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Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2

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I started using Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 a few weeks back. I installed it so I would know what to expect when installing it on the library computers. The biggest feature for public access computers is the InPrivate browsing.

InPrivate Browsing – Sometimes you don’t want to leave any trace of specific web browsing activity, such as when checking e-mail at an Internet café or shopping for a gift on a family PC. InPrivate Browsing in Internet Explorer 8 helps prevent your browsing history, temporary Internet files, form data, cookies, and usernames and passwords from being retained by the browser, leaving no evidence of your browsing or search history.

I don’t know if I will be able to setup this feature to be on by default through GPO but this will be handy for people who use the library patron computers. They will know once they close the browser, their internet browsing history, data and such will be cleared. I am already pushing out a setting in IE7 through GPO to clear internet temp files but this gives the patron piece of mind.

 

One of the things I have had to do though is turn on compatibility view. You’ll find that under the tools menu item. What happens is, I go to a page, like news.sympatico.ctv.ca and the page is either blank or really distorted. If you go the compatiblity view settings, you can see what site use compatibility view and decide if you want it on for all sites.

Certification Plans

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I wrote the exam I was dreading the most, 70-297. It is an exam which has multiple case studies and you only have a short amount of time to read, and answer each one. I got pressed for time on the first case study, but after that, I learned to skim over some of the reading material and was quicker at getting through the case studies. Thankfully I passed and I am happy to have it out of the way. With that one complete, the finishes the MCSE on Windows Server 2003. I started that journey back in June of 2006, which I passed 70-290 using both a 50% off coupon and the second shot. That was a sweet deal, its too bad they don’t do that anymore. You can get the second shot again but not the deep discount.

Now that I have finished up my MSCE on Windows Server 2003, I have been thinking about which exams to write next. I know both Brad and Garth are wondering, so here goes. I am writing 70-646 (MCITP: Server Admin) next to achieve some more teachable courses for Windows Server 2008. After that exam, the short list is MCITP: Enterprise Admin, MCITP: Enterprise Messaging (Exchange 2007), Server Virtualization, Vista and Office Deployment, and Office Communications Server with the order of the short list undetermined.

Deploying Windows XP with MDT

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I’ve been working on trying to get some new machines deployed and some old machine’s refreshed with newer software for the past couple of days. I’ve been deploying both Vista and XP using MDT. I learned a few tricks that I want to pass along to everyone.

Deploying XP is best when you copy the source files to the Operating Systems section. I had syspreped a machine image, booted into PE and then used ImageX to make the wim file, but what was happening was when you redeployed it, the machine would get into a boot loop and never boot up. It was the same hardware that the image was created on so I know it wasn't a HAL issue.

By copying over the source files, the machine will build itself from scratch, so you need to find sources for all the programs you intend to install. Luckily for me, everything I want to install is available as a silent install msi package. Adobe products are available for redeployment, you just need to request the files which was something I found out a couple of months back. Live messenger I wasn’t sure how I was going to be able to do that one, but luckily I found an MSI file for messenger 8.5. I still have a few bugs to iron out of the XP build as I just got it working this past afternoon, but it is coming along great.

Vista installs are going good as well. One of the tricks I found last night was how to get games to install for Vista Business. By default, the games are off, but these machines are for the library, so I have to install them. Creating an application install for MDT with the following command line does the trick which is better then going into Control Panel and finding the install Windows components.

Command line: pkgmgr.exe /iu:InboxGames /quiet

I pretty much have the computers to the point where I just login the patron account, ensure it looks okay, check and make sure everything is working, then turn on disk protection in SteadyState.