Attention Windows 7 + Live Sync users!

From the official Windows Live Sync blog, regarding the Windows Live Sync mandatory update:

If your computer was already running Windows 7 before this update, you’ll have to go to the Sync website to add your computer back to all the folders you’re syncing. We know this is a hassle and we apologize for this inconvenience. You’ll also see that your computer shows up on the Sync website with a new name—you can safely go ahead and delete the old computer from the website. Rest assured that your files and folders are safe.

Source: Windows Live Sync outage and client update - Windows Live

Updated: Download update for Windows Live Sync

As we notified you a few days ago, Microsoft has released an updated version of Windows Live Sync (14.0.8089.0726 for Windows). This is a mandatory update, meaning that users must install it if they want to connect to the service.

Update (2009/10/14): There is a known issue with Windows 7.

Please read this before installing the update.

 

Click here to download Windows Live Sync

Download Windows 7 90-Day Evaluation VHD

Microsoft has released an evaluation edition of Windows 7 that anyone can use free for 90 days. According to the publisher:

This download helps you evaluate the new features of Windows 7, Windows 7 has better ways to find and manage files—like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews—to help you speed through everyday tasks. It's designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC just works the way you want it to. With 64-bit support, you can take full advantage of the latest powerful PCs. And great features like HomeGroup, Windows Media Center, and Windows Touch make new things possible. For more information about Windows 7, please go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/.

This download is available to customers running genuine Microsoft Windows.

Source: Microsoft Downloads Center

Windows XP Mode RTM available on TechNet, MSDN

Microsoft has released the RTM versions of Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC. They are currently available on TechNet and MSDN, with public downloads available soon.

Windows XP Mode

Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 makes it easy to install and run many of your Windows XP productivity applications directly from a Windows 7-based PC. It utilizes virtualization technology such as Windows Virtual PC to provide a Virtual Windows XP environment for Windows 7.
Windows XP Mode provides a 32-bit Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3 (SP3) environment pre-loaded on a virtual hard disk.

Note:

• You can use Windows Virtual PC to run Windows XP Mode on your computer

Windows Virtual PC

Windows Virtual PC is the latest Microsoft virtualization technology that allows you to run many productivity applications on a virtual Windows environment, with a single click, directly from a Windows 7-based PC.

Note:

• Install Windows XP Mode to create a virtual Windows XP SP3 environment.
• Windows Virtual PC requires Windows 7 RTM.
• Before installing the RTM version ensure that you have uninstalled the older version of both Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode and restarted the system.
• Windows Virtual PC requires processor capable of hardware virtualization, with AMD-V™ or Intel® VT turned on in the BIOS.

For more information about Windows Virtual PC, please visit the Windows Virtual PC website.

Windows Virtual PC supports the following 32 bit Guest Operating systems : Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) Professional, Windows Vista Enterprise Service Pack 1 (SP1), Windows Vista Ultimate Service Pack 1 (SP1), Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 7 Enterprise.

Download Windows Live ID Sign-in Assistant 6.5

If you are using Windows 7, then Windows Live ID Sign-in Assistant 6.5 is a must-have for enabling Windows 7 applications to deliver great features like sharing documents, pictures, music, and video.

Through the online provider, the Sign-in Assistant helps a Windows 7 application running on one computer identify and communicate with other computers that are associated with the same Windows Live ID. Just by linking your Windows Live ID to the user account on each Windows 7 computer you own, you enable those computers to identify each other and work together more easily than has been possible in the past.

Windows Live ID Sign-in Assistant 6.5 can be downloaded in 32-bit and 64-bit flavors.

Download details: Sign-in Assistant

Search Bing from within Windows 7

A Windows 7 Federated Search Connector for Bing allows users to easily search Bing from within Windows 7:

To use it simply;

• create a new folder on your C: drive “Search Connectors”
• download the Bing.osdx file to this new folder
• double click the Bing.osdx file
• click Install, then you are ready to go

Source: MSDN Blogs

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 RC Download

Microsoft is “pleased to announce the immediate availability of the release candidate of MDT 2010.  This release contains numerous bug fixes since MDT 2010 Beta 2. MDT 2010 RC has been tested and will work with Windows 7 RTM and Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM as well as all previously supported operating systems”.

New in MDT 2010
Improvements in MDT 2010 will allow you to:

• Access deployment shares from anywhere on the network and replicate files and settings across organizational boundaries or sites.
• Organize and manage drivers, operating systems, applications, packages, and task sequences with an improved UI.
• Automate UI functionality using the Windows PowerShell command line interface.

MDT 2010 RC can be downloaded from Microsoft Connect (9.49 MB). In case you are not a member, you need to sign-up first.

The final (RTW) release of Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 will be available in September 2009.

Source: The Windows Blog

Windows 7 RTM released on TechNet

The wait is over for TechNet and MSDN Subscribers as well as ISVs (Independent software vendor) and IHVs (Independent hardware vendor) who can as of now download Windows 7 RTM.

A screenshot of TechNet Downloads hosting Windows 7 RTM:

Free Windows 7 copy for beta testers

In a surprise move, Microsoft will offer a complimentary, for personal-use only copy of Windows 7 Ultimate to beta testers:

To show our appreciation, members of the invitation-only Windows 7 Technical Beta Program will be eligible for a free, final copy of Windows 7 Ultimate. For more information on how to take advantage of this, refer to Paul’s post in the .Beta_Program newsgroup for details.

Beta testers will have the options to either download the English ISO on August 6th, 2009 – the same day as ISVs, IHVs, TechNet & MSDN Subscribers or opt-in for an actual copy in its retail packaging, when available.

Source: Windows Team Blog

Technorati Tags: Windows 7 RTM

Windows 7 RTM Screenshot Gallery

Even though Windows 7 RTM (7600.16385) is not yet available to everyone except to OEMs,  Softpedia has released a screenshots gallery of Windows 7 RTM. You can watch all 123 screenshots at source.

Source: Softpedia

Technorati Tags: Windows 7 RTM

Windows 7 Has RTM’ed

As it was expected:

Today (July 22nd, 2009) after all the validation checks were met, we signed off and declared build 7600 as RTM.

OEMs are expected to receive the RTM build as early as Friday, July 24th.

Windows Server 2008 R2 has also been Released to Manufacturing, as announced.

Source: The Windows Blog

Technorati Tags: Windows 7

Windows 7 RTM – Availability Calendar (Updated)

Microsoft has announced the availability dates of Windows 7 RTM build:

Friday, July 24th, 2009: OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) will receive Windows 7 RTM.

Thursday August 6th, 2009: ISVs (Independent software vendor), IHVs (Independent hardware vendor)and owners of TechNet and MSDN Subscriptions will be able of downloading Windows 7 RTM in English.

Friday, August 7th, 2009: Volume License (VL) customers with an existing Software Assurance (SA) agreements will be able of downloading Windows 7 RTM in English via the Volume License Service Center (VLSC). The rest of the languages for Windows 7 RTM should be available within a couple of weeks after that.

Sunday, August 16th, 2009: Microsoft Partner Program (MSPP) Gold/Certified Partners will be able of downloading Windows 7 RTM in English through the Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) Portal. By October 1st, the remaining languages will become available to download.

Sunday, August 23rd, 2009: Microsoft ActionPack Subscribers will be able of downloading Windows 7 RTM in English through the Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) Portal. By October 1st, the remaining languages will become available to download.

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009: Volume License (VL) customers without Software Assurance (SA) agreements will be able of purchasing Windows 7 through Volume Licensing.

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009: Windows 7 will be in retail stores and shipping on new PCs. If you pre-ordered Windows 7, it should be delivered sometime around the October 22nd timeframe (depends on the retailer).

Click here for a calendar view or import this calendar (ICS).

Source: Windows Blog

Technorati Tags: Windows 7 RTM,Windows 7

Last-minute design changes to Windows 7 / Windows Server 2008 R2

Aiming at enhancing the quality and robustness of the round-the-corner final release of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, Microsoft has done some changes related to RDP7, the new version of the Remote Desktop protocol.

Remote Desktop will eventually use host resources for DirectX 10.1 / DXGI 1.1 and Direct 2D applications, taking into advantage the enhanced bitmap acceleration capabilities in R2. Pre-release versions of Window 7 used client resources to render these types of applications.

GDI applications, media with Windows Media Player, and Aero Glass will continue using the client-side rendering for remote scenarios.

Even though this design change may impact the utilization of CPU and GPU resources on the host side for certain use cases, it provides a consistent approach to remoting multiple types of rich (2D and 3D) content across a broad range of rich and thin client devices.

Source: Terminal Services Team Blog

Windows 7 Login Screen Background Rotator

The Login Screen Rotator utility for Windows 7 lets you pick up to 10 logon screen backgrounds which it will then display randomly each time you login. All you have to do is browse for the files you want to use then click “Enable Settings and Exit.” If you ever want to revert back to the default screen, you can use the utility called "Remove files and settings.exe" which is included with the download.

Source: Channel 10

New Windows 7 Wallpaper in Windows 7 Build 7232

A new Windows 7 Wallpaper from Windows 7 Build 7232 has been leaked to the web. I don’t post it here but it looks really nice!!!

You can get it at UX Evangelist’s blog.

Windows 7 Boot from VHD blue-screens?

Native-boot virtual hard disks (VHD) is a new feature of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 (we assume the majority of this blog’s readers have already tried this). However, there are cases that after successfully creating the VHD, at boot time the computer displays a blue screen (BSoD).

This blue screen is very likely to occur if the following conditions apply:

1. You have created a Dynamically Expanding VHD (this is the default option, unless you specify the type option at create vdisk time – see below)
2. There is not enough disk space available on the physical disk that hosts the VHD, assuming the vdisk has been expanded to its maximum size: this might sound weird but Windows 7 needs to know that there is available space in case the VHD needs to expand to its maximum

For example, in case you have 100GB available in the drive where the VHD is hosted, you will not be able to boot if the default VHD creation options have been used; this is because Windows will check to see if 120GB (default VHD maximum size) of free space is available. The result will be that Windows boot will blue-screen.

How can I override this behavior?

The simplest way to get over this is by providing the type and maximum arguments during VHD creation. For detailed steps on how you can achieve this, please read this article.

How to boot from VHD in Windows 7 / Windows Server 2008 R2

Booting from a Native-Boot Virtual Hard Disk (Boot from VHD) is one of the hottest features of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

You can follow the steps below in order to create a new Windows installation that will boot directly from a VHD:

• Boot from the Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 DVD to start a new Windows installation
• At the first installation dialog press Shift-F10 to start a command prompt
• At the command prompt type diskpart
• At the diskpart prompt type create vdisk file=c:\windows.vhd type=fixed maximum=30720 (this will create a fixed VHD of 30GBs, assuming there is this space available on the physical host disk)
• Now run select vdisk file=c:\windows.vhd
• Run attach vdisk
• Exit diskpart by running exit
• Continue the Windows installation. Ignore any warnings, such as “cannot boot from this partition”, that may appear

In case you are unlucky enough to get a blue screen during boot time, make sure you read this article to work-around it.

Windows 7 RTM in 6 weeks!

Since the General Availability of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 will be in October 22nd, Release To Manufacturing (RTM) code is anticipated to be available to partners sometime in the 2^nd half of July.

It will likely be made available earlier to TechNet/MSDN subscribers, or customers with some sort of Volume License agreement with Microsoft.

Source: Windows Team Blog, Technet Edge

Technorati Tags: windows 7

How to create RSS-enabled Windows 7 themes

Even though this has been around for a long time, Windows 7 supports the creation of RSS-enabled themes.

Enthusiasts can create a theme where the desktop background slide show points to an RSS photo feed. For example, my sister lives across the country and we only see each other about once a year. An easy way for me to keep her up to date on my family is to send her a Windows 7 theme which points to my RSS photo feed. When I upload new photos they will appear on her desktop automatically.

Because there are a few different ways to create an RSS photo feed, the process to include an RSS photo feed in a Windows 7 theme will only work if your RSS photo feed links to the high resolution photos using the “enclosures” method. The feed should only reference picture formats such as JPEG or PNG. Due to this limitation themes must be created manually when including an RSS photo feed.

So, to create one of these themes you can follow these steps:

1. Download the template from MSDN.
2. Open the template using Notepad.
3. Replace {themename} with the name you want to appear in the Personalization Control Panel themes gallery.
4. Replace {rssfeedurl} with the full path to your compatible RSS photo feed.
5. Save the changes as a file with the “.theme” extension.

It is ready for you to share! Send the file via email, etc. to your friends and family.

Source: Engineering Windows 7

Technorati Tags: microsoft,windows 7

Windows 7 to launch October 22

According to CNET, Microsoft confirmed on Tuesday that it is planning for Windows 7 to hit retail shelves and start showing up on new PCs on October 22.

To reach that milestone, Microsoft plans to wrap up development of the operating system by the middle or end of next month, Senior Vice President Bill Veghte said in an interview.

Microsoft also confirmed, without giving details, that it plans to offer some sort of "technology guarantee" giving those who buy Vista machines close to the Windows 7 launch a free or discounted copy of the new operating system. As with past similar programs, details on pricing will be up to individual computer makers, although Microsoft did say the upgrade program will apply to Vista Home Premium and higher-priced editions (meaning not Windows Vista Basic).

Source: CNET News

Technorati Tags: Windows 7,Microsoft