Windows Credential Manager

Like many IT professionals, in a working week I will likely connect to hundreds of different systems (servers, network shares, virtual desktops, etc). In Windows XP this used to be a real pain, as there was no easy way to manage the different account credentials, resulting in me having to remember and manually type the unique domain, username and password details for every individual system.

Thankfully the one good thing that came out of Windows Vista (also available in 7 and 8) was a new feature called Credential Manager. This is exactly what it sounds like, an area of the operating system to store account credentials for automatic authentication.

Credential Manager can be found in the Control Panel and will either automatically register credentials (when you log in to different systems) or can be manually configured. The image below shows Credential Manager in Windows 8.

Credential Manager can be used to automatically authenticate just about any system, such as websites (internal and external), network shares, servers and even domain aware applications such as Microsoft Outlook and Lync. It can also be manually configured to use wildcard statements (as shown in the image above), which allows you to specify a grouping, instead of individual systems.

One of things I use Credential Manager for is to simultaneously authenticate against multiple domains (using the wildcard statement). For example, if my PRD domain was "LifeinTECH", but I wanted to test an application on a "TEST" domain, I could configure Credential Manager to automatically pass the correct credentials to each domain. This means I can have a single machine seamlessly authenticating to two different domains, which is very handy for testing purposes.

Mac OS X has a similar feature known as Keychain, however I actually find Credential Manager to be more powerful, for example Keychain does not support wildcard statements, which is actually a real pain for Intranet access. The only resolution to this issue on the Mac is to install a third party application like 1Password or LastPass, however nothing beats true operating system integration.

ExFAT - The Forgotten File Format

Although I would love to only use Mac OS X, unfortunately my job requires me to constantly switch to a Windows machine. To help make this process less painful, I use tools such as Dropbox to ensure my data is always synchronised. However Dropbox is not practical for every situation, therefore at times I still need to use an external USB drive to copy large quantities of data between the two platforms. The main challenge when doing this is selecting a file format that both Mac OS X and Windows can read and write to. For example, Windows can obviously read and write to NTFS, but the Mac (without third party help) can only read, while Windows can't even read the Mac standard HFS+. So what are the other options?

The most obvious option is FAT32, which is an old format originally introduced with Windows 95 OSR2. FAT32 is fully compatible with Windows and Mac, but has one significant limitation, which is a 4GB file size limit. That would have been fine a few years ago, but now I regularly copy files larger then 4GB. So that leaves the lesser known ExFAT.

ExFAT is a replacement for FAT32 and was designed with external storage in mind. It is compatible with both Windows and Mac and does not have the 4GB file size limit. It can also be created (formatted) on both a Mac and Windows system, for example using Disk Utility on the Mac (as shown in the image below).

The one downside with ExFAT is that it is not as widely supported as FAT32, but thankfully the main operating systems are covered:

• Windows Embedded CE 6.0
• Windows XP (including x64) SP2 & later
• Windows Vista SP1 & later
• Windows 7
• Windows 8
• Windows Server 2003 requires SP2
• Windows Server 2008
• Windows Server 2008 R2
• Windows Server 8
• Mac OS X 10.6.5 & Later

So my recommendation for anyone requiring easy access between Mac and Windows is to have an ExFAT formatted USB Drive ready and waiting. I promise this will save you a lot of headaches.

Introducing Microsoft Windows 8

Steve Ballmer has mentioned a number of times that he believes Windows is now "back on track" when it comes to scheduled releases. Now, we have all heard this statement a number of times from Microsoft in the past, but if the recent leaks are anything to go by, they might actually keep their promise.

The current rumour is that select Microsoft Connect partners (such as HP) have been given their first look at Windows 8, in the shape of a milestone build. According to various sources, the exact build string they have been provided is 7971.0.110324-1900, which indicates it's the third milestone. Even though each of the Microsoft Connect partners are under strict NDA, this has not stopped a few images and some of the new features from leaking out. For example, the image below shows the new desktop included in the M3 build.

Some of the new features that have been mentioned are:

• A new Aero UI, providing "fully dynamic" immersive 3D effects by default, as well as offering a Metro (Windows Phone 7 UI) inspired theme and an "Aero Lite" option.
• Improved identity through the use of facial recognition.
• Faster startup, hibernate, logoff and user switching. Similar to what we have been seeing in recent versions of Mac OS X.
• The ability for Windows Phone developers to scale their applications for use on the desktop, using Silverlight technology (rumoured to be codenamed Jupiter).
• A System Restore, known as History Vault (similar to Time Machine in Mac OS X).
• A factory reset option, which allows users to restore Windows without impacting their personal data.
• Tight cloud and Windows Live integration (as seen in the image above), even allowing you to login using your Live ID.
• A Windows Marketplace (like the Mac App Store) providing users easy access to Windows applications.

To help backup some of these claims, an internal presentation was leaked related to Windows 8. It offers additional information about these new features and an overview of the vision, strategy and timelines. I have linked to a number of the key slides below (these files are not hosted by LifeinTECH).

As you can see from the first slide, it would appear that Microsoft are currently in the late "planning" phase, with the next major jump being the move to beta (similar to the approach Microsoft took with Windows 7).

The next slide shows the trends Microsoft believe are key to driving the vision of Windows 8. I agree with all the statements, specifically the merging of personal and enterprise (consumerization of IT).

The final slide that interested me (as a Mac Guy) was how Microsoft now position Apple. It is clear that over recent years the success of Apple products has shaken the technology world and it looks like Microsoft have taken note.

For a full breakdown of the entire leaked slide deck, head over to Microsoft Kitchen.

Overall I think Windows 8 is looking very good. The leaked features and UI enhancements feel like the right direction and should offer a better overall "Windows" experience, bringing togther personal and business as well as mobile. Let's just hope Microsoft keep true to thier vision and manage to hit the deadlines. Bring on the beta! 

Please Note: This content is not hosted by LifeinTECH and the links will be removed upon request.

MacBook Air - Boot Camp Windows 7 without an external DVD Drive

I'm a big fan of the new MacBook Air (especially the 11-inch model) and although I use Mac OS X as my primary operating system at home, I'm still forced into a Windows world for work. This is actually a bit of a pain with the MacBook Air, especially if you don't have the Apple external DVD drive.

Obviously there are options to install Windows in a virtual machine using VMware Fusion or Parallels, however this can be a little limiting, specifically if you need to use "real time" voice and video applications, such as Microsoft Lync or Cisco Unified Communications.

Therefore, the only other option is to dual boot your Mac, using Boot Camp. This guide will explain how to achieve this using a USB Stick, instead of having to purchase an external DVD drive.

Before we start you will need the following things: 

• Windows 7 (x86 or x64) PC (to create the bootable USB Stick)
• Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool
• Windows 7 Installation ISO (x86 or x64)
• rEFIt (DMG file)
• 8GB USB Stick
• MacBook Air (this process will actually work on any Intel based Mac)

Once you have everything, we can start the installation process. This will take approximately 40mins (including the Windows 7 install time). As we will be making changes to your partition table, please ensure you have completed a full system backup before proceeding.

Creating a bootable Windows 7 installation USB Stick

1. Download and install the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool from Microsoft, on your Windows 7 PC.

2. Start the tool and insert your 8GB USB Stick.

3. Specify the location of your Windows 7 Installation ISO. This can be any version of Windows 7, including x86 and x64.

4. When prompted, select "USB" and "Begin copying". This will take a few minutes to complete.

rEFIt Installation

5. Download and install rEFIt, using the "rEFIt.mpkg".

rEFIt is a boot menu and maintenance toolkit for EFI-based machines like all Intel Macs. It allows you to dual (or triple) boot your Mac into multiple operating systems, as well as boot from USB. The installation is quick and simple, however you will need to reboot your Mac twice before the new boot menu appears.

Finally, it is worth noting that rEFIt can be easily removed (see step 16) once Windows 7 has been installed.

Boot Camp & Drive Partitioning

6. Boot into Mac OS X and launch the "Boot Camp Assistant" (Applications > Utilities).

7. When prompted download the Windows Support Software. These are the drivers for Windows 7 (x86 and x64). They can be copied to a USB Stick or just stored locally for now.

8. Once complete you will be prompted to specify your partition size. Windows 7 requires a minimum of 10Gb for the installation, however I would recommend at least 30GB for x86 and 40GB for x64. You can also simply select to "Divide Equally".

9. Your drive will now be partitioned. When finished, select "Quit and Install Later". 

Installing Windows 7

10. Insert your Windows 7 Installation USB Stick into your MacBook Air and reboot.

11. When prompted at the rEFIt boot menu, select the USB drive (normally the far right option). This will now launch the Windows 7 installation wizard (just like if you were installing from a DVD).

12. Follow the standard Windows 7 installation wizard until you reach the partition options. From here you want to select the newly created "BOOTCAMP" partition to install Windows. If Windows states it cannot be installed on this partition, select "Drive Options" and delete the "BOOTCAMP" partition. Now select the "Unallocated Space" and click "New" and then "Format". Finally, exit the installer by clicking the "x" button and reboot your Mac. When you return to this part of the wizard you will be able to proceed with the installation on the newly created partition.

13. The Windows 7 installation will now complete. During this process it will reboot several times, at this point you should select the new Windows 7 partition from the rEFIlt boot menu. This will probably be named "Legacy OS". If you re-select the USB Stick, it will restart the Windows installer.

14. Once you reach the Windows 7 desktop you should first install the "Windows Support Software" that you downloaded during the Boot Camp setup (step 7). This will install all the required drivers for your Mac and require a reboot.

15. Once installed it is critical that you immediately run the "Apple Software Update" found in the Windows 7 "All Programs" folder. If a "Boot Camp" update is available download and install it. Due to a bug in the driver stack, this update should be completed before attempting to install any Windows Updates, otherwise it will result in a BSOD. Once the Boot Camp drivers are up to date you are free to install Windows Updates like normal.

Finishing Touches

16. rEFIt is actually a great tool that allows you to install multiple operating systems on your Mac. It can also easily be customised with different icons (head over to the eEFIt website to find our more). If you want to return to the default Mac boot menu you can safely uninstall rEFIt by entering Mac OS X and deleting the following folder and file.

/efi/
/Library/StartupItems/rEFItBlesser

On the next reboot you will be back to the default Mac boot menu (remember you will now need to hold the "option" key to access your Windows partition).

That brings me to the end of the guide. You should now have Mac OS X and Windows 7 natively installed on your MacBook Air. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

How to Enable Safari 5 Extensions

After the keynote at WWDC 2010 Apple released Safari 5 for Mac OS X and Windows. The following new features have been added:

• Safari Reader - Provides a new, scrolling view that allows you to easily read single and multipage articles without any additional content or clutter.
• Nitro JavaScript Engine - Safari 5 on the Mac runs JavaScript 30% faster than Safari 4.
• New HTML5 Features - Safari 5 now includes support for more HTML features, such as HTML5 Geolocation, HTML5 sectioning elements, HTML5 draggable attribute and many more.
• Safari Extensions - Allows users to create extensions using HTML5, CSS and JavaScript.

During the announcement Apple said that extensions would not be made available until later this year. Thankfully there is a simple process to enable extensions and a Tumblr page has been set up with plenty of development extensions for you to try out today.

First, download and install Safari 5 from Apple's website or "Software Update" on Mac OS X.

Once installed select "Preferences" from the menu bar.

Click the "Advance" tab and select "Show Develop menu in menu bar".

You should now see the new menu bar item "Develop". From here you can click to enable extensions.

You are now ready to download the new extensions from the Tumblr page. Enjoy!