Microsoft Copilot is all around...

  As the debut of Microsoft 365 Copilot approaches, there are a lot of Copilot features set to be introduced across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. Here are a few noteworthy additions: Microsoft has unveiled a series of innovative features in the upcoming releases of Windows 11, some of them are already released, and some are currently available in preview builds. The Windows 11 Copilot, conveniently located in the taskbar, eliminates the need to open your Edge browser. It is seamlessly integrated with Bing Enterprise Chat (BEC) and ChatGPT, making it really easy to get started on your creative journey. Included in Windows 11 is the new co-creator feature in Paint. This feature, also in preview, is integrated with DALL-E and provides a swift and straightforward method for creating illustrations and images. If you possess a knack for crafting descriptions, you can generate quite impressive imagery. Another AI-powered feature is image creation directly from BEC. This feature, also integrate

Saving space with differencing disks?

I just read, and followed this article on differencing disks: http://www.andrewconnell.com/blog/articles/UseVirtualPCsDifferencingDisksToYourAdvantage.aspx

It was really helpful for a first timer like me. In my daily work I have to access different customers’ remotely, and they all have different ways of logging on and different security requirements. To help me with this, I have set up a couple of virtual pc's. The only problem so far, has been the lack of space on my hard drive. But thanks to this article, I have saved a lot of space. I now only have 1 core disk with the operating system and basic functions. Then I have one VM, and diff-vhd for each customer.

In addition to the tips this guy have, there are a few things I want add to "what to do to the base".
If you're really keen on saving space, I would run cleanmgr on the disk first of all. Then I would look for hidden files and folder containing uninstall information on service packs and patches (Let's face it, if you're creating a static core, you're probably not going to uninstall these patches). After cleaning up, go through basic settings you like to set to your image. From the top of my head:
Remove all visual effects you don't need
Stop services you probably don't need (don't worry, you can enable them later, if needed)
Start a few programs, and set your "standard settings"*
Then continue with the final preparations described in the article (and don't forget to sysprep if you want different SIDs in your environment.

(* One good example is Internet explorer. I always set my preferred homepage, usually blank, adjust some settings in advanced settings, set a preferred search engine and so forth. Since I "always" do it, it only makes sense to set it once, in the core)

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