Should I wait for Windows 7 Before Taking a Class?

The short answer is no. I’ve been reading the blogs from the Windows 7 development team and all indications are that Windows 7 is built on Windows Vista. If you are looking at getting a jump start at Windows 7, go ahead and look into a class on Windows Vista.

Microsoft currently offers 7 classes that target Vista. I highly recommend that you go through the syllabus of each class before committing. You will find sections of each class that are clearly for IT Pros entering the field and sections where you really pick up the new features of Vista. Here is another bonus. The Vista classes are also the stepping stones for Server 2008. Vista is the client for 2008 so naturally what we learn in a vista class also applies to server 2008.
Below are the current class offerings from Microsoft which are Vista specific.

Course 5105B: Deploying Microsoft Windows Vista Business Desktops
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/syllabi/5105bfinal.mspx

Course 5115A:
Installing and Configuring the Windows Vista Operating System
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/syllabi/5115A.aspx

Course 5116A: Configuring Windows Vista Mobile Computing and Applications
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/syllabi/5116afinal.mspx

Course 5117A: Installing, Configuring, Troubleshooting, and Maintaining Windows Vista
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/syllabi/5117afinal.mspx

Course 5118A: Maintaining and Troubleshooting Windows Vista Computers
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/syllabi/5118afinal.mspx

Course 5119A: Supporting the Windows Vista Operating System and Applications
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/syllabi/5119afinal.mspx

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Sticky Key problem between Windows Server 2012 and LogMeIn

This week I instructed my first class using Windows Server 2012 accessed via LogMeIn and discovered a Sticky Key problem every time you press the Shift key. Here is my solution to resolve this. First off, in the Preferences of LogMeIn for the connection to the Windows Server, click General . Change the Keyboard and mouse priority to Host side user and click Apply at the bottom. On the Windows 2012 server, open the Control Panel – Ease of Access – Change how your keyboard works . Uncheck Turn on Sticky Keys . Click Set up Sticky Keys . Uncheck Turn on Sticky Keys when SHIFT is pressed five times . Click OK twice. If you are using Windows Server 2012 as a Hyper-V host, you will need to redo the Easy of Use settings on each guest operating system in order to avoid the Sticky Key Problem. Updated Information: March 20, 2013 If you continue to have problems, Uncheck Turn on Filter Keys .

Where did a User’s Account Get Locked Out?

Updated: May 15, 2015 When this article was originally published, two extra carriage returns were add causing the code to malfunction. The code below is correct. My client for this week’s PowerShell class had a really interesting question. They needed to know where an account is being locked out at. OK, interesting. Apparently users hop around clients and forget to log off, leading to eventual lock out of their accounts. The accounts can be unlocked, but are then relocked after Active Directory replication. This problem is solved in two parts. The first one is to modify the event auditing on the network. The second part is resolved with PowerShell. The first part involves creating a group policy that will encompass your Domain Controllers. In this GPO, make these changes. Expand Computer Configuration \ Policies \ Windows Settings \ Security Settings \ Advanced Audit Policy Configuration \ Audit Policies \ Account Management Double click User Account Management C...

How to run GPResult on a remote client with PowerShell

In the past, to run the GPResult command, you would need to either physically visit this client, have the user do it, or use and RDP connection. In all cases, this will disrupt the user. First, you need PowerShell remoting enabled on the target machine. You can do this via Group Policy . Open PowerShell and type this command. Invoke-Command –ScriptBlock {GPResult /r} –ComputerName <ComputerName> Replace <ComputerName> with the name of the target. Remember, the target needs to be online and accessible to you.

Jason Yoder, MCT

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