CSI-Windows Debugging Checklist Mousepad for Previous Students of DesktopEngineer.com Wednesday, March 31 2010 @ 02:22 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy If you've ever taken a class from DesktopEngineer.com or CSI-Windows.com and did not receive one of our cool Debugging Checklist mousepads, drop us a line to get yours. See below for a graphic of what it looks like. read more Unnecessary Roadblocks in the Windows Software Logo Program Wednesday, March 31 2010 @ 02:17 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Microsoft is running a survey about the Windows Software Logo Program to find out how it can be improved. For Windows 7 the program was streamlined for developers to make it easier for them to get on board. There is, however, one area that remains challenging for smaller development shops - you know, precisely the one's that IT admins would love to have focused on building platform compliant software? You can help by showing your vote... read more Windows 7 MSI Update Course Scheduled Tuesday, January 12 2010 @ 02:20 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy This new course familiarizes participants with the new features from MSI 4.0 through 5.0 (Vista through Windows 7)... read more Exhaustive Documentation on Causing and Suppressing the UAC Prompt Thursday, November 12 2009 @ 05:55 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Check out the new post at CSI-Windows.com that shows all the ways to cause and suppress UAC prompts - we bet there is more than you thought! read more New Class: MSI Packaging Update for Windows 7 in December Tuesday, November 3 2009 @ 05:38 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy This new course familiarizes participants with the new features from MSI 4.0 through 5.0 (Vista through Windows 7).  A lot of time is spent on UAC and on packaging for User Admins (Non-IT Admins)... read more Custom Actions in Windows 7 version lie to Vista Friday, May 15 2009 @ 02:54 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Chris Jackson has a great article on the reasons behind why Windows Installer 5 (Windows 7) custom actions are lied to by the shimming engine. It also provides another great example that Microsoft is committed to the shimming infrastructure to the point where major segments of the OS rely on it for their own compatibility. Shimming is not a bolt-on! read more New MSI Training - Big Discounts for Previous Students on CSI Windows Training Wednesday, May 13 2009 @ 11:48 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy In addition to the June 1st Packaging Track, we've added a Scripting and Custom Actions class for September.  The really big news is that previous students of DesktopEngineer.com are eligible for some serious introductory discounts on the new CSI Windows offerings - our Internals Training Focused On Application Management.  Check out the details at http://CSI-Windows.com read more MMS 2009 Follow Up Videos Wednesday, May 13 2009 @ 11:42 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy I had a failed demonstration when speaking at the Microsoft Management Summit - it pains me!  As I promised, I have posted a video of the demonstration working as it should have.   You can find the videos at CSI-Windows.com or at YouTube.com/CSIWindows.  YouTube lets you play at full screen, and since these are HD videos, that option may actually be useful to you. read more Win 7 / MSI 5 Test Package and 30 Pages of Labs Wednesday, May 13 2009 @ 11:23 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy DesktopEngineer.com / CSI-Windows.com has released an MSI test package that can help you explore and test the new features of MSI 5 in Windows 7 and MSI 4 in Windows Vista.  Read more about it at CSI-Windows.com read more DesktopEngineer.com Launches Concise Systems Internals for Windows Training Wednesday, April 29 2009 @ 09:58 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Probably everyone has seen the gurus of Windows systems internals dig deep diagnostic information out of a nasty application crash.  We wonder how to get our hands on the "book of knowledge" they use for their magic.  DesktopEngineer.com has a new training offering designed to get you started... read more Acresso Expands InstallShield Packaging Suite to Support Output to Three Virtualization Formats Wednesday, April 29 2009 @ 09:46 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Feeling daunted by the prospect of ramping up for application virtualization?  Acresso has retooled the AdminStudio packaging suite to output to the three primary application viritualization formats.  There are many potential benefits to this approach.  There were three that struck me as very beneficial.... read more June Packaging Track Online with Free CSI Windows Preview Day Wednesday, April 29 2009 @ 09:21 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy The Packaging Track has been scheduled for June along with a free one day preview of Concise Systems Internals for Windows (CSI-Windows.com)... read more New Packaging Track and Free Add-On Day Tuesday, February 24 2009 @ 08:38 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy The Packaging Track has been scheduled in our online classroom for the end of April.  We are running a free bonus day "Windows Internals for Managing Applications" ... read more FREE: Excellent Application Monitor And Control Utility Tuesday, February 24 2009 @ 08:34 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Kiwi Application Monitor provides excellent, long term application performance and usage tracking, but that's not all ... read more FREE: Cool Microsoft Setup Chainer With a Wacky Name Wednesday, November 12 2008 @ 03:55 AM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy One of the little setup gems unveiled at the Microsoft Professional Developer Conference was a setup chainer ... read more FREE: Windows 7 Microsoft Conference Sessions Thursday, November 6 2008 @ 12:53 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Microsoft has published all the sessions from the Professional Developers Conference online, many on Windows 7 ... read more Vista's Aero interface is hard on batteries Friday, September 5 2008 @ 02:57 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Here's a utility that lets you get some of that battery life back... read more PREVIEW: LUA Buglight 2.0 Thursday, June 19 2008 @ 02:42 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy The fans of this very helpful tool will be happy to know there was a new preview version released at TechEd... read more RELEASED: Updated Application Compatibility Toolkit Documentation Thursday, June 19 2008 @ 02:36 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Application Compatiblity Toolkit has long suffered from insufficient documentation - Microsoft has recognized this and has updated the docs... read more New Post Categories App Mgmt and Vista Thursday, June 19 2008 @ 02:27 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy We have two new post categories that are linked on the home page - "Application Management" and "Vista"... read more Microsoft Assessment and Planning Tool - Don't Ignore It. Tuesday, June 10 2008 @ 05:01 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy This tool is easy to overlook - but if you will be working on bringing applications forward to Vista or later, it's worth a look... read more FREE: Vista Trial in a Virtual Machine - without buying a copy of Vista Monday, December 10 2007 @ 03:48 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy As far as I can tell there has been no official evaluation DVD for Vista since RC1 (correct me if I'm wrong) - you can build a evaluation build of any version of Vista from any Vista media, but what if you can't get access to your company media and need to start testing - or you're looking to check it out for professional development.  Microsoft's "VHD Test Drive" site to the rescue ... read more FREE: Microsoft Virtual Server Management and Remote Control Utility (VMRCplus) Monday, July 9 2007 @ 12:25 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Virtual Server 2005 has gained a new tool for remote management and control ... read more Application Compatibility 5.0 Update Tuesday, May 8 2007 @ 09:45 AM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy The Application Compatibility Toolkit Version 5 was updated with performance improvements and bugfixes ... read more FREE: Vista Distribution Tool - Build Any Vista Distribution Source from Upgrade CD Friday, April 20 2007 @ 10:46 AM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Maybe like me you receive the Vista "Upgrade" CD with your Microsoft software subscription (ActionPack in my case) and are wondering how that will help you get going with your Vista customers since you have to muck about with doing an upgrade to a previous OS - vlite gets around this and does much, much more ... read more FREE: IZArc Zip Utility Wednesday, March 7 2007 @ 12:39 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy I hate paying for every little piece of utility software I need because it adds up so fast.  The search for a free zip utility that can handle archiving Virtual Machines is over ... read more RELEASED: FREE Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 Friday, March 2 2007 @ 01:44 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Virtual PC 2007 has been released and it's gonna cost you ... read more Getting Vista into a Virtual Machine Tuesday, January 23 2007 @ 04:19 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Now that it's released, you want to play with Vista in a virtual machine?  Here is a good article with tips and tricks for getting Vista loaded into a VMWare or Virtual PC virtual machine ... read more JUST RELEASED: Vista Deployment Tools - BDD 2007 1.0 Thursday, January 18 2007 @ 10:29 AM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy The Business Desktop Deployment 2007 offering includes documentation, project planning information and the Windows Automated Installation Kit... read more Standard User Analyzer for Vista is Released (1.0.1.700) Saturday, September 30 2006 @ 09:25 AM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Microsoft's Vista feature for "Standard User" sounds cool, but you really wonder how many of your legacy applications will be able to use the mode?  This utility monitors your application and gives a very detailed report on whether it will likely run under Vista's "Standard User"... read more New Vesion of Microsoft AppVerifier Saturday, July 29 2006 @ 09:53 AM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy A new version of Microsoft's Application Verifier (part of the Applcation Compatibility Toolkit) includes "Print Verifier", reinstatement of checking operating system compatibliity for Windows Logo and ThreadPool checking.  read more Microsoft Standard User Analyzer for application compatibility Monday, May 29 2006 @ 12:22 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Microsoft's Vista feature for "Standard User" sounds cool, but you really wonder how many of your legacy applications will be able to use the mode?  This utility monitors your application and gives a very detailed report on whether it will likely run under Vista's "Standard User"... read more Two MSH/Monad Webcasts by Microsoft Monday, April 17 2006 @ 04:30 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Late last year Microsoft did a couple webcasts on their new shell scripting environment... read more Monad Beta 3 Released Monday, January 23 2006 @ 03:50 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Beta 3 of Monad has been released... read more Monad portal at Microsoft Script Center Tuesday, December 13 2005 @ 02:22 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy The scripting guys have opened the doors on their new portal for Monad.  Lots of good stuff here... read more New Virtual Machine Blog Cateogory and RSS Feed Thursday, November 10 2005 @ 01:39 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy We have added a new category and RSS feed to DesktopEngineer.com for news about Virtual Machines... read more Monad / MSH Sample Scripts Tuesday, November 8 2005 @ 09:29 AM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Microsoft has provided some samples scripts for MHS on the resource kit site... read more Monad Architect Talks About Shell Scripting Futures Wednesday, October 26 2005 @ 02:42 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Jeffery Snover designed WMIC, then he kicked the whole idea into overdrive and architected Monad (or Microsoft Shell - MSH).  In this Oct 18th video clip he talks about what led... read more Monad Documentation Pack Saturday, October 8 2005 @ 07:59 AM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy This documentation pack includes and 80 page getting started guide, a trifold quick reference and three hands on labs from the Professional Developers Conference (PDC). read more Vista / .NET 2.0 Click Once Application Deployment Tuesday, October 4 2005 @ 11:21 AM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Windows Vista is touting the new Click Once application deployment mechanism.  This new mechanism could prove challenging for administrators since developers can begin to do their own "pull" updates to client computers simply by putting the right files on a ... read more Microsoft's Monad: Nuclear Arsenal for Shell Scripting Tuesday, September 27 2005 @ 10:35 AM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy The advent of .NET and the almost simultaneous halting of Windows Scripting Host updates made me thing Microsoft had lost it's vision on scripting.  And although the very rich Monad scripting / command shell environment has a stated goal of edging you closer to native .NET programming, I'm still glad scripting on Microsoft platforms is being enhanced... read more