In the first half of June 2008, when they gave a taste of the new features cooking for Internet Explorer 8 which are planned for integration starting with Beta 2, Jane Maliouta - IE Program Manager and James Pratt - IE Product Manager pointed out that IE8 would come with slipstream support by default. This is valid as early as the Beta 1 Build of Internet Explorer 8, but only with Windows Vista RTM, Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008. Microsoft has left Windows XP SP3 out of the IE8 slipstream equation, this is nothing new for XP, as slipstreaming was also not supported even with Internet Explorer 7.
“With IE8 and Windows Vista, you are able to integrate IE8 into the image file of the original operating system in about 15 minutes. No more booting the OS image, manually installing IE and re-capturing the image. The slipstreaming support also extends to IE8 cumulative updates and language packages. Slipstreaming IE8 into an OS image will only be supported on Vista and Windows Server 2008 platforms. Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 do not currently offer a solution for slipstreaming Windows components, which are built using update.exe,” Maliouta revealed.
Microsoft has made it clear that support for IE8’s integration into the latest Windows client and server operating systems is a feature aimed at IT Professionals. In this context, users will need the right tools to get the slipstream job done, namely the Windows Automated Install Kit for managing custom Vista and Windows Server 2008 images. The operating system directory from the media has to be copied on a local computer. Maliouta has created c:\slipstreaming\VistaSP1×86en. In the same directory, the following folders have to be created: Mount, Pkg, Sandbox, namely “c:\slipstreaming\mount; c:\slipstreaming\pkg; and c:\slipstreaming\sandbox.” At this point in time, IE8 has to be downloaded and placed in the same directory under a folder dubbed IE8×86en.
Maliouta added that in order “to extract the MSU, in the command prompt [users will have to] run this
/x: .
Example: c:SlipstreamingIE8×86enIE8-WindowsVista-x86-enu.exe /x: c:SlipstreamingIE8×86en
To expand the MSU, in the command prompt run this
expand.exe
-F:*.
Example: expand.exe c:SlipstreamingIE8×86enIE8.MSU -F:* c:Slipstreamingpkg
Users will have to mount the install image of Windows Vista into the location on the machine. This can be done via the following command run at command prompt:
“imagex.exe /mountrw install.wim “
Specifically for Windows Vista Ultimate in the context of this scenario this command is:
“C:Program FilesWindows AIKToolsx86imagex.exe” /mountrw C:SlipstreamingVistaSP1×86ensourcesinstall.wim 4 C:Slipstreamingmount
Maliouta explained that introducing a number bigger than 4 will display help information in the command prompt which will reveal the specific numbers corresponding to Vista editions. In the end users will have to save changes to the new image now slipstreamed with IE8. The command which needs to be run is this:
imagex /commit /unmount
Example: “c:Program FilesWindows AIKToolsx86imagex.exe” /commit /unmount c:Slipstreamingmount
Maliouta warned that as far as the RTM version of Windows Vista is concerned users will have to perform another task prior to slipstreaming IE8. This involves modifying the read only attribute flag ahead of running the slipstream command.
attrib -R “WindowsOffline Web Pages”
Example: attrib -R “C:SlipstreamingmountWindowsOffline Web Pages”
And only then:
pkgmgr.exe /n:
WindowsVista-KB#-NEUTRAL.xml /o:”;windows” /s: /l:
Example: “c:Program FilesWindows AIKToolsx86Servicingpkgmgr.exe” /n:”c:SlipstreamingpkgWindows6.0-KB944036 -x86.xml” /o:”"c:Slipstreamingmount”;”c:Slipstreamingmountwindows”" /s: “c:Slipstreamingsandbox” /l:”c:Slipstreamingslp.log”
At the end of the slipstreaming process the read only attribute flag will need to be set back into place:
attrib +R “WindowsOffline Web Pages”
Example: attrib +R “C:SlipstreamingmountWindowsOffline Web Pages”
IE8 Beta 1 is available for download here.
Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) 1.0 is available for download here.
Tags:command prompt,
IE8,
internet explorer 8,
server operating systems,
slipstreaming,
SP1,
system directory,
vista sp1,
Windows,
Windows Server,
windows vista,
windows vista rtm,
windows xp,
xp sp3
Related posts
Written by Jason on June 23rd, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on 1354 and 1426 and 1429 and 1673 and 169 and 2065 and 2157 and 401 and 544 and Contributors and IE8 and Internet and Windows Vista and Windows XP and Xp Sp3 and command prompt and internet explorer 8 and sp1 and vista sp1 and windows and windows server.
TCP/IP, an acronym for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, is a suite of protocols supported by Microsoft with the Windows family of platforms. Essentially, through its components, TCP/IP is used for communications on both private networks and on the Internet. As far as the world wide web is concerned, the most common aspects of TCP/IP are IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) and IPv6. The Redmond company is offering extensive documentation on TCP/IP as it is supported in Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003 and Window XP. TCP/IP Fundamentals for Microsoft Windows is available for download.
“This online book is a structured, introductory approach to the basic concepts and principles of the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol suite, how the most important protocols function, and their basic configuration in the Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 families of operating systems,” revealed Keith Combs, Microsoft IT Pro Evangelist, citing an excerpt of the documentation’s description.
TCP/IP Fundamentals for Microsoft Windows covers a wide range of subjects starting with an introduction and the history of the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. The Redmond giant also offers an overview of the TCP/IP Protocol Suite architecture, as well as insight into IP addressing, subnetting, IP Routing, the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, a view of the Domain Name Space as well as Windows support for DNS, and additional TCP/IP related information. In the end, readers will be able to understand the stage where TCP/IP is today after more than 30 years since its creation, and the manner in which this evolution is reflected in the four Windows server and client platforms.
“This book is primarily a discussion of concepts and principles to lay a conceptual foundation for the TCP/IP protocol suite and provides an integrated discussion of both Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) and Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6),” Combs added.
TCP/IP Fundamentals for Microsoft Windows is available for download here.
Tags:configuration,
dns,
documentation,
dynamic host configuration protocol,
Internet,
IP Address,
Microsoft,
protocol,
Routing,
TCP,
tcp ip protocol,
TCP/IP,
window xp,
Windows,
Windows Server,
windows support,
windows vista
Related posts
Written by Jason on June 2nd, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on 1426 and 1429 and 1673 and 169 and 2065 and 2157 and 401 and Contributors and DNS and Internet and TCP and TCP/IP and Windows Support and Windows Vista and Windows XP and computer and configuration and ip address and microsoft and windows and windows server.
At the beginning of May, security company PC Tools revealed that Windows Vista “is not so immune.” And in this attempt to wrap the obvious together with statistics from a limited pool of users and serve the result as a revelation, the security outfit went on to claim that “Windows Vista is more susceptible to malware than the eight year old Windows 2000 operating system, and only 37% more secure than Windows XP”. Apparently, PC Tolls had detected 639 unique threats per 1,000 Vista machines, in comparison to just 586 for Windows 2000, 478 for Windows Server 2003, and 1,021 for XP. The conclusion is, of course, nothing short of obvious and was stated as clear as possible, with a challenge to Vista’s malware immunity.
Now, the fact is that citing data from over 450 million computers, in respect to PC Tools’ just 1.4 million machines, Microsoft disputed the findings, and continued to claim that Windows Vista is the safest Windows operating system on the market. Microsoft has repeated this refrain since Vista was launched, and provided ample proof, from the data collected through the Malicious Software Removal Tool to vulnerability counting games involving the main platforms.
But one thing that Microsoft has never done is claim that Windows Vista is immune to malware. In this regard, the position of Simon Clausen, Chief Executive Officer - PC Tools, is expressed through the following: “Vista is not immune from online threats. Further research and analysis has confirmed our contention that additional third-party protection is absolutely necessary for all Windows Vista users”.
Since the advent of Windows Vista, the Redmond company has urged users to follow a set of best practices in terms of security from enabling the User Account Control, to not executing email attachments in messages from untrusted sources, and to running antivirus software. Vista is not and will never be immune to malicious code, neither will Vista Service Pack 1, Windows 7 or any other Windows operating system. As a matter of fact, all silver bullet solutions for security are nothing more than myths…
Tags:antivirus,
attachments,
Computer,
email,
malicious,
malicious software,
malware,
Microsoft,
Removal,
Security,
Software,
Threats,
User Account Control,
Windows,
Windows 7,
Windows Server,
windows vista,
windows xp
Related posts
Written by Jason on May 21st, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on 1426 and 1429 and 1673 and 169 and 2065 and 2157 and 401 and Contributors and Security and Software and User Account Control and Windows 7 and Windows Vista and Windows XP and antivirus and computer and email and malicious and malware and microsoft and windows and windows server.
The second Community Technology Preview of Windows PowerShell V2 is now available for download. Designed as the successor of Windows PowerShell 1.0, Windows PowerShell V2 CTP2 also marks a consistent evolution in comparison with the initial Community Technology Preview release. As such, it delivers new features, along with extended usability. In this manner, Microsoft offers a more mature command line shell and scripting language that enables an increased level of control over Windows environments, leading to a jump in productivity. The CTP will integrate seamlessly with Windows Server 2003 SP2; Windows Server 2008; Windows Vista SP1; Windows XP SP2.
“This release adds a plethora of new features. PowerShell remoting now allows a one-to-one interactive experience. Thought about partitioning and organizing PowerShell scripts? Use modules to create self-contained and reusable units. This release introduces transactions support in PowerShell engine and APIs along with an update to the Registry provider to support them. We introduced eventing support in Powershell engine for listening, forwarding and acting on management and system events. Support for multiple parameter sets in script cmdlets bring them to par with C# cmdlets,” said Hemant Mahawar, Program Manager Windows PowerShell.
But at the same time, Microsoft informed that Windows PowerShell V2 CTP2 is not meant for integration into productivity environments. The Community Technology Preview label means that Windows PowerShell V2 is not even in Beta stage, but just a pre-release build. V2 CTP2 does provide support for 1.0 cmdlets and scripts, but this release of PowerShell has not been tested to the same extent of the final version and is still far from reaching the finish line.
“For the adventurous folks…. application developers can host PowerShell in IIS to support multiple remote PowerShell sessions in a single process. These are just a few of the new features we have packaged in this CTP2 release. Additionally this CTP2 includes some simple updates… like new parameters to several existing cmdlets,” Mahawar added.
Windows PowerShell V2 Community Technology Preview 2 (CTP2) is available for download here.
Tags:application,
command,
ctp2,
download,
ISO,
Microsoft,
PDA,
powershell,
powershell scripts,
productivity,
Windows,
Windows Server,
windows vista,
windows xp
Related posts
Written by Jason on May 6th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on 1426 and 1429 and 1673 and 169 and 2065 and 2157 and 401 and Contributors and ISO and PDA and Software and Windows Vista and Windows XP and application and command and download and microsoft and powershell and productivity and windows and windows server.
Microsoft has updated and re-released Windows NT Backup on March 27, 2008, making it available as a free download. The move comes as the utility needs to keep up the pace with the evolution of the latest Windows client and server operating systems. Microsoft released both Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows Server 2008 RTM/SP1 to manufacturing on February 4, 2008. Windows Server 2008 was launched officially at the end of the past month, while Vista SP1 was released to the general public on March 18.
Version 1.0 of Windows NT Backup dropped on March 27 is tailored to both Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008. The utility is designed to enable users of Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 to restore backups that were created on the previous versions of the operating systems, namely Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. In the move from XP and Windows Server 2003, Microsoft has evolved the backup infrastructure of the two platforms. (more…)
Tags:
download,
Management,
Removable,
removable storage management,
rtm,
service pack 1,
vista service pack,
vista service pack 1,
Windows,
windows client,
Windows Server,
Windows Server 2008,
windows vista,
windows vista service pack,
x86
Related posts
Written by Jason on March 29th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Contributors and RTM and Software and Vista service pack 1 and Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista and download and management and service pack 1 and vista service pack and windows and windows client and windows server and windows vista service pack and x86.
Windows Vista computers that come equipped with more than 4 GB of system memory have limited shut-down options. Essentially, the Hibernate option is no longer available on Vista machines that feature in excess of 4 GB of RAM. This scenario affects both the 32-bit and the 64-bit editions of Vista, but at the same time also Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Microsoft has confirmed that the issue is related to the large quantity of random access memory.
“This issue occurs because hibernation is disabled on computers that have more than 4 GB of RAM. Hibernation requires sufficient disk space to contain the contents of the computer’s memory. Performance is poor on a computer that has more than 4 GB of memory and that has support for hibernation. (more…)
Tags:
boot,
Computer,
disk space,
hibernate,
hibernation,
MAXMEM,
Microsoft,
Performance,
physical memory address,
random access memory,
system memory,
Windows,
Windows Server,
windows vista
Related posts
Written by Jason on March 18th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Boot and Contributors and Performance and Windows Vista and computer and disk space and hibernate and hibernation and microsoft and system memory and windows and windows server.
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows Server 2008 are not the only Microsoft products being released to manufacturing this week. Cecilia Cole, WSUS Program Manager, announced that WSUS 3.0 Service Pack 1 had also reached RTM, and was subsequently made available for download. But at the same time, the RTM stage of Windows Server Update Services 3.0 SP1 following in the heels of Windows Server 2008 is not coincidental. WSUS 3.0 SP1 is in fact designed to provide support for the Redmond company’s latest server operating system. (more…)
Written by Jason on February 8th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Update Service and WSUS 3.0 and Windows Update and Windows Vista and Windows XP and microsoft and sp1 and windows and windows server.
One of my favorite documents for Windows Server 2003 is now available in beta form for Windows Server 2008. If you have never reviewed these guides I strongly recommend them. The guide makes it easy to tailor the security configuration to accommodate the needs of your organization. There is also a really cool GPOAccelerator (Group Policy Object Accelerator) tool to help you rapidly setup, test and deploy configurations of Group Policy security settings. Here are some of the resources for Windows Server 2008 Security Guide:
Check out the Executive Overview.
Join the Windows Server 2008 Security Guide beta.
Written by Patrick S on January 14th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Beta News and Security and Windows Server System and server and windows and windows server.
As you undoubtedly know by now, Windows Server 2008, formerly codenamed Longhorn is the first Microsoft server operating system to deliver native support for PHP hosting out of the box. Why is this a big deal? Well, web developers, and especially PHP developers already have the answer to this question, but I will still indulge myself, for the rest of the readers. It all comes down to LAMP vs. WISP. Bear with me, I will explain in second, and I promise to make the best of it. Both acronyms refer to infrastructures made up of an operating system, a web server and a database management system.
Right, that’s just three out of four. And in this sense, the P stands for the PHP scripting language. Essentially, LAMP is Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP, while WISP is Windows, IIS, SQL and PHP. Now with Windows Server 2003, IIS has already been gaining consistent ground on Apache, according to data made available by Netcraft. (more…)
apache gains,
apache mysql,
database management system,
linux apache,
microsoft server,
php developers,
php hosting,
server operating system,
simple web server,
Windows,
windows server,
WordPress
Written by Jason on November 23rd, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on apache gains and apache mysql and database management system and linux apache and microsoft server and php developers and php hosting and server operating system and simple web server and windows and windows server and wordpress.
Microsoft is well on its way to delivering the first service pack for Windows Vista. Currently, the exact availability date for Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is up in the air, Microsoft having offered only a general timetable that points to the first quarter of 2008. And with Vista SP1 intimately connected with Windows Server 2008, formerly codenamed Longhorn, at kernel level, the first service pack for latest Windows client from Microsoft is synchronized with the company’s last 32-bit server operating system. The official launch of Windows Server 2008 has been set for
February 28, next year, and Vista SP1 is bound to keep up the pace wit the server platform.
In mid July, Microsoft debuted the testing of Vista SP1 outside of Redmond. A preview of the first beta of Vista SP1 shipped to a select pool of testers at that time. (more…)
concomitantly,
installed updates,
kernel level,
release candidate,
server operating system,
server platform,
service pack 1,
task menu,
time microsoft,
vista,
Windows,
windows client,
windows server,
windows update,
windows vista sp1
Written by Jason on November 17th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Windows Update and Windows Vista SP1 and concomitantly and installed updates and kernel level and release candidate and server operating system and server platform and service pack 1 and task menu and time microsoft and vista and windows and windows client and windows server.
« Older articles
No newer articles