Search results matching tags 'networking', 'internet explorer', and 'Windows Group Policy'

Windows Client Road Show Featuring Windows 7, R2 and Internet Explorer 8

Keith Combs — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Spring brings not only rain and flowers (you know, April shows and May flowers), it also brings our spring technical events. And this time our technical events are taking on a slightly different form.

Okay, to be completely honest, we are still calling the sessions ArcReady (our event for architects and those who want to become architects), MSDN Events Unleashed (for the developer), and the new TechNet Events Unleashed (for the IT Professional). But we are also doing something different for the spring event series: there's a single, connected theme running throughout all events.

And what is that theme, you ask? It's all things next generation Windows client, featuring Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8!

ArcReady – Brain Food for the Architect
The client (or presentation) tier of our applications is taking on an increasingly important role. Users are expecting more compelling user interfaces, but they also want more functionality from their applications. In this ArcReady we examine how to design and deliver well architected client applications that will be easy to maintain and extend.

Topic 1: Trends and Patterns on the Client Tier
In our first topic we will take a vendor and platform neutral look at some of the trends and emerging technologies that can be used on the client tier. We will look at techniques like Mashups, technologies like Natural User Interfaces (NUI) and the increasing importance of the mobile platform. We will also look at some common patterns that can be used in the architecture of the client tier.

Topic 2: Applying Microsoft Technology on the Client Tier
In our second topic we will take some look at how we can use Microsoft technologies to create well architected and compelling client applications. We will look at technologies like Silverlight and WPF that can be used to create compelling clients. We will also look at technologies that can be used to make your applications more extensible for future development. We will also examine some architectural guidance developed by the Microsoft Patterns and Practices group.

MSDN Events Unleashed – Get Your Dev On
Internet Explorer 8 recently released to the web, and with that release comes a wide range of new capabilities that developers can exploit. Of even more impact to developers everywhere is the upcoming release of Windows 7, also bringing with it several new capabilities for consumers and developers.

Topic 1: Internet Explorer 8 for Developers
The Windows Internet Explorer 8 browser makes it easier to explore and interact with the web. Did you know that there will be a new standards mode by default? While it can easily be turned off, knowing the potential to impact this may have on many sites that have been crafted around various features in past versions is a good idea. Attend this session to learn which current practices you need to change and how the new standards mode affects your development techniques and your existing sites. We review tools that are built into Internet Explorer 8 to help developers debug and create Web pages. We also discuss Web Slices, Accelerators, and Search Suggestion – all of which are key new features in this latest release.

Topic 2: Developing on Microsoft Windows 7
Building applications that are easy to use, visually appealing, and offer high performance is a challenge that developers face every day. Innovative applications can greatly improve the user experience, empowering companies to differentiate their services and solutions. However, developers are increasingly asked to do more in less time, while also optimizing the power and performance requirements of their applications. The Windows 7 platform makes it easy for developers to create engaging, user-friendly applications by providing familiar tools and rich development features that allow them to take advantage of the latest PC capabilities. In this session we will explore the new Taskbar and Jump Lists, the Scenic Ribbon, file management with Libraries, and Windows Web Services among many other enhancements to the new operating system.

TechNet Events Unleashed – Supporting the Backbone of the Industry
Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 7, and Internet Explorer 8 represent both a wave of change and disruption to IT operations as well as an opportunity for IT professionals to have a big impact on their organizations.

Topic 1: Windows Server 2008 R2 – Optimize Your Time
Get a jump start on your peers with Windows Server 2008 R2 by joining us for this no nonsense technical session, where we will discuss the critical improvements in the next version of Windows Server. Some have argued that, given the impressive scope of new functionality in Windows Server 2008 R2, it should not be an “R2” release, but rather should be given a completely new name. They point to features such as Direct Access, Branch Caching, Live Migration, Powershell 2.0, and VDI that will help you cut down on the amount of time you spend doing mundane tasks, reduce end user frustration and support headaches, and give your mobile workforce a competitive edge through ubiquitous access to company data. There’s a good chance that by attending this session you’ll find a way to save time and money with Windows Server 2008 R2, and so you’ll get the time you spend with us back many times over.

Topic 2: Windows 7 – Maximize Your Potential
In designing Windows 7, the engineering team had a clear focus on what we call ‘the fundamentals': performance, application compatibility, device compatibility, reliability, security and battery life. Early reviews of Windows 7 seem to indicate that the choice to focus on the fundamentals is resonating well with many users and professionals. And, IT professionals will further benefit from the enhancements to manageability and security. You’ll also learn how your investments in testing and evaluating Windows Vista will pay off in the transition to Windows 7. Come see firsthand what all the buzz is about in this demo-intensive session where we explore the UI improvements, performance gains, and manageability enhancements in the next client operating system from Microsoft.

Topic 3: Internet Explorer 8 – Get Excited About the Browser Again
Internet Explorer is currently the most widely used browser in business, and while we’ve seen nice incremental improvements to IE in recent history, we haven’t seen as many truly earth shattering changes. Well, many agree that the next release of IE, Internet Explorer 8, provides the most compelling upgrade to IE in many years. In a typical day, users spend 2 hours or more per day in the browser, so significant improvements here can have tremendous impact on productivity and the way we work. The browser needs to be thought of in the same terms as an operating system—it has to be rich, robust, interoperable, easy to use and secure. Internet Explorer 8 is a browser that meets these needs and more for users, enterprises, IT professionals and developers alike. Come learn how the new improvements, too numerous to mention here, are driving many to get excited about the browser again.

Event Schedule
Here is a quick summary of the events scheduled this spring, starting in late April and concluding in mid-June.

ArcReady	MSDN Events Unleashed	TechNet Events Unleashed
Waukesha, WI – April 28, 2009 at 9:00am	Waukesha, WI – April 28, 2009 at 1:00pm	Waukesha, WI – April 28, 2009 at 3:10pm
Austin, TX – April 28, 2009 at 9:00am	Austin, TX – April 28, 2009 at 1:00pm	Austin, TX – April 28, 2009 at 3:10pm
Bloomington, MN – April 30, 2009 at 9:00am	Bloomington, MN – April 30, 2009 at 1:00pm	Bloomington, MN – April 30, 2009 at 3:10pm
Cleveland, OH – April 30, 2009 at 9:00am	Cleveland, OH – April 30, 2009 at 1:00pm	Cleveland, OH – April 30, 2009 at 3:10pm
Indianapolis, IN – May 4, 2009 at 9:00am	Indianapolis, IN – May 4, 2009 at 1:00pm	Indianapolis, IN – May 4, 2009 at 3:10pm
Chicago, IL – May 5, 2009 at 9:00am	Chicago, IL – May 5, 2009 at 1:00pm	Chicago, IL – May 5, 2009 at 3:10pm
Columbus, OH – May 12, 2009 at 9:00am	Columbus, OH – May 12, 2009 at 1:00pm	Columbus, OH – May 12, 2009 at 3:10pm
Houston, TX – May 12, 2009 at 9:00am	Houston, TX – May 12, 2009 at 1:00pm	Houston, TX – May 12, 2009 at 3:10pm
Mason, OH – May 14, 2009 at 9:00am	Mason, OH – May 14, 2009 at 1:00pm	Mason, OH – May 14, 2009 at 3:10pm
Overland Park, KS – May 14, 2009 at 9:00am	Overland Park, KS – May 14, 2009 at 1:00pm	Overland Park, KS – May 14, 2009 at 3:10pm
Dallas, TX – May 19, 2009 at 9:00am	Dallas, TX – May 19, 2009 at 1:00pm	Dallas, TX – May 19, 2009 at 3:10pm
Southfield, MI – May 20, 2009 at 9:00am	Southfield, MI – May 20, 2009 at 1:00pm	Southfield, MI – May 20, 2009 at 3:10pm
Downers Grove, IL – May 20, 2009 at 9:00am	Downers Grove, IL – May 20, 2009 at 1:00pm	Downers Grove, IL – May 20, 2009 at 3:10pm
St. Louis, MO – May 21, 2009 at 9:00am	St. Louis, MO – May 21, 2009 at 1:00pm	St. Louis, MO – May 21, 2009 at 3:10pm
Nashville, TN – June 11, 2009 at 9:00am	Nashville, TN – June 11, 2009 at 1:00pm	Nashville, TN – June 11, 2009 at 3:10pm
Knoxville, TN – June 12, 2009 at 9:00am	Knoxville, TN – June 12, 2009 at 1:00pm	Knoxville, TN – June 12, 2009 at 3:10pm

Technorati Tags: ArcReady,MSDN Events Unleashed,TechNet Events Unleashed,Windows 7,Internet Explorer 8

Windows vs Walls

Keith Combs — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 07:00:00 GMT

The Glass is 10% Full

Keith Combs — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 08:00:00 GMT

Do you ever look to the past to see what the future holds? You should. I cut my computer teeth long before most people. My computer heritage goes back to my diapers. Dear Dad was a career IBMer and I was playing with IBM Selectric typewriters and dictaphones long before most people had ever seen Lotus 1-2-3. During a recent discussion with Rodney Clark, a rising Microsoft executive and the leader of my org, I found out he and I have very similar roots in that regard. His Dad was also a career IBMer. We both have technology in our genes.

The passion for technology was ingrained in me at a very early age. Hugh MacLeod talks about the rebirth of Microsoft in "The Microsoft Question" blog post and why he keeps an eye on us. He makes a lot of good points and gives the "Scoble Effect" a lot of credit. I think the core for a lot of the rebirth he describes is passion.

Have you ever seen Steve Ballmer on stage talking to Microsoft employees at our annual sales and technical pilgrimage? Talk about passion. His passion is strong enough to focus the troops in a direction, for months. When you watch the channel9.msdn.com videos produced by Scoble, Charles and Rory, you see passionate Microsoft people.

Successful companies hire passionate people. Passion also means not resting on your laurels.

So back to my original question... Do you look back? Should successful companies and people look back? I think they should. It's especially refreshing to look back at the progress that's been made over the past 15-20 years. Just look at Windows. See the history of Windows at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/WinHistoryDesktop.mspx. While you are at it, take a look at the Internet Explorer history. Some would say IE helped Microsoft rise from the ashes.

When I rewind, I think about Windows 3.x and the integration work I used to do with the Novell Netware 3.x of that era. Anyone remember Network Courier or Microsoft Mail? I still remember running my first COBOL compile with Microfocus COBOL on a personal computer. I was in heaven. Sure beats a 3270 emulator and CA Abendaide.

Last week I was in Las Vegas. We had just announced Microsoft Office 2007 had RTM'd and I knew the Windows Vista announcement would be coming soon. I am totally energized about all of this and had an absolute blast demonstrating the products. I was also working with some other Microsoft veterans of plus ten years. All of the veterans were super stoked. New products will do that.

Interesting enough, almost as soon as we announced the Windows Vista RTM, my brain had already placed the check mark next to Windows Vista and was on to what's next... Exchange Server 2007, Longhorn Server, Virtualization management, network management, etc.

Are great companies reborn? Or do they hire passionate people who want to change the world? Are passionate people ever satisfied? Is Microsoft done? What else is left to do? I think the answer is obvious...

The glass is 10% full.

Watching the TechED 2006 action poolside

Keith Combs — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 07:00:00 GMT

Get your frozen margarita, dual core laptop and favorite rubber ducky and head to the pool. Might as well since this year you’ll be able to watch and listen to the festivities on the http://VirtualTechEd.com website. It’ll be interesting to see how much of the show, seminars and “social” events are actually broadcast.

I would recommend tuning into the opening keynote on 6/11 at 7pm EST. We’ll have Ray Ozzie, Bob Muglia and Chris Capossela showing off some kewl stuff. Maybe they’ll do some of those kewl virtualization demos, or something fascinating from Windows Vista. It sure would be kewl if they did a BDD of Halo 3 to 1000 workstations and waiting TechEd gamers. Now that my friends is business desktop deployment. Time to get down to business fragging.

And yes, this is a current shot of the homepage at virtualteched.com from my patio. The laptop is on battery so the brightness is a bit low and obviously the exposure is set for the background, not the black Lenovo Thinkpad T60 in the foreground. The picture doesn’t do the pool justice but as you’ll recall, it’s big enough for a few of your friends. Sorry, you can’t see the “refreshments” just to the left of the laptop. Gotta go work on on some important business.

Got a phat internet connection? Download Windows Vista Beta 2 now!!!

Keith Combs — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 07:00:00 GMT

So I missed the date by a few hours, but you can help us bring the internet to it’s knees by downloading Windows Vista Beta 2 today!!! Ok, depending on your connection, maybe not today but hopefully shortly there after. After the download is complete burn the .iso image to DVD and you’ll have a shiny new operating system to test.

Go to http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/preview.mspx and decide if you want to order the DVD kit or download the bits right now.

As you can see, this is a rather large download so you’ll need to be patient with it. It might make more sense for you to simply order the DVD. The price will vary by region but to give you an idea, it’s $6 for the DVD, $4 for shipping and some taxes for me here in sunny 100 degree Texas. That’s slightly over $10 if you want to conserve bandwidth.

UPDATE: Well, we’ll hardly bring the internet to its knees when we get these. I was going through the process of trying the download for myself (so I could share your pain), and I got the lovely message to the right (click the thumb for better detail).

You can’t really read it, but it has bad news. I basically says our data center is a bit busy right now.

Now I’m really going to try to download the whole thing to see how long it takes. With my 15meg connection, it should take about an hour. Place yer bets.

Windows Vista User Account Control (UAC) - love it?

Keith Combs — Thu, 18 May 2006 07:00:00 GMT

There has been a raging debate inside and outside of Microsoft about the new security feature in Windows Vista called UAC. UAC stands for User Account Control. The debate has raged mostly about the effectiveness of the feature. Do a search on www.live.com for vista uac and you’ll see what I mean. The mainstream press has even decided this topic is worthy of “debate”.

By effectiveness, I mean that most of the negative articles mention that your are prompted so often for elevation consent, that you become a drone hitting the enter key without really looking closely at why you are being prompted.

Let’s get one thing straight about the feature set… you can control this. In the snip I have posted, you can see the policies that are available that control the behavior of this feature.

The policies can be set and controlled locally via secpol.msc, or via a Windows Active Directory Group Policy. In the snip above, you can see I took a harsh stance on the policies for my machine. I’m currently running a Windows Vista Beta 2 release candidate and have been running with these policies for over three weeks.

Keep in mind Windows Vista is in development. You get to tell us what is the right balance of security and control. Windows Vista Beta 2 is almost ready. Install it and try it for yourself. Post feedback to the UAC blog at http://blogs.msdn.com/uac/archive/2006/01/22/516066.aspx where they’ve outlined the settings and their meanings.

See the Step-By-Step at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/library/0d75f774-8514-4c9e-ac08-4c21f5c6c2d9.mspx

See http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/security/uacppr.mspx for more information.

See the Application Compatibility article at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/deploy/appcompat/acshims.mspx. This is a very nice resource and you should devote some time to reading that article (recently updated).

Windows Vista App Compat Readiness Labs @ TechEd06

Keith Combs — Thu, 04 May 2006 07:00:00 GMT

An unique opportunity to get one-on-one time with our Windows Vista application compatibility experts during the Windows Vista Readiness Applications Compatibility Labs at TechEd 2006. Bring your own Applications to test and troubleshoot and/or try out our self paced labs to test and catch up on the exciting new enhancements and opportunities Windows Vista has to offer – all in a single room.

Windows Vista Readiness Labs TechEd06

June 12th – 16th, 2006

Room 108, First Floor

Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC)
415 Summer Street
Boston, MA 02210

Application Developers (ISV and IT) are invited to the Windows Vista Readiness App Compat labs at TechEd06!

Use our test application to learn about changes that could affect applications in the Windows Vista environment.
Bring your Applications to the Vista Readiness Lab and have our experts assist in evaluating and debugging compatibility issues in your app.
In a single HoL session you will understand how to setup, run and uninstall scenarios for Vista and learn more about new features like UAC and how they can impact applications.
Spend 1:1 time with our Vista App Compat experts – learn how to fix your applications directly from Microsoft Development teams and experience the enhancements and opportunities Vista has to offer.
This is a great opportunity to learn about the (ACT) Application Compatibility Toolkit that would help enterprises to evaluate upgrade and deployment to Windows Vista options while reducing testing and other costs to a minimum. Additionally, ACT can be used by developers to learn about areas in their applications that need to be addressed.

Windows Vista Security - webcast questions and answers (tons)

Keith Combs — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 07:00:00 GMT

Today was a blast!!! Webcasts are fun, nerve racking, exciting, tense, glorious, chilling… notice the see saw? My job is to make sure the webcast is smooth as Aero Glass so that any issues don’t distract you from the information I’m discussing. This webcast could have easily been four hours. There is soo much information related to Windows Vista Security, there’s no way to get much coverage in 60 minutes. So thanks for your time today and I promise some killer screencasts on this blog, and the blogs of my team. We are building a screencast plan for Windows Vista, Exchange Server, Longhorn Server, Office, and a bunch of other products.

Thanks to the gentlemen that helped with today’s webcast. Kevin Remde, Blain Barton, John Weston, Michael J Murphy and Shawn Travers all helped out today. The question and answer log below reflects their contribution which as you can see, is very significant. Thanks guys.

I did use editorial license a bit below… but hey, it’s my blog. Enjoy!

Question: If you use the Vista Bits Locker does that block tools like On-Track Data Recoverer from being able to retrieve data off a failing hard drive?
Private Answer: Yes. You'll get the bits, but you won't be able to make sense of them.

Question: Where can I get the technical info being presented? The presentation does not contain any technical details about Vista
Answer: Best source currently is the Windows Vista web site: www.microsoft.com/windowsvista. Subscribe to the RSS feeds there to be notified when new information is available.

Question: Is it true, that there will be released a new build on connect today ?
Private Answer: I don't know the answer to that. Sorry.

Question: What resolution do you have your monitor set at?
Private Answer: I was running the host OS at 1280x1024 and the vm guest OS’s at 1024x768. LiveMeeting disables part of the color support.

Question: I have not been able to get the beta yet
Answer: Sign up here for the next beta: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/beta/preregister.mspx

Question: Will Vista have Group Policy to enable the desktop firewall when not connected directly to the system's primary DNS Domain network?
Answer: Yes. Same as currently available with XP. (XP SP2 introduced that capability as well.)

Question: I installed Build 5308 yesterday. Will the April CTP have an upgrade option?
Answer: The next "CTP" is going to be Beta 2, and I believe upgrade will be possible - though I wouldn't count on an upgrade from older builds or CTPs to be successful.

Question: Vista is a desktop OS? Longhorn will be the server OS?
Answer: correct

Question: XP SP2 you can 'Prohibit the use of Internet Connection Firewall on your DNS Domain network', but I don't see where you can do that for the desktop Firewall- those are two separate things - right?
Answer: The "Windows Firewall" is the desktop firewall included in SP2 for XP and SP1 for Windows Server 2003. It is the next version of what WAS known as ICF (Internet Connection Firewall), so yes, they are the same thing.

Question: Is IE 7.0 avaliable for Windows XP?
Answer: The beta is, download here http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/ie7/ie7betaredirect.mspx

Question: will IE 7 be available without vista
Answer: Yes. You can download the beta now, as a matter of fact.

Question: Is there going to be a 64bit beta release?
Answer: absolutely

Question: Will IE7 run on 2k or just vista and xp?
Answer: Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2003.

Question: Keith mentioned about using IE7 for himself. I cannot run it at work, but was thinking about running it on my home PC which is XP SP2. Since it is not the "officially" released version, does running it at home pose any issues I may need to consider?
Answer: The only issues you might encounter have to do with some web applications that might not yet be supported. But for the most part it works really really well.

Question: When can we expect a 64 bit Vista or IE 7 Beta?
Answer: 64bit Windows Vista will be released the very same day as 32bit. The versions are being kept completely in sych as they are built. (It's essentially just a recompile of the same code.)

Question: Is there going to be a tool for administrators to monitor and manage MS Firewall for users?
Answer: Through Group Policy you can manage it, monitoring network traffic to ensure compliance can be done with any network monitor

Question: To take full advantage of Vista Firewall, does it require Longhorn?
Answer: No

Question: I have been having issues installing Flash player and other apps on Vista
Answer: This is why we have the beta process. It’s important to report issues you see so that we can make changes to the OS if needed, or report issues to other companies.

Question: What is the release date for the flavors of Vista?
Answer: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/mar06/03-21WindowsVistaDeliveryPR.mspx

Question: how do I get Vista?
Answer: Sign up here for the next beta: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/beta/preregister.mspx

Question: are regular users with default user profile have the abiulity run programs in any mode , say "run as admin or power user" on the fly?
Answer: As long as they have an admin/Power User Name and password, yes

Question: Do you have some recommendations for Vista capable Anti-Virus programs?
Answer: Windows OneCare. (You can try out the beta now on XP. www.windowsonecare.com. And if you try the beta, you can purchase one year for only $19.95 instead of the $49.95 or whatever it will be when it ships in a couple months.)

Question: Firewall: Will there be some kind of centralized log collection to monitor the clients?
Answer: I am unaware of anything native for the Firewall on the clients, however, MOM may be able to supply much of that desired funcionality

Question: A program error with IE7, will you be able to go into Control Panel Add/Remove Programs and run a Repair on IE7?
Answer: I don't know if that will be allowed in the final build. I know that with the beta 2 preview you can remove it (it shows up as an "update" in Add/Remove Programs list.)

Question: Can a 64 bit IE 7 be found now?
Answer: From the beta download site "Evaluation of Internet Explorer 7 should start now, but the software should not be used on production systems in mission-critical environments. Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2 Preview - released on March 20th - will only run on Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) systems, but will ultimately be available for Windows Vista, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, and Windows Server 2003. "

Question: Is IE7.x going to have a IE Admin kit for automated deployment or something else?
Answer: I expect that they will have either a kit or some other specs for automated deployment, yes.

Question: Second level of authentication can be used with First, or second level a failover only?
Answer: Multiple authentication techniques are generally intended to be used in combination or be cumulative. An exception example would be the "Run As" in which I am launching a process under another set of credentials, independent of whatever my current login. In the case of the firewall demo, Keith mentioned this because if you are unable to contact the key authentication mechanism like a Kerberos server, you could fallback to using a Certificate or an older technology like NTLM.

Question: Is there a white paper on Vista firewall/GPO settings someplace?
Answer: See the step by step guides Keith has listed at http://blogs.technet.com/keithcombs/archive/2006/02/25/420540.aspx. Close to the top of the list of those guides is the Group Policy guide. You’ll also want to review the goodies at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/default.mspx. There will be a lot more information coming in the new couple of months as we get closer to the release of Beta 2.

Question: will Vista run smoothly on my 2003 computer made for XP?
Answer: Probably, if you have 512MB or more RAM, a 1.5GHz processor, and 64MB video memory on a video adapter that supports the new WDDM driver APIs from Microsoft.

Question: will there be group policies to controle and setup the firewall in an AD environment?
Answer: Absolutely

Question: He mentioned that firewall rules are scriptable....can you elaborate on how to begin something like that.
Answer: That's true in XP SP2 and Windows Server 2003 SP1 also, for the windows firewall. You can configure the firewall using the "netsh firewall" commands.

Question: Ok on Windows OneCare. I use it on my XP boxes but the install requirements say it requires XP and IE6. My Vista Security Center is screaming that it wants anit-virus protection now.
Answer: Right. Windows OneCare will satisfy your Security Center.

Question: when can I down this webcast
Answer: within 24 hours. Look in the on demand webcast area for April 17, 2006. http://www.microsoft.com/events/webcasts/ondemand.mspx

Question: If youy install IE7 beta on an existing IE 6, do u still have the option of running both versions or basically installing IE7 is like an upgrade?
Answer: It is an upgrade; and it currently IS uninstallable, also, if you have any problems.

Question: I have a few AutoIT scripts that have 'run as' inside. Is that still an option in Vista?
Answer: To the best of knowledge that will be supported

Question: Can certain applications be setup to automatically run with admin rights?
Answer: Yes - it is part of the application compatibility options.

Question: the complexity of the firewall can be covered by existing server 2003 methods (group policies / templates) ?
Answer: No. The Windows Server 2003 built-in firewall does not have outbound rules as demonstrated today.

Question: The consent prompts... does Vista remember you're responses to Allow or Deny so you aren't prompted each time?
Answer: No. You'll be asked every time.

Question: I get quite a few prompts when launching apps that state "run dll as app" Do you want to allow this? Is that the firewall or a security policy in Vista?
Answer: It’s the Windows Vista security. Depending on the build of Vista depends on what you see as we tune this.

Question: Would you recommend using Vista on my everyday home usage PC? Or should I wait unitl a later build or the final release?
Answer: I would wait until the next Beta, and then I would test that build first before relying on it for production (or even regular home) use.

Question: is there a way to override the Admin authentication for a period of time? This could be very annoying during a manual build... being prompted 30 times to install 30 apps will be time consuming and unnessessary
Answer: yes, they can be disabled

Question: When is the estimated date for the next beta? How many more betas are planned before the final release?
Answer: Next Beta will likely be May or possibly June (not yet announced, I don't think). No word on other betas beyond that either.

Question: Will the Beta be available with all the versions:i.e premium ,ultimate etc.?
Answer: Yes.

Question: Okay, regarding the question about auto configuring an app to run with admin rights, can it also be setup to not prompt the user for an admin password and username?
Answer: You'll have to provide those as part of the script, which you may consider to be a security issue in and of itself, but doable, yes

Question: Will Vista or IE7 provide functionality to contain internet zone activity within a protected virtual shell like products such as Greenborder which flushes once the active session ends?
Private Answer: I am unaware of any native functionality like you describe

Question: Am I correct in saying that in Vista, basically every program/software install requires some form of authentication. Now if you have local admin rights, are you still prompted ?How come my questions are not being answered??
Answer: Yes, you will still be prompted, the idea is prevent any malicious/background/intrusive software from being loaded without your knowledge. Can you turn the prompts off? Yes, but I encourage you not to

Question: what's his blog address again?
Answer: http://blogs.technet.com/keithcombs

Question: No need to answer: I would hope that a possible feature would be added in the future in the profile of the startup icon that would have the ability to accept a username and password to specified by the admin (sort of like start-up credentials for services). I would not want to creat a script because the password can't be encrypted.
Answer: Understood, thanks for the feedback

Question: Keith used TPM. Can you tell me what it means?
Answer: Trusted Platform Module see http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/library/help/b7931dd8-3152-4d3a-a9b5-84621660c5f5.mspx?mfr=true

Question: Sorry for off topic but does Acrobat Reader run on Vista yet ? Can't install Acrobat Reader on Vista :( Error msg: You need Windows NT4 ServicePack 6 or Windows 200 ServicePack2 and up. ?
Answer: There are some known bugs with some of the recent versions of the Acrobat 7 installers. They are working on fixing this.

Question: How to integrate Lenovo Fingerprint in Vista?
Answer: The Lenovo ThinkPad T60 Keith is using supports TPM and also has custom written software to take advantage of the fingerprint reader. See http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?sitestyle=lenovo&lndocid=MIGR-46391 for information on the software they use. We expect Lenovo to ship updates shortly after Windows Vista releases, or at least we hope that happens. Be sure to scan more than one finger.

Question: Does the bitlocker encprytion, when encrypted use more disk space then when not encrypted?
Answer: Yes, there is some overhead, but it is not alot see http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/library/help/b7931dd8-3152-4d3a-a9b5-84621660c5f5.mspx?mfr=true Also see the BitLocker guide listed at http://blogs.technet.com/keithcombs/archive/2006/02/25/420540.aspx

Question: Will bitlocker be supported on hardware RAID disk systems? If so will we need to unlock the machine if we replace on of the disks?
Answer: see http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/library/help/b7931dd8-3152-4d3a-a9b5-84621660c5f5.mspx?mfr=true Also see the BitLocker guide listed at http://blogs.technet.com/keithcombs/archive/2006/02/25/420540.aspx

Question: where I can download the new build of windows vista?
Answer: It's available as part of your MSDN Universal subscription or TechNet Plus suscription and through some Beta programs, it is not available for public/general download

Question: Can there be 3rd party drivers like lenovo Fingerprint installed in Bitlocker Pre-boot authentication?
Answer: Yes, the plan is to support 3rd party integration, though that will be vendor specific

Question: with BitLocker, will the need for PGP still be there
Answer: BitLocker competes with other volume and disk encryption products on the market.

Question: Versions of Windows Vista:
Answer: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/versions/default.mspx

Question: Will Defender have Settings more accesible? Like the 1st antispy release?
Answer: Yes

Question: I guess we'll have to update all our GPO templates for Vista.
Answer: Everyone will. With the new OS I would anticipate a variety of improvements you'll want to manage centrally. Only way to do that is load the new adm's

Question: Can I get antivirus through Vista?
Answer: Yes. You will be able to use Windows OneCare, or other non-microsoft antivirus just like you are currently.

Question: Will there be a recovery utility for Bitlocker if the HD gets corrupt?
Answer: Yes. See this article on BitLocker and recovery: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/library/c61f2a12-8ae6-4957-b031-97b4d762cf31.mspx

Question: Can I assign the Policy Groups from my server WS K3, to the clients with WV?
Answer: Yes, you will be able to manage WV completely through Group Policy and even running GPMC on Windows Server 2003, using administrative templates.

Question: What would prevent a client who would have the administrative credentials from just logging in with those credentials to begin with, bypassing all the security meant to protect the user?
Answer: The administrative prompts which apply to those logged on with admin rights, could that admin then disable those prompts, yes, but I would encourage the admin to see those prompts as a way to know, nothing is getting installed without his knowledge

Question: How does Vista control removable device such as USB keys? Through domain policy? Can this be overriden by a local system administrator?
Answer: Yes, through group policy in the domain. A local system admin would not be able to override these settings, provided the machine remained in the domain.

Question: Will we be able to merge current GPOs together with Vista? Is there a tool to help us consolidate GPOs with Vista?
Answer: The vast majority of your client GPO settings WILL apply to Vista, additionally there will be new Vista specific GPO settings

Question: will that be in a podcast ?
Answer: There may be some available for download, yes.

Question: Can shutdown be configured by device - laptop vs. desktop?
Answer: Sure. This is possible. One way to do this might be to create a WMI script to look for a battery on the local machine. Battery = laptop. No battery = desktop. (I'm talking about the big battery, not the little ones that keep the clock running.)

Question: I am previving Vista Beta 1 from Oct and was wondering if you are using a newer build how can I get an update?
Answer: Much newer, yes. Keep watching the Windows Vista web site (www.microsoft.com/windowsvista) for details on the next beta, which will be out in a month or two.

Question: We have a workgroup setting, not a domain. Can I have a group policy that prevents installation of USB sticks on the Vista client? Meaning can I configure this setting on each client without having a domain controller?
Answer: Yes, manually at the client or through a startup script

Question: link to the blog?
Answer: http://blogs.technet.com/keithcombs

Question: A WMI check of Chasis is better to determine laptop vs. desktop. Virtual machines sometimes list batteries when running on desktops.
Answer: That's good to know. Thanks!