Microsoft News

[Guest Reimar]

Greetings, Reimar.

Another milestone was reached last week on the timeline for the Windows Vista Service Pack 2 and Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 release. The release candidate (RC) was made available to the general public as part of the Customer Preview Program (CPP). You can download the Windows Vista SP2 RC and Windows Server 2008 SP2 RC here. TechNet Plus subscribers can access the SP2 RC bits here.

Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) is now available for use with Windows 7. That means subscribers to the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP ) can now test their applications and prepare for enterprise deployments by downloading the App-V 4.5 CU1 for Window 7 Beta from Microsoft Connect.

Speaking of preparing for Windows 7, one of the big considerations is application compatibility. Check out the Engineering Windows 7 Blog and see the Application Compatibility Testing Overview for a rundown on what the team is doing in this regard.

A Month of Exchange Server 2007 Tips

In March, TechNet Magazine has devoted its Tip of the Day to Exchange server 2007. Find a new tip every business day. Here’s an example of the tips you’ll find: • Use the Exchange Management Shell to Create New Mail Users and Mailboxes

Discover the cmdlets and the additional parameters you'll need. • Quickly Recover Deleted Mailboxes in Exchange Server 2007

See how to reconnect the mailbox to the original user account or another user account, if necessary. • Create Forwarding Mailboxes for Custom Recipients

Six easy steps to get it done.

For tips on other products, including Windows Vista and Windows 7, check out the TechNet Magazine Tips library.

Mitch Irsfeld

Editor, TechNet Flash

[wpcoe]

Has anybody noticed any overal system improvement with Vista SP2 RC? I found the following SP2 feature list on a blog (http://filenetworks.blogspot.com/2009/03/w...-pack-2-rc.html), but none of it seems to be anything I would notice, or even use:

• Windows Search 4.0 with faster searching and more relevant results
  
• The ability to record onto Blu-Ray Media through Vista instead of a third-party application
  
• Bluetooth 2.1 Feature pack to support emerging Bluetooth technology
  
• Simplified Wi-Fi configuration tool
  
• Improved file synchronization across time zones
  
• Support for new 64-bit CPUs from VIA technologies
  
• Improved performance for Wi-Fi connections after your computer comes out of sleep mode
  
• Improvements to DirectX multimedia with an improved graphics experience for gamers
  
• Better streaming capabilities for high-def audio and video
  
• Improved content protection for TV programs recorded with Windows Media Center
  

With Vista SP1, I noticed a significant improvement in file transfer speed and in general Vista seemed more responsive. Is there anything like that with SP2?

[Cuban]

Vista makes me want to hit my computer with a hammer.

[Guest Reimar]

Vista makes me want to hit my computer with a hammer.

Did you need a big one?

Check Windows 7!! :D

[Cuban]

....when I have some spare I am considering dedicating the time to put in a new HDD and have a stab at Linux, I used to do Solaris admin years ago so will probably get back in to those habits. Vista (old debate) is just so painful, I only have the thing because I asked my then desktop support staff, '...find me a good cheap computer to use for video editting..."

What size hammer is best?

[Gary A]

....when I have some spare I am considering dedicating the time to put in a new HDD and have a stab at Linux, I used to do Solaris admin years ago so will probably get back in to those habits. Vista (old debate) is just so painful, I only have the thing because I asked my then desktop support staff, '...find me a good cheap computer to use for video editting..."

What size hammer is best?

Just a little friendly advice here. Hold off using the hammer until you get Linux installed. At that point you will want a REALLY big hammer.

ADDED - I do have an extra hard drive and I have found that Ubuntu 8.1 is closest to being usable. At least I can use my mobile phone and data cable for the Internet.

Edited March 13, 2009 by Gary A

[Cuban]

Hammers and computers have always gone together.

Indeed I was using a friend's ubuntu PC over Christmas, something her son had knocked up from spare parts, I was impressed with the speed although didn't get to play with the OS much as I was only using it to access emails while travelling.

...now looking for a ubuntu thread here...

Gary, you use ubuntu on your main computer - what experiances / problems ?

[Guest Reimar]

Hammers and computers have always gone together.

Indeed I was using a friend's ubuntu PC over Christmas, something her son had knocked up from spare parts, I was impressed with the speed although didn't get to play with the OS much as I was only using it to access emails while travelling.

...now looking for a ubuntu thread here...

Gary, you use ubuntu on your main computer - what experiances / problems ?

In the past there was be: Anesty with Woodhammer! , I mean if you need them for you! (kidding) but don't use an Rubberhammer for the computer because that beast hit back to you!!

About SP2 RC: Just installed and the installation took 40 minutes! On start there was already a warning which told maybe more than an hour!!

First impression: No impression! Need to see the next few hours or even day's what's happen!

Cheers.

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi

I'm using Ubuntu (8.04 LTR) since almost a year and am very happy with it. However i was also happy with Vista before (just wanted to try something new and stuck with it, no bad feelings at all towards Windows) and XP before that, still using XP at work and the majority of machines i build these days get XP (home edition OEM, genuine) installed.

Regarding Vista, the time needed to install seems to greatly vary depending on machine specs - i've had it telling me "will take several hours" but was done in 35 minutes, however other times it DID take several hours (laptops!).

Ubuntu takes 15 minutes on a slow machine and 12 minutes on a fast one

Kind regards......

Thanh

[Cuban]

Example: Vista box running at home last night, simple back to back LAN link to laptop (tweaked XP running on an old laptop {from W2000 days} but that runs fine.), the Vista should be SOAS 2Gb dual core etc. but it can't even open task manager while burning a DVD and indexing a SD card at the same time.

There is probably something 'wrong' but it's the only computer I have fully avoided fixing so far and my customer experiance as a 'user' really puts me off.