PiqueABoo

It's not that easy to do dynamic and I decided it would be too much effort. The basic problem is that WinPE being that cut-down pre-installation environment does not include the APIs you need to talk to AD easily e.g. the kind of things you can do it in a relatively trivial VBS or JS in normal Windows won't work in regular PE. So I pre-define the OUs in the bootstrap.ini default section e.g. [Default] DomainOUs1=OU=Administration, OU=Computers, DC=myDomain, DC=internal DomainOUs2=OU=Curriculum, OU=Computers, DC=myDomain, DC=internal etc. With 2008 and earlier, to actually get a computer moved into the OU selected in the Lite Touch wizard I had to add this third-party script near the end of the task sequence: Z-MoveComputer_HostOS.wsf The hard-coding doesn't bother me, because I've scripted/automated pretty much everything required to turn a freshly installed Server into a fully configured, first DC with all the services I want completely configured the way I want them, standard file/share structure/permissions, OU structure, comprehensive GPOs, user and resource groups, and that MDT configuration in place. As part of the automation I pick up my standard MDT configuration files, including task sequences, OS images and my latest greatest driver library, and drop them on top of a default MDT distribution point. I have a script replace the text strings like "myDomain" above with the relevant one for the system e.g. "StTrinians", and similarly to localise a couple of other files. If you're planning on making more than a handful of systems then investing time automating as much of the config as possible like this is definitely worth the effort - makes commissioning so much quicker and most importantly, consistent.

MDT 2008 & I: 1) [uSB|PXE|CD] boot the WinPE on a computer. 2) Pick the task sequence to install the OS I want. 3) Type in computer name. 4) Pick the target OU form drop-down list. 5) Job done or will be by-and-by. Go to next computer. MDT 2010 doesn't break that and makes various server-side bits better.

1) Ignoring pre-staging (because I didn't care about that), deploying XP more or less like this is perfectly do-able with MDT . It has and I added required drivers to a driver library. I created a task sequence that initially prompts for computer name, lets me pick from a list of target OUs and then gets on and installs XP via the I386 source on an MDT distribution share, adds the relevant drivers, adds my choice of applications (which I limited to updates to integrated OS apps e.g. a newer IE, Media Player and so on), then joins it to the domain. Downside: It took some time to figure out how to make MDT do that. It takes a while to figure out how to make MDT do anything. I think it's lovely now though and 2010 is nicer than the 2008 I started with. 2) Google "newsid retired" or even search on here - the new, official line is that fiddling with computer SIDs is a waste of time.

Having made something like this myself, I'm a bit of a world expert on this kind of thing. Didn't know this product existed until recently but if you're doing the same things over and over again on boxes, CS works as advertised and doesn't break the bank, then it ought to be a Good Thing[tm] for your organisation. But having quickly skimmed the manual/forums/personal-account-functionality, CS looks a bit spread thin to me i.e. it has a lot of features, but there's just not enough depth in the areas I care about most.

I think the likely reason people here have mentioned non-MS solutions a lot over the last couple of years is because MS weren't very good at it until recently. Hyper-V R2 has more or less narrowed the feature gap with ESX now though. If I were running some BSD/linux stuff I'd want ESX, otherwise the only difference I can think of that might matter to me is memory commit: ESX lets you overcommit memory e.g. run 5 x 4GB VMs on a 16GB RAM box, with the bet being that the VMs aren't all going to use their full 4GB at the same time. MS don't overcommit so you'd need 20GB spare RAM in the same scenario. [Haven't verified this with R2 of HV but believe it still applies] Note that HV is one of those things that tends to grow a supporting infrastructure e.g. Life is easier if you start with full Windows + the Hyper-V role, and you'll need those in a domain which may as well be a separate one so you need a DC, but two is obviously better and then perhaps you want SCVMM..

Haven't ever looked at this on an ESXi, but you can probably force your XP VM (preferably before you install the OS) to use the virtual Intel NIC the same way you can in other VMWare products by editing this into the associated VMX file: ethernet0.virtualDev = "e1000"

How are you creating it? If you make a new one in GPMC the new GPO should have the standard bunch of ADMs associated with it. It's not the only solution, but all things considered it's a LOT easier than the GPO method. Get some of those bouncy pensticks with the rubber casing and attach them to easily findable lumps of dayglo plastic or something.

Secure from what? If the answer is to some password stealing malware, then all the best malware gets admin and whatever security you decide to add, as admin it can get past that one way or another. Perspective: That password has got to pop out as plaintext in memory somewhere: a) Completely in MS-land where we assume it will be well looked after is a bit better than b) very briefly and cautiously in your code, but that in turn is much better than c) sitting around as plaintext for ages in your code or anywhere else.

Live with it like everyone else does? I wouldn't put anything into production that uses a beta dotNet, and I'd make that finally section call Marshal.ZeroFreeBSTR(bstr)

In addition to the obvious properties I've got two reg settings (acquired around update 12 and kept ever since, just in case): HKLM\SOFTWARE\JavaSoft\Java Update\Policy\EnableAutoUpdateCheck => 0 HKLM\SOFTWARE\JavaSoft\Java Update\Policy\EnableJavaUpdate => 0 I didn't have to, and you really don't want to faff around with active setup. Not 100% sure but I think the setting the property EULA_JAVAFX_ACCEPT to "yes", sorted that. If you go to the java.com, do the version check then run the test app and don't get a pop-up eula then it worked. I also take out the quick start service footprint with a "jqs.exe -unregister". And the fairly important top-secret (unless you RTFM) bit: You can get the EXE installer to spit out different versions of the MSI.. one will install over an existing java (patch in place), another will install alongside... I think you need to read their expanation.

I'm struggling with apparent subtlety of definitions here: How does anything happen client-side if there isn't some embedded code being processed to get the graphics (presumably decompress them etc.) send keystrokes back, do whatever it takes for USB and so on, and if it's over IP implement a credible TCP/IP stack and so on?

I want to see some real numbers: Comms isn't free and as a general rule when you're putting all your eggs in them, the kind of baskets you want can get scarily expensive very, very quickly.

Ummm.. whatever I choose to call them from one day to the next is correct, and anyone who wants to argue is a waste of space.

I've seen malware fiddle with that key a couple of times this term and it used those subkeys to stop you running most AV apps and other apps you might use to figure out what is going on. It works like this: If I make a subkey called A.exe and create a Debugger value of B.exe, then B.exe will be run in place of A.exe. Rename/delete that subkey and we're back to running A.exe.

Yeah.. my entire life, until the current job gave me a cheap one, with the number only known by work folk + t'other half, and it's switched off and left in the car on my time. They tend to disrupt my concept of a hassle free life too much.

I did play a little. Had a (winrs) remote commands, remote cmd shell and remote powershell working fine from a standalone XP SP3 box to a 2003 DC. Took me a little bit too long to realise why I didn't need to use any credentials for my "get me a shell" command lines -> it uses any you might have saved previously for the target when mapping a drive. The next trick to try scripting this stuff to grab useful info or do things on a bunch of machines... looks much easier than traditional WMI stuff, plus you can get info back in XML which is handy. All in all it's not that thrilling, but it is definitely growing on me. Didn't have a lot of incentive before, but do now that it works, one hopes consistently, on XP upwards.

Release of Windows PowerShell 2.0 and Windows Remote Management (WinRM) 2.0 for XP SP3 upwards is downloadable here. Haven't played with WinRM/RS before, but I get the feeling I ought to

Description of the Remote Desktop Connection 7.0 client update for Remote Desktop Services (RDS) for Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista SP1, and Windows Vista SP2. The full screen top of the screen dropdown thingy is now blue, oh and it also supports various R2 features.

It's the same kind of deal around here. AIUI it's mostly a bunch of tech-enthusiastic heads, allegedly representing all the others, who vote the money back for county wide X, Y and Z. That doesn't however include SIMS - schools pay for that themselves and likewise if they want the LA support (most do).

Nope. I use MDT 2008 and have MDT 2010 on the lab bench (not much significant difference) so can comment on various bits of that, but know nothing about who it fits with SCCM... I'd be interested to hear how you get on with that.

If that's GPO Folder Redirection, it's on the 'other' tab (applies to several of the redirectable things and I've been hit by that too with 2K8). XP only, but I've used FR for My Docs and App Data and the **only** issue I've had is with that pesky Acrobat Reader 9.x - and I refused to make significant changes to something that works because of something that is clearly broken in Windows compatibility terms. For XP I haven't used FR for Start Menus - several get copied/made/cleaned-of-unresolvable-shortcuts at computer startup and I use Shell Folder Redirection in GPPs to point whoever at the relevant local read-only menu at logon. Amongst other things, you have more control over the start menu with SFR. PS: RM redirect appdata to a user's server folder in CC3 and CC4, haven't heard much howling from there. I don't really get why it's so unpopular in this thread. The only tricky bit is you need it locally for "offline" use of staff laptops etc.

Can at least grow out of it relatively quickly? Don't know, but the problem might be you're supposed to be getting that mandatory-for-breathing degree/something when you're in that age range. The too-old-for-IT-just-because curve seems to increase exponentially with age, starts to climb a bit in your mid-30s.

It's all a bit fuzzy now, but I'm pretty sure we had the original Windows version being used seriously in 1999... was a s/w house running on NT and someone occasionally needed an app that only ran on 9x. The next year we definitely had a few for QA who needed lots of permutations of 9x, NT versions and IE versions.

Pay attention to that one less-than-that-folk because it's very real, an awful lot of people have been burnt by it, and very few reckon the UK ageism legislation has made much difference. I once had one asking me not to pay in my wage cheque for another week if I could, and ordinarily it would have taken me that long to get around to it, but...

To people who don't do their homework. Perhaps this will help you to break your programming and actually start thinking: Trevor Phillips became the head of the Commission for Racial Equality in 2003, and is the current head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission which subsumed the former organisation. He is a teensy bit controversial and has been widely reported as being **opposed** to multiculturalism for a long time now. Go look at his wp page [ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevor_Phillips]Wikipedia page[/ame] or in dozens of articles ad so in in the (relatively) quality press e.g. Multiculturalism's legacy is 'have a nice day' racism from over **five years ago** i.e. why so many people who apparently, and probably do genuinely care, are still so ignorant about what's been happening in this particular world is a bit perplexing. Another take: In today's Times and obviously linked to QT there is an article A flawed philosophy that bolsters the BNP and it definitely worth reading.