Group Policy Book

 
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Get the Group Policy Know-how you need, in Jeremy's TWO new books!

There's too much good stuff for one book; I had to make it two books!

...and the best part is, you can immediately download the most important chapters you need right now !

What? Two books?

I kept hearing the same thing over and over again.

"Jeremy, when are you going to add even more practical knowledge to the awesome book you already have?"

Okay, no one has ever really said that to me. I just thought it was high time I wrote a book that was super practical and could put a lot of your day to day issues to bed, using the super power knowledge you already have (or are about to have) from the first book.

I was going to make it just one BIG book. But that was just so big, that I didn't like the way it "felt." So, I broke it into two books ! Each book is a "companion" book of the other.

What do you mean I can "download now"?

It's true. Each book has many chapters available to download right now as eBooks. We have a FAQ all about it, so be sure to read those questions as you make your decision about which you want: eChapters, hard copy, or both! Seriously. Read the FAQ before you buy any eChapters to make sure you're making the right decision.

Book1 (Group Policy Fundamentals, Security, and Troubleshooting )

plus

Book2 (Creating the Secure Managed Desktop: Group Policy, SoftGrid, and Microsoft Deployment and Management Tools)

I call these books "companion books" of each other. Each book stands independently on its own, but they're definitely "better together." Start out with Book1 (Group Policy Fundamentals.) Then keep the good vibes going with Book 2 (Creating the Secure Managed Desktop.)

Book 1 (Group Policy Fundamentals) is like the "5th" edition, and picks up where the popular Group Policy series left off. I added a whole gaggle of chapters which address the new GPMC 2.0, the Group Policy Preference Extensions, the new Advanced Group Policy Management (AGPM) product and using Powershell to manage your Group Policy universe.

Then, in Book2 (Creating the Secure Managed Desktop), we count on you knowing your Group Policy cookies. Really, we mean it. You'll need to be proficient in Group Policy fundamentals, the new Group Policy Preferences (which we cover in Chapter 10 of Book1), and you'll need know how to create a GPMC 2.0 management station (covered in Chapters 1 and 3 of Book1.)

But after that, while reading Book2 (Creating the Secure Managed Desktop) , you'll be golden and really ready to learn the subtle points of leveraging Group Policy to really manage your desktops using the Group Policy knowledge you now have.

Group Policy Fundamentals, Security, and Troubleshooting

(what's changed, moved, gone)

We have four 100% new chapters which cover:

  • The GPMC 2.0: Comments, Filters and Starter GPOs (and how to create a GPMC 2.0 management station)
  • Microsoft's Group Policy "Change Management" AGPM too
  • Script your Group Policy world with PowerShel
  • ...and the "Crown jewel" of Group Policy 2.0 -- the Group Policy Preference Extensions (GPPEs) !
But the goodness doesn't stop there. We've enhanced every single chapter to make it more effective to troubleshoot your Group Policy universe. Have you checked out the Group Policy Best Practice Analyzer tool? No? Then check up our updated chapter on troubleshooting.

Moreover, everything has been updated for Windows Server 2008, and Vista / SP1. But don't worry, if you have Windows XP or even Windows 2000, I've still got you covered to make sure we have details on the whole family.

With more advice, more best practices and more examples I'm very confident you'll be happy with the latest update of this book.

Creating the Secure Managed Desktop: Group Policy, SoftGrid, and Microsoft Deployment and Management Tools

(What's been moved from book1, what's new)

Now, those familiar with the Group Policy 4th edition book will no doubt find some old friends amongst the topics in this book. We've moved over some key "desktop management / IntelliMirror" chapters from that book (some of the WDS material, the Profiles chapter, the Offline Files chapter and the GPSI chapter) to this book.

But then I decided to give away some of my best secrets in this brand new book (and make 8 chapters available as downloads.)

  • Spin up a new Vista or XP machine using "in the box" tools and leverage the new Windows Deployment Services and Microsoft Deployment (was known as BDD) technology
  • Configure roaming profiles to ensure the user's experience is the same on every desktop
  • Set up Offline Files and folder redirection so users can keep using their data offline, as if they were online.
  • Deploy their software to them. If you've never seen Group Policy Software Installation work, it'll knock your socks off
  • If you've ever thought to yourself "If I only I didn't have to actually install software, my machines would be less prone to failure." Welcome SoftGrid and "Application Virtulization" (we have three chapters on that!)
  • Ensure those machines are "all patched up" using WSUS and MBSA
  • Ensure that only machines you say are "healthy enough" can come on your network and play. Yep, Network Access Protection (NAP.) You're gonna love it.
  • Put on some finishing touches, like "sensing" which users are on what computers and automatically deploy printers to them
  • And, for the peskiest of users, put the full smackdown, er, lockdown on their machines with Windows SteadyState. Guarantee that no changes can be made, unless you say they can!

If you're ready to get crackin' with your "Total Group Policy workout", you can get the new books in one of three ways:

  1. Amazon is a good source, and it's likely cheaper than buying it from me. But, of course, they won't be signed. Be careful in making sure you buy the 5th edition (even thought it's not called that.) The right ISBN is: 978-0470275894 for Book 1 and 978-0470277645 for Book 2.
  2. You can order it even cheaper from Bookpool.
  3. If you're in the continental USA, you can order it from me directly for $45 for EACH BOOK (includes shipping). Yes, that means BOTH BOOKS are $90 for a bundle set. Click here to buy a bundle set.
  • If you order the books from me, I'll sign the book for you, free! I've had many requests for this service, and I'm honored that you would want it!
  • If you order it from me, you get the book, shipping included! Usually, I try to ship out the orders the SAME DAY. But, if you positively need a guaranteed shipping date, and satellite tracking, or other special needs, then Amazon might be a better choice.
  • It costs more to buy it from me because I have to pay to have the books shipped from California to me first. So, you're paying a little extra to buy from me because it costs me more. So, your paying for the shipping costs I have to bear, (not for the signature). Again, note that shipping TO YOU is included in the price.
  • We take all kinds of credit cards. No PO orders for books, please, unless it's an order for 10 or more.

This book NOT YET in stock! April or May for Book 1. May or June for Book 2. You can download lots of eChapters RIGHT NOW for many of the chapters by clicking here.

Note, that I can only take orders and ship to those in the continental USA. Thanks for your understanding.
 

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Here's what administrators like you had to say about the book's previous edition...

“This book is a fun and easy read. Jeremy takes technical information and makes it simple to understand and apply. It’s the perfect solution for anyone looking to begin their journey into group policy or expand their existing skill set.”
– Kimion Walker
“This is an absolutely awesome book. Right away I was able to easily understand why some of my group policies weren't working and it explained why it takes so long for some PC's to get assigned software. I highly recommend getting this book if you are going to be creating Group Policies. It's a must have!!!”
– D. Beaudry
“THIS book has exceeded my expectations. It has already solved/answered many problems/questions I've had about GP and AD. It is a one-stop problem solver. Given all the 5 stars I saw in the reviews before I bought the book, I thought maybe the publisher had padded the reviews. Not so. This is a must have. It covers the basics and more advanced topics of GP, which is something I needed. An example problem I had: We use Roaming Profiles. We have three remote offices and sometimes printers wouldn't install when a user went from a remote office to our home office. We also needed a way to automatically reset the default printer when a user Roamed to a machine in another office. Page 132-133 of this book tells how to do that with a 5-line script. [This book] deserves more than 5 Stars! ”
– William S. Boyd
“This book is, without a doubt, the best technical reference book I've ever read. The concepts are explained clearly and thoroughly. The examples are relevant to almost every production environment. Want to know how to get the most out of the new GPMC? It's explained in detail in the book. Not sure how you can handle printer mappings through GP? It's in the book, with a real world example and a VB script to help out. Need help determining how to handle profiles and folder redirection? There are entire chapters dedicated to this very topic. If you are struggling with how to make use of group policy to manage your desktop and server environment, BUY THIS BOOK. NOW!!!!!
”
– Eric Johnson (who loved it so much he helped Jeremy out with the most recent edition!)
“I agree with the other reviewers this book is an absolute must for any Windows 2000/2003 administrator. Other books touch on group policy but Jeremy breaks it down and really explains what is going on. You want to create your own custom policies... it's in there. Group policy is not applying; how do you troubleshoot... it's in there. You want in-depth coverage of roaming profiles... it's in there. You want to know how the GPMC works... it's in there. You get my point. Group policy is one of the most important aspects of AD and this book hits the ball out of the park. I also recommend his previous book Windows 2000 Group Policy. This book is also endorsed by Mark Minasi and Michael Dennis (Microsoft Group Policy Manger) so you know it has to be good. Trust the reviews and buy this one.”
– Mike Kline