Friday, June 29, 2012

How to extend the Windows Server 2008 evaluation period

SUMMARY: -
This article describes how to extend, or re-arm, the Windows Server 2008 evaluation period. The evaluation period is also known as the "activation grace" period. These instructions apply to any edition of Windows Server 2008. This includes evaluation copies.

INTRODUCTION :- valuating Windows Server 2008 software does not require product activation. Any edition of Windows Server 2008 may be installed without activation, and it may be evaluated for 60 days. Additionally, the 60-day evaluation period may be reset (re-armed) three times. This action extends the original 60-day evaluation period by up to 180 days for a total possible evaluation time of 240 days.

Note In the Windows Server 2008 Evaluation DVD package, there is a 120-day initial evaluation period. You can extend the evaluation period to 240 days. To extend the initial evaluation and testing period, follow the steps in this Microsoft Knowledge Base article. 

MORE INFORMATION :- 

How to install Windows Server 2008 without activating it

  1. Run the Windows Server 2008 Setup program.
  2. When you are prompted to enter a product key for activation, do not enter a key. Click No when Setup asks you to confirm your selection.
  3. You may be prompted to select the edition of Windows Server 2008 that you want to evaluate. Select the edition that you want to install.

    Note After Windows Server 2008 is installed, the edition cannot be changed without reinstalling it.
  4. When you are prompted, read the evaluation terms in the Microsoft Software License Terms, and then accept the terms.
  5. When the Windows Server 2008 Setup program is finished, your initial 60-day evaluation period starts. To check the time that is left on your current evaluation period, run the Slmgr.vbs script that is in the System32 folder. Use the -dli switch to run this script. The slmgr.vbs -dli command displays the number of days that are left in the current 60-day evaluation period.

How to manually extend the evaluation period

When the initial 60-day evaluation period nears its end, you can run the Slmgr.vbs script to reset the evaluation period. To do this, follow these steps:
  1. Click Start, and then click Command Prompt.
  2. Type slmgr.vbs -dli, and then press ENTER to check the current status of your evaluation period.
  3. To reset the evaluation period, type slmgr.vbs –rearm, and then press ENTER.
  4. Restart the computer.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/948472 


Monday, June 25, 2012

With Surface tablet, Microsoft breaks tradition

Summary: The company announces pair of Microsoft-branded “Surface” tablets running Windows 8 and Windows RT at long-awaited product unveiling in Los Angeles.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer
It’s the end of an era. Or maybe the start of a new one.
Microsoft — a company that traditionally has relied exclusively on its PC partners to provide hardware powered by its Windows operating system — is trying out a new business model with next Windows release.
The company is going to offer two Microsoft-branded tablets of its own, both of which are branded as Microsoft Surface.

Mystery solved: Microsoft’s new Surface tablet (pictures)

Microsoft isn’t actually manufacturing these new tablets itself — just as it doesn’t actually “make” the
Xbox or the now defunct
Zune media player. But it will be putting the Microsoft name on these devices. And this, many have speculated, will set up Microsoft as a head-to-head competitor with its own PC maker partners.
Pricing or any information on availability is not available yet. All officials are saying, via today’s press release, is that “suggested retail pricing will be announced closer to availability and is expected to be competitive with a comparable ARM tablet or Intel Ultrabook-class PC. OEMs will have cost and feature parity on Windows 8 and Windows RT.”
Both Windows RT, Microsoft’s Windows on ARM operating system, and Windows 8 are expected to be released to manufacturing this summer, possibly as early as the end of July. And they are expected by us Microsoft watchers to be generally available around August or so.
The Surface for Windows RT is a 10.6-inch device that will include Office Home & Student 2013 RT (the next version of Microsoft’s Office 15 apps). It will include support for a magnetically attachable cover that lets you touch type and a kickstand. It will be configurable as a 32 GB or 64 GB device.
The Surface Windows 8 Pro device also is 10.6 inches and includes the same cover option. It is configurable as a 64 GB or 128 GB device and also adds pen support.
In addition to pricing and availability, we also do not know who is building this device for Microsoft. (Samsung Electronics built the Surface 2.0 device, which is the latest version of Microsoft’s Surface tabletop computer.) We also do not know if Microsoft is going to have other Surface-branded devices in the family — including the existing Surface 2.0. (I’ve asked. No word back yet.)
Microsoft Surface.
The specs include:
  • A full-size USB port and a 16:9 aspect ratio angled at 22 degrees.
  • 10.6-inch, 16:9 widescreen HD Display.
  • Integrated Kickstand: Built-in kickstand lets users move Surface from active use to passive consumption.
  • Touch Cover: 3 mm pressure-sensitive Touch Cover senses keystrokes as gestures will come in different colors.

Panos Panay, general manager of Microsoft’s Surface project,
Microsoft came out with a couple of Surface models. One runs an ARM processor for Windows RT, the other an Intel core processing chip for Windows 8 Pro.
Surface for Windows RT
  • OS: Windows RT
  • Light(1): 676 g
  • Thin(2): 9.3 mm
  • Clear: 10.6″ ClearType HD Display
  • Energized: 31.5 W-h
  • Connected: microSD, USB 2.0, Micro HD Video, 2×2 MIMO antennae
  • Productive: Office ‘15′ Apps, Touch Cover, Type Cover
  • Practical: VaporMg Case & Stand
  • Configurable: 32 GB, 64 GB
Surface for Windows 8 Pro
  • OS: Windows 8 Pro
  • Light(1): 903 g
  • Thin(2): 13.5 mm
  • Clear: 10.6-inch ClearType Full HD Display
  • Energized: 42 W-h
  • Connected: microSDXC, USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort Video, 2×2 MIMO antennae
  • Productive: Touch Cover, Type Cover, Pen with Palm Block
  • Practical: VaporMg Case & Stand
  • Configurable: 64 GB, 128 GB

Download Windows Server 2012 Release Candidate (RC)

Download Windows Server 2012 Release Candidate (RC)

The next release of Windows Server, Windows Server 2012, will offer businesses and hosting providers a scalable, dynamic, and multitenant-aware, cloud-optimized infrastructure. It securely connects across premises and helps IT Professionals to respond to business needs faster and more efficiently.

Windows Server 2012 Release Candidate (RC):
  • Takes you beyond virtualization
  • Delivers the power of many servers with the simplicity of one
  • Opens the door to every app on any cloud
  • Enables the modern work style

Need more information? See the product details page.

Register for Download and Guided Evaluation

Register to access technical product resources—forums, solution accelerators, white papers and webcasts—at the Windows Server 2012 RC Resource Page.
Step 1

Step 2
Register for evaluation

Step 3
Download and install full-featured software for a limited-time trial

Step 4
Receive emails with resources to guide you and notification when the next release is available

Step 5
Use blogs and forums to share tips

Download the 64-bit ISO

GET STARTED NOW

Download the VHD

GET STARTED NOW

ISO available in: Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish
VHD available in: English

Windows Server 2012 Release Candidate

Microsoft Server Cloud 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Windows Server® powers many of the worlds' largest datacenters, enables small businesses around the world, and delivers value to organizations of all sizes in between. Building on this legacy, Windows Server 2012 redefines the category, delivering hundreds of new features and enhancements spanning visualization, networking, storage, user experience, cloud computing, automation, and more. Simply put, Windows Server 2012 helps you transform your IT operations to reduce costs and deliver a whole new level of business value.
 
This is quite possibly the most significant release of Windows Server ever.
 
Learn for yourself by downloading the release candidate today to check out all of the things that Windows Server 2012 can do for you.

Highlights

  • Download the Release Candidate

    Try out the release candidate of the next version of Windows Server.
    Download
    Download

Compatibility Center for Windows 8 Release Preview

Does your product work with Windows 8?
Browse or search our catalog to find out whether your favorite apps and devices are compatible with Windows 8.
 

Download Windows 8 Release Preview

Windows 8 Release Preview Setup will check to see if your PC can run Windows 8 Release Preview and select the right download. Setup also features a compatibility report and upgrade assistance. Make sure your devices are connected to your PC and turned on before you run Setup. Built-in tools for creating an ISO or bootable flash drive are available for some previous versions of Windows (excluding Windows XP and earlier). You can find system requirements and additional information in the FAQ and in the links on this page.
Note before you download: Windows 8 Release Preview is prerelease software that may be substantially modified before it’s commercially released. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the information provided here. Some product features and functionality may require additional hardware or software.


 Download Windows 8 Release Preview

Windows 8 Release Preview ISO images 

Windows 8 Release Preview ISO files (.iso) are provided as an alternative to using Windows 8 Release Preview Setup. If you are on a PC running Windows and want to install the release preview on another partition, another PC, or a virtual machine, we recommend you download Windows 8 Release Preview Setup and use the built-in tools for converting an ISO image into installation media, such as a DVD or USB bootable flash drive. You can find additional information, including a list of supported upgrades, in the FAQ.
Note before you download: Windows 8 Release Preview is prerelease software that may be substantially modified before it’s commercially released. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the information provided here. Some product features and functionality may require additional hardware or software.

 

Saturday, June 23, 2012

How To Move Your Business To The Cloud

Cloud computing has been the main buzz within the tech world over the past 5 years or so. And this is odd, considering “cloud” technology or “technology as a service” has existed since the mainframe days of the 1970s.
Simply put, cloud computing refers to computing which takes place on a remote computer which is not owned by you. (There are also “private clouds” which involve hosting many “virtualized machines” on your own hardware, but we won’t discuss that for today.)
However, a lot has changed since then.
  • In the past 40+ years, we’ve seen the emergence of desktop computing technology, widely available public networks, and the rise in mobile computing.
  • Our social attitudes towards technology have also changed in that time. Today’s young people are entering the workforce after having lived an entire life on the Internet.
And once again, we’ve come full-circle.
  • Business managers are looking to cut costs while also maximizing the flexibility of their operations. And one of the best ways to do that would be to take expensive servers out of the datacenter, and instead purchase computing resources as a utility. (The same way you purchase water or electricity)
  • Companies also want to spread out their organizations across a wider area in order to serve a broader client base… while at the same time eliminating the costs associated with purchasing, maintaining and repairing desktop computers.  Instead, they would rather allow employees to securely access corporate systems through their own home desktops, travelling laptops, and mobile phone devices. (Sometimes called BYOPC)
From a business management point of view, this has been the utopian vision of cloud computing. If your company has been exploring the possibilities of moving to the cloud, I’d like to outline a few tips that you might want to keep in mind.
 
    
Types Of Cloud Services
There are many types of cloud services and cloud topologies. But for this article, I’d just like to focus on the most common and most important.
SaaS (Software-as-a-Service)
Software as a Service is probably the most common way in which we use “the cloud”. Facebook, Gmail and DropBox are all examples of Software-as-a-Service.
With SaaS, you only get access to the program. You have no control over the computer which runs the program.
It’s often said that SaaS applications are “toys” which are only useful to small businesses (10 employees or less) and individual users. However, there are SaaS providers such as Salesforce.com which are known to support large multinational corporations with thousands of employees without a problem.
Although, in most cases, you will run into organizational scaling problems with many SaaS apps and will need to upgrade as your business grows.
The big advantage of SaaS is that you don’t need to invest in hardware or hire any new technical support staff to manage complex servers.
Hosted Services
With hosted services, you can rent a business-class enterprise server capable of handling a large number of employees while ensuring smooth collaboration, strict governance and tight security controls. However, these servers are managed by the cloud hosting provider, and you only rent the server on a monthly basis.
Some of the most common hosted services for growing and medium-sized companies include hosted SharePoint and Hosted Exchange.
These types of services are excellent because they allow businesses to host powerful enterprise applications without requiring any specially trained staff or purchasing new costly server hardware.
IaaS (Infrastructure As A Service)
The term Infrastructure-as-a-Service usually describes renting a “virtual server” in a remote host’s datacenter. You are usually getting a “bare metal” machine, which you will have to configure and manage yourself.
At this stage, you’ll usually need to hire a certified technical professional in order to manage your servers for you. You’ll also need to purchase software licences for any servers you’d like to create.
But the good news is that you won’t have to invest in infrastructure or hardware as you would if you’d decided to host these machines in your own office datacenter.
How To Pick A Host
Managed vs. Self-Service
Those of you who have web sites will know that web hosts generally come in 2 flavours.
  • The first kind would be the “managed services” providers who offer a high level of support and take care of all the technical details for you. These kind of hosting companies are usually more expensive.
  • The other variety are the low-cost web hosts which offer services for $10 per month or less. These providers generally offer self-service capability and expect their customers to be technically proficient when it comes to the management of their accounts.
A similar parallel can be drawn when it comes to cloud services. You can pay more money if you want 24/7 phone support from industry-certified professionals. Or you can save money by working with a host who expects you to take more of a DIY approach to resolving issues and only provides ticket-based email support.
Certifications
If you have any special requirements for your cloud hosting, you should find out before you make your choice.
For example, medical professionals in the USA are required to follow HIPAA rules when storing their data in the cloud. So it helps to work with a cloud host that has HIPAA-related experience or certifications.
Other types of certifications to look for might include Cisco, Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, SAS70, PCI compliance, SOX404, VMware and many others.
Where Is The Data Stored
The location where the cloud servers are hosted could have an impact on your business.
A closer datacenter will have less network latency and fewer connection issues.
Also, your country may have privacy rules which conflict with those of other nations. If that’s the case, it may help to keep your data within domestic borders for legal purposes.
How Long Have They Been In Business
Cloud hosting can be a very “fad” business. New companies open and close all the time, so it helps to pick a provider which has been around for a few years and has achieved financial stability.
Hopefully, the tips outlined in this article have provided you with a good foundation for understanding and leveraging cloud computing to help your business succeed while also saving money. If you think I’ve left any unanswered questions, I’d encourage you to contact me directly or visit my blog where I’m constantly covering different areas of cloud computing.

Google Confirms Android Tablet Coming Soon

Google Confirms Android Tablet Coming Soon

According to NY Times report Google CEO Eric Schmidt has confirmed the Google tablet device which will run over Android operating system and the company is also experimenting in “stealth mode” with publishers to explore delivery of books, magazines and other content on a tablet.

Definitely to give a boost to Android OS Google must bring its own branded Android tablet in the market to compete with the rivals for example Apple iPad as HP is already working over Android Slate which is more smaller than Apple iPad in size of 6 inches diagonally.
So, if there will be more variety of tablets available in market that will be good for consumers to select a tablet computer of their choice with their preferred operating system.

Gmail introduces a new feature drag and drop file attachment

Gmail Introduces Drag & Drop File Attachement

Gmail introduces a new feature drag and drop file attachment for Google Chrome and Firefox 3.6 users, which is directly enabled to Gmail accounts instead of Labs features.
This drag and drop attachment option allows Gmail users to just drag the file to which they want to attach from their computer and drop onto Gmail message which they are composing and that’s all.
This feature is already available in Google Wave, any ways its really nice and creative option to attach files in email message by drag and drop which will give users a new Gmail experience.

Samsung tries to tempt iPhone owners with iOS and iTunes data transfer utility

Samsung has recently launched Easy Phone Sync for Galaxy owners that want to bring data from their old iPhone over to their shiny new Android devices. The desktop application is supposed to be able to transfer music, videos, podcasts, pictures, contacts, and text messages to any Galaxy device, inclulding the latest SGS3. iTunes music has to be DRM-free in order to get transferred. Samsung UK's Simon Stranford said: .

http://master.imore.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=116963&action=edit&message=1
We’re really proud to announce the launch of this new application and can’t wait to hear what our new and existing customers think of it. We know that traditionally iPhone users have been reluctant to switch to an Android device because they couldn’t use iTunes to manage their content. Easy Phone Sync means people can now enjoy their iTunes content on a Samsung Galaxy phone. What’s more is that it’s really easy for them to do, and literally takes five minutes to set up.
To date, the primary tool to pull off iTunes syncing to Android was DoubleTwist, but there are plenty of alternatives out there, though few of them with a manufacturer's seal of approval. Samsung's solution is licensed from a company called Media Mushroom, who has previously released their sync solution for Android on their own. Predictably, many users are commenting on lack of compatibility, but keep reaching for that rainbow, guys. I'm sure it'll get patched someday. To be fair, the tool was launched in the UK, so there are likely to be some regional locks in place.
Anyone thinking of switching to Android any time soon? Is being locked in to iTunes actually stopping you from taking the leap? Anyone that already has a Galaxy can download the desktop tool here.