Alpesh Nakar's Blog

Early this week (Monday), I had tweeted that SharePoint 2010 Beta and Exchange 2010 Download was available for Microsoft Partners – SDPS. If you are following me on http://twitter.com/alpesh you know about it! This download has now been made available for everyone.

To quote from the download page:

Overview

This download contains a two Virtual Machine set for evaluating and demonstrating Office 2010 and SharePoint 2010.

Virtual machine “a” contains the following pre-configured software:

1. Windows Server 2008 SP2 Standard Edition x64, running as an Active Directory Domain Controller for the “CONTOSO.COM” domain with DNS and WINS

2. Microsoft SQL Server 2008 SP2 Enterprise Edition with Analysis, Notification, and Reporting Services

3. Microsoft Office Communication Server 2007 R2

4. Visual Studio 2010 Beta 2 Ultimate Edition

5. Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 Enterprise Edition Beta 2

6. Microsoft Office Web Applications Beta 2

7. FAST Search for SharePoint 2010 Beta 2

8. Microsoft Project Server 2010 Beta 2

9. Microsoft Office 2010 Beta 2

10. Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2

Virtual machine “b” contains the following pre-configured software:

1. Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard Evaluation Edition x64, joined to the “CONTOSO.COM” domain

2. Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Active directory has been preconfigured over 200 “demo” users with metadata in an organizational structure.

All of these user profiles have been imported and indexed for search within SharePoint Server 2010, with “contoso\administrator” granted administrator permissions.

SharePoint Server 2010 has been configured in a “Complete” farm using Kerberos authentication and the default SQL Server 2008 instance for data, and has a site collection created using the Team Site template at http://intranet.contoso.com/ and a FAST Search Center at http://intranet.contoso.com/search/.

Performance Considerations

1. If possible, unpack and run the VM image on a separate, fast hard drive (7200 RPM or better) from the operating system of the host machine. If this is being done on a laptop, a second internal drive or external eSATA drive works best, though USB 2.0 (make sure it’s 2.0, 1.1 is too slow) or Firewire is acceptable.

For absolute best performance use a second internal SSD drive.

 

Instructions

a. Start Hyper-V Manager from Control Panel -> Administrative Tools

b. Confirm that the local host machine appears in the Hyper-V Manager list and select it if not already done

c. Under Actions, click Virtual Network Manager…

d. Confirm that you have created an Internal virtual network named “Internal”. Internal networks limit connectivity to only VMs and the host.

If a suitable not, create one now using the following steps:

i. Click on Virtual Network Manager in the Actions pane

ii. Choose New virtual network in the Virtual Networks pane

iii. Choose Internal from the type list and click Add

iv. Enter a name of Internal and click OK v. Start menu -> right-click Network –> Properties

vi. Click Change adapter settings

vii. Find the adapter with a description of Internal, right-click and choose Properties

viii. Double-click on Internet Protocol Version 4 and enter the following values: 1. IP address: 192.168.150.6 2. Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0 3. Default gateway: (leave blank) 4. Preferred DNS server: 192.168.150.1

ix. Click OK

e. Close the Virtual Network Manager dialog.

a. Under Actions, click Import Virtual Machine…

b. Use the Browse button to select the folder where the virtual machine package was extracted. Do not check

c. Click Import and wait for the Import to complete – the import status will appear in the Operations column

d. Select the newly imported virtual machine and click Settings in the right pane of the Hyper-V Manager

e. Confirm (and correct if necessary) that the Network Adapter is connected to the Internal network from step 1d.

f. Close the virtual machine Settings dialog.

 

Download 2010 Information Worker Demonstration Virtual Machine (Beta)

http://mysp.in/t10betavhd

Microsoft have released a limited beta of their new antivirus application – Microsoft Security Essentials Beta.

This beta is available only to customers in the United States, United Kingdom, Israel (English only), People’s Republic of China (Simplified Chinese only) and Brazil (Brazilian Portuguese only).

I am based in Australia and have just finished downloading this using my U.S based Live ID.

Microsoft Security Essentials Beta can be downloaded from Microsoft Connect web site.

Download

As can be  seen, there are 3 separate downloads for you, depending on your version of the operation system

• Windows XP (32 bit)
• Windows Vista and Windows 7 (32-bit)
• Windows Vista and Windows 7 (64-bit)

Adam Pash at Lifehacker has already taken screenshots of Microsoft Security Essentials Beta installation and the quick scan feature.

Update: This program is now closed per message on their site.

Alert!

Thank you for your interest in joining the Microsoft® Security Essentials Beta. We are not accepting additional participants at this time. Please check back at later a date for possible additional availability.

Microsoft Exchange® Server 2010 Beta helps IT Professionals achieve new levels of reliability with greater flexibility, enhanced user experiences, and increased protection for business communications.

• Flexible and reliable – Exchange Server 2010 gives you the flexibility to tailor your deployment based on your company’s unique needs and a simplified way to keep e-mail continuously available for your users.
• Anywhere access – Exchange Server 2010 helps your users get more done by giving them the freedom to securely access all their communications – e-mail, voice mail, instant messaging, and more – from virtually any platform, Web browser, or device.
• Protection and compliance – Exchange Server 2010 delivers integrated information loss prevention, and compliance tools aimed at helping you simplify the process of protecting your company’s communications and meeting regulatory requirements.

This software is intended for evaluation purposes only. You must accept the license terms before you are authorized to use this software. There is no product support for this trial software. You are welcome to participate in the forums to share your trial experiences with others and to ask for advice.

System Requirements

• Supported Operating Systems: Windows Server 2008; Windows Vista 64-bit Editions Service Pack 1

• Operating System for Installing Management Tools: The 64-bit editions of Microsoft® Windows Vista® SP1 or later, or Windows Server® 2008.
• PC – x64 architecture-based computer with Intel processor that supports Intel 64 architecture (formerly known as Intel EM64T) or AMD processor that supports the AMD64 platform

Additional requirements to run Exchange Server 2010 Beta

• Memory – Minimum of 4 gigabytes (GB) of RAM per server plus 5 megabytes (MB) of RAM recommended for each mailbox
• Disk space
  • At least 1.2 GB on the drive used for installation
  • An additional 500 MB of available disk space for each Unified Messaging (UM) language pack that you plan to install
  • 200 MB of available disk space on the system drive
• Drive – DVD-ROM drive, local or network accessible
• File format – Disk partitions formatted as NTFS file systems
• Monitor – Screen resolution 800 x 600 pixels or higher

Exchange Server 2010 Beta Prerequisites
If these required prerequisites are not already installed, the Exchange Server 2010 Beta setup process will prompt and provide links to the installation locations; Internet access will be required if the prerequisites are not already installed or available on a local network.

• Microsoft® .NET Framework 3.5
• Windows PowerShell v2
• Windows Remote Management

Expiration Notice
This time-limited, free beta version of Microsoft® Exchange Server 2010 will end 360 days after installation.

Source

I had blogged about IE8 Downloads and related content when IE RTW (released to web).

IE team blog on MSDN wants you to prepare for automatic download of IE8.

From the source:

Starting on or about the third week of April, users still running IE6 or IE7 on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, or Windows Server 2008 will get will get a notification through Automatic Update about IE8. This rollout will start with a narrow audience and expand over time to the entire user base. On Windows XP and Server 2003, the update will be High-Priority. On Windows Vista and Server 2008 it will be Important.

IE8 will not automatically install on machines. Users must opt-in to install IE8. Users will see a Welcome screen that offers choices: Ask later, install now, or don’t install.

If an organization uses Automatic Update to keep Windows up-to-date but wants to manage its own deployment of IE8, a free Blocker Toolkit is available that will block automatic delivery of IE8.  This blocker toolkit was released in January 2009 and has no expiration date.  For more information, please review the information for IT administrators at the Windows Update/Microsoft Update site on TechNet, as well as the Blocker Toolkit FAQ.  Organizations that wish to block the distribution of IE8 should have their blocking in place by the week of April 20^th.

Organizations that use Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) and Systems Management Server (SMS) can deploy IE8 in the same manner as they would deploy any other update.  We will release IE8 to WSUS in July 2009; it will be classified as an Update Rollup and must be approved to install on groups of clients within the organization.

Source

IE8 has been RTM and you can download for different platforms per links under. In this post you will find all IE8 related links that I have copied from various sources to bring everything in one place.

//Start//

Technology Overview

 

Windows Internet Explorer 8 includes a host of new features, enhancements, and other improvements driven from real world scenarios and customer desires that puts the Web at your service. This document will give you more information and examples on how to create rich user experiences and make sure your Web sites are ready for Windows Internet Explorer 8.

 

Download

 

Download IE8 for different platforms

 

 

 

Techniques for Preinstalling IE8

 

This document provides information and instructions necessary for IT Professionals to preinstall the Windows® Internet Explorer® 8 Internet browser, as well as any additional Internet components on earlier operating systems that are supported. Also, this document provides a list of unattend settings that can be used to automate configuration and deployment of Internet Explorer 8.

 

Download

 

IE8 Administration Kit

 

The Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK) 8 simplifies the creation, deployment and management of customized Internet Explorer 8 packages. IEAK 8 can be used to configure the out-of-box Internet Explorer 8 experience or to manage user settings after Internet Explorer 8 deployment.

 

Download

 

Visit the IEAK 8 site on TechNet for more information on the Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK) 8.

 

Windows IE8 FAQ for Business

 

This FAQ answers common enterprise customer questions about Windows Internet E
xplorer 8

Download

 

 

Windows Internet Explorer 8 Compatibility View List

 

This download consists of a list of sites that are most likely to be displayed better in Compatibility View in Windows Internet Explorer 8.

 

This list will be periodically updated and automatically downloaded to Internet Explorer 8 users who have opted-in to use Compatibility View updates from Microsoft. For more information on Compatibility View list updates, please see – http://support.microsoft.com/kb/960321.

 

Download

 

What’s compatibilty view and why should you care? I’d recommend you read this blog post introducing compatibility view. 

 

If you are a web site designer, you may want to check out this KB from Microsoft. This will help you if your site does not render correctly in IE8. This will definitely help SharePoint branding gurus

 

 

Toolkit to Disable Automatic Delivery of Internet Explorer 8

 

The Internet Explorer 8 Blocker Toolkit enables IT Administrators to disable automatic delivery of Internet Explorer 8 as a high-priority update via Automatic Updates and the Windows Update and Microsoft Update sites.

 

Download

 

 //End//

 

This week, I came across some interesting blog posts that I am sure you will appreciate.

1. I downloaded and got a free license key for Parallels Workstation which sells for $50. Credit for this tip goes to Amit. If you are lucky, you can download and get a free license too from here.
2. I am going to download the office Google SEO book, which is available for free. You may want to do the same, if you write a blog or own a website. Credit for this tip goes to Davinder. Download SEO Guide [548Kb - PDF Format]
3. I am considering downloading SmartProtect for my Windows Mobile 6. SmartProtect is a freeware anti-theft utility for Windows Mobile devices with GPS & SMS auto-responding capability that helps you track and recover your mobile phone if stolen or lost. It also allows you to send remote SMS based commands to your mobile device such as to delete contacts, restart the phone, etc.
4. I do have a copy of Windows 7 beta release, just haven’t started using it. I have seen it being used and kind of like the taskbar. If you have seen Windows 7 and want the Windows 7 taskbar then you might want to download the free utility Iconizer that will help the XP user to switch to Windows 7 like taskbar.
5. Are you game for this? "Make Windows Vista Look Like Windows 7"

Happy New Year! This is the first post for 2009! Let’s get started Rock on!

This morning Nirmal emailed me news that IE8 Beta was out.

Direct download links have now gone live and here they are:

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 for Windows Vista x64 Edition and Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 for Window XP SP2

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 for Windows Server 2003 SP2

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 for Windows Server 2003 SP2 x64 Edition and Windows XP SP2 Pro x64 Edition

Internet Explorer 8 can be installed on Microsoft Windows Vista^® Service Pack 1 (SP1), Windows Vista, Windows XP^® Service Pack 2 (SP2), Windows Server^® 2008 and Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 (SP2).

Microsoft has confirmed that IE8 will pass the ACID test and that you will be able to click the Emulate IE7 button in the command bar to browse the web like you did in IE7 when not developing your web site.

How will SharePoint cope with IE8 Beta? Look for yourself here.