October, 2009

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RobMVP - ConfigMgr 2012

Robert Marshall - ConfigMgr Blog

About Robs Blog

I'm Robert Marshall, director and senior consultant at SMSMarshall Ltd who's specialism is in the Microsoft System Center 2012 Configuration Manager product and all of its dependent products covering all aspects from Architecture, Implementation, Migration to Break-Fix.

I've been using computers for over 30 years, beginning as a programmer and now a senior consultant in an enterprise product. I only count my career as starting 17 years ago when I began my first serious role as a deployment engineer. I've seen 8 bit through to 64 bit, the rise and constant refinement of the GUI, the rise of the Internet from land-line based modem access to the powerful broadband connections we have today, mobile phones come into existence, and I've seen Microsoft evolve from a handful of employees to the company it is now while pretty much tinkering with every OS they have released; As well as seeing an industry that has evolved around those humble beginnings to become what we have today. You could call me an IT Dinosaur but I'm still as mentally able as I was back then, perhaps even more adept now since I've had broad exposure to so much and seen trends come and go. I'm a keen technical puzzle solver, which sets me apart as I love to solve gnarly problems around my area of specialism.

I like to share, i do so by blogging here, and helping out when I can as a moderator and answering questions when I have time on the TechNet Social forums for ConfigMgr 2012 and ConfigMgr 2007. I am a guest poster on TechNet UK Flash magazine and an MVP since 2009 (Most Valuable Professional) in the ECM (Enterprise Client Management) exclusively dedicated to ConfigMgr. the MVP status helps me to help others in more depth due to the closeness to the product group and access to other MVP's the program affords me.

The blogs pretty much about ConfigMgr, but on the odd occasion I also use it as a platform to express my random urges to post something I've stumbled across, be it technical or non-technical, and which I imagine would entertain you or what not as equally as it did me.

(2013)

Activity
  • Sherry Kissinger on ConfigMgr Hardware Inventory

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    Sherry Kissinger (MOF fame) participated in a recorded WMUG virtual event using Microsoft LiveMeeting, on the 23rd of October 2009. Some really good tips in there, so if you don't have your Inventory "wings" yet, or are just plain curious...
  • October 2009 Microsoft Security Bulletins

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    I was expecting a larger than normal patch deployment for October as this is a five-week cycle due to the day it fell on, so this month we have a LOT of patches going out. Bulletin ID Maximum Severity Rating Vulnerability...
  • 1e Nightwatchman - Webinar with Steve Newby

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    Steve Newby is hosting a Webinar on Nightwatchman Server , with 2 separate sessions running on the 22nd of October, and one on the 3rd and 12th of November 2009. I lifted this from an email they sent me: Following the global launch of NightWatchman...
  • Using BING

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    The last few weeks I've switched the default home pages on my various machines to Bing instead of Google. Am trying to get out of the habit of typing Google then pressing Ctrl-Enter (to wrap www. and .com around it) and instead type Bing. It's...
  • ConfigMgr SP2 RTM's for 22nd of October 2009

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    Microsoft have pretty much confirmed that ConfigMgr SP2 will RTM on the 22nd of October 2009, in-line with the Windows 7 release. Great effort guys, well done to the ConfigMgr product team for getting this release aligned with the Windows 7 release...
  • October 2009 - Microsoft Security Bulletins - Our pre-deployment

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    For the October 2009 patch deployment, a few of the patches are not included in our patch bundle, but what we did bring down added up to 1.7GB. There is also a warning that MS09-056 KB974571 can break LCS\OCS (Thanks to Peter Hunt for passing this...
  • WMUG Event: Wally Mead presenting on ConfigMgr! 6th November 2009 on the HMS Belfast, London

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    We sure have been busy lately, with a virtual and physical meeting taking place ... and now our next event is finally confirmed. Wally Mead is back at WMUG! Come and join WMUG for the Systems Management event of the year. For the second consecutive...
  • Microsoft System Center Online Desktop Manager (BETA)

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    Defo worth a look folk: Microsoft System Center Online Desktop Manager is a hosted IT management solution based on Microsoft System Center management technologies that provides the capability to secure, update, monitor, configure, troubleshoot and...
  • October 2009 - Microsoft Security Bulletins - Post-Deployment

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    It's been a while since the patches went out, for us, and nothing in terms of support is coming in. All quiet over here. Only issue we had was the KB974571 patch which hosed down LCS\OCS. Everything else seems fine, LOB's all working, and pretty...
  • Gary McKinnon loses final legal challenge in the high court

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    Looks like Gary is heading to the states ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7839338.stm If extradited and convicted in the US, the Glasgow-born computer enthusiast, who now lives in Wood Green, north London, could face up to 70 years in prison ....