Michael Niehaus' Windows and Office deployment ramblings
There are two new hotfixes to add Windows Vista SP2 and Server 2008 SP2 to the supported platform list for ConfigMgr 2007. The first is for ConfigMgr SP1:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971223
The second one is for ConfigMgr RTM, if you haven’t yet moved to SP1 (better hurry up, SP2 is due out soon):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971224
As with the previous fixes (http://blogs.technet.com/mniehaus/archive/2009/06/12/configmgr-hotfixes-available-to-support-windows-vista-sp2-and-server-2008-sp2-os-deployment.aspx) the changes are already present in the ConfigMgr SP2 beta.
And if you are really behind and still running SMS 2003 SP3, they’ve added SP2 to the supported platform list there too:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971225
I've really like Internet Explorer 8. But there are still lots of sites that don't behave well, requiring the use of compatibility mode. That's easy enough for us IT guys, but end users don't necessarily figure that out. And the sites aren't going to be fixed up fast enough to suit everyone. So the IE team is going to do more to help by offering a website list built from community feedback, downloaded through Windows Update. (I like to think of it as "IE shims" for those who are familiar with the ACT terminology.) See Scott Dicken's post on the IE blog at http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2008/12/03/compatibility-view-improvements-to-come-in-ie8.aspx for more details.
(For those of you who have been active in deployment for a while, you may have crossed paths with Scott before: He was formerly the program manager for Windows Deployment Services, but has been with the IE team for a while now.)
Jeff Alexander posted the details of an interesting offer for the upcoming TechEd Australia conference, which is happening from September 8th through the 11th: each paid attendee will receive an HP 2140 Mini Notebook with the RTM version of Windows 7 preinstalled. Read http://blogs.technet.com/jeffa36/archive/2009/06/30/teched-australia-free-netbook-on-offer.aspx for all the details.
And of course MDT 2010 will be used to prepare all of those machines for the attendees.
Hopefully I’ll see some of you there at the conference.
Those of you who have tried have probably already encountered this, but it’s good to state it anyway: Due to the changes made in ConfigMgr SP2 beta to support Windows 7 deployment, MDT 2008 Update 1 (or any previous version) will not work with ConfigMgr SP2 beta. This is primarily due to the use of the new Windows Automated Installation Kit for Windows 7 RC (a.k.a. Windows AIK 2.0).
Once MDT 2010 Beta 2 is released (very soon – yes, I know I’ve been saying that for a while, but it really is), you will be able to use it with ConfigMgr SP2 beta.
There are no plans to release additional updates for MDT 2008 or BDD 2007 – all our efforts are now focused on MDT 2010.
I started off a long time ago with a LinkedIn profile (http://www.linkedin.com/in/mniehaus), primarily for people I have worked with throughout the years. (If I don’t know you, I won’t accept an invitation. But if we’ve exchanged e-mails or IMs, or met in person, I know you.) Then I added a blog (here, at http://blogs.technet.com/mniehaus). And a Facebook account, not particularly work related. And a Yelp account (http://mniehaus.yelp.com) for restaurant reviews. And a Twitter account (http://twitter.com/mniehaus) for those of you who like to listen into random babble. Now, I have a new Windows Live profile too, so send me an invite for your own Windows Live profile too.
Sigh. Now I need to link all of these together to maintain some sanity. It looks like Windows Live should do that nicely:
The only thing I haven’t yet done: import my LinkedIn and Facebook contacts, something easily done through a wizard on the Windows Live profile web page that logs into the appropriate account to get all the needed information. Maybe I’ll do that soon…
Add in my five different e-mail addresses, two different IM accounts, and text messaging with my cell phone and I now feel too connected. I remember when all I had to worry about was my home phone number, my work phone number, and my address. I guess I am officially old, growing up in the “not very well connected” age…