Posted by: kurtsh | June 30, 2005

BOOK: “Windows Group Policy Guide” from MS Press

Great new book just got published… 
Warning:  It’s MASSIVE.

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New Group Policy Book Available from MS Press
Microsoft Press has just released the Microsoft Windows Group Policy Guide, an 800-page reference guide for learning about and managing Group Policy within the enterprise. This book was co-written by industry-expert Darren Mar-Elia, Derek Melber, William Stanek, and the Group Policy Development team. The description of the book:

Get the in-depth information you need to use Group Policy to administer your enterprise system—direct from industry experts and the Microsoft Group Policy team. With Group Policy and Active Directory® directory service, administrators can take advantage of policy-based management to streamline the administration of users and computers throughout the enterprise—from servers running Windows Server 2003 or Windows 2000 Server to workstations running Windows XP Professional or Windows 2000 Professional. This essential resource explains how to simplify and automate administrative tasks, including policy enforcement, system updates, and software installations, as well as how to centralize the management of network resources. The CD provides essential utilities, custom ADMs, GPO spreadsheets, and more. It’s everything you need to help increase your efficiency while bolstering user productivity, security services, and system reliability.

For more information, check out the book’s web page at http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/8763.asp.
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Posted in Document

Posted by: kurtsh | June 30, 2005

DOC: Best practices on “Streamlining a Branch Office Infrastructure”

We’ve just published a ton of guidance around "Branch Office Servers" that I think might be relevant to you folks.

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Streamline a Branch Office Infrastructure
Use the Branch Office Infrastructure Solution (BOIS) guidance and tools to address the needs of large organizations and enterprises in designing and deploying appropriate solutions for branch office infrastructures. BOIS incorporates planning, design, and deployment information for a core set of Microsoft technologies working together to provide a complete and integrated branch office infrastructure solution (end-to-end, from hub through branch office server architecture).
The guidance focuses on reducing total cost of ownership for the customer through:
· Better utilization of server capacity.
· More efficient systems administration and management.
· Faster and more complete recovery of data in the event of a disaster.
· Higher degree of standardization and automation.

GO TO:  http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=47362
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Posted in Document

Posted by: kurtsh | June 29, 2005

RELEASE: Windows 2000 Rollup for Service Pack 4

To make it as easy as possible for customers to maintain the security and stability of their Windows 2000 systems, Microsoft has released an Update Rollup for Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 (SP4). Windows 2000 SP4 customers are encouraged to install this update.
 
You can download Windows 2000 Update Rollup 1 for Service Pack 4 from the Microsoft Download Center or Windows Update site as well as through Windows Server Update Services. The Update Rollup will be available via Automatic Updates beginning in early July.
 
The Update Rollup contains:
  • All security updates produced for Windows 2000 between the time SP4 was released and April 30, 2005, when the contents of the Update Rollup were finalized for testing by Microsoft.
  • A number of updates that help increase system security and reliability, reduce support costs, and support the current generation of PC hardware.

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Posted in Release

Posted by: kurtsh | June 28, 2005

RELEASE: Windows Media Enterprise Deployment Pack for “Player 10”

PACKAGE:  Enterprise Deployment Pack for Windows Media Player
The Enterprise Deployment Pack (EDP) for Windows Media Player is a downloadable packaging tool that enables network and desktop administrators to centrally configure, deploy, and manage Windows Media Player in the enterprise. The EDP offers many advantages to the enterprise, including:

  • Gives IT pros the capability to deploy Windows Media Player in conformance with their standard software deployment processes.
  • Provides IT pros with the flexibility to configure various settings to support existing enterprise standards and reduce support calls.
  • Offers end users the productivity benefits of Windows Media Player.

DOWNLOAD:  http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/enterprise/deploypack.aspx

 

WHITEPAPER:  Deployment of Windows Media Player in the Enterprise
Created: June 2005
Applies to: Windows Media Player 10, Windows Media Player 9 Series
Addresses the concepts and steps involved in deploying Microsoft Windows Media Player in the enterprise. Deployments include customizing the user interface (UI), using Group Policy settings and skins to control use of the Player, as well as deploying only certain components instead of the full Player.
DOWNLOAD:  http://download.microsoft.com/download/4/8/7/487d848a-b230-4f95-927a-5d1f481fd211/mpedp.doc

 

WHITEPAPER:  Optimizing Microsoft Windows Media Services 9 Series
Updated: March 2005
Applies to: Windows Media Services 9 Series
This article describes performance tests that were recently conducted in a controlled lab environment and includes tuning recommendations that will help you to achieve optimal performance from your Windows Media server.
DOWNLOAD:  http://download.microsoft.com/download/8/f/4/8f47ea6a-254a-421b-9542-c3e5965c8be7/optimize_web.doc

 

(All these whitepapers can be found at:  http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/knowledgecenter/technicalarticles.aspx#enterprise.  I have sorted them out for those that have been recently updated.)

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Posted in Release

Posted by: kurtsh | June 28, 2005

BETA: Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit for Windows XP

This kit is basically "how to set up and lockdown a Windows ‘kiosk’.

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Shared computers are commonly found in schools, libraries, Internet and gaming cafés, community centers, and other locations. Often, non-technical personnel are asked to manage shared computers in addition to their primary responsibilities. Managing shared computers can be difficult, time-consuming, and expensive. Without restrictions, users can change the desktop appearance, reconfigure system settings, and introduce spyware, viruses, and other harmful programs. Repairing damaged shared computers costs significant time and effort.

User privacy is also an issue. Shared computers often use shared accounts that make Internet history, saved documents, and cached Web pages available to subsequent users.

The Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit for Windows XP provides a simple and effective way to defend shared computers from untrusted users and malicious software, safeguard system resources, and enhance and simplify the user experience. The Toolkit runs on genuine copies of Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Home Edition, and Windows XP Tablet PC Edition.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=7256d456-e3da-42ea-857d-92b716077a84&DisplayLang=en

 

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Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by: kurtsh | June 24, 2005

RELEASE: New Windows XP theme – “Royale”

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Posted in Release

Posted by: kurtsh | June 24, 2005

BETA: Microsoft Anti-spyware Beta 1 Refresh (Build 1.0613)

Microsoft® Windows AntiSpyware (Beta)

Windows AntiSpyware (Beta) is a security technology that helps protect Windows users from spyware and other potentially unwanted software. Known spyware on your PC can be detected and removed. This helps reduce negative effects caused by spyware including slow PC performance, annoying pop-up ads, unwanted changes to Internet settings, and unauthorized use of your private information. Continuous protection improves Internet browsing safety by guarding over 50 ways spyware can enter your PC.

Participants in the worldwide SpyNet™ community play a key role in determining which suspicious programs are classified as spyware. Microsoft researchers quickly develop methods to counteract these threats, and updates are automatically downloaded to your PC so you stay up to date.

Since releasing Windows AntiSpyware (Beta) on January 6, 2005 (Build 1.0.501), we have continued to receive feedback from customers. We introduced a first beta refresh on February 16, 2005 (Build 1.0.509) which enhanced some of the real-time protection agents, added new threat categories, and improved stability and performance.

In this second beta refresh (Build 1.0.613), we’ve made other enhancements to the detection and removal capabilities, including improved Winsock LSP removal capabilities and support for long descriptions of categorized software. In addition, we have also extended the Windows AntiSpyware beta expiration date to December 31, 2005.

Existing users of the beta (Builds 1.0.501 and 1.0.509) will receive a software update that extends the expiration date and includes the enhancements to the detection and removal capabilities. The second beta refresh is also available for download through this site.

DOWNLOAD:  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=321cd7a2-6a57-4c57-a8bd-dbf62eda9671&DisplayLang=en

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Posted in Beta

Posted by: kurtsh | June 22, 2005

TOOL: Stop Windows Server 2003 SP1 from being pushed

How to stop Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 from being pushed to your server:

http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsServer2003/evaluation/news/bulletins/ws03sp1blockertool.mspx

This tool will do the trick.

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Posted in Tools

Posted by: kurtsh | June 21, 2005

TOOL: Browster – a search add-on for Internet Explorer

Okay, this is one of my favorite ‘cool tools’ for Internet Explorer 6.0.

It’s called "Browster" and it automatically pre-caches result links from either MSN Search or Google after you’ve executed a search.

Basically, next to each ‘hit’ an icon appears that you can hover over.  If you do, the ENTIRE web page from the hit appears in a windows and sort of hovers there and allows you to scroll around in it.  Click back into the primary search window, and the hovering link page ‘disappears’.

It’s totally free – it pays for itself by putting text ads on the top of the "hovering" link page.

DOWNLOAD:  http://www.browster.com/

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Posted in Tools

Posted by: kurtsh | June 21, 2005

RELEASE: Microsoft RAW Image Thumbnailer & Viewer for Windows XP

The Microsoft RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer is a free “PowerToy” for Microsoft Windows XP that provides the ability to view, organize, and print photos captured in RAW image formats from supported Canon and Nikon digital cameras.

Note: Two versions of the download are available. Please see Additional Information below for details on which version you should use.

To understand how to get the most out of the software, please see our companion whitepaper in Related Resourcess at right.

Often likened to a ‘digital negative,’ a RAW image is the native image format for a growing number of quality digital cameras. Because of the camera-specific nature of RAW files, they are not supported natively within Microsoft Windows. As a result, photographers shooting RAW have not been able to take advantage of the built-in features provided in Windows XP for viewing, organizing, and printing RAW photos–until now.

After installing the Microsoft RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer Powertoy for Windows XP you will be able to view, organize, and print photos captured in RAW image formats from supported Canon and Nikon digital cameras.

This software offers the following benefits to digital photographers:

  • High image quality. This software uses the camera vendors’ own processing libraries to provide the highest possible image fidelity for RAW images.
  • Superior color fidelity. Windows Image Color Management (ICM) is used to render images in the correct color space as determined by the photographer when the image was captured.
  • Familiar user experience. This software builds on the familiar Windows user experience and requires little or no learning curve.
  • Performance tuned for rapid previews. The software uses background processing and other techniques to ensure a good preview experience even for large images.

DOWNLOAD:  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=d48e808e-b10d-4ce4-a141-5866fd4a3286&displaylang=en

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Posted in Release

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