Words and Software

Technical writing for Windows 10 (old: Intelligent Systems Service, Data Protection Manager, and Operations Manager)

Lost product key

John writes in with this problem: "I had to reinstall my OS (xp) today. I have completed the install...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 11/13/2005

How DPM's end user recovery feature works

Enabling users to recover previous versions of documents isn't new to DPM -- it's part of the Shadow...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 11/10/2005

How fast is DPM?

See for yourself in Veritest's Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager Backup/Restore...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 11/07/2005

A resource for error codes

I just came across another microsoft.com resource that I didn't know about before, thanks to Tony...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 11/03/2005

Online dictionary with a twist

Sometimes, you're looking up a word in a dictionary to be sure you spell it correctly. Online...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 11/03/2005

3 down, 2 to go

I passed exam 70-270! My weakest area was security, probably because that isn't something I play...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 11/01/2005

Upcoming webcasts

There are two webcasts planned for November that should be of interest to DPM customers (and those...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 10/31/2005

Some criticism of technical documentation

Selena Sol at extropia replies to the question, "What would you want to see in software...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 10/30/2005

Repurposing words

Esquivalience—n. the willful avoidance of one’s official responsibilities Only, there's no such...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 10/30/2005

New Microsoft certification plans announced

Here I am, partway through the exams for the MCSA, and we announce "a new generation of Microsoft...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 10/25/2005

DPM Exec Chat transcript posted

The transcript from the executive chat session, System Center Data Protection Manager Revealed (Oct...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 10/25/2005

Is DPM right for you?

Here are two ways to evaluate DPM... View Christopher Whyte's on-demand webcast, Introduction to...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 10/24/2005

Do you use scripting for system administration?

If not, it can be worth learning. As a system administrator once told me, "If you have to do it more...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 10/23/2005

One way writers can embarrass themselves

Documentation typically goes through numerous passes, between writers and technical experts and...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 10/21/2005

"Why can't I install DPM on a...."

There's an old song (70s) with a chorus of "Things get a little easier once you understand." (Okay,...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 10/20/2005

The story behind Chapter 1

When I joined the DPM group, I started off digging through the specs to learn about the product and...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 10/18/2005

About me

I'm a senior technical writer on the Windows Server Central Services team, working with the System...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 10/18/2005

Cool tool: Process Explorer

A really common annoyance (for me) is trying to rename, move, or delete a file, only to be told that...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 10/17/2005

The identity of Help

Today, I'm thinking about product Help, DPM's in particular. Mostly I'm thinking about the questions...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 10/12/2005

"I don't read instructions..."

Yesterday, while I was watching a usability session, the participant mentioned that he prefers to...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 10/11/2005

Executive chat: "System Center Data Protection Manager Revealed"

Please join our execs for a live chat on DPM on Thursday, October 13th, at 10:00 A.M. (Pacific). See...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 10/10/2005

Talking to tomorrow

One of the most interesting aspects of working on the next version of DPM is that we -- the writers...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 10/07/2005

Kicking off another set

Now that DPM 2006 has been released, it's time to do it all again. We had our content kickoff this...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 10/05/2005

ASR* and DPM

*ASR = Automated system recovery In our documentation, we recommend, "To ease recovery in the event...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 10/04/2005

The next Office interface

I must confess that I am not an early adopter of software upgrades. I like a high degree of comfort...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 10/03/2005

Process flows and content design

Yesterday I sat in with some folks working on the next version of SMS to observe their approach to...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 09/30/2005

Today's 'duh' moment: Outlook

After using Outlook for so many years, I thought I'd figured out all of the shortcuts and tricks I...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 09/29/2005

"80/20" and content

"80/20" is a ubiquitous principle (formula, law, etc.) that lends itself to statements such as "80%...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 09/28/2005

Check out our new TechNet page!

The DPM TechNet page is sporting a new look and lots of new links. There's the usual "Contact us"...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 09/27/2005

DPM's MVP*

*MVP = Most Valuable Professional I planned to introduce the MVP for DPM, Joseph Bittman, in this...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 09/26/2005

Status: DPM FAQ and beta upgrade instructions

I mentioned that the DPM FAQ would be published shortly and that it would contain the instructions...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 09/24/2005

Can ignorance serve a purpose?

Perhaps a more precise question would be, can technical knowledge impede a technical writer's...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 09/24/2005

The path of an error message

We all want error messages to be useful. Here's a look at how a single DPM error message changed as...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 09/22/2005

DPM Ops Guide goes live!

Data Protection Manager 2006 will be launched next week. And we made our commitment: the DPM...

Author: Jeanie Decker (MSFT) Date: 09/22/2005

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