computer_expert

SMART Install Manager will allow you to create a custom installer (activation and other settings) for the smart stuff. Use the generated transform and the MSI into an MDT application and you should be good to go.

I've been trialling it using the adobe scup catalogs and from my testing it seems to work well. One of the things I haven't tried yet is creating my own packages so I can't comment on that bit.

See step 3+4 here: Replace the Startup Screen Background Image (Standard 7 SP1) You can copy the image using group policy preferences. Don't forget to set Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Logon\Always use custom logon background to enabled in a GPO

Point and print (Admin templates > Printers > Point and print restrictions) is enabled in GP - the two checkboxes are not checked and the security prompts are set to 'do not show warning or elevation prompt'. Is this how you have yours set? I tried a logon script as well and it maps the same printers in about 30s

Has anyone got any ideas as to how I could speed up GPP printer mapping? When testing it out it took ages to map 5 or so printers (by ages I mean anywhere from 1-21 minutes, even with update selected - create took even longer!) and then randomly allocating a default printer rather than the one selected to be the default. Print server: 2012R2 Clients: Win7 x86 (with mandatory profiles) I'd love to use GPP printers but it just seems too slow/unreliable for me at the moment

I've been really busy over the last few weeks, but I've just managed to upgrade HAP to 10.5 and applied the fix in the attachment you posted (which worked perfectly!). Thanks again for all your help Nick (and Peter too for the temporary fix).

WSUSOffline I've used it on several servers before without any issue (although they were member servers, not DCs)

If you are using server 2012, have a look at the data deduplication features. This works in a way that if you have 10 teachers copy the same 1gb file to different folders it will only take up 1gb rather than 10gb. If you do go down this route you will probably need to just check that your backup software supports server 2012's data deduplication features first.

With who?!?! Congratulations Nick, and I'll join @fairm010 in saying thanks for all the hard work on HAP too

That's a handy program there Arthur. Always wondered if/when someone would create a program that allows virtual CD/DVD writer drives.

I'm fairly sure it was 11.4 as I've deployed V11.4 to a few machines recently.

Exchange 2007 does (Single Instance Store), but for performance reasons it was removed in Exchange 2010.

You can if you use WPA Enterprise. With WPA2 the network name can be configured but you have no option to enter the password.

The WSUS server can be set in customsettings.ini by using WSUSServer=http://server:8530 (if WSUS is running on port 8530 otherwise forget the port). I make sure that the machine joins the domain before installing updates as it will then pick up the settings from group policy which eliminates the need for registry keys in the task sequence. I have used DISM in the past to integrate updates directly into the install.wim from the Win7 DVD and then used WSUS to push any updates released afterwards.

Have a look at the following setting in GP: "Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Printers\Point and Print Restrictions" I've set it to enabled, ticked 'Users can only point and print to these servers' and filled in the server FQDN and set both security prompts to 'Do no show warning/elevation prompt'. This allows the clients to download/install the driver from the print server without prompting for admin credentials. As for changing the driver on clients I have a feeling that they update when the driver is updated on the server but am not 100% sure. Glad it's not just me - Had a look at the MSDN documentation on V4 printer drivers and got very confused (as I'm not a programmer!)

A quick google suggests that you could have installed the V4 drivers for S2012/W8 rather than the V3 drivers that have been used since Win2k. There is a small article here that mentions a few changes in the printer architecture between W7/2008 & W8/2012.

If you are using the print management console, make sure you import the x64 drivers (and x86 if you have 32bit clients) into the drivers folder. This is how I did it and the clients get the proper manufacturer drivers rather than the generic ones. Also I found that when installing the printer on the server you need to uncheck the auto detect drivers box otherwise it will use WSD drivers (and lack the proper options) if the printer supports WSD. I have mostly Win7 clients if it helps

I think en-UK should be en-US the rest should be en-gb as previously suggested.

Thanks both! I wasn't aware you didn't need SCCM to use SCUP (I assumed that it was part of SCCM due to the name ).

I don't have SCCM.

Not sure if you are aware, but someone has created a similar program that works with WSUS on 2012/2012R2: https://wsuspackagepublisher.codeplex.com/

BGInfo

Perfect, Thanks! I've tested it on a test install of HAP 10.2 and it works perfectly. I can't remember what version of the booking system my test instance uses but it is not the latest.

It's a shame it is just a very good marketing stunt If it was real, I guess KLM would have a huge surge in 'lost' items though

Have you got the extension pack installed? https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads The extension pack enables PXE plus a few other features that I cannot remember.