Archive for category Windows Infrastructure

Microsoft Security Essentials (MS free antivirus software)

Just received e-letter from MS and it mentioned that MS has free AntiVirus software for Vista and Win7.

This software is called Microsoft Security Essentials.

I just installed. It looks good.

MS_Security_Essentials

MS_Security_Essentials2

Reference:

http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/

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Backup Personal Certificate Store

Platform: Windows XP

Personal Certificate Store is stored in user profile instead of registry.

Location:

%userprofile%\Application Data\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\My\Certificates

personal_cert

Reference:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc787544(WS.10).aspx

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Certutil.exe – Check Personal Certificate Store

Certutil.exe can be found in Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2003 Administration Pack.

Following command and parameters can let you to query certificates stored in Personal Certificate Store.

That is very useful if you want to verify if user certificate deployed to user computer or not.

certutil -store -user My

certutil

Other Certificate Store reference information:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc787544(WS.10).aspx

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Reviews: Windows 7 – Virtual PC and WinXP Mode Comments

Just have time to re-install my Vista box to Windows 7.

My initial planning is using Windows 7 Virtual PC for my PoC Lab testing.

After I have installed Win7 and configured the Virtual PC. I found that it is only support Win32 Virtual Machine.

I am very disappeared to it.

And the so-called killer feature “WinXP Mode”. My comment is “that is a marketing word”.

It is a monster for pushing customer moving to Win7.

The cost is very high to maintain 2 OSs for every users.

Overall comments:
1. The interface of Virtual PC for Windows 7 is not good
2. It does not support 64bit platform OS.
3. Monster “WinXP mode” sound attractive. But actually, it is quite difficult to maintain it.

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Read text file for bulk folders creation

Text file name:

folders.txt : Content

folder_a
folder_b
folder_c

CreateFolders.bat

FOR /F "tokens=1 delims=" %%i IN (folders.txt) DO (

md %%1

)
pause

CreateFolders.bat will read file folders.txt and create folder_a,folder_b and folder_c for you.

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Deploy Trusted Root CA Certificate (command line)

In Windows XP, local computer certificates are stored in registry

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\

Trusted Root CA certificates
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\Root\

Intermediate CA certificates
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\CA\

Before install trusted Root CA certificate

Root CA cert registry

Root CA cert registry

After install Root CA certificate, one more entry created (D0836D774C16xxxxxx..)

Root CA cert registry 02

Root CA cert registry 02

For the Root CA certificate deployment, you can export this registry and import this registry to target deployment machine by using the following command with local administrator right.

Command line deployment example:
regedit /s root_cert.reg

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IE8 – Control Panel Lockdown

Some people is asking how to lock down IE8 Internet Option settings.

ie8-lockdown01

You can consider the following way to lock it down at computer level.

1. Open regedit.exe

2. Add the following registry key

\Internet Explorer\Control Panel

ie8-lockdown02

3. Add the following DWORD to lock down “Advanced” Tab and “Programs” Tab.
And set its value to “1″.

ie8-lockdown03

4. Close and re-open IE8 Internet Option.

ie8-lockdown04

Available Options
AdvancedTab = Advanced tab
ConnectionsTab = Connections tab
ContentTab = Content tab
GeneralTab = General tab
ProgramsTab = Programs tab
SecurityTab =  Security tab

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Windows 2008: NewSID

Recently, I am preparing my Exchange 10 testing lab.

I tried to use NewSID.exe for prepare W2K8 OS SID.

Environment:
OS: W2K8
SP: Service Pack 1
Arch: x64

Screens

newsid-01

newsid-02

newsid-03
Enter Computer name if you want to rename it.

newsid-04

newsid-05

newsid-06

Completed

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Windows Server 2008 x64 installation Screens

It is a time for me to test Exchange 2010.

win2008-screen1

ScreenShot012

Following pdf contains some Windows Server 2008 x64 installation Screens for my E14 Beta testing.

Download PDF file:
Windows Server 2008 installation

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MS will not provide hardcopy certificate anymore

Today, I receied July 2009 MCP Flash. It has big news. MS will not provide hardcopy certificate by default. If you need hardcopy, please pay $$$.

In my career, I took a lot of MS exam and got a lot of MS certificates. If they need me to pay extra $$ for my certificate, I will consider to end my MS certificate plan.

If you are not agree to MS new certificate arrangement, please goto the following url to express your angry and complain.

http://borntolearn.mslearn.net/2009/06/going-green-mcp-digital-certificates-are-here/comment-page-6#comment-2565

I left my comment to this url too.

Actually, I paid a lot of effort to take different MS exam from NT4 to Windows 2008. If exam will not provide paper printout certificate any more, I consider to discontinue my MS cert path in coming future. And in my peer group, I am one of the driver to encourage my peers to take MS exam. In coming, I will discourage my peers to take MS exam and technology. I am strongly disappointed to this arrangement.

I would like to propose the following suggestion for MS if they are really consider to our voice.

1. establish a plan for existing holder to choose to maintain the existing plan. They can order paper certificate w/o paying extra shipping and handling charge

2. Discount the exam fee (Not a short period to CHEAT user), deduct whole shipping and handling fee.

3. Send me an official email and tell me that it is MS new arrangement.
And please note it in the email “if you don’t accept it please do not use MS product”.

I am vvvvvery angry w/ this new arrangement.

I just planned my OCS and W2K8 virtualization in coming months. I will cut it. And I won’t suggest OCS as Enterprise Voice and IM solution to my customer. I will not suggest Hyper-V as Virtualization platform.

I will not take Win7 exam for driving new Desktop deployment.

Angry Loyal MS user
Victor Tong
http://www.0101news.com/?page_id=165

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How to check disk usage in Windows command prompt?

1. type “cmd” in run menu.

2. type “dir” in command prompt

dir_disk01

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Windows 7 System Requirement

After reading Windows 7 System Requirement,I puzzle that why memory requirement for x86 and x64 is different.

Basically, my understanding is that x64 can locate more memory address space than x86 architecture.

I don’t know why memory requirement for x64 Windows 7 is higher than x86?? 1GB vs 2GB ?? 50% more ???

x64 needs more RAM???? I wonder if there is any MS product team guy can explain it more. It is interesting that why x64 needs more memory for running Windows 7.

win7_requirement

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Vista Diskpart: Extend Volume

I have a W2K3 VM that has a 16GB virtual disk. And I just assign 8GB for the volume. Recently, I found 8GB volume is not enough. I am going to extend this 8GB volume to 16GB volume.

This post is talking about how to use diskpart in Vista Repair mode to extend volume.

Steps:

1. Boot Vista DVD in repair mode
Vista-Diskpart01

Vista-Diskpart02

Vista-Diskpart03

2. Launch command prompt
run diskpart
list volume

Vista-Diskpart04

3. select the volume that you want to extend

Vista-Diskpart05

4. Run “extend” syntax

Vista-Diskpart07

5. Volume extended.

Vista-Diskpart08

Vista-Diskpart09

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W2K3 Enterprise CA Step by step installation (Working copy)

Recently, I am planning to draft some Enterprise Level documents for Community use.

Following is the working copy document  screen dump.

W2K3 Enterprise Subordinate CA Installation Guide (Working Copy Screens)
W2K3 Enterprise CA Screens (PDF)

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SAPI vbscript example

This VBScript example provides a simple text-to-speech demonstration by using SAPI and VBScript.

Very interesting :)

Download this text file and rename it to SAPI_Speak.vbs.

Double click and run it. Your computer will speak out what you have entered.
* Remember to turn on your speaker.

File: SAPI_Speak.txt

'********************************************
'* Windows SAPI VBScript Example
'* Author: Victor Tong
'* Website: www.0101news.com
'* Last Update: 22 June, 2009
'********************************************

Dim message, sapi
message=InputBox("Enter a string that you want SAPI to speak")
Set sapi=CreateObject("sapi.spvoice")
sapi.Speak message
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