One of the first tasks an administrator must do after building a Windows Server Core machine is set the network address and configure the machine name and domain membership. There are command line tools for all of those individual features but Microsoft included a useful command called sconfig that allows you to quickly configure basic server settings.
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Microsoft has increased both the power and complexity of its popular Windows operating system with the release of Windows 7. The Tweak7 tweaking utility helps you configure Windows 7 to meet your personal needs by improving performance and customizing system settings.
Unlike other power tools for Windows, Tweak7 automatically prompts enhancement recommendations...
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Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 includes a new command line utility to enable and disable Windows features. The Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool (DISM) is perfect for IT professionals and power users that want to manage Windows components without using the GUI. Since it is a command line utility it can be used in scripts to manage components.
Microsoft removed the legacy Windows Help .hlp file viewer, winhlp32.exe, from Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, and all modern versions of Windows. Dating back to Windows 3.1, Microsoft says the Windows Help components have not been updated in years and no longer meets internal standards. If you have an older application that still...
I have already talked about the benefits of XP Mode that is part of Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise editions and how to get it setup but some of the most useful features are not enabled by default. All of the native Windows XP applications...
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Sometimes all of the compatibility settings in Windows 7 are not enough to make legacy applications run. XP Mode is a free download component for Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise customers that allows you to run legacy apps inside a Windows XP virtual machine running in the background. The end user does not have load and work inside the virtual machines...
If you want the full Windows 7 experience the Aero glass interface is a must. Without the slick glass interface a number of key features will be disabled such as taskbar thumbnails and Aero Peek. According to Microsoft the bare minimum requirements for Aero is a graphics card that supports DirectX 9.0 or newer and a native WDDM (Windows Display Driver Model) driver. In most cases when you install...
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Microsoft has made available a trial version of Windows 7 Enterprise in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. According to Microsoft, "It is designed specifically for IT Professionals, so that you can test your software and hardware on a final version of the product. In addition, it provides the opportunity for you to become more familiar with the key improvements over...
Do you have a license for Windows 7 Ultimate but only have the Windows 7 Home Premium install media? Do you want to try a different edition of Windows 7 for 30 days without having to buy it first? With a simple trick you can enable a hidden menu that allow you to install any edition of Windows 7 from any Windows 7 installation media. This works on all editions of Windows 7 including Starter, Home...
Read MoreThe Windows Sysinternals group at Microsoft has released Disk2vhd that is a free physical to virtual converter. Disk2vhd allows you to create VHD (virtual hard dive) files from physical drives on your computer while your system is online. The VHD files generated can be used in Microsoft Virtual PC or on Hyper-V server and you will have an instant clone of your machine running virtually. This is perfect...
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