Office 2013's methods of deployment aren't that different from Office 2010's deployment options. The Office Customization Tool is still there and the administrative templates are there to allow customization through Group Policy. Office 2013 Pro Plus has a few more products included in it and a few more features like synchronizing with the cloud and social network. Exploring … [Read more...]
Disable cursor animation in Word 2013 and Office 2016
I was testing out Office 2013 RTM today and while I liked many things about the update, I found the first thing I dislike. While pretty minor, it was having a larger effect on my typing. In Office 2013 products, the cursor is animated. As you type, instead of the cursor disappearing or moving ahead while you type, it is animated to keep moving with each letter entered. The … [Read more...]
HP Smart Install for printers makes me look dumb
For a long time, I have had a preference for HP printers. The quality is just built into the hardware and they tend to work longer and more reliably in my experience. However, HP has a history of getting in the way of allowing a simple install of the printer. Back in the day, it was the HP Toolbox that you had to install in order to get the printer installed instead of … [Read more...]
Group Policy causes Windows 8 apps to close immediately
Windows 8 is a significant change and is going to require thorough testing before getting rolled out to organizations. One example I ran into recently involved the new Windows 8 apps. Whenever you would try to start one of these apps like Mail or Photos from the Start Screen, the icon would flip toward you and become full screen. It would then close back to the Start Screen … [Read more...]
WMI commands result in “The specified module could not be found.”
Windows Management Instrumentation has received a few mentions around 404TS in recent months. This morning, I got a closer look at it again. I received what I like to call a "pile of symptoms" and get to try to find the root cause. The symptom that resulted in receiving the initial call was that shutdowns were taking about 10-15 minutes. The first technician to respond also … [Read more...]