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2009/10/22

Obligatory Windows 7 Post

So, if you didn't know that Windows 7 is being released this week, you've been living under a rock. Personally, 7 is old news. But I've been using it since like January or something, maybe earlier. I can't remember now, and obviously I don't care.

What is REALLY cool is the release of Windows Server 2008 R2. This is where the real power of Windows 7 is going to be revealed - but only for Enterprise customers (or SMBs with really deep pockets).

Be that as it may, Windows 7 still has a lot of really cool features, an interface that I really like, XP Mode (well, for the lucky ones) and absolutely no downsides. Even if it looks like a downside, it's not. We call those "features".

Here's some random Windows 7 stuff that means something to me. And since this is my blog, I'm going to pretend that's all I care about:

Installing Windows 7 in an SBS 2003 environment: http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/archive/2009/05/14/installing-windows-7-in-a-sbs-2003-environment.aspx

Windows 7 cannot access shadow copies in SBS 2003. Not without this tweak anyway. http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/archive/2009/10/21/windows-7-cannot-access-shadow-copies-in-sbs-2003.aspx

Adding Windows 7 in an SBS 2008 environment. Not sure if this has changed with RTM, my guess is "not". http://msmvps.com/blogs/kwsupport/archive/2009/02/25/connect-windows-7-to-sbs-2008.aspx

Changing the logon screen background in Windows 7 is now "supported". By "supported", they mean its the same kind of reg hack as in previous versions of Windows, except now with the extra step of having to place a file (or files) in exactly the right place, with exactly the right name, and no larger than a certain size. That's what we call "progress". (Of course - there's always tons of little brainless utilities that do this for you, so about a wash.)
http://www.intowindows.com/how-to-change-windows-7-logon-screen-easily-without-using-hacks-tools/

That's my brain dump for today. A long post to make up for a summer of slacking on my blog.