Microsoft Windows Vista Management and Administration

Andrew Abbate has been in the IT and consulting world for well over 15 years. His experiences in messaging, security, PKI, operational practices, and project management have granted him a unique perspective on how IT works from a “big picture” perspective. Coauthor of half a dozen books on Microsoft technologies and security, Andrew continues to work with San Francisco Bay area companies to improve their infrastructures and enable them to provide services to their users to improve productivity and security. James Walker, MCSE, CPM, BSME, has been in the information technology industry for more than 20 years and has been a contributing author, technical editor, and technical reviewer for a number of books involving security, electronic messaging, network operating systems, and data communications. He has worked with computers in one form or another since the late 1970s and was an early adopter of Windows since version 1.0 was released in the middle 1980s. As VP Support for Pandora Networks in Sunnyvale, CA, James is involved in the technology selection, design, planning, implementation and migration, and troubleshooting of VoIP telephony, collaboration, and presence IT projects for Fortune 500 companies. After years of supporting Microsoft-based technologies, James uses his experiences as an author, primary technical editor, and contributing author for a number of Sams Publishing technology books, including Teach Yourself Exchange Server 2003 in 10 Minutes, Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Unleashed, Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Unleashed, Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Insider Solutions, and Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Delta Guide, and Addison-Wesley technology books, including Exchange 2003 Distilled. Scott Chimner, CISSP, MCSE, MCSA, TCSE 2, A+, has been in the computer industry for more than 12 years, with a 7-year concentration on information security. Scott’s experience ranges from large-scale Ethernet cable drops and deploying networked Point-of-Sale (POS) systems for retail stores, to securely migrating offices to Microsoft solutions such as Active Directory and Exchange. Prior to joining CCO as a consultant, Scott administered several networks for a worldwide environmental engineering company and later filled the role of webmaster for a nationwide investment firm. Scott is a seasoned expert in security operations with extensive experience in system hardening, incident response, and managing network defenses. Scott has designed and implemented anti-malware, antivirus, and host intrusion prevention, and anti-spam and email filtering solutions. Scott is an ISSA member and has served as a contributing writer for books on Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Windows Server 2008.

Introduction 1

Part I: Windows Vista Health Check

1: Windows Vista Technology Primer 9

2: Getting to Understand Your Windows Vista System 29

3: Understanding Windows Vista Performance Optimization 65

 

Part II: Security for Windows Vista Systems

4: Securing a Windows Vista System 97

5: Patching and Keeping Windows Vista Up-to-Date 133

6: Using User Account Control to Establish System Security 157

7: Implementing BitLocker Drive Encryption to Improve Data Privacy 185

 

Part III: Windows Vista Mobility

8: Configuring and Using Offline Files 209

9: Configuring Mobile Functionality in Windows Vista 233

10: Creating a Secured Mobile Communications Configuration 261

 

Part IV: Backup and Recovery of Information

11: Using Shadow Copy to Recover Lost or Damaged Files 293

12: Backing Up and Recovering Windows Vista Information 309

13: Using the Complete PC Backup Utility 333

14: Microsoft Vista System Restore 351

 

Part V: Managing Vista

15: Setting Up Users and Computers in Windows Vista 375

16: Establishing Printer Management in Windows Vista 399

17: Troubleshooting Windows Vista 419

18: Using Internet Explorer 7 451

 

Part VI: Deploying Vista

19: Creating Windows Vista Images 481

20: Imaging Tools and Processes 501

21: Deploying Windows Vista in an Automated Fashion 527

 

Part VII: Windows Vista in an Active Directory Environment

22: Understanding Group Policy Basics to Manage Windows Vista Systems 563

23: Expanding on the Use of Group Policies to Better Manage Windows Vista Systems 587