Keith Combs' Blahg

Tell your story, get votes, win a HP Envy 15 ? Windows @ Work Contest

Submit an entry about your Windows 7 experiences and thoughts to the community. What are you looking forward to in Windows 7? Share a business or personal success, or cool and innovative feature. Your fellow community members will vote, so may the best story win.

Prizes:

1. 1st place - HP Envy 15 Laptop;
2. 2nd place - HP Mini 311 Netbook;
3. 3rd place - Intel 160GB Solid State Drive

Contest Period: 11/23/09 to 02/23/10

Get started: Click http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9702395.  If you haven’t already joined the Windows 7 Community there, you’ll be asked to create an ID.  It’s pretty painless.  After that, checkout the contest description and rules.  The contest is pretty simple.  Tell a good story and the community votes.  Good luck !!!

Selecting the Right Virtualization Technology – R2 IPD Guide now available

Selecting the Right Virtualization Technology - this guide enables you to rapidly and accurately select which Microsoft virtualization technology or technologies to use for specific scenarios. There are several different forms of virtualization that need to be understood as a basis for making the right technology choice. This guide addresses the decision steps that need to be taken in order to select the best virtualization approach for specific application requirements. The most effective decision points in the sequence are presented for determining which virtualization technology should be used. When considering virtualization for multiple applications, you should iterate through the entire process individually for each type of application.

This guide has been updated to include Windows Server 2008 R2.

Go get it @ http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=160799.  See the rest of the Infrastructure and Planning Design Guides at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/solutionaccelerators/ee382254.aspx.

LAST CALL for a 28% discount on a TechNet Subscription – use code TMSAM07

If you are an IT Pro, you’d be crazy not to have a TechNet Plus Direct subscription.  It’s a great way to test and use the latest and greatest products from Microsoft including full versions of Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Office 2010 and other great products.

This deal expires on 12/31/2009 but our contest reporting ends on 12/20/2009 and I am trying to beat the pants off Blain Barton in sunny Florida.  So if you really hate the fact he has a nice boat and house, gets to wear shorts year round, and is a Tampa Bay Bucks fan, buy a subscription with promotion code TMSAM07 now !!!

Windows 7 AVATAR theme – now available for download

Go get it @ http://download.microsoft.com/download/4/1/B/41b95bca-cb54-4a6c-83ea-7a9e6e2fadef/Avatar_Windows7.themepack.  See more themes @ http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/downloads/personalize.

My personal Lenovo ThinkPad T61p is FOR SALE !!!

Want a great Lenovo ThinkPad?  The T61p is still the machine to be beat in many ways and offers a stellar balance between form, function, power and battery life.  The machine I have for sale is the T61p I purchased out of my own pocket a couple of years ago.  I used it for the first year, and my wife used it for the second year.

I rarely used the machine the first year because as you might guess, I use my work ThinkPads nearly full time.  My wife is a pretty normal user and only used the machine for email, website updates, surfing the web, etc.  In other words it’s seen pretty light duty.

The LCD screen is the 1680x1050 native resolution screen and I had Lenovo replace it this week because over the last year it seemed dimmer than it should be.  It now compares side-by-side with all of my other machines.  Turnaround time for the replacement was nearly overnight.  The warranty on this machine is good through August 30, 2010 so you can buy with confidence.  The warranty is transferrable.

Specifications for the machine

Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 @ 2.0GHz, 4GB RAM, NVidia Quadro FX570M w/ 256mb Memory, 100GB 7200RPM Hard Drive, 15.4" WSXGA+ Display 1680x1050, Wi-Fi & Bluetooth Built-In, DVD±RW, CDRW, 4-in-1 SD card reader, Built-in Firewire (IEEE 1394), 3 USB 2.0 ports, ethernet & modem, Fingerprint reader swipe sensor.

Width: 357.5 mm (14.1 in), Depth: 255 mm (10.0 in), Height: 29.7 to 33.5 mm (1.2 to 1.4 in), Weight: Starting at 2.7kg (5.9 lb).

Limited Time Promotion

The factory image that comes with the machine is Windows Vista Home Basic.  Since I know you are more interested in Windows 7, I’ll throw in a copy of Windows 7 Professional Upgrade for $100. In fact, it's already included in the price at the ecommerce site.  It’s the copy I purchased down the street at Office Max for $199.  I used the copy to do some testing for the blog post at http://blogs.technet.com/keithcombs/archive/2009/10/27/windows-xp-and-windows-7-migration-and-coexistence.aspx but never activated the product ID. 

Where to purchase

My wife has an ecommerce site she uses for her costume business.  I have a small little corner of the site at “Keith’s Gadgets and Electronics”.  Merry Christmas!

[Note:] If you are a Microsoft employee, the copy of Windows 7 Pro Upgrade is not included. You can get discounted copies at the Microsoft Company Store.

Miss the Quick Launch toolbar in Windows 7 ?

My wife was just commenting to me this morning that she needs some veteran help with Windows 7.  I already know some of what she’s going to ask me.  She’s going to ask me about desktop real estate, and the precious real estate on the Windows 7 taskbar.

This is primarily because she is using a 14” screen instead of a 15.4” screen now.  She is also running 1440x900 as opposed to 1680x1050 or 1920x1200.  To make matters worse, she also cranked up the DPI setting to 125%.  The net result is that she is having a little bit of a hard time coping with the taskbar, determining which email or website to select, etc.  A task preview doesn’t always cut it when juggling email and I don’t think she’s effectively using Aero Peek for tasks.  In fact, I rarely see anyone that is, even at Microsoft.

Coincidentally I stumbled across the article, “Restore the Quick Launch toolbar in Windows 7” by Bill Detwiler. Nicely written with good screenshots. I decided to experiment some so that I could compare and contrast the effectiveness.  

Here’s my resulting desktop. Click the pic for the full sized image.

There are a couple of interesting aspects when implementing a Quick Launch toolbar.  First, you’ll notice I have moved the QL bar to the far left and turned off text and titles.  Second, you’ll notice I have locked the taskbar and covered part of the QL bar.  This is indicated by the >> symbol.  Third, I set the taskbar buttons to “Never Combine” for the moment to highlight what some might consider a UI issue.

If you look closely at the Internet Explorer 8 thumbnails at the bottom of the pic, you can see I have two tabs opened in IE8, but there is no indication of that on the running task button.  That’s a bit odd and it was certainly introduced by turning on the QL toolbar.

And lastly, you can see that we get a new icon for each open email in Outlook.  I’m pretty sure this is what my wife wants, and will be her main complaint with her current Windows 7 settings. 

If you want the individual email message icons, you can get that affect without turning on the QL toolbar.  Just use the “Never Combine” taskbar setting.  It’s going to get unwieldy fast with the other Windows 7 defaults.  She is going to need to switch back to 100% DPI to make that work.

So I’ll show her the trade-offs most likely tomorrow and she what she prefers.  Should be interesting.

Who is pulling the trigger on the Dell Vostro v13 ?

I don’t often look over the fence at the Dell offerings with any sort of lust, but you have to admit the dudes at Dell are cranking out some interesting tech.  The Adamo line is pretty interesting.  This is especially true for the Dell Adamo XPS.  Unbelievably thin.  But that cool thinness comes with a $1998 price tag.  That’s too rich for my blood. 

Enter the Dell Vostro v13 pictured at right.  This little baby has some pretty impressive specs for the price.  Here’s part of the marketing from the dell website:

• Equally Slim & Striking : As thin as 0.65 inches (16.5mm) and starting at 3.5 pounds (1.6kg) the Vostro V13 delivers a full-sized laptop experience that won’t weigh you down.
• Robust Design for Outstanding Durability : Why settle for plastic? The Vostro V13’s brushed-aluminum casing and reinforced zinc hinges offer durability you’re not likely to find in similarly priced ultra-compact business laptops.
• Power to Do More : Ultra-low-voltage Intel^®  processors help to manage energy efficiency while providing ample power for everyday computing.
• Full Laptop Experience : A full-sized keyboard and generous 13.3" display let you power through work without sacrificing comfort or visibility.

Looks like a cool little laptop to me.  But what is this baby going to set you back?  The base machine with Ubuntu Linux is $449.  Of course that’s with the 1.3GHz Celeron M processor.  If you want to trick it out with a Core 2 Duo processor (ULV SU7300), slightly bigger hard drive, Intel wireless, the base model is $649.  I’d much rather have this than a 10” screen netbook.

So who’s rushing out to buy one?  Good luck trying to get Santa to deliver it.

The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs

I rarely wade into the affairs of politics or religion.  But this morning is one of those rare occasions and in some respects it has attributes of both.  No, we aren’t talking about the war in Iraq or Afghanistan.  Instead, we are talking about the sad state of affairs in the USA.

Daniel Lyons, the author of “The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs” puts some of the problems in the USA on full display in a rant that is very worth reading.  The subject of the rant is AT&T and you can read the article at http://www.fakesteve.net/2009/12/a-not-so-brief-chat-with-randall-stephenson-of-att.html.

Daniel highlights one of the reasons I don’t have an iPhone.  The day another carrier in the USA starts selling the iPhone, is the day my wife will probably ask me to get her one.  I will probably seriously consider it as well.  I wonder what kind of a deal Apple and AT&T really have and I wonder when the contract expires.

In the meantime, I wait for the HTC HD2 to come to the shores of the USA.  Should be soon.  I just hope the carrier that has the device has a decent network.  3G would be good.  4G would be better. Edge or GPRS isn’t going to cut it.  Neither will dropped calls. 

WARNING: There are a lot of cuss words and F bombs in the article. 

There is no such thing as a low fat Bacon Explosion

Hurts my heart just thinking about it. Grin. Click the pic for a cardio workout.

VMM 2008 R2 documentation – now available

Haven’t had a chance to download and install System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 yet?  No worries, get a head start by looking at the relevant documentation for the product.

Go get the docs @ http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=e547b676-112f-419e-8d8f-6920beca0845.

Why are Service Packs important to you, or are they?

Let’s throw out history for a second and let me pose a couple of questions around the subject of Service Packs.  For now, let’s focus the discussion on operating system service packs as opposed to applications or server services like SQL that might run on top of a server.

How good are your imaging processes and management of desktop or server images?  For those of you running large corporate IT shops with 100’s of 1000’s of desktops, image management is science.  Part of that science must include good imaging and patch management tools.  Are you keeping your corporate desktop and server base images up-to-date with tools like DISM?  How often do you make updates?

If you aren’t updating your existing images, how often do you create a new set of base images.  I would assume you would do something like that when a Service Pack comes out, or at regular calendar or fiscal intervals.  What drives your process?

Hypervisorlaunchtype not set after BCD changes – here is the fix

I recently received the new Hitachi Travelstar 500GB 7200rpm 2.5” hard drive.  I moved my virtual machine data to it and fixed the BCD entries so I could boot from the Windows Server 2008 R2 virtual hard disk file.  Unfortunately I always forget to add the parameter to the R2 entry so that the Hyper-V hypervisor will also start.

The fix is pretty simple.  You need to add Hypervisorlaunchtype key and value to the entry for Windows Server 2008 R2.  Here is the view of my BCD store (before and after) with the relevant change (bold red) below.  Make sure to run the cmd console elevated before working with the BCD store.  It’s also a good idea to backup the BCD store before making changes.

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>bcdedit

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier              {bootmgr}
device                  partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume2
description             Windows Boot Manager
locale                  en-us
inherit                 {globalsettings}
default                 {current}
resumeobject            {79ec30c6-8799-11de-becd-c6b9ceffc482}
displayorder            {79ec30c7-8799-11de-becd-c6b9ceffc482}
                        {79ec30c5-8799-11de-becd-c6b9ceffc482}
                        {current}
toolsdisplayorder       {memdiag}
timeout                 15

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {79ec30c7-8799-11de-becd-c6b9ceffc482}
device                  vhd=[D:]\r2\WindowsR2.vhd
path                    \windows\system32\winload.exe
description             Windows Server 2008 R2
locale                  en-us
inherit                 {bootloadersettings}
osdevice                vhd=[D:]\r2\WindowsR2.vhd
systemroot              \windows
resumeobject            {79ec30c6-8799-11de-becd-c6b9ceffc482}
nx                      OptOut
detecthal               Yes

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {79ec30c5-8799-11de-becd-c6b9ceffc482}
device                  vhd=[D:]\wdt vm\wdt.vhd
path                    \windows\system32\winload.exe
description             Windows 7 WDT
locale                  en-us
inherit                 {bootloadersettings}
osdevice                vhd=[D:]\wdt vm\wdt.vhd
systemroot              \windows
resumeobject            {79ec30c4-8799-11de-becd-c6b9ceffc482}
nx                      OptIn
detecthal               Yes

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {current}
device                  partition=C:
path                    \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description             Windows 7 Production
locale                  en-US
inherit                 {bootloadersettings}
recoveryenabled         No
osdevice                partition=C:
systemroot              \Windows
resumeobject            {79ec30bc-8799-11de-becd-c6b9ceffc482}
nx                      OptIn

C:\Windows\system32>bcdedit /set {79ec30c7-8799-11de-becd-c6b9ceffc482} hypervisorlaunchtype auto
The operation completed successfully.

C:\Windows\system32>bcdedit

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier              {bootmgr}
device                  partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume2
description             Windows Boot Manager
locale                  en-us
inherit                 {globalsettings}
default                 {current}
resumeobject            {79ec30c6-8799-11de-becd-c6b9ceffc482}
displayorder            {79ec30c7-8799-11de-becd-c6b9ceffc482}
                        {79ec30c5-8799-11de-becd-c6b9ceffc482}
                        {current}
toolsdisplayorder       {memdiag}
timeout                 15

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {79ec30c7-8799-11de-becd-c6b9ceffc482}
device                  vhd=[D:]\r2\WindowsR2.vhd
path                    \windows\system32\winload.exe
description             Windows Server 2008 R2
locale                  en-us
inherit                 {bootloadersettings}
osdevice                vhd=[D:]\r2\WindowsR2.vhd
systemroot              \windows
resumeobject            {79ec30c6-8799-11de-becd-c6b9ceffc482}
nx                      OptOut
hypervisorlaunchtype    Auto
detecthal               Yes

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {79ec30c5-8799-11de-becd-c6b9ceffc482}
device                  vhd=[D:]\wdt vm\wdt.vhd
path                    \windows\system32\winload.exe
description             Windows 7 WDT
locale                  en-us
inherit                 {bootloadersettings}
osdevice                vhd=[D:]\wdt vm\wdt.vhd
systemroot              \windows
resumeobject            {79ec30c4-8799-11de-becd-c6b9ceffc482}
nx                      OptIn
detecthal               Yes

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {current}
device                  partition=C:
path                    \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description             Windows 7 Production
locale                  en-US
inherit                 {bootloadersettings}
recoveryenabled         No
osdevice                partition=C:
systemroot              \Windows
resumeobject            {79ec30bc-8799-11de-becd-c6b9ceffc482}
nx                      OptIn

C:\Windows\system32>

How do you get update information?

We are re-organizing and streamlining technet.microsoft.com and you will see some really big changes right after the new year.  As we progress towards those milestones, I thought I would ask you a few questions around the topic of Update Management.

The first question is, “How do you get information about updates?”  I know there are many sources of information for updates.  You can go to the microsoft.com/downloads area and run searches.  You can receive information via Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) or System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). 

You can of course find out about updates in the press, social networks, forums, etc.  So how do you find out about updates?

Here’s a new Windows Server 2008 R2 poster for your cube or office

Someone has been busy drawing with Visio.  They managed to draw some of the top Windows Server 2008 R2 features and create a poster.  I love a quick reference like this for job interviews.  Here’s a snip from part of the poster.

Get the entire poster @  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=64a5cc28-f8a1-4b30-a4a2-455c65bda8d7.

Microsoft and Cisco: Joint UC Interoperability Support Statement

I am often asked about various interop scenarios for a variety of products.  So when I saw this pop up on the download center, I thought I’d bring this to your attention.

See http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=78814f28-2df5-4cff-a166-73622c7830bb for the document and contents.  The contents are posted below.

===========

Direct SIP Interoperability

Microsoft has tested and supports Direct SIP interoperability between Cisco Unified Communications Manager versions 4.x and 5.x and Office Communications Server 2007 and Office Communications Server 2007 R2, as documented on the Microsoft Unified Communications Open Interoperability Program website[1]. While Cisco offers and supports a SIP interface with Cisco Unified Communications Manager versions 4.x and 5.x, interoperability using this interface is only supported for systems that have been tested and documented on the Cisco Interoperability Portal[2]. Cisco has not tested Direct SIP interoperability between Office Communications Server 2007 and Office Communications Server 2007 R2 and Cisco Unified Communications Manager versions 4.x and 5.x.

Cisco has tested and supports Direct SIP interoperability between Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 and Cisco Unified Communications Manager versions 6.1 and 7.0². Microsoft has tested and supports Office Communications Server 2007 and Office Communications Server 2007 R2 with Cisco Unified Communications Manager version 6.1¹.

To facilitate interoperability support for our joint customers, both Cisco and Microsoft are members of TSANet, an independent third-party organization that helps coordinate multi-vendor support.

Cisco UC Integration for Microsoft Office Communicator

Microsoft provides support for its published APIs[3] for Microsoft Office Communications Server and Microsoft Office Communicator to all its ISV partners.  Cisco, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, uses these published APIs to develop the Cisco UC IntegrationÔ for Microsoft Office Communicator product.  Microsoft is pleased that Cisco has chosen to leverage Microsoft API’s to provide functionality for our mutual customers as an ISV. 

Cisco, as the developer of the Cisco UC IntegrationÔ for Microsoft Office Communicator, provides support for this product.  Microsoft will provide ongoing support for the published APIs for Microsoft Office Communications Server and Microsoft Office Communicator to our ISV’s, including Cisco.   Microsoft does not provide direct support for the Cisco UC IntegrationÔ for Microsoft Office Communicator.  The Microsoft UC platform will continue to evolve as the industry evolves and customer requirements change, and as with our broader ISV community, Microsoft is fully committed to working with Cisco so they can provide quality support for our mutual customers with future versions of Microsoft Office Communications Server and Office Communicator.   

As Microsoft’s UC platform capabilities evolve, customer and ISV feedback is actively encouraged regarding UC platform evolution and announcing changes well in advance of shipping product.  In doing so, Microsoft follows a consistent process that allows lead time for customers and ISVs to make required changes to their applications that rely on Microsoft software. In addition, Microsoft has specific technology adopter programs available for ISVs, including Cisco, where Microsoft provides support and roadmap information to help ISVs effectively build on the UC platform.

Remote Call Control

Microsoft Live Communications Server 2005 SP1, Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 and Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 offer an interface to third-party PBXs based on ECMA TR/87[4] called Remote Call Control. This capability allows Microsoft Office Communicator to control a PBX station set and to have station set presence reflected in Office Communicator. Microsoft generically supports the TR/87 interface, without requiring specific PBX vendor or version support.

Cisco supports Remote Call Control between Microsoft Live Communications Server 2005 and Office Communications Server 2007 and Cisco Unified Communications Manager versions 5.x, 6.x and 7.0 via Cisco Unified Presence 6.x and 7.0[5]. Cisco supports Remote Call Control between Office Communications Server 2007 R2 and Cisco Unified Communications Manager 7.1.3 via Cisco Unified Presence 7.0.5⁵.

Remote Call Control is supported by Microsoft in Office Communications Server 2007 and Office Communications Server 2007 R2 and will continue to be supported for customers upgrading their Remote Call Control deployments to the next release of Office Communications Server. Microsoft has announced the deprecation of Remote Call Control in Office Communications Server. As a result, in the next release of Office Communications Server, new deployments of Remote Call Control will not be supported by Microsoft.

[1] http://technet.microsoft.com/UCOIP

[2] http://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns728/networking_solutions_program_category_home.html

[3] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb758719.aspx

[4] http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/techreports/E-TR-087.htm

[5] http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps6837/tsd_products_support_series_home.html