Windows 7 is often initiated for its performance like XP and unlike Vista. Too often the actual performance is measured by hand. By stopwatch! Please stop doing this and start reading this inventive blog post.

Microsoft provides a free tool to measure the performance automatically. An improved toolkit is coming with Windows 8. For now we can perfectly live with the current toolkit. Let’s get started.  

In this post I will explain how easy it can be to measure the performance of any Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 system. I will also provide some practical advice how to create a report that adds value.

Note: Because of the Prefetch feature of Windows 7 it is highly recommended to prepare your test machine (referred to as ‘prepsystem’).

Start measuring

Your system needs to have installed: 

• Windows Vista or higher (Windows XP does work but shows fewer results). Server system 2008 or higher.
• .NET framework 4
• Local admin priveliges

Now start with installing the magic tooling:

• Download the WPA toolkit
• Install ‘xbootmgr’ and ‘xperf’ (x86 or x64)
• Create a temporary folder (c:\temp)
• Open a CMD with admin priveliges

Copy and past the following line in the CMD window:

xbootmgr -trace boot -traceFlags DiagEasy -resultPath C:\TEMP -numruns 10 rebootCycle –prepSystem

This will happen:

• Perform a trace for the time the pc boots (-trace boot)
• Specificy the info details measured (-traceflags –diageasy)
• Copy the results to ‘c:\temp’ (the .elt files)
• Do this 10 times (reboot will go automatic, login by hand unless you specify / a number of 10 is a best practice average)
• (option) Prepare yout test system 6x (2 times 3 with a break) 

Create results

Create a XML summary file:

• For every .ETL file run this command:

xperf /tti -i c:\temp\YourFile.etl -o summary_boot.xml -a boot

Write down the values for 1) bootDoneViaExplorer, 2) bootDoneViaPostBoot and 3)

1. PreSMSS
2. SMSSInit
3. WinlogonInit
4. ExplorerInit
5. PostExplorerPeriod
6. TraceTail

All values in milliseconds, so x100 for seconds.

Time to logon

Now what is the measured value for the logon time? This is the sum of the values : WinLogonInit, ExplorerInit and PostExplorerPeriod. The value of bootDoneViaExplorer indicates the total startup time.

However, the value of WinloginInit start counting on the moment that the login screen is shown. Meaning that typing userID and password is measured too as part of logon. This is why autologon is preferrred. On a domain joined machine this can be automated too (just Google)

Summary

• Install the WPA toolkit on your Windows 7 test machine
• Run a performance test and create a report
• Give me some results!

This post is inspired on the following websites:

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/140247-trace-windows-7-bootshutdownhibernatestandbyresume-issues (generic guide)

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ff191001(v=vs.85).aspx (xbootmgr)

http://www.computerperformance.co.uk/windows7/windows7_auto_logon.htm (autologon)

So now that I’m a few weeks back home I finaly had some time to play with it on my Demo Domain that I setup last week using CoreConfigurator. To use Group Policy Preferences you must have a few things in place:

• A Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista SP1 machine (only needed for managing Group Policy Preferences)
• RSAT Installed on the management machine
• Deployed the Group Policy Preferences Client Side Extensions to your Desktops/Servers (XP SP2 or higher)
• Active Directory

Note : You don’t need a 2008 DC or Windows Vista SP1 client to use Group Policy Preferences !!

On the left screenshot you can see all the different options that can be managed using Group Policy Preferences. There ar too much settings to show them all on this blog, but I realy like to show you some nice things. I made some screenshots of some common things you normaly do in loginscripts or kix scripts, but that are now possible in Group Policy. (click on the images to see it full size)

With Group Policy Preferences it is easy to map networkdrives. Not only you can map a drive for all users in a generic user policy, but it is also  possible to target this mapping to no more then 27 targeting rules. (Image on the right)

Most common is to map a network share based on group membership or IP subnet. This way way it is possible to map a share witf for example application data to a server that is on the same geographical location as the user without the need of using DFS or site loginscripts.

An other example is setting up how users (or administrators) see their files in Windows Explorer. In this screenshot I set it up so that the user will see the file extentions for known files and also shows hidden & system files, this is a setting that most admins will set if they logon to a new machine. This is also the power of Group Policy Preferences, the most settings an administrator will have to manualy do if he is building a new image for deployment can be managed by Group Policy Preferences.

As you can imagine there are hundreds or maybe thousends of possibilities that you use in solving those anoying problems you usely have to solve using scripts or other tools.

Next thing I have to do is migrating my loginscript at home to Group Policy Preferences.

Have fun with it.

Erik Luppes

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“You are kidding arent you ?

Are you saying that this linux can run on a computer without windows underneath it, at all ? As in, without a boot disk, without any drivers, and without any services ?That sounds preposterous to me.

http://talkback.zdnet.com/5208-12355-0.html?forumID=1&threadID=31199&messageID=579806&start=-9530

As most of you already know, Windows DreamScene transforms your desktop from a static wallpaper image into a full-motion video. In conjunction with Stardock, we’re pleased to also offer a number of cool, new animated DreamScene desktops, including “Aurora�. Additionally, you can use your own videos as DreamScene desktops or visit Stardock’s Dream.WinCustomize.com website to download Stardock’s DeskScapes (an add-on to DreamScene) as well as a collection of fabulous content created by Stardock and members of the Ultimate community.

More @ Source

See the breif  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917607 article for more information.

But it appears that the updating work is over and it is now available for all those older .HLP files you can’t open on Vista unless you copy over your old Windows XP version..

Download it here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=6ebcfad9-d3f5-4365-8070-334cd175d4bb

|\\arco..

Also makes a good list of patches to try out if you run into issues or strange behavior.

|\\arco..

 VMware seven objections are:
1) Microsoft offers top virtualization support for only premier-level support customers, inherently limiting the ability for many customers to get technical support for competitive virtualization platforms;2) Microsoft’s “restrictive terms” on the use of published virtual machines, or appliances, is unfair to users. Microsoft, VMware claims, restricts use of VHD formatted virtual machines to Microsoft Virtual Server and Virtual PC only;

Does this mean we can put virtualization in the same category as the browser and the mediaplayer?…..

What was the updatescreen telling me ??

Sorry for the Dutch but it’s saying that there is 1 Ultimate Extra available.

For those that allready missed what I am talking about, DreamScene gives the user to put a movie as a wallpaper. For example a watterfall scene of 5 seconds and then looped so it looks like the water keeps on flowing. Windows Vista has the abbility to do this with allmost no use of resources.

I’m using the x64 of Windows Vista Ultimate, and i know Microsoft released 2 different versions of Dreamscene, a 32-bit and a 64-bit, my guess is that both are on Windows Update tonight.

The download is 21Mb in size and does need a reboot to get active.

Have Fun out there

Grtz Erik

P.S. Want to se aa little demo of DreamScene ? Look at this short YouTube video:

Key Management Service for Windows Server 2003 enables deployment of Windows Vista using current and released server operating system. It uses the Windows Vista KMS key provided through Microsoft’s Volume Licensing System portals (MVLS, eOpen). The KMS host can be activated using either online or offline methods. It uses the same interfaces and tools as KMS on Windows Vista including:
• Software Licensing API, WMI interfaces, error codes, logging events
• SLMGR.VBS and KMS Management Pack for Microsoft Operations Manager

Download here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=81d1cb89-13bd-4250-b624-2f8c57a1ae7b&DisplayLang=en

|\\arco..

It basically provides a way to automatically resize your existing partition and add a new partition for BitLocker and make it the active partition, called a “split-load” configuration. 

Part of the Windows Vista Ulimate Extras as well:
http://windowsultimate.com/blogs/extras/archive/2007/01/07/bitlocker-and-efs-enhancements.aspx

|\\arco..