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Update : The 2nd Windows 8 exam (71-688) is not available anymore

Helmer — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:19:33 PDT

Update (Oct 17th) : Around 14:00 (CET) today I read on Tweakers that all the beta-slots are filled up. I’m curious if, just like with the Windows 7 beta’s, MS Learning will open up some more slots for the peers who were sleeping at the time the mail was received. I know…some of you (including me) are still [...]

Update : Are you MCSE Server/Desktop Infrastructure yet?

Helmer — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 08:07:52 PDT

Update (Oct 12th) : It looks like the Prometric Candidate History pages are having some troubles showing anything, so no results today. Update #2 (Oct 12th) : It looks like it is fixed, but not if you live in the Netherlands and the ISP ‘Ziggo’ (like me). Update #3 (Oct 16th) : My contact at [...]

Windows 8 App Update : SkyDrive

Helmer — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 06:08:11 PDT

On October 5th Steven Sinofsky announced that the built-in Apps for Windows 8 will receive an update. The strange thing is that he announced that the Bing App would be the first one, but strangely enough I already received an update for the SkyDrive App. For now I don’t see an update for the Bing [...]

UPDATE : The first Windows Server 2012 (and Windows 8) results appear on Prometric!

Helmer — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 12:33:27 PDT

It has been some time since you could attend the Configuring Windows 8 (70-687), Installing and Configuring Windows Server 2012 (70-410), Administering Windows Server 2012 (70-411) and the Configuring Advanced Windows Server 2012 Services (70-412), but the results are finally there. Although not all the results are yet visible at Prometric. I’ve seen Erik Bakker [...]

Windows 8 & first three Windows Server 2012 Available at Prometric

Helmer — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 16:05:39 PDT

Earlier today Guido tweeted about the availability of the Windows 8 and the (first three) Windows Server 2012. I checked…and indeed they are available, so start preparing for the exams so you’re able to pass the exams! This also means that we can start F5-ing on the Prometric website next monday, since the beta results [...]

MCSA Windows 7….getting ready for MCSA Windows 8 / Server 2012?

Helmer — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 05:34:48 PDT

Earlier today I received an e-mail from Microsoft telling me that I earned a new certification. Just like the MCSA Windows Server 2008 Certification it’s an another name for an ‘old’ certification, one of the two ‘MCITP Enterprise Desktop’ Windows 7 exams. With the MCSA Windows 7 Certification, I just can’t wait to add the [...]

Deploying Windows Server 2008 R2 (non-VL) with MDT 2012 & Windows ADK

Helmer — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 17:27:53 PDT

Just a few weeks ago Microsoft has released MDT 2012 Update 1, with full support for Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8. Microsoft did also release the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) for Windows 8, the replacement for the good old WAIK. With the RTM of Window Server 2012 I decided to upgrade my [...]

It has been 8 weeks…since the first Windows Server 2012 Beta Exam!

Helmer — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 14:50:41 PDT

This week it has been 8 weeks since you were able to attend the first (out of seven) Windows Server 2012 beta exams. I attended the 70-410 allong with the Configuring Windows 8 beta (70-687) on June 25th, this week about 8 weeks ago. During a normal beta period, the time between attending the exam [...]

Windows 8 is available on TechNet and MSDN!

Helmer — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 09:57:07 PDT

Just a few minutes ago, when I was just checking some things on TechNet to prepare to download Windows 8, I discovered that the download is there…. And it’s also available through MSDN, although the Subscriber Download page is still showing the Release Preview…. Just Enter Windows 8 in the search field…and press Go to [...]

How-to Migrate my @Hotmail to @Outlook.com

Helmer — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 10:00:35 PDT

After I published my earlier blogpost about Upgrade your Hotmail account to the new Outlook.com I received a question via Twitter if I could tell what happened with @NaomideBoer her upgrade to Outlook.com. She didn’t only wanted her inbox to be upgraded to the new Outlook.com look, but she also wanted to change her e-mail [...]

Upgrade your Hotmail account to the new Outlook.com

Helmer — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 22:28:00 PDT

Yesterday Microsoft has launched the Preview version of the new Outlook.com, which will replace the ‘old’ Hotmail.com over time. If you don’t want to create a new hotmail.com e-mail address, it’s also possible to ‘migrate’ your old Hotmail (or Live.com) to the ‘new’ Metro style Outlook.com Just follow the steps below. Step 1 : Logon [...]

Two Windows Server 2012 Exams…Twelve Days…

Helmer — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 23:19:21 PDT

Last Tuesday I received an e-mail from MS Learning inviting me for both the 71-411 (Administering Windows Server 2012) and the 71-412 (Configuring Advanced Windows Server 2012 Services). In the e-mail the period you could attend the beta exam (using the mentioned promotional code) runs from July 19th until July 29th. I did some research [...]

Deploying Windows 8 Release Preview with MDT 2012 Update 1 (Beta)

Helmer — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 16:59:40 PDT

Today Microsoft has released the beta version of MDT 2012 Update 1. You can upgrade the following versions of MDT with the MDT 2012 Update 1 Beta : MDT 2008 Update 1 MDT 2010 MDT 2010 Update 1 MDT 2012 After you installed MDT 2012 Update 1, you should upgrade your deployment share. You should [...]

TechEd Europe : The Delegate Party in the Amsterdam Arena

Helmer — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 14:00:43 PDT

Just like every year, on Wednesday it was time for the delegate party. This time no seperate Country Drinks, but one big (soccer) party in the Amsterdam Arena. I made a compilation video of this event which you can watch below. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bAlCJU9FTg

TechEd Europe : A small overview

Helmer — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 05:37:56 PDT

Today I arrived at TechEd Europe to attend the Windows 8 and Server 2012 beta exams. Between the two I was able to shoot a short video, so you (all my peers who are unable to attend) can all get an idea of what’s going on at the Center of IT! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcBrSwzKYzw

This week I’ll be at the center of IT! And you?

Helmer — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 15:05:41 PDT

This week I’ll be visiting TechEd Europe which is held in Amsterdam this year. Where possible, I’ll try to blog from the event. Maybe there also be some short video’s…but that just depends on the bandwidth at the RAI in Amsterdam. So…keep an eye on my blog the next couple of days…

UPDATE #6 : Where in the world are my SCCM 2012 (71-243) test results? They have arrived!

Helmer — Fri, 04 May 2012 17:00:07 PDT

Somewhere in February 2012 you were able to attend the System Center Configuration Manager 2012 exam (71-243 a.k.a. 70-243). In the normal days we would have to wait for about 6-8 weeks before the exam results would become available……not this time. The SCCM 2012 exam went live last Thursday, April 12th , but we are [...]

Windows Server 2012 Study Material

Helmer — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:00:05 PDT

Just a few more weeks before the Release Preview of Windows Server 2012 will become available. Personally I think that the beta exams for Windows Server 2012 will arrive somewhere around June/July, so now it’s time to start studying. Today I ran into a blogpost on the Windows Server blog which put some nice virtual [...]

Windows 8 Release Preview first week of June 2012

Helmer — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:13:56 PDT

At the Japan’s Windows 8 Dev Days Stephen has announced the upcoming Release Preview of Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 which will become available in the first week of June (2012). If take a closer look at the screen behind Stephen you can see the ‘old’ Windows logo. I’m wondering when Microsoft will announce [...]

Upgrade the 7GB SkyDrive Storage to 25 GB (for free)

Helmer — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:56:27 PDT

In my previous post I mentioned that I could only use 7 GB (of my 25 GB storage) with the SkyDrive App on my iPad (and on Windows). When I clicked around a bit I found a way to upgrade your storage for free. Just right click the SkyDrive icon in your taskbar and select [...]

Finally….SkyDrive for Windows and Mac!

Helmer — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:54:10 PDT

Everybody with a Windows Live Microsoft Account owns one…..a SkyDrive, before today I wasn’t really using it. When I read the new blogpost from Steven Sinofsky on the Building Windows 8 blog I really can start using it…on my Windows 8 PC, my Mac, iPad, iPhone and (last but not least) my Windows Phone! There [...]

Upgrade Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2012 RC to MDT 2012 RTM

Helmer — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 06:57:37 PDT

It’s quite simple to upgrade your Release Candidate version of MDT 2012 to the RTM version…. just follow the following steps. Shutdown the (current version of the) Deployment Workbench Start MicrosoftDeploymentToolkit2012_x64.msi (or the x86 version) Click Next Accept the License Agreement and click Next Keep the default installation path and click Next Click Install Wait [...]

What happened to the ‘old’ Certified Systems Engineer?

Helmer — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:19:13 PDT

UPDATE (April 17th) : Just talked to one of my contacts at MS Learning, the are going to fix the issue as soon as they can, the MCSystems Engineer on Windows Server 2003 is the one and only correct one… I will update thist post again when an fix ETA is available. UPDATE (April 18th): The new [...]

MCITP Server Admin vs. MCSA Windows Server 2008

Helmer — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:54:00 PDT

When I was reading about the new MCSA Certifications and I ran into the exams you have to pass to achieve the MCSA: Windows Server 2008 Credential, you have to pass the same exams then when you pass the MCITP Server Administrator. The ‘old’ MCITP Server Administrator Certification Path The ‘new’ MCSA Windows Server 2008 [...]

Microsoft Certification Renamed….again?

Helmer — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:24:00 PDT

The last time Microsoft has changed the names of their certifications paths has been quite some time ago, but the MCITP and MCTS weren’t Cloudy enough. This is the reason Microsoft has announced some new certification paths : MCSA, MCSE and MCSM. I see some of the more ‘senior’ IT Pro’s think….we already have those! [...]