Introducing Windows 8.1 For IT Professionals

Book Description:

This title is also available as a free eBook. It is offered for sale in print format as a convenience.

Get a head start evaluating Windows 8.1 - with early technical insights from award-winning journalist and Windows expert Ed Bott. Based on the Windows 8.1 Preview release, this guide introduces new features and capabilities, with scenario-based advice on how Windows 8.1 can meet the needs of your business. Get the high-level overview you need to begin preparing your deployment now.

Preview new features and enhancements, including:

How features compare to Windows 7 and Windows XP The Windows 8.1 user experience Deployment Security features Internet Explorer 11 Delivering Windows apps Recovery options Networking and remote access Managing mobile devices Virtualization Windows RT 8.1

Contents

Introduction vii

Chapter 1 An overview of Windows 8.1 1

What is Windows 8.1? ............................................. 2

Support for new device types 2

User experience 3

User accounts and synchronization 5

New apps 6

What’s new for IT pros? ............................................ 7

Security enhancements 7

Deployment and migration 10

Manageability 11

Virtualization 11

Under the hood 22

Windows 8.1 installation and upgrade options .......................13

Chapter 2 The Windows 8.1 user experience 15

Introducing the Windows 8.1 user experience .......................16

The Windows 8.1 desktop .........................................19

Customizing the Start screen ......................................22

Managing the user experience .....................................24iv Contents

Chapter 3 Deploying Windows 8.1 27

Windows 8.1 editions at a glance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Assessing compatibility ...........................................29

Choosing a deployment strategy ...................................31

Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit ..........................33

Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) 34

Deployment and Imaging 34

Windows Preinstallation Environment 35

User State Migration Tool 35

Volume Activation Management Tool 37

Windows Performance Toolkit 37

Windows Assessment Toolkit 37

Windows Assessment Services 37

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit .....................................38

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2013 38

System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager 39

Windows To Go ..................................................39

Who should use Windows To Go 40

Preparation and requirements 41

Management and security 42

Windows To Go workspace creation 44

Chapter 4 Security in Windows 8.1 47

Assessing the threat landscape ....................................48

New hardware, new security capabilities ............................48

Securing the boot process .........................................49

Securing the sign-in process .......................................51

Blocking malware ................................................52

Windows Defender 53

Internet Explorer 11 53

SmartScreen and phishing protection 55Contents v

Securing data ....................................................55

Pervasive device encryption 56

BitLocker Drive Encryption 56

Remote business data removal 57

Chapter 5 Internet Explorer 11 59

The two faces of Internet Explorer in Windows 8.1 ...................59

What’s new in Internet Explorer ....................................62

Deploying and managing Internet Explorer 11 .......................64

Dealing with compatibility issues ...................................67

Chapter 6 Delivering Windows Store apps 69

What is a Windows Store app? .....................................70

How Windows Store apps work ....................................71

Distributing a Windows Store app ..................................74

Publishing an app to the Windows Store 74

Distributing apps within an enterprise 76

Managing Windows Store apps ....................................79

Chapter 7 Recovery options in Windows 8.1 85

Using Windows Recovery Environment .............................85

Customizing Windows Recovery Environment .......................90

Refresh and reset ................................................91

Refresh Your PC 93

Reset Your PC 93

Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset ........................94

Chapter 8 Windows 8.1 and networks 97

What’s new in Windows 8.1 networking? ............................97

Mobile broadband support ........................................98vi Contents

Changes in the Wi-Fi user experience ...............................98

Connecting to corporate networks ................................100

VPN client improvements 101

BranchCache 102

DirectAccess 102

IPv6 Internet support ............................................103

Chapter 9 Virtualization in Windows 8.1 105

Client Hyper-V ..................................................106

Desktop virtualization options ....................................108

Application virtualization ........................................111

User Experience Virtualization (UE-V) ..............................113

Chapter 10 Windows RT 8.1 115

What Windows RT 8.1 can and can’t do ............................116

Office 2013 RT ..................................................117

Connecting to corporate networks ................................119

Access to data ..................................................120

Chapter 11 Managing mobile devices 121

Mobile device management strategies .............................121

System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager .....................122

Windows Intune ................................................124

Workplace Join .................................................124

Work Folders ...................................................126

Web Application Proxy ..........................................130

Device lockdown (Assigned Access) ...............................130