New ANZ MVP for System Center Cloud and Datacenter Management!

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My thoughts on Surface RT

After a week, here's my thoughts on my Surface RT so far ...

Speed up your Surface ...

A possible settings change to make your Surface even nicer ...

Windows 8 RT Phone - what do you plan?

It slices! It dices! It will clean as it blends! Or will it?

Nature of the Beast

How do you solve a problem like Maria? How do you explain an idea like AuTechHeads?

Here be dragons - AuTechHeads v3.0!

AuTechHeads is 3 years old .. and the website is now at v3.0!

How to add your KMS keys for Windows 8 and Server 2012

Get your KMS Server ready for your new Windows 8 clients and Server 2012 OS's!

AVM Fritz!box 7390 – the ultimate home or small business router!

What's red and silver all over, and does everything for you, bar the dishes?

Top 5 Office 2010 features

This blog entry is not meant to be an IP transfer nor a thought provoker; rather this is more of a "did you know you could...." kind of blog.

Consolidated list of Windows 2008 R2 SP1 Hotfixes

An updated list of hotfixes for DPM servers, consolidated into a standard list of hotfixes for Win2k8 R2 SP1!

AuTechHeads 1st Anniversary Party - Registrations Open!

It's time to get your registration on. We're ready to party - are you?

Multiple Xbox 360 consoles and the Xbox Live Family Pack!

I was very lucky and privileged to have the help of some great AuTechHeads members in getting an Xbox 360 S. I've had fun getting it up and running with...

Empty users’ Recycle Bin with PowerShell and GPO

Want to force-empty domain user Recycle Bins (sounds like a Jedi power)? Can be done with PowerShell and GPO.

Windows Home Server 2011 Review

In which I install WHS 2011, and try to work out who Microsoft's target market are ...

Fixing the Blackberry Enterprise Server Administration Service

Lost your ability to administer Blackberry Enterprise Server? Here's a way to gain access, and a heads up on a bug ...

The Case for Breaking Up TechEd Australia 2011

Teched Australia 2010 has just ended, but is having 3100 delegates in one place just too much of a good thing?

Recent Comments

My thoughts on Surface RT - AuTechHeads Blogs

Yep, I wasn't especially clear on that. I am aware there's an ability to work around this (and assume this is the reference). I meant a 'supported' configuration option, perhaps one that optionally submits sites for review to include in the official whitelist...

-- Matt Marlor
My thoughts on Surface RT - AuTechHeads Blogs

You can add sites to the flash whitelist, There is a whole thread on the xda forums about it. I tested it myself and it does indeed work. How long the loophole stays open for is the big question

-- Si
Speed up your Surface ... - AuTechHeads Blogs

It was late at night, so this post probably wasn't the greatest/most coherent .. but changing the page file minimum and maximum setting to Recommended definitely seems to have made a substantial and noticeable difference, and I've now had a few confirmations...

-- Matt Marlor
Windows 8 RT Phone - what do you plan? - AuTechHeads Blogs

I agree Matt. The push towards "If you can't do something in Metro, just switch across to Explorer" will fail horribly on a touchscreen tablet or RT device. I can't imagine running OS X on an iPad, it would be terrible. But for people that want a device to...

-- Nigel Wadsworth
Coalface Tech Episode 29 - Eh? U TechEd! - AuTechHeads

that is hillarious. Thanks for letting me sub in on the show and chatting!

-- Rick Claus
Coalface Tech Episode 29 - Eh? U TechEd! - AuTechHeads

thanks for the shoutout guys. And Rick, at least you got to do the AD session in NZ, and you got the better evals this year - share the joy! ;-)(and I did mention what the 31st bit was for during the AD session!) :-P

-- Pete Calvert
Tips for First-Timers - AuTechHeads Blogs

Thanks for this post. I too was debating if it was worth bringing my laptop along to the sessions, good to see I won't be alone when doing so.

-- Rebecca Adamson
How to add your KMS keys for Windows 8 and Server 2012 - AuTechHeads Blogs

Is also worth noting that you MUST have SP1 installed. Because our KMS server was on a dedicated VM, it somehow got missed on our patching cycle (we basically forgot it existed). We soon found out when we got the "This update is not applicable to your setup...

-- Colin Smith
Windows To Go - AuTechHeads Blogs

It's actually an SSD drive with a USB interface. I dare say that supporting any USB is too risky due to the high failure rates of crappy USBs, which in turn won't look good for Microsoft.

-- Adam Fowler
Windows To Go - AuTechHeads Blogs

I wonder why they've "locked it down" to those two USB keys ? I have a perfectly good 64Gb key I could use...

-- moldor
Tips for First-Timers - AuTechHeads Blogs

thanks.. my 3rd teched this year and almost forgot the business cards!!

-- Brent England
Tips for First-Timers - AuTechHeads Blogs

Awesome post Brownie. Much wisdom.. wish I was going :-)

-- Matt Marlor
Tips for First-Timers - AuTechHeads Blogs

I'm really going to miss it this year. Some great sessions, great products, and of course the party.

-- Nigel Wadsworth
Tips for First-Timers - AuTechHeads Blogs

Yeah, I like to use a laptop for a) furious tweeting and b) taking notes. Occasionally a bit of c) keeping up with work emails (still on the clock!).Good point about the wireless!

-- chrisbrownie
Tips for First-Timers - AuTechHeads Blogs

These are great tips! This is going to be my first TechEd and I've been wondering whether people are actually going to bring their laptops in during the sessions and whether there are charging stations etc. I'm also gonna bring my D-Link mobile companion...

-- Michael Aulia @CravingTech.com

A new friend in the System Center MVP stable!

While AuTechHeads isn't focused specifically on Microsoft technologies, it's certainly a big part of the IT landscape in the ANZ region, and we do have our share of Microsoft experts around the joint. I didn't get around to posting this earlier, but I was privileged earlier this month to be introduced to a new MVP for System Center Cloud and Datacenter Mangagement, Rob Ford!

In line with the System Center 2012 release, Microsoft recently rolled the various MVP areas for System Center up to just two - System Center Cloud and Datacenter Management, and System Center Client Management and Security. Client Management and Security covers Configuration Manager and Endpoint Protection, while Cloud and Datacenter Management covers the rest of the System Center suite. My own MVP award for Data Protection Manager was therefore rolled up into the Cloud and Datacenter Management area, and until now I was the only one in Australia and New Zealand.

I don't have a full bio for him, but Rob specialises in Service Manager, and is very active in the Microsoft newsgroups around this. I know from talking to him that he's extremely passionate on the subject, and on System Center in general! Rob is based in New Zealand, which means of course that he falls within the scope of AuTechHeads, and in fact he's recently signed up. I know we have a few members who have quite a bit of interest in Service Manager, so it might be an opportunity to start up some conversations!

Please join me in congratulating Rob - it's certainly nice to have someone else in the region to share the SCCDM area!

Browse more posts:

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ConfigMgr Software Updates – a working model (Part 3)Completing my series on ConfigMgr / SCCM software updates, we review update methodology and troubleshooting!
Windows Phone 7 First ImpressionsMy first thoughts on Windows Phone 7 - mostly picking out issues, but I'm optimistic that these will be addressed wherever possible.
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Posted in: [Miscellaneous], [Site News], [IT Pros]

My thoughts on Surface RT - AuTechHeads Blogs

Yep, I wasn't especially clear on that. I am aware there's an ability to work around this (and assume this is the reference). I meant a 'supported' configuration option, perhaps one that optionally submits sites for review to include in the official whitelist...

-- Matt Marlor

You can add sites to the flash whitelist, There is a whole thread on the xda forums about it. I tested it myself and it does indeed work. How long the loophole stays open for is the big question

-- Si

Speed up your Surface ... - AuTechHeads Blogs

It was late at night, so this post probably wasn't the greatest/most coherent .. but changing the page file minimum and maximum setting to Recommended definitely seems to have made a substantial and noticeable difference, and I've now had a few confirmations...

Windows 8 RT Phone - what do you plan? - AuTechHeads Blogs

I agree Matt. The push towards "If you can't do something in Metro, just switch across to Explorer" will fail horribly on a touchscreen tablet or RT device. I can't imagine running OS X on an iPad, it would be terrible. But for people that want a device to...

-- Nigel Wadsworth

Coalface Tech Episode 29 - Eh? U TechEd! - AuTechHeads

that is hillarious. Thanks for letting me sub in on the show and chatting!

-- Rick Claus

thanks for the shoutout guys. And Rick, at least you got to do the AD session in NZ, and you got the better evals this year - share the joy! ;-)(and I did mention what the 31st bit was for during the AD session!) :-P

-- Pete Calvert

Tips for First-Timers - AuTechHeads Blogs

Thanks for this post. I too was debating if it was worth bringing my laptop along to the sessions, good to see I won't be alone when doing so.

-- Rebecca Adamson

How to add your KMS keys for Windows 8 and Server 2012 - AuTechHeads Blogs

Is also worth noting that you MUST have SP1 installed. Because our KMS server was on a dedicated VM, it somehow got missed on our patching cycle (we basically forgot it existed). We soon found out when we got the "This update is not applicable to your setup...

-- Colin Smith

Windows To Go - AuTechHeads Blogs

It's actually an SSD drive with a USB interface. I dare say that supporting any USB is too risky due to the high failure rates of crappy USBs, which in turn won't look good for Microsoft.

-- Adam Fowler

I wonder why they've "locked it down" to those two USB keys ? I have a perfectly good 64Gb key I could use...

-- moldor

thanks.. my 3rd teched this year and almost forgot the business cards!!

-- Brent England

Awesome post Brownie. Much wisdom.. wish I was going :-)

I'm really going to miss it this year. Some great sessions, great products, and of course the party.

Yeah, I like to use a laptop for a) furious tweeting and b) taking notes. Occasionally a bit of c) keeping up with work emails (still on the clock!).Good point about the wireless!

-- chrisbrownie

These are great tips! This is going to be my first TechEd and I've been wondering whether people are actually going to bring their laptops in during the sessions and whether there are charging stations etc. I'm also gonna bring my D-Link mobile companion...

-- Michael Aulia @CravingTech.com

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