Category Windows 7

If you like me simply did the install without any care for the Product Key and you’re getting closer to that ‘doh! I’m going to deactivate soon!’ well, look no further, because it took me a few searches on Microsoft to find this Key Generator of sorts!

Simply visit this site: Windows 7 Release Candidate

Then simply select your Processor type and Language, and you’ll be prompted for your LiveID.

In my case, that meant copying/pasting the URL into IE, and logging in equaled my Product Key

So, get out there, generate your keys and get your Win7 set and running… until 2010 ;)

Here are the details as published in the CWUG Regular mailing:

Plan to spend the evening of Thurs, May 21st with a laptop, RC software and the most technical and talented group of IT Professionals gathered in one place.  We are gearing up for a Release Candidate Loadfest – bring a laptop, blank DVD and/or 4 gb (or higher) USB thumbnail drive and leave with either the Release Candidate of Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 (hopefully you are already running one of these today; learn ways to run the other version).  We’re planning a packed agenda of presentations – Microsoft’s Daniel Savage will present System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 and Microsoft’s Rob Nottoli will present Windows Server 2008 R2.  Attendees can join us at either the Microsoft Downers Grove or Chicago office.  Your registration is your entry into our biggest giveaways of the year (but you must be present at one of the meetings to win). Please share with your technical teams.

1. Event URL : http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032416349&Culture=en-US
Event Title : CWUG May Meeting Chicago. There is a restaurant open in the basement of the AON Center.  Food is not provided at this meeting.

2. Event URL : http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032416350&Culture=en-US
Event Title : CWUG May Meeting Downers Grove. Because there isn’t a restaurant open or conveniently located, food is provided.

5:00 – 5:30 Networking

5:30 – 6:00 Room Introductions

6:00 – 6:15 Meeting Kick Off

Session 1:  SCOM 2007 R2 Presentation

15 minutes: Break and Q&A for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

Session 2:  Windows Server 2008 R2

Giveaways are planned – one of which will be running the Release Candidate of Windows 7 (and another that could back up a PC running or in preparation of the Release Candidate).

Chris Urban’s book is out!  Announced at MMS 2009, Mastering System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 is available at http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-047017367X.html.

CWUG’s Christopher Kusek has been “On The Bus” and is attending Tech Ed 2009 this week https://www.pkguild.com/

For all the Microsoft Partner Program participants, check out the US Central Region Partner Team’s Blog at http://blogs.technet.com/uspartner_centralregion/default.aspx and attend CWUG’s May meeting for some great partner opportunities in May and June.

Save the date for the biggest CWUG event of 2009 (yet….) – Thursday, May 21st.

The CWUG Crew

To take things a step further, I will also have Microsoft Certification Vouchers available for people looking to take an exam before June 30th, 2009!   The vouchers entitle you to two chances to take an exam for $25.00 total, which is just great!

There is a caveat around this, in order to use a voucher you have to actually use it, and for every one who takes an exam, you will be entered into a drawing for a special prize for taking advantage of your education and certification! :)

So, get ready for the fun and adventure on Thursday, and get your Certification hat on! Every one of you who takes it to bear has a good chance of winning a major prize!   See you Thursday! (Oh, and I’ll be in Downers Grove for whoever is counting/asking :))

I know there has been a lot of banter, talk and discussion around Windows 7, and the this, thats and the other.  Well, let me tell you.  Wow, it’s fricking easy.  So simple, your own mother can do it!   What? No, it can’t be that easy!

I’m a technical person, deeply technical.. so technical I’ll sometimes make things take many times longer than it should to get done, as I not only understand it in massive depth, but also try to make sure we’re subscribing to the simplest path to that solution, so it’s worth it for a little bit up front for long term viability.

Want to setup WIN7 on your own? Want it to be an easy journey? How about on a NetBook? I opt’d to go for this video.    I did find some great videos on edge.technet.net however, in the threads which followed, they frankly left too open to interpretation of people ‘confused’ of how it was done, and confusion is not what I seek.

So, instead I direct you to uniquefree who produced this video!  I followed it to see how viable it worked, 15 minutes later, I had a brand new NetBook running Win7.

So, props are given where they’re due.   No external app downloads required, if you have the iso extracted, just copy the files in the same fashion he advises with Xcopy and you’re done.  Install complete and ready to go.   Can’t go wrong!

What do you get when you combine the Phoenix hot sun desert, a BBQ and Training?  You get the indoor Technology Round-up Barbeque featuring Training To You!

I don’t know about you, but I love getting greeted as we get off the bus! It gives you that special kind of “We’re cool” feeling, because perhaps that’s further reinforced by the fact that we’re so cool?! :) (Can you be cool when it’s 100 degrees outside?!?!)

It was great to meet Tim and Brandyn as we exited the bus, on a Saturday afternoon, to also be greeted by students of their programs at the door, and then to be greeted even more by this massive table of coolness as we step inside! Oh my! So coordinated, organized and the attendance was just amazing (read: Saturday Afternoon, Phoenix 100 degree day – These people could be outside, but instead they attended this great educational set of sessions!)

One thing about Training To You is that they’re not shy about giveaways! The giveaways were just astounding with prizes prizes prizes to be won by so many! Not to mention the amount of swag we were giving away, everyone walks away a winner!

Just like the event earlier in the day, Harold Wong delivered the presentation on Windows7 which was well received, infact I can call it super-well-received, and it was quite spectacular and lots of laughter and engagement :) For what it’s worth, during Harold’s Bitlocker To Go demo, I BitLockerToGo’d an 8gb USB drive I had in my bag :)

We also were blessed with the presence of another Microsoftie who attended, Rick Taylor @slkrck who brought some light to our day as well as being a beacon to those in attendance :)

As the day drew to a close, the attendance was great, the interaction was excellent, and the audience was absolutely amazing.   The whole experience was perfect and I’m glad we had the opportunity to meet up with Training To You and partake in this unique experience in beautiful Phoenix Arizona!    I encourage you to check them out if you’re in the Phoenix area as they provide training solutions which will be with you for years to come, through relationships and through the education you learn.    That brings Phoenix to a close, and here I sit in Las Vegas writing this!   Look forth for the new stories coming soon! :)

What do you get on a Saturday, last week of Finals on a 100 degree day in the Arizona Desert? (Alright, it’s Phoenix but it’s still 100 degrees). Oh, did I mention that this is a Saturday at 8am?

What you get is some people who are passionate about their education, certification, their future and the future of technology, oh and Windows 7 :)

The folks at Glendale Community College in beautiful Phoenix Arizona we’re excited to see us when we arrived!    I didn’t get as many pictures as I would have hoped to, but my camera was charging so these are the ones I was able to get near the end!

This was quite a competitive game of Are You Certifiable, the likes of which we’d never seen! The teach of the group came out on top, and everyone else… came in as a solid tie for 2nd place: Result? Everyone wins, since we give prizes to 1st and 2nd place :) Elise ran quite a rocking game as shown here.

While there is a beautiful picture of the campus, and of Tjeerd here walking with campus instructor MCT, Janet Brooks here is the low down on what I wasn’t able to get as a picture!

We were honored by Microsoft Presenter, Harold Wong @haroldwong who talked all about the cool stuff available in Windows 7 as well as Windows Server 2008 R2.   He didn’t bore us in the realm of slide death, and instead took it to the core with demo after demo, real engaging and the interaction and questions taken with the audience were great!   The whole of the experience was great, and the students and faculty were excited by the whole event and prospect.   Their future wasn’t set in stone, and still isn’t, but the opportunities have presented themselves in a whole different light, so the future is most definitely now!

So, thank you Glendale Community College for the beautiful weather, passionate discourse and the ability to distribute swag to you :)    We’re on the road now rolling towards Vegas and only time will tell what goes on before we pull into Los Angeles for TechEd at 8:30AM with the Swag Express!  See you all there! :)