Attend a Free First Look Clinic Taught By Gerri Light, MCT!
Join top New Horizons Technical Instructor Gerri Light as she instructs you in this FREE 90 minute clinic on Getting Started with Server Management in Windows Server 2008.
Fill out the Free Clinic Signup Form for an e-mail reminder to attend the FREE Server 2008 clinic!
Upcoming Dates (ALL DAY):
March 17, 2008
March 18, 2008
This 90 minute clinic provides in-depth knowledge on the following Windows Server 2008 Server Management functionality:
Sign up for a two-hour online clinic: Getting Started with Server Management in Windows Server 2008. Register now—this free offer is valid for the month of March only! After completing this clinic, you will be able to:
• Use Server Management to perform initial tasks necessary to complete installation of Windows Server 2008
• Use Server Management to configure roles and features and to monitor server status
• Explore the Windows PowerShell environment
• Use WinRM to perform computer management
• Implement a Server Core scenario
Watch recordings of the live learning event
On February 27, 2008, the day of Microsoft's largest product launch ever, dozens of Microsoft Certified Trainers (MCTs) from around the world came together virtually to deliver 24 hours of continuous live learning for free. In teams of two or more, each team presented for one hour and covered four topics:
• Virtualization in Windows Server 2008
• Improved Web programming by using Microsoft Visual Studio 2008
• Resource Governor in Microsoft SQL Server 2008
• Virtual classes from Microsoft Learning
Out of the 24, one-hour recordings, we selected four that showcase the diverse talents of all who presented. Even though the content is the same for each of the following four recordings, it is interesting to see how different teams presented the concepts.
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Taught by Mary Ann Hand and Michael Watkins, this presentation had a radio talk show format, which was quite engaging.
Almost halfway through the 24-hour live event, three MCTs came together to deliver a dynamic presentation—and no one managed to trip over one another! Kudos go to Tim O’Connor, Brain Alderman, and Howard Forder.
Note You must sign in to view these presentations. You have two ways to view each recording — Microsoft Office Live Meeting High-Fidelity Presentation or Microsoft Office Live Meeting Replay. Some of our viewers have had issues with the high fidelity version; it is not an issue with the recording. If this is a problem for you, the Microsoft Office Live Meeting Replay version might be the best choice for viewing the recording.
Microsoft sincerely appreciates all the hard work that the Microsoft Certified Trainers teams put forward to make the virtual {training} event a great success! Here is the complete list of presenters.
Register for the free (US$99 value) First Look Clinic
Virtual classes from Microsoft provide an exciting and effective new way to learn by combining online classroom training, interactive discussions with Microsoft certified instructors, real-world scenarios, and self-directed study. Experience the benefits of this easy-to-use educational experience first-hand—delivered right to your desktop. Register with one of our three premier Microsoft Certified Partners for Learning Solutions for a free two-hour virtual clinic: Getting Started with Server Management in Windows Server 2008.
Learn about the premier Microsoft Certified Partners for Learning Solutions that offer these virtual classes.
MAX Technical Training MAX Technical Training is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner for Learning Solutions (CPLS) and is one of the fastest-growing high-end, technical training organizations in the country. Founded in 1998, MAX's mission is to increase the skills of developers and IT infrastructure professionals by providing the most challenging technology training available. MAX delivers both public and private IT training classes at client sites worldwide or in one of their facilities.
New Horizons Greater Philly With more than 300 centers in 60 countries, New Horizons is the world's largest independent IT training company. New Horizons delivers a full range of technology and business skills training from basic application and desktop productivity tools to complex and integrated business systems. During the past 25 years, New Horizons has provided innovative learning solutions that have transformed businesses and helped 25 million students reach their career goals.
Solartech Founded in 1996, Solartech is a Microsoft-managed Gold Certified Partner for Learning Solutions (CPLS) and winner of the Microsoft 2006 Excellence Award for Technical Training. Solartech is the first Microsoft CPLS to launch Microsoft Official Distance Learning (MODL), or virtual classes, worldwide. Solartech innovative distance learning classes allow you to obtain your training without leaving your home or office.
The command-line Runas utility is handy for launching programs under different accounts, but it’s not convenient if you’re a heavy Explorer user. ShellRunas provides functionality similar to that of Runas to launch programs as a different user via a convenient shell context-menu entry.
ShellRunas works on Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2008.
LAS VEGAS — Jan. 6, 2008 — At the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates and Microsoft President of the Entertainment & Devices Division Robbie Bach today unveiled several new entertainment services and partnerships, including new deals with Disney-ABC Television Group, NBC Universal and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM), that demonstrate how software is improving people’s ability to connect with their favorite content and communities through new and expanded forms of entertainment experiences.
Gates talks with Channel 10 about the state of consumer electronics, what he thinks is important and where this is all going.
In his 11th CES opening keynote address, Gates looked at the sweeping changes since 2001 that have created the first true Digital Decade, including the continued expansion of the popularity of Windows-based PCs, the growing prevalence of broadband networks, the spread of mobile phones and the advent of portable digital media devices.
“Since I first started talking about the Digital Decade in 2001, the speed with which digital technology has become central to the way we work, learn and play has been amazing,” Gates said. “But in many ways, we are at the very beginning of the transformation that software will enable. During the next Digital Decade, technology will make our lives richer, more connected, more productive and more fulfilling in profound and exciting ways.”
Gates went on to outline his vision for the next Digital Decade — an era in which dramatic advances in hardware and software will make the power of computing a ubiquitous part of day-to-day life. Gates referenced how natural user interfaces will more closely reflect the way people interact with each other. High-definition experiences will be nearly everywhere. Services-connected devices running on the Web and huge amounts of storage accessible via the Internet will mean that information and capabilities people want will be available instantly and seamlessly, no matter where they are.
Partnership With NBC Universal for the First “Long-Tail” Olympics
A joint Microsoft-NBC Universal announcement provides just one indication of the power of software to change the way people experience online entertainment. NBC Universal and Microsoft will raise the bar for live and on-demand Internet broadcasting through an exclusive agreement where Microsoft and NBC will deliver NBCOlympics.com on MSN, the official U.S. online home of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. In the first “long-tail” Olympics, online viewers will have access to more than 3,000 hours of live and on-demand content so they can watch their favorite athlete or sport, regardless of whether the sport has seven fans or 7 million. NBCOlympics.com on MSN will be available free and powered by Microsoft Silverlight technology, a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering high-quality video experiences on the Web.
“With Microsoft’s cutting-edge technology and MSN’s enormous reach, we will be positioned on NBCOlympics.com to enable Olympic fans to tailor their Olympic online viewing experience — they can watch Olympic sports content when and where they want,” said Gary Zenkel, president of NBC Olympics. “An on-demand Olympics means online viewers will be able to return to their favorite Olympic moments over and over or watch a performance they may have missed for the first time.”
Hit ABC and Disney Channel Programs Join Xbox Live Video Lineup; MGM Brings Legendary Library of Films to Xbox LIVE
Bach announced that hit TV programs from ABC Television and Disney Channel will join the Xbox Live programming available for download directly to the Xbox 360 console. In addition, MGM will bring its library of hit movies.
Under the agreement with Disney-ABC Television Group, later this month, all U.S. Xbox LIVE members will begin to have access to select TV shows and movies from the ABC Television Network, ABC Family, ABC News, Disney Channel and Toon Disney as part of an agreement with Disney-ABC Television Group. More than 500 hours of content, in both standard definition and high definition when available, will be offered including hit ABC Television shows “Lost,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Ugly Betty” and “Desperate Housewives.” Past and current ABC shows will be available on demand, with new episodes arriving on the service the day after they air on television.
Under the agreement with MGM, Xbox 360 will offer MGM’s legendary movie library on demand for Xbox 360 including such titles as “Rocky,” “Terminator,” “Legally Blonde,” “Silence of the Lambs” and “Barbershop.” United Artists, an MGM sister company, will also make select films available on demand.
With more than 10 million Xbox LIVE members and more than 3,500 hours of premium content, Xbox 360 has established itself as a premier platform for on-demand TV shows and movies, including impressive high definition experiences, for TV.
“Xbox LIVE Marketplace is the destination for high-definition movies, TV shows and music videos,” Bach said. “And, with the new Disney-ABC and MGM partnerships, we are bringing even more compelling high-definition content to people through their Xbox 360.”
Xbox 360 on Track to Register Biggest Year in Video Game History
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates delivers his keynote address to the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nev. Jan. 6, 2008.
According to Bach, the continuing success of Xbox is another indication of the power of digital technology to transform the way people access and experience entertainment of all kinds. Sales of 17.7 million consoles this holiday season surpassed original expectations and put Xbox 360 on track to register the biggest year in video game history as U.S. consumers spent more on the Xbox 360 platform in 2007 than on any other gaming platform.
“With its continued momentum in games, accessories and digital entertainment via our leading online service Xbox LIVE, and record-setting games and accessory attach rates, evidence is everywhere that Xbox 360 is thriving,” Bach said.
Zune to Launch in Canada; Zune Social Grows Rapidly
Adding to the entertainment momentum, Bach announced that Zune will be available in Canada in spring 2008, the first time the family of digital music players will be available outside the U.S. Microsoft also announced that since the November launch of Zune Social, more than 1.5 million people have joined the music-focused social network, demonstrating how Zune is tapping into consumers’ desire to share their musical passions with their broader community.
Windows Vista Hits 100 Million Licenses; Shows Latest “Fashion” PCs
During the keynote, Gates talked about the ongoing transformation of the personal computer and he shared sales figures for Windows Vista that indicate that the PC and the Windows platform remains a central catalyst for the advances of the Digital Decade. According to Gates, the company has sold more than 100 million Windows Vista licenses to date.
“For more than 25 years, Windows has unlocked the power of personal computing,” Gates said. “Now we are expanding Windows to go where you want to go and do what you want to do on PCs, the Web and mobile devices. The result is connected experiences that extend across people’s lives, interests and communities, at home and at work.”
In addition to technology advances that continue to make PCs more powerful, more portable and more affordable, there is a growing emphasis on style. Independent research firm Forrester Research Inc. has predicted that the period between now and 2012 will be the “Age of Style” for the consumer PC industry, with “strategists and marketers weaving design concerns into their thinking about every facet of their company’s strategies as style and design becomes a critical brand attribute.” (“The Age Of Style In Consumer PCs,” Forrester Research, June 25, 2007). Examples from several hardware manufacturers were shown in a video during the CES keynote, including these:
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ASUS-Lamborghini VX3. Available in the first quarter of 2008, this PC is ultrathin and lightweight, and comes with a 12.1-inch-wide LED backlit panel and premium leather-bound palm rest with exquisite stitch detailing reminiscent of that in a Lamborghini automobile.
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Lenovo IdeaPad U110. Available in January 2008, this super-slim notebook weighs just over two pounds and is embellished with a tendril texture etched into a red metal cover and includes a Dolby Home Theater system and optional Solid State Drives.
Robbie Bach, Microsoft President, Entertainment and Devices Division, speaks during the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nev. Jan. 6, 2008.
New IPTV Experiences; Microsoft Mediaroom Now on 1 Million Set-Top Boxes
Other announcements highlight the ongoing impact that digital technology and software plus services are having on the way people experience television. Showtime Networks Inc. and Turner Broadcasting System Inc.’s TNT and CNN networks all introduced new TV applications capable of delivering the most advanced digital TV services on the Microsoft Mediaroom Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) platform, which is enabling over 20 of the world’s leading broadband service providers to deliver advanced digital TV services.
Examples of innovative new television experiences include the ability to view NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races from the driver’s vantage point by choosing from a series of in-car cameras on broadcasts by TNT; to watch boxing matches by selecting different camera angles and audio feeds on Showtime; and to access the richness of CNN.com’s 2008 presidential election coverage while watching CNN’s television broadcast.
Microsoft also announced that Mediaroom is now running on 1 million set-top boxes worldwide and unveiled a new offering called DVR Anywhere, giving customers the flexibility of watching their recorded programs on multiple TVs in the home.
In addition, Microsoft announced that Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. will support Extender for Windows Media Center, enabling televisions to stream HD content from any Windows Vista-based PCs with Windows Media Center over a wired or dual-band Wireless-N home network. This partnership builds on strong momentum and a growing set of online services, including the recent beta release of Windows Media Center Internet TV, which offers more than 100 hours of ad-supported entertainment from MSN Video, including full-length shows, music concerts and movie trailers.
New Interfaces Drive Future of Computing: Speech, Vision, Touch and More
Examples of the growing prevalence of more natural user interfaces were also on display during the keynote. Bach previewed a new version of Tellme, Microsoft’s integrated voice-and-visual mobile service that enables people to use voice commands to say what they want and see the answer on their phone’s screen. The new service uses Global Positioning System (GPS) capabilities to identify the caller’s location, yielding results that are significantly more relevant. Tellme is available today on AT&T Wireless and Sprint phones and will be available in future versions of Windows Mobile.
For example, a person can “call” the Web on a mobile phone and say “movies” and the software will recognize where the person is located and send to that mobile phone’s screen a list of the theaters closest to that location. Furthermore, Microsoft gave an early glimpse of how future versions may also offer the ability to purchase movie tickets from a mobile phone and share the movie information with friends and family via a text message.
Bach also demoed voice-activated technology for the car, including Sync, a fully integrated in-car communications and infotainment system for mobile phones and digital music players that has been available in select Ford models since September. Ford Motor Co., which expects to sell more than 1 million vehicles with Sync by early 2009, unveiled the new 911 Assist feature that connects drivers with emergency services in the case of an accident or emergency.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft’s corporate information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/contactpr.mspx.
The release of the 2007 Microsoft Office system brought important design changes you should know about before you deploy or upgrade from previous versions in your Terminal Services server farm. You'll need to be familiar with the global template, the Quick Access Toolbar,
the .adm file snap-ins for Group Policies, and the Office Customization Tool (OCT). If you understand all of these tools in advance, your deployment will go more smoothly. Let's begin our tour of salient changes by looking at Microsoft® Word.
Deploying Word 2007
Word has always utilized a global template file, and in the 2007 Office system this file is called normal.dotm. In a Terminal Services environment, there are three different approaches you can take to deploy Word and the normal.dotm file. You can leave the file alone on all Terminal Services servers where Office is installed so users receive the standard Word default view. You can open the file on each Terminal server and modify it yourself, adding customizations, so that users don't get a default view in Word. Or you can rename the file altogether so that users get their own file (modified when they change a setting in Word and click Default).
Whatever choice you make, it's best made up front, before you deploy. If you make no changes out of the box, then users cannot save their global template changes because the global template file that sits on your Terminal Services servers overwrites their file in their individual profiles. If you do not open the template file and tweak it, then Word 2007 will only present its default settings to users.
You can, however, tweak the file on each server in your Terminal Services farm, if you so desire. To take this route and maintain the same Word settings for every user (such as default font and size, paragraph spacing, and layout), you'll need to keep this global template file in its default path location. Then to modify any settings that you want to deploy globally to your users, simply open this file on each Terminal Services machine, make your desired changes in the Word 2007 layout (click Default), and then save them, writing your changes out to the default normal.dotm file.
Be sure to back up the default file first before you make any changes or you might find yourself reinstalling Word 2007 to retrieve the original file. Note that if you make any changes to the Quick Access Toolbar while you're modifying the normal.dotm file, these changes will not be stored in this template file. I'll address the Quick Access Toolbar and its behavior shortly.
What if you decide that users should be able to manage their own global settings within Word? They can, but you need to rename the normal.dotm file to something like normal.dotm.old on all servers in your farm. I recommend this route as the best choice since users can get template errors when they close Word if other applications hook into it.
If you rename this file, Word 2007 recognizes that you want to allow users to manage their own preferences rather than having global preferences and, as a result, will allow them to modify and save their settings. Word 2007 now places the customized normal.dotm file in each user's profile path. If you're using roaming profiles (depending on how you set up your paths), the template file is stored in this folder location for each user: \\domain\sharename\%username%\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates.
One user preference setting not stored in the normal.dotm file is any change made to the Quick Access Toolbar. This toolbar is a new feature of the 2007 Office system, separate from the main Ribbon Toolbar (which is also new). The Quick Access Toolbar is the tiny toolbar located by default in the top-left corner of your screen in the 2007 Office system. This toolbar exists for the applications within the 2007 Office system, as shown in Figure 1. See support.microsoft.com/kb/926805 for more information.
As you can see in Figure 1, the Quick Access Toolbar uses files with the .qat extension to store individualized settings. The files are kept in this default file path location on each Terminal Services server in your Farm, and they do not roam: C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Setting\Application Data\Microsoft\Office (or C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office on a machine running Windows Vista®).
If you look closely at the path, you'll notice the .qat files are located under the Local Settings subfolder of the Terminal Services user's locally cached profile. This subfolder is not synchronized with a user's roaming profile on logoff because Local Settings does not exist in the standard roaming profile path structure. Thus, unfortunately, if you blow away the locally cached profiles on your Terminal Services servers by enabling this Group Policy Object (GPO) setting, you'll lose the user's customized .qat files (see the Knowledge Base article at support.microsoft.com/kb/274152 for more information).
It's a fact that deleting cached profiles is widely practiced among Terminal Services administrators for house cleaning local profiles when a user logs off, so this change in the 2007 Office system is significant as it pertains to cached profiles and the Quick Access Toolbar. One obvious solution is to make sure that the GPO setting discussed in the Knowledge Base article I just mentioned is not set. If you do not enable deleting cached profiles on logoff and you have many users, you will be consuming valuable hard drive space on the local %systemroot% drive of each Terminal Services server and will have to set up some other process to keep an eye on it because your server could run out of hard drive space. This is not uncommon as local profiles can become quite large.
Whatever approach you take, you should at least add a routine to your login script that performs a backup of user .qat files periodically so they can be recovered if they disappear or are accidentally deleted. By keeping a backup of these customized files, you can avoid frantic calls to your local help desk to recover them.
Too few Terminal Services administrators back up these locally cached profiles; they back up the network roaming profiles instead, which, as I've mentioned, do not hold copies of the .qat files. Another alternative is to consider a third-party product that allows you to deploy a mandatory profile for each user, and then map each user's Local Settings changes into a separate folder on your network.
Group Policy Snap-Ins
For some time now, there have been Group Policy .adm files available for Office 2003 that allow for greater administrative control over Office policies and the user experience. Similarly, in the 2007 Office system there are new .adm files that you can use in order to make a number of customizations, including disabling the First Run dialog box and modifying Autosave settings and other preferences.
If you've already deployed Office 2003 group policies and decide to move to the 2007 Office system, you will first need to remove your existing Office 2003 .adm files from your GPOs before adding the 2007 Office system .adm files. Remember to back up your GPOs using the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) interface so you can revert if you encounter errors after you add the new snap-ins. I know of at least one Terminal Services administrator who has experienced ghost policy entries created by removing Office 2003 snap-ins and then adding the 2007 Office system .adm files into his GPOs.
I mentioned in my May 2007 article, "A Guide to Deploying Terminal Services" (technetmagazine.com/issues/2007/05/TerminalServices), that Terminal Services users should not be prompted to perform some actions, such as Outlook® AutoArchiving, or accept First Run dialog screens. Be aware that by default on the first launch of Outlook 2007, users are presented with two First Run screens: one for Privacy Options and the second for Desktop Search. The first screen, displayed in Figure 2, can be disabled in several ways: by modifying GPO settings (using the new Outlook 2007 .adm files), using the Office Customization Tool, or tweaking the registry.
Figure 2 Privacy options dialog in the 2007 Office system (Click the image for a smaller view)
Figure 2 Privacy options dialog in the 2007 Office system (Click the image for a larger view)
The screen shown in Figure 3 appears immediately after Privacy Options (if you don't disable it) and in all other 2007 Office system applications.
Figure 3 Instant Search feature dialog in the 2007 Office system
To turn off the Windows® Search prompt for Office applications, download the 2007 Office system ADM templates from go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=78161 and load them to your hard drive on your domain controller. In Group Policy, you must load the Office Outlook 2007 template (Outlk12.adm) under Computer Configuration or User Configuration, Add Snap-Ins. Next, go to User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Office Outlook 2007\Tools | Options\Preferences\Search Options and enable the "Prevent Installation prompts when Windows Desktop Search component is not present" setting.
There are many Group Policy settings available in the 2007 Office system to control the user experience, but you'll need to add the respective .adm files, such as Word (Word12.adm) and Excel® (Excel12.adm) for each, to your GPOs. Figure 4 shows an example of what the Outlook 2007 ADM template (Outlook12.adm) looks like once it's been added to your Group Policy.
Figure 4 Outlook 2007 ADM template in Group Policy
Additional Changes
Note that in Office 2003 you can also download and use the User Customization Wizard to create customized Transforms. The new OCT in the 2007 Office system does not require a separate download. It is launched by using "Setup /admin" from the Run command, directed toward your 2007 Office system media or install source. Executing this command against your install source files and then changing individual settings to your liking creates an .msp file (versus the .mst file in Office 2003), and you do not need to specify any command-line options to include it in your later deployment. Simply placing the customized .msp file in the Updates folder at the root of the network installation point automatically deploys it along with your preferred settings.
Outlook 2007 has another advantage over its previous versions; it automatically locates your Exchange 2007 servers, sending out a Service Connection Point (SCP) query directly to Active Directory®, if launched inside your LAN. This query makes it easy to connect to a deployed Exchange 2007 infrastructure. For further information, see go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=76177.
Microsoft has made some important design changes in the way the 2007 Office system works in a Terminal Services environment by simplifying its deployment tools, adding new .adm file snap-ins, and streamlining the interface. By understanding some of the important concepts I've discussed here before you deploy or upgrade your Office applications, you'll have a much better understanding of the upgrade, allowing you to make important design decisions in advance. If you don't plan to upgrade at this time, you might want to consider just loading the 2007 Office system Compatibility Pack so your users can open attachments sent to them from users who have already upgraded. You can find the Compatibility Pack at go.microsoft.com/fwlink?LinkID=77512.
With this information in hand, you will be ready for a successful deployment of the 2007 Office system. Remember to back up your policies and test all recommended settings in a lab environment before deploying them to your user community.
James D. Silliman, MCSE, is a Microsoft-focused technologist who specializes in Terminal Services deployments. He currently works for an ASP, where he architects IT solutions for small businesses. Contact him at jsilliman@gmail.com. From the February 2008 issue of TechNet Magazine. We welcome your comments. Please feel free to send us feedback.
Microsoft has added the new Office Open XML Formats to the following 2007 Microsoft Office programs:
• Microsoft Office Excel 2007
• Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007
• Microsoft Office Word 2007
A compatibility pack is available to make sure that you can open and save Office Open XML Formats in earlier versions of Microsoft Office. You can install the compatibility pack on a computer that is running Microsoft Office 2003 programs, Microsoft Office XP programs, or Microsoft Office 2000 programs. When you install the compatibility pack, you can open, edit, save, and create files in the robust Office Open XML Formats. This article discusses the following topics:
• The updates that you must install so that earlier versions of Office programs can use the Office Open XML Formats.
• The issues that you may encounter if the computer has not been fully updated so that it is compatible with the Office Open XML Formats.
• The changes that are made to the Office programs after you install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack.
Issues that you may encounter if the computer has not been updated to be compatible with the Office Open XML Formats
When you try to open a file that was saved in one of the Office Open XML formats in an earlier version of the Office program, you may experience one of the following issues:
• If the computer has not been updated and you have not installed the Compatibility Pack, you will receive one of the following error messages when you try to open the file, depending on the program that you are using. Word When you use the Open dialog box or when you use a drag-and-drop operation to move the file into the version of Word that you are using, you receive the following message:
Select the encoding that makes your document readable.
When you double-click the file in Windows Explorer or you double-click the file as an attachment in e-mail, you receive the following error message:
Windows cannot open this file.
Excel When you use the Open dialog box or when you use a drag-and-drop operation to move the file into the version of Excel that you are using, you receive the following error message:
The file is not in a recognizable format.
When you double-click the file in Windows Explorer or you double-click the file as an attachment in e-mail, you receive the following error message:
Windows cannot open this file.
PowerPoint When you use the Open dialog box or when you use a drag-and-drop operation to move the file into the version of PowerPoint that you are using, you receive the following error message:
PowerPoint can't open the type of file represented by filename
When you double-click the file in Windows Explorer or you double-click the file as an attachment in e-mail, you receive the following error message:
Windows cannot open this file.
To resolve this issue, install each update for your version of the Office program. And, install the Office Compatibility Pack.
• If the computer has not been updated but the Compatibility Pack has been installed, you will receive one of the following error messages when you try to open the file, depending on the program that you are using. Word When you use the Open dialog box or when you use a drag-and-drop operation to move the file into the version of Word that you are using, the file will open correctly. When you double-click the file in Windows Explorer, the file will open correctly. Excel When you use the Open dialog box or when you use a drag-and-drop operation to move the file into the version of Excel that you are using, you receive the following error message:
The file is not in a recognizable format.
When you double-click the file in Windows Explorer, the file will open correctly. PowerPoint When you use the Open dialog box or when you use a drag-and-drop operation to move the file into the version of PowerPoint that you are using, you receive the following error message:
PowerPoint can't read the outline from filename. No text converter is installed for this file type.
When you double-click the file in Windows Explorer, the file opens correctly. To resolve this issue, install each update for your version of the Office program.
• If the computer has been updated but the Compatibility Pack has not been installed, you will receive the following error message when you try to open a file. Word, Excel, or PowerPoint
This file was created by a newer version of Microsoft program. Do you want to download a compatibility pack so that you can work with this file?
To resolve this issue, install the Office Compatibility Pack. For more information about the compatibility pack, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
919026 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/919026/) Error message when you try to open or to save a 2007 Office document: "Do you want to download a compatibility pack so that you can work with this file"
Changes that are made to the Office programs after you install the Office Compatibility Pack
After you install the required updates to open and to save files that have been saved in the Office Open XML Formats, the following changes to the Office programs are made:
Excel 2003 and Excel 2002
The following file formats are added to the Save dialog box, the Save As dialog box, and the Open dialog box:
• Excel Workbook (*.xlsx)
• Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook (*.xlsm)
• Excel Binary Workbook (*.xlsb)
• Excel Template (*.xltx)
• Excel Macro-Enabled Template (*.xltm)
• Excel Add-In (*.xlam)
Additionally, you can use Windows Explorer to open files and save files in the Office Open XML Formats.
Excel 2000
No file formats are added to the Save dialog box, the Save As dialog box, and the Open dialog box. To open an Excel 2007 file in Microsoft Excel 2000, follow these steps:
1. Locate the file in Windows Explorer.
2. Double-click the file.
Note Microsoft Excel 2000 must be installed on the computer. If other versions of Microsoft Excel are also installed, the file may open in a different version of Excel than expected. To save an Excel 2000 file as an Excel 2007 file, follow these steps:
1. Locate the file in Windows Explorer.
2. Right-click the file, and then click Save As.
3. In the Save As dialog box, click one of the following Excel 2007 file formats in the Save as type box, and then click Save:
• Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Workbook (*.xlsx)
• Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Macro-Enabled Workbook (*.xlsm)
• Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Binary Workbook (*.xlsb)
4. When the save is complete, click OK.
PowerPoint 2002 and PowerPoint 2003
The following file formats are added to the Save dialog box, the Save As dialog box, and the Open dialog box:
• PowerPoint Presentation (*.pptx)
• PowerPoint Macro-Enabled Presentation (*.pptm)
• PowerPoint Template (*.potx)
• PowerPoint Macro-Enabled Template (*.potm)
• PowerPoint Show (*.ppsx)
• PowerPoint Macro-Enabled Show (*.ppsm)
Additionally, you can use Windows Explorer to open files and save files in the Office Open XML Formats.
PowerPoint 2000
No file formats are added to the Save dialog box, the Save As dialog box, and the Open dialog box. To open a PowerPoint 2007 file in Microsoft PowerPoint 2000, follow these steps:
1. Locate the file in Windows Explorer.
2. Double-click the file.
Note PowerPoint 2000 must be installed on the computer. If other versions of Microsoft PowerPoint are also installed, the file may open in a different version of PowerPoint than expected. To save a PowerPoint 2000 file as a PowerPoint 2007 file, follow these steps:
1. Locate the file in Windows Explorer.
2. Right-click the file, and then click Save As.
3. In the Save As dialog box, click one of the following PowerPoint 2007 file formats in the Save as type box, and then click Save:
• Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 Presentation (*.pptx)
• Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 Macro-Enabled Presentation (*.pptm)
4. When the save is complete, click OK.
Word 2003, Word 2002, and Word 2000
The following file formats are added to the Save dialog box, the Save As dialog box, and the Open dialog box:
• Word Document (*.docx)
• Word Macro-Enabled Document (*.docm)
Additionally, you can use Windows Explorer to open files and save files in the Office Open XML Formats.
City of Stratford Brings Down the Curtain on its Legacy System with Server Upgrade
Posted: June 20, 2006
Every summer, the City of Stratford in southern Ontario plays host to hundreds of thousands of visitors eager to take in live productions at the world-renowned Stratford Shakespearean Festival. Success as a cultural destination notwithstanding, the municipality itself has a mandate to save taxpayers money by operating as efficiently as possible, especially within its IT department. With the last act for the city’s Windows® NT 4.0 Server and Exchange 5.5 technology drawing near, Stratford enlisted Metafore IT Solutions for help in refreshing its IT environment. It deployed a Microsoft® Windows Server™ 2003 operating system with Active Directory® directory service, Exchange Server 2003 and Microsoft® Virtual Server 2005. The new solution has helped the City of Stratford improve IT security, simplify IT administration, and implement a more comprehensive disaster recovery plan.
The City of Stratford in southern Ontario is home to a number of professional and industrial organizations as well as music, dance, visual arts and theatre festivals, the Stratford Shakespearean Festival being the most famous among them.
Business Situation
Lack of support for its aging legacy system, and IT security concerns, made upgrading to new technology a top priority for the municipality.
Solution
Stratford turned to Metafore IT Solutions to deploy Windows Server™ 2003 with Active Directory® and Exchange Server 2003, along with Virtual Server 2005 and ISA Server 2005 services.
Benefits
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Improved service support
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Reduced training costs
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Better disaster recovery plans
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Familiar interface
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Greater security
Software and Services
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Windows Server 2003
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Exchange Server 2003
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Active Directory
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Windows Software Update Service (WSUS)
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Virtual Server 2005
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Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2004
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Outlook 2003
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Outlook Web Access (OWA)
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ActiveSync
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Outlook Mobile Access (OMA)
Partners
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Metafore IT Solutions
Company Overview
It was the winter of 1829 when the Canada Company’s William “Tiger” Dunlop planted his surveyor’s stakes to mark the area that was to become the City of Stratford. What began as a furniture manufacturing centre and railway junction has since grown into one of Canada’s premier cultural destinations. Stratford has set standards in live theatre with its main tourist attraction, the Stratford Shakespearean Festival. The summer-long series of productions draws over 500,000 people to the city each year.
Business Challenge
The Corporation of the City of Stratford, however, does business differently than a private organization. As a municipality, the city is accountable to taxpayers for every action it takes and every dollar it spends. The IT division in particular runs especially lean, investing in new technologies only when deemed necessary.
However, in 2004 the demise of the city’s Windows® NT 4.0 Server and Exchange 5.5 technology was beginning to unfold, compelling Stratford to refresh its IT environment. A lack of support for the aging legacy system and security concerns prompted city officials to consider upgrading to new technology.
“The Windows NT product had served us well in the past, but it was time to bring our IT environment up to the current standard,” says Ron Roy, Manager Information Technology Services, The Corporation of the City of Stratford. “Although our virus software worked perfectly, we lacked proper spam protection. Plus, we wanted some of the more advanced e-mail features, such as Web mail service.”
Virtual Server 2005 has enabled us to reallocate hardware which eliminated the need for two additional servers. We saw an immediate cost savings.
Ron Roy Manager Information Technology Services The Corporation of the City of Stratford
Solution
In 2005, the city initiated an RFP process to find a service provider to help it upgrade its Microsoft® Windows and Exchange infrastructure. After reviewing a number of submissions, Stratford enlisted the aid of Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Metafore IT Solutions.
The First Phase Begins
The migration was completed in two phases. During the first phase, Metafore implemented Microsoft Windows Server™ 2003 with Active Directory® directory service, and Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. “Because we have an IT department of only four people, everyone needs to know everything,” says Roy. “With Active Directory, we manage everything from one console. It has simplified administration significantly, no doubt about it.”
Metafore also installed Microsoft Virtual Server 2005, the virtual machine designed to run on Windows Server 2003 operating system, both of which are part of the Microsoft Windows Server System™ integrated server software. With Virtual Server 2005, the municipality can run multiple workloads on fewer servers, resulting in greater hardware efficiency and server consolidation.
“Virtual Server 2005 lets us combine three servers into one, which has helped us define a better disaster recovery plan in the event of hardware failures,” says Roy. “We configured two auxiliary servers as redundant servers under failure situations. That way if our primary server fails we can get services up and running in no time.”
As well, Windows Software Update Service (WSUS), the patch and update component of Windows Server, was deployed on Virtual Server 2005 as an initial patch management solution. WSUS helps the city’s IT administrator to quickly deploy updates to the 225 computers in the network.
The Demise of Exchange 5.5 and Windows NT Server 4.0
The second phase saw the removal of Exchange 5.5 and Windows NT Server 4.0. Exchange 5.5 remained online during the deployment as a back-up system to Exchange Server 2003, in the event of a configuration failure. Thanks to this redundancy users experienced only 15 minutes of downtime during the two-week rollout.
“We completed all work during regular business hours and the migration was completely transparent to users,” says Bill Durham, Senior Consulting Systems Engineer, Metafore. “We actually kept the old Exchange system online until the end of Phase 2 to redirect users to the new system, which minimized downtime during the implementation.”
The Next Step
The city has plans for greater mobility on the horizon. During the migration to Exchange Server 2003, Metafore introduced Internet Security Acceleration (ISA) Server 2004 as the Internet Web proxy, along with anti-spam filtering. As part of the deployment, Metafore also published Outlook Mobile Access (OMA) and Microsoft ActiveSync® technology on the ISA Server. ActiveSync allows mobile users to access information from Microsoft Office Outlook messaging and collaboration client, Office documents, and desktop applications on their smartphones.
“We published all of the features of Exchange 2003 onto the ISA Server so that city workers can get true mobility out of the Exchange Server in a more secure manner” says Durham. “The city is now testing the mobility features of Exchange Server 2003 with a small pool of smartphone users.”
Business Benefits
Like most government agencies, the City of Stratford is continually looking for ways to stretch its resources. With the Exchange-Windows Server migration coming in under budget, the city was able to invest in the Virtual Server and additional training on Active Directory. Since deploying Virtual Server 2005, the City of Stratford trimmed its server count, distributing multiple workloads onto fewer servers. The city no longer needs to invest in additional hardware as a result.
“You can’t buy a server for only 10 users – that would be a waste of hardware,” says Roy. “Virtual Server 2005 has enabled us to reallocate hardware, which eliminated the need for two additional servers. We saw an immediate cost savings.”
No admission for viruses and hackers
With ISA Server 2004, the city’s mobile workers have secure access to Outlook® Web Access (OWA) 2003. This firewall examines encrypted data before it reaches the Web server, and verifies whether the traffic is what it claims to be.
“In the past, only users who were setup with dial-up or VPN services could work remotely, whereas now all staff can use a Web browser from anywhere to securely access email; even from an Airport computer kiosk,” says Durham. “This offers the city an immediate cost savings, and users can be more flexible in the way they work.”
No need for additional transition training
The transition to Exchange Server 2003 was a smooth process. According to Roy, none of the city’s employees required training since they were already familiar with the e-mail system.
“Employees had no idea we had revamped the entire system behind the scenes. People turned on their computers and still received their e-mail. The switch has been extremely transparent,” says Roy.
Staging a better disaster recovery plan
Business continuity is top of mind these days, and the City of Stratford wanted to implement a disaster recovery plan to protect against data and functionality loss due to hardware failures. Virtual Server 2005 has allowed the municipality to create redundant servers in the event of failure situations. The city believes in actively testing its disaster recovery plans, and IT staff is now able to perform regular mock recoveries with its virtual servers.
“With Virtual Server 2005, the dump, the copy and the reconfiguration of the system takes less than an hour. It’s absolutely phenomenal how quick and easy it is to test our recovery plan,” says Roy.
Microsoft Windows Server System
Microsoft® Windows Server System is a comprehensive, integrated, and interoperable server infrastructure that helps reduce the complexity and costs of building, deploying, connecting, and operating agile business solutions. Windows Server System helps customers create new value for their business through the strategic use of their IT assets. With the Windows Server operating system as its foundation, Windows Server System delivers dependable infrastructure for data management and analysis; enterprise integration; customer, partner, and employee portals; business process automation; communications and collaboration; and core IT operations including security, deployment, and systems management.
For more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568-2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in the United States or (905) 568-9641 in Canada. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to: www.microsoft.com
For more information about Metafore products and services, call 1-877-638-2367 or visit the Web site at: www.metafore.ca
For more information about City of Stratford products and services, call 1-800-561-SWAN (7926) or visit the Web site at: www.city.stratford.on.ca
Listen to an audio file of Ron Roy, Manager Information Technology Services, City of Stratford discussing the project. WMA | MP3
This article was previously published under Q315231
Important This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
256986 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/256986/) Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry
INTRODUCTION
This article describes how to configure Microsoft Windows XP to automate the logon process by storing your password and other pertinent information in the registry database. This feature permits other users to start your computer and to use the account that you establish to automatically log on. Important If you turn on autologon, using Windows XP becomes more convenient. However, using this feature can pose a security risk.
MORE INFORMATION
Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk. If you set a computer for automatic logon, anyone who can physically gain access to the computer can also gain access to everything that is on the computer, including any network or networks that the computer is connected to. Additionally, if you turn on automatic logon, the password is stored in the registry in plain text. The specific registry key that stores this value is remotely readable by the Authenticated Users group. Therefore, only use this setting if the computer is physically secured and if you make sure that users who you do not trust cannot remotely see the registry. You can use Registry Editor to add your log on information. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
3. Using your account name and password, double-click the DefaultUserName entry, type your user name, and then click OK.
4. Double-click the DefaultPassword entry, type your password under the value data box, and then click OK. If there is no DefaultPassword value, create the value. To do this, follow these steps:
a. In Registry Editor, click Edit, click New, and then click String Value.
b. Type DefaultPassword as the value name, and then press ENTER.
c. Double-click the newly created key, and then type your password in the Value Data box.
If no DefaultPassword string is specified, Windows XP automatically changes the value of the AutoAdminLogon registry key from 1 (true) to 0 (false) to turn off the AutoAdminLogon feature.
5. Double-click the AutoAdminLogon entry, type 1 in the Value Data box, and then click OK. If there is no AutoAdminLogon entry, create the entry. To do this, follow these steps:
a. In Registry Editor, click Edit, click New, and then click String Value.
b. Type AutoAdminLogon as the value name, and then press ENTER.
c. Double-click the newly created key, and then type 1 in the Value Data box.
6. Quit Registry Editor.
7. Click Start, click Restart, and then click OK.
After your computer restarts and Windows XP starts, you can log on automatically. If you want to bypass the automatic logon to log on as a different user, hold down the SHIFT key after you log off or after Windows XP restarts. Note that this procedure applies only to the first logon. To enforce this setting for future logoffs, the administrator must set the following registry key:
You can also use turn on automatic logon without editing the registry in Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition and in Microsoft Windows XP Professional on a computer that is not joined to a domain. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type control userpasswords2, and then click OK. Note When users try to display help information in the User Accounts window in Windows XP Home Edition, the help information is not displayed. Additionally, users receive the following error message:
Cannot find the Drive:\Windows\System32\users.hlp Help file. Check to see that the file exists on your hard disk drive. If it does not exist, you must reinstall it.
3. Clear the "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer" check box, and then click Apply.
4. In the Automatically Log On window, type the password in the Password box, and then retype the password in the Confirm Password box.
5. Click OK to close the Automatically Log On window, and then click OK to close the User Accounts window.
Antipiracy Manager Spurs National Criminal Investigations
Published: December 20, 2002
Late at night, light seeps out from under one door in an otherwise empty building on the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington. Dave Swartzendruber runs his hand over his bleary eyes, reaches for his cup of coffee, and returns to the computer screen.
No, Swartzendruber isn't a programmer madly working on the release of the latest Microsoft Xbox game. He's the Antipiracy Manager for the Content Development and Delivery Group, Information Technology (IT) and Operations, and he's hot on the trail of another illegal distributor of certification exam content.
Illegal distribution of test content
It's not exactly NYPD Blue material, but Swartzendruber's job is to find people who steal and illegally distribute Microsoft-copyrighted test content, and help bring them to justice. He primarily supports the Microsoft Training and Certification teams.
Plenty of people are making money off of desperate IT professionals who need to pass Microsoft certification exams. Much of the illegal activity consists of selling test content (and the answers, though not always the right ones) to IT pros who use them to cram for the exams. These distributors are violating copyright and trade secret laws—and they are all over the Internet, including eBay.
Swartzendruber also keeps an eye out for "brain dump" sites. People go to these sites after they've taken the test and dump out all the test information that they can remember. Then those preparing for that test can go to that site to read the information. Usually, the same people that give information about a particular test will download brain dumps for other examinations that they will need to take for their certification. The problem is that, before people take any certification test, they must agree to Microsoft's nondisclosure agreement (NDA), which states that they will not share any part of the exam for any reason. Therefore, posting information on brain dump sites constitutes a violation of the NDA. And depending on how exact the verbiage is that's being dumped, it could be a trade secret violation.
Other places that distribute pirated exam material include a few training centers that sell "additional test material," which is nothing more than illegally obtained exam questions and answers. Swartzendruber also pursues individuals who will take exams for others.
How do these unscrupulous people running scams affect the IT professional community?
Taking and passing the certification exams involves a substantial investment of time, effort, and money. The certification process is difficult for a reason: It ensures that those with a Microsoft certification have a level of expertise that allows them to capably manage and administer Microsoft systems. And once they have a Microsoft certification, they are highly marketable.
The people who distribute pirated materials circumvent this system, enabling unqualified people to become certified. "When
this happens, the integrity of the certification program is weakened," says Swartzendruber. Companies may hire someone who illegally obtained a certification, only to find that the person has no idea how to run the system that needs to be managed. This can make the companies blame the software or be suspicious of the next person who comes along claiming to be Microsoft certified.
To combat piracy, Microsoft has developed a strategy of enforcement, engineering, and education. Swartzendruber is focusing on enforcement right now: finding and pursuing those who break the law. Engineering entails the refinement of the test development process to make it more difficult to pirate the content. Education is the outreach effort that Microsoft will develop to inform potential certification candidates about what kind of test preparation material is legal and what is not.
Well qualified to take the lead on the enforcement of Microsoft's antipiracy policy, Swartzendruber comes to this position with 23 years of experience in law enforcement—working part of that time with the San Diego Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) task force in California as a financial investigator. In 1994, he was hired as the first piracy investigator ever hired by Microsoft and then moved to Information Security at Microsoft where he ran the computer forensics lab. In March 2001, Microsoft created the antipiracy management position in an effort to step up its crackdown on test-content piracy and offered the position to Swartzendruber.
With all that experience, it's evident that Swartzendruber means it when he says, "It's not a matter of if we get these people who are breaking the law—it's a matter of when. It might take some time, but we will get them. We now have the resources we need to aggressively pursue those involved in piracy work."
The process of finding these lawbreakers usually begins when Swartzendruber is tipped off by one of several sources such as law enforcement, the IT community, or Microsoft employees. Most often, Swartzendruber relies on information that is sent to an alias specifically set up for the reporting of suspicious activity: tctips@microsoft.com. "I welcome any tips on that alias," he says, though he warns that he gets so many messages that he can't always respond personally to each one.
Explains Swartzendruber, "We put the information that we receive into a database, and, if we go after specific people or organizations, we'll go back to each one of the complaints we received about them. Then I'll contact some of the people who sent the tips." For this reason, he stresses that it's important to include some contact information when sending tips.
When Swartzendruber receives a tip that he wants to pursue, he first consults Microsoft's piracy lawyers. "I work in partnership with two very smart and experienced attorneys who provide the legal guidance for my antipiracy strategy and help make the decisions regarding the resolution of cases—specifically whether the investigations should be handled civilly or criminally," notes Swartzendruber. In most cases, he'll then contact law enforcement officials.
"We try to conduct criminal investigation because they have more impact than civil cases," says Swartzendruber. "Some people feel that's just the cost of doing business if we go after them with a civil case and they drag it out. If we do a criminal investigation, the penalties are more severe and far reaching. So we are very active in working with federal, state, and local law enforcement."
Swartzendruber stresses that most of the criminals pursued aren't big organizations. "All it has to be is one person operating multiple Web sites, knowing that this stuff is illegal to distribute."
In addition to these law enforcement cases, Swartzendruber's department is sending "cease and desist" letters to some brain dump Web sites. Once sites receive these letters, they should be prepared for follow-up action, says Swartzendruber.
Recently, Swartzendruber's department worked with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to help track down Robert R. Keppel who, since 1999, had been selling Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD) exams and answers on his now-defunct Web sites at cheet-sheets.com and cheetsheets.com.
Keppel made almost $750,000 from his operation, purchasing a new Lexus RX300 and a 1997 Ferrari 355 Spider with some of this money.
As part of his plea agreement with the United States, Keppel will forfeit his interest in the Lexus and Ferrari and pay restitution of more than $56,000. He is scheduled to be sentenced soon and most likely will receive a jail sentence and a fine of up to $250,000.
In another case, Swartzendruber worked with a local law enforcement team in San Antonio, Texas. He discovered that a Web site run by TestKiller Ltd. in San Antonio, was distributing illegal test content. He contacted the fraud unit in the San Antonio Police Department, and they began an investigation. In June 2002, the police seized the assets of TestKiller Ltd., including office equipment and more than $400,000 in cash. The San Antonio police have referred the case to the Bexar County Prosecutors office for their consideration to issue indictments.
For Swartzendruber, these cases are just the beginning. "We have a tremendous amount of intelligence that we've gathered on all sorts of illegal activities," says Swartzendruber. With this intelligence and dedicated resources for eradicating piracy, he's confident that his team will be able to pursue the illegal operations that are currently on their radar screen.
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