MDM & GP Tips Blog

One of the hardest jobs is figuring out which users need Admin rights, because our stinkin' applications require admin rights. Well, that's the business of BeyondTrust. And today, they came out with a (free) tool to help you determine which applications require what admin rights to run. Sure, the idea is that you'll have an "A-ha" moment and realize that their (pay) tool (which is quite good) is the best way to keep the user's rights LOW, but elevate the rights of the application. To check out the free auditor tool they came out with today, head on over here.

New newsletter to user in their announcment coming soon. But, if you want to start playing with them TODAY...here's where to find them (thanks to my pal Jakob Heidelberg for making it easy for me to get.) The "real" links are, gah, all over the place.

GPP CSEs for Windows Vista (KB943729)
GPP CSEs for Windows Vista x64 Edition (KB943729)
GPP CSEs for Windows Server 2003 (KB943729)
GPP CSEs for Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition (KB943729)
GPP CSEs for Windows XP (KB943729)
GPP CSEs for Windows XP x64 Edition (KB943729)

If you want a quick tutorial in them, I suggest getting Chapter 10 of my new book (which is available for immediate download.) Click the "About the book" section and follow along until you get Chapter 10. Thanks!

Check it out ! It's here. Fully updated for all the new WS08 policy settings.

Microsoft Office 2003's SP3 has an interesting twist. They're silently changing which file types are valid. In short, old and crusty files your users have been able to open for years, suddenly... aren't.

Good article. A recommended read with interesting .REG files to re-enable functionality.

http://tinyurl.com/325r4q

So the other day I posted about a Softgrid to MSI repackaging tool. Great! Except it doesn't work with the existing Softgrid client. (Boo.) But the new client is now out! (Yay!)

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/941408

Why they didn't come out at the same time is a bit of a mystery. But.. That's the breaks sometimes. Anyway.. Enjoy Softgrid geeks ! (PS: I'm one of you!)

So, I can confess it. I love Microsoft Softgrid. I really do. For the uninitiated, Softgrid (newly renamed Microsoft Application Virtualization) can take an application and "stream" it from a server to your desktop. Keen-o-rific. This means you're not actually INSTALLING anything; but rather, just running it streamed. Except there was no way to "deploy" that application using GP. Until now. Enter in the Softgrid MSI "wrapper" utility (found here.)

The idea is simple: if you can wrap an existing Softgrid package into an MSI, then you can use GP (or SMS, or Landesk or anything) to maintain your deployment practices.

I haven't had a chance to try this out yet.. So, if you do, and you're a Softgrid + GP head, then shoot me an email and let me know how it went! Thanks !

PS: Thanks to GPanswers.com Shortstop Eric Johnson for bringing to my attention that this tool was FINALLY available.

So, Vista SP1 and XP SP3 will both be required downloaded using Windows update. What? Don't like the way that sounds? Then use these ADM templates. But the "breaks" don't last forever. If I'm reading it right, the updates will eventually be forced down 12 months after the service packs are released.

So my good friend Mark Minasi and I have this running debate about Vista. It's not about if Vista is BETTER than XP or not. It's about if Vista is SLOWER than XP. Mark is awesome, but he must have some killer hardware. I upgraded my laptop to a Dell D620 (you see me present on this puppy in my classes and at conferences.) It has 4GB RAM, 160GB 7200 RPM hard disk and all the bells and whistles. And Vista on it just runs like crud. So I went back to XP. But on my DESKTOPS, I find that I'm happier with Vista. Things are a lot punchier. I'm wondering if it's the disk (2.5 for laptop vs 3.5 for desktop) that makes the difference. Or a speedier Front Side Bus. Or something. But anyway.. this report just came out about how ON THE SAME HARDWARE that XP is FASTER than Vista. And I could have told you that already. I'm not bashing Microsoft. I'm just reporting my experience.. And I wish my experience was faster, not slower on the same hardware, is all.

I was recently interviewed by RunAsRadio.com. Really great guys.. Thanks for having me on your show. Everyone can click Here to hear the interview!