PiqueABoo

Yeah - those and the last-boot-time I mentioned will all work, but the prospect of just creating a reg value (data="") and using it's continuing presence to indicate that a desired reboot has not happened yet is much simpler, and I'm a big fan of simpler. Alas despite RunOnce being tantalisingly close I can't find an equivalent that will do the vanishing job before a post-reboot logon PS: Looking at the boot time option earlier I discovered this: ManagementDateTimeConverter.ToDateTime(mObj.Properties["LastBootUpTime"].Value.ToString()) Which might not seem like anything to get excited about, but up until now I've always used a clunky D-I-Y hand-crafted function to convert CIM format date strings to DateTimes. Who'd have thunk there was a ManagementDateTimeConverter you could just use?

Sadly no startup scripts or assumptions about domains are permitted - it's just some code occasionally running on a Windows box that sometimes might need to know if a reboot happened since the last time it ran.

Turn it around - should the gov be spending public money on having adverts delivered to kids in schools? We don't accept them (explicitly at least) on the BBC etc. We mostly all fret about the kids being turned into vacuous consumers before they've hit KS2. That it's someone's funding model for something harmless should have absolutely no impact on the answer to that question.

::bangs head on nearest wall:: Can't test this right now but using HKU instead might do it: HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Runonce Ack - doesn't work.

Put a value in the classic HKLM\...\Runonce key and it is: a) remembered b) deleted c) run But that (apparently) only happens when someone logs on, whereas I want the same behaviour but during computer start-up. What I'm trying to do is figure out when a box has been rebooted between runs of an app i.e. code sets a "flag" somewhere which will be automatically disappeared during a reboot, and next time codes runs it checks to see if that flag is still there: Adding a RunOnce reg entry *almost* fits, except despite being in HKLM it (apparently) needs that logon[1]. The alternative I'd like to avoid is to stash a timestamp in the registry and then the next time code runs it does WMI to get last reboot time and compares that against my saved timestamp i.e. lastreboot > mytimestamp = rebooted. [1] Don't google RunServicesOnce as an answer coz that's a Win 9x thing

Have set the new uncpaths config entry for my My Docs redirected into a sub-folder of the users AD Home Folder and that works just fine - thanks Nick.

Eureka: Not saying it all works perfectly yet, but... I imported Nick's settings which still didn't work, but I'd exported mine beforehand and winmerge was very handy (once again) pointing out the differences betwen them. I needed to add the IIS role service: HTTP Redirection PS:

Still haven't gotten around to playing with that import sorry, but about the missing deploy action: I had to download it as an extension from this Web Deploy page (MSI links are in the small print in the Download Extension box).

Thanks - I'll look at this with fresh eyes tomorrow.

Define "configured correctly" I'm mediocre at best on IIS7.5, followed the 2nd config vid and I think I did everything the same and it's definitely integrated pipeline.. but I could well be missing something the rest-of-the-world would have done and just takes for granted ("didn't you know that?" stuff). Don't know if it's any more use in pinning this down but if I use the SL browser I get nothing displayed in the panes and an error on page: Message: Unhandled Error in Silverlight Application [Async_ExceptionOccurred] Arguments: Debugging resource strings are unavailable. Often the key and arguments provide sufficient information to diagnose the problem. See http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=106663&Version=4.0.50524.0&File=System.dll&Key=Async_ExceptionOccurred at System.ComponentModel.AsyncCompletedEventArgs.RaiseExceptionIfNecessary() at HAP.Silverlight.Browser.MainPage.driveclient_DownloadStringCompleted2(Object sender, DownloadStringCompletedEventArgs e) Line: 1 Char: 1 Code: 0 URI: https://localhost/Extranet/MyComputerSL.aspx

How about accept that it's well over 10 years since MS made the guidelines for what nice Windows apps should do and that a significant proportion, probably the majority, of those schools do have domains and make in this order: 1) It work with standard Windows deployment, GPO config etc. 2) Your own exciting (probably buggy) deployment system for everyone else. It *is* infuriating when vendors only do the second one... that something is better than something that's not brilliant now, doesn't make it inherently good.. and definitely not at that price.

::sob:: Just installed on NOT-RM 2008 R2, think I've changed the config OK[1] but get a 404 after clicking My Documents i.e. from http://localhost/Extranet/MyComputer/N Dunno if it's relevant but N isn't the drive letter used for their home drive (it's H). Plus whilst I'm here I'd like to be able to have My Documents point to a sub-folder i.e. "%homedrive%\Documents" Same 404 for the only shared drive I've got configured, which is a T for http://localhost/Extranet/MyComputer/T [1] But I was a bit concerned about the potential effect of completely removing the {1} from the various OU DNs in "ouobjects" (I don't have an establishment code OU that can be sensibly substituted in there).

I statically pre-populate the deployment wizard's OU drop-down via entries in bootstrap.ini e.g. DomainOUs1=OU=Blah,DC=.. DomainOUs2=OU=AnotherBlah,DC=.. I did contemplate dynamically grabbing them from AD at deploy-time but WinPE didn't (easily) have the traditional APIs for talking to AD.. not sure if that's changed.

I use nLite to slipstream both SP3 and the latest xable SP3 update pack into the XP source before importing the OS into MDT. Having done that every now and again I slipstream new xable updates into the MDT distribution share copy of XP. I don't sysprep, capture and deploy XP images i.e. all XP builds copy down that updated XP source which MDT installs the old fashioned way, then adds apps (workstation locked), joins the domain (OU is selected in the few remaining pages I haven't nuked from the initial MDT deployment wizard), reboots which gets policy including WSUS => done. For Win7 you've got the MDT packages feature which works with CABs or **MSUs**.

Nooo.... I want an SP that fixes all my issues, yesterday, damnit! Won't bother playing with the beta SP1 I just downloaded then coz it likely won't be very much like the real deal.

It would, but why do you need to keep adding drivers? WinPE3 is the Win7 version and because that is relatively recent and has lots of driver support in it by default I've rarely had to add any drivers - and then all you should normally need to add is a NIC and/or mass storage driver.

Can you elaborate on the context - do you mean install a variety of apps with no user interaction immediately post-OS installation (or something else)? PS: You do know about the recent MDT 2010 Update 1 don't you? I've been playing, but fortunately the claim in the release docs about "Removed Features: None" appears to be correct and so far things that used to, still work.

Server 2008 R2 is a complete, utter, [bleeping-bleep] PITA wrt. "we know what's good for you and we're going to remove those special icons in Explorer that indicate a given folder is shared". There's some serious rants about this online and they all have my sympathy.

YMMV, but two commands I use lots are missing: net netsh

One of the folders is a conventional one, the other is a junction i.e. a special folder that simply points to the real one. You only have one set of policy files, it just looks like there are two in Explorer.

It's a bit of a red-herring in the first place, but GPOs is of course the most often mentioned reason for 2008 R2 and ironically it's where I'm concerned about stability e.g. I've found two request-only hotfixes for this area so far (MS CSEs)and sadly neither fix an arcane issue I was hoping they would make go away. It should be mandatory to have to mention IPV6 in all sentences with "DirectAccess". Other bits I agree with. Other things to contemplate: 2008 and 2008 R2 (currently) have the same lifespan i.e. they die together towards the end of the decade. SP1 for R2 isn't that far away and if in the absence of deadlines this summer I would wait for it: YMMV but I've run into a few glitches that aren't TEOTWAWKIs but are nevertheless a pain, plus there's some new, useful, virtualisation bits.

It has had two modes for quite a while now: 1) Patch in place (or something like that) which upgrades the current version to the latest 2) Parallel install which installs it independently alongside an old version or versions. Fiddling the MSI to do one or the other is all explained on the site somewhere(!).

The real 80/20 rule: 80% of the advice other techs give you will be irrelevant or useless.

::shrug:: You lock most of that OS away from prying hands - it's what the applications (or some dependency) will run on that count. It's officially alive until April 2014 and I reckon XP will remain do-able for perhaps a couple of years yet .. obviously subject to your licensing strategy, whether you're prepared to live with a smaller choice of new/replacement laptops (which I expect to have more XP driver[1] issues more quickly) and PCs. I imagine this summer is mostly about long-since committed money, I think the answer to the question will be more interesting in 6 months time re. plans for Summer 2011. [1] CC3 DOS floppy builds could be worked around if necessary.

Well I know what a lot of work looks like and that's a classic example. Expect this will be useful to a lot of people so thanks for all the effort.