This post is part of a series about Configuring a Sitecore Workstation. Previous post: Configure Core Components.

Install and configure applications:

• Install Microsoft Office, but exclude Access, InfoPath, and Publisher:

• Remember to eject the CD.
• Install Office service pack 2.
• Check windows updates again.
• Install laptop utilities.
• Install the optical disk writer and any updates. Remember to eject the CD.
• Install the optical disk player and any updates. Remember to eject the CD.
• Install the SysInternals suite. I usually put these in a directory named SysInternals under the (32-bit) Program Files directory, and create icons for AutoRuns and ProcessExplorer on the All Programs menu.
• At this point, it’s probably a time to disable some software. Check for any Windows services you can configure to not start at boot, disable any IE add-ons you do not use constantly, use SysInternals AutoRuns to disable, and autoruns to disable anything you can, and then reboot.
• Install 7Zip.
• Install Notepad++. Select the option to make Notepad++ the default HTML viewer:

• Install TortoiseSVN. I clear a few unimportant options:

• Install SQL Server 2008 Express. See my post Install SQL Server Express Edition for Use with Sitecore. Most importantly, ensure mixed mode authentication, and install Management Studio Express.
• At this point it’s useful to configure the browser as described in another post in this series, Configure a User Account. 
• Install gotomeeting, but do not enter credentials.
• Install Skype, but disable features you don’t need, such as Internet Explorer integration. Note that updates to software such as skype may re-enable such features or add similar features with slightly different names in order to defeat your preference (disable using Internet Explorer Add-Ins).

• Configure Windows Update to download but not install.
• Check Windows Update.
• If necessary, on Vista, to change the Windows product key, Control Panel > System and Maintenance > System > Change product key.
• ***additional software to install***
• Disable any optional software that you can live without as described towards the end of this post.

Finally you can install Sitecore:

• Create the C:\inetpub\sitecore directory. Grant the ASPNET and/or NETWORK SERVICE account(s) full control of this directory and grant the IUSR account read, execute, and list folder contents. Copy the Sitecore license to this folder.
• Use the Sitecore installer(s) to install to C:\inetpub\sitecore\sitename (see http://sdn.sitecore.net/Products/Sitecore%20V5/Sitecore%20CMS%206/Installation.aspx).
• In each web.config:
  • Set LicenseFile to C:\inetpub\sitecore\license.xml.
  • Set interval to 00:10:00 and update the URL in the Sitecore.Tasks.UrlAgent agent.
  • Set the timeout attribute of the <sessionState> element to 60.
  • Ensure that the enabled attribute of <trace> element is false.
  • Delete /data/license.xml.

Add each site to the trusted sites zone, and test each site by at least viewing the home page and logging in to the CMS.

Before making copies of each of the subdirectories within c:\inetpub\sitecore to create a template to restore the site to its current state, start a command prompt (as administrator):

• net stop w3svc
• net stop “sql server (sqlexpress)”

For a developer workstation, install the relevant components described in a previous post in this series, First Boot and Preparation. For Visual Studio 2008, disable:

• C++
• Visual Basic
• Dotfuscator
• Tools for redistributing
• Unit testing
• Crystal
• ***screen shot***

Remember to eject the disk. Install Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1. Then launch Visaul Studio:

• Choose C# developer settings when prompted.
• See the section on optimizing Visual Studio in the Sitecore Presentation Component Cookbook. Specifically, in Visual Studio, click the Tools menu, then click Options:
  • Select Environment, and then clear the Animate environment tools checkbox.

• Expand Environment, then click Startup, and then clear the value in the Start Page news channel field. Clear the Download content every checkbox. For At Startup drop-down, select Show empty environment.

• Expand Projects and Solutions, and then clear the Track Active Item in Solution Explorer checkbox. Do not clear the three folders as shown in this image.

• Select Text Edior, and then clear the Track Changes checkbox.

• Click HTML Designer, and then for Start pages in, select the Source View option.

• Click Windows Forms Designer, and under Toolbox, set AutoToolboxPopulate to False.

• If you use JetBrains ReSharper, then expand Text Editor, then select C#, and then clear the Navigation bar checkbox.

• Right-click the shortcut you use to start Visual Studio. In the Target property, add the /nosplash command line option. For example:
  "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe" /nosplash.
• Before closing Visual Studio, close Visual Studio user interface components that you won’t need open the next time Visual Studio starts.

For myself:

• Install Visio 2007.
• Remember to eject the optical disk.
• Install Visio 2007 service pack 2.
• Check for Microsoft updates.
• Create one or more .cmd files to open Windows file system Explorer windows on directories that I access frequently using. I typically create something like C:\bin\open.cmd (where C:\bin is in the path) with contents such as the following, and then use the search or run feature on the Windows menu to launch:

@echo off

explorer /root,g:\current\deliverables

explorer /root,c:\inetpub\sitecore\site\data\logs

exit

I try not to install any of the following, and especially don’t let them run at startup:

• Fingerprint reader drivers.
• Any branding of Microsoft IM software. Disable Microsoft IE add-ins.
• Anything from blackberry.
• Gotomeeting. Especially disable Outlook integration.
• Microsoft Groove and OneNote. Disable Microsoft IE add-ins.
• Google updater.
• I don’t install Itunes, QuickTime, Safari, or any other software from Apple, especially anything that updates itself.
• Roxio update manager.
• Vista Sidebar.
• I have to use Skype for work, but I don’t recommend it. Disable Skype IE add-ins.

Now that everything is installed, clean up the system by emptying the recycle bin and removing anything unnecessary including all but the latest restore points, C:\dell, c:\temp\*, and c:\install.log.

***TODO: how to delete restore points?***

On to the next post in the series: Image the System.