Customize Start Menu for All Users

You may want, like me, to delete or add some shortcuts to the start menu.

On Windows Vista this changes aren’t made on C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu folder.

Instead, changes for all users must be made by default on C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

MDT 2008 – Upgrading

I’ve downloaded MDT 2008 last Thrusday, and I wanted to test it right way.

But, I had some Task Sequences and some rules for CustomSettings.ini and Bootstrap.ini already made, so, does this still work after upgrading?

And the answer is a redundante and heavy YES!

After upgrading all tasks and rules were working correctly, and the only pass needed is:

- Open Deployment Workbench
- Right-click Distribution Share
- Select “Upgrade Distribution Share”

The Distribution Share is automatically updated with the new scripts and everything works just nice!

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2008: Now Available

Microsoft makes available a new version of Microsoft Deployment Toolkit.

MDT 2008 extends existing functionality to deploy Windows Vista SP1 and Windows 2008 for both LTI and ZTI deployments.

This new version also support Windows AIK 1.1.

You can download it at:
Microsoft Download Center

New Richard Smith LTI Walkthrough

Here it is a new MDT LTI walkthrough video from Richard Smith.

On this video Richard talks and explains the following topics:

Add operating systems, applications, drivers and packages to MDT

Configure Office 2007 into the build process

Create a MDT Lite Touch task sequence 

Setup a lab based deployment point

Create a customised build to a reference computer

Capture the reference computer as a customised WIM

Add the customised WIM back into MDT for deployment

Download Link:
Video Download

Full post:
Blog post link

Windows Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 – It’s Out!!!

Now that all Windows Vista/2008 versions are out and SP1 for Vista went to RTM, Microsoft starts a new major beta program. IE8 it’s out there and you can download it directly from Microsoft website at:

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

Vista – Add to Favorites – Unspecified Error

Yesterday I’ve installed a fresh copy of Windows Vista (with SP1 by the way…) and like before I’ve moved my Favorites folder to a new location. Like before I got an error when trying to add new bookmarks to my favorites folder. I don’t know yet if this problem occurs when you don’t move the favorites folder to some place else.

Normally the error says something like “Cannot add ‘xxxxxx’. Unspecified Error”.

So, here it’s the solution for this issue:

- Open command prompt with elevated privileges (runas administrator)

- Navigate to the level where your favorites folder is.

- Execute this command line: icacls favorites /setintegritylevel (OI)(CI)low

Problem solved!