Typically when Microsoft ships a new OS (like Windows Vista), we immediately start talking about the next version-which begs two questions: 1) is Microsoft working on a new version of Windows, and if so, 2) why aren't you talking about it?

I thought I would spend a minute giving you an update on where we are. First, yes, we are working on a new version of Windows. As you likely know, it's called Windows 7.We are always looking for new ways to deliver great experiences for our customers.  This is especially true of Windows - where we're constantly examining trends in hardware, software and services to ensure that we continue to drive the innovation that has both made Windows the world's most popular operating system and has provided a foundation on which our partners built great products and businesses. When we shipped Windows 2000, we were already working on Windows XP and we started working on Windows Vista even before we released Windows XP. So naturally, we've been thinking about the investments we made in Windows Vista and how we can build on these for the next version of Windows.

What is a little different today is when and how we are

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If you have messed around in Windows Server 2008 Core installation you've probably had some challenges along the way - like: how do I join a computer to the domain using a command prompt, how can I add Features, tweak the firewall etc. Well, a nice and very useful solution to many of the basic configuration tasks is out there - and it's free of course!

Go check out CoreConfigurator (Server Core Configurator) written by Guy Teverovsky - look how easy it is and stop acting like a geek sent back to the early 90s :-)

Download here and enjoy!

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Many of you have asked us when the Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) would be available for download now that Windows Vista SP1 has been released. As of today, you can!

RSAT is an excellent set of tools for IT Pros wanting to manage their Windows Server environment right from their desktop. RSAT also includes an updated Group Policy Management Console (GPMC), which was previously removed in Windows Vista SP1.

Download: Remote Server Administration Tools (x86)
Download: Remote Server Administration Tools (x64)

RSAT is an updated version of what is called ADMINPAK.MSI and can be used by IT Pros to manage computers running Windows Server 2008. Because many of these tools also work for managing computers running Windows Server 2003, it is essentially "the next version" of ADMINPAK.MSI.

The following are a list of the tools you will find in RSAT:

Role Administration Tools:

• Active Directory Certificate Services Tools
• Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) Tools
• Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) Tools
• DHCP Server Tools
• DNS Server Tools
• File Services Tools
• Network Policy and Access Services Tools
• Terminal Services Tools
• Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI) Services Tools

Feature Administration Tools:

• BitLocker Drive Encryption Tools
• Failover Clustering Tools
• Group Policy Management Tools
• Network Load Balancing Tools
• SMTP Server Tools
• Storage Manager

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This article will demonstrate “The Easy Way” of how to handle Granular Password Policies – also known as Fine-Grained Password Policies - in a Windows Server 2008 domain environment.

In the article series “Configuring Granular Password Settings” (part 1 & part 2) I demonstrated how to configure Granular Password Settings for individual users or global security groups in a Windows Server 2008 Active Directory environment, using built-in methods. This article will demonstrate “The Easy Way” of how to handle these additional password policies in your Windows Server 2008 domain environment... Using Specops Password Policy Basic!

 

Enjoy!

 

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Technical documentation for planning, deployment, and operations of Volume Activation 2.0 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. Includes the Volume Activation 2.0 Overview Guide, Planning Guide, Deployment Guide, Operations Guide, Resources, FAQ and Technical Attributes.

• Volume Activation 2.0 Overview Guide, Planning Guide, Deployment Guide, Operations Guide - Provides planning, deployment and operational guidance for activating volume editions of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.
• Volume Activation 2.0 Resources - Provides a list of resources for Volume Activation 2.0.
• Volume Activation 2.0 FAQ - Answers to frequently asked questions about Volume Activation 2.0.
• Volume Activation 2.0 Technical Attributes - Spreadsheet detailing Volume Activation 2.0 technical attributes.

Download here

The Windows command-line tools are used to perform various tasks related to Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008.You can use the command reference to familiarize yourself with new and enhanced command-line tools, to learn about the command shell, and to automate command-line tasks by using batch files or scripting tools.

Download here