Windows 8 - Any Size You Want It

Windows 8 has launched and Microsoft strived to make an OS that can give you a consistent experience as you move between the various devices you use during the day. Using SkyDrive, you can have access to all your important files and pictures from anywhere.

Windows Phone - I've loved my Windows Phone running 7.5, so I'm sure I'm going to love Windows 8.  Pin apps, pin people and customize your phone to meet your needs as often as they change.  I often create new groups of people using People Hub depending on events that I'm attending or what's going on.  Just this week, I had a "Sandy" tile - keeping all the tweets and post from my east coast friends and family front and center.  I will admit I'm a bit of a diva regarding the form factor though, so that might be what holds me back. Most of the phones being offered right now with Windows 8 are too big for my taste.

Surface - Scale up a bit from your phone and grab a Microsoft Surface.  The RT version is available for ordering now and rumor has the Intel (Pro) version is due out in a few months.  I need some of the enterprise features that will be available with the Pro version for work, so I'll likely be waiting a bit for that as well unless someone wants to send me a RT version to play with!

Desktop - Finally, meet Windows 8 on the desktop.  With or without a touch screen, Windows 8 brings you the same tiled experience as the phone and the Surface.  From now until January 31st, you can upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for only $39.99.  Use the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant to see if your existing computer can run it.

Finally, if you want to experience some additional buzz around Windows 8, Server 2012 and the newest version of Microsoft Office, check out The New Era of Work, Microsoft's 2012 Launch Event.  Events are being held in various locations throughout the US from now until the end of the year.

October is National Cyber Security Month

As a system admin, I like to think that I'm pretty savvy when it comes to online security.  However, it never hurts to look at some current recommendations as a refresher and maybe pass on a link or two to family and friends regarding ways to prevent fraud, theft and other online ills.

Visit the STOP. THINK. CONNECT. campaign or Microsoft's Cyber Security web page for tips on staying aware and secure online.

Check out my previous security posts for some of my thoughts on cyber security. What are your recommendations for friends and family when they ask you about online security? 

PowerShell... Now Less Daunting

Last Friday, I had the luxury of attending another PacITPros TechDays... It was all about PowerShell.  Jason Helmick taught in SF and in the East Bay.  Both days were completely packed. PowerShell IS where Windows is going for administration.

If you haven't had the chance to listen to Jason talk about PowerShell, you are missing a great chance to learn how to use it. Jason is fun, upbeat and knows his stuff.  Check out his blog (http://www.jasonhelmick.com/) for more about PowerShell.  He might just mention where he'll be speaking next.

So what did I take away from the class?

1) Learn this: get-help
Seriously, it's ALL about RTFM. Learn it, love it, learn how to use it. It's all there.

2) Don't type this:  get-service | stop-service
PowerShell can give you a bunch of ways to make your job easier and another bunch of ways to screw up big time. Read and comprehend before you press enter. PowerShell doesn't ask if you are sure.

After 8 hours of lecture and labs, Jason didn't teach us the "Top 10 PowerShell Commands for Administering Windows".  We didn't walk out of class with a handout of the everything we'd need to know.  Quite the contrary.  Jason taught us where to find what we needed and how to figure out if whatever we were trying to do would work or not.  And that is really all you need to be comfortable with the command line of the future for Windows.

So what's been fun on the Internet lately?

First up, in case you missed out on some of the new things from Microsoft, Windows 8 and Server 2012 are coming soon!  When you have some free time, start learning more about Server 2012 or take a close up look at Windows 8. You can even download a 90-day trial of the new desktop client.

And here are some other links to some fun things I've seen online, mostly via Twitter:

• 10+ Most Dangerous Species of Help Desk Callers
• Kids Explain Why We Should Use the Internet - where were you in 1995?

For those of you who work on Exchange, don't miss out on these:

• Fix Exchange Server 2010 SP Udpdate Errors
• Everything You Need to Know About Exchange Backups

Handy Windows 7 GPO Policies

The official roll-out of Windows 7 has begun in my office.  We are doing a round of hardware refreshing for some end users and with that comes Windows 7 and Office 2010. Here are a couple handy GPO settings we've used to make our lives easier.

Verbose Startup and Shutdown - by default, Windows 7 will just display "please wait..." while it handles it's startup and shutdown processes.  If you find the verbosity of Windows XP handy, likely displaying the name of software that's being installed automatically, you'll want to change use these policies.

Computer Configuration - Policies - Administrative Templates  - System - Verbose vs normal status messages = Enabled

Computer Configuration-Policies - Administrative Templates - System - Remove Boot / Shutdown / Logon / Logoff status messages = Disabled

Let Users Install Printers - Windows 7 increased security and UAC will prompt standard users for administrative credentials before adding a printer because the driver store is a protected area.  If running around to help every user who's trying to add another network printer isn't your cup of tea, try these policies to give the standard user a little bit more power.

Computer Configuration - Policies - Administrative Templates - Printers - Point and Print Restrictions = Disabled

User Configuration - Policies - Administrative Templates - Control Panel - Printers - Point and Print Restrictions = Disabled