Posts Tagged ‘Microsoft’

Sysprep Windows 7 – Third Party Anti-Virus

Friday, November 13th, 2009

I have run into about 20-30 people over the last couple weeks that were having trouble sysprepping and they all narrowed it down to the same thing; their anti-virus application. It seems that the Sysprep tool is sometimes not working with a lot of the 3rd party anti-virus applications.

Anti-Virus Applications with Known Issues

  • Norton 2009
  • McAfee
  • AVG
  • Avira
  • ESET NOD32 4.0 (User reported issues)

Anti-Virus Applications 100% Compatible with Sysprep

And yes, you probably noticed that both applications are made by Microsoft, go figure. If anyone notices any other anti-virus programs that are causing issues with sysprep please comment on here. Or if you have workaround for these anti-virus apps and sysprep working together please comment.

Microsoft Security Essentials - Free Alternative

Microsoft Security Essentials - Free Alternative

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New WinPE 3.0 Scripts + Driver Packages Update

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

I just updated my WinPE 3.0 boot environment scripts. They are completley free to download. You can either click on the green button on the right hand side or visit this link http://blog.brianleejackson.com/winpe-3-0-boot-environment-scripts.

CHANGES/UPDATES AS OF NOVEMBER 12, 2009

  • Added new Windows 7 winpe.bmp wallpaper for WinPE 3.0 Boot Environment, both x32 and x64.
  • Added new drivers for WinPE 3.0 environment including some netbooks and HP eCopy machines, x32.
  • Added the newest stable version of GimageX v2.0.17, x32 and x64.
  • Removed GHOST from packages, x32 and x64.

Also, if you have enjoyed my site or gotten useful information from it; even if I saved you an hour from compiling different information then I have accomplished my goal. However, I am now getting 10-20 emails per day asking questions about sysprepping, Windows 7 deployment, etc. It is getting hard to keep up. And with this increase in traffic comes an increase in bandwidth. If I have helped you in any way please feel free to donate any amount on the right hand side so I can keep this blog going. I have some great new tutorials planned as I jump deep into the Acresso’s AdminStudio 9.5 Repackager for Windows 7 x64.

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Verizon Wireless Droid – Microsoft Outlook Sync with GMAIL

Sunday, November 8th, 2009

The first thing I want to say is that I simply love my new Droid phone. In fact, it probably is the coolest electronic device I have ever owned. Verizon Wireless has the best service and now they have the best phone! I really think this phone is going to help boost their ratings and customers.

This is assuming you are already using Microsoft Outlook 2007 for everything.
The first thing I tried with the Droid was syncing my personal IMAP account with the device. Then I realized that wasn’t going to sync my contacts, calendar, etc.
So I removed the IMAP account and then tried syncing my Microsoft Exchange account. This worked great and pulled contacts down, calendar items (buggy), and emails. But then I realized there were still nice little features missing. Because it is Google OS obviously they are wanting you to use Gmail (their product).

So I decided to give the GOOGLE APPS a test trial run, accompanied by Google App Sync. And let me just say, it is amazing!!!!

Functions working:

  • Microsoft Outlook 2007 is syncing flawlessly with my DROID
    (Email, Email folders, Contacts, Calendar Items)
  • Using my own business email account (brian@innovativepixels.com) for all gmail functions (requires changing MX records over to GMAIL). Not using @gmail.com for anything. This means that all masking of email is fixed.
  • A plus with using GMAIL as app on the DROID over standard email client is that I can now use an email signature from the phone, such as (Sent from my DROID).
  • The Google App Sync will export and import automatically all of your current Outlook information into your newly hosted GMAIL email account. Basically it asks you for Outlook Profile to use for your new account and then it takes a couple minutes and migrates all your data over. No manual migration necessary.
  • Another plus with using GMAIL app on DROID is that my emails are now stacked in conversations, like they are in GMAIL web client. Saves space on DROID for viewing.
  • Everything just seems to work faster and better when going through Google Apps. Also calendar is not buggy anymore.
  • Ability to see all my folders/cabinet and then be able to move emails to them when I receive them on my DROID. Your Outlook folders are converted into “LABELS” on your DROID. They still work the same as folders, but are just called something different. All changes sync to my Microsoft Outlook 2007 and to online Gmail.

The Google APPs costs $50 per user per year but it is worth every penny for me. My entire Microsoft Outlook 2007 is now syncing flawlessly with my DROID, very fast, with all the functions and features of GMAIL but without the GMAIL branding. You definitely want to give it a try. 30 day trial is free and they don’t bill you for first 30 days.

VERIZON WIRELESS DROID

VERIZON WIRELESS DROID

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Zune HD 16GB 4.3 Firmware Update Trick

Sunday, November 8th, 2009

If you are like me you probably haven’t been very happy with the Zune HD browser. The 4.3 update fixes a lot of the problems with the browser and it is a lot more responsive. After installing the update you will now have an option in settings that you can have the browser render as “mobile” or as “desktop”. (If only we could get rid of the BING search) All the firmware update changes can be found on Gizmodo. I had trouble updating my firmware, it didn’t say I needed an update, said that 4.1 was the newest version. Here is what I did to fix the problem. (I am running Windows 7, but same options apply under XP or Vista)

Step #1

Unplug your Zune from USB and close your Zune software.

Step #2

Go to your control panel.

Zune Control Panel

Zune Control Panel

Step #3

Click on Clock, Language, and Region

Zune Region Settings

Zune Region Settings

Step #4

Click on “change location”.

Zune Change Location

Zune Change Location

Step #5

Change your location to “United Kingdom”.

Zune UK

Zune UK

Step #6

Now plug your Zune back in and launch the Zune software. Go to settings at top right and then to “Player Update” on left hand side.

Zune Player Update

Zune Player Update

Step #7

It should now ask you to upgrade player to 4.3. Select “Upgrade”. This will take a minute or two.

Step #8

You should now see a confirmation screen saying your player is fully up to date.

Zune Player 4.3

Zune Player 4.3

Step #9

You can now go back to control panel and change your region back to US.

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Windows 7 Resource Kit – My Blog in a book!

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

I have been blogging a lot over the past year about my experiences with Windows 7, WinPE 3.0, etc. The first reason I started blogging was not only to document for myself but also because I was trying to save others some time. Well, the good news is that Microsoft finally decided to document all these topics. If you haven’t already, drop by Amazon and buy this book:
Windows® 7 Resource Kit. It is literally my blog in a book with much more detail! Everyone that has asked me questions on this blog, 99% of the answers for them are in this book. It is 1700 pages long, and worth every page. The paperback edition includes a CD in the back with over 250 powershell scripts and an eBook of the entire book.

Windows 7 Resource Kit

Windows 7 Resource Kit

Here is the layout of the book:

Chapter 1: Overview of Windows 7 Improvements
Chapter 2: Security in Windows 7
Chapter 3: Deployment Platform
Chapter 4: Planning Deployment
Chapter 5: Testing Application Compatibility
Chapter 6: Developing Disk Images
Chapter 7: Migrating User State Data
Chapter 8: Deploying Applications
Chapter 9: Preparing Windows PE
Chapter 10: Configuring Windows Deployment Services
Chapter 11: Using Volume Activation
Chapter 12: Deploying with Microsoft Deployment Toolkit
Chapter 13: Overview of Management Tools
Chapter 14: Managing the Desktop Environment
Chapter 15: Managing Users and User Data
Chapter 16: Managing Disks and File Systems
Chapter 17: Managing Devices and Services
Chapter 18: Managing Printing
Chapter 19: Managing Search
Chapter 20: Managing Windows Internet Explorer
Chapter 21: Maintaining Desktop Health
Chapter 22: Supporting Users with Remote Assistance
Chapter 23: Managing Software Updates
Chapter 24: Managing Client Protection
Chapter 25: Configuring Windows Networking
Chapter 26: Configuring Windows Firewall and IPsec
Chapter 27: Connecting Remote Users and Networks
Chapter 28: Deploying IPv6
Chapter 29: Configuring Startup and Troubleshooting Startup Issues
Chapter 30: Troubleshooting Hardware, Driver, and Disk Issues
Chapter 31: Troubleshooting Network Issues
Chapter 32: Troubleshooting Stop Messages

In my opinion this book could be priced a lot higher for all the information it has in it. If you are nerdy enough this would make a great stocking stuffer :)

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Run only scripts that you trust. Disable Powershell Message

Monday, October 26th, 2009

If you are like me you have probably run into the following error when trying to run powershell scripts. This becomes very annoying and tedious if you are running different scripts on a regular basis.

“Security Warning – Run only scripts that you trust. While scripts from the Internet can be useful, this script can potentially harm your computer. Do you want to run –.ps1? [D] Do not run [R] Run once [S] Suspend [?] Help (default is “D”):

Step #1

The first thing you need to do is launch Windows Powershell.

Step #2

Then enter the following commands:

get-executionpolicy

set-executionpolicy bypass

Powershell Trust Scripts

Powershell Trust Scripts

Now launch your script and enjoy not seeing that annoying message come up.

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VCSY Updates – Microsoft and Windows 7

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

This timeline has been presented by a few bloggers already; but here it is again for those who might have just started following VCSY:

  • Microsoft RELEASE of Windows 7 Oct. 22nd (RIGHT NOW!!)
  • Microsoft 1st Quarter report due about October 23rd
  • Microsoft’s $2 Billion credit facility expires November 6′ 2009
  • NAVPath set to be launched at the 2009 Directions Conference November 11-14th
  • VCSY’s 10Q report -Nov. 14th (Partnership?)
  • Azure is expected to unveil at the 2009 PDC November 16-19th
  • Microsoft’s $1 Billion 364-credit facility expires March 12′ 2010
  • What we can hope for is that Microsoft mention’s VCSY in press conference and then things will really skyrocket. Also, Windows 7 has already become Amazon’s biggest pre-order to date; outselling Harry Potter.

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    VCSY.com | Vertical Computer Systems – Next Big Stock??

    Sunday, October 11th, 2009

    There have big rumors floating around which hint to the fact that VCSY might be the next big stock about to skyrocket.

    “Vertical Computer Systems, Inc. (VCSY) is a provider of Internet core technologies, administrative software, and derivative software application products through its distribution network.
    VCSY’s primary Internet core technologies include SiteFlash™, ResponseFlash™, and the Emily XML Scripting Language, which can be used to build web services.
    VCSY’s main administrative software product is emPath®, which is designed to handle the most complex Payroll and Human Resources challenges.”

    (Taken from www.vcsy.com.

    Microsoft settled on VCSY’s 744 patent which looks to be all that Microsoft’s Cloud Computing Platform Azure is. Read the latest from the Chicago Tribune about Microsoft’s endeavor into Cloud Computing:
    http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/chi-mon-burns-microsoft-1012-oct12,0,3048264.column

    In the most recent Microsoft 10-K from July 30th, Microsoft has a credit facility that was taken right after the VCSY settlement which was originally set to expire on March 22nd but had been extended to November 6th, right before the Microsoft PDC.
    “This credit facility expires on November 6, 2009.”

    I guess we will have to wait till November and see. I know that I have already grabbed a couple thousand shares of VCSY just in case. They are currently at $0.02 so you don’t have very much to lose. Leave a comment if you would like an invite to Sharebuilder with free $25.00 to start trading with.

    Vertical Computer Systems

    Vertical Computer Systems

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    How to Slipstream Microsoft Office 2007 Service Pack 2 SP2

    Sunday, August 23rd, 2009

    This is a short guide on how to slipstream Service Pack 2 into Microsoft Office 2007. They way Microsoft does this is that the updates are simply applied immediately after the install. However, this will still save you a lot of time from installing Office and then running Windows Updates; especially if doing a mass deployment or fresh image.

    Microsoft Office 2007

    Microsoft Office 2007

    Step #1

    First create two different folders, one for your original office install and the second for your SP2 files. To keep things simply, lets just make them on your desktop, a folder called “Office07″ and a folder called “SP2″.

    Create Office Folders

    Create Office Folders

    Step #2

    You now need to copy the contents of your original office install to the “Office07″ folder on your desktop. If you have an ISO, simply extract that with either 7-Zip or WinRar; or if you have it on a DVD, stick that into your computer, browse to the drive, and copy the contents over.

    Office 2007 Contents

    Office 2007 Contents

    Step #3

    Now you need to download SP2 for Microsoft Office if you don’t already have it. The download link is here. I would just download it to your desktop.

    Download Office SP2

    Download Office SP2

    Step #4

    Now open up a command prompt window on your desktop. (Hold shift and right click on your desktop and select Open Command Prompt Windows Here)

    Step #5

    You you are going to extract the SP2 exe which you downloaded earlier. In your command prompt window type: office2007sp2-kb953195-fullfile-en-us.exe /extract:”C:\Users\YOURUSERNAME\Desktop\SP2″ (make sure you put in your username)

    Extracting Office 2007 SP2

    Extracting Office 2007 SP2

    Step #6

    You should now be prompted with the EULA. Simply check the box and click next. It will extract SP2 into that SP2 folder on your desktop.

    Office 2007 SP2 EULA

    Office 2007 SP2 EULA

    Step #7

    Now simply copy the contents of the SP2 folder on your desktop to the UPDATES folder within the Office07 folder on your desktop (Office07\Updates). Then you are finished. When you run the setup for Office, (setup.exe) it will now install SP2 while it installs Office 2007.

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    How to backup your Microsoft OneNote 2010 Notebooks

    Saturday, August 8th, 2009

    This is a short guide on how to perform a backup of your Microsoft OneNote 2010 Notebooks to two different locations. I would recommend saving it locally and also to a network drive. Or if you are not located on a network, then save the 2nd copy to a thumb drive or 2nd hard drive.

    Microsoft OneNote 2010 Icon

    Microsoft OneNote 2010 Icon

    Step #1

    Launch Microsoft OneNote 2010. If you have not yet created a notebook, on the left hand side right click and select “create new notebook.”

    Step #2

    Once you have a notebook created you will need to go up to the File Menu, which is the big circle in the top left hand side, and then “Options”.

    Microsoft OneNote 2010 - Options

    Microsoft OneNote 2010 - Options

    Step #3

    Then go down to the save and backup option in the list. You can change the Backup Folder and the Default Notebook Location. Make sure they are going to two different physical places; not just different folders on the same hard drive. This way if your hard drive dies, you will still have a copy of your OneNote Notebooks.

    Microsoft OneNote 2010 - Save & Backup Location

    Microsoft OneNote 2010 - Save & Backup Location

    Step #4

    Now, slightly below that option select “Back Up All Notebooks Now” to test and verify they are being saved to the two different locations.

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