https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/tags/windows/ Recent content in Windows on Engineering Leadership in AI & Software Hugo en Tue, 16 Jun 2026 17:40:35 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/signals/deploying-windows-os-directly-to-production-then-vs-now/ Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:30:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/signals/deploying-windows-os-directly-to-production-then-vs-now/ Microsoft now deploys Windows updates directly to production using a gradual, ring-based rollout that starts with internal users and expands outward, guided by real-time feedback and telemetry. This approach catches issues early and enables safe, incremental releases even across complex environments. Development managers should consider adopting similar staged deployment strategies to improve release quality and responsiveness. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/create-a-build-vnext-build-definition/ Wed, 04 Mar 2015 17:37:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/create-a-build-vnext-build-definition/ Microsoft’s new Build vNext system for TFS and VSO is more modular and user-friendly, offering a wide range of out-of-the-box build and deployment tasks, improved configuration options, and better auditability of changes. It currently supports only Git repositories and continuous integration triggers, with plans for greater extensibility and additional features in the future. Development managers should consider evaluating Build vNext in test environments to prepare for its eventual adoption and to explore its enhanced flexibility and control. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/configure-a-build-vnext-agent/ Wed, 14 Jan 2015 14:55:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/configure-a-build-vnext-agent/ Microsoft’s new modular build system for TFS and VSO, currently in early preview, replaces the old controller model with a more flexible pool and queue approach, simplifying agent management and permissions. Setting up a vNext Build Agent requires spinning up your own VM, installing Visual Studio 2013 or 2015, and configuring the agent via PowerShell. Development managers should prepare for a shift to this new system and consider early testing to understand its benefits and requirements. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/access-denied-for-orchestration-plan-on-build/ Wed, 16 Dec 2015 14:18:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/access-denied-for-orchestration-plan-on-build/ When setting up a TFS build agent for a high-volume customer, a permissions error blocked builds because the “Project Collection Build Service” lacked write access to the orchestration plan. The issue is tied to permission inheritance and a known bug in TFS 2015 RTM, and can be fixed by ensuring both “Project Build Service” and “Project Collection Build Service” have inherited permissions on build definitions via Visual Studio. Development managers should verify these permissions to avoid similar build failures and streamline onboarding to new build systems. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/in-place-upgrade-of-tfs-2008-to-tfs-2010-with-move-to-new-domain/ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:57:41 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/in-place-upgrade-of-tfs-2008-to-tfs-2010-with-move-to-new-domain/ Step-by-step guide to upgrading Team Foundation Server 2008 to 2010, including in-place upgrade, build server update, and migrating to a new domain with key troubleshooting tips. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-to-team-foundation-server-2012-update-1-in-production-%E2%80%93-done/ Mon, 31 Dec 2012 18:47:34 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-to-team-foundation-server-2012-update-1-in-production-%E2%80%93-done/ Step-by-step guide to upgrading Team Foundation Server 2012 to Update 1, including prerequisites, backup, disk space, configuration, troubleshooting, and build server setup. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-2012-issue-stuck-builds-in-team-foundation-build-with-no-build-number/ Thu, 30 Aug 2012 05:40:19 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-2012-issue-stuck-builds-in-team-foundation-build-with-no-build-number/ Explains how to resolve stuck builds in TFS 2012 where no build number is assigned, caused by IIS multiple site bindings, with steps to fix via web.config settings. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-from-tfs-2008-and-wss-v3-0-with-sftsv2-to-tfs-2010-and-sf-2010-with-sftsv3/ Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-from-tfs-2008-and-wss-v3-0-with-sftsv2-to-tfs-2010-and-sf-2010-with-sftsv3/ Step-by-step guide to upgrading TFS 2008 and WSS v3.0 with SfTSv2 to TFS 2010 and SharePoint 2010, including process template migration and data handling. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/configuring-a-dc-in-azure-for-aad-integrated-release-management/ Fri, 14 Nov 2014 15:24:52 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/configuring-a-dc-in-azure-for-aad-integrated-release-management/ Setting up a domain controller in Azure for Azure Active Directory integrated release management enables realistic cloud-based demos and infrastructure. The process involves creating a virtual machine, installing Active Directory and DNS roles, configuring a static IP, and promoting the VM to a domain controller, after which you can scale down resources to save costs. This approach provides a practical, cost-effective way to build and manage cloud-based environments for development and training; consider adopting similar steps for your own cloud infrastructure needs. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/should-i-upgrade-to-tfs-2013-update-2/ Thu, 03 Apr 2014 19:26:22 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/should-i-upgrade-to-tfs-2013-update-2/ Covers new features and upgrade steps for Team Foundation Server 2013 Update 2, including improvements in backlog, test, release, and version management. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/install-tfs-2015-today/ Thu, 30 Apr 2015 05:50:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/install-tfs-2015-today/ If your team is still using TFS 2010 or earlier, you need to upgrade soon as support ends in July; TFS 2015 offers a streamlined installation, reduced setup time, and improved features, including a new build system. The Basic Server option makes it easy to get started with minimal configuration, and you can use SQL Express or your own SQL Server. Plan to upgrade to TFS 2015 now to ensure continued support and take advantage of the latest improvements. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/unable-to-load-task-handler-powershell-for-task-vsbuild/ Wed, 18 Mar 2015 14:12:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/unable-to-load-task-handler-powershell-for-task-vsbuild/ When setting up TFS 2015’s vNext build system on Windows Server Technical Preview, you may encounter a “Unable to load task handler PowerShell for task VSBuild” error due to missing dependencies or blocked files. The issue is often caused by downloaded zip files being blocked by Windows, which prevents the build agent from working properly. To resolve this, ensure you unblock any downloaded zip files before extracting and configuring your build agent. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/install-of-tfs-2013-3-with-sharepoint-2013-on-windows-server-2012-r2-update-1/ Tue, 30 Sep 2014 15:00:53 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/install-of-tfs-2013-3-with-sharepoint-2013-on-windows-server-2012-r2-update-1/ For a smooth TFS 2013.3 and SharePoint 2013 install on Windows Server 2012 R2, start with a clean, fully updated OS and avoid pre-installing SQL or TFS, as this often leads to extra rework. Key steps include using the advanced configuration for flexibility, ensuring all required service packs and features like full text search are present, and manually updating SharePoint to a supported version. To save time and avoid issues, always follow official documentation, use default options where possible, and rerun readiness checks after resolving errors. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-from-the-tfs-2013-preview-to-tfs-2013-rc/ Mon, 09 Sep 2013 10:30:38 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-from-the-tfs-2013-preview-to-tfs-2013-rc/ Step-by-step guide to upgrading from TFS 2013 Preview to TFS 2013 RC, covering prerequisites, trial upgrades, installation, configuration, and best practices. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-to-team-foundation-server-2013/ Wed, 26 Jun 2013 16:35:10 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-to-team-foundation-server-2013/ Step-by-step guide to upgrading to Team Foundation Server 2013, including backup, installation, configuration, validation, and estimated upgrade times for various scenarios. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs2012-2-issue-object-not-set-to-instance-of-object-with-tf400898-tf53010-tf30065/ Wed, 08 May 2013 17:51:03 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs2012-2-issue-object-not-set-to-instance-of-object-with-tf400898-tf53010-tf30065/ Explains causes and solutions for “Object reference not set to an instance of an object” errors (TF400898, TF53010, TF30065) in TFS 2012.2, fixed in Update 3. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-2012-update-1-tf255430-the-database-was-partially-upgraded-during-a-failed-upgrade/ Mon, 03 Dec 2012 18:25:07 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-2012-update-1-tf255430-the-database-was-partially-upgraded-during-a-failed-upgrade/ Explains how to resolve Team Foundation Server 2012 upgrade failures caused by partial database upgrades, SQL connectivity issues, and Analysis Services errors. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/installing-tfs-2012-with-lab-management-2012/ Wed, 20 Jun 2012 02:30:18 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/installing-tfs-2012-with-lab-management-2012/ Step-by-step guide to installing and configuring TFS 2012 with Lab Management, including SQL Server, SCVMM integration, troubleshooting, and environment setup tips. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/do-you-know-how-to-move-the-team-foundation-server-cache/ Thu, 03 Mar 2011 16:21:26 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/do-you-know-how-to-move-the-team-foundation-server-cache/ Learn how to safely move the Team Foundation Server cache to a new drive, update permissions, and configure web.config for better storage management and performance. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/what-to-do-after-a-servicing-fails-on-tfs-2010/ Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:10:46 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/what-to-do-after-a-servicing-fails-on-tfs-2010/ Guidance on troubleshooting failed servicing in TFS 2010, including schema version issues, recovery steps, and risks of database repair versus starting over. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-2010-work-item-seed-tfs-work-item-system-id-at-a-predefined-number/ Wed, 20 Oct 2010 23:17:43 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-2010-work-item-seed-tfs-work-item-system-id-at-a-predefined-number/ Explains how to use the TFS 2010 API to set the starting Work Item ID by programmatically creating and deleting items, avoiding ID conflicts with other systems. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/team-foundation-server-2010-event-handling-with-subscribers/ Thu, 16 Sep 2010 14:28:20 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/team-foundation-server-2010-event-handling-with-subscribers/ Explains how to create and deploy server-side event subscribers in Team Foundation Server 2010 using the ISubscriber interface to handle and process TFS events. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/active-directory-groups-not-syncing-with-team-foundation-server-2010/ Wed, 07 Jul 2010 23:02:11 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/active-directory-groups-not-syncing-with-team-foundation-server-2010/ Explains why Active Directory groups may not sync with Team Foundation Server 2010, how to diagnose sync issues, and steps to resolve identity synchronisation problems. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-team-foundation-server-2008-to-2010/ Mon, 03 May 2010 13:04:01 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-team-foundation-server-2008-to-2010/ Step-by-step guide to upgrading Team Foundation Server 2008 to 2010, covering database backup, migration, verification, compatibility, and post-upgrade testing. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-from-tfs-2010-rc-to-tfs-2010-rtm-done/ Mon, 12 Apr 2010 19:39:40 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-from-tfs-2010-rc-to-tfs-2010-rtm-done/ Step-by-step guide to upgrading from TFS 2010 RC to RTM, including backup, uninstall, install, configuration, SharePoint and build server updates, and post-upgrade testing. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/retrieving-an-identity-from-team-foundation-server-using-only-the-display-name/ Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:30:26 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/retrieving-an-identity-from-team-foundation-server-using-only-the-display-name/ Explains how to retrieve a user or group identity from Team Foundation Server using only a display name, including handling Active Directory lookups and group assignments. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-a-wpf-work-item-control/ Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:14:21 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-a-wpf-work-item-control/ Learn how to build a custom WPF work item control for Visual Studio Team System, enabling WPF UI integration in work item forms using a generic wrapper and IWorkItemControl. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-error-msb4018-the-buildshadowtask-task-failed-unexpectedly/ Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:54:05 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-error-msb4018-the-buildshadowtask-task-failed-unexpectedly/ Explains the MSB4018 “BuildShadowTask” error in TFS when using Accessors in unit test projects, its cause, and how removing .accessor files resolves build issues. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-wcf-service-host-programmatically/ Wed, 30 May 2007 00:23:24 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-wcf-service-host-programmatically/ Explains how to programmatically create and configure a WCF Service Host in .NET, including base addresses, endpoints, bindings, and service behaviours for secure hosting. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/moving-onedrive-for-business-files-to-a-different-drive/ Wed, 03 Feb 2016 14:24:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/moving-onedrive-for-business-files-to-a-different-drive/ If your OneDrive files are taking up too much space on your main drive, you can move them to another drive by unlinking your account, copying the files to the new location, and then relinking OneDrive to that folder. This avoids re-downloading large amounts of data and frees up significant space without risking your system recovery setup. Development managers should consider this approach to optimize storage and maintain system reliability for their teams. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/tags/windows/ Tue, 11 Feb 2025 10:17:24 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/tags/windows/ Windows is the Microsoft operating system that serves as a foundational platform in organisational settings, enabling the installation, configuration, and troubleshooting of software applications and development tools. Its importance is underscored by its capacity to maintain productivity through consistent updates and security patches, which are vital for agile and DevOps methodologies. By standardising development environments, Windows reduces variability and complexity, thereby enhancing the predictability and sustainability of value delivery. This consistency promotes collaboration among cross-functional teams, as all members work within the same framework, which minimises integration challenges. Additionally, Windows supports automation in deployment and configuration processes, aligning with continuous delivery principles that facilitate rapid iterations and feedback loops. The operating system also integrates with essential tools and applications used in agile practices, such as Azure DevOps, empowering teams to optimise their workflows and respond effectively to evolving requirements and market dynamics. Ultimately, Windows provides a reliable foundation for software development and operational practices, contributing to the resilience and adaptability of organisations in an increasingly fast-paced digital environment.