Active Directory Replication Status Tool (ADREPLSTATUS)

The Active Directory Replication Status Tool (ADREPLSTATUS) helps administrators identify, prioritize and resolve Active Directory replication errors on a single DC or all DCs in an Active Directory Domain or Forest.

Some features include:

• Auto-discovery of the DCs and domains in the Active Directory forest to which the ADREPLSTATUS computer is joined
• “Errors only” mode allows administrators to focus only on DCs reporting replication failures
• Upon detection of replication errors, ADREPLSTATUS uses its tight integration with resolution content on Microsoft TechNet to display the resolution steps for the top AD Replication errors.

More information can be found here.

Available for download at the Microsoft Download Center.

Exchange 2010 Delegated Sent Items

There has been a major change with Exchange Server 2010 SP2 RU4 with reference to Delegate Sent Items.

Scenario
The user “Delegate” has been assigned Full Mailbox Access and Send As permissions to the user “Manager” mailbox. This is accomplished using the below powershell cmdlets.

Add-ADPermission -identity Manager -User Delegate -ExtendedRights "Send As”
Add-MailboxPermission Manager -User Delegate -AccessRights FullAccess -InheritanceType all

With Exchange Server 2010 SP2 RU3 and lower, whenever Delegate would use Send As permissions and send an e-mail to any user, the item would show up in the Sent Items Folder of Delegate. With Exchange Server 2010 SP2 RU4, this behaviour changes; you can now make a copy of the e-mail in the Sent Items folder of the Manager Mailbox. To achieve this functionality we are introducing 2 new powershell cmdlets;

Get-MailboxSentItemsConfiguration
Set-MailboxSentItemsConfiguration

More information can be found here.

Update for Windows Server Update Services 3.0 SP2 (KB2734608)

WSUS update to patch Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012.

More information can be found here.

Lync 2010 for Mac 2011 improved device support hotfix 14.0.3

This update provides improvements in device support and audio quality for a select group of devices.  The devices supported by this update are:

• Polycom CX300 – USB Desk Phone
• Plantronics Calisto P540-M – USB Desk Phone
• Logitech B530 – earbud-style headset
• Jabra Pro 9450 – Wireless headset
• Sennheiser DW Office – Wireless headset
• Microsoft LifeCam Studio – webcam

These device are now automatically set as the default audio device when connected to a Mac.  There are also a few new features in the Lync client for managing audio devices.

More information on this hotfix can be found here and here.

Windows 8 To Go USB Drive

Required;
Blank USB Drive 32GB or more (USB 3 or as fast as you can afford).
Windows 8 Enterprise Installation Disk.

Insert USB Drive into PC.
Command Prompt {runas administrator}

Diskpart
List disk
Select disk #_of_USB_Drive
Clean
Create partition primary
Format fs=ntfs quick
Active
Exit {to leave diskpart}

In the same command window;

Copy cd_drive \sources\install.wim to c:\tmp
Copy Imagex.exe to c:\tmp

imagex.exe /apply install.wim 1 u:\     {where u: is your USB Drive}
(This step can take a wee while to complete)

bcdboot.exe u:\windows /s u: /f ALL   {where u: is your USB Drive}

Download ImageX here.

Windows 8 Enterprise Activation Errors and MAK

If you encounter the following error code; please try the following commands.
Windows Activation error: Code 0x8007232b
Windows Activation error: Code 0x8007007B
No DNS Servers Configured: Code 0x8007267C

By default Windows 8 Enterprise will look for a KMS Server and automatically activate, the rule of thumb is a minimum of 25 clients contacting the KMS server to activate the key.  However, the following commands will work for KMS. In the event that you do not have a KMS Server but a MAK Key then try the following.

Open a command prompt (administrator preferable)
slmgr.vbs /ipk Your-MAK-Key or Your-KMS-Key
(sets the new product key)

slmgr.vbs /ato
(activates the key)

Or from a command prompt type; {slui.exe is the Windows Activation Client};

slui.exe
(for windows activation details)

slui 3
(To enter new Product Key)

slui 4
(Find activation telephone numbers)

Visual Studio 2012 upgrade Trial to Full Version.

If you have previously installed a trial version of Visual Studio 2012, the software can be upgraded to the full version with your Volume Licensing key, without the need to reinstall the software. For full instructions on how to activate Visual Studio 2012 with your key, click here.

Windows 8 and Server 2012 KMS Activation

An update is available for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 KMS hosts to support Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012

This update extends the Key Management Service (KMS) for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 to allow enterprise licensing of Windows 8 and of Windows Server 2012.

KMS provides support for the following KMS client activations:

    Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1)
    Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 (SP2)
    Windows 8
    Windows Server 2012
    Windows 7 and Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1)
    Windows Vista and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2)

Key Management Service (KMS) uses a KMS host key to activate KMS on a KMS host, and to establish a local activation service in your environment. This update extends support for KMS to provide activation for Windows 8 and for Windows Server 2012.

Update Rollup 4 for Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 2 (KB2706690)

Update can be located here.

Update Rollup 4 for Exchange Server 2010 resolves issues that were found in Exchange Server 2010 since the software was released. This update rollup is highly recommended for all Exchange Server 2010 customers.

For a list of changes that are included in this update rollup, see KB2706690.

From my perspective I don't see the fixes for PreferredSite Unhandled or MapiExceptionUnexpectedMailboxState: Unable to delete mailbox or the local mailbox move Source and Target versions mismatch.

Minor quirks but it would be nice to see more testing!

Visual Studio 2012 Release to MSDN / TechNet

Visual Studio Professional 2012 (x86) - DVD (English)
File Name: en_visual_studio_professional_2012_x86_dvd_920779.iso
Languages: English
SHA1: FA70ABB2071A317A0F07A3384973B722DD95636A

Visual Studio Ultimate 2012 (x86) - DVD (English)
File Name: en_visual_studio_ultimate_2012_x86_dvd_920947.iso
Languages: English
SHA1: 6A2B87BCD336A96AC39CF85348E93E5AF45588EB

FYI there is no x64 version of Visual Studio as Microsoft maintains the x86 version can build both 32/64 code with less over head etc; more info here although its 2009!

Windows Server 2012 release to VLSC

And the wait is finally over for some more of us ..

Windows 8 release to MSDN / Technet

So the wait is finally over for some of us ..

Windows 8 (x86) - DVD (English)
Release Date: 8/15/2012
Download 2511 MB
File Name: en_windows_8_x86_dvd_915417.iso
Languages: English
SHA1: 22D680EC53336BEE8A5B276A972CEBA104787F62

Windows 8 (x64) - DVD (English)
Release Date: 8/15/2012
Download 3416 MB
File Name: en_windows_8_x64_dvd_915440.iso
Languages: English
SHA1: 1CE53AD5F60419CF04A715CF3233F247E48BEEC4

Windows 8 (x86) - DVD (English-United Kingdom)
File Name: en-gb_windows_8_x86_dvd_915479.iso
Languages: English
SHA1: 7EAD7DA86426F554C41849B750BF29C74B9B3D5D

Windows 8 (x64) - DVD (English-United Kingdom)
File Name: en-gb_windows_8_x64_dvd_915412.iso
Languages: English
SHA1: 79ED9958CF1690DD8A60A0B1B15F5DCC76C8E625

Windows 8 Enterprise (x86) - DVD (English)
File Name: en_windows_8_enterprise_x86_dvd_917587.iso
Languages: English
SHA1: FEFCE3E64FB9EC1CC7977165328890CCC9A10656

Windows 8 Enterprise (x64) - DVD (English)
File Name: en_windows_8_enterprise_x64_dvd_917522.iso
Languages: English
SHA1: 4EADFE83E736621234C63E8465986F0AF6AA3C82

FreeBSD Support on Windows Server Hyper-V

The FreeBSD drivers will allow FreeBSD to run as a first-class guest on the Windows Server Hyper-V hypervisor. The drivers will be fully released early this summer, including the source code for the drivers under the BSD license, and will initially work with FreeBSD 8.2 and 8.3 on Windows Server 2008 R2.

More information can be found here and here.

Deploying Windows 8 – Microsoft IT

Microsoft is currently ‘dogfooding’ Windows 8 with 30,000 employees;
Features deployed for business users are:

• Trusted boot helps protect the boot process and is designed to eliminate the possibility for malware to hijack the boot process or hide from antimalware software.
• Microsoft IT is performing a pilot on approximately 1,000 machines to evaluate changes in the way DirectAccess works, including validating virtual smart cards that use a machine’s Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip—a chip that supports BitLocker and, in Windows 8, protects the virtual smart card certificate’s private key.
• Measured boot enables the reporting of machine health in a secure way that is measured by hardware at boot time. Microsoft IT plans to use a remote health attestation like measured boot via a network-based
  custom system health agent to ensure security health of managed Windows 8 DirectAccess systems.
• Microsoft IT needed to make sure that Microsoft BitLocker worked on Windows 8. BitLocker drive encryption can protect data on mobile devices that include a TPM chip. Microsoft IT is also validating a new BitLocker feature called Network Key Protector Unlock that allows BitLocker to automatically unlock a drive when the machine is plugged into the corporate network.

More information can be found here;

Lync 2013 - What’s New

Top Features;
- Chat Rooms
- Tabbed Conversations
- New Video Features
- New Meeting Room Features
- Lync Web App with HD Video
- Anywhere Access

More information can be found here;

Metro

When is Metro no longer called Metro; when its called Windows 8 Style UI.
Microsoft have seemingly decided to stop using the Metro terminology for reasons unknown but more information can be located here, here and here.

Windows 8 has reached RTM

Build 9200.16384.win8_RTM.120725-1247

• August 15th: Developers will be able to download the final version of Windows 8 via your MSDN subscriptions.
• August 15th: IT professionals testing Windows 8 in organizations will be able to access the final version of Windows 8 through your TechNet subscriptions.
• August 16th: Customers with existing Microsoft Software Assurance for Windows will be able to download Windows 8 Enterprise edition through the Volume License Service Center (VLSC), allowing you to test, pilot and begin adopting Windows 8 Enterprise within your organization.
• August 16th: Microsoft Partner Network members will have access to Windows 8.
• August 20th: Microsoft Action Pack Providers (MAPS) receive access to Windows 8.
  September 1st: Volume License customers without Software Assurance will be able to purchase Windows 8 through Microsoft Volume License Resellers.

Also reaching RTM today;
Visual Studio 2012
Windows RT
Windows Server 2012