Hits: May 2009 - Posts - Windows Server 2008 (R2) blog by Kurt Roggen [BE]

May 2009 - Posts

Windows Server 2008 R2 Documentation & Resources

Want to know more about Windows Server 2008 R2?
Learn more here with access to Whitepapers, Datasheets, ppts and other resources.

Download here

Presentations

Guides and Documents

Posted Tuesday, May 19, 2009 11:25 PM by Kurt Roggen | 2 comment(s)
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Group Policy Preferences: Tips & Tricks #2: Targeting Editor

With Group Policy Preferences, you can use item-level targeting to change the scope of application, so they apply only to users or computers complying with the specified criteria or Targeting Items.
Within a single Group Policy object (GPO), you can include multiple preference items, each customized for selected users or computers and each targeted to apply settings only to the relevant users or computers.

Each targeting item results in a value of either true or false. You can apply multiple targeting items to a preference item and select the logical operation (AND or OR) by which to combine each targeting item with the preceding one. If the combined value of all targeting items for a preference item is false, then the settings in the preference item are not applied to the user or computer.
Using targeting collections, you can also create parenthetical expressions.

Building these targeting collections is done from the Targeting Editor.

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From within the Targeting Editor, to reposition a targeting item within the list of targeting items that you have applied to a preference item, perform one of the following actions:

  • either drag/drop the targeting item to a new position
  • select the targeting item and then click the Move Up arrow or Move Down arrow.
  • select the targeting item and use keyboard shortcuts Control-Up/Control-Down to move a line up/down

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From within the Targeting Editor, to quickly build a targeting query using all sorts of targeting items, you can use the Copy/Paste shortcuts.

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Related posts:

Related reading:

Posted Thursday, May 14, 2009 8:26 AM by Kurt Roggen | with no comments
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Community Day 2009: June 25th, utopolis, Mechelen

Community Day is back again, are you ready for our Third Edition of Microsoft Community Day?

Eleven Microsoft User Groups combine their efforts to organize this unique networking and knowledge sharing
event. A unique opportunity to learn about Microsoft’s latest developments and technologies like Exchange
2010, Silverlight 3, Visual Studio 2010, SQL Server 2008, Windows 2008R2, Powershell V2, Forefront
Identity Manager 2010, XNA 3.1. and OCS R2.

Microsoft Community Day will take place on Thursday 25th June 2009 in Utopolis, Mechelen, where we will
bring together 300 IT Pro’s and developers.

Find the agenda here.

The Microsoft Community Day 2009 is supported by BESUG, BIWUG, IT-Talks, MVUG, Pro-Exchange, SCUG, SQLUG, VBIB, Visug, WinSec, XNA-BUG“

Register now for free for this all day event!

Date: 25th June 2009
Location: Utopolis Mechelen
Duration: Full day
Cost: Free for all, including drinks and food (thanks to our sponsors!)

Posted Tuesday, May 12, 2009 10:56 AM by Kurt Roggen | with no comments
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Technet Edge: What’s new in Group Policy in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

Watch Michael Kleef and Lilia G. talk about what’s new in Group Policy in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 on TechNet Edge.
There’re on the front page today!

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Go here: http://edge.technet.com/Media/Whats-New-in-Group-Policy/ to check it out.

Posted Monday, May 11, 2009 3:12 PM by Kurt Roggen | with no comments
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Group Policy Preferences: Tips & Tricks #1: Variables List

In many cases, when you are in the Group Policy Preferences editor, you can use the F3 function key and use Variables List to select a variable from.
Preference extensions provide a list of variables from which you can choose to insert into text boxes. You can open the dialog box from any text box that is:

  • Not disabled.
  • Not read only.
  • Not restricted to a numeric value.
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F3 function key to use Variables List


Preference extensions support Windows environment variables and generate a number of additional process environment variables. Any variable may be used in a configuration parameter value.
This variables list contains 2 types of variables:

  1. Windows environment variables: Variables defined externally to GPP
    Default system and/or user variables or custom-defined by user or administrator and visible using SET command.
    Some examples: %USERNAME%, %USERDOMAIN%, %COMPUTERNAME%, %HOMEPATH%, %HOMEDRIVE%, %USERNAME%, %LOGONSERVER%, %OS%, etc…

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  2. Preference Process Variables: Variables defined internally to GPP
    Variables known only to Group Policy Preferences extensions.
    Some examples: %GROUPPOLICYVERSION%, %DATETIME%, %MACADDRESS%, %OSVERSION%, %LOGONSERVERSID%
    For a more complete list, see below.

Variables List
%AppDataDir% - The current user's Application Data directory.
%BinaryComputerSid% - The SID of the computer in hexadecimal format.
%BinaryUserSid% - The SID of the current user in hexadecimal format. 
%CommonAppdataDir% - The "all users" Application Data directory.
%CommonDesktopDir% - The "all users" Desktop directory.
%CommonFavoritesDir% - The "all users" Explorer Favorites directory.
%CommonProgramsDir% - The "all users" Programs directory.
%CommonStartMenuDir% - The "all users" Start Menu directory.
%CommonStartUpDir% - The "all users" Startup directory.
%ComputerName% - The NetBIOS name of the computer.
%CurrentProcessId% - The numeric identity of the main client process.
%CurrentThreadId% - The numeric identity of the main client thread.
%DateTime% - The current time (UTC).
%DateTimeEx% - The current time (UTC) with milliseconds.
%DesktopDir% - The current user's desktop directory.
%DomainName% - The domain name or workgroup of the computer.
%FavoritesDir% - The current user's Explorer Favorites directory.
%LastError% - The last error code encountered during configuration.
%LastErrorText% - The last error code text description.
%LdapComputerSid% - The SID of the computer in LDAP escaped binary format.
%LdapUserSid% - The SID of the current user in LDAP escaped binary format.
%LocalTime% - The current local time.
%LocalTimeEx% - The current local time with milliseconds.
%LogonDomain% - The domain of the current user.
%LogonServer% - The domain controller that authenticated the current user.
%LogonUser% - The user name of the current user.
%LogonUserSid% - The SID of the current user.
%MacAddress% - The first detected MAC address on the computer.
%NetPlacesDir% - The current user's My Network Places directory.
%OsVersion% - The operating system: Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, or Unknown.
%ProgramFilesDir% - The Windows Program Files directory.
%ProgramsDir% - The current user's Programs directory.
%RecentDocumentsDir% - The current user's Recent Documents directory.
%ResultCode% - The client's exit code.
%ResultText% - The client's exit code text description.
%ReversedComputerSid% - The SID of the computer in reversed byte order hexadecimal format.
%ReversedUserSid% - The SID of the current user in reversed byte order hexadecimal format.
%SendToDir% - The current user's Send to directory.
%StartMenuDir% - The current user's Start Menu directory.
%StartUpDir% - The current user's Startup directory.
%SystemDir% - The Windows system directory.
%SystemDrive% - The name of the drive from which the operation system is running.
%TempDir% - The current user's Temp directory as determined by Windows API.
%TimeStamp% - The time stamp of the configurations being executed.
%TraceFile% - The path/name of the trace file.
%WindowsDir% - The Windows directory.

You can prevent the resolution of a variable before it is applied to client computers, so that the variable rather than the resolved value appears in the preference setting on client computers. To do so for a preference process variable, clear the Resolve Variable check box. This inserts <> between the % % delimiters and the variable name (for example, %<ProgramFiles>%). Preference extensions remove < > characters from the text and leave the unresolved variable. You can also use this syntax with a Windows environment variable.

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Related reading:

Posted Monday, May 11, 2009 11:15 AM by Kurt Roggen | 1 comment(s)
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Group Policy Infrastructure in Windows: Today and Tomorrow

It has been a while now since my last talk/presentation at TechDays 2009 and I wanted to share with you the content of that presentation.
As you can see, it’s all about Group Policies in Windows.  You can find the topics covered during the presentation below.
I received a lot of great feedback, so I hope you enjoy it too! 

Download here.

Today

  • Group Policy
    • ADMX-based Administrative templates
    • Central Store
    • GPO Filtering
    • Multiple Local Group Policies (MLGPO)
    • Starter GPOs
    • Group Policy Comments
    • New Group Policy extensions (+2500)
  • Group Policy Preferences (GPP)
    • Rich UI
    • Rich Item-level Targeting
    • Action modes
    • Processing order
    • Reporting
    • Logging & Troubleshooting
    • Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT)
    • Some GPP Scenario’s
      • Printer scripts
      • Environment variables
      • Power schemes
      • Password changes
      • Registry updates
      • Folder Options & Start Menu UI

Tomorrow

  • Group Policy
    • RSAT Windows 7
    • New Group Policy Editor UI
    • New Starter GPOs
    • Powershell support
      • Powershell & GPO Scripts
    • New Group Policy extensions
      • Application Control using AppLocker
      • Advanced System Auditing
  • Group Policy Preferences
    • New Group Policy Preferences extensions
        • Power Plans, Scheduled Tasks, Immediate Task, IE8

Related reading:

White papers:

Posted Friday, May 08, 2009 2:45 PM by Kurt Roggen | 2 comment(s)
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