Product Description

Get the definitive reference for deploying, configuring, and supporting Microsoft® Windows Vista(tm)--with expert insights from Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs) and the Windows Vista Team. This official Microsoft RESOURCE KIT provides more than 1,500 pages of in-depth technical guidance on automating deployment; implementing security enhancements; administering group policy, files and folders, and programs; and troubleshooting for Windows Vista. In addition, you get detailed information on Microsoft Internet Explorer® 7, Microsoft Windows® Firewall, and Windows Defender. You also get more than 150 timesaving scripts to help automate administrative tasks, additional job aids, and an eBook of the entire RESOURCE KIT on CD.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #120895 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-04
• Platform: No Operating System
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 5.03 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 1568 pages

From the Publisher
Key Book Benefits:

-Definitive product information and expert insights straight from the Windows Vista team and Microsoft MVPs -Provides the information that every Windows administrator needs about troubleshooting, security enhancements, group policy, and automating administration -CD includes additional job aids and a fully searchable version of the entire RESOURCE KIT book

About the Author
Ed Wilson is a Microsoft employee who is a Senior Consultant and scripting instructor in the U.S. Enterprise Services group. Prior to joining Microsoft, Ed was a Senior Consultant with a solutions provider partner in Cincinnati. He is also a Microsoft Certified Trainer and has taught numerous networking, scripting, and administration classes. As a leading Microsoft Press scripting author, Ed also wrote Microsoft VBScript Step By Step and Microsoft Windows PowerShell Step By Step.

Jerry Honeycutt is a popular author who has written more than 25 books. His most recent include Microsoft Windows Desktop Deployment Resource Kit (Microsoft Press, 2004), Introducing Microsoft Windows Server(tm) 2003 (Microsoft Press, 2003), and Microsoft Windows XP Registry Guide (Microsoft Press, 2002). Most of his books are sold internationally and are available in a variety of languages. Jerry is also a columnist for the Microsoft Windows XP Expert Zone, a Web site for Windows XP enthusiasts, and Microsoft TechNet, focusing on desktop deployment and management.

Tony Northrup, Microsoft MVP, MCSE, CISSP, is a networking and security consultant. He has authored dozens of books on Windows and Networking, including several Microsoft Self-Paced Training Kits, and numerous articles for the Windows XP Expert Zone. Charlie Russel, Microsoft MVP, is an IT consultant, specializing in combined Windows and UNIX networks. Charlie is coauthor of Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Administrator's Companion, Second Edition and a key contributor to the Windows XP Expert Zone. He has authored many case studies and white papers on Microsoft Services for UNIX.

Mitch Tulloch is President of MTIT Enterprises. Before starting his company in 1998, Mitch worked as a Microsoft Certified Trainer for Productivity Point International. Mitch is a widely recognized expert on Windows administration, networking, and security, and has been awarded MVP status by Microsoft for his outstanding contributions in supporting users who deploy Microsoft platforms, products, and solutions. Mitch is also currently a professor at Jones International University where he teaches graduate-level courses in Information Security Management for their MBA program. Mitch has contributed more than a hundred articles to various IT websites and magazines, and he has written more than a dozen books, including the Microsoft Encyclopedia of Networking, the Microsoft Encyclopedia of Security, Windows Server Hacks, and IIS 6 Administration.

The Microsoft Windows Vista Team designs, develops, and supports Windows Vista.

Customer Reviews

All About Vista in only 1500 Pages
Windows OS Resource Kits have always proved invaluable to the administrator, and the Vista RSK is no different; over 1500 pages in this edition and a DVD as well.

This RSK is much more inclusive than some previous Windows Desktop RSKs. Part 1 starts off with an tour of Vista's changes over XP, and an overview of the OS' security components. Part 2 is all about automated deployment (over 250 pages dedicated to it), outlining general preparation and environmental requirements, use of the Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK), and Windows Business Desktop Deployment 2007 (Windows BBD 2007). Both AIK and BBD are included in the DVD. Part 3 covers desktop management, geared mostly for network administrators managing Vista clients, and includes additional Microsoft services such as Windows Meeting Space, Search and Internet Explorer 7. Part 4 covers desktop maintenance (and coverage of an oddly placed Remote Assistance). Part 5 deals with networking and includes a section on deploying IPv6. The final section provides around 200 pages of troubleshooting, divided into startup, hardware / driver, network, and Stop messages.

Besides the aforementioned, the accompanying DVD also provides a PDF version of the book, several sample chapters of other books, and over 170 scripts and tools (mostly VBS scripts) aimed at both showing the intrinsic administrative capabilities of Vista as well as additional tools to assist in deployment, management, and troubleshooting.

Unlike the first two attempts at an XP RSK, this RSK starts things off right with in-depth information that is easy to find and easy to understand. A must have for administrators.

Great for Enterprise implementations, not for home or enthusiasts
The Vista Resource Kit is a decent resource for Enterprise Class customers. Unfortunately, past product resource kits did not focus entirely upon the enterprise distribution functionality, and could be used to benefit the management of stand-alone systems.

Much of this edition requires the use of Ultimate, Business, or Enterprise editions of Vista. Implementation focuses upon group policy management in lieu of more detail access to registry settings, as was done in prior resource kits.

It is still a valuable tool, but if you are an individual user looking for detail insight of the funtionality and control of the Vista operating system, you will need to look for another book.

Dig in
Vista Resource Kit isn't exactly the kind of book you sit down and read cover to cover. There are better books for that purpose. What this book is good for - and I'll risk saying exceptional for - is digging in to exactly how things wrok. Great resource for research!