HOW EXCHANGE WORKS

While upgrading to Exchange 2010 SP2 using the GUI, you will come across the error message shown below. This only happens while upgrading the CAS role.

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Yes, you read that right. Windows 8 client (and server of course) comes with Hyper-V v3.

Both the server and client versions of Windows 8 is shipped to have Hyper-V 3 running. You can start run VMs from your laptop, without installing the server version or third party applications!

In order to install Hyper-V on a Windows 8 machine, get the run tab (windows button + R) and type in optionalfeatures.exe & press enter. You can also navigate through Control Panel –> Programs & features. Select Hyper-V and click ok. Notice that the new Hyper-V comes with it’s own set of PowerShell cmdlets.

Windows will install the Hyper-V feature and click “Finish” when done. In order to launch Hyper-V manager, follow this post.

Windows 8 doesn’t have the start menu by default. So, how do we find and launch applications installed on the machine?

If you do want to get the start menu back in Windows 8, follow this post. The default view in Windows 8 is the metro user interface and hence it is a bit confusing to find the applications installed on the machine.

In order to find and execute an application (say Chrome in my case), all you need to do is to tap the windows button which brings the metro UI and just type the application name (Chrome for example). You don’t have to click anywhere or find a search button, just type (trust me ).

That brings the search box for the app automatically and all matching results will be displayed.

Click on the app icon displayed and your application will be launched. Simple, huh?

You can also switch to settings and files view to find whether there is any match for your search. A good example will be internet explorer.

Windows 8 doesn’t come with a start menu, the one that everyone is used to. The default view is the metro style user interface. So, how can we get the start menu back?

Clicking on what appears to be the start menu on a Windows 8 desktop puts you back to the metro style user interface. The developer preview doesn’t have any graphical option to turn the start menu on and off.

In order to get the start menu back, a registry edit is required. Launch registry (Windows button + R to get the run tab & type in regedit). Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorer. Double click on “RPEnabled” key and change the value from one to zero.

The change will be immediate, tap the windows button twice. Change the value back to zero if you want the metro UI.

All of you should know by now that the Developer Preview edition of Windows Server 8 was released to MSDN subscribers in September. Is there any change in the installation options compared to Windows 2008 R2?

The only noticeable difference while installing Windows Server 8 compared to 2008 R2 is the new green background. It is bright and give a good look & feel. The three versions of Windows Server 8 you can install are – Full installation, Server Core installation and a new “Features On Demand”.

As the installation steps are self explanatory, I have just posted the screenshots. Check it out.

Everyone have been using third party programs until now to work with ISO files. Not any more – all you need is Windows 8.

Given that most of the software come in the form of an ISO these days (TechNet/MSDN subscriptions), it is always a pain to get a free third party program which doesn’t take too much of the system resources.

Working with ISO file is dead easy in Windows 8. Either right click the ISO and select “Mount” or simply double click on the file itself. The ISO will be mounted as a virtual DVD drive.

And you can easily browse the file structure, copy files, install software etc. Once you are done with the ISO, right click the virtual dvd drive & select “Eject”. That’s it.

Another new, useful feature in Windows 8 is the “Copy Path” option in the home tab of the explorer ribbon.

In versions of Windows till 7, it is possible to copy the folder path of a file, either from the address bar or from the properties of the file. But, you can’t copy the location of the actual file. This has been addressed in Windows 8 and it is a feature that should have appeared long ago!

The copy path option, as the name implies, copies the location of the actual file. This comes in handy if you want to email someone a network file location, rather than the folder that has the file. Sometimes the folder contains a number of files and you end up sending the file name as well in the email.

In Windows 8, life is easy. Whether it is a local or remote file location, you can select the file and click on “copy path”.

This will help anyone working in an organization to point other staff to file/doc locations. A welcome feature indeed!