Posted in ScreenCast Tutorials

How to enable boot to desktop group policy for Windows 8

So long ago I blogged/ranted about how the Group Policy setting “Do not show the Start Menu when the user logs in” was explicitly disabled in Windows 8 (see  The must NOT have Windows 8 Start Menu Group Policy Setting). But I have since found a way that you can actually implement this feature (all be it not perfectly) using…

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Posted in News

Windows 8 and Internet Explorer 10 Administrative Templates

Microsoft has recently released some new Administrative Templates that allow you to configure their newest software on down level Operating Systems. The Internet Explore 10 ADM files are useful if you want to edit Internet Explorer Administrative Settings from a computer that is still running Windows XP or Server 2003. Don’t be confused however as this does not mean you…

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Posted in Tutorials

How to enable and configure Group Policy setting in Windows RT

Along with the recent release of Windows 8 Microsoft also released Windows RT which is pretty much Windows 8 designed to operate on ARM based processors. For consumers the most obvious difference of this OS is the lack of ability to run legacy software. In enterprises however the biggest missing feature is that this OS is not joinable to a…

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Posted in Tutorials

How to use Group Policy to change the Default Lock Screen image in Windows 8

Microsoft recently release the November 2012 Cumulative Update for Windows 8/2012 that enables you to configure the default lock screen image for Windows 8 (See quote below). Enable enterprise customers to customize the default lock screen. You may have thought that this image was customisable by the users in the control panel already however this would only configure the image…

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Posted in TechEd Video

TechEd 2012 Video: What’s New With Group Policy in Windows 8

Finally!!! Microsoft have uploaded the video of the last of three sessions I presented this year for TechEd New Zealand. In this session I talk about and demo some of the new features of Group Policy in Windows 8. I did have some technical demo issues along the way however this session was still had really great feedback. Session Description…

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Posted in Tutorials

How manage Published (a.k.a Metro) Apps in Windows 8 using Group Policy

Windows 8 is coming REALLY SOON and of course one of the big new things to computer with that is the new Metro Packaged Apps that run in the start screen. However these apps are very different and do not install like traditional apps to a path or have a true “executable” file to launch the program. Of course enterprises…

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Posted in Tutorials

How to “Set users home folder” via group policy in Windows 8

If your company is like most organisation i have come across you all users to have a home drive (typically H: ) that is give to the users that allows them to store private information that only they have access. Ever since the days of at least NT4 (or possibly earlier) administrators have had the option to configure their users…

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Posted in News

Out Now: Release Preview of Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012

Microsoft has just released / announced the availability of the “Release Preview” (a.k.a Release Candidate) of Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012. But they have also released the “Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 8 Release Preview” which allows you to install all essential admin tools needed to manage Group Policy in your environment. I am still downloading and install…

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