David Overton's Blog

Version 7 of Sync for SkyDrive

2013-03-25T23:20:00Z

Thank-you for your interest in Sync for SkyDrive. Following all the feedback from version 1, 2 and 6 I’ve finished release 7 (version number 7.0.0.2 in the store) and submitted to the Windows Store where it will be available here: The tool is not free, but it is at the lowest price point I can make for the Windows Store (from the UK). The purpose of the tool is very simple, to enable you to synchronise chosen folders from Microsoft SkyDrive to a Windows RT (or Windows 8) device. While I would...(read more)

Version 6 of Sync for SkyDrive

2013-03-08T23:44:00Z

Thank-you for your interest in Sync for SkyDrive. Following all the feedback from version 1 and 2, I’ve finished release 6 (version number 2.0.0.26 in the store) and submitted to the Windows Store and can be found at the Windows Store: [27th March 2013] A new version of the application is now in the Windows Store. You can find details of it here . The tool is not free, but it is at the lowest price point I can make for the Windows Store (from the UK). The purpose of the tool is very simple...(read more)

Sync for SkyDrive–version 2 for Windows RT and Windows 8

2013-02-16T09:31:00Z

Version 2 of Sync for SkyDrive [9th March 2013] A new version of the application is now in the Windows Store. You can find details of it here . Thank-you for your interest in Sync for SkyDrive. Following all the feedback from version 1, I’ve finished version 2 and submitted to the Windows Store. When it is released I will update this with store location. The tool is not free, but it is at the lowest price point I can make for the Windows Store (from the UK). The purpose of the tool is very...(read more)

Sync for Windows SkyDrive

2013-02-12T08:33:00Z

[updated 25/02/2013] - The next version has now been submitted to Microsoft. Information on the updated version can be found here . This is an update on my Sync tool. Thank-you to all those who have provided input, submitted bugs and made other suggestions. The updated version is not yet ready to go into the Windows Store yet, but feedback and suggestions are still welcome. I’ve been asked by Microsoft to change the logo and name, so this is what we now have: [Changelog] Adding selective folder...(read more)

Simple SkyDrive Sync for Windows 8 and Windows RT

2013-02-01T03:23:00Z

It has taken a while to get there, however this project is now complete. I’ve managed to write a tool that keeps my SkyDrive and my Windows RT slate in sync. I’m now going through the process to publish this in the Windows Store for all to use and enjoy. [updated 8th Feb 2013] I've received a lot of feedback about the colours, gradient fills, rounded corners etc. I am working on a minor update that will change the colours and then a major update that completely change the layout,...(read more)

Good WPF 4.5 cookbook from Pavel Yosifovich

2012-12-27T13:49:49Z

I was looking for a book to bring me up to date with WPF and XAML and talking to my publishers, Packt Publishing, then offered me the Windows Presentation Foundation 4.5 Cookbook by Pavel Yosifovich. I was hoping to review this book sooner, however Christmas and illness got in the way, so here is my slightly late review. In simple terms, this was an excellent book for me. I write in both C# and VB.Net (more VB than C#). I’ve never used WPF or XAML except in the designers from Microsoft...(read more)

Do you want to see what is new and search the Windows 8 Store from the web–now you can

2012-12-14T09:55:42Z

Hi, just a little note as I’ve been using this for a little while now. You can access the Windows 8 store, search it and filter from this web site - http://metrostore.preweb.sk/ . It is unofficial, however Vlko and Peter both seem open to suggestions too. Enjoy David...(read more)

Upgrade Windows XP/Vista/7 to Windows 8 Pro for $40 or £25 AND Media Center Pack for free – until 31st January

2012-12-14T08:36:00Z

This is a simple offer. Download the upgrade assistant from Microsoft, run the tool, purchase the license for a shockingly low price and get the benefits of Windows 8. Even if you think you might not use it for a year, you can burn the ISO so it is ready. All indications are that the price will increase once this offer expires. So, what is the processes? Go to the web site - http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows/buy (UK) or http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/buy (US) Press the Download...(read more)

I’m taking a break from Microsoft

2012-12-13T10:47:29Z

Hi, I’ve always been open and honest on my blog and it is time to share broadly the news that I’ve left Microsoft. I’ve been considering my career and a few things became apparent. I wanted a break . When I joined Microsoft over 12 years ago, a sabbatical was part of the deal. While this changed during my employment, I’ve decided to take one anyway, so I’ve been putting my feet up over the last few weeks and will continue to do so into the new year. Obviously, I’m not sitting...(read more)

Windows 2012 jump start videos

2012-07-03T21:48:22Z

Hi, Just a quick note to say that these were shared with me today and they came from the blog at http://blogs.msdn.com/b/microsoft_press/archive/2012/06/27/free-videos-on-windows-server-2012-from-the-jump-start-series.aspx • Designed for Microsoft Partners, early adopters, and experienced IT Pros/ITDMs familiar with Microsoft server technologies • All twelve (12) modules are under an hour and packed with engaging discussion and real-world demos -- watch them all! Links to Every Module from this Jump...(read more)

Getting my Nokia Lumia 800 to work with Virgin Mobile UK MMS settings (and trimming the SIM too)

2012-06-02T10:35:28Z

I recently fell of the back of a boat which resulted in my faithful Samsung Omnia being written off. Since this was a personal phone, I decided to upgrade to a Nokia Lumia 800 as it looked like a fab phone. I have so far not been disappointed, however I hit two problems. The first was that my SIM was not a micro-sim. I contacted Virgin who told me they were very soon to launch a micro-sim, but not yet. I bought a 30-day sim from Vodafone in the short term, but then discovered that...(read more)

UK / EMEA Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Practice Accelerator, 16th April, Live Meeting 4 day course

2012-04-07T11:12:22Z

I saw this and thought I should share it ASAP. Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Practice Accelerator, 16th April, Live Meeting Description: 4 day organisational training for partners interested in developing a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure practice. Can be paid for using advisory hours. Microsoft Virtual Desktop Infrastructure empowers enterprises with unified management of centralized desktops and corporate data through Microsoft System Center technology. Microsoft VDI offers tremendous value...(read more)

IE6–> IE8/9/10 and Windows 7 compatibility events with Citrix, Camwood and Quest (3 events)

2012-03-18T09:04:55Z

Microsoft have teamed up with Camwood , Citrix Systems and Quest Software , all application compatibility experts, to help show you the range of solutions available to help you overcome App Compat road blocks. Join them to learn how browser compatibility issues occur, how to overcome them with Group Policy , virtualisation and simple application fixes and how to develop a successful migration plan. Not only that, they will also cover some of the latest App Compat tools and techniques that apply to...(read more)

Turn off Ctrl-Alt-Del in Windows 8

2012-03-03T17:56:50Z

This is a very quick one. I saw the videos and saw that Ctrl-Alt-Del was turned off in Windows 8. While this can be done by setting the local security policy, it can also be done via command prompt. This is no different to other versions of Windows. If you search for cmd and then right click it to select Run as Administrator Then once cmd is running, use this command (it is all one line) to turn off C-A-D as a requirement: REG ADD HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies...(read more)

Windows Server 8–Remote Desktop and VDI enhancements

2012-03-01T14:06:41Z

VDI and RDS have been something I’ve been writing about, so I wanted to share the documents I’ve discovered from Microsoft that discuss the new features for VDI and RDS. The 3 documents are: Understand and Troubleshoot Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server "8" Beta This Understand and Troubleshoot Guide (UTG) enables you to learn technical concepts, functionality, and troubleshooting methods for Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server “8” Beta. Date Published: 2/29/2012 ...(read more)

My Top Tips for Windows 8 so far–closing windows, dual booting, using the keyboard and mouse

2012-03-01T12:06:27Z

Hi, I loaded Windows 8 Consumer Preview with some concerns about how the new interface would impact me. As a keyboard user, the Developer Preview just didn’t do enough for me, however Windows 8 is now my primary home OS and I’m loving it. What is more, my daughter is once again asking to have it (as she wants “Snap”) for her applications. So my top tips are: How to close a Metro Application There are two ways to do this – dragging the open application from the top of the screen to the...(read more)

Does Windows Intune require an underlying operating system to load Windows 7 Enterprise Edition?

2012-02-28T07:20:45Z

I just saw this question being asked, so thought I would should with everyone: Question: “If I have a paid subscription to Windows Intune, do I need an existing Operating System to install the Windows 7 Enterprise license included with the subscription?” Answer: Yes – from the FAQ: What are the Windows 7 Enterprise upgrade rights included with Windows Intune? All of your managed PCs covered by Windows Intune may be upgraded to Windows 7 Enterprise as long as the qualifying OS is one of the following...(read more)

Upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 and manage the PC’s–Windows Intune did this for eLitigation Solutions and reduced IT spend by 30%

2012-02-28T06:37:12Z

Hi, I’ve just seen the case study on eLitigation solutions and how they did this and reduced costs by 30% in the process. The case study can be found here . Electronic Discovery Firm Reduces IT Costs by 30 Percent with Cloud-Based PC Management To meet its various business requirements, eLitigation Solutions needed a stable, well-monitored, and regularly updated PC environment, but the company also wanted to simplify and reduce the cost of managing its PCs. In 2011, eLitigation began...(read more)

Windows Intune feedback and support tools and useful blogs

2012-01-30T10:02:00Z

I’ve been reading and responding to the posts on the Windows Intune forums site and realised that I should share with everyone the support and feedback tools available for us. These enable conversations with the support teams and input into the people making decisions about updates and major releases for Windows Intune. The following sites are available: Support Forum Support for Windows Intune Microsoft Online Services support The forum has responses from the community as well as great...(read more)

Microsoft Windows Intune V2: Quickstart Administration book released

2012-01-25T08:00:00Z

Well, nearly 12 months after I started the project my book is now available to buy. This book is relevant to the latest shipping version of Windows Intune 2.0. Chapters Overview of Cloud Computing Introduction to PC management concepts Overview of Windows Intune features Signing up for Windows Intune and installing the client software Configuring Windows Intune Configuring Management Policy Software Deployment Tracking and reporting Monitoring and responding to Windows Intune alerts Resolve...(read more)

Windows Intune Silent Application Deployment hints

2012-01-12T19:39:15Z

Windows Intune requires application deployment to be a silent (as in no user interaction) process. Sometimes working out how to do this can be quite hard. Richard at Windows Intunepedia has shared some information on this that I thought I would also share: Steps to Deploy Adobe Reader X with Windows Intune How to deploy Java 7 Runtime Environment (JRE) with Windows Intune You might also want to look at http://silentinstall.org/ which can help wrapper other installers to ensure they are...(read more)

Windows Intune and firewalls / proxies

2012-01-12T19:34:09Z

We had this question circulate around at work, so I wanted to share. Window Intune needs access to the internet. This means that the services need unhindered access to the internet. While for most of us, once we are connected, we are connected, some firewall / proxy devices require extra information to be entered into a browser and this is something that Windows Intune cannot deal with. Luckily, Richard at Windows Intunepedia has written about this and quite some time ago . ...(read more)

Various recent VDI related whitepapers - Citrix, Microsoft, Cisco, NetApp and AppSense (not all together in all whitepapers)

2012-01-12T08:08:10Z

I believe that Citrix XenDesktop and Microsoft Hyper-V offer the best VDI experience and System Center the best management solution for this configuration (as well as many others). I work with NetApp and have becoming increasingly impressed by the NetApp / Cisco offerings – FlexPod and then when combined with Citrix / XenDesktop, a killer proposition for easy, reliable VDI. I’ve also included AppSense in the mix as I’ve also been working with them around their User State Virtualisation...(read more)

Windows 8 from CES–Long Zheng, Running Android Apps on Windows

2012-01-11T08:18:34Z

Microsoft has not made many significant announcements about Windows 8 since the BUILD conference late last year. Since then, lots of information about how Windows 8 will work has been delivered through the blog. At CES, we have seen Windows 8 running on some lovely slate/tablet and ultrabook devices and also on Intel and ARM chipsets. Long Zheng has been following Windows for a long time and has posted some useful information and an update on the pre-beta build running at CES and...(read more)

Diagnosing connectivity problems to Exchange and Office 365

2012-01-07T15:36:18Z

I was asked today about an Outlook synchronisation of the address book over the web (RPC over http) and did some digging and found this excellent diagnosis tool - https://www.testexchangeconnectivity.com . The nice thing is that it tests many products – Exchange, ActiveSync and Office 365 . Once you start the tool you have to choose what diagnosis you want: or After you have completed your sign-in details, you get the results. In the example below it shows that my certificate is not publically...(read more)

VDI and great video performance using RemoteFX (and licensing it)

2012-01-07T15:11:39Z

Having written a little about VDI and RHSD the other day, I see that Register has an item about RemoteFX and playing games. This uses the technology of RDS as well as either VDI or RSHD. While you can play games, Windows 7 renders in all it’s glory too. One word of warning from a licensing front. If you are using RemoteFX then you will need an RDS CAL when you are buying the licenses as RemoteFX is licensed by the RDS CAL and remote admin tasks that you can do on a server without...(read more)

Windows Intune learning path–free training for Microsoft Partners

2012-01-04T22:06:50Z

Eric Ligman tweeted about the new partner learning paths, so I zipped over there to see these excellent items for Windows Intune . I’ve already done some of these, but it is a great way to get up to speed on Windows Intune and how to sell it. ttfn David...(read more)

Understanding more about Desktop Virtualisation–VDI and RHSD and how to license it

2012-01-04T00:19:59Z

[updated 12-Jan 2012 with images and notes about a hosted solution] This is part two of the discussion around VDI and RHSD and this section looks at licensing. I am frequently asked questions about Microsoft licensing as I look after the relationship between Citrix and Microsoft in the UK. I often hear people getting confused about how to license, or even worse, assuming that licenses are somehow free when using a VDI or DV (Desktop Virtualisation) solution. Having seen the article at Computer...(read more)

Understanding more about Desktop Virtualisation–VDI and RHSD and how to pick between them

2012-01-04T00:15:00Z

I am frequently asked questions about Microsoft, what our VDI, DV or RHSD solution looks like and how to license it as I look after the relationship between Citrix and Microsoft in the UK. Having seen the article at Computer Weekly I decided I would share some thoughts on what it is and how to license it (licensing in a blog later in the week). On the licensing front, I should say, while I have a lots of experience, always talk to a Microsoft Licensing Specialist . Always! Microsoft licensing moves...(read more)

Useful Windows Intune Documentation–What’s New Factsheet, Best Practices, Trial Guide and FAQ

2012-01-03T22:29:57Z

I saw this over e-mail at work today and thought I would share with you: - Factsheet (What’s new?) - http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh452635.aspx - Best Practices (Deploying Software and Third Party Updates with Windows Intune) http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh441740.aspx - Trial Guide (View the complete Windows Intune Getting Started Guide) http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh441719.aspx - FAQ (Windows Intune: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)) http:/...(read more)

Understand the language and process Microsoft uses when selling - Microsoft Solution Selling Process Better Together

2012-01-03T08:28:11Z

Every company has it’s own process of understanding where a piece of business in their sales process. In the past I’ve used SCOTMAN or BANT amongst others to do this, but at Microsoft it has a process that incorporates the elements of these, but uses language specific to Microsoft. If you want to be able to understand, share and use this information, even if it is to examine your own processes, watch the video on the Microsoft Partner Learning Centre at http://bit.ly/vSNa7y . I would highly...(read more)

Windows Intune Case Study - Ontario Systems, helping to prove Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard certification PC update reporting

2012-01-03T07:58:00Z

Ontario Systems is a larger Windows Intune reference with 350 employee PC’s to manage. They needed a better way to manage mobile computers and Windows Intune was the answer to their problems as it enabled them to manage these computers providing they were connected to the Internet and verify this management to enable PCI certification. The two most notable benefits (besides saving money) were: More control, better insight. With the ability to monitor PCs, distribute software and updates, and perform...(read more)

Windows Intune Case Study - Sora Technologies

2012-01-03T07:57:38Z

Another case study of an IT partner using Windows Intune to manage themselves and their customers. I liked this comment: If we had started with Windows Intune, we would have saved approximately $80,000,” says Adams. “Going forward, we expect to save 10% in labour costs because we don’t have to manage servers or write code, which would take one full-time equivalent. We can take care of our customers using fewer resources, which increases our profit margins.” You can find out more at Microsoft...(read more)

Steve Clayton, Microsoft Chief Story Teller at Imagine 2011 on the future as he sees it

2012-01-02T23:07:57Z

Steve presented at this Microsoft Advertising event in late November, but I wanted to share it because it enables us to get a small insight into Microsoft’s goals. Interesting quotes include “our goal is to make the technology invisible” and “we probably have over 100 computers in our lives”. He talks about these trends: The cloud Explosion of devices Displays Everywhere Explosion of data Explosion of social computing Connectivity everywhere Natural interfaces Steve also said he would...(read more)

Comparing a Word document on Office Web Apps on SkyDrive or Office 365 to Google Apps

2012-01-02T20:13:45Z

Hi, I’ve been asked this before, so I thought I would share this today. I don’t use Google Apps, so I don’t have personal experience of the services, however I work with companies who employee’s choose to use the services – often because they can’t access the corporate environment from home or have file size limits that stop them. Anyway, I do use Word, Excel and PowerPoint and I use quite a lot of the features in my documents (e.g. the book and reports in Word, my personal finance spread...(read more)

How to wake a computer to perform a antimalware scan, particularly useful for Windows Intune

2011-12-15T10:09:00Z

While having the book reviewed one feature that was asked for, but is not possible with Windows Intune, was the ability to make Windows Intune wake a computer at night and carry out an anti-virus scan. This blog post is referred to in the book when setting the Anti-Malware policy. To solve this, there are two issues to tackle: Wake up the computer Start a scan The answer appears to be that to wake the computer we need to use a task in Task Scheduler and then we need to start a scan. One very important...(read more)

Finally got all the Christmas Lights up for 2011 on the new house

2011-12-15T00:49:50Z

Hi all, I thought I would share my Christmas lights – I do love them David...(read more)

Got the notice that my Windows Intune account will be upgraded to V2

2011-12-12T20:04:59Z

Hi, even though the Windows Intune V2 service has been out for a little while, my existing V1 accounts have not yet been upgraded. Today I got this e-mail telling me that it was now scheduled to happen in 4 days time. When I clicked on the link, I was taken to the alert that looks like this in the console: It talks about the “Account Details page” to find out more information. I know Windows Intune quite well and I was not sure what the Account Details page was. However, if we go...(read more)

How to Address Internet Explorer 6 Incompatibility Issues with Windows 7

2011-12-10T01:35:00Z

I’ve seen several people try to resolve Windows 7 and IE6 compatibility issues through methods that are not only not supported, but also against the Microsoft IP licensing rules (e.g. removing it from Windows XP and forcing onto Windows 7). Using a Windows Server 2003 Terminal Server and Citrix or Quest it is possible to put in place a low cost solution where IE is remoted (so you only see the IE 6 browser window, not the whole desktop) on a Windows 7 system. The pages that require IE6...(read more)

Microsoft Cloud Services Get Major Service Updates, New Customers: New features in Microsoft Office 365 and updates to sharing in Microsoft SkyDrive make it easier for people to work together.

2011-12-09T07:14:00Z

I saw this and just had to blog it.. The graphic on the left has amazing information – 41 of Interband Top 100 run on Microsoft’s cloud productivity services. 90% of Office 365 customers (not the seats, but the customer count) are SMEs with less than 50 employees. You can guess the big customers from the stats. The PR can be found at Microsoft Cloud Services Get Major Service Updates, New Customers: New features in Microsoft Office 365 and updates to sharing in Microsoft SkyDrive make it easier...(read more)

Blinging Down the House

2011-12-08T22:55:02Z

I’ve just tweeted on this, but decided to blog on it as well. The blurb … “During the summer of 2011, the Windows team here in the UK put out the call to all students with tired technology and faded furniture to enter Blinging Down the House. All they needed to do was to ask for help in the form of a simple video entry. The winning entry would then get their technology makeover with the definitive home entertainment setup. “ The winning student was Jack Rose. He went from this: I like...(read more)

Microsoft Case Study: Windows Intune - SkyWire

2011-12-08T22:23:21Z

I saw this case study and wanted to share as it has some fantastic good news in it, highlighting how Windows Intune is helping this customer. The highlights for me were: Reduced IT Costs SkyWire Media avoided the cost of third-party products that it would need to perform desktop management tasks by using Windows Intune. “I looked at antivirus and malware [malicious software] servers for [U.S.]$8,000 each,” says Malloy. “When you add $2,000 for the software and another $70,000 for a full-time...(read more)

Remote Desktop Services (RDS) and XenApp 6.x Desktop Virtualization Optimization Guide for Windows Server 2008 R2

2011-12-08T21:20:16Z

Hi, I know that I have mentioned before that Citrix is one of the partners I work with. Citrix add a huge amount of value to Microsoft Server 2008 R2 Remote Desktop Services and have done so for Windows since before the NT4 days of Terminal Server Edition. They have just released their latest document on optimisations that can be found at CTX131577 - XenApp 6.x Desktop Virtualization - Optimization Guide - Citrix Knowledge Center . Enjoy! David...(read more)

Christmas lights - Stage 1 of new home lighting

2011-12-04T23:10:33Z

Hi, I love Christmas. I’m not religious, but I really enjoy the happiness it brings people and the fact that everyone seems to spend time not working, with their families or unwinding. One way I do this is through putting a stupid number of lights on my house. For the last few years it has looked like this: I moved to a new house this year, so things are a little different. I’ve not finished yet, but this is what I have so far. The "train” is hidden and once it...(read more)

Return on Investment (ROI) calculator for Windows Intune

2011-12-04T22:22:14Z

I’ve just come across this tool for Windows Intune. As with any “benefits” calculator, the results simply reflect the quality of the data you put in – garbage in, garbage out. Since my computers managed by Windows Intune are already on Windows 7, have anti-malware loaded and other benefits, the results came out lower compared to those on Windows XP. If you don’t have Windows 7, for example, the benefits are much higher. The calculator can be found at http://windowsintuneroi.valueprism...(read more)

Windows Cloud Essentials Pack–Microsoft Partners can get Windows Intune internal use for free (and Office 365)

2011-11-24T16:31:00Z

I’m really proud to have passed an exam towards my The Cloud Accelerate program as you can see from my certificate on the left. I have started with the Microsoft Cloud Essentials Pack and I’m now moving up towards cloud accelerate! One of the reasons I like the Essentials Pack is the benefits it provides in terms of software, marketing and simple business tools and there is no fee or sales requirement in the first year! From the web site above, the benefits are: Software Benefits Microsoft...(read more)

Windows Intune IDC report–A Blueprint for Success for Microsoft Partners–the ups and downs

2011-11-23T08:14:41Z

I’ve found another document from the March timeframe from IDC (sponsored by Microsoft) about Windows Intune. This one talks about how to be successful with Windows Intune. It can be found here . One area worth exploring in the document is the section entitled “Opportunity Areas for Existing PC Management Practices”. One partner is quoted as saying "I think we could cover more customers than we could today. I don't think we have realized how big the potential is. It could help...(read more)

How Windows Intune can lower costs and raise productivity

2011-11-22T00:55:38Z

Hi, Just a quick post to share this document from IDC (sponsored by Microsoft) on Windows Intune from March 2011. It can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/cloud/docs/IntuneWP.pdf . It shows how companies can benefit from savings of $702 per year through IT staff savings, user productivity and removal of other tools. ttfn David...(read more)

Using Windows Intune with Autotask and ConnectWise

2011-11-17T08:04:44Z

Having spoken to several partners yesterday at the SMB MVT Tour I mentioned MS CRM’s integration with Windows Intune, but I thought it was worth sharing information on integration with Autotask and ConnectWise. Training and whitepapers can be found here: ConnectWise Windows Intune and Professional Services Automation: ConnectWise Learn about the integration between Windows Intune and business operation system ConnectWise, which offers customer relationship management, service request tracking, sales...(read more)

Free internal use Windows Intune, Office 365, Dynamics CRM Online licenses for Microsoft Partners through Cloud Essentials and Cloud Accelerate

2011-11-16T08:32:00Z

While asking at Microsoft of any information they wanted me to share about Windows Intune Olivia asked me to share this. I think this is so key, I will share this on the blog too. Something to remember is that you can join Windows Intune ticketing up to Dynamics CRM Online for a more joined up helpdesk experience. Cloud Essentials is a free programme for all MOSPA-registered partners, without sales or reference obligations. Partners just need to sign up at www.microsoftcloudpartner.com...(read more)

Manage customers with #Windows #Intune and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online (Updated)

2011-11-16T00:27:00Z

As a Microsoft partner (or customer), you can connect Windows Intune to MS-CRM to enable management ticketing from MS-CRM for client computers managed through Windows Intune. The details of how to configure this can be found at https://partner.microsoft.com/india/40169122 and it states “This document shows how Managed Services Providers (MSPs) can use Windows Intune™ in conjunction with Microsoft Dynamics® CRM Online to create and manage customer contracts, establish and automate...(read more)

Log files on each PC with Windows Intune

2011-11-15T08:25:00Z

Windows Intune is a cloud based management service with alerts and information stored in the Microsoft cloud, however sometimes it is very useful to see what is going on, on the actual PC. There are various log files that can be found on the client PC should you wish to explore. These are found at %ProgramFiles%\microsoft\onlinemanagement\logs . We can see several files in here, of which the following are particularly interesting if we want to go diving into the product: Enrollment – This file...(read more)

How to find out about service disruption for Office 365, BPOS, Windows Azure and Windows Intune

2011-11-04T08:16:14Z

Hi, I got this e-mail from Microsoft, but wanted to share with all should you ever need to get this information. The key elements are: 1. Today: Educate Yourself 2. During the Event: Stay Informed 3. After the Event: Understand the Situation 1. View service status via the Service Health Dashboards BPOS: Americas: https://health.noam.microsoftonline.com Europe: https://health.emea.microsoftonline.com Asia/Pacific: https://health.apac.microsoftonline.com Windows Azure Service...(read more)

Important Notice from Windows Intune about upgrades–you need to uninstall the beta!

2011-11-02T22:32:26Z

Hi, I just got this alert from Windows Intune which tells me that the beta service will end soon and that I need to uninstall the beta software and if I have a full account, install the new software (or old software to then be upgraded) Important Notice Account: David Overton Associates Source: Path: Type: Important Notice Description We are pleased to announce that the new features and enhancements that were offered in the Windows Intune July 2011...(read more)

Office 365 integration module beta for Windows SBS 2011 Essentials

2011-11-02T16:16:00Z

Hi, I just saw this on the wires and wanted to share it, although please note that this build is for evaluation purposes only. You should not install this in a production environment. Microsoft does not license you for, nor support installing in these environments. You can download the preview package from by navigating to it in the download section of the connect site or by using this link . Please refer to Release Documentation for installation and uninstallation instructions. Feedback is very...(read more)

How does a SBS partner win / lose with Windows Intune–discuss

2011-10-31T23:28:03Z

Hi, I don’t run my own business offering support to customers, but I thought I would put out a suggestion, since some partners have asked me “how do I make money from the cloud?” Before I start I really do have to stress that this is NOT MY DAY JOB and that my opinions here are MINE and not those of Microsoft. They may align, they may not, but I have been thinking about this and wanted to share MY thoughts and then see what others had to say about it. There are so many answers and depending...(read more)

Windows Intune V2 Released–it may take a little time to update existing customers

2011-10-17T21:20:44Z

So I’ve got a bit Windows Intune batty at the moment. The book is now finished and in review and today I got this lovely e-mail from Microsoft about my own subscription (yes, I do use it myself) What’s new in the October release? • Software Distribution. Centrally deploy most software to managed PCs from the Windows Intune administration console. • Remote Tasks Right-click the name of a computer to perform actions—run a malware scan, update malware definitions, or force a restart. • Extended...(read more)

The Windows Intune Client components

2011-10-16T13:42:34Z

Having installed (and uninstalled) Windows Intune a number of times I just wanted to signpost this blog post here that lists the components that are installed and what they do at Coretech by Brian Fahrenholtz . The information can be found at Windows Intune Client Agent components . It explains what each of the following does or provides: Microsoft Easy Assist v2 Microsoft Online Management Policy Agent Microsoft Online Management Update Manager Microsoft Policy Platform System Center...(read more)

Windows Intune V2 moving from Beta to full product (RTW)

2011-10-14T19:41:42Z

I went to log into the beta Windows Intune console tonight to discover it was “down”, or more importantly, it was directing me to the Service Status page. We can see from this that a number of sites are undergoing maintenance. When we hover over the sites undergoing maintenance it states: (The whole service instance was under maintenance from Oct 14 2011 1:00PM (UTC) to Oct 15 2011 3:00AM(UTC) – Wave 2 Beta to RTW URL patch) Hopefully we will see the full product ASAP. David Technorati...(read more)

New role–Enablement Partner strategy

2011-10-08T11:26:23Z

I thought I would share some details of my new role at Microsoft, which is still as a Partner Account Manager, but also responsible for the Enablement Partner strategy. Obviously this is my day job with my author and blogging work still being a personal project for the evenings and weekends. So what are Enablement Partners you may ask? Well they are partners who provide technology or services that help a customer (or another partner) deploy their chosen Microsoft technology, but do not...(read more)

Using Intune with Sysprepped images

2011-10-05T07:13:00Z

I've just been through this for my book and some people were asking internally, so I thought I would share this little snippet / preview from the book on the process we have to follow to install Windows Intune from a sysprepped image. This means an image that we want to roll out to lots and lots of computers. Here is the information, based on the blog video found at http://blogs.technet.com/b/windowsintune/archive/2011/09/22/adding-the-windows-intune-client-to-an-operating-system-deployment-image...(read more)

Microsoft Windows Intune, Quickstart Administration Book moving to Intune V2

2011-10-02T20:27:00Z

Hi, Given the closeness of Windows Intune V2, I have decided with the publisher to update the book with the Version 2 updates and images. This will mean a slight delay in the book as I can’t finalise it until V2 is released to market. Today I’ve been going through the beta for Windows Intune V2, updating the images, reports and adding content on the new features. The ones I’ve spent some time on or plan to spend time on are: Installation – Done Image based deployment –...(read more)

When does Windows Intune make sense for a company as the only management solution or hybrid

2011-10-01T10:41:00Z

I’ve been asked this question several times, so I thought I would share my thoughts. I don’t regularly work with the Windows Intune team at Microsoft as this is not my role, so this is purely my opinion, not in any way endorsed by Microsoft. To start off with, I think Windows Intune makes sense for a company whenever they are considering a cloud based Management strategy. Windows Intune also has the benefit of providing you with Windows and Microsoft anti-Malware software for your computers...(read more)

Windows Intune Links worth having

2011-08-28T08:00:00Z

Since I’ve been working on the Windows Intune book I’ve found a few sources of information that I trust regarding the product. I thought I would share them:

Windows Intune V1 (current production environment)

Service Status Dashboard - http://status.manage.microsoft.com/Statuspage/servicedashboard.aspx
Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/WindowsIntune?sk=wall
Mike Resseler’s blog from the Belgium System Center User Group - http://scug.be/blogs/intune/default.aspx
Windows Intune Team Blog - http://blogs.technet.com/b/windowsintune/

Windows Intune V2 (beta)

Beta fact sheet, documenting the changes between the current V1 product and the V2 beta - http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=26704

Finally, if you want to read my book as it is written - https://www.packtpub.com/microsoft-windows-intune-quickstart-administration-enterprise-through-cloud/book

ttfn

David

Technorati Tags: Windows Intune

Windows Intune book update

2011-08-27T11:45:00Z

Well, I’ve finally finished the drafts for all chapters of the soon to be published book called Microsoft Windows Intune, Quickstart Administration. It would have been sooner if my lovely mother had not fallen ill and passed away. I don’t regret the delay in finishing the book, but that we had so little time in the end and that she was not here to see it finish. The book is now awaiting review and editorial updates before it is finally published.

Update - 2/10/2010 - Since the launch of Windows Intune V2 is so close, I'm updating to V2 now. This means that you can no longer access the work in progress chapters. I hope to resolve this in a few weeks time.

The book has undergone some structural changes while I was writing it. The chapters are now:

1. Overview of Cloud Computing 2. Introduction to PC Management Concepts
3. Overview of Windows Intune Features
4. Signing up for Intune and installing the client software
5. Configuring Windows Intune
6. Configuring management policy
7. Tracking and reporting
8. Monitoring and dealing with alerts, including remote assistance
9. Resolving problems using Microsoft DaRT
10.Using and deploying Windows 7 Enterprise with Windows Intune
11.Integration with existing Microsoft Products

You can access the book “in progress” and buy it from here.

Once this is solidly out the way and the V2 beta has stabilised I will look to work on a V2 book too.

ttfn

David

Technorati Tags: Windows Intune

Windows Intune Service Status Page

2011-08-27T10:36:38Z

When using a cloud service, understanding the reliability of the service is vital. Windows Intune is a management tool and as such, when the service is down it is only management that cannot be performed, rather than the computers going offline themselves, which means the impact is much less to the end users.

The Service Status Page provides that information for Windows Intune. You can see on the image below that you can also scroll back over the last 5 weeks to see what has happened. The good thing here is that it is a sea of green for the last 5 weeks

Hopefully it will stay that way. You can also see that there are at least two datacenters for each region, so an outage at one should not stop the service working.

ttfn

David

Technorati Tags: Windows Intune

Office 365 for small businesses

2011-06-23T07:06:00Z

I got this e-mail and thought I would share as I love Office 365. I'm moving my e-mail there as £4 per user per month is just amazing!

Are you ready to embrace the cloud computing revolution? It could cost much less than you think.
Microsoft Office 365 gives growing businesses access to Microsoft's most advanced collaboration and communication technology – just the thing if you want to become more productive and competitive. It lets you:


•	Deal with email, work on documents and stay in touch almost anywhere
•	Share diaries, contacts and tasks with colleagues
•	Store company documents in a central, secure online filing cabinet
•	Communicate via online chat, web conferences and email

Big capability, small price
Microsoft Office 365 costs from £4 per user per month with no upfront costs or capital expenditure. Just pay as you go. It's a surprisingly small amount of money considering the benefits it offers. Just think of how little you get for the same amount:


•	A gallon of petrol¹
•	A single edition of The Economist²
•	Running a single 100w light bulb for a month³
•	An adult ticket from Heathrow to Central London⁴
•	Approximately 20 minutes' salary for a typical full-time employee⁵

Competitive advantage
But there's another way to look at it. Microsoft Office 365 costs a fraction of what it would cost to buy, install and manage the kind of hardware and software it would take to provide the same services in-house.
For small businesses and growing companies, it is like renting a big company IT department and big company technology for a fraction of the cost. It could be the best bargain your company ever does.
Try it for yourself
Office 365 changes everything about the way that growing businesses use IT, including the price. Find out for yourself.
Join the Microsoft Office 365 beta programme.
Kerry Bentley
Small Business Marketing Manager

Need more information? Why not visit our Small Business website or contact our Small Business team directly.

Sign up for the Office 365 beta programme today >

Experience how Office 365 can support your business and simplify your IT. Be ready for change.

Join our Office 365 Online Meeting >

We will be holding an online meeting on 30 June where you will be able to learn more about Office 365 and have the opportunity to ask Microsoft experts questions. Click here for more details.
Download our
Free Guide >

Find out more about Office 365 in our free online guide which includes the top ten benefits of cloud computing.

ttfn

David

Technorati Tags: Office 365,Microsoft

Exporting hardware information from Windows Intune

2011-06-22T09:31:00Z

As most of you know I am working on my Windows Intune book and I've just finished the 6th chapter. This covers reporting and I was highly frustrated that there is no export or print function on all the hardware information screens, but you can export some of the hardware information.

Here is how to do it:

	Open the Windows Intune Console by going to http://manage.microsoft.com. Select the Computers workspace and find the computer that whose hardware inventory we want to explore or store.
	Change the Filters setting from None to Hardware classification. We will now see the information about the hardware manufactures and model. If the machine is a non-OEM system then we will see the motherboard manufacturer and model number.
	We can export this data using the export logo in the top right of the tool bar next to the printer icon. We are prompted to choose between csv (comma separated values) and html files. Only csv files are useful for importing into custom reports. Select .csv File and then press Export.
	Once we have entered a file to save the content the export is confirmed by the message showing how many rows were exported. Press Close to finish the export.
	Change the Filters setting to Hardware identity to bring the identity information up.
	We can again export this data using the export logo in the top right of the tool bar next to the printer icon. Select .csv File and then press Export.
	Once we have entered a file to save the content the export is confirmed by the message showing how many rows were exported. Press Close to finish the export.

To see the full hardware details, do the following:

1. Open the Windows Intune Console by going to http://manage.microsoft.com. Select the Computers workspace and find the computer that whose hardware inventory we want to explore or store.

2. Click on the computer’s Name to show the Computer Properties

3. Select the Hardware tab to show all the hardware information. The first section is specific to the operating system install and the motherboard inside the system. If the computer is a well-known OEM brand then the Manufacturer and Model information will be shown here. We should note all the items in these sections

ttfn

David

Technorati Tags: Windows Intune

How to get help from Microsoft - on Office or in general

2011-06-22T08:54:27Z

I saw in my latest e-mail from Microsoft that there are some additional ways to get help from Microsoft, so I thought I would share them since I was unaware of the twitter route until today.

Need some help? Give us a Tweet...
If you've got a query give @MicrosoftHelp a Tweet and you'll get a direct response from the team looking after the feed. If you're not already on Twitter, you'll have to join but it's quick and it's free. Start following now.

... or drop into Microsoft Answers
The Office forum on Microsoft Answers will give you answers on Word, Excel and PowerPoint topics. Community members help each other out, and Microsoft experts provide their advice free. A problem shared really is a problem halved! Check it out.

ttfn

David

First official sight of Windows 8

2011-06-02T09:54:00Z

Recently, Microsoft said it would not deliver something for tablets and slates until it had something to say that was more game changing. How about a mixture between the phone Metro, traditional Windows applications and touch as a primary interface whether using traditional applications or new ones. For the first glimpse, have a look at:

You may also want to read the articles here:

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/01/microsoft-unveils-windows-8-tablet-prototypes/

http://allthingsd.com/20110601/exclusive-making-sense-of-what-we-just-learned-about-windows-8/

ttfn

David

Technorati Tags: Microsoft,Windows 8

Microsoft Case Study: Windows Intune - 70 person IT services company

2011-05-11T19:50:59Z

Hi all, I thought I would share this Windows Intune case study that has just gone up on Microsoft.com.

IT Solutions Provider Offers Simplified PC Management with Cloud-Based Solution

“Windows Intune fills the support void that many customers experience for desktop environments. It's the perfect PC management tool.” - Rod Giesbrecht, Chief Executive Officer, Imaginet

Business Needs

Imaginet offers managed services and custom software development to hundreds of customers worldwide. Many of its customers with dispersed workforces did not have the resources to monitor and manage their client computing environments. Imaginet realized that many of these customers did not have full-time administrators and instead relied on technically astute employees to manage desktops in addition to their regular duties.

Without an IT professional to monitor client computers, those computers were often vulnerable to malicious software. Plus, without the technical resources to diligently perform maintenance tasks, when customers did experience an issue with their desktop environment, it was often severe enough to bring business to a halt.

Solution

Imaginet turned to Windows Intune, a cloud-based PC management and endpoint protection solution. To evaluate the solution first hand, Imaginet adopted Windows Intune to manage 10% of its client computers in March 2011. It takes advantage of the administration console, which administrators can access from any browser enabled with Microsoft Silverlight 3 browser technology, to schedule critical software updates, manage security policies, and monitor PC health.

Benefits

Imaginet sees several ways its customers can benefit from Windows Intune.

Using the cloud-based solution avoids the need for additional IT, which helps reduce capital expenses.

Imaginet can schedule critical updates for its customers’ remote workers, which helps those customers ensure a security-enhanced, uniform PC environment.

Imaginet and its customers can use a single solution to manage a variety of tasks from a central location for simplified IT maintenance.

The company can be more proactive in supporting its customers remotely—enhancing its already-strong managed services offering.

Microsoft Case Study: Windows Intune - Imaginet

Thanks

David

Technorati Tags: Windows Intune,Intune,Microsoft,Partners,Cloud

UK Tech.Days 2011 –Transform Your Datacentre with Hyper-V and System Center - 24th May 2011

2011-05-08T08:08:12Z

As many of you know, I'm getting more excited about how cloud and virtualisation will impact customers and partners. I wanted to share details about this event on the 24th May 2011.

The UK Tech.Days 2011 –Transform Your Datacentre with Hyper-V and System Center event will provide you with an understanding of the latest technical updates for your datacentre & infrastructure investments. This event will share more expert knowledge and information than ever - with deep dive sessions on the Windows Server 2008 R2 platform, Hyper-V virtualization capability, and System Center end-to-end service management capabilities.

Join Microsoft and interact live with us, some of our key strategic partners and early adopter customers.

For more information, please visit: http://uktechdays.cloudapp.net/techdays-live/delivering-it-as-a-service-with-the-microsoft-private-cloud.aspx

08:30-09:30	Registration
09:30-10:00	Transforming Your Datacentre
10:00-11:00	Building The Foundation: Server Virtualization and Management
11:30- 12:00	HP: Hyper-V Cloud Reference Architecture
12:00-13:15	Managing Your Infrastructure with System Center
14:00-14:30	Risual: Building The Business Case for Private Cloud
14:30-15:45	Hyper-V and System Center – Competitive Comparisons
16:16-16:45	NetApp: Private Cloud Integration Components
16:45-17:45	Bringing Automation and Self-Service To Your Datacentre

Thanks

David

Technorati Tags: Virtualization,Hyper-V,System Center,Cloud,Private Cloud,Microsoft

Windows Intune book chapters

2011-05-07T00:32:00Z

I'm now about 1/2 way through the Microsoft WIndows Intune book, which is great. Please feel free to ask any questions as I can always incorporate the answers into the book. I thought I would share the chapters for everyone which are:

0. Preface

1. Overview of Cloud Computing

2. Introduction to PC Management Concepts

3. Overview of Windows Intune Features

4. Signing up for Windows Intune and installing the client software

5. Configuring Windows Intune

6. Pro-active Management

7. Monitoring and dealing with alerts, including remote assistance

8. Using and deploying Windows 7 Enterprise with Windows Intune

9. Integration with existing Microsoft Products

The book will walk through with a large number of images each of the above as I understand them. I can honestly say that it has been a pleasure exploring Windows Intune and now sharing this will be great fun. As they say, Bring it on!!

I'm hoping to have finished all drafts in the next couple of months and I now have four people signed up to review the book, to which I'm very grateful for their time.

David

Windows Intune - the book and me

2011-04-15T22:33:00Z

It is time for me to admit my next project, now that I've finally submitted the first chapter, and that is that I'm writing about Windows Intune. Those who have worked with me in the past will know that I'm not much of a "koolaid" person, but I do believe that Cloud Services will be the way of the future and I think that Windows Intune will be a key pillar of the Microsoft story for our existing customers.

To this end I wanted to annoucne that I'm in the writing process of writing a book on configuring and deploying Windows Intune.

I remember all the discussions about MOM on SPLA and centralised management with the SBSC partners and the number of conversations I've had with customers and it seems inevitable that Windows Intune will be a huge success. It will also be, in my personal opinion, quite disruptive to the current management offerings of the Microsoft partners in this segment as all cloud services by every company has proven to be so far, including to the SBS customer set.

Over the weekend I will finish the 2nd and 3rd chapters and I will then share the plan I've agreed with Packt Publishing for the book.

As always, please feel free to let me know what you think about all this.

Thanks

David

Site going away for a day or two

2011-02-23T17:45:00Z

Hi all,

I am going to be moving home soon and since this site is hosted on my Hyper-V / SBS 2008 system, it will be down for 24-48 hours while everything gets turfed out / installed.

Be back online soon!

David

Loading SP1 beta onto a Hyper-V R2 system

2010-07-19T16:57:28Z

I was keen to play with the Hyper-V R2 Service Pack 1 features, so I decided to download and install it, however I could not find anything that was not for Windows 7 or Windows Server (as opposed to Hyper-V Server). After asking internally I was pointed to what I needed. The process was fairly simple:

Download the SP1 beta from the Microsoft site and ensure you answer the questions correctly as an IT Pro to ensure you get the opportunity to download. You will need to update both your Windows 7 / Windows Server client to manage the system as well as the Hyper-V Server, so you might need to download both the x86 and x64 versions as Hyper-V Server is x64 only.
Remove the language packs that are not supported by the beta from the Hyper-V Server. To do this you will need to log into the console and run the LPKSETUP.exe program and remove anything that is not as part of the download package (English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish)
Run the SP1 update on the Hyper-V Server
Run the SP1 update on the Windows 7 Client
Open the properties page in your Hyper-V Manager on Windows 7 SP1 and you can now edit the new properties
Remember that Remote FX requires a Windows 7 SP1 (beta 1) guest and that Dynamic Memory requires (for the beta only) a Windows Enterprise or Datacenter guest with Standard and Web being supported when it is out of beta. See http://blogs.msdn.com/b/virtual_pc_guy/archive/2010/07/12/dynamic-memory-beta-supported-guest-operating-systems.aspx for some more details on dynamic memory support in the beta.

thanks

David

Technorati Tags: Hyper-V,Hyper-V R2,SP1,Service Pack 1,Dynamic Memory

Technical School: installing and Configuring Small Business Server 2008–June 17th 2010

2010-06-16T10:37:10Z

Hi,

I know this has gone out to UK SBSC partners, but I thought I should let people know through the blog too.

Technical School: installing and Configuring Small Business Server 2008

Technical Schools are a series of monthly Live Meetings specifically for the Small Business Specialist Community (SBSC) and Registered partners who specialise in targeting the small to medium sized business market. Taking place on 17 June, 15:00-16:00 (GMT), the next Technical School will be led by Microsoft's David Overton who will provide guidance relating to Small Business Server 2008. Review a recording of last months' Technical School, which discussed Office 2010.

We will cover off the preparation required prior to a migration, the process of installing or migrating and then some FAQ’s of the most commonly asked questions that people have sent me. These will include:

Converting a trial license to a purchased solution
Getting rid of the Outlook prompt for username and password
Installing the latest service pack for Exchange

Thanks

David

Guy Kewney – a sad loss

2010-04-13T06:42:09Z

I got my daily update from the Register today to read about the sad loss of the journalist Guy Kewney. I met Guy on several occasions in my work with SBS 2003 and I remember his desire to understand how it impacted people and their ability to have a happy successful business. He occasionally contacted me on IM and I particularly remember one phone call when I was at a conference in Miami and he was having network problems. The call took nearly 2 hours as we walked through the setup of SBS and then resolved the networking issues. It was baking for me which is why I remember it, but Guy patiently worked through each issue until he had a system fit for review. I’ve only worked with 2 or 3 journalists over the years who showed dedication to getting the information right rather than doing something very quick.

Guy, you will be missed.

David

Win 20 Netbooks for a UK school – closes 29th March 2010

2010-03-15T09:47:26Z

I saw this and thought I would pass on - http://blogs.msdn.com/teachers/archive/2010/03/09/don-t-forget-enter-the-innovid-competition-and-win-20-netbooks.aspx

We know how busy things are for teachers this time of year, and if you’re anything like me the sunny weather is a further distraction. So we wanted to take this time to remind you that the deadline for the Innovid video competition is fast approaching!

Don’t forget to get your entry in to the Partners in Learning Network before 17:00 on the 29th of March (this month!). All the details you need for the competition can be found in this blog or on the Partners in Learning Network. In addition, Stuart and I have posted a list of frequently asked questions about the competition in this blog, and we’ve updated it in the contest community on the Partners in Learning Network.

For those of you who are planning on entering, please make sure to complete a contest entry form and submit that along with your video. We will not be able to accept any videos without the entry form!

To further entice you, we have selected the netbooks that will be awarded to the winning teacher’s school. The school will get 20 N105 Netbooks from Stone. These netbooks come installed with Microsoft Windows 7 and will come with a 3-year warranty from Stone and a protective carrying case.

For the full specs on the Stone netbook, go to their web site.

If you have any questions on the competition, see the Partners in Learning Network, or leave a comment in the blog. We’re looking forward to seeing your Innovids on the 29th – good luck!

Sample how-to videos are posted here: http://www.microsoft.com/uk/education/teachers/free-how-to-videos.aspx

And all contest guidelines and terms and conditions can be found on the Partners in Learning Network.

Thanks

David

Technorati Tags: Microsoft,School,Academic,Netbooks

Tech days 2010 – UK, covering Virtualisation, Office 2010, Windows 7, SQL Server 2008 R2, Visual Studio, the Essential Mix, Rich Client and Windows Phone

2010-03-10T23:27:11Z

Registration for UK Tech Days events from 12^th to 16^th April is open!.

UK Tech Days 2010 is a week-long series of free events run by Microsoft and technical communities to celebrate and inspire developers, IT professionals and IT Managers to get more from Microsoft technology. Our day events in London will cover the latest technology releases including Microsoft Visual Studio 2010, Microsoft Office 2010, Virtualisation, Silverlight, Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 plus events focusing on deployment and an IT Manager day.

Please visit our website for full details: http://www.microsoft.com/uk/techdays and follow what’s happening @uktechdays

The agenda looks like this:

	Monday 12th April	Tuesday 13th	Wednesday 14th	Thursday 15th	Friday 16th
IT Pro Days	Virtualization Summit	Office 2010 - the next wave	Windows 7 - Deployment	SQL Server 2008 R2 - The Platform	Raising the profile of IT
Dev Days	Visual Studio 2010 Launch	Visual Studio 2010 and .NET	The Essential MIX	Rich Client	Windows Phone

ttfn

David

Technorati Tags: Virtualisation,Office 2010,Windows 7,SQL Server 2008 R2,Visual Studio,the Essential Mix,Rich Client,Windows Phone

Windows and other products coming End of Support information

2010-02-04T08:26:33Z

Microsoft has an industry leading support lifecycle for it's products with business software generally getting 10 years support and consumer products 5 years, but even then the end of support surprises some individuals and you need to be aware to ensure you are not caught out. Our support also requires people to adopt service packs within 12-24 months of them being released, depending on the products.

here along with all the obsolete products here.

Why do I mention all this now, after all, this is not new information, well, we have some significant Windows End of Support (EoS) dates coming up.

With these date looming reminding your customers that moving to Windows 7 and utilizing the many features built into the product can help you achieve simplier support and them a more secure and compliant platform for your users, reduce your help desk costs, and increase performance and reliability for your end users. Remember that a Windows 7 user can record the steps of a problem and send them through to you using the Problem Step Recorder which simplifies support.

Here are some key dates to remember:

March 1, 2010 – Windows 7 RC pre-expiration shut downs begin.

Beginning March 1, the Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) will start to shut down every two hours in preparation for its expiration on June 1, 2010. That means you will need to migrate your RC systems to a released to manufacturing (RTM) version of Windows 7; or your previous operating system. Remember to back up all your data as either option will require a clean installation. For more information, read this post on the Windows Team blog.

April 13, 2010 – Support for Windows Vista RTM ends.

To help ensure your Windows Vista PCs stay secure and up to date, make sure they are running Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) or Service Pack 2 (SP2).

July 13, 2010 – Support for Windows XP SP2 and Windows 2000 ends.

If you are running Windows XP, stay more secure by moving to Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) or migrating to Windows 7. Updating your Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista–based PCs before the end of mainstream support dates will ensure that your PCs stay supported and receive security updates. Migrating to Windows 7 provides the longest support lifecycle for your organization, helping to ensure protection, support, and timely updates.

http://www.microsoft.com/eos.

If you or your customer needs more time to test your application and hardware compatibility in Windows 7? If so, the Windows 7 Enterprise 90-Day Trial provides a great opportunity for you to finish critical testing with a full version of Windows 7 Enterprise.

Also, don't forget that you have the ability to deploy Windows 7 through your partner program memebership. The exact details depend on your level, but more details can be found here along with other benefit information.

ttfn

David

Technorati Tags: Microsoft,Windows,Window 7,Windows XP,Windows Vista,Support

Windows 7 appreciation continues to grow

2010-02-03T08:23:18Z

I saw these three articles and thought I would share. How are you getting on with Windows 7? And for those who say that Vista adoption was very poor, it was not statistically different to that of Windows XP, so you can't just say "oh, that was Vista, XP was much better!"

Adoption of Windows 7 Continues to Swell

Computerworld - February 01, 2010

Windows 7 took just three months to reach a penetration benchmark that Windows Vista needed almost a year to reach, according to a report by NetApplications.

SMBs Step Up Plans to Adopt Windows 7

eWeek - February 02, 2010

Small and midsize businesses (SMBs) are accelerating plans to migrate to Windows 7, according to a global survey conducted by network management specialist Spiceworks.

Customer Satisfaction with Windows 7 Rises

Bloomberg News - February 01, 2010

Microsoft has received a bigger boost in customer satisfaction from Windows 7 than Apple did from its most recent upgrade of Mac OS X, according to market research firm YouGov.

On my own site, Windows 7 has clearly overtaken Windows Vista and is having an impact on Windows XP too.

ttfn

David

Technorati Tags: Windows 7,Microsoft

Snow around the home

2010-01-09T00:20:42Z

It appears to be a snowy time for many people at the moment, so I thought I would share a few pictures from chez Overton.

I hope your enjoying the weather and not freezing.

take care

David

Technorati Tags: Snow Personal

Late post on the Christmas lights on my house for Christmas

2010-01-08T23:53:33Z

I was late putting the lights up for Christmas due to an operation on my hand, however they made it. You can see them here -http://davidoverton.com/media/p/12744.aspx and http://davidoverton.com/media/p/12743.aspx

and

Thanks and Happy New Year

David

Technorati Tags: Christmas,Christmas lights,personal

Snow and power outages keep bringing UKSBSGUY down

2010-01-06T20:51:29Z

Just a quick note to say that power problems around my home keep taking the servers out. Until I get around to hosting my box, this will be an issue.

Sorry

David

Need to buy a copy of Windows 7 or Office 2007 for someone in education - get an educational discount

2009-12-31T12:58:06Z

HI,

I've been asked this many times, so I thought I would blog on it. Microsoft offers great discounts for people in education (beyond those who work in education). The best options are:

For university students:

http://www.microsoft.com/student/discounts/theultimatesteal-uk/default.aspx - – Office £38.95, Windows 7 Pro - £30

For any age group in education - Office 2007 for around £39- £52 depending on which edition (Standard to Enterprise) and Windows 7 upgrades for £40-56 depending on the edition

There are obviously some conditions you have to meet to qualify to use these products and each site has information about them. If you are in full time education or a parent of someone who is then you likely qualify. To learn more about Microsoft and education in the UK, have a look at http://www.microsoft.com/uk/education/default.aspx. You will notice that both the organisations I linked above are linked on the Microsoft page, but I have experience with the above two.

Thanks

David

Technorati Tags: Windows 7,Office 2007,Education,Student discount,Microsoft

Server line-up for small businesses (and home) is increasing in options (or complexity for some) - SBS 2008, Home, Foundation, Windows Standard Server or BPOS - how do you choose?

2009-12-31T07:47:00Z

This is a long running question that people ask me - how to position the various server options from Microsoft for small businesses. The more choice Microsoft offers, the more complex it can become if you do not have a starting point to find the right product for a customer. So, Home Server, Foundation Server and SBS - what is it all about, especially when you look at something like Windows 7 or BPOS too?

N.B. To get a detailed feature comparison between SBS 2003 and SBS 2008 have a look at the excellent work of Sean at http://sbs.seandaniel.com/2008/08/what-different-between-sbs-2003-and-sbs.html.

Well, in the home or the smaller sized business market (think sweet spot of 1-7 users IMHO) there are a number of MS products that could fit the bill…

Windows Client PC as a server (don't do this for businesses)
Windows Home Server
Foundation server
Windows Server
Small Business Server
Online solution

Server Options

I suspect people know the options here, but here is a very short run-down on each and why you might or might not look at them:

Windows 7 Client PC as a server

Great to share files between a few PCs on a trusted network. Only with Windows 7 do you start to get better sharing security via the home group and many server oriented pieces of software can't run on it. Great for home hub (my Media Center does a bit of this), but please save your self trouble and get a server for the work environment. You will save of time and money of management very quickly in a business. Also note that server software will often not install on a Client PC.

Windows Home Server

This is a fantastic home hub server with functionality to hold and protect your shared files by duplicating them, backing up desktop PCs and providing remote access. Today it is built on Windows Server 2003 technology, but it does the job well. If in a business you simply want a place to store files and backups without managed security or any other server functionality and web based accessed to those files, it can do an OK job. For more info of the use in the business environment, look at the Home Office / Small Office server - http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/windowshomeserver/soho/default.mspx

Foundation server

A simple implementation of Windows Standard server with a limitation of 15 users on the server, it must be the root of the domain and cannot have trust relationships. There are no SBS-like wizards, so this is pure Windows Server management. You can add products like Windows SharePoint Services to this product. One nice feature is no requirement for the Windows CAL (all other CALs still required). Also some software may refuse to work on Foundation Server. More information at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/foundation.aspx

Windows Standard Server

The fully functional base platform of all Windows Servers. This provides Web, File sharing, domain security and management and a platform for other tools such as WSUS and WSS. As there are so many options and configuration choices for Windows Server some might find this overwhelming and beyond their understanding. While there are wizards they are focused on configuration rather than simplifying overall IT setup for a small business.

Small Business Server

A Server designed to be easy to configure and use for small businesses that provides all their Server IT in one package. This provides file server functionality, intranet and internet access and management, server and security management, remote access, e-mail, calendar and contact functionality and much more. The configuration process is all designed to be simple and driven by business need rather than technical implementation and wizards translate the business need into technical changes.

Online solution

An online solution, such as BPOS enables all e-mail, calendar and contact management, as well as Instant Messenger and presence information and hosted SharePoint to be made available to users without the need to install a server to deliver this. You must be connected to the internet to use this functionality and it does not solve any "in-house" IT functions which means these need to be separately managed.

Comparison Table

Below are some of the key features and differences in using each of the products. If something is not clear, please just post a comment and I can get back to you. Also, this is my own information and view on the world and is not an official statement in anyway from Microsoft, which means there might be errors too.

	Windows 7	Foundation	Windows Server Standard	Home Server	SBS (current non-R2 version)	Purely Online
Operating System Foundation	Windows 7	Server 2008 R2 (x64 only)	Server 2008 R2 (x64 only)	Server 2003 (32-bit only)	Server 2008 (x64 only)	Not relevant
Objective	General Desktop solution	General Server	General Server	SOHO Solution	Small Business Solution	Cloud Solution
Skills required	Technical	Deep Technical	Deep Technical	Home User / some technical	Technical / some business	Some Technical / some business
Disk Protection	Raid in h/w	Raid	Raid	Disk duplication	Raid	Host provided
Network Security	None	WSUS as option	WSUS as option	None	WSUS with wizard	None
e-Mail	None / BPOS	None / BPOS	None / BPOS	None / BPOS	Exchange, but Wizard driven	None / BPOS
Management	Traditional Windows	Traditional Windows	Traditional Windows	Wizard	Wizard	Web wizard for online - none for local
FAX integration	Standard Services on a per PC basis	Standard Services	Standard Services	None	Wizard	per PC only
Reporting	None	None	None	Alerts via balloon popups	E-mail and in Console	None / e-mail
Account Management	Workgroup	Workgroup or Domain	Workgroup or Domain	Workgroup	Domain, but wizard driven	Workgroup
User Limit	20	15	Unlimited	10 (or perhaps higher)	75	Unlimited
User licensing	No CALs	No CALs	CALs	No CALs	CAL	Subscription only
DNS / remote site access	None	None	None	Wizard	Wizard and Office Live	None
Remote access to PC's inside LAN	None	None	None		Yes via web portal	None
Windows SharePoint Services	Hosted Only	As an option on server or hosted	As an option on server or hosted	Hosted Only	Pre-built, Hosted or Office Live	Hosted only
2^nd Server option for SQL / RDS	No	As an option	As an option	No	Premium Edition	Yes
Server Software support	No	Yes (mostly)	Yes	No	Yes (mostly)	No
Additional Software over standard server	None	None	None	Client PC backup Remote Access Site WHS Wizards	Exchange Server 2007 Windows SharePoint Services v3 WSUS v3 SBS Wizards	None

This leaves some simple questions to ask to qualify which products are available to your customers:

How many users will access the system - if <15 then all available, if > 20 then only Windows Server, SBS or hosted are options
Do they want a common management of users with the ability to log in on any PC and see their files, if so only Domain Account Management will work for them
How much control over e-mail, quotas and the rest of their IT destiny do they want (BPOS has little control without cost impact and all others except SBS do not have e-mail at all)

I appreciate there are many more questions, but I hope this makes it easier to see where it all fits. Hopefully the two diagrams below will help a little. You may notice that I have not included on-line solutions in the model below because they either only overlap with SBS 2008 (Exchange and SharePoint) or the answer depends on the task at hand as to where it fits and who is providing it.

ttfn

David

Technorati Tags: Small Business Server 2008,Foundation Server,Windows Home Server,Servers,Small Business,Microsoft

How to put Windows 7 (either purchased ISO or DVD) onto a USB stick for faster installation or installation onto a Netbook without a DVD drive

2009-12-30T10:25:34Z

I've had to tell a few people about this recently, so I thought I should actually write a blog post on this. The options are very simple and easy.

Buy Windows 7 on DVD and use or buy a 4GB (or larger) USB Stick and then make a USB stick bootable and copy the files to the stick. Details on how to make it bootable can be found here - http://www.techmixer.com/install-windows-vista-from-bootable-usb-flash-memory-drive/. You literally copy all the files from the DVD to the USB stick for this to work. To do this, enter this command into the run box (press Windows-Key + R) or a command prompt window - robocopy d:\ e:\ /s - this assumes that the DVD drive is D: and that the USB stick is E: - change them as required.
Buy Windows 7 as an ISO from the Microsoft store (http://emea.microsoftstore.com/uk/) and use the Microsoft tool from http://store.microsoft.com/Help/ISO-Tool to copy this to a USB stick (as mentioned above)
buy a USB DVD Drive (not my preferred option)

I hope this helps.

David

Technorati Tags: Windows 7,Windows,ISO,Microsoft,Tips and Tricks

List of Windows 7 compatible applications that have been registered with Microsoft and how to get yours registered if you have an application

2009-12-24T20:44:00Z

I’ve been asked a few times about what software is registered with Microsoft as compatible with Windows 7 or has a certified status with Windows 7. The answers can be found on either of these two web sites:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/en-us/default.aspx – Web based tool to search for software
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/confirmation.aspx?familyId=890e522e-e39e-4278-aebc-186f81e29173&displayLang=en – Download an Excel spreadsheet with the information on it

If you are an ISV who wishes to register your information, have a look at the downloadable template or web form here - https://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/windows-7/en-us/partner/submission.aspx

To learn more about developing for Windows 7, look here for Independent Software Vendors. You should also look at the ISVAppCompat site - https://www.isvappcompat.com/uk which gives details for how to certify your application and also make a press release about the fact. One of the ISVs I work with is Iris and they have just released their press releases at http://www.iris.co.uk/news__press/news_folder/newswindows_7_strategy.aspx.

It all helps customers get what they want from Windows 7.

Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year

David

Technorati Tags: Windows 7,Windows Client,Microsoft,ISV,Application Compatibility

What are the legal options for Licensing Windows 7 or Windows Vista? Or how to avoid mis-licensing

2009-12-24T16:08:00Z

I’m often told that Microsoft licensing is complex, but what I actually find are that this either translates to “I have too many choices - ahhhh!” or “I can’t license in the way I want to” or “I can’t find the information I want to”. Option 1 is always going to happen – the more choice, the more complexity in making the right choice. Option 2 is often “I don’t want to buy lose licenses, why do I have to..” and Option 3 is poor communications on the part of Microsoft.

To help with the Option 3 situation there is a new guide on the Microsoft Partner portal that explains one of the areas I’m often asked about – i.e. Windows client licensing. It is really simple. Here are the rules in summary (non-legally binding and please read the guide for full details):

A PC has to licensed with a Full retail product (FPP, bought from a shop) or supplied with an OEM license (the OEM option can’t be used after the PC has been bought and supplied to the end user)
Volume Licenses for Windows client is only available as an upgrade to the FPP / OEM eligible license
Volume Licenses upgrade only apply to business versions, not Home editions, unless you are a qualifed academic customer and there is more information in the guide.

I don’t think that is complex. To “Get Legal” there are various options too.

For more details, have a look at this “Windows Licensing Fact Sheet” - download from here.

Thanks

David

Technorati Tags: Windows 7,Windows Client,Windows,Licensing,Microsoft,Partners,MSPP,Microsoft Partner Network

Windows 7 adoption is storming

2009-10-30T11:17:00Z

[Updated]

I thought I would share two facts that show me just how good the take-up of Windows 7 will be.

I was in York yesterday and while sat in the pub one of the ladies working there told me about her new laptop and just how fabulous it was with Windows 7. I’m not used to people telling me how great a product is from the “other side” of the bar.

The second was when I started looking at the switch from Windows Vista and Windows XP on my web site – Over 20% of all visitors now are using Windows 7.

I've updated the figures until 28th November 2009

I hope you have as much fun with Windows 7 as I am and the bar lady is.

ttfn

David

Technorati Tags: Windows 7,Windows,Microsoft

David Overton on Channel 4's 3 minute wonder - Crisis - my depression!

2009-10-05T21:31:00Z

It seems like an age ago that I spoke with a film crew about my daughter's at Microsoft's nursery and about the depression that first came visiting over 3 years ago now. As a result they spent some time with us as we put up the Christmas lights on the house. This is always a cheerful time of the year for me, but as the video shows I am still very aware of my unhappy side and the understanding my family, especially Melanie show towards me.

This simple 3 minute video aired mid-August on Channel 4, but until now was not legally available on line. Martin, the producer has made mine and the other 7 videos available at http://vimeo.com/channels/microsoftbabies. All the videos show how the families of Microsoft employees live, work and look after their loved ones. Mine, shockingly titled Crisis is embedded below:

CRISIS from Martin Hampton on Vimeo.

I hope you get to see the very human side of the people that make up Microsoft UK.

thanks

David

Must attend UK event - filling up fast - Wembley 7th October - Microsoft Partner Network

2009-08-28T07:45:00Z

[updated with correct URL]

I saw this and thought I should pass it on.

Microsoft Partner Network 2009 will explore strategies that enable you to continue to meet customers' needs and exploit new opportunities. Designed for Partner executives and sales leads, this event follows on from the Worldwide Partner Conference in July and provides more details of our UK execution plans.
Join us for:
- Insights from Microsoft executives as they share the Microsoft vision and strategies together with business growth opportunities and product innovation

- A range of Partner-to-Partner online and offline networking opportunities, plus strategic and practical guidance on how to collaborate successfully with other Microsoft Partners

- Market insights and guidance on developing customer opportunities

- Useful resources to help you sell, market and deploy Microsoft technology, particularly when you find yourself in competitive technology situations

- A glimpse into future industry trends and innovation, with exciting demonstrations

- An introduction to the UK award winners from the Worldwide Partner Conference 2009.

To register your place at this essential event, click the button below and enter invitation code 22BAF4 . You can also register by phone: call 0870 166 6670.

Check the Microsoft Partner Network 2009 website for more details about the event over the coming weeks. You can also sign up to our RSS service, or follow us on Twitter.
We look forward to seeing you at Wembley Stadium on 7 October.
Kind regards,
Scott Dodds
General Manager
Small, Medium Enterprises & Partners Group - Microsoft UK

ttfn

David

Technorati Tags: Microsoft,Partners,MPN,MSPP,Event

How to get SBS 2008 to "fix" managing WSUS after you have manually upset it

2009-07-22T08:08:06Z

Today's post covers what to do when SBS says it no longer can change the WSUS settings from the console. The exact message is "Windows Small Business Server Update Service is not running because it automatically turns off if you customize Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)".

One way round this problem is to manually change all the settings in the WSUS console (from Administrator Tools, select Microsoft Windows Update Services 3.0 SP1) and change the settings as per instructions found at http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/archive/2006/07/13/441594.aspx. I'm a sort of "quick fix" kind of guy, so the easier way is to go to the same tool, but then run the wizard. The steps are:

Start the Wizard

Click through the first two screens and set the updates to come from Microsoft Update

Configure the proxy if required and press next. Then press Start Connecting. When done, press Next again.

Select the language(s) you want to download

Make sure "All Products" has been ticked

Tick all the classifications - you can optionally leave out "Drivers" if desired

Set the schedule - for me, 5am is a good quiet time on my server

Tick to begin sync and press Finish. Now SBS Console will be back on the case for you.

Ttfn

David

Technorati Tags: SBS 2008,Small Business Server 2008,Microsoft,SBSC

It has been a while on the blog

2009-07-22T07:08:45Z

Well hello again,

I've been away for quite some time - work has been very time consuming and two members of my family have required some dedicated attention while they have not been feeling well (and no, no swine flu).

I'm hoping to start finding more time to "do" the blog and potentially a "tips and tricks" section for SBS 2008 based on my learning's to date. I do still have quite some work backlog, but I'll try to post some of the blog backlog too - I have hundreds of items to post!!

See you soon - and keep the questions coming.

David

How to copy or archive files by year using the command line and robocopy

2009-05-06T10:26:17Z

I got this question via e-mail and decided I would post the answer here in a blog.

I want transfer all files created in Office Word 2003 by year (annual batchs - ex: 2005, 2006, etc.) to external HD. How can to do this?

I will appreciate your answer.

Edgar

To do this via the command line you can use Robocopy which is present in Windows Vista and Windows 7. If you have Windows XP download the Server 2003 Resource Toolkit and install it. Robocopy will be part of the install and found in the install directory.

The actual command would look like this and would need to be entered into a command prompt:

for /L %x in (2009,-1,2000) do robocopy source destination\%x *.doc? /minage:%x0101 /maxage:%x1231 /s

To break it down a bit..

for /L %x in (2009,-1,2000) do

This creates a counter from 2009 up in steps of -1 (or down in steps of 1) until 2000 is reached. Each time the counter changes it is set into %x, so %x will become 2009, 2008 and so on. It then executes the command after to "do".

robocopy source destination\%x *.doc? /minage:%x0101 /maxage:%x1231 /s

The robocopy command is very flexible. Details of it can be found on the wiki page here.

The first two parameters are the sounce and destination locations. so it might be c:\users\david\documents and F:\document_backup. Note the \%x on the end. This means it will put the files inside a folder on the destination location that matches the year you are archiving.
*.doc? is a limiter to the files to be copied - if you want all files, simply remove it. This will copy all Office 2003 and 2007 document files - if you only want Office 2003, use *.doc and don't include the question mark.
The minage and maxage state how old the file is. It can either be in days or a date in the form of yyyymmdd. So with the %x set to 2009, the command will have /minage:20090101 /maxage:20091231 which equates to everything in 2009 and so on.
The /s copies all subdirectories too
You can optionally put the /MOV (to move the files) or /MOVE (to move all files and empty directories) command on the end.

I hope that helps

David

Technorati Tags: Windows,Microsoft,Robocopy,Command Line,Archiving,Office 2007,Word

Where to buy Small Business Server 2008, Installing, Migrating and Configuring book

2009-05-05T09:37:00Z

I've had a few people ask where they can buy my book so I thought I would lay out the options. You can always purchase both the book and / or the e-book from Packt Publishing at this address however for those who wish to buy elsewhere, you can.

Book or eBook
Free shipping! US, UK, Europe & selected Asian countries

This is the RAW book (Read as Written).
More Information here
To buy or pre-order, click here

Book and eBook. Pre-order now!
Print only price £27.89 save 10%
eBook only price £13.19 save 40%

Amazon in UK

Amazon in USA

Anywhere in the world

I hope you enjoy the book. For a brief summary of the chapters go here and you can preview a chapter from the book here -(Sample Chapter 4 Installing SBS 2008 and Connecting to the Internet [2.0 MB]).

If you wish to request a copy to review, look at the Request a Review Copy page.

I have now embarked on my 2nd book project and you can find out more about it here - http://davidoverton.com/blogs/doverton/archive/2011/08/27/windows-intune-book-update.aspx. I have also included a link to buy the RAW version in the above table too!

Thanks

David

Technorati Tags: SBS 2008,Small Business Server 2008,Installing,Configuring,Migrating,Microsoft,Book

Migrating SBS 2000 to Windows SBS 2008 - download document now available

2009-05-01T23:29:00Z

Should you have a SBS 2000 system that you wish to move to SBS 2008 there is now a documented process on how to do this.

Migrating Microsoft Small Business Server 2000 to Windows Small Business Server 2008

Outlines the steps necessary to migrate settings and data from an existing server running Microsoft Small Business Server 2000 to a new computer running Windows SBS 2008.

File Name: Migrating_SBS2000_to_SBS2008.doc

Date Published: 5/1/2009

Download Size:96 KB

Download details: Migrating SBS 2000 to Windows SBS 2008

Note that Exchange is not migrated in itself, so PST backups of all mail folders is required using the process documented in the KB article http://support.microsoft.com/kb/196492.

Thanks

David

Technorati Tags: SBS 2008,SBS 2000,Migration,Microsoft

UK event to learn more about Windows 7 (London, Birmingham, Leeds and Edinburgh)

2009-04-27T06:17:00Z

With the launch of Windows 7 coming this year I thought you might like to know what Microsoft is saying about it. We have four events around the UK to help partners understand more.

Event Overview

With the launch of Windows 7, within three years of general availability of Windows Vista, we are delighted to invite you to an event so you can experience for yourself the buzz and excitement of Windows 7.

The Windows 7 team will show you how you can protect and grow your revenues between now and the launch date and will take you through the journey of converting your customers to Windows 7, whether they currently are on Windows Vista or Windows XP – allowing you the opportunity to extend the sale and ensuring you are selling today.

For your chance to see a demonstration of what the press are raving about and experience what businesses will love about Windows 7 first hand, then join us at this additional session.

Agenda

5.00pm - Registration

5.30pm - The journey to Windows 7 / Demonstration of Windows 7

7.00pm - Q&A session

7.30pm - Event close

14^th May – Edinburgh Invitation Code: DFBD37 Phone Number: 0870 166 6680 ref: 4116

19^th May - Birmingham Invitation Code: 3095B3 Phone number: 0870 166 6670 ref 4117

4^th June – London Invitation Code: 875122 Phone Number: 0870 166 6680 ref: 4118

16^th June - Leeds Invitation Code: C3EE9D Phone number: 0870 166 6670 ref 4119

Enjoy

David

Technorati Tags: Windows,Windows Client,Windows 7,Microsoft,Event

How to encrypt backups and optionally the system disks on Windows Server 2008 and SBS 2008 and Windows Vista too

2009-04-26T10:34:00Z

Hi,

someone asked in the forums how if the backups on SBS 2008 and Windows Server 2008 were encrypted and the answer is no, even if the drives being backed up are BitLocker protected (more details here). However you can get encrypted backups with a bit of effort. To do this you will need to at least BitLocker enable your removable drives and optionally your system disk. I used the information at http://blogs.msdn.com/askdavid/archive/2007/06/08/enabling-bitlocker-on-removable-drives-usb-flash-drives-usb-hard-drives.aspx as a guide to putting together what I needed to do, so many thanks David Chandra for this. This same process can also be used on Windows Vista

There are a couple of snags however and you need to work out which scenario you wish to have (if you have a TPM chip then option 2 & 3 can be replaced with entering a key into the TPM prompt:

encrypt just the backup disks you will need to run a script each time a volume is added back to the system
encrypt the system disk and the backup disks and you will need a USB key or key information to be entered every time you reboot the server
encrypt the system disk and the backup disks, but store the system unlock information unencrypted on the server so you do not have to enter decryption information every time.

Given the choices above the steps are as follows (they build from option 1 through to option 3):

Option 1
1. Add BitLocker to the server
2. Encrypt the Backup Hard Disks
3. Add an unlock script
Option 2
1. Prepare the system disk for BitLocker encryption
2. Encrypt the system
Option 3
1. Store the unlock key on the boot partition for automatic use

Option 1 (encrypting the backup disks)

You will need to repeat the steps below (excluding adding Bitlocker to the system) for each disk you want to encrypt. You can do this to an existing disk or a new disk.

	Add Bitlocker role To start this task we need to add the BitLocker role to SBS 2008. While BitLocker is built into Windows Server 2008 it is not installed. To install it start Server Manager from the Start Menu and then scroll the right hand window down until you can find
	In the list of roles that can be added, select the BitLocker role and continue through the wizard until BitLocker is available
	To be able to easily BitLocker the drive we need to add a drive letter. Run the command diskmgmt.msc to start the Disk Management tool. Find the Backup disk and right click on it and select Change Drive Letter and Paths.
	You will notice that the disk, which present and used does not have a drive letter, so we need to change this. Press the Add button to add a drive letter that we can easily refer to in the command lines.
	Pick the next available drive letter and press OK. In my example the drive letter is "E:". In all the command lines below replace E: with the right drive letter for your system.
	Open and administrative Command Prompt from the start menu and check the title bar says Administrator Command Prompt. Check that the disk is ready for encrypting with the command script manage-bde.wsf -status. Note this has to be run from \Windows\System32.
	Time to encrypt the disk and save the recovery keys. I'm going to save them to C:, but they can be saved to any disk in the system except the one being encrypted. Type script manage-bde.wsf -on E: -recoverykey C: -recoverypassword. You will see several pieces of information including the disk ID, the file name for the *recovery key file* and the numeric password should you not have these to hand. You will need to make a note of this information, but do NOT store with the drive. To create an unlock command, enter the command below replacing *<recovery key file>* with the filename from your output. The filename for the command in my example is c:\unlock_backup_disk3.cmd and you should change it to be appropriate to your system. echo cscript c:\windows\system32\manage-bde.wsf -unlock E: -recoverykey <recovery key file> > c:\unlock_backup_disk3.cmd
	The disk will now begin encrypting and depending on how much data is stored on it, may take some time. You can check the status with the command cscript c:\windows\system32\manage-bde.wsf -status as shows in the screen shot until the disk is 100% encrypted.
	If you intend on encrypting the system disk then you can remove the drive letter. The backup will still work if the drive has a drive letter, but it will now show up in the SBS Console and Computer windows, but should not be modified in any way.

Option 2 & 3 (encrypting the system disk and enabling automatic unlocking of the USB drives)

	Download preparation tool from Microsoft at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=320b9aa9-47e8-44f9-b8d0-4d7d6a75add0 and then install the tool.
	Start the tool from the Start Menu - it is under Accessories, System Tools, BitLocker and is called BitLocker Drive Preparation Tool. As is always the case when making major changes to a system ensure you have a backup of the system. Press Continue to start the tool.
	The tool will shrink your system drive and create a small S: drive which will contain the boot files. Once it is complete, press Finish.
	You will need to restart your computer to continue the preparation. Press Restart Now to do so.
	Once you have rebooted and logged back in the tool will continue. Once it is finished, press Close to exit the tool. Your drives are now prepared to be encrypted.
	To encrypt the system disk enter the command below. I put a recovery key on the backup disk (which is encrypted) and also onto another disk to enable system start up. For the system to start up it will need an unencrypted file system with the startup key present. You can either chose to put this onto the S: drive which is less secure as removing the boot disk will provide someone with all the encryption keys or if you wish for your system to be more secure you can put this onto a removable USB drive. If your only desire was to encrypt the backups and have them automatically available when plugged into the server then this is fine. If you want greater overall security then you should use the removable key method. Note that to reboot the server this will be required, so automatic updates could cause a problem. Leaving this removable media in the system means that any would-be thief would still have the decryption means. The command you need is: cscript manage-bde.wsf -on C: -recoverykey E: -recoverypassword -startupkey S: E: is the removable media I'm backing the key up to and S: is the system disk. Change S: to the startup usb key you will user to reboot the system with greater security. Once again, mate a note of the key security information highlighted in the screen shot.
	You can once again see the progress being made by the encryption by using the cscript manage-bde.wsf -status command.
	Finally, your SBS backup will no longer function correctly as the S: drive is not included in the backup set, but is a crucial part of the system backup. You will need to Disable Backup and re-create it before the backup will work again. When you are re-creating the backup, when selecting the target device it will claim it is going to format the backup target, but for me it did not and previous backups were still available.

This whole process took a while as I had in total about 100GB to encrypt, between the system disk and backups, but I now have secure backups.

Thanks

David

Technorati Tags: SBS 2008,Windows Server 2008,Security,Bitlocker,Microsoft