Here are links to last week’s articles on the Altech Windows 8 launch countdown website.

Install Multiple Versions of Windows From A Single Flash Drive

While I am usually a fan of doing as much as possible to automate the installation of Windows onto PCs and servers, sometimes you just need a simple, flexible approach to allow you to quickly install Windows onto a new machine. All you need is a large flash drive, I recommend a minimum of 16GB. Working on the assumption that each Windows installation source is 3-4GB in size, this means that can usually get about 4 to 5 different installs onto a 16GB drive, and double that for a 32GB drive.

Starting Windows 8 Pro Conversations With Your SMB Customers

I have previously written about some of the benefits of Windows 8 Pro for SMB customers, but in this post I will focus on how to approach Windows 8 conversations  with your customers to help them feel comfortable  going down this path. If you position Windows 8 as a better version of Windows 7 using some of the items below, it should allow the conversations to proceed more smoothly.

The Windows Assessment And Deployment Kit

With the introduction of Windows 8, Microsoft has moved away from the OEM Pre-Installation Kit (OPK) to the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit. While the Windows ADK replaces the OPK, it also introduces a host of new capabilities to help you build the best PCs possible for your customers. There are four primary elements of the Windows ADK that will help you achieve this for your customers.

What’s New In Task Manager

Task Manager has been a stalwart of the Windows world for quite a while now, but with Windows 8 we see some major changes being made. With Windows Vista and Windows 7, Task Manager received minor updates, while the Resource Manager received most of the attention. While Resource Manager still exists in Windows 8 and presents some different, and more detailed information than Task Manager, the new Task Manager capabilities should give it a new lease of life for many who need to perform troubleshooting and support of PCs.