Author Archives: emma

SkyDrive Upgrade to 25GB free storage

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After I installed new SkyDrive Windows client I noticed that SkyDrive is changing to a tiered pricing. The new default storage Microsoft offers will be 7GB, down from 25GB. It seems the main reason is most existing SkyDrive user don’t use more than 7GB.

The good news is Microsoft is taking good care of existing SkyDrive users with a limited time free upgrade offer. If you are a current SkyDrive user and want to keep 25GB free storage, you need request a free upgrade with one single click.

  1. Go to https://skydrive.live.com and login with your live id
  2. Click Manage Storage link
  3. Click Free Upgrade button

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SkyDrive Release Windows Client

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Last time I posted a blog talked about SkyDrive is Live with OneNote Sync which you can Sync OneNote 2010 notebooks to SkyDrive. Now you can put every files in your PC on the SkyDrive and access it from anywhere, any devices.

Earlier today, Mike Torres and Omar Shahine from Microsoft, posted a blog via the Building Windows 8 blog site announced new SkyDrive Windows desktop client release. The SkyDrive release also includes new version for several platforms including Mac OS X, iPad, Windows Phone, iPhone.

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SkyDrive Windows desktop client features

  • Drag and drop files directly to your SkyDrive folder in Windows Explorer, just as any other files in local disk
  • Remotely access files using SkyDrive.com on any Windows PC that connected to SkyDrive.
  • Sync and view files anywhere on Windows PC, Windows Phone, Max OS, iPad, or iPhone
  • Let you upload big files of up to 2GB

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Install PowerShell and Powershell ISE on Windows Server

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Windows Server 2003

For Windows server 2003, PowerShell V1 was released as KB ( hotfix). Download and install KB926139 – Windows PowerShell 1.0 English-Language Installation Package for Windows Server 2003

If you need PowerShell V2, make sure you have SP2 installed and then install Windows Management Framework from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968929

Windows Server 2008

For Windows Server 2008 run the following command in an elevated Command Prompt.

servermanagercmd -install PowerShell

Windows Server 2008 R2

Windows Server 2008 R2 has PowerShell V2 built in and enabled by default, however, PowerShell ISE is not. It is installed on Windows 7 client OS, but an Optional Component on Windows Server 2008 R2. To Install PowerShell ISE on R2, run the following command in a Windows PowerShell Modules prompt

Add-WindowsFeature PowerShell-ISE

OR

  1. In Server Manager, start the Add Roles and Features wizard.
  2. On the Features page, select Windows PowerShell ISE.

Windows Server 2012

Windows Server 2012 has both PowerShell V3 built in and installed. PowerShell ISE needs to be added as it’s an optional Windows PowerShell feature, same as Windows Server 2008 R2.

Also checkout How to run PowerShell scripts to start your first PowerShell script.

SCVMM 2012 RTM Available for download

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SCVMM 2012 RTM is available for download for MSDN subscribers. You can start download it here. The SCVMM 2012 RTM version is 3.0.6005.0. Microsoft has published the SCVMM 2012 RTM help document and cmdlets help.

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If you upgrade to RTM from RC, you can enter the product key in Admin Console UI About dialog Enter product key button.

Update 4/16:  The first update rollup for VMM is already out http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2686249. The update includes fix for both SCVMM Server, Self Service Portal and Admin Console. You will need to update all roles in you have them installed on different machines.

In System Center 2012, Microsoft extends the System Center branch to Cloud and Data Center management solution, the new System Center 2012 suites including

  • System Center App Controller
  • System Center Configuration Manager
  • System Center Data Protection Manager
  • System Center Operations Manager
  • System Center Orchestrator
  • System Center Service Manager
  • System Center Unified Installer
  • System Center Virtual Machine Manager

Windows 8 How to stop app tile from changing

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Tiles are introduced by Microsoft to Windows Phone. Tiles allow user receive latest update on start menu, without the need to open the application. For example, a weather app could show you the latest forecast.

Tile is widely used in Windows 8 metro UI applications. For some metro application you don’t want notification show up in the start menu, you can right click to app, click (or touch) Turn live tile off.

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Windows 8 Getting Start Experience

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After the release of Windows 8 Consumer Preview, I was very excited to give it a try on my hyper-v VM. There is a lot of difference between Windows 7 and 8, especially Windows 8 has optimized a lot for tablet users.

Lock screen

  • Windows 8 lock screen provides quick view of latest data, time, unread emails.
  • Windows 8 supports picture password.

Start Menu

  • Win 7 classical start menu is removed
  • New start menu for Metro UI Applications

Desktop mode

  • Clock desktop tile from start menu to enter classical desktop mode.
  • The desktop user experience is same as Win 7.

Charm Button

  • Allow you access Search, Share, Start, Devices, Settings shortcuts quickly .
  • Shortcut: Win Key + C image

Reboot or Shutdown

How to Reboot or Shutdown in Windows 8

Work with application

  • Win Key + tab to switch between applications
  • To close metro UI app, click and hold at the top of screen and pull down to the bottom of screen.

Search

  • Type from start menu to launch search

How to Reboot or Shutdown in Windows 8

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It’s pretty hard to figure out how to reboot or shutdown Windows 8 only use mouse/keyboard. After a few hours search in Google, here comes all options I found. All of them work but involved too many steps. It sucks there is no one click shutdown shortcut.

  • Hover the mouse over the lower right corner ( or WinKey + C),  in the right menu, Settings –> Power –> Sleep/Shutdown/Restart.
  • In desktop mode, press Alt + F4.
  • In user switch screen, highlight username, sign out and then shutdown.
  • Running shutdown in cmd.
    • Shutdown: shutdown /s
    • Restart: shutdown /r

Feel free to comment if you found other options

How to tell if your CPU Supports SLAT

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SLAT-enabled processor is the requirement of Hyper-V RemoteFX feature which is introduced in Windows Server 2008 R2. It’s the requirement of Windows 8 client Hpyer-V feature as well.

For INTEL CPU models, following CPU models are SLAT-Capable

  • Server: E5500 or higher.
  • Desktop/Laptops: I3/I5/I7/I7-qm

There is a handy tool named CoreInfo from systeminternals that can check if your CPU is SLAT-Capable, it’s pretty easy to use:

  1. Download from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/cc835722
  2. Launch an elevated command prompt
  3. Run “CoreInfo.exe -v”

If you see EPT  Supports Intel extended page tables (SLAT) then you are good.

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References:

Hyper-V: List of SLAT-Capable CPUs for Hosts

Understanding High-End Video Performance Issues with Hyper-V

Hyper-v Tip: Use windows key without fullscreen

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When connect to a remote VM with hyper-v manager, I have to full screen to make Windows key. Personally I think Hyper-V should have a Windows key button in toolbar like "Ctrl+Alt+Delete" button.

Actually Hyper-v manager allows you to select where the Windows keys goes when you press it. Open up the Hyper-V Settings dialog from with the Hyper-V Manager and go to the keyboard setting, you will see 3 settings.

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  1. Use on the physical computer
  2. Use on the virtual machine
  3. Use on the virtual machine only when running full-screen

The default one is #3. Once you change it to #2, you will be able to use Windows key inside VM without *full-screen* it.

You will find this helpful if you are connecting to a VM has Windows 8 Metro UI enabled. Without a windows key it’s hard to exit Metro style app and go back to start screen.