However, Windows Server 2008 R2 provides many new features and upgrades, including several that go hand in hand with new features found in Windows 7.

That means there are more new reasons to upgrade both the desktop operating system and the server operating system at many companies.

If that doesn’t sound like major undertaking, I don’t know what is.

What is an R2 Release Anyway?

Many businesses have been plugging along comfortably with older combinations of Windows XP and either Server 2003 or Windows Server 2000, and installing only those service packs and features designed to keep those systems running securely and stably.

Therefore, the question that has to be asked is what is an R2 release and exactly what does the R2 version of Sever 2008 have to offer?

Over the past several years, Microsoft has received a lot of feedback from users in the business community who wanted a more predictable release cycle for critical business platforms such as Microsoft’s server operating systems. For businesses that had driven the planning uncertainty out of other areas of operations, the seemingly random release schedule of Server upgrades and service pack releases prevented IT from adequately planning everything from hardware acquisition, to lease schedules, to software budgeting.

In addition, companies wanted to keep the critical security and performance updates to the operating systems separate from updates that added new features. Companies where extensive testing and planning make virtually any downtime unacceptable, didn’t like that in order to keep their systems secure and optimized they had to introduce new, untested, features and services into their environment, or deal with kludgey, file deleting, registry editing, hacks to remove those features from otherwise necessary Service Pack updates.

On the other hand, in the technology industry, five years is a lifetime and Microsoft worried that products would quickly become out of date, with its offerings lacking the latest features and innovations if new feature sets were released only twice a decade. If there was one thing Microsoft did not need, it was to bolster the view of the company as a slow moving dinosaur out of touch with the fast moving pace of business.

The compromise the company struck was that the company would focus on releasing new versions of core business software products approximately every five years. Like with Windows Server 2003 and then Windows Server 2008. Service packs would continue to be released whenever necessary in order to update critical security, stability, and performance issues.

However, Service Packs would not contain new features within them. Instead, Microsoft would update feature sets with an R2 release every 2 to 3 years.

This way, businesses that wanted to keep up to date with the latest security, stability, and performance enhancements, but did not want to introduce new features (and their potential stability and security problems) into the production environment could install Service Packs. And, those companies looking to incorporate the latest technologies and feature set could take advantage of the R2 releases.

Thus, Server 2008 R2 offers much more than just a Service Pack, but not quite as much a new full-scale release.

So, what exactly is in the latest release of Windows Server 2008 R2?

Server 2008 R2 Upgrade Costs

Many of the features and functionalities in Server 2008 were introduced in the original, or “R1″ release of Server 2008. However, for environments currently running Windows Server 2003, these features should also figure heavily in any decision whether to upgrade to Server 2008 R2 or not.

Obviously, migrating from Server 2003 to Server 2008 R2 is not a free update, unless the company is enrolled in certain licensing subscriptions.

For IT groups already running the original Server 2008 system, the question gets a little murkier. For businesses with Software Assurance, the question is merely one of value versus the time and effort to upgrade the server operating system.

For those without Software Assurance, or other business licensing that includes free upgrades, Windows Server 2008 R2 is not a free upgrade. In other words, for those running Server 2008 already, the evaluation involves not only the time and effort, but additional cost as well.

New Features in Server 2008 R2

As before, there are several Editions of Windows Server 2008 R2 available depending upon the needs of an organization. Some features are optional on certain editions or only available on specific editions. Thus, a straight list of all new features is a relatively complicated undertaking.

However, there are certain features that are the “deal-makers” in Server 2008 R2.

  •   Hyper-V and Virtualization

The centerpiece of Server 2008 was the addition of virtualization as a built-in function of the operating system. As is often the case, the company’s first effort was successful and usable if not as scalable or feature filled as competing offerings. However, for companies looking to start down the path toward virtualization or to roll out the new technology on a limited basis, Microsoft’s Hyper-V offered a great entry point without any additional cost.

One area that has received substantial attention for the R2 release of Windows Server is virtualization and Hyper-V.

Features like Live Migration, Hot Add/Remove Virtual Machine Storage, integration with desktop virtualization (VDI), and also presentation or application virtualization (formerly provided in some fashion by Terminal Services) have all been added.

In addition, services like clustering and failover have been improved and expanded. Also, included is the long awaited ability to boot from storage networks.

  •   64-bit Architecture and More

Of course, the R2 release contains upgraded support for more powerful hardware. Server 2008 R2 becomes the first version to be released only in 64-bit architecture, marking the official end of 32-bit computing for Server products.

R2 supports up to 256 logical processor cores and up to 64 logical cores for each host. New power management features allow processor cores to be parked when load is low and then automatically re-enabled when demand increases. In a large data center, the amount of savings just from lowered cooling requirements alone could make an upgrade to R2 worth it.

Other new features receiving a lot of attention are improvements in Remote Administration, as well as secure connections for remote employees without the need for third-party VPN software, updates to Active Directory management, including a recycle bin for AD objects, streamlined performance, improved storage management, and an update to PowerShell.

Add to all of this the fact that many of the high-end features of Windows 7 will only work with Server 2008 R2, or will work much better with it, and it starts to add up to a must upgrade scenario.

The only real question in these trying economic times is when and where the will and funds will meet the need for a much improved server operating system environment.

Related posts:

• Overview of Server 2008 R2 — The Half Version Upgrade
• Windows 7 Features That Require Server 2008 R2
• 5 Great Things About Server 2008 — Is an Upgrade Worth It?

Most reviewers claim to see not only improvements in speed and functionality, but better usability as well.

Some reviewers are going so far as to proclaim that Windows 7 is as user friendly as the latest Mac OS Snow Leopard.

Even more important for business users and Information Technology Professionals is the list of impressive new features that come with Windows 7. Many of these new Windows 7 technologies allow for IT Departments to better manage, support, and configure Windows 7 machines throughout the enterprise.

It is not surprising then that these Windows 7 features are at the top of the list of reasons IT groups are ready to initiate the massive undertaking of upgrading desktop computers throughout the company.

Server 2008 R2 Required for Windows 7 Functions

But, did you know that some of the best new Windows 7 features only work with Windows Server 2008? In fact, some features actually require the latest Windows Server release, Server 2008 R2.

And, a handful of functions not only require Windows Server 2008 R2, but they require that all domain controllers be Windows Server 2008!

This isn’t a trivial point when evaluating upgrading to Windows 7 in a large environment. Let’s take a look at some of the features of Windows 7 that require Server 2008 R2.

  •   DirectAccess

DirectAccess is one of the much-anticipated features in Windows 7. For the home user, DriectAccess provides little benefit, but in the business environment, it will be invaluable.

Whether they were employees traveling on business trying to connect from hotel rooms or other locations, or whether they were employees working from home, or IT administrators trying to remotely diagnose or fix a systems issue at 3:00 A.M. — the value of remote connectivity could not be denied.

Unfortunately, until the release of Windows 7, businesses had only a few unappetizing choices for providing remote access to workers.

They could open up a giant security hole by allowing full connectivity over unencrypted connections (like the hotel wireless network) and just hope that no one intercepted sensitive data, or worse piggybacked on the connection into the servers themselves. Obviously, this option was not popular.

They could create a DMZ area of sorts allowing connectivity only to specific resources that were sealed off from the “real” corporate network. However, this inevitably meant that whatever access the employee needed was behind the firewall and not available, and it did nothing to solve the problem of unencrypted data transfers.

Finally, companies could install a Virtual Private Network or VPN which would encrypt communications between the remote user and the company network as well as provide a means to authenticate remote users before they connected to the network.

Unfortunately, this required a whole other layer of client software, server setup, firewall configuration, and cost to make it work. Too often, the overall expense and effort of installation, support, and use of the VPN was such a burden that companies strictly limited who was permitted to use the service. Even for those with VPN installed, it was a clunky solution.

With Windows 7, Microsoft implemented DirectAccess. While DirectAccess offers many of the features found in VPN, it is not the same thing.

DirectAccess offers secure connections, like VPN, using IPSec in order to encrypt data passing between the client and network as it travels through the Internet. However, unlike VPN, DirectAccess provides an extra layer of “bi-directional” communications in which the remote computer can be connected and managed, without the user logging in. This is accomplished by authenticating the machine before the user ever attempts to connect.

This provides two huge benefits. First, because the machine must authenticate to the network first, a stolen username and password are worthless without an authorized computer. Thus, not only must a password be compromised, but a machine must be taken as well, which offers a much more obvious flag of a possible security breach.

Secondly, with the machine connected and authenticated over an Internet connection, the system can be remotely administered including installing patches, running scripts, or setting policies or profiles. With DirectAccess, users no longer have to worry that when the connect in a mad rush to download a critical presentation that their connection will be slowed to a crawl while a login script runs and updates are installed. Instead, these things can happen while the employee is asleep or watching T.V. in their hotel room.

DirectAccess is a native part of Windows 7 and integrates seamlessly with Windows Server 2008 R2 eliminating the need for managing an extra layer of security or tying Active Directory entries to VPN users.

Instead, all of the same profiles, policies, and object security features run with full affect ensuring that no one gets access to something they aren’t supposed to, while everyone gets access to everything they do need, all without any frantic 6:30 P.M. phone calls on Friday afternoon.

  •   BranchCache

While network connectivity has become widespread and WAN connections have dropped in price and increased in speed in larger cities, there are still tons of places where connectivity is expensive and slow. For companies with nationwide operations there are unpleasant choices to be made. Spend huge amounts of money on faster connections, or force employees in branch offices to suffer through slow authentication and slower data access.

With BranchCache you can have files stored on-site, either on a server, Windows 2008 Server, of course, or if there is no onsite server, files can be cached on the hard drives of other workstations. This way, if one person pulls down a file at 8:30 am and another person needs the same file at 9:15 am, the second user doesn’t need to download it across the WAN.

  •   BitLocker-to-Go

Windows 7 extends the drive encryption to USB keys and other removable drives. While BitLocker works without Server 2008, if you want to FORCE it to be used on USB key drives, you’ll need the Group Policy updates in Server 2008 R2. (Technically, you can’t force the drive to be encrypted, but you can disallow access to a non-encrypted drive.) Most importantly, the recovery password can be stored in Active Directory.

  •   RemoteApp

If you want to use Presentation Virtualization (making the application appear as if it installed locally) you’ll need Server 2008 (R1 or R2) and Windows 7. While you can technically get away with using Vista, advanced visuals like Aero won’t behave and will eliminate that “local install” feel.

  •   Sever 2008 Without Windows 7 and Vice Versa

In the real world, no upgrade to either the desktop OS nor the server OS will happen overnight. The question then becomes whether or not to upgrade to Windows Server 2008 R2 first or upgrade to Windows 7 first, or go the hybrid route and upgrade some of the server OS while also upgrading some of the desktop OS.

While at first glance, this sounds like the less desirable option, the reality is that this paradigm may actually serve many companies very well. The hybrid upgrade approach allows IT to upgrade by site or location, generally starting with the office with the highest concentration of the right IT personnel. By the time the IT guys are all running Windows 7 and at least a handful of the servers in the datacenter are running Windows Server 2008 R2, much of the infrastructure will not only be in place, but been tested as IT goes about its daily duties.

Working the bugs from a major upgrade out is a lot easier and less politically volatile when the ones dealing with the issues are both the people most capable of figuring out what the problem is, and the ones least likely to complain about the way things are being handled.

In the end, much of the handwringing going on about whether to put the chicken or the egg first may be moot. The only question is, which is the chicken, Windows Server 2008 or Windows 7?

Related posts:

• Active Directory Rights Management Services: Features & Operational Considerations
• Windows Server 2008 R2 Green Features
• Server 2008 R2 Update Review

I Love Train Signal!

My wonderful Train Signal just got a brand new laptop for me with … Windows 7! 

Remember how I gave my boss a little hint in my upgrading from XP to Windows 7 article?  I guess he reads my posts after all, because first thing yesterday morning I get a package with a brand spanking new laptop!  I was so happy I was in tears! (Quite hormonal, yes — but there’s not much you can do when you are about to have a baby AND you get a new laptop you’ve been wanting for months).

Bragging About My New Windows 7 Laptop

Most of the day yesterday I spent setting up my Windows 7, copying files and programs, configuring my preferences, etc., and I must say, Windows 7 makes all of this really easy.  I am not a Windows 7 pro and I haven’t done much training on it either but I was able to figure out almost everything on my own — it’s so easy to use. 

I love the new look and feel and the speed is amazing — I really think I can get used to it quickly.  Now, just so you know, I haven’t used Windows Vista that much.  I know Windows 7 is supposed to be just like Vista and all, but I made the jump to 7 from Windows XP. 

I still love XP and will miss it dearly, but it’s time for me to move on and “go with the flow”.  So, if any of you are still on Windows XP and are afraid of installing Windows 7 — don’t be.  It’s easy and you will have no problem getting used to it.

Redirecting Your Documents Folder in Windows 7

Ok, enough bragging about my new laptop and the awesome Windows 7.

What I want to show you today is how to redirect your Documents folder to a different location on you Windows 7 PC.

I like to keep my Documents folder on my D drive and as of now the default is C:\Users\Public. So, how do I change the default? Here are the steps.

1. To start, click on the start orb, point to Documents and right click. You will get a pop-up menu.  Point and select Properties.

2. In the Documents Properties window, select the Library location you want to remove (in my case it is the C:\Users\Public folder) and click Remove.

3. You can remove them all or you may leave the ones you would like to keep.  I am going to leave the “My Documents” location that is in my profile, in case I want to save files in that location someday.  To add a new location, click on the Include a Folder button.

4. Select the folder you want to include for your Documents and then click Include folder.

5. That folder now shows in your library locations.  To set it as your default save location, select it and then click on Set save location.

6. Make sure to click Apply and OK before you close that window.

7. That’s it!  You can see now that I have two locations for my library.  One is on my C drive and the other — the default one, is on my D drive.

8. I think we should test it.  I created a word document and I am going to click on Save As.  Let’s see where it is going to take me.

9. I’m not going to select anything, just type in the name and click Save.

10. Now I’m going to open up my Documents library and see where the document was saved.

Woo Hoo!  It worked!  The document is on my D drive!

Just like the folder redirection, everything seems to be super easy and common sense in Windows 7.  Is there anything you want to know how to do? 

Let us know and we’ll try to help out!

Related posts:

• My Journey from Windows XP to Windows 7
• How to Create a New Virtual Machine with Hyper-V
• Server 2008: How to Setup a Remote Desktop on Windows Vista

When we first got the search bar from the start menu in Vista my computing life changed. It has allowed me to be blissfully lazy. I really have no idea where any of my programs and files are. Heck, I don’t even know their full names. And don’t get me started on OS tools and features.

If I want to do a backup, I don’t navigate to the Backup and Restore Center – I just type the letters “ba” and BOOM. There it is. Life is great!

In Server 2008 R2 they have added a GUI search tool to help you find Active Directory objects. You can find users, computers, OUs, groups, and more in a snap! You can even search in other domains you have established trusts with.  Network admins everywhere:  rejoice!

You can further refine your search (query) by adding criteria. You can even save queries. And you don’t have to search the entire domain. You could navigate to a particularly large OU then filter that OU’s objects with a query. The possibilities are endless.

In all seriousness, this is a great tool for the help desk professional or any other person the all-powerful admin has delegated responsibilities to. For example, that person does not have to know the ins and outs of the network structure to quickly find a user and reset their password.

The fact that the new Active Directory Administrative Center (and its Global Search) can be installed on a Windows 7 client makes this scenario all the more possible.

The Global Search tool is only one new feature in the new Active Directory Administrative Center, and there are plenty more new features in Server 2008 R2.

So if you want to learn all about it and more — keep an eye out for our new Server 2008 R2 Training that is coming soon. Love it!

Related posts:

• Upgrading to Server 2008 R2 in 8 Easy Steps
• Windows Server 2008: Auditing Active Directory
• How to Backup and Restore Active Directory on Server 2008

Windows 7 Minimum Hardware Requirements

• 1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
• 1 GB of RAM (32-bit)/2 GB of RAM (64-bit)
• 16 GB of available disk space (32-bit)/20 GB (64-bit)
• DirectX 9 graphics device with Windows Display Driver Model 1.0  or higher driver

These are the big 4 requirements but Microsoft has a list of additional feature based requirements also.  

Looking at this screenshot of my Toshiba Tecra M3 laptop’s hardware specifications you can see that I am in pretty good shape for general hardware requirements. There is also a tool called the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor (only a Beta version is currently available) that will tell me if all my devises will work with Windows 7 as well.

The Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor

I downloaded and installed the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. This tool also requires .NET framework 2.0 or higher. I didn’t have it so I was automatically prompted to download and install it before continuing with the upgrade advisor install. 

The upgrade advisor told me to make sure I install all my devices before running the tool so that they can be checked for compatibility. That reminds me. What about my USB adaptor for my Play Station controller? I better still be able to use that.

Success! I am Windows 7 ready! Sort of. While there was no mention of my game controller this message was given for my wireless card:

I wonder why it wants me to download the driver upgrade first before installing Windows 7. If I download it now I would have to have an external device to save it to (I do have one but that’s not the point).  I decided to just ignore this advice and see it if bites me later.

There are several programs that the upgrade advisor is asking me to uninstall before upgrading to Windows 7. I will not be upgrading to 7 from XP as that is impossible. So I don’t need to bother uninstalling anything – everything will be wiped anyway. Did I mention that this tool is a beta?

File Backup

All I need to backup is My Documents, my browser favorites, and my Thunderbird profile. With those all safely copied and pasted onto a USB drive, I am ready to go.

Install Windows 7

I waited all morning on Thursday for the RTM downloads to show up on TechNet. Sometime around noon (CDT) I hit refresh and there they were – the  versions of Windows 7 in all their shining glory. I chose the 32 bit version of 7 Ultimate and started the download.

I also got a key from TechNet and made sure it was saved in a .txt file on my USB drive. What? Did you expect me physically to write it down? How barbaric.

After 3 hours and still no completed download I saw a tweet form Keith Combs with a tip to use the Akamai Technologies Download Manager Browser add-on at TechNet’s Top Downloads.  This was much faster!

My second attempt at downloading the ISO file finished in only 42 minutes. However, and this is a huge however – I simultaneously discovered that my DVD/CD-ROM drive on the Toshiba does not work. When was the last time I even tried to use it? I can’t be certain. This puts a damper on things.

Well, if I am going to embark on trying to make a bootable USB drive I might as well make it for my netbook instead and just get the Toshiba’s DVD/CD-ROM fixed/replaced. Now the focus switches to my Acer Aspire One A150X. This means a quick trip back to TechNet to get Windows 7 Home Premium instead of Ultimate (a new key too).

Create a Bootable USB to Install Windows 7 From

After some Googling I found a guide at IntoWindows.com for making a bootable USB drive.  This guide shows the steps for making the drive bootable using Vista so I used a different (yes a third) computer to actually create the bootable drive.

I was using a 400GB external HDD instead of a little USB key. Therefore the line in the instructions that says “Format process may take few seconds” was a wee bit of an understatement. After an hour and a half the format was only at 18%.

Instead, I just used the normal Windows GIU method to do a quick format after assigning the drive a letter. This time, after an actual few seconds passed I just went back to the command prompt and continued on to step number 6. This worked for me just fine, but I would suggest sticking to the written directions if possible.

At this point I was getting impatient. I didn’t bother with the Upgrade Advisor, I just checked to make sure the netbook had the minimum hardware requirements (it does), backed up my needed files, and went for it.

My first trip into the BIOS to change the boot order did not list USB as an option – not all computers can do this. However, after trying it again … with the USB drive actually plugged in to the computer, the option was available.

Custom Windows 7 Installation

I then followed the install wizard as it did its business:
A custom install is a clean install.

I left the XP restore partition on the netbook (hey you never know), and chose not to further partition the drive. The third drive you see here is actually the bootable USB hard drive.

Besides asking for a computer name, username, time zone, and other expected configurations — the custom install asked me for my network information.  You could always skip this step if you want, but why not set it up now.

Tada! Windows 7 on my netbook! That was easy.

All that is left is to get it configured just how I want. Sliding scale UAC controls here I come! Windows 7 sure has some wacky standard desktop backgrounds available.

So how many computers does it take for Lisa to install Windows 7?

The answer is 4. I know you probably only counted 3. In a momentary act of stupidity, I actually tried another ridiculously old machine I have that is running Windows ME. Needless to say it wouldn’t even open the Windows 7 install disk.  So the final tally is:

• 2 broken/obsolete computers that were nothing but distractions from my true quest (you can’t polish a turd)
• 1 current Vista machine on which to create the bootable USB drive
• 1 slick little Acer netbook that eventually did run 7

Oh and don’t forget the 400GB external hard drive and my trusty Nikon D200 for all the awesome photos of the install.

Well, I hope your upgrade/custom install journey goes significantly better than mine did. I guess it was worth it in the end.

Share Your Journey: How did your Windows 7 install turn out?

Related posts:

• Windows 7 — Downgradable But Not Upgradable
• How to Redirect Your Documents Folder in Windows 7
• W00T! Window 7 and Server 2008 R2 RTM

I started gathering information for this article right after the Windows 7 and somewhat quieter Server 2008 R2  release to manufacturing (RTM) announcements on Wednesday. As the hours go by more and more people are starting to weigh in on what they think about the products.

Predictions and opinions are mixed and some facts are still unknown. But, I have gathered the most important facts for you and then I’ll chime in with my own two cents. Why not? Everyone else is doing it.

Time Table

There is a very intricate time table for whom can get their hands on what when. I made you some neat and tidy little charts to help you find out when you can first get Window 7. Please note that these dates are for the English version of the projects only. For info on other languages see the Windows Blog and the Windows Server Division Weblog.

Well at least it is cheaper then Vista… There are also talks of a family pack that lets you install Windows 7 on up to 3 computers, but the details are not confirmed at this time.

Windows 7 Versions and Prices

Here are the six, count-em six, versions of Windows 7:

So to buy or not to buy?

With Windows Server R2 the answer (money aside) comes down to whether or not you could use some of the many new features that R2 has to offer. Do you need the reduced power consumption, a ton of new PowerShell cmdlets, all the improvements in security and failover, and of course vitalization up the wazoo? You can even reinstate Active Directory objects from the “recycle bin” after you delete them – how cool is that!

Whether or not to hop right on the Windows 7 bandwagon is the hot questions that everyone is debating right now. Is 7 just a Vista Pig in lipstick? I say Vista already had lipstick but what it really needed to do is go on a diet. And I guess it did – most people agree that 7 is leaner and quicker than Vista.

Yes, it will be impossible to upgrade from XP to 7. Yes, 7 might not be able to run well on the underpowered old XP machines. I hate to say it, but if you have machines that are that old maybe it is time to replace them anyway.

And, please don’t keep whining about the lack of backward compatibility. People like my husband think it is a great injustice. He was correct – back in 2007 when Vista first sprang that problem on us. But if you haven’t done anything about it by now you only have yourself to blame. We need to move forward people. Only grandma can get away with refusing to embrace change.

What about usability? I think usability is all about what you are used to. I primarily use Vista now so when I get on an XP machine I don’t automatically remember where and how to do things. That doesn’t mean that XP is suddenly more cumbersome then I remember; it just means I am suddenly more cumbersome with XP. 7 will feel awkward at first, but you will get used to that funky task bar I promise.

As far as I am personally concerned, the only question that really needs answering is will Windows 7 work on my netbook? Microsoft’s Windows 7 Starter solution is just not a viable option. Limiting the user to three applications at once is just plain silly. Even if it will work, how will I get 7 onto the machine with no DVD drive?

The Windows 7 Challenge

So I issue a challenge to Gosia my fellow Train Signal Product Manager, known XP lover, and borderline Vista hater: Try out Windows 7 and see if you like it (after you get used to it).

Will the new UAC still bug you? Will you love the fact that 7 will know what network you are connected to (work or home) and change you default printer accordingly? Will the search box make you extremely lazy like Vista’s does for me?

Let me and the world know in an answer post in a month or so. Can’t Wait!

Related posts:

• Why Skipping Vista & Going Straight from XP to 7 is the Best Option – For Some of Us
• Downgradable Windows 7 — Downgrade Not Just to Vista, But XP Too

• 70-680, TS: Windows 7, Configuring
• 70-685, MCITP: Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Support Technician
• 70-686, MCITP: Windows 7, Desktop Administrator

Since then there have been some interesting developments.

First of all, the MCITP titles have a different word arrangement than the actual exam name. Is that less or more confusing? Actually, I think it is less. For example, what you see above lists the exam number 70-685 and the letters MCITP in the same line. This might lead you to believe that you would become an MCITP after taking just the 70-685 exam. That would be too easy!

Instead they have made the actual MCITP title:

     MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Support Technician 7

while the exam is being called:

     70-685, Pro: Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Support Technician

Here is some more information about the two MCITP paths that will be available for Windows 7:

MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Support Technician 7

Like other Microsoft Certified IT Pro level titles this one has several exam requirements that need to be fulfilled before you get the beloved MCITP letters after your name.

• 70-680, TS: Windows 7, Configuring
• 70-685, Pro: Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Support Technician
• And an HDI (Help Desk Institute) customer service exam:
  – HDI Support Center Analyst (HDI-SCA)
  or
  – HDI Desktop Support Technician (HDI-DST)

Who is HDI? They are the leading international association for technical support professionals. They offer training and certification in IT service and support.

The theory is a good one: a certification that shows you both understand the technical aspects and are actually human. But when push comes to shove, will an HR manager really know the difference between Enterprise Desktop Support Technician and Enterprise Desktop Administrator? Who knows.

MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Administrator 7

There is still nothing official said about this path yet. I would guess it would include the 70-680, 70-686, and maybe one other exam. I do know it will not include the “soft skills” requirement from HDI. Ken Rosen from Born to Learn says:

“So for those of you who want a well-rounded technology+soft skills credential, there’s MCITP: EDST7, and for those of you just want the Win7 piece, there’s MCITP: EDA7″

So what about MCTS: Windows 7, Configuration?

Since my last Windows 7 certification post the 70-680: TS: Windows 7, Configuring exam has, thankfully, not changed names. It was removed from being in beta status last month. An objective list is available but Microsoft has no study materials available yet (and neither do many legitimate 3rd parties).

Microsoft has promised that the 70-680 exam can be used toward the MCITP: Enterprise Administrator title, but I have been hearing that people are having issues with this. They have completed 70-680 and all the other requirements for Enterprise Admin, but are still not receiving the Enterprise Admin title on their transcripts.

I hope MS gets their act together and gets this resolved or people are going to be more reluctant to be early certification adopters in the future. What would Microsoft do without their beta exam takers?

So there you go. That is the latest confirmed and unconfirmed information about Windows 7 certifications. Don’t shoot the messenger!

Related posts:

• Windows 7 Exams are on the Way – Is a Vista Certification Still Worth it?
• MCTS Demystified: What you need to know about the Server 2008 Active Directory (Exam 70-640) Certification
• MCTS Demystified: What you need to know about the Server 2008 Network Infrastructure (exam 70-642) Certification

Vista sales still down — and Microsoft knows it!

Vista sales since its first release date have never been what Microsoft anticipated.  Microsoft thought that this is going to be the most popular Operating System yet — with a new look, new features, awesome security, etc.  Unfortunately as soon as Vista came out problems started arising. We’re all pretty much aware of these issues so I won’t list them here.

Today, Vista sales are still quite low. Some people think that Vista is not being adopted due to the fact that there is an increase in sales of systems with base-level OS that boot into an online access (check out Brian Nelson’s article on skipping Vista).

In my opinion this isn’t the case.  I think that Vista is still just not that popular.

Even though most of the problems and issues have been fixed, many people still think of Vista as nothing but problems (I know I do).  It’s still a little slow, if you ask me, compared to XP.  So when someone is out shopping for a new system and sees that there is an option to get Windows XP, many go for it.  Check out Dell.com — I was able to pick a nice gaming system and have them install XP Pro on it.  There must be a reason for it. Microsoft knows that a lot of us still prefer XP over Vista.

Windows XP problems

My good friend Dave posted a comment to one of my previous posts saying that Windows XP also had problems.  Of course it did.  And guess what Dave, Windows 7 is going to have lots of problems too. 

All Microsoft products have little kinks and smaller or bigger problems that need to be worked out before the products become decent. My point about Vista was that it was supposed to be this best thing ever — and unfortunately Microsoft fell flat on it.  Many people will agree with me.

Sure Vista is better now and a lot of people use it. But I am not going to buy it, just so I can buy Windows 7 again in few months. And by the way, I did learn Vista (my desktop has Vista on it) and I even passed Vista certification so that is just not the point.

The future of Windows XP

I, as well as many other XP users, don’t need to worry about using XP until Windows 7 gets released.  Why?  Well, because Microsoft already confirmed that they do not plan on cutting the support anytime soon. In fact Microsoft stated: “We plan to provide support for Windows XP until 2014.” That’s plenty of time, if you ask me. You will have time for the Windows 7 to be released, fixed (we all know there will be bugs, right Microsoft? hehe), and tested before you move over to the new OS.

Who should upgrade to Vista right now?

If your company buys you a new system and it has Vista installed on it — you should start getting use to it.  Windows 7 is going to be quite similar to Vista (hopefully with fewer problems) so if you have no choice but to use Vista, then I think you should do it. Who knows, maybe I am going to be “forced” to use Vista too on my new laptop.

Skipping Vista — is it a good idea?

There’s nothing wrong for some of us (hardcore XP users) to wait for Windows 7. XP still works fine, it is quite stable, and it is going to be supported for at least 4 more years.

We need to understand that it may not be a good idea to move over to the new OS until second quarter of 2010, or later, but that’s only about 12 -16 months away.  That’s nothing, right?  That is just the right amount of time to plan for our new system, because you will more than likely need a new hard drive, video card, processor, etc.

One more thing to keep in mind if you are going to be buying a new system with XP on it — make sure it is “Vista ready” as the system requirements for Windows 7 will be very similar.

Good luck and hopefully I will see you on the other side in a year!

Related posts:

• Downgradable Windows 7 — Downgrade Not Just to Vista, But XP Too
• Why I hate Vista and can’t wait to start using Windows 7
• Performance Shootout: Microsoft’s XP, Vista, and Windows 7

The Windows 7 Release Candidate is Just Around the Corner

Last week bloggers picked up on a page of the Microsoft’s Partner Program site that seemes to have gone live early. (Intentionally? Unintentionally? Who knows?)

The information is currently gone from that page but it originally listed May 5, 2009 as the date for Windows 7’s release candidate. Here is an article by Gregg Keizer of Computerworld with more information about what partner program site exactly said.

It doesn’t end there folks! Adrian Kingsley-Hughes of ZDnet is reporting that release candidate build 7100 has been leaked. Gasp! Check out his article. His journalistic integrity keeps him from dishing any really juicy information but it is still a good read.

Microsoft Funds an Open-Source Network File System for Windows

Version 4 of NFS for Windows is being developed at University of Michigan. This means that a Windows server will be able to be used for NFSv4 file storage. Here are some links for more information:

• An Open Source Network File System Client for Windows – Port25’s Peter Galli
• Microsoft finances open-source NFS v4 implementation for Windows – Mary-Jo Foley, ZDnet

The Free Microsoft Hyper-V Server Gets More Features (Free) and will Continue to be Free!

Wow, if that title were in an e-mail it would never pass the spam filters. The Microsoft Virtualization Team Blog says, “Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 will continue to be free, and now will include live migration and host clustering capabilities.” This refers to the stand-alone version of Hyper-V that you don’t need Windows Server 2008 to get.

The Exchange 2010 Beta First Impressions

The beta for Exchange 2010 was released last week. I went looking for first reviews and found they are mostly positive. There has to be more to get excited about then thread style e-mail so check out these articles.

• First look: Exchange 2010 Beta Shines – Martin Heller, InfoWorld
• Can You Find the Enhancements in Exchange 2010? – Peter Bruzzese, InfoWorld
• Hands On with Exchange 2010 Beta – Mario Morejon, PCMag.com

Green Computing TechNet Magazine Released for Earth Day

You knew that earth day was April 22nd right? With hordes of people wearing the color green in honor of earth day while at the same time failing to take any kind of real action – I felt a bit jaded this year. I was excited to see this Going Green issue of TechNet Magazine. Articles include:

• Framework for Building a “Hyper-Green” Virtual Server System
• Planning Your Power Management and Virtualization Strategies
• Essential Tools for Planning Your Virtual Infrastructure
• Build a Green Datacenter

Windows 8?

Microsoft is looking for a Software tester for the new file server being developed for Windows 8. So that confirms that at least parts of Windows 8 is already (or very soon will be) in development. Here is the job posting with all the details. 

Personally, I just don’t have the energy to care about Windows 8 yet. Do you?

Related posts:

• Microsoft Exchange 2010 has Thread-Style Email Conversations
• Performance Shootout: Microsoft’s XP, Vista, and Windows 7
• Want to Install WordPress on Server 2008 the Easy Way?

  •   Vista is So Slow

You install Vista, then you wait for it to boot up … and wait … and wait … you drink your coffee and wait some more — oh and finally it’s up! Now you try to open up Word and you wait… and wait… and wait…

What the heck is taking so long?

  •   UAC is Annoying

Now you’re ready to download and install a new program but before you can do that Vista needs to make sure that you know what you’re doing so you get the “Do you really want to install this?” message. Once you click yes, Vista says “Are you sure?” — yes! “Positive?” — YES!!!

How annoying.

  •   Everything is in the Wrong Place

I consider myself to be quite knowledgeable about my ways around XP. I’ve been using it for years and when I need to do something I know exactly where to go and how to do it.

But when I installed Vista I was lost! I found myself unproductive, annoyed, and at some point I thought I was losing my brain cells. Microsoft completely changed the location of every important thing.

Needless to say, after all the disappointments with Vista I went back to XP.

Damn you Vista!

And the fact that I’m not the only one who hates using Vista just proves my point. There are lots of people out there dedicated to pointing out the different Vista shortcomings. Like this (really funny) blog post: Who Gave You Permission to Restart?? from the Why Vista Sucks blog.

Why I can’t wait to start using Windows 7

I’m also not the only person out there who can’t wait to start using Windows 7. Don’t get me wrong, I love my XP but I’m ready for a new OS and Vista just doesn’t do it for me — so I’m getting ready for a Windows 7 upgrade.

Here’s what I’m looking forward to:

  •   Windows 7 is Faster

Microsoft has reduced the amount of data needed to boot and shut down the computer, and multiple tests have confirmed that Windows 7 is at least 20% faster than Vista. Applications and programs also seem to run faster and smoother in Windows 7.

  •   Windows 7 has Improved UAC

Windows 7 UAC will be improved in two major ways:

1. You will have more control over the UAC notifications — so as an administrator you can determine the range of notifications that you receive.
2. UAC notifications will be less annoying and more valuable — they will actually provide you with relevant information so that you can understand what the situation means so you can make an informed decision and not just a blind choice.

  •   Much Cooler Taskbar

This might not be a huge improvement for Vista users, but it’s definitely a huge step for those switching from XP to Windows 7.

The Windows 7 taskbar is resizable providing you with the ability to rearrange the icons as you see fit. You can also roll your mouse over the icons to see a thumbnail of the applications you have open (see below).

  •   Better Device Management

Windows 7 specifies which device is which easily with the use of large photo-realistic icons to help make it easier to find and fix possible problems.

Are you planning on making the move from XP to Windows 7?

Last week I heard my coworkers raving about Windows 7 beta, and you know what? I think I’ll be ok with leaving my XP for a much improved version of Vista. Are you planning on doing the same?

If you’re like me and can’t wait for Windows 7 to be officially released see how you can Make XP Look Like Windows 7.

Related posts:

• Downgradable Windows 7 — Downgrade Not Just to Vista, But XP Too
• Why Skipping Vista & Going Straight from XP to 7 is the Best Option – For Some of Us
• Performance Shootout: Microsoft’s XP, Vista, and Windows 7