Questions and Answers from today’s Windows 7 Live Meeting session

Thanks for all of those who attended today, We had a great response to the session. We will post the recording of the session up some time next week so keep your eye out for that.

I have put the questions and answers from the session below, If you had more questions please let us know. A big thank you to John Pritchard for answering the questions during the session.

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Question: Do you require Windows 08 for the direct access function? can it be implemented with 2003 server?

Private Answer: Direct Access requires WS2008 R2

Question: Is DirectAccess a built-in feature or paid extra?

Private Answer: DA is part of the Windows 7 Enterprise SKU - basically the enterprise/corporate version

Question: with regards to business users, why doesn't MS make a professional / workstation version of server 2008 instead of doing a business version of windows 7. Keeping home and business OS separated so that they can be developed separately

Private Answer: the code base separation is a complex issue. WS2008 shares the same kernel as Vista. Win7 has a Vista Kernel. My take is that keeping the base the same ensures the security features are built into both home and corp environment

Question: does branchcache cache outlooks rpc-over-https traffic?

Private Answer: BC caches file downloads so a copied file is cached

Question: Does that caching affect the sharing security of the systems

Private Answer: Good question - need to check but I suspect you find that user access is preserved. Let me check with Jeff at the end of the session

Question: What if you plug in a BIT Locked USB key into a WinXP computer, do you get the same password request feature there? or is it only valid on WinVista >

Private Answer: It is supported for read access on XP and installs from the bitlocker appln on the USB mem stick to read the files

Question: what about brute force attacks

Private Answer: Same as per a bitlocker drive now. The key is stored under an encrypting key just like a hard disk. The data is protected the same and like any encryption the brute force will work eventually, just whether we are still alive when it succeeds is the debate :-)

Question: does that gpo can be configured on server site or has to be local?

Private Answer: local gpo for workgroups and domain gpos for domain joined PCs

Question: is bitlocker backwardly compatible

Private Answer: Yes to Bitlocker Vista and WS2008. More cross compatible than back compatible. Does that help?

Question: Can this be made to be "dumb proof" for users: ie: once finsihed recording, it automaticlly emails the administrator or specified address? instead of creating the zipfile to be saved and manually emailed?

Private Answer: Good point - this would be a good integration for Operations Manager and Desktop Error Monitoring. Not available in the current version.

Question: When Downgrading windows, i would like to clear up a issue i was having with another friend, When you downgrade, are you required to let microsoft know and they issue a new key to you to use, or can you just use any windows XP pro key and when activating just activate by phone - i have called microsoft about it previously, but none could give me a clear answer from a legal stand point --> am i breaching licensing using any Windows XP pro key on a machine that is licensed for Windows Vista Business?

Private Answer: no breech - XP downgrade is permitted

Question: Is bitlocker what will do full drive encryption for hdds? Eg laptops. And does this utilize a hardware TPM chip?

Private Answer: Bitlocker using the TPM v1.2 and encrypts HDD, External HDD with Vista SP1 and with Win7 USB memory

Question: Will the Microsoft deployment tools (MDT) add the ability to restrict the installation of drivers to specific models of hardware (to address the co-existence of conflicting PnP drivers)? Thanks

Private Answer: Already there now with the database feature for drivers by make and model

Question: With DirectAccess can I customise what the users have access to? i.e. Internet access via the corporate network or via direct internet access.

Private Answer: Yes - can be customised once DA is established