Active Directory group policies, also called Group Policy Object (GPO), are one of my core topics. I have a lot to do with this in various projects and as a Microsoft trainer. As a result, I have accumulated a number of templates and links. This link collection should make your search a little easier. Only templates of the respective manufacturers or projects are listed here. I have deliberately avoided third-party guidelines.
Client
Key Management Service (KMS) Client Serial Numbers [Updated 2023]
The KMS Client serial numbers help you only if you have a KMS Server or use Active Directory based activation. Read more about KMS in our article KMS Overview. This may not yet be translated.
Looking for regular serial numbers for Windows 10, Windows 7, Microsoft Office 2013 or Office 2016? The affiliate links will lead you to Amazon 😉
Update: Now with Windows 10, Windows Server 2016, Office 2016
Update 2: Now with Windows 10 LTSB 2019, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server SAC, Office 2019
Update 3: Now with Windows Server 2022
Update 4: Now with Windows 11 and Office 2021
Set Windows target release
Especially in test environments, you often need an older release of Windows 10, but how can you set Windows to a target release? Many companies are currently still using Windows 10 1909, and the Enterprise Edition is still supported until 11.05.2022. Unfortunately, I can only defer the feature upgrade in Windows 10 for 365 days. This means that a newly installed Windows 10 1909 updates to 20H2.
Windows 11 life cycle and other changes for companies
Windows 11 is looming on the horizon and many are wondering where the journey will take them. In this article I will look at the changes to the life cycle / WaaS (Windows as a Service) and the changes for businesses.
New lifecycle information on Windows 11 and Office 2021
Now that Windows 11 is officially available, the support dates are also known. Therefore, I have extended the life-cycle diagrams to include Windows 11 and Microsoft Office 2021.
Windows 11 Installation – First Look
In this article I show the manual Windows 11 installation and the first insights. The version used is from the Beta Channel, the Windows 11 Enterprise 21H2 (OS Build 22000.194) version. Since Windows 11 is already installed on my test hardware via in-place upgrade, I use a Hyper-V VM for this. It is absolutely necessary to use a VM of the 2nd generation. SecureBoot and the TPM must also be activated in the VM, otherwise the installation will fail.
German Federal Office for Information Security (German BSI) security recommendations for Windows 10
The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has published new documents on Microsoft Windows 10 and how to secure it. I looked at the BSI security recommendations for Windows 10 before I wanted to report on them. The background to this is that in the past, publications in this direction were sometimes more than outdated when they were published or they were very superficial.
Software management with Chocolatey
This time it is about a so-called “freemium” software management solution. Feemium is made up of the two words “Free” and “Premium” and means that the software can be used free of charge, but certain functions cost extra. With mobile apps, this also means banner ads and annoying video commercials, but that is not the case here. This article is exclusively about the free version.
A new home for the downloads
After my download solution annoyed me a few times, I outsourced the download. The new home for the downloads is GitHub. This also makes it easier for me to maintain and update.
The Windows 10 Sandbox
The Microsoft Windows 10 Sandbox is a new security feature in Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise. The idea behind it is to try something out in a safe “sandbox”. For example, installing a potentially insecure application.
Let’s get started with the sandbox game….