New Web Content Actually Worth Reading (August 2009)

Tips and Tools
Published Aug 20, 2009

Why does Windows 7 feel faster than Vista, although really it is not? Improvements to the graphics driver model (WDDM got upgraded to version 1.1) certainly add to this feeling and reduce the memory footprint of the desktop windows manager (DWM) process. Microsoft describes the changes in its Graphics Guide for Windows 7.

A nice refresher course on some Active Directory security features on TechNet: protected groups and AdminSDHolder. Do not read it if you know exactly why permissions of user objects that are member of, for example, the Print Operators cannot be changed.

Microsoft explains in KB973835 why you should not use File Server Resource Manager (FSRM) file screening on folders that store roaming user profiles. The effect is similar to the one caused by hard quotas. Quotas do not mix well with profiles!

If you need to create many GUIDs, go to createguid.com and press CTRL+C. Another one? Just reload (F5) and repeat.

Jim Moyle has written a nice guide to deploying, tuning and troubleshooting ICA clients.

After more than 20 years (estimate), Microsoft finally develops programs with text-mode GUIs again ;-) SConfig comes with Server Core and simplifies basic setup tasks like joining a domain, renaming the computer, configuring Windows Update or enabling remote desktop connections.

The AskDS blog team compiled a list of the 50 Microsoft knowledge base articles that solve the most issues loosely related to Active Directory and thus are most likely to help you out some day.

Microsoft’s Jose Barreto starts playing around with PowerShell and compiles a list of useful commands as he goes.

For not too complex file server migrations the Microsoft File Server Migration Toolkit (FSMT) is probably worth a try.

File server capacity planning has always been mostly guesswork (or call it experience). Microsoft tries to help with the File Server Capacity Tool (FSCT).

Microsoft finally documented the format used in the registry policy files “registry.pol”.

Some more Chuck Norris jokes, these are mostly for programmers. Example: “Chuck Norris can access private methods.”

And finally some shameless self-promotion: see me demo Citrix User Profile Manager (aka Profile management) at DABCC TV.

AdminSDHolder Capacity Cool Stuff DWM File Screening File Server File Server Resource Manager GUID ICA Client Migration PowerShell Quota Registry.pol SConfig Server Core User Profile Manager User Profiles WDDM

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Citrix User Profile Manager 5 Years Ago: Birth

Citrix User Profile Manager is pretty well-known in the SBC space today. Five years ago, things were quite different. Citrix did not have a user profile solution, and neither did sepago. But we had an idea spinning in our heads we soon came to call Smooth Profiles. Slowly that idea became code, then was renamed to sepagoPROFILE, was acquired by Citrix and renamed again to User Profile Manager and then again to Profile management (with capital P and lower-case m!). You may have heard the latter part of the story. Here is a little something from the very beginning.

Fixing Office 2007's Quick Access Toolbars With Citrix User Profile Manager

Not sure where user profile management might be useful? Here is an example that should apply to almost everyone. The obvious new user interface feature of Microsoft Office 2007 is the ribbon. But there are numerous other UI enhancements over Office 2003. One of these are the Quick Access Toolbars. If you are not sure what I am talking about: the following screen shot should give you an idea (from a German version of Office, sorry):

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