Windows Vista Resources
General Information: General info on Windows Vista
For Developers: Information on some of the technologies in Windows Vista for your development teams
For IT Pros: Information on some of the technologies in Windows Vista for your IT Professionals
Webcasts and more: Links to upcoming and on-demand webcasts
General Information:
Windows Vista - https://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/default.mspx
The best place to start. Filled with general information and links to much more.
Applications that have earned the "Certified for Windows Vista" logo or the "Works with Windows Vista" logo – https://support.microsoft.com/kb/933305
This article contains a list of applications that have earned the "Certified for Windows Vista" logo or the "Works with Windows Vista" logo. These applications are officially supported on Windows Vista by our independent software vendor (ISV) partners.
Exploring Windows Vista Newsletter - https://www.microsoft.com/windows/using/newsletter.mspx?wt_svl=20411a&mg_id=20411b – Sign up for the Exploring Windows Vista Newsletter and Get tips, cool downloads, security advice, and useful how-tos delivered to your inbox once a month.
Windows Vista Tips and Tricks - https://www.microsoft.com/windows/using/windowsvista/tipsandtricks/default.mspx
Find useful tools and helpful tips to help you with your daily tasks. There are webcasts to attend and a cheat sheet to download so you can easily master new capabilities that will improve your productivity.
Enterprise Learning Framework Tool - https://www.microsoft.com/technet/desktopdeployment/bdd/ELF/Welcome.aspx
The Enterprise Learning Framework (ELF) is a tool that helps organizations develop a training and communication plan for employees during Microsoft Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system deployment.
Learn about Windows Vista at Tech·Ed! June 4-8th in Orlando, FL - https://www.microsoft.com/events/teched2007/default.mspx
Tech·Ed 2007, Microsoft’s premier annual conference* for IT Pros and Developers is dedicated to providing technical training, information and resources to help you maximize your Microsoft investment. For five days in June, you will interact with experts, collaborate among peers and engage in trainings focused on Microsoft’s innovative technologies to move your business forward.
For Developers:
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 Programming Model - https://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms687300.aspx
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0, the managed programming model for Microsoft® Windows®, includes the .NET Framework 2.0, Windows Presentation Foundation, Windows Communication Foundation, and Windows Workflow Foundation.
Windows Vista Application Development Requirements for User Account Control (UAC) - https://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa905330.aspx
This article is intended to assist application developers with designing Windows Vista capable applications that are User Account Control (UAC) compliant. Detailed steps about the design process are included, along with code samples, requirements, and best practices. This article also details technical updates and changes to the user experience in Windows Vista.
Windows Vista Virtual Labs –
https://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/virtuallabs/aa948894.aspx
For developers who want to create connected applications with visually appealing and highly-differentiated user experiences, Windows Vista provides the most productive, secure and reliable platform. Developers can take advantage of the .NET Framework for rapidly building connected and secure applications or websites, leverage native Windows APIs for additional functionality and performance or freely mix between the two models. Get a sneak preview of Windows Vista’s improved security, management and productivity by experiencing new Windows Vista Virtual Labs.
Windows Workflow Foundation Web Workflow Approvals Starter Kit - https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=a438a9b9-9f15-42ec-866f-2ea58e10db36&displaylang=en
This starter kit is a Visual Studio 2005 project that demonstrates using Windows Workflow Foundation for simple task-oriented workflow in an ASP.NET Web application. A workflow model is used to automate work order requests at a small example company. It includes three pre-defined roles which each play a part in the work order creation, approval and monitoring. The starter kit may be modified for other workflow models to suit other small Web-based task management systems.
For IT Pros:
Windows Vista Hardware Assessment - https://www.microsoft.com/technet/solutionaccelerators/hardwareassessment/wv/default.mspx
The Windows Vista Hardware Assessment solution Accelerator is an inventory, assessment, and reporting tool that will find computers on a network and determine if they are ready to run the Windows Vista™ operating system
Understanding and Configuring User Account Control in Windows Vista - https://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsVista/en/library/00d04415-2b2f-422c-b70e-b18ff918c2811033.mspx?mfr=true
Enterprises today face a daunting task of enforcing desktop standardization. This challenge is intensified since the majority of users run as local administrators on their computers. As a local administrator, a user can install and uninstall applications and adjust system and security settings at will. IT departments must be given a solution that is both resilient to attack and protective of data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. For this reason, the Microsoft® Windows Vista® development team chose to redesign the way that the Windows core security infrastructure and applications interact. User Account Control (UAC) was the outcome of this redesign process.
Windows PE 2.0 for Windows Vista Overview - https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/aa905120.aspx
Microsoft Windows Pre-installation Environment (Windows PE) 2.0 provides powerful preparation and installation tools for the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system. With Windows PE, you can start a subset of Windows Vista from a network or removable medium, which provides network and other resources necessary to install and troubleshoot Windows Vista. This document is an introduction to Windows PE, its capabilities, and its improvements over earlier pre-installation technologies.
Key Management Service for Windows Server 2003 SP1 and Later:
Microsoft Key Management Service for Windows Server 2003 is part of Microsoft Windows Volume Activation 2.0. It allows enterprise users to host Key Management Service on Windows Server 2003 to enable activation of Windows Vista using Key Management Service (KMS) Key.
Webcasts and More:
Windows Vista Webcasts Virtual Labs and Podcasts: https://www.microsoft.com/events/series/technetvista.mspx
Leverage these online resources to explore key Windows Vista product features, plus deployment, security, management, and productivity.
Windows Vista Training Courses
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/bb381709.aspx
Microsoft Learning offers both classroom training and e-learning training courses to help you stay competitive now and in the future. Discover the benefits of Microsoft E-Learning to give you a guided, self-directed learning experience.
Developer Training from Microsoft Learning https://www.microsoftelearning.com/catalog/developer.aspx
FREE! - Collection 5134: Developing Rich Experiences with Microsoft® .NET Framework 3.0 and Visual Studio® 2005 https://www.microsoftelearning.com/eLearning/offerDetail.aspx?offerPriceId=109340
Summary: This collection of 3 2-hour premium clinics teaches Enterprise Developers and Software Architects about the new capabilities provided by the .NET Framework 3.0.