News

Microsoft Issues RC of User Experience Virtualization Tool

The test version of Microsoft's User Experience Virtualization (UE-V) tool was made available as a release candidate (RC) last week.

Microsoft most recently released UE-V, which permits a user's desktop personalization customizations to roam across various Windows-based devices, as a second beta in June.

Users of beta 2 can perform an in-place upgrade to the RC, according to a blog post by Stephen L. Rose, a Windows product manager at Microsoft.

UE-V is part of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP), which is a suite of about six tools for enterprise IT pros. Organizations typically acquire the MDOP suite as an extra cost on top of Microsoft's Software Assurance licensing. Microsoft is planning to release the next version of the suite, "MDOP 2012," in the fourth quarter of this year, which is when UE-V will be ready for production environments, according to a blog post by Karri Alexion-Tiernan, director of product management for desktop virtualization.

The new RC release of UE-V includes some improvements based on customer feedback. There's a new group policy to enable or disable UE-V for individual users. Microsoft also added a couple of new PowerShell commandlets to that end. Another improvement in the RC is its ability to work on Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 operating systems.

The RC of UE-V can be downloaded at the Microsoft Connect portal page here after filling out a sign-up form.

About the Author

Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for 1105 Media's Converge360 group.

Featured

  • Microsoft Offers Support Extensions for Exchange 2016 and 2019

    Microsoft has introduced a paid Extended Security Update (ESU) program for on-premises Exchange Server 2016 and 2019, offering a crucial safety cushion as both versions near their Oct. 14, 2025 end-of-support date.

  • An image of planes flying around a globe

    2025 Microsoft Conference Calendar: For Partners, IT Pros and Developers

    Here's your guide to all the IT training sessions, partner meet-ups and annual Microsoft conferences you won't want to miss.

  • Notebook

    Microsoft Centers AI, Security and Partner Dogfooding at MCAPS

    Microsoft's second annual MCAPS for Partners event took place Tuesday, delivering a volley of updates and directives for its partners for fiscal 2026.

  • Microsoft Layoffs: AI Is the Obvious Elephant in the Room

    As Microsoft doubles down on an $80 billion bet on AI this fiscal year, its workforce reductions are drawing scrutiny over whether AI's ascent is quietly reshaping its human capital strategy, even as official messaging avoids drawing a direct line.