Category: Microsoft Windows
-
Free Will…
I am in Montreal this week, working on a friend’s computer. After twelve incredible years of service, the laptop is being replaced. But before that happens I must transfer the data to his new computer… a task made infinitely more difficult by the utter and complete infestation of his computer with malware. Aside from being…
-
Since When…?
Those of us who have been in the IT industry for a while remember the heady days of never having to reboot a server… otherwise known as ‘The days before Windows Server.’ Those days are long gone, and even non-Windows servers need to be patched and restarted. But how do you know when it last happened?…
-
SQL Server: How to tame the beast!
One of the benefits of virtualization is that you can segregate your SQL Servers from your other workloads. Why? If not then Microsoft SQL Server will hoard every last bit of resources on your machine, leaving scant crumbs for other workloads. Seriously… when you start the Microsoft SQL Server you will immediately see your memory…
-
Surface Pro 3 and Windows 8: Not everybody’s cup of tea
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… I do like my Surface Pro 3. With that being said, I know everyone has different tastes, and some people are not going to like it. A couple of months ago my sister, a long time Mac user (and Apple Fanboi) told me that her new…
-
Microsoft Surface with Windows 8 Pro: It’s Here!
For most of the months of October through December, while I was on tour talking about Windows 8, the new Office 2013 & Office 365, and Windows Server 2012 the most common question I heard was not about any of these products… it was something like ‘So where’s your Surface? Why don’t you have a…
-
The Dawn of a New Day
As I sit in my office getting ready to close up, it is a little after 10pm, September 3rd, 2012. That makes tomorrow a very important day in the world of IT. Microsoft has announced that on September 4th, 2012 they will make Windows Server 2012, the newest generation of one of the most successful…
-
Are You Intune? You can be for only $99!
If you are with a Microsoft Partner in Canada, then this training is for you! I will be delivering a one-day hands-on class on Windows Intune: Implementing and Supporting Technical Training across Canada. Because it is sponsored by the Microsoft Partner Network the cost for this one-day session is just $99… and that includes breakfast…
-
End of Days for Windows XP.
Quite a number of people have asked me why I continue to tweet the number of days until Microsoft ends support for one of it’s most successful operating systems ever, Windows XP. Especially knowing that we seem to be a long way off – today is Friday August 12, 2011 and we are 969 days…
-
MCITP: Server Boot Camp, Virginia Beach
It was REALLY last minute… on Friday I got a mass e-mail from a training provider scrambling to replace a trainer who had cancelled at the last minute. By some miracle of scheduling I was available; after a few hours of back and forth e-mails I booked my flight for Sunday to be at the…
-
Choose Your First Certification Exam Wisely
As I peruse the articles that I have written over the past ten years I occasionally come across one that is interesting or relevant today. I wrote this article when I was working with CertGuard, and it was published in November, 2006. If you are an IT Pro starting down the path to certifications, this…
-
Gartner agrees with me… Hyper-V is for real!
In September Microsoft Canada contracted me as a Virtual Partner Technology Advisor, tasking me with evangelizing Microsoft virtualization solutions. One of the reasons I was such a good fit for the role is that I am very familiar with both Microsoft’s and VMware’s server virtualization solutions – I teach and consult on both platforms. I…
-
Office 365–Complex or Options?
Last week Microsoft officially launched its cloud-based infrastructure offering, Office 365. As a virtual insider I have been using this solution for the past six months for my IT consulting firm, and frankly had forgotten that it was a beta offering. That is because while the packaging may be new, all of the applications –…
-
It was Twenty Years Ago Today!
Ok, well it wasn’t, but I had the Beatles running through my head. It is amazing what can remind you of the oddest things from the past… In June, 1988 I was finishing Grade 10 and my last computer course on the Apple //e was behind me. I had made the decision to sell my…
The World According to Mitch 