Module 1: Windows 8.1 in an Enterprise Environment

Windows client operating systems are essential to the functionality of almost every enterprise environment. Most users perform the bulk of their computing tasks in the Windows client interface, including editing documents, sending email, interacting with applications, and numerous other tasks. Managing these clients, then, is an important task for enterprise information technology (IT) administrators. You must manage Windows clients to ensure that operating systems and any applications are operating properly. Providing adequate security measures, deploying new clients when required, maintaining an inventory, and monitoring Windows clients in your environment are all essential tasks for IT administrators. This module introduces you to Windows 8.1 and provides an overview of how you can manage Windows 8.1 computers in your environment to meet common enterprise IT challenges.

Lessons

• Managing Windows 8.1 in an Enterprise Environment
• Overview of Windows 8.1

Module 2: Installing and Deploying Windows 8.1

The Windows 8.1 operating system builds on the core functionality of Windows 8 and Windows 7 to provide a stable client experience across many device form factors and processor architectures. In this module, you will learn about the features that are available in different Windows 8.1 editions. This module introduces planning considerations and hardware requirements for a Windows 8.1 installation. You also will learn about the importance of device driver compatibility and application compatibility during installation. This module describes how you can perform a clean installation of Windows 8.1. It also describes how you can upgrade or migrate to Windows 8.1 and the upgrade paths that are supported. You will learn about the tools and technologies that you can use to customize an installation. You also will learn about Windows 8.1 activation and the different activation options.

Lessons

• Preparing to Install and Deploy Windows 8.1
• Installing Windows 8.1
• Customizing and Preparing a Windows 8.1 Image for Deployment
• Volume Activation for Windows 8.1

Lab : Installing Windows 8.1Lab : Customizing and Capturing a Windows 8.1 ImageLab : Deploying a Windows 8.1 Image

Module 3: Tools Used for Configuring and Managing Windows 8.1

The Windows 8.1 operating system provides several methods to configure operating system components while signed in locally or connected remotely. This module describes the primary management tools in Windows 8.1 and the scenarios for using them.

Lessons

• Tools Used to Perform Local and Remote Management of Windows 8.1
• Using Windows PowerShell to Configure and Manage Windows 8.1
• Using Group Policy to Manage Windows 8.1

Lab : Using Management Tools to Configure Windows 8.1 Settings

Module 4: Managing Profiles and User State in Windows 8.1

User profiles store user settings and data. For users working on a single computer, profiles can be stored locally. However, for users who roam between multiple computers, the user profile, or at least some parts of it, should be available on the network. This module describes the different user profile types. It also describes Microsoft User Experience Virtualization (UE-V), which you can use to synchronize settings between computers without using roaming user profiles. The operating system itself provides user profiles, whereas UE-V is a separate product that is part of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack. In this module, you will learn about UE-V features and how to deploy and configure it on your network. You also will learn how to migrate user state and settings to computers that run Windows 8.1 operating systems.Lessons

• Managing User Profiles
• Configuring User State Virtualization
• Migrating User State and Settings

Lab : Configuring Profiles and User State VirtualizationLab : Migrating User State by Using USMT

Module 5: Managing Disks and Device Drivers

Although most computers that run Windows 8.1 have a single physical disk that is configured as a single volume, this is not always the case. For example, there might be times when you want to have multiple operating systems on a single computer, or you might want to have virtual memory on a different volume. Therefore, it is important that you understand how to create and manage simple, spanned, and striped volumes. You also might be interested in implementing the Storage Spaces feature. In addition to traditional storage, you can use Windows 8.1 to create and access virtual hard disks from within the operating system installed on a physical computer. To help maintain and optimize file system performance, you must be familiar with file system fragmentation and the tools that you can use to defragment a volume. Additionally, a good understanding of disk quotas is helpful if you are managing available disk space on installed volumes.Lessons

• Managing Disks, Partitions, and Volumes
• Maintaining Disks, Partitions, and Volumes
• Working with Virtual Hard Disks
• Installing and Configuring Device Drivers

Lab : Managing DisksLab : Configuring Device Drivers

Module 6: Configuring Network Connectivity

Network connectivity is essential in today’s business environment. An increasing number of computer users want to connect their computers to a network. These users might be part of a business network infrastructure, a home office, or they might need to share files and access the Internet. The Windows 8.1 operating system provides enhanced networking functionality compared with earlier Windows client operating systems, and it provides support for newer technologies. By default, Windows 8.1 implements both TCP/Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) and TCP/Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). Understanding IPv4, IPv6, and the operating system’s access capabilities will help you configure and troubleshoot Windows 8.1 networking features.

Lessons

• Configuring IPv4 Network Connectivity
• Configuring IPv6 Network Connectivity
• Implementing Automatic IP Address Allocation
• Implementing Name Resolution
• Implementing Wireless Network Connectivity

Lab : Configuring a Network ConnectionLab : Resolving Network Connectivity Issues

Module 7: Configuring File Access and Printers on Windows 8.1 Clients

This module provides the information and tools that you need to manage access to shared folders and printers on a computer that is running the Windows 8.1 operating system. Specifically, the module describes how to share and protect folders, configure folder compression, and how to install, configure, and manage printers. Additionally, this module introduces Microsoft OneDrive (formerly known as SkyDrive) functionality. To maintain network or local file and printer systems, it is essential to understand how to safeguard these systems and make them operate as efficiently and effectively as possible. This includes setting up File permissions (previously known as NTFS permissions), compressing and managing shared folders and files, and configuring printers.

Lessons

• Managing File Access
• Managing Shared Folders
• Configuring File Compression
• Configuring File Access
• Managing Printers

Lab : Configuring File AccessLab : Configuring Printers