Surface Pro Network Access Manager appears resolved!

Well, after trial and error and multiple system recoveries, I have gotten Windows 8 on the Surface Pro working with Cisco AnyConnect.

The version that is working without the dreaded ACNAMFD.SYS crash is the following:

anyconnect-win-3.1.04059-pre-deploy-k9

I have successfully installed and rebooted, and will be loading my secure network profiles for our distributed secure Corporate Wireless. To move the settings from, say, your Corporate issued laptop to your increasingly useful Surface Pro, copy the configuration.XML file from a configured workstation to your Pro. For me, on Windows 7 and Windows 8 the file location was the same:

C:\ProgramData\Cisco\Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client\Network Access Manager\system\configuration.xml

One item to note is that with this installed, the application becomes your wireless management interface. So previously configured wireless networks will not work until the profile is configured in the Network Access Manager! Just be aware of this before you go screaming about it breaking wireless. It's working - you just manage it the Cisco Anyconnect way now.

Yes, my wireless network is SurveillanceVan  - what, I can't have a sense of humor?

This means Desktop Mode, which means leaving the "metro" UI. Still, the endgame is getting this set up as a capable laptop replacement, and this was a major hurdle.

SIDE EFFECTS:

Now, there are some other side effects that add to the compromise equation. Namely, that upon installation and reboot, the login behavior changes.

Yup - it sets the security policy introduced back in the NT days to require a hardware interrupt to login! The problem is that the timing of hitting the Windows button and tapping power is tricky and a little (read: very) annoying.

How do I get back to that sassy Surface Login experience that I loved so much? Well, the answer is to modify the security policy back to no longer requiring CTRL+ALT+DEL!

To set it back to "normal", just hit WINDOWS+R to open the run dialogue, and type SECPOL.MSC and hit enter:

Then navigate to Local Policies, Security, Interactive Login: Do Not Require CTRL + ALT + DEL and set it back to it's prior state:

You want it set to Enabled:

Click okay, close it out and hit power. You should be back to the default login behavior. Personally, I didn't mind the change, but others I know were hurt, confused, angered, thought they bricked their Pro, etc.

While the Surface Pro continues to be a lesson in compromise, as applications that are needed for daily business use are getting up to speed, I am starting to come around. I only dropped to my full blown laptop once in the last two days - major improvement.

Now if they'd only hurry up with the Surface Pro keyboard with battery!