TechNet Magazine: Desktop Deployment
The Desktop Files: Windows Deployment Services 101
Wes Miller - August 2008
Explore the different versions of Windows Deployment Services, see how you can capture a custom OS image, and find out what you need for performing more automated installations.The Desktop Files: Network-Booting Windows
Wes Miller - July 2008
Explore the history of Remote Installation Services (RIS) and other PXE-related technologies used at Microsoft.The Desktop Files: You Can't Be Too Rich or Too Thin
Wes Miller - March 2008
Thin clients come and thin clients go, but there always seems to be some scenario that can benefit from them. Today, they're used in kiosks and in environments where Web browsing is all that is needed. Here's a look at how you can repurpose old hardware with a client app to save some money.The Desktop Files: Dual Booting with Windows XP and Windows PE 2.0
Wes Miller - February 2008
There are a number of advantages to booting Windows PE 2.0 from the same partition as Windows. Learn how to dual-boot Windows XP and Windows PE 2.0 from the same partition and explore the problems this can solve.The Desktop Files: Shared Computing with Windows SteadyState
Wes Miller - January 2008
The new Windows SteadyState toolkit can help you improve security and simplify management of Windows XP systems in a shared-use environment? Take a guided tour to find out how.Security: A Guide to Basic Computer Forensics
Tom Cloward and Frank Simorjay - December 2007
Learn about easy, cheap approaches to computer forensics that mainstream administrators can use for basic investigations.The Desktop Files: Deploying Windows in a Virtual World
Wes Miller - December 2007
Thinking about virtualization? If not, you should be. Find out what you need to know to deploy virtual systems, what to avoid, and how virtualization works under the covers.Desktop Deployment: Simple, Scalable Deployment with BDD 2007
Adam Shepherd - November 2007
Don't have SMS 2003? Don't worry, there's another solution for creating simple desktop deployments. Here's an in-depth guide to using BDD 2007 and SQL Server to create scalable deployments that require little or no manual input.The Desktop Files: The Truth about Defragmentation
Wes Miller - November 2007
Myths about the pitfalls of defragmentation have prevented many an administrator from performing this important maintenance task. Find out which problems are real, which ones are unlikely, and how you can avoid them.The Desktop Files: The Power User's Guide to WIM and ImageX
Wes Miller - October 2007
Dive into ImageX, finding out about changes for Windows Server 2008 and the right way to use command switches when creating or updating WIM files.Windows Vista: Deploying Windows Vista with BDD 2007
Michael Niehaus - September 2007
Your organization is ready to migrate from Windows 2000 or Windows XP to Windows Vista, and the project is your responsibility. Don’t fret. Here’s a step-by-step guide to how you can use the Business Desktop Deployment 2007 Solution Accelerator to simplify your Windows Vista deployment.The Desktop Files: PC Recovery with Windows PE
Wes Miller - September 2007
Windows Vista offers some valuable tools that make system recovery quite easy. But for large, diversified organizations, out-of-the box solutions don’t usually work. If you’re in a large company that needs to build customized self-recovery solutions, don’t miss this discussion about building your own recovery solution with Windows PE.The Desktop Files: Getting to Know RDP
Wes Miller - August 2007
The Remote Desktop Protocol, which allows you to access machines remotely, is a useful piece of technology that gets better with every version of Windows. Get an overview of Remote Desktop, looking at many of the benefits and limitations it has to offer.The Desktop Files: The Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack
Wes Miller - July 2007
Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack brings together a number of valuable utilities that Microsoft has recently acquired—and one that was built internally. Explore all of its components and see how they can save your IT department a lot of time.The Desktop Files: Revisiting Windows Deployment Services
Wes Miller - May 2007
Get an update on Windows Deployment Services, or WDS, which will ship with Windows Server "Longhorn," and get answers to some frequently asked questions pertaining to ImageX, WDS, and Windows PE.The Desktop Files: PsTools Primer
Wes Miller - March 2007
PsTools provides a gaggle of useful utilities for system administration. Explore all the tools this free suite has to offer and learn how you can use them to do everything from changing a user account password and viewing a user's SID to gathering system information and managing processes.The Desktop Files: Extending Windows PE
Wes Miller - February 2007The Desktop Files: Windows Automated Installation Kit
Wes Miller - January 2007The Desktop Files: Inside the Windows Imaging Format
Wes Miller - December 2006
With the release of Windows Vista comes a change in how Windows is installed and deployed. These changes are built around the new Windows Imaging Format (WIM). Here’s an overview of the new format, how it works, and the decisions that went into its design.Windows Vista: 10 Things You Need to Know about Deploying Windows Vista
Michael Niehaus - November 2006
From more flexible image handling to a new boot loader, Windows Vista introduces some important changes for desktop deployment. Here’s a look at 10 ways Windows Vista can make your next deployment faster and easier than ever.Windows Vista: Getting Ready for Windows PE 2.0
Wes Miller - November 2006
Along with Windows Vista, a more powerful version of Windows PE will be released. This overview discusses the new features and capabilities found in Windows PE 2.0 and how these changes will affect youDeployment: Boot into RAM with Windows PE
Wes Miller - October 2006
With added support for variable boot configurations, Windows PE has become even more flexible. Learn three different ways to boot into RAM and how this can benefit your next deployment.Deployment: Create More Flexible Office Deployments with the Local Install Source
Dean Yamada - October 2006
LIS can greatly simplify Microsoft Office support. This overview covers everything from deployment to maintenance to configuration considerations.System Management: Zero Touch Installation: Automating Operating Systems Migrations
Jason Cross - September 2006
Get an overview of how SMS 2003 and some powerful new tools can make your next desktop OS deployment a no-touch operation. We’ll take a detailed look at the process involved for three common migration scenarios.System Management: Getting Started with Windows PE
Wes Miller - September 2006
You may have encountered Windows PE during OS deployment. But did you know it can also be used for recovery, diagnostics, and repairs? Here’s a look at some of the things you may not have known about Windows PE.[Desktop Deployment: Techniques for Simplifying Desktop Image Creation](cc160985(v=msdn.10).md "Desktop Deployment: Techniques for
Simplifying Desktop Image Creation")
Shelly Bird - May • June 2006Utility Spotlight: Automate Device Driver Integration
Michael Murgolo - May • June 2006
When you’re deploying thousands of Windows-based computers, configuring a single system and duplicating its hard drive (or system image) onto other corporate computers can save you a lot of time and free up IT resources.Desktop Deployment: A Guide To Pain-Free Desktop Deployment
Steve Campbell and Michael Niehaus - March • April 2006Desktop Deployment: Get A Move On: Migrate User Data With USMT
Michael Murgolo - March • April 2006Desktop Deployment: Zero Touch Windows Deployment With SMS
Adam Gordon - March • April 2006Desktop Deployment: Design More Secure Desktop Deployments
Shelly Bird - March • April 2006Case Study: A 200,000+ Desktop Deployment
Steve Reay - Winter 2005
Deploying a major software application such as Microsoft® Office 2003 or Microsoft Windows® XP Professional throughout a global enterprise can be a challenge for any IT organization. And just because Microsoft wrote the software doesn't mean internal deployment is a simple process.