compliant SoftGrid client is also going to be out this summer, don't recall if I mentioned that before or not but a co-worker had asked several weeks ago and I got a reply but forgot...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: System Center, News, Microsoft, SoftGrid

Microsoft Steps Up Its green Datacenter Campaign

June 4th, 2007 Microsoft steps up its green datacenter campaign Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:08 am Categories: Windows Server Longhorn , Windows server , Corporate strategy Tags: Data Center , Microsoft Windows Server , Server , Microsoft Windows , Microsoft Corp. , Mary Jo Foley Green computing is a hot topic these days. And “Big Green” (a k a Microsoft) wants to make sure its next-gen Windows Server products are among the greenest of them all. As a result of power-management tweaks it has made to...  ... Read the full post or  the first comment. Filed under: Longhorn, News, Microsoft

Microsoft Restores Free Hotmail Connector For Outlook

And Windows Live Hotmail is launched globally. Remember when you could view your Hotmail account in Outlook for free? Well the days of old have returned, okay maybe it wasn't that long ago. Microsoft has announed that Windows Live Hotmail is launching globally in 36 languages around the world. With this release, Microsoft is focussing on providing offline access to your emails from a desktop computer or a mobile device. 1) Outlook Connector for Outlook 2003 and 2007: A few months ago, Microsoft...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: et. all, Office, News, Microsoft, Office 2007

SMS 2003 SP3 Due Out Friday

Thanks Paul! SMS 2003 SP3: Friday Yes, SMS 2003 SP3 is due to be posted this Friday April 27th (yes, 2007). The most reliable of sources has confirmed it. I don't know any other details. For example, will Premier customers get the first hit at it? Or what time of day. But at least some peole will get their hands on it this Friday. Of course there's the usual disclaimers. Maybe the product team will release it on Friday but the microsoft.com guys won't actually get it publicly available...  ... Read the full post or  the first comment. Filed under: SMS 2003, News, Microsoft

Vote for MMS 2007 BOF Topics!

Time to Vote for Birds-of-a-Feather Topics! As a registered attendee of MMS 2007 you now have an opportunity to vote for the Birds-of-a-Feather (BOF) topics you would like to see at this year’s event. This year we will be hosting BOF sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday evening after breakout sessions are finished for the day. These informal community sessions allow attendees to meet and discuss a topic of common interest peer-to-peer or with Microsoft or Industry experts, covering questions on specific...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: News, Microsoft, MMS 2007

Here Comes the Zune Phone

According to Crunchgear the Zune phone is on the way to combat the iPhone. While this is not confirmed by any other source as they put it "This information is as definite as tips," sure. Not to sound like a skeptic but how many times have we been burned by unconfirmed rumors? (emphasis mine) Source . "We’ve just received a sound tip that Microsoft is working on its very own phone to be branded under the Zune moniker. Our tipsters inform us that Microsoft execs are in meetings today hammering out...  ... Read the full post or  the 2 comments. Filed under: News, Microsoft, Gadgets

Live Drive and Windows Server Home Edition - Confirmed

A Microsoft employee was a little too quick to post some not so public information yesterday and it was gobbled up in no time. It looks like Bill will announce Live Drive and Windows Home Server at CES next month. I was under the impression that Live Drive had already been confirmed, but I guess I was wrong. In any event, it looks like it has been now. But this was the first I had heard of Windows Server Home. It is aimed at the media center market. Being a low cost media center that houses, music...  ... Read the full post or  the first comment. Filed under: News, Microsoft

Vista and Office 2007 for Free! Yes It's True! - Sold Out

I saw reports of this yesterday and thought, like most, yeah right! But this has been confirmed by two different Microsoft employees as legit. If you watch three or more webcasts or virtual labs within 30 days of registration. You must be 18 or older, a US resident, and only one gift per person -per offer, this expires on Feb 28th or while supplies last. You are responsible for any taxes. Exact details can be found here . So sign up, watch, learn, and get Office 2007 and Vista for free! Check it...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: Vista, Office, News, Microsoft

PowerShell RTM Today - Download Links

Today announced by Bob Muglia in his keynote at TechEd 2006 in Barcelona, Powershell RTM'ed. I expect the download available later today , when they are awake in Redmond " src="http://bink.nu/emoticons/emotion-15.gif" /> Microsoft Windows PowerShell command line shell and scripting language helps IT Professionals achieve greater productivity. Using a new admin-focused scripting language, more than 130 standard command line tools, and consistent syntax and utilities, Windows PowerShell allows IT Professionals...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: Scripting, News, Microsoft

Microsoft Announces Desktop Optimization Pack

Today it was officially announced that Microsoft will combine the recently acquired tools from Softricity, Winternals, and Desktop Standard into a single package that you can purchase for ~$50 per client. What this package gets you is SoftGrid application virtualization, group policy management/enhancement tools from DesktopStandard, and the remote repair tools from Wintenals. For this price you could not get even the tools from DesktopStandard, the backend for the SoftGrid used to run about $15...  ... Read the full post or  the 2 comments. Filed under: SMS 2003, Group Policy, Tools, Vista, News, Microsoft

Network Montior 3 Open Beta

To enroll in the beta go to connect . Original source: sniffer, Network Monitor, is coming back. Network Monitor 2.1 is included as optional component in every Windows installation but has a severe limitation: it cannot put the network interface in promiscous mode, preventing capture of all packets passing on the cable (to have a full version of Network Monitor 2.1 you have to buy Microsoft System Management Server (SMS)). Upcoming Network Monitor 3 will offer several new features and will finally...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: Tools, Beta, News, Microsoft

Save As PDF for Office 2007

Original source: Add-ins: Save As PDF for Office 2007 & Inline Search for Internet Explorer By Nathan Weinberg First off, Amit Agarwal writes that Microsoft has delivered the promised Save As PDF plugin for Office 2007. Rather than face years of legal battles with Adobe, Microsoft agreed to remove the native ability for Office 2007 programs to save documents as PDF or XPS files, so long as they could make the functionality available as a plugin. Those plugins are now available at microsoft.com...  ... Read the full post or  the first comment. Filed under: Beta, News, Microsoft

Microsoft Pre-Release Software Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 - Release Candidate

This should be a nice improvement when it hits the street for those of us who dabble in programming. Original source: Overview The Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 (formerly known as WinFX), is the new managed code programming model for Windows. It combines the power of the .NET Framework 2.0 with new technologies for building applications that have visually compelling user experiences, seamless communication across technology boundaries, and the ability to support a wide range of business processes...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: Beta, News, Microsoft

More on eEye, Rod, ITMU, and WSUScan.cab

A long time ago I learned some very important rules of email, which also apply to blogging. Never, ever, ever, think that anything you write will not be read by your manager, director, head of HR, CIO, President, CEO, Board, wife, friends, customers, future customers, future hiring manager (Hello again!), children, those who don’t care for you, peers, NSA - you get the idea. Also never assume that what you write or say will be perceived as you think it should, or repeated in context. And finally...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: et. all, KB Articles, News, Microsoft, myITforum

Microsoft Changes the WSUSScan.cab File

To make the WSUSScan file smaller they are getting rid of unsupported products. “… Microsoft is reducing the size of the WSUSScan.cab file by removing security updates for unsupported platforms, superseded security updates, and tools that are no longer needed.” Read it here . Changes to the WSUSScan.cab file View products that this article applies to. function loadTOCNode(){} Article ID : 924513 Last Review : August 24, 2006 Revision : 2.0 INTRODUCTION loadTOCNode(1, 'summary'...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: SMS 2003, News, Microsoft

Spyware Sucks : Internet Explorer 7 Release Candidate 1 has been released

Original source: Internet Explorer 7 Release Candidate 1 has been released That's right gals and guys.. go and get it (scroll past the graphics.. more info to come) http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.mspx Dave mentions it as well: http://blogs.msdn.com/dmassy/archive/2006/08/24/717521.aspx Ok, so the download itself isn't live at time of writing ... give it an hour or so: Important points to note are: IE7 RC1 includes an automatic uninstaller so that if you have a build of IE7 already installed...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: Beta, News, Microsoft

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