Off Campus

What is the quickest/easiest way to open the Network Connections page in Vista/2008

In other words to get to this page. I’ll be honest, having to navigate through the Network and Sharing Center can sometimes be an extra step for me rather than a value-add.  At times it can be very helpful, at other times I just want to get to the Read More...

posting today - Vista SP1 for all 36 languages

From the Vista team blog: Starting today, users will be able to choose to manually install Windows Vista SP1 via Windows Update or download the standalone installer from the Microsoft Download Center ( x86 and x64 ) for any of the 36 supported languages Read More...

Remote Administration tools (RSAT) now available!

Microsoft Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows Vista for x86-based Systems http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=9ff6e897-23ce-4a36-b7fc-d52065de9960&DisplayLang=en Microsoft Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows Read More...

Installing Vista SP1 on the machines you don't manage

Vista SP1 is now available from MVLS, the download center, and from Windows Update. As a trusted IT admin in Education what should you communicate to your constituents? Here is some fodder. What changes in Vista SP1? Read More...

Vista SP1 - Standalone Update now on MVLS

Yesterday I promised the stand alone update would be coming soon.  I just checked and the 32-bit version is now available on the Microsoft Volume License Services website (MVLS).  I am expecting the 64-bit version to follow soon.  I'll Read More...

Where do I find Vista Enterprise on the Volume Licensing site?

Popular question this week - I would like to install Vista Enterprise SP1 but I am unable to find it on the volume license website for download.  Can you assist? There is a trick to locating it, just remember that Vista Enterprise is only available Read More...

Troubleshooting KMS Activation - Part 1, the client

Windows activation is simple and straightforward if you understand the components. I have had a few customers that stumbled when getting a KMS online and in every case it has been an issue with name resolution, network connectivity, or they simply did not understand how to use the keys. Activation is designed to help you with deployments and sustain your environment even in the event a key gets lost. KMS is the simplest of all the activation methods because you only need to worry about putting a key in one machine. You can then deploy new machines without having to ever worry about keys unless your device will be off the network for more than 6 months. This is the first of a two part series to break down KMS troubleshooting in to a process that should help identify exactly what is at fault. I don't want to mislead or instill fear to those who are just starting out - the process is normally simple by design. However, for those who have run in to trouble, I'd like to publish a guide that will help you isolate and correct the issue you've encountered without spinning your wheels. Part 2 will be published next week with a focus on troubleshooting the server. Part 1, Troubleshooting The Client Let's assume you are a consultant from outside the organization and you know nothing about the environment, server or workstation. The first thing you'll want to do is understand how the client was built. It is possible the machine is retail or OEM, and neither of those use KMS for activation. Any of the "Home" versions, Basic, Premium, or Ultimate, are retail builds and do not use volume licensing methods at this time. This is no change from XP, Media Center and Home were not capable of using the VLK. If you are using the OEM media such as a recovery DVD you would see the machine come online "pre-activated". This is a result of a marker in the BIOS that corresponds with the OEM media. Note: if this marker is not present, such as the case of "naked" OEM workstations, then KMS is not an option for activation. So we are assuming the machine was built using volume media and is capable of being a KMS client. You can test this to be sure by running a the command line and looking for the Name and Description. Right click on the command line icon on the start menu and select "Run As Administrator". Then type - c:\windows\system32\cscript slmgr.vbs -dlv My machine returned this output, I replaced any sensitive data with <>: Read More...

Should school computers be thick, thin, or virtual?

A recent whitepaper linked from the UK Higher Education Blog delves in to this topic and explains the options with detail. This is a very important discussion in my opinion and it encompassed over half of our LabMan 2007 closing keynote presentation last Read More...

Reducing application conflicts on unmanaged faculty/staff machines

Yesterday a press release snuck out with several announcements regarding virtualization. For full detail, link to Kevin's post and then to the press announcement after the jump. Kevinsul's Management Blog : Announcing the 'Windows Installer Utility for Read More...

Step 1 to check if an application will work on Windows Vista

... is to search for it on this site! There is now an online resource dedicated to listing applications that have been certified for Windows Vista. Almost a year from RTM, you will find a ton of applications are ready! http://windowsvista.com/appreadiness Read More...

Free Training - Windows Vista Application Compatibility

Windows Vista application compatibility training recording available for download! There are 4 sessions ranging from 1-2.5 hours each! From the site: This Application Compatibility Training has been delivered worldwide to MCS Consultants, partners and Read More...

Novell Client for Windows Vista

From the site: The Novell® Client™ for Windows Vista* provides Windows connectivity to NetWare® and OES Linux servers. With the Novell Client, you can browse through authorized Novell directories, transfer files, and use advanced Novell services directly Read More...

4 Tech Tips for Teachers Presenting With Vista

I have connected my HP laptop to a wide variety of projectors and since Vista RTM I have had a very good experience. I've had the occasional bad cable but Vista is yet to blame. This may be due to excellent video drivers but I also think Vista in general Read More...

How to move Vista from MAK back to KMS client

One item in the volume activation step by step guide that is a bit confusing is the method for moving a Vista machine that is currently using the MAK back to being a KMS client. Convert a client using MAK Activation to use KMS Activation The instructions Read More...

2 new hotfixes released for Vista to better performance

Official sources: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=938194 http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=938979 Community announcements: Brad Rutkowski's Blog : Vista: Two hotfixes now released to improve performance, compatibility, and reliability. Windows-Now Read More...