Academic Resource Kit – Free Tools and Resources from Microsoft
Whether you want to build an AJAX-based web application, or a Windows game, the Academic Resource Kit is a great place to start.
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9.2.2008 Windows Vista™ Resource Kit
Get the definitive reference for deploying, configuring, and supporting Microsoft® Windows Vista™—with expert insights from Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs) and the Windows Vista Team.
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7.4.2007 Introducing the Windows 7 Resource Kit PowerShell Pack
Today, the Windows 7 Resource Kit should be available in stores, and the PowerShell Pack is available for download on code gallery.
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18.10.2009 Windows 7 Performance Tools - Performance Tools Kit 4.1.1
Internet Explorer 8 will be not only an apex of performance, but also the next major iteration of the Windows client, according to Microsoft.
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1.9.2008 Download Windows 7 RTM UI Accessibility Tools and Automations for Vista SP3
Following the general availability of Windows 7, Microsoft has started backporting bits and pieces of its latest Windows client to previous releases of the operating system.
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2.11.2009 Windows Automated Installation Kit RTM Now Available for Download
The Vista RTM version of the Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows-AIK or WAIK) is now available for download from Microsoft downloads.
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16.11.2006 Download the Windows 7 RTM Automated Installation Kit
With the gold build of the latest iteration of the Windows client now live on MSDN and TechNet, Microsoft has also made available for download the final version of the Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows 7 RTM.
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10.8.2009 Download Windows Live Tools for Visual Studio 2008
Microsoft has made available for download the July 2008 Community Technology Preview of the Windows Live tools for Visual Studio 2008.
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29.7.2008 Bill Gates Promises Windows 7 Will Be Less of a Resource Hog
There are but scarce details pointing the direction in which Microsoft is taking the development of Windows 7, and the operating system, for that matter.
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12.5.2008 Microsoft Makes Vista Migration Tools Available
Microsoft offers six free tools for corporate users to assess, plan, test, and deploy Windows Vista.
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24.2.2007 20 Hidden Windows Vista Tools
The default installation of Windows Vista weighs in at approximately 8 GB. In fact, Microsoft's latest operating system won't even install with less than 15 GB of space available on the hard drive.
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30.9.2007 Microsoft Windows Vista OEM Preinstallation Kit available
The Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 (RC1) OEM Presinstallation Kit is now available. Microsoft's Worldwide System Builder team would like system builders to experience the updated OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK) tools which will be used to preinstall Windows Vista.
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16.10.2006 Vista Oem Activation Tool Kit 0.5 Beta
Thanks to Steve Jobs for this download. This is Vista Oem Activation Tool Kit 0.5 Beta by Steve Jobs @ Keznews forum
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22.3.2007 Vista Oem Activation Tool Kit v1.5
Steve Jobs update his Vista Oem Activation Tool Kit For Vista 32bit and 64bit to version 1.5. Vista will be 100% genuine, all downloads will work.
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3.4.2007 12 Hidden Windows Vista Network Tools
Thanks to Steve Jobs for this article. Windows Vista delivers an impressive line up of network tools that can be used to keep the operating system connectivity on a short leash. The total of 12 command-line tools can be used to manage all aspects of Vista networking.
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4.6.2007 Fixing Windows Vista 3 - Top Troubleshooting Tools
Do you think Windows Vista is slow, crash-prone, or unreliable? Join the crowd. Over the past year, reviews of Windows Vista by mainstream media outlets, the technical press, bloggers, and ordinary users have been, for the most part, scathing.
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7.5.2008 Vista System Tools Survived into Windows 7 M1
Microsoft already confirmed that Windows 7 will have Windows Vista as its foundation. Like it or not, Windows 7 will be nothing more than an evolution of the current Windows client.
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27.6.2008 Vista Automated Installation Kit - WAIK User's Guide
Documentation Update 1 - Documentation update for the Windows Automated Installation Kit and Unattended Setup Reference.
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3.4.2007 Microsoft Remote Server Administration Tools - RSAT for Vista Released
Microsoft Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) enables IT administrators to remotely manage roles and features in Windows Server 2008 from a computer running Windows Vista SP1.
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25.3.2008 Windows Driver Kit Beta release hints at upcoming Vista SP1
Thanks to pacpis for this post. One of our members received the following e-mail earlier today from the WDK team:
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18.7.2007 Microsoft Delivers Final Versions of Free Deployment Tools for Windows Vista
Microsoft Corp. today announced the availability of six new deployment tools that will help expedite businesses’ migration to Windows Vista™. The recently released tools are the Microsoft® Solution Accelerator for Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) 2007, the Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) 5.0, Windows Vista Hardware Assessment 1.0, the Volume Activation Management Tool, the Key Management Service for Windows Server® 2003 and Virtual PC 2007.
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20.2.2007 Windows 7, XP SP3 and Vista SP1 Vulnerability Exploit Included in Malware Kit
The exploit for a vulnerability affecting the Server Service on all supported versions of Windows has been included in a commercial malware kit, available for sale.
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17.11.2008 Vista SP1 and XP SP3 Blocker Tool Kit Draws Close to Expiration
Soon, there will be nothing standing between Windows XP and Windows Vista users and the automatic distribution of the latest service packs for the two operating systems. Microsoft provided a heads up related to the imminent expiration of the Windows Service Pack Blocker Tool Kit, a tool that is designed with the sole purpose of blocking the delivery and installation of Service Pack 3 for XP and SP1 for Vista through Windows Update and Automatic Updates.
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24.4.2009 Windows Service Pack Blocker Tool Kit - Block Vista SP2 Automatic Upgrades
Microsoft is offering Windows Vista SP1 users the chance to block automatic upgrades to Service Pack 2. In addition to making available Vista SP2 RTM as a standalone download, DVD ISO image, the bits are also released to Windows Update, and subsequently served to Vista SP1 users who have Automatic Updates enabled.
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3.7.2009 WGA Patcher Permanent Kit!
WGA Patcher Permanent Kit! By :
Matt Enables Pirated PC to become Genuine.
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11.11.2006 Windows Automated Installation Kit
The Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) is designed to help corporate IT professionals customize and deploy the Microsoft Windows Vista™ family of operation systems.
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14.2.2007 Xbox 360 Messenger Kit
This year's Xbox 360 Spring Dashboard Update brought MSN Messenger contact-list integration to Xbox Live, but many of us have been waiting for Microsoft to release the chatpad accessory before making full use of the service.
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23.7.2007 VOATK TOOLS V2.0 Final
Thanks to maxdata for this download. Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Business Enterprise and Ultimate for Windows Vista 32bit and 64bit.
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18.5.2007 Windows 7 Activation Tool Kit BETA 1.8
Orbit30 releases a Windows 7 activation tool and a Windows Vista / 7 tweaker. - Windows 7 Activation Tool Kit BETA 1.8 | 25.4 Mb
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23.7.2009 Windows 7 Automatic Installation Kit Limitations
The Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK or WAIK) is among the free tools of choice when it comes down to building custom Windows 7 images and deploying them in a specific environment.
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31.8.2009Windows Performance Tools Kit v4.1.1 Update Available
The Windows Performance Tools (WPT) Kit contains performance analysis tools that are new to the Windows SDK for Windows Server 2008 and .NET Framework
3.5. The WPT Kit is useful to a broad audience, including system builders, hardware manufacturers, driver developers, and general application
developers. These tools are designed for measuring and analyzing system and application performance on Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and
later.
Version 4.1.1 is an update to WPT Kit v.4.1.0, which was released as part of the
Windows Server
2008 SDK. Version 4.1.1 contains fixes for the following issues:
- Windows Performance Analyzer does not start when
double-clicking an ETL file.
- Windows Performance Analyzer does not perform power state transition analysis.
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11.02.2008Hidden Vista tools
If Sven Hallauer ever has a moment to reflect in his Redmond office, he can feel quietly pleased with himself.
As the release
manager for Vista, he had overall responsibility during the development period for the success of the ˜Most Secure Windows Ever project.
For Hallauer, however, the flexibility of the new operating system is just as important as the security features. In particular, Vista is
equipped with far better admin tools than previous versions. Previously, administrators were forced to add tools from Resource Kits, but now Vista
comes with a lot of tools already on board, as well explain later.
You can tell just by looking at the increased minimum hardware
requirements that theres a lot more in the new version of Windows. It used to be possible to keep an installation of Windows 95 under 200MB, but Vista
requires 40 times more hard disk space. Even in comparison to Windows XP, Vista needs five times more space.
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27.09.2007WAIK Documentation for Vista SP1 Beta 3 and Server 2008 pops up
Now here's an odd one.
Microsoft today posted updated
documentation for the Windows
Automated Installation Kit
that includes support for both
Windows Server 2008 and
Windows Vista SP1 "Beta 3."
See below for the download
link if you're interested.
The Windows Automated
Installation Kit (Windows AIK)
is designed to help Original
Equipment Manufacturers
(OEMs), system builders, and
corporate IT professionals
deploy Windows onto new
hardware. The Windows AIK is a
new set of deployment tools
supporting the latest release
of Windows. This guide
describes the current methods,
tools, and requirements for
deploying Windows.
Supported Operating
Systems:
-Windows Server
2008, Windows Vista
Even though it may not be
much, it's good to see
Microsoft finally posting
something publicly regarding
Vista SP1. All we need now is
the actual SP1 Beta bits...
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07.06.2007Windows Driver Kit Version 7.0.0
The Windows Driver Kit (WDK) Version 7.0.0 contains the tools, code samples, documentation, compilers, headers and libraries with which software
developers create drivers for Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2003. This
development kit does not contain device drivers for your personal computer. If you are looking for drivers for your personal computer, go to
Microsoft Update for downloads, or visit
Windows Hardware Help for more information to find device drivers and hardware.
A working knowledge of C programming is necessary to use this kit to develop Windows drivers. For additional information about doing driver
development, please go to
Windows Developer Hardware Central.
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07.08.2009Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008
The Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) is designed to help corporate IT professionals customize and deploy the Windows Vista and Windows
Server 2008 family of operation systems. By using Windows AIK, you can perform unattended Windows installations, capture Windows images with ImageX,
and create Windows PE images.
This update is provided to you and licensed under the Windows Vista License Terms.
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05.02.2008Windows Server 2008 Developer Training Kit (Beta 3)
The Windows Server 2008 Developer Training Kit includes a set of hands-on-labs and presentations for technologies such as IIS7, Management, WCF, WF,
Windows CardSpace, Windows PowerShell, Virtualization and the Transactional File System (TxF). The content was originally created by Microsoft's
Developer & Platform Evangelism group as part of the Windows Server 2008 Touchdown training activities.
The seven hands-on labs
included in this kit are based on the DinnerNow sample application. The entire source code for the DinnerNow sample application can be downloaded from
codeplex (see the related resources), however, this sample is not required for using the developer training kit.
Although this
kit is intended to show developers how to build applications that target Windows Server 2008 technologies, the kit can be installed on Windows Vista,
Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003. The hands-on labs and most of the technologies covered in this training kit also apply to Windows Vista.
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03.01.2008Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows 7 Beta)
The Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) is a set of tools and documentation that support the configuration and deployment of Microsoft®
Windows® operating systems.. By using Windows AIK, you can automate Windows installations, capture Windows images with ImageX, configure and modify
images using Deployment Imaging Servicing and Management (DISM), create Windows PE images, and migrate user profiles and data with the User State
Migration Tool (USMT).
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10.01.2009Windows Vista available on Volume Licensing
Thanks Tom Warren and
Bink for
this information that was
relayed to me yesterday
(shortly before my power
outage), but better late than
never! We can reveal that
Windows Vista is available for
Volume License users, shortly
ahead of the scheduled Nov.
17th release to MSDN
subscribers.
The
following flavours were
released:
- Windows Vista
Business 32-bit English Disk
Kit MVL DVD
English
- Windows Vista
Business 32-bit English Disk
Kit MVL DVD
UPG
- Windows Vista
Business 64-bit English Disk
Kit MVL DVD English
- SA Win Vista
Enterprise 32-bit English Disk
Kit MVL DVD English
- SA Win Vista
Enterprise 32-bit English Disk
Kit MVL DVD UPG
English
- SA Win Vista
Enterprise 32-bit English Disk
Kit MVL MVLS Only DVD Language
Packs
- SA Win Vista
Enterprise 64-bit English Disk
Kit MVL DVD English
- SA Win Vista
Enterprise 64-bit English Disk
Kit MVL MVLS Only DVD Language
Packs
The site
appears to be non-responsive,
it's probably being
hammered!
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16.11.2006Microsoft Malware Removal Starter Kit
Urs Küderli: I just had to create a bootable CD/DVD to offline clean a PC of a friend of mine. So I installed and used the
Microsoft
Malware Removal Starter Kit:
Based on the Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) kit, great collection for creating
a rescue and cleaning disk. It is also very easy to add your own favorite tools as well.
Additional resources for this topic:
The Antivirus Defense-in-Depth Guide:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=28732 The Responding to IT
Security Incidents page on Microsoft TechNet:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/securi
ty/guidance/disasterrecovery/responding_sec_incidents.mspx The Windows Security Resource Kit, Second Edition from Microsoft
Press:
http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/6815.aspx winbeta.org -
08.11.2007Hackers update malware tool kit, add first zero-day attack code
A new version of the IcePack hacker exploit tool kit has been released, security researchers warned today, and for the first time it includes attack
code designed to exploit an unpatched, or zero-day, Microsoft vulnerability.
Three of IcePack's eight exploit tools are new,
said Roger Thompson, chief technology officer at Exploit Prevention Labs Inc. That's noteworthy in and of itself, Thompson said. "The mix of old and
new exploits is to be expected, but three new ones in one update is pretty impressive," he noted.
But the new tool kit also
sports a first. "The latest iteration has done something original," said Thompson, pointing to an exploit that attacks a zero-day vulnerability in
Microsoft's DirectX software development kit (SDK). "The closest to a tool-kit zero-day exploit
was for the ANI
vulnerability."
He was referring to a Windows bug that surfaced in early April. By the time that Mpack, an IcePack predecessor,
added the ANI exploit, however, Microsoft had patched the vulnerability with an emergency out-of-cycle update. ..
winbeta.org - 12.09.2007
Windows Vista SP1 Product Guide
A comprehensive feature-by-feature guide to Windows Vista with Service Pack 1. With contributions from people who actually worked on the product, this
is the definitive resource to learn about Windows Vista. The Windows Vista Product Guide is available in XPS and PDF formats.
winbeta.org - 22.03.2008
Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows 7
The Windows® Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) is a set of tools and documentation that support the configuration and deployment of Windows®
operating systems. By using Windows AIK, you can automate Windows installations, capture Windows images with ImageX, configure and modify images using
Deployment Imaging Servicing and Management (DISM), create Windows PE images, and migrate user profiles and data with the User State Migration Tool
(USMT). Windows AIK also includes the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT), which enables IT professionals to automate and centrally manage the
volume activation process using a Multiple Activation Key (MAK).
winbeta.org - 07.08.2009
Windows Automated Installation Kit for Windows 7 RC
The Windows® Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) is a set of tools and documentation that support the configuration and deployment of Windows®
operating systems. By using Windows AIK, you can automate Windows installations, capture Windows images with ImageX, configure and modify images using
Deployment Imaging Servicing and Management (DISM), create Windows PE images, and migrate user profiles and data with the User State Migration Tool
(USMT). Windows AIK also includes the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT), which enables IT professionals to automate and centrally manage the
volume activation process using a Multiple Activation Key (MAK).
winbeta.org - 05.05.2009
Windows Server 2008 RTM WDK now available on Connect
Microsoft has released the Windows Server 2008 RTM Windows Driver Kit (WDK) on Connect. Supported driver platforms for the development kit include
Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008:
We are pleased to announce the release of the
Windows Server 2008 RTM WDK. The WDK build is now available for download on Connect. This WDK beta release to Connect coincides with the recent OS
release of Windows Server 2008 RTM. Please take a few moments to install the newest WDK build and test as applicable for your needs. As always, please
file bugs found as quickly and as detailed as possible.
In this WDK release, the WDK is delivering the latest updates to build
drivers for Server 2008 and earlier platforms since the release of Vista a year ago. This is the supported platform for the development and release of
all production drivers for Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.
The driver kit is
available for users currently registered in the beta and it is also available via "Available Connections" on Connect for anyone registering in
the "Microsoft Windows Driver Kit (WDK) and Windows Logo Kit (WLK)" beta program.
winbeta.org - 05.02.2008
Vista and Windows Server 2008 SP2 RC released
Last week the Windows Team Blog announced that the availability of SP2 RC for Vista would be available soon. Today they have posted that the download
is now live and you can find the information needed here. If you have a beta install of SP2 loaded on your computer it must be uninstalled before
attempting to load the RC. It should also be mentioned that this, while close, is not a final product and a few hiccups may occur along the way. You
can download the RC directly from the Customer Preview Program or use the Windows Update Experience Kit to obtain the RC for your personal computer.
Read full story.....
neowin.net - 05.03.2009
Windows Mobile 6 to Synchronize App Development
In an interview with BetaNews,
Microsoft product manager for
Windows Mobile and embedded
devices John Starkweather said
that a key feature of the
system developers' kit for
Windows Mobile 6 will be a set
of tools that expose the
functionality of a new
graphical desktop
synchronization tool for
Windows Vista called Windows
Mobile Device Center...
betanews.com - 11.02.2007
Microsoft Windows Cryptographic Next-Gen SDK for Windows Vista/Server 2008
The CNG SDK contains documentation, code, and tools designed to help you develop cryptographic applications and libraries targeting the Windows Vista
SP1 and Windows Server 2008 Operating Systems.
The documentation, code, and tools provided in this release are subject to change,
and may be updated in the future.
Whats New in v1.2
This release of the kit incorporates a number of significant
changes, including:
- Added sample code for implementing a Transport Layer Security (TLS) Cryptography Provider.
-
Theres a new sample that shows how to call CNG functions from kernel mode.
- Added documentation on SSL/TLS Providers.
- Header
for smart card mini-driver updated to version 6 for Windows Vista SP1, which provides support for multi-PIN cards, PIN cache control, and secure PIN
channel.
winbeta.org - 15.12.2007
Office Accounting 2008 Software Development Kit
The Microsoft Office Accounting 2008 Software Development Kit shows developers how to use the Office Accounting platform to create custom solutions
and to integrate their products with Office Accounting.
winbeta.org - 14.11.2007
Windows Vista Media Center Software Development Kit 5.3 Available
A refreshed version of the Windows Vista Media Center SDK (version 5.3) has been released for download this afternoon. The download location is the
same as the previous versions of the Windows Vista Media Center SDK. If you have any previous version of the Windows Vista Media Center SDK installed, you can run
the MSI for version 5.3 and it will automatically upgrade the older versions for you.
The features of version 5.3 of the Windows
Vista Media Center SDK are described in more detail in this post on the Media Center Sandbox blog. The following is a summary of the key changes described in that post...
winbeta.org - 20.11.2007
Windows Mobile 6 SDK to Enable Synchronized Apps Development
In an interview with BetaNews,
Microsoft product manager for
Windows Mobile and embedded
devices John Starkweather said
that a key feature of the
system developers' kit for
Windows Mobile 6 will be a set
of tools that expose the
functionality of a new
graphical desktop
synchronization tool for
Windows Vista called Windows
Mobile Device Center...
betanews.com - 10.02.2007
