Every now and again, I come across an issue that takes up far more of my time than it should do… and, this afternoon, that’s exactly what happened so I’m posting the details here for anyone else in the same situation.

I’d installed a new copy of Windows in a virtual machine and, because it wasn’t domain-joined as part of the setup, the out of the box settings made me create a local user account that I didn’t need.  After joining the domain and logging in as an administrator, I deleted the account and the profile, but was given a warning that not all files were removed.  I checked and, sure enough, the folder for the account (called Mark) was still there in C:\Users.  All of the usual attempts to remove it failed, regardless of what I did with permissions until I found a post on the My Digital Life blog, titled Delete Undeletable Files in Windows Vista.  I was running Windows 7 but this advice for Vista sounded hopeful, so I ran the following commands against the folder that was causing me grief:

takeown /f foldername /r /d y
icacls foldername /grant administrators:F /t

(for files, I would not have needed the /r switch on the takeown command to recurse the folder structure.)

I was still having trouble deleting the folder from Windows Explorer; however these commands had given me the clue I needed (and answered why Explorer told me that the location was shared, but it didn’t show up in the list of shares…) – the AppData hidden folder was still there.

Using the command line, I navigated C:\Users\Mark\AppData and its two trees (Local and Roaming) to remove around 10 files and folders, after which I was able to successfully remove the C:\Users\Mark folder.

With that out of the way, I could log in with my domain account (also called Mark) and its profile was created at C:\Users\Mark instead of C:\Users\Mark.domainname.

One of my colleagues left our organisation a couple of weeks ago and his notebook PC was up for grabs (kind of like vultures looking for prey, my manager and I were trying to grab the best bits of his relinquished IT assets…). To be honest, the PC is only marginally better than the one I had already but it did have a slightly faster processor (Intel Core 2 Duo Mobile P8400 vs. T7500), a larger hard disk, and was in better physical condition (I’ll try not to drop this one!). I did need to transfer my configuration to the “new” machine quickly though (i.e. between the start and the end of our team meeting today!) so that my “old” machine could be reallocated to someone in need of a more modern PC.

I could have messed around with user state migration onto a fresh build; however I’m flying out to TechEd Europe at the weekend and I wanted to be sure that I had all my applications working so I tried a different approach. The two computers are similar, but not identical (both Fujitsu-Siemens Lifebooks – one is an S7210 and the other is an S7220) so I decided to try creating a Windows System Image and restoring it onto a different machine, then letting Plug and Play sort out the hardware. It’s a bit messy (with new network adapters etc.) but the theory was sound.

Not only was the theory sound, but it worked. After booting the “new” machine from the Windows 7 Repair Disc that I was prompted to create at the end of the backup, I restored my system, complete with all applications and data. Plug and Play did indeed identify all of my hardware, combined with Microsoft Update for a missing display driver (that would have worked too if I had been online at the time). Windows even managed to reactivate itself as the product key was still valid so my system is reporting itself as genuine (note that Windows licences remain with individual computers; however in this case both machines were licensed for Windows 7 using a volume license product key).

It’s important to note that this effectively cloned the machine (yes, I could have used any number of disk imaging products for this, but I was using the out-of-the-box tools) and so I was careful not to have both machines on the network at the same time. Indeed the last step (before passing the “old” machine on to my manager) was to securely erase my data partition, which I did using the cipher command, before booting into the Windows Recovery Environment one more time to run up diskpart and remove all of the disk partitions.

The only remaining hurdle is moving the (so far empty) BitLocker Drive Encryption Partition from its current location in the middle of my hard disk (which was the end of the smaller disk in my old machine) but that should be possible as I haven’t actually encrypted the drive on this PC.

Not bad for a few hours work, especially as there was no downtime involved (I was able to use the “old” machine to deliver my presentation whilst the “new” one was being prepared).

One of the reasons I run Windows 7 Ultimate edition on my netbook is to take advantage of features like BitLocker. For those who are not aware of this technology, BitLocker has offered whole drive encryption for fixed hard disks since Windows Vista but Windows 7 also includes encryption capabilities for removable devices (BitLocker To Go).

Even though I don’t keep much data on my netbook, it’s exactly the sort of device that’s likely to be lost or stolen and it seems like a perfect candidate for data encryption – although my main concern was that I might encrypt the device and then lock myself out (and I’m not the only one who’s had those concerns). Luckily there are options for key recovery – ranging from storing a copy of the key in a file or in Active Directory (not applicable for me as my netbook is not domain-joined) to the most basic printing the key on a piece of paper and keeping it in a safe place (i.e. not the carry case for my computer!).

So, armed with the knowledge that I had backed up all my critical data, just in case something went wrong, last weekend I “BitLockered” my netbook and I’m pleased to say it was really straightforward (especially as Windows 7 creates the necessary drive partition at install-time). It would have been even easier if my computer had a trusted platform module (TPM) chip but, even so, Windows can be configured to allow encryption without a TPM – I just need to supply a startup key when I turn the computer on – in this case I used a small capacity USB thumb drive to store the key, then remove it from the computer after the drive has been unlocked. In effect, I can only start (or resume) the computer with that USB “key” – or enter the recovery key to disable the encryption entirely.

There are two common ways to allow Windows to use BitLocker without a TPM: one involves editing the Local Security Policy and the other uses a few registry tweaks, which is the one I chose:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\FVE]
“UseAdvancedStartup”=dword:00000001
“EnableBDEWithNoTPM”=dword:00000001
“UseTPM”=dword:00000002
“UseTPMPIN”=dword:00000002
“UseTPMKey”=dword:00000002
“UseTPMKeyPIN”=dword:00000002

To revert to the default settings, use a .reg file with the following contents:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\FVE]
“UseAdvancedStartup”=-
“EnableBDEWithNoTPM”=-
“UseTPM”=-
“UseTPMPIN”=-
“UseTPMKey”=-
“UseTPMKeyPIN”=-

Then, using Windows Explorer, right click the drive you want to encrypt and select the option to turn on BitLocker, and follow the wizard. Make sure you store a copy of the recovery key, as this will be required to recover the data on a BitLocker protected drive.

It took a while for my drive to encrypt and, despite almost every reference for this that I’ve seen saying that a dialogue box will be presented showing encryption progress, I didn’t see this – all I saw was that the drive was almost full and lots of hard drive activity, then I got my free space back and the icon for the drive had a padlock and a key on it. Now, if I right click the drive there are options to manage BitLocker, including duplicating the startup key and saving/printing a new copy of the recovery key.

All in all, it was pretty painless and I haven’t noticed any performance degradation but if someone does take a fancy to my netbook, they won’t be able to access the data on it.

For more information, see the Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption Step-by-Step Guide on the Microsoft TechNet website and the BitLocker drive encryption team blog (although that hasn’t been updated in a while). Michael Pietroforte has also compared BitLocker with TrueCrypt, concluding that TruCrypt lets you choose your own recovery passphrase; however BitLocker can be managed with Group Policy and the keys can be stored in Active Directory Domain Services. There’s more information on storing BitLocker keys in Active Directory on the TechNet website (domain controllers must be running Windows Server 2003 SP1 or higher and schema extensions are required).

Every now and again, tiny tech bloggers like me get a break and are invited to events alongside “real journalists”. So, here I am, at London’s Hospital Club, brushing shoulders with the UK’s mainstream media – from the BBC and Sky through to TechRadar and The Register, covering Microsoft’s Windows 7 Launch.

Windows 7 is like no other operating system release that I’ve known. Unlike its predecessor, it’s enjoyed massive press support from the outset, with a widespread beta programme (around 8 million official users and 7 million more “unofficial ones”), a solid release candidate and the software itself was released several weeks ago. Volume license customers, developers, technology specialists and Microsoft partners have had access to the final release of Windows 7 for almost three months, evaluation copies are available on the web – and this operating system already runs on a huge number of the world’s PCs – that’s before it’s even launched! I don’t remember this much buzz around any new Windows release – at least not since Windows 95.

Tomorrow marks the general availability of Windows 7 in the retail channel, making it the de facto choice for consumers and small businesses when purchasing new PCs – 14 million of which are expected to be sold in the UK over the next year – and many of those who have purchased PCs since July are also entitled to an upgrade.

Ashley Highfield, MD and VP of Consumer and Online at Microsoft UK, said that Windows 7 marks a pivotal turning point for Microsoft – listening to consumers and understanding what they want – to offer simple, easy, fun computing – whether at home or work.

He explained that the UK is at a tipping point where a survey indicated that around 78% of people see the work/life balance as fluid – there is no more “9 to 5” and many of us expect to access social media at work, in exchange for working on e-mail at home in the evening. In addition, Internet advertising revenues now exceed those for TV advertising, and the sales of PCs exceeded televisions this summer, marking a fundamental shift in audience behaviour.

Microsoft’s ultimate vision is often described as “3 screens and a cloud” (devices, PCs and TV) – in effect Microsoft is the glue to bind together our digital lives and Windows 7 is key to building that vision.

I’m used to working with Microsoft in the enterprise space – where they are either recognised as a provider of software development tools or of IT business and infrastructure applications. But, for the consumer, Highfield explained that Microsoft’s offerings have been a little patchy over last few years… I don’t think I heard the word “Vista” uttered once by Microsoft at today’s press launch – it’s almost as if it’s become V-v-v-the-operating-system-that-must-not-be-named.

Microsoft believe that Windows 7 is an exemplar of change – alongside Bing, Windows Live services, Windows Phone, and Xbox 360 it marks a new dawn for Microsoft’s relationship with its consumers.

So, what’s so great about Windows 7?

Julie Larson-Green, Microsoft Corporate VP for Windows Experience was heavily involved in the programme to bring Windows 7 to market. After presiding over the Office 2007 release, with its controversial ribbon user interface, Windows 7 could have gone either way but I really believe that Microsoft has done a good job with Windows 7.  Larson-Green credits this to the diagnostic information that Microsoft received via the Customer Experience Improvement Programme – so much data that they had to cap the results at 1 billion sessions. This information allowed Microsoft to validate their research on how to simplify everyday tasks. In addition, pre-beta copies of Windows 7 were distributed to developers as long ago in late 2008, allowing them to start developing applications for the new platform. today, more than 16,000 software and hardware companies are building solutions on Windows 7 and over 44,000 developers are enrolled in the Windows Ecosystem Readiness Program.

Leila Martine, Windows Consumer Business Group Lead at Microsoft UK talked about how Windows 7 delivers on a simple promise: making it easier for people to do the things they want on a PC. The new operating system offers a streamlined user interface and significant new features that make everyday tasks easier and allow people to get the most out of computers of all styles and sizes.  The following are a few of the many ways that consumers can experience a more simplified PC with Windows 7:

• Simplifies everyday tasks:
  • Taskbar: completely redesigned to help cut clutter, and get more done, with features like thumbnail previews of webpages, documents and even running video.
  • HomeGroup:  easily share files and printers with other Windows 7 PCs.
  • DeviceStage: shows the status of all connected devices such as cameras and mobile phones, making it easier to synchronise and manage them.
  • Photos and Videos: Windows Live Photo Gallery and Windows Live Movie Maker offer customers great free options to edit photos and videos, then to easily share them including uploading to popular websites such as Flickr and YouTube.
  • Snap: drag an open window to the screen’s border and automatically re-size it. Snap two different windows to the left and right borders for a perfect comparison.
  • Shake: click a window pane and shake the mouse to minimise all other open windows.  Shake the pane again to restore the windows to their original sizes. 
  • Internet Explorer 8: Microsoft’s fastest, easiest, and safest browser ever with many new security features such as SmartScreen filtering.
• Works the way you want:
  • Faster on, faster off:  every Windows 7 user can benefit from the focus on underlying performance, faster startup, resuming and shut down time, together with enhanced power management.
  • Mobile made easier: all mobile computing settings are in one place with the Windows Mobility Center.
  • Protecting your PC:  Safeguarding data on the PC is easier with advanced backup capabilities and the free Microsoft Security Essentials download to protect against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software.
• Makes new things possible:
  • Windows Touch: interact with the PC with a touch-screen monitor, using fingers and multi-touch gestures.
  • PlayTo: stream digital music, videos, and photos to other PCs or devices such as an Xbox 360 connected to a TV.
  • Internet TV: new content providers (such as the Sky Player) and an improved interface make it even easier to watch TV on the PC.
  • Rich gaming and graphics: Windows 7 includes performance enhancements that take power gaming and entertainment to a new level, with 64-bit support and DirectX11 graphics.
  • Location-aware printing – documents are sent to the right printer whether it’s at home or at the office. Offline files allow users to work offline and automatically synchronise between a PC and documents on the office network.

(and that’s not even considering the many business benefits with DirectAccess for clientless VPN connectivity, Branch Cache for efficient file transfers, BitLocker and BitLocker To Go for fixed and removable device encryption, and AppLocker for software control.)

Having worked with Windows 7 for over a year now, I know that the real improvements are subtle.  When I’m asked why Windows 7 is so great I can’t point to one single feature but I can tell you that if my corporate IT guys tried to take me back to Windows XP they would have one hell of a job prising my PC out of my hands.  My Windows 7 and Office 2010 desktop includes so many timesaving shortcuts that stepping back to Windows XP and Office 2003 is like going back in time.

What will it cost me?

Windows 7 goes on sale at midnight tonight with estimated retail pricing as follows (although actual pricing may vary by retailer):

• Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade: £79.99 until 31 December 2009, £99.99 thereafter
• Windows 7 Professional Upgrade: £189.99
• Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade: £199.99
• Windows 7 Home Premium: £149.99
• Windows 7 Professional: £219.99
• Windows 7 Ultimate: £229.99

There are also some limited time deals available including a discounted upgrade of £49 with new PC purchased until 2 Jan 2010; a family pack offering 3 licenses for £149.99 and the current Student offer of £30 for Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional.

Shop around for the best deals

As might be expected, the major UK retailers are committed to Microsoft’s Windows 7 launch and Jeremy Fennel, Category Director at DSGi explained that they can tell it’s a good product as it hasn’t needed Microsoft to hype it – the press and customers have already done that.  DSGi’s customer research says that customers want a better user experience with fewer interruptions, better battery life, and faster startup/restart times – with Windows 7 delivering all three. 

By far the most telling statistic I heard all morning about the potential for Windows 7’s success related to the Windows 7 pre-order offer.  DSGi experienced what Fennel called “a phenomenal reaction” to this and sold more copies of Windows 7 in 3 weeks than they sold of Vista in the whole of its first year!

Fennel also indicated that awareness of Windows 7 has ramped in the last 4-6 weeks – with 60% of consumers delaying new PC purchases until launch.  In order to build Christmas sales, DSGi’s trade in promotion starts tonight – with up to £100 off when trading in old PC at Currys and PC World as well as half price installation (at £24.99) and free expert advice from their specialist tech support service, the TechGuys.

That’s just DSGi’s campaign – I have no doubt that other retailers will be similarly competitive in their Windows 7 efforts in the run-up to Christmas.

In summary

Windows 7 is a solid, reliable operating system packed with features and functionality that can be used to derive significant benefits for consumers and enterprise customers alike.  Already enjoying significant interest from press and customers, there is little doubt that this will be a successful release for Microsoft but it will always have it’s detractors, citing problems such as upgrading from XP, cross grading from other product editions, or running obscure applications on PCs cobbled together from various arcane components.  Even though Windows runs on around a billion PCs worldwide, new computing models threaten its dominance and Microsoft needs to remain relevant in 2010 and beyond. One journalist asked Microsoft how relevant Windows will be by the time that Windows 8 comes along [in 2012] and Ashley Highfield’s response amused me greatly: “Give us a chance we’re just launching Windows 7” but I’m sure Windows will be with us on the desktop for a while yet – particularly if Microsoft is able to execute their “3 screens and a cloud” vision – and I have little doubt that they will. Windows 7 is important to Microsoft – and it is, quite possibly, the best Windows yet.