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August 07 Windows 7 RTM Released !Its arrived .. Windows 7 RTM - this is the final release of Windows 7.
The last release, build 7100 was known as the Release Candidate i.e. Windows 7 RC. Before this release we were given the beta. This was build 7000. Now the RTM has been signed off by Steven Sinofsky for Release To Manufacturing (RTM). We will see this roll out to the public around October 22nd. All new Windows PC's being sold from October 22nd should be shipped with Windows 7. Well if they aren't, they should be Windows 7 ready.
Windows 7 should be a vast improvement on it's predecessor Windows Vista. Anyone who has used Windows Vista will be happy to see the opportunity of moving off that operating system and move to the more improved Windows 7.
Windows 7 early codename was Blackcomb, which was then renamed to Vienna in early 2006, and again to Windows 7 in 2007. Then in 2008, we heard that Windows 7 would also become the official name of the operating system
Minimum recommended hardware requirements for Windows 7:
Architecture: 32-bit
Processor speed: 1 GHz
Memory (RAM): 1GB Graphics card: Support for DirectX 9 graphics device with 128MB of graphics memory (for Windows Aero) HDD free space: 16 GB of available disk space Optical drive: DVD-R/W drive (gottta install the OS!) Architecture: 64-bit: Processor speed: 1 GHz
Memory (RAM): 2GB Graphics card: Support for DirectX 9 graphics device with 128MB of graphics memory (for Windows Aero) HDD free space: 20 GB of available disk space Optical drive: DVD-R/W drive (gottta to install the OS!)  Enjoy!
Yellow Duck Guy Greg Olsen July 23 When can you get Windows 7 RTM (build 7600)?Developers
Developers with MSDN Subscriptions will be able to download Windows 7 RTM in English on August 6th and remaining languages by October 1st.
ISV (Independent software vendor) and IHV (Independent hardware vendor) Partners
Able to download Windows 7 RTM from Microsoft Connect or MSDN on August 6th 2009.
IT Professionals
IT Professionals with TechNet Subscriptions will be able to download Windows 7 RTM in English on August 6th 2009.
General Public / Retail
Windows 7 will be in retail stores and shipping on new PCs from October 22nd 2009. Like always, if demand is high you may have to wait longer. News .... "Family Pack" Stay Tuned. Greg Olsen May 25 Windows 7 - Create a Network BridgeI have two onboard network adapters on my motherboard and for a long time now I have been able to create a bridge between these adapters. Within Windows 7, especially the latest Release Candidate, this options is a little hidden from the general user. BUT right here you can find that setting with ease.
Dialog is shown - "Please wait while windows bridges the connections". When this is completed a 'Network Bridge' is created. From here you will need to set the ip address settings to be used by both adapters or simply use 'Obtain an ip address automatically' option to get an ip address assigned from your DHCP server or device. I normally set the IP v4 settings. Hope this helps. I have posted it for my future reference because I seem to forget where to find it again after a few months gone by! Greg Olsen May 17 Windows 7 RC - Access is denied patch KB970789A folder that is created under the root of the system drive is missing entries in its security descriptor, which may cause some application failures on the English version of Windows 7 Release Candidate 32-bit Ultimate
In the English version of Windows 7 Release Candidate (build 7100) 32-bit Ultimate, the folder that is created as the root folder of the system drive (%SystemDrive%) is missing entries in its security descriptor. One effect of this problem is that standard users such as non-administrators cannot perform all operations to subfolders that are created directly under the root. Therefore, applications that reference folders under the root may not install successfully or may not uninstall successfully. Additionally, operations or applications that reference these folders may fail.
For example, if a folder is created under the root of the system drive from an elevated command prompt, this folder will not correctly inherit permissions from the root of the drive. Therefore, some specific operations, such as deleting the folder, will fail when they are performed from a non-elevated command prompt. Additionally, the following error message appears when the operation fails - "Access is denied".
The above information is sourced directly from the link below and only affects the 32bit (x86) English version of Windows 7 Release Candidate.
Greg Olsen
Yellow Duck Guy April 28 Windows 7 – Release Candidate 1 - Due 30th AprilThe Windows 7 blog has informed us that Windows 7, Release Candidate 1 will be available to MSDN and TechNet subscribers on April 30th 2009 and to the public from 5th May 2009. This is great news! Look forward to downloading the RC1 from MSDN when it lands. Greg Olsen February 15 Windows 7 – Virtual DVD/CD ROM SupportToday I needed to mount a few ISO files to complete some installs. It seems this area is a little fragile. Heading through the install process I found that unfortunately MagicDisc and Daemon Tools didn’t like Windows 7 and failed to install or work. The two I have successfully been able to run with Windows 7 are PowerISO and Virtual CloneDrive. The list below are of my successfully installed Virtual DVD/CD ROM applications on Windows 7 Beta, build 7000:
The list below are the applications which have failed to install or work as a Virtual DVD/CD ROM drive on my system:
If you find Daemon Tools or MagicDisc to work on Windows 7 Beta, build 7000, then let me know. Hopefully this will help you quickly pick which one to install when attempting this process. Greg Olsen February 12 Windows 7 – Series 1 Journey through the new Windows 7 OS betaMy journey through Windows 7 has begun and I thought I would start posting more of my findings right here for you to read and see. Here is the Series 1 list. Not to sure how many series I will run, so keep watching this space.
Well I have just noticed MS Paint has had a face lift or upgrade to its appearance. I took a screenshot for an email I sent and noticed that when I opened it in MS Paint that it was quite different. MS Paint has the new Ribbon interface, made famous by Microsoft Office.
When configuring my network settings for home networking I notice a new feature of ‘Validate TCP/IP’ settings. This can be quite handy if you need to identify any networking issues you have. The process can output a report at the end detailing any issues you may have. Below is a few screenshots to show you where and what the process looks like. Check the setting to turn on Validation. If you are an expert with network settings then I would suspect you would uncheck this every time.
Troubleshooting report above details all issues you may have. I have suppressed the contents for this blog entry.
I created a blog entry 29th October 2008 titled Windows 7, where I spoke about the ‘add printer’ would be added back to the quick start menu. Well this is now here and labelled Devices and Printers.
I have been a big user of shortcuts for Windows Explorer via Windows Key + E or by right-clicking on My Computer and selecting Explore. I have noticed that the ‘Explore’ option is now gone and you simply have the option of ‘Open’.
Right-clicking on the desktop is normally used to quickly get to the monitor or desktop settings in Windows. With Windows 7 the options have been broken up into three categories; Screen Resolution, Gadgets and Personalize. I quite like this option as it allows me to get to the Screen Resolution settings quicker than going through Personalize as we did with Vista.
Here is a screenshot of the Screen Resolution option:
The Resource Monitor has a cool view of your memory usage within one of it’s tabs. You can get to the Resource Monitor by right-clicking the taskbar, selecting Start Task Manager, Select Performance tab and then click the Resource Monitor button. The Resource Monitor Memory tab view is shown below:
Well this concludes Series 1 journey through the new Windows 7 beta Operating System (OS). Hopefully you notice something a bit different from the list. Series 2 is on it’s way. Keep watching. Greg Olsen Windows 7 - Desktop Background FolderThe easiest option to change or set the desktop background with Windows 7, would involve you right-clicking on the image and selecting 'Set as Desktop Background'. If you need to know where Windows 7 puts your image once set by default, check out the location below.
This is the location for desktop background images for Windows 7:
C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper Greg Olsen February 11 Windows 7 - Siamese Fighting Fish Background DownloadI have obtained the Windows 7 Siamese Fighting Fish desktop background, which is the default background for Windows 7 Beta. This can be viewed from build 7000.
You can download it from here:
Greg Olsen Yellow Duck Guy Windows 7 - I have installed the beta last night. The 2 minute 'peek'Last night I decided to blow away my machine with Vista OS with a clean formatted install of Windows 7 Ultimate Beta Build 7000.
The install (booting from the ISO download burnt to DVD) was simple and straightforward to install. I simply navigated my way through the setup process like any other installer selecting all the correct options i.e. Time Zone is NZ and the OS was completed. It took me 20 minutes to install. Not a fan of upgrade installs so I took the option of a complete install. Once it was completed, added the machine name and login account and I was in. First thing you notice is the desktop background and the new Windows 7 taskbar. The theme is very blue.
There is however a reason for the fish, its actually a Siamese fighting fish, apparently in reference to the name "betta". Given this install is Windows 7 Beta.
The Taskbar has had a change as well. The look n feel is different and I feel its got that "Apple Mac" type feel to it. Do you reckon? Quite nice on the eye though, images are quite rich. There is a number of different options you can do with each application on the Taskbar so have a play with them. Thats the first initial 2 minute peek of Windows 7. With time permitting I will attempt to get more screenshots and information posted as I head on through the Windows 7 journey. My initially feeling using it is that its more comfortable to use than Vista, but again its just the initial feeling and this is subject to change. Watch this space. Greg Olsen January 09 Windows 7 - Beta Available x64 x86November 14 Hyper-V: Check Your Computer Will Run Hyper-VThere are a couple of tools on the internet to check your computer for Hyper-V compatibility. If you have had your computer for a number of years then the answer is most likely no. Check AMD machine: http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/TechnicalResources/0,,30_182_871_9033,00.html Check Intel: http://www.intel.com/support/processors/tools/piu/ Enjoy! Greg Olsen October 29 Windows 7Quite a bit of talk around the web and on blogs recently regarding the next release of Windows, Windows 7. I have collected some of the highlights or comments as follows:
So we look forward to seeing what all unfolds in 2009 with Windows 7. Could this mean an early death for Vista? You be the judge. Happy reading! September 24 Windows 2008 Server - Tips on Remote Desktop & RunAsCouple of tips when working with Windows 2008 Server (apply to other Operating Systems as well):
Remote Desktop - /console now /admin
You can use the new /admin switch to remotely connect to a Windows Server 2008-based server for administrative purposes. The /admin switch is introduced with RDC 6.1. So use this instead of /console. There are also some fundamental changes to Remote Administration, for more info you can read the really good article posted by the Terminal Services team: http://blogs.msdn.com/ts/archive/2007/12/17/changes-to-remote-administration-in-windows-server-2008.aspx
There are also some operating systems affected by this remote administration change and will also require the /admin switch command. These are:
Run As
Want to do the runas option with Windows 2008 server? Well you can use this handy command-line Runas utility is for launching programs under different accounts. Head over to this link and take advantage of the command: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/cc300361.aspx
ShellRunas works on Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP.
Using ShellRunas
Usage: shellrunas [/reg | [/quietreg ] | /regnetonly [/quiet] | unreg | [/netonly] <program> <arguments> /reg Registers ShellRunas shell context-menu entry /regnetonly Registers Shell /netonly context-menu entry. Note: a command prompt will flash when the program starts /unreg Unregisters ShellRunas shell context-menu entry /quiet Register or unregisters ShellRunas shell context-menu entry without result dialog /netonly Use if specified credentials are for remote access only <program> Runs program with specified credentials and parameters Enjoy! Greg Olsen Yellow Duck Guy February 23 Windows 2008 Server - Turn Off IE Enhanced Security Configuration (ESC)I have just completed a Windows 2008 Server Standard install and configuring various areas of the server. One configuration that I always turn off is IE ESC, or Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration. This is an easy step so I thought I would post this up to the blog for future reference. To do this with Windows 2008 Server:
You will be shown the configuration window as shown below:
I have selected to turn OFF the IE ESC just for administrators on this server install. To complete simply click OK. Greg Olsen February 07 Windows Server 2008 - Reviewers GuideThere is an in-depth guide into Windows Server 2008 outling the features of the new operating system and also a technical overview.
The document contents is as follows:
Section 1: Introduction to Windows Server 2008
1.01 Introduction to Windows Server 2008
1.02 Windows Server 2008 Editions 1.03 Windows Server 2008 Editions - Features Section 2: Server Virtualization
2.01 Server Virtualization Introduction 2.02 Hyper-V 2.03 Server Core Section 3: Centralized Application Access
3.01 Centralized Application Access Introduction 3.02 Terminal Services Core Functionality 3.03 Terminal Services Gateway 3.04 Terminal Services RemoteApp 3.05 Terminal Services Web Access 3.06 Terminal Services Printing 3.07 Terminal Services Session Broker 3.08 Terminal Services Licensing 3.09 Windows System Resource Manager Section 4: Branch Office
4.01 Branch Office Introduction 4.02 Read-Only Domain Controller 4.03 BitLocker Drive Encryption 4.04 Server Core 4.05 Distributed File System Section 5: Security and Policy Enforcement
5.01 Security and Policy Enforcement Introduction 5.02 Network Policy and Access Services 5.03 Network Access Protection 5.04 Network Policy Server 5.05 Routing and Remote Access Service 5.06 Next-Generation TCP/IP Protocols and Networking Components 5.07 Windows Firewall with Advanced Security 5.08 Cryptography Next Generation 5.09 Active Directory Certificate Services 5.10 Active Directory Domain Services 5.11 Active Directory Federation Services 5.12 Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services 5.13 Active Directory Rights Management Services Section 6: Web and Applications Platform
6.01 Web and Applications Platform Introduction 6.02 Internet Information Services 7.0 6.03 Application Server 6.04 Transactional NTFS Section 7: Server Management
7.01 Server Management Introduction 7.02 Initial Configuration Tasks 7.03 Server Manager 7.04 Windows PowerShell 7.05 Server Core 7.06 Windows Server Backup 7.07 Windows Reliability and Performance Monitor 7.08 Windows Deployment Services 7.09 Group Policy Section 8: High Availability
8.01 High Availability Introduction 8.02 Failover Clustering 8.03 Network Load Balancing Section 9: Better Together
9.01 Better Together — Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista Section 10: Miscellaneous
10.01 System Requirements 10.02 Detailed Table of Contents Download:
Greg Olsen Yellow Duck Guy Windows Server 2008 - RTM ReleasedIt has arrived this week. Windows Server 2008 in 8 different versions. This is the next big Server Operating System release from Microsoft since Windows Server 2003.
The 8 different versions available:
Great link explaining the versions in more detail can be found here: The Windows Server 2008 product overview is explained well here: The new Server Core and Virtualization (or Hyper-V) are 2 areas i'm quite excited about. Head over to MSDN and grab your copy of it. Greg Olsen |
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