Microsoft has just posted a Blocker tool on its download site (Dec 6,07) that will block automatic installations of several upcoming service packs, including Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows XP SP3.
The download includes three versions of the tool -- an executable, a script and a group policy template -- that prevents the service packs from reaching PCs via Windows Update, Microsoft's default update service.
The tool blocks Windows Vista SP1, Windows XP SP3 and Windows Server 2003 SP2 for varying lengths of time. Vista SP1 and XP SP3 can be blocked for as long as 12 months after the service packs are released in final form, while the Server 2003 SP2 blocker bars the download only through March 2008.
Microsoft says its "a blocking tool is available for organizations that would like to temporarily prevent installation of Service Pack updates through Windows Update. "
This tool can be used with:
- Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 (valid through March, 2008)
- Windows XP Service Pack 3 (valid for 12 months following general availability)
- Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (valid for 12 months following general availability)
However dont worry this tool lets all other updates, including monthly security patches, pass through Windows Update without modification.
Download the SPBlockerTools.exe directly from Microsoft.
Written by PCWizKid on December 7th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on 2003 and Longhorn and SP3 and Update and Xp and fixpack and server and service pack and sp1 and vista and windows blocker tool.
Microsoft will launch the final version of the server OS at a February 27th event in Los Angeles which the company is calling 'Heroes Happen Here,' . Also to be unveiled is Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and Microsoft Visual Studio 2008.
But Today you can download RC1 of Windows Server 2008 - Codename Longhorn.
Microsoft said Windows Server 2008 RC1 (Release Candidate 1) is now available to all users, either as a
30-day trial that does not require a product activation key, or as a six-month trial for which users must register.
Windows Server 2008 offers a number of significant enhancements over its most recent predecessor, Windows Server 2003.
Among the software's more highly anticipated features are Windows PowerShell, Internet Information Services 7.0, a built-in Web server that brings together numerous online publishing technologies and a number of features first seen in Windows Vista.
Written by PCWizKid on December 5th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Beta and HACK and Longhorn and SP3 and Security and Tips and Updates and Xp and fixpack and pcwizkid and powertoys and rc1 and servicepack and sp1 and sp2 and tweaks and vista and windows 2008.
It's exciting, fantastic, amazing, wonderful and totally cool - Microsoft has FINALLY announced what is going to happen with the PolicyMaker stuff they got when taking over DesktopStandards... It's going to be released with Windows Server 2008 as many of us had hoped for!
This is just GREAT I can tell you - and it will available to the public with the RC1 release of Windows Server 2008, maybe even before as a separate Beta program I'm told...
Microsoft decided to call it "Group Policy Preferences" or just "GP Preferences". So, what can we do with this you ask? Well, here's some of it:
- Map network drives
- Set Environment variables
- Copy Files to clients
- Create and update INI files
- Modify registry settings on the clients (REG_SZ, REG_DWORD, REG_BINARY, REG_MULTI_SZ, and REG_EXPAND_SZ )
- Create Shortcuts (URL/File/Shell)
- Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)
- Control Devices
- Set Folder Options
- Define File Associations
- Tweak Internet Settings
- Handle Local Users and Groups (change passwords, add/remove from groups, disable users etc.)
- Set Network Options (like VPN or Dial-Up connections)
- Configure Power Options (Windows XP)
- Map Printers (even TCP/IP printers)
- Set Regional Options
- Create Scheduled Tasks
- Set properties on Services
- Tweak the Start Menu
- and so on....
As you can see, it's quite impressive and something that will make companies around the world turn to Windows Server 2008 ASAP... I think and hope anyway!
The client part, a necessary extension which must be installed on the client, will be ready for Windows XP/2003/Vista - and in both x86 and x64 editions. Windows Server 2008 already includes the CSE (Client Side Extension).
There's SO much to tell, and SO little time... But, a Whitepaper is ready (a REALLY nice of the kind) thank you Microsoft!
Download the whitepaper here:
An Overview of Group Policy Preferences
Written by Jakob H. Heidelberg on November 13th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on DesktopStandards and Longhorn and PolicyMaker and Windows Server 2008 and gp preferences and group policies and group policy extensions and group policy preferences and microsoft and whitepaper.
With Windows Server 2008 (Codename Longhorn) you will notice a new container called "Starter GPOs" inside the GPMC (version 2.0 - BTW this version will also be available as a separate download for Windows Vista with SP1).
This new container can hold what I would call "templates" for creating new GPO's - with the limitation that only Administrative Template settings are available. When creating new GPO's you can choose to use a Starter GPO as the source (read: template) - which makes it easy and fast to create multiple GPO's with the same baseline configuration.
But, the very cool thing is that you can now "export" those GPO templates (Starter GPO's) to a Cabinet file (.CAB) and then import into another environment - completely independent of the source domain/forest! So, you can create the PERFECT Starter GPO and then bring it around the world, share it on the Internet (if legal?), deploy it on all systems you can get a hold on etc. etc.
When you 'enable' Starter GPO's in the domain for the first time, a folder called "StarterGPOs" is created inside the SYSVOL folder (\\domain.com\SYSVOL\domain.com\StarterGPOs) - this is where all the "magic" is done... For each new Starter GPO you create, you will see a new folder below this StarterGPOs folder - each will have a unique GUID (just like normal group policies). So, when you create a new GPO with a Starter GPO as source a nice and simple COPY process is actually performed - the subfolders and files from the Starter GPO's GUID folder is just copied into the \\domain.com\SYSVOL\domain.com\Policies\[SomeNewGUID] folder - and wupti, you are ready to deploy...
Well, it may not be the same as the Templates we got with AGPM (Advanced Group Policy Management from Desktop Optimization Pack) - but, even if you don't have the required DOP license you still get a few cookies for "free"...
One last thing - remember to create a separate backup process for Starter GPO's, as they are not backed up though the GPMC "Backup All" method you have for the regular GPO's - the yhave a seperate backup procedure. So far there's no script for backing up the Starter GPO's, but I'm pretty sure it will show up (just like the "BackupAllGPOs.wsf script).
And don't worry - if you should get an error like this:
"The overall error was: The system cannot find the path specified. Additional details follow"
&
"[Error] The backup configuration file [C:\xxx\Backup.xml] cannot be saved. The following error occurred: The system cannot find the path specified."
when performing a backup of your Starter GPO's you are probably testing the RC0 release... That build has a known bug which has been corrected already (RC1)!
But besides from this minor detail I say: Thumbs up for Starter GPO's!
_
Written by Jakob H. Heidelberg on October 1st, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Backup and GPO and Longhorn and Windows Server 2008 and administrative templates and agpm and baseline and cab and desktop optimization pack and dop and gpmc and guid and script and starter gpo and starter gpos and sysvol and template.
Check out this article, it's really good for a "quick" summary of the GP related changes in Windows Vista/Windows Server 2008 (Longhorn)
http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsVista/en/library/5ae8da2a-878e-48db-a3c1-4be6ac7cf7631033.mspx?mfr=true
Written by Jakob H. Heidelberg on September 28th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Longhorn and Windows Server 2008 and group policies and windows.
Microsoft has just posted a Blocker tool on its download site (Dec 6,07) that will block automatic installations of several upcoming service packs, including Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows XP SP3. 