SCM makes configuration management for both desktops and your private cloud a snap! Version 2 of the Microsoft Security Compliance Manager (SCM 2) is now available for download!
Security Compliance Manager 2 is a free tool from the Microsoft Solution Accelerators team that enables you to quickly configure and manage your computers, traditional datacenter, and private cloud using Group Policy and Microsoft® System Center Configuration Manager.
SCM 2 provides ready-to-deploy policies and DCM configuration packs that are tested and fully supported. Our product baselines are based on Microsoft Security Guide recommendations and industry best practices, allowing you to manage configuration drift, address compliance requirements, and reduce security threats.
Easily configure Windows® operating systems, Microsoft® Office applications, and Internet Explorer with industry leading knowledge and fully supported tools.
Take advantage of SCM 2 to import the configuration of a “golden master” reference machine or existing Group Policy. Compare your standards to industry best practices, customize them using rich knowledge, and seamlessly create new policies and DCM configuration packs in the user-friendly UI designed to work with System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2.
Key Features Include:
· Gold master support: Import and take advantage of your existing Group Policy or create a snapshot of a reference machine to kick-start your project!
· Configure stand-alone machines: Deploy your configurations to non-domain joined computers using the new GPO Pack feature!
· Updated security guides: Take advantage of the deep security expertise and best practices in the updated security guides, and the attack surface reference workbooks to help reduce the security risks that you consider to be the most important!
· Compare against industry best practices: Analyze your configurations against prebuilt baselines for the latest Windows client and server operating systems!
Security home page: http://www.microsoft.com/scm
Security Compliance Manager 2 library page: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc677002.aspx
Download SCM 2.
Today’s blog post is around Windows 7/2008 R2 SP1 Installation along with Internet Explorer 9. As you all aware when you install Windows 7/Windows Server 2008 R2 with Service Pack 1, the default browser is Internet Explorer 8. Now, when you want to install Internet Explorer 9, there are several steps involved depending upon how do you choose to install IE 9. If you are downloading IE 9 package from the Internet and run the installation on a single machine it will download all the necessary pre-requisite packages and then performs the installation. Well, for a single machine that’s fine but what about large scale deployments in Enterprises, it will be difficult. In these cases, we prefer to integrate the Internet Explorer 9 packages with the Windows 7/2008 R2 installation media. Hence, when you deploy Windows OS, IE 9 packages is installed as a part of OS installation. You do not need to manually install it later on.
Following are the different deployment options available for IE 9 in your Organization or individual machines. I am covering the Image based deployment today, i.e. using Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM)
In this post I am going to talk about Slipstreaming Internet Explorer 9 packages using Windows 7/2008 R2 Service Pack 1 Installation Media/DVD. So what is Slipstreaming, well you can read this Wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slipstream_(computing) Basically, Slipstreaming is a process of integrating patches, service packs into the main installation media, in this example Windows Operating System Files. To begin with first understand what are pre-requisite packages for installing IE 9. You can find the list of packages required for specific OS over here http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh147968.aspx (Internet Explorer 9 Preinstallation Techniques)
Internet Explorer 9 Prerequisites for specific OS
Before you begin collect the necessary files. There are several steps involved for slipstreaming IE 9 packages into Windows Installation Media. In this example I will slipstream Internet Explorer 9 x64 package into Windows 7 x64 Ultimate Edition Media available via Retail channels. However, the same is applicable for Enterprise Edition as well as for all the full editions of Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 media.
Now we are ready to perform our slipstreaming process. It’s a 3 step process. Let’s get going.
Step 1: Mount the install.wim file to a specific local folder along with specific Edition or all editions. The install.wim is located in the \Sources Directory on the Windows Installation Media. In this example we will mount ULTIMATE Edition to D:\MOUNT directory.
Get the Windows7/Windows Server 2008 R2 DVD Media & copy all files locally to D:\Windows7SP1x64. Now, go to Start –> All Programs –> Microsoft Windows AIK and launch Deployment Tools Command Prompt
Then, run the following command to see available editions on the Windows Installation DVD Media
This will show you following editions available. Note: In case of Enterprise edition there will be just 1.
Now, that we know how many editions available on the DVD media, let’s mount Ultimate Edition that has Index Number 4. Run this command to mount the Ultimate Edition files to D:\MOUNT
Step 2: Import the Pre-Requisite Packages located in the D:\IE9\IE9PRE directory and Internet Explorer 9 Package (IE9-Win7.CAB) located in the D:\IE9\IE9EXT to the mounted WIM File in the specific local folder.
Use the following command to import the Pre-requisites to the image mounted on D:\MOUNT
Use the following command to import the Internet Explorer 9 Package to the image mounted on D:\MOUNT
Step 3: Un-mount the install.wim using the /commit switch so the changes would be saved in the installation media
Once completed, you can use the WIM file to deploy Windows OS using bootable USB Drive or using WDS (Windows Deployment Server)
Here is the list of all the commands I used on 1 picture.
You can use the following sample script for slipstreaming the IE 9 package for all editions of Windows 7 x64 Retail DVD Media.
Save the file as IE9_SS_X64.BAT
@echo off
cls
mkdir C:\WIM
C:\IE9.exe /x:C:\IE9
erase /F /Q "C:\IE9\IE9_SUPPORT.CAB"
dism /Mount-Wim /WimFile:C:\DVD\sources\install.wim /index:4 /MountDir:C:\WIM
dism /Image:C:\WIM /Add-Package /PackagePath:C:\IE9
dism /Unmount-Wim /MountDir:C:\WIM /commit
dism /Mount-Wim /WimFile:C:\DVD\sources\install.wim /index:3 /MountDir:C:\WIM
dism /Image:C:\WIM /Add-Package /PackagePath:C:\IE9
dism /Unmount-Wim /MountDir:C:\WIM /commit
dism /Mount-Wim /WimFile:C:\DVD\sources\install.wim /index:2 /MountDir:C:\WIM
dism /Image:C:\WIM /Add-Package /PackagePath:C:\IE9
dism /Unmount-Wim /MountDir:C:\WIM /commit
dism /Mount-Wim /WimFile:C:\DVD\sources\install.wim /index:1 /MountDir:C:\WIM
dism /Image:C:\WIM /Add-Package /PackagePath:C:\IE9
dism /Unmount-Wim /MountDir:C:\WIM /commit
erase /F /Q "C:\IE9.exe"
RD /S /Q "C:\WIM"
RD /S /Q "C:\IE9"
pause
exit
For detailed demonstration you can watch my Zeollar Session covering the same http://www.zeollar.com/Session/275
Enjoy
Last week I blogged about the firmware update I received for my HTC Mozart running Mango RTM. Here is the quick summary.
I received 2 updates. First it updated Firmware from 2250.21.40600.707 to 2250.21.50001.707 on 8th Oct. http://blogs.technet.com/b/aviraj/archive/2011/10/08/htc-firmware-update-for-windows-phone.aspx?ocid=aff-n-in-loc--aa
And Second updated Firmware from 2250.21.50001.707 to 2250.21.51001.707 on 21st Oct http://blogs.technet.com/b/aviraj/archive/2011/10/21/htc-update-for-windows-phone.aspx?ocid=aff-n-in-loc—aa
UPDATE
After installing this firmware update, as seen in the screenshot, it upgraded Firmware. Firmware revision from 2250.21.50001.707 to 2250.21.51001.707.
New Feature: INTERNET SHARING feature is now enabled on my HTC Mozart. You can connect up to 5 Guests i.e. 5 users can connect.
To enable INTENRET SHARING. Just to go Settings –> INTENRNE SHARING is now available. This will make your HTC Phone as a Wireless Broadcast Device.
For security you can setup a Password with Min. 8 characters.
Enjoy