Tag: Windows 8

The Importance Of KMS Product Keys & Activation To Deployment, VDI, & Cloud Computing

There are two types of product key for Windows & Office:

  • MAK: The one that you’re used to typing into a machine
  • KMS: A special enter-it-once-for-the-network product key

MAK is nice and simple, if you’re only deploying a handful of machines.  But if you need to deploy dozens, hundreds or thousands, of machines, are you going to (a) trust the end user to activate (God help you if you think that’ll work!) or (b) run around and activate stuff by hand (why put in a deployment system because you’re obviously training for a marathon).

Some examples:

  • Deploying Windows or Office using ConfigMgr: Automated remote deployment where you can’t be everywhere and you need activation to just happen
  • VDI: VMs are being fired up and destroyed like crazy
  • Cloud: Hosts are deployed with zero touch from VMM, and VMs are deployed without any knowledge of IT.  You don’t want customers calling helpdesk about activation alerts.

MAK just isn’t going to work. With a KMS server on your network then you can automate the activation process of Windows and Office on the network.  The products reach out to KMS and activate without human effort.

Two posts will be useful:

  1. Some background and setup information in an old post that I wrote.
  2. A post this morning by fellow MVP Didier Van Hoye where he has described out to update a KMS to use the new KMS keys for WS2012.

Use MDT 2012 Update 1 To Deploy Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 Images

Microsoft has released the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2012 Update 1 with support for deploying images of Windows 8 and WS2012.  It also supports Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP.

New features include:

  • Added support for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012.
  • Support for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1 CTP: Added support in MDT for deploying Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 with Configuration Manager 2012 SP1 CTP, while supporting all new Configuration Manager functionality (offline BitLocker, UEFI, and Assessment and Deployment Kit).
  • Support for DaRT 8 Beta: Updated MDT to support DaRT 8 for Windows 8 deployments, while continuing to support DaRT 7 for Windows 7 deployments. Added DaRT support for Configuration Manager scenarios.
  • New “Build Your Own Pages” User-Driven Installation (UDI) feature: Enhanced the UDI wizard and designer to enable IT pros to design their own wizard pages with little effort.
  • New System Center 2012 – Orchestrator support: Provided the ability to add steps into an OS deployment task sequence to execute Orchestrator runbooks as part of the deployment process.
  • Other improvements: Added support for Windows PowerShell 3.0, reworked Roles and Features installation logic for Windows 8, improved “boot from VHD” deployment scenarios, and added support for Configuration Manager monitoring.

So if you want to deploy the new operating systems then don’t do sneaker net. Don’t go buy a third party imaging solution.  This is a free, task sequence based imaging solution.  And your investment will continue when/if you deploy System Center 2012 Configuration Manager with SP1 because of the integration it has with MDT.

Windows Server 2012 & Windows 8 Available to Volume License with SA Customers

If you have Software Assurance on your WS2012 volume licenses then you can start downloading from the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC).  Those customers can start planning their Hyper-V (see the new features) host upgrades … but hold off if you are using System Center because you will need SP1 for System Center 2012 to continue to manage the upgraded hosts and migrated clusters.

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It is not on MSDN/TechNet and is not expected there until after the launch on September 4th. @TechNetUK saw me tweeting on the subject and thankfully cleared up the issue:

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I know, it’s very disappointing but that’s how the cookie is crumbling on this one. I’d love to have had it sooner so I could get current screenshots for the new WS2012 Hyper-V book.

Windows 8 is also available to VL w/ SA customers on the VLSC site.

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SPLA folks, check your pricelists to ensure you are legit to move up first.

The Microsoft Partner Network download content has not been updated.

EDIT:

I got a tweet from @softwareweaver to say that WS2012 is now available on Azure VM.

Activating Windows 8 Enterprise Fails

I installed Windows 8 Enterprise (RTM) on my Build slate PC last night and I noticed in PC Settings that the sucker would fail to activate:

"Windows can’t activate right now." Error Code: 0x8007232B

It appears that the Enterprise edition defaults to searching for a KMS to activate on, as you’d expect in an enterprise network.  I mentioned it to one of the guys in work and he just posted me the fix from the TechNet Forums:

  1. Search for CMD
  2. Run it as administrator (elevated command prompt)
  3. Run slmgr.vbs –ipk <YOUR_PRODUCT_KEY>, e.g slmgr.vbs –ipk ABCDE-12345-ABCDE-12345-ABCDE

And Bob’s your Uncle!

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Sysprep & Disk Cloning Guidance Updated To Include Windows 8 & Windows Server 2012

Microsoft has updated the guidance on disk duplication and image deployment for all supported versions of Windows including Win8 and WS2012.

There is an interesting note on cloning Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012.  The following problems might happen:

  • Tile, badge, and toast notifications do not update even though Internet connectivity is available.
  • Apps that rely on RAW notification do not work as expected. For example, you notice significantly reduced functionality in Mail, Calendar, and Messaging.
  • It takes a long time to synchronize changes for roaming and family safety settings.

Either of these fixes will solve the problem:

  • Configure the computers by using the Sysprep /generalize command, and then deploy the image.
  • Replace the existing user account with a new account. The device identifier is stored as part of the user profile. Each new NTUser account that is added to a computer will receive a new identifier.
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Windows 8 Enterprise Evaluation For Developers

If you don’t have TechNet or MSDN and would like a 90 day trial of Windows 8 Enterprise then Microsoft has what you need.

The Windows 8 Enterprise 90-day evaluation is available to developers to build and test Windows 8 apps on the final version of Windows 8. After installing Windows 8, go to the Windows Dev Center developer downloads page to install Visual Studio 2012 and related tools to build Windows 8 apps.

This evaluation provides a 90-day trial of Windows 8 Enterprise edition. Both 32-bit and 64-bit versions are available as ISO images in the following languages: Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), English, English (UK), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish. In order to use this evaluation, you must register and the product must be activated online with Microsoft-hosted activation and validation services. Microsoft does not provide technical support for this software.

Note that you CANNOT upgrade this evaluation to a full version of the product.

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Cannot Install Or Boot Build (Samsung) Slate From USB For Windows 8 Install

I wanted to do a completely clean install, wiping all the partitions, for my Windows 8 installation on my Build Slate (tablet) PC. I used the Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool to prep a USB stick but I could not get the slate to boot from it.  Some googling, and I found the reason why.

The UEFI BIOS will not boot from an NTFS formatted USB stick. Doh!  I followed the instructions on the above post to prep a new USB stick to install Windows 8, and successfully got the install from USB to start up.

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Install All Your Apps After Installing Windows 8

If you have installed Windows 8 on your machine and want to get all of your apps from the release candidate or from other machines, then do the following:

  1. Open the Store app.
  2. Swipe from the bottom or top to open the app bar.
  3. Click Your Apps.  All of your previously installed apps should be there.
  4. Click Select All, then then click Install.
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Windows 8 RTM On MSDN And TechNet

The RTM builds of Windows 8 are on MSDN and TechNet. Please remember that:

  • MSDN is for development purposes
  • TechNet is for trial and evaluation purposes

These licenses are not legit for production usage.  You wait for MSVL (tomorrow if you have SA) or GA (if you don’t have SA) if you want production licenses.  Partners with internal usage rights are due to get access tomorrow.

There is no sign of Windows Server 2012 RTM yet.

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The Haters Get What They Wanted – Metro Was Removed From Windows 8

News broke yesterday that Metro was removed from Windows 8.  The new UI will look like this:

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This will apparently be called the New User Interface or the Windows 8 UI (cos locking the name of the app style and UI down to a specific version won’t cause problems – my crystal ball says that in 18 months time, 30 minutes of each Windows Weekly episode will have to be dedicated to clearing up the confusion of the Windows 9 UI, and how Windows RT is also Windows 8, but not) or something.

The Verge reported last night that Microsoft is rapidly trying to rebrand the UI tell us that Metro was just a codename and never was intended to be the name of this Windows 8 UI.  Huh … cos 18 months of Windows Phone 7.x and 10 months of Windows 8 previews all using that name in public and in documentation didn’t lead us to think that it was the actual name. Devs have been told to also remove the label of Metro from their apps.  The Verge also says:

One source, who wishes to remain anonymous, tells us that the change could be related to a dispute between Microsoft and a German company over the use of the Metro naming.

They guessed maybe it was Metro AG, a German company that owns several chains of stores.  Others are reporting a European company is responsible.  It fits.  For the past 18 months, every time I’ve heard Microsoft use the name Metro I’ve been confused with Metro/Makro Cash & Carry and felt like going to the Windows Store to buy a twelve pack of sausages.

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Seriously? This is one of those “Come on man!” moments.

Word on the “street” is that we’ll get the new official name for Metro by next week. This won’t cause any trouble for anyone right after Windows 8 has gone RTM, I’m sure.

Meanwhile, 18 months of “training” has the world calling this style of UI Metro, and some lawyer trying to make a fast Euro won’t change that. Gehen Sie schrauben sich! *Really hoping Google Translate got that right* Jeff Wouters says I should try “Fick dich (selbst)!” instead Smile *wonders how many proxies are now filtering my blog*

Note: For those of you who are sarcasm-disabled, please note that this post was full of that thing you don’t understand. And go check The Verge or ZDNet for a serious version of this story.

EDIT:

A very interesting tweet was just posted:

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