Sunday, May 31, 2009

Fixing the Neighbor's/Friend's PC

I just read this in TechRadar.com, I excerpted this last gem and pasted below. The full story is here but this was my favorite part.

How to fix your neighbour's PC without sustaining unacceptable casualties

Fixing a neighbour's PC is not like fixing your own. It's more like the plot of Blackhawk Down. You go in, full of enthusiasm and good intention, fully expecting to be back in under 30 minutes. And a day and a half later, you're still there, ordering replacement motherboards by overnight courier, flashing the BIOS and reinstalling Windows 95 from floppy disks, while RPGs and AK47 rounds slam into the side of the building.

It's a brutal, dispiriting business that pleases no one, least of all your neighbour, who thought you were supposed to be the expert. To avoid this horrific scenario, you must not allow yourself to fall into the trap of using your time to try and save your neighbour money. Wherever possible, opt for the fastest, simplest solution, regardless of the cost to him. Here are some examples:

Neighbour: I upgraded the RAM yesterday and now my PC doesn't seem to boot.
You: You should get a new PC.

Neighbour: I get this strange message on the screen when I start Windows.
You: You should get a new PC.

Neighbour: Crysis seems to slow right down whenever the children are surfing the internet upstairs.
You: You should get a new PC.

Neighbour: Can you help me install Vista SP2?
You: You should get a new PC.

Neighbour: How do I change the desktop wallpaper?
You: Get a new PC.

Neighbour: How do I…
You: NEW PC!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

A Recent Interview

I talk with so many vendors and industry folks that I sometimes lose track of all of them. So about 3 weeks ago CIO magazine was doing a story on Windows 7 deployment and I gave some feedback.

It's a kick to see how many different places they publish this stuff, I like the Norway post of the story!

http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=7EB47DC1-1A64-6A71-CEFB2E528DA89CE9

http://www.cio.com/article/493427/Windows_Why_I_m_in_No_Rush_to_Adopt

http://windows7forums.com/live-rss-feeds/6658-thin-budgets-bad-vista-vibes-could-block-windows-7-adoption-itbusiness-ca.html

http://www.itworld.com/windows/68602/windows-7-why-im-no-rush-adopt


Monday, May 25, 2009

Hyper-V in SCVMM 2008 “Needs Attention”

I've run into this myself as well, this is nice because it points you right to the correct updates.


Hyper-V in SCVMM 2008 “Needs Attention”: "

System Center Virtual Machine Manager (or SCVMM or even VMM for short) 2008 is Microsoft’s management tool for Hyper-V and Virtual Server 2005, with added ability to even manage VMware ESX servers. After installing VMM 2008 and connecting it to Hyper-V hosts, if these Hyper-V hosts do not have two updates installed on them, SCVMM 2008 server will report your hosts as 'Needs Attention', and the sub-status for Virtualization Service Version will show as 'Upgrade Available'.

Daniel Petri, Petri IT Knowledgebase

Check out a free sample of the VMware ESX Server Training Videos here!


vmm-attention-status-1


The nasty thing about this is that these updates are not listed in the Windows Update list of available updates, and you must manually download and install them.


Download #1:  Hyper-V Update (KB956589)


http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=956589


Install this update to resolve potential issues when you manage Hyper-V with System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM).


vmm-attention-status-2


Download #2: BITS Update (KB956774)


http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=956774


Install this update to resolve the scenario where a Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) client cannot handle files that have paths that contain the volume GUID in Windows Server 2008. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer.


Note: This patch is not available for download like the previous one. You must request it through the provided link, and you’ll receive a confirmation e-mail containing the download link and a password for the zipped file.


vmm-attention-status-3


Important note: Both hotfixes require a reboot, so be sure to properly plan for installing them with minimum interruption to running virtual machines.







After installing these updates, you must refresh the status of the Hyper-V hosts. Once finished, the status of the Hyper-V hosts are changed to normal.


vmm-attention-status-41


vmm-attention-status-5


Related Links:


Download and install the following updates on all of your Hyper-V hosts:


Hyper-V Update for Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition (KB 956589) at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=113199


Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) update (KB 956774) at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=128540







"



(Via Petri IT Knowledgebase.)

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Your company's apps incompatible with Windows 7? Shim them, says Microsoft

Your company's apps incompatible with Windows 7? Shim them, says Microsoft: "A Microsoft associate architect suggests using shims to work out incompatibility problems among enterprise applications using the upcoming Windows 7 operating system."



(Via Clippings.)

10 cool tools in Windows 7

10 cool tools in Windows 7: "

The changes to the Windows 7 interface have gotten a lot of play, but some of the new built-in tools are just as compelling. Deb Shinder runs through some of the most impressive enhancements, from the ISO burner to the Biometric Framework to PowerShell v2.





Windows 7 has received plenty of attention from the tech press, but much of the focus has been on interface changes, such as the redesigned taskbar, and new file management features, such as libraries. Some improvements are less obvious — like the new or enhanced tools that are included with the OS. Here we discuss 10 of these cool tools that make the computing experience easier.


Note: This article is also available as a PDF download.


1: Action Center


Centralized management is the name of the game today, and Windows 7 gives you a one-stop shopping location where you can go to deal with security issues, troubleshooting, and recovery, instead of searching out separate applets for each. It’s all combined in an easy-to-use Control Panel applet, where you get maintenance and security messages and can view performance information, change UAC settings, and more, as shown in Figure A.


Figure A



The Windows 7 Action Center provides a centralized location for dealing with security and system problems.

This is an outgrowth of the Security Center in Windows Vista. It made sense to combine security settings and actions with system maintenance and recovery issues. The Action Center also shows up as an icon in the system tray, which displays a red X if there are problems you need to address, as shown in Figure B.


Figure B



The Action Center is represented by an icon in the System Tray to alert you when a message needs your attention.

A nice touch is that Microsoft makes it easy for you to turn the various types of notifications on or off, as shown in Figure C. Thus, if you have an antivirus program installed that Windows doesn’t recognize, you don’t have to deal with constant messages urging you to install one — just turn off virus protection messages.


Figure C



You can turn the various types of notifications on or off as you wish.

2: Problem Steps Recorder


One of the coolest new tools in Windows 7 is the Problem Steps Recorder (PSR) — especially for those of us who provide tech support to Windows users. No matter how hard they try, users often have problems accurately describing the problem they’re experiencing or the steps they took before or after experiencing it. Sure, Remote Assistance can be a godsend in those situations. But you can’t always connect to the user’s computer in real time. That’s when the PSR comes in handy.


It’s really a type of screen capture software that records all actions — keystrokes, mouse clicks, etc. — and saves the sequence of events in an MHTML page that documents every step the user took, along with screenshots. You start the PSR by entering psr.exe in the Start menu Search box or at the command prompt. The interface is shown in Figure D.


Figure D



The Problem Steps Recorder provides an accurate record of a user’s actions, along with screenshots.

You can view the recorded steps in IE by double-clicking the saved zipped MHTML file, as shown in Figure E.


Figure E



You can view the recorded steps in Internet Explorer.

3: ISO burner


An ISO image is a type of archive file that is often used to distribute software. In Windows 7, Microsoft addressed something that’s been on the wish list of many users for a long time: Now you don’t have to download and install a third-party program to burn an ISO file to disc.


It’s a simple process: After you download an .ISO to your hard drive, just double-click it and Windows 7 will open the Burn Disc Image dialog box, shown in Figure F.


Figure F



Now you can burn an ISO image to disc easily without installing third-party software.

This also works for images with the .IMG file extension.


4: Biometric device management


In earlier versions of Windows, biometric authentication and management of biometric devices (fingerprint sensors) required third-party software that might or might not integrate well with the OS. Now it’s built in. Windows 7 includes the Windows Biometric Framework, which gives developers an API they can use to build biometrics into applications. Makers of fingerprint sensor hardware, such as UPEK and AuthenTec, worked with Microsoft on the development of the Framework. Biometric devices are managed through a Control Panel applet, shown in Figure G.


Figure G



You can change biometric settings and manage devices through a Control Panel applet.

5: Credential Manager


The Credential Manager is another new feature in Windows 7. It is similar in some ways to the password management feature in Vista’s User Accounts applet but is more sophisticated. You can manage Windows credentials for various computers that you sign onto, certificate-based credentials, and other generic credentials (for e-mail accounts, Web accounts, etc.). These are all stored, by default, in the Windows Vault, as shown in Figure H.


Figure H



Windows 7’s Credential Manager can store passwords and certificates in a central location.

Perhaps the best new feature in Credential Manager is the ability to back up and restore the Vault. Microsoft recommends that you back up your credentials to a removable drive, such as a flash drive, to make it easier to restore them if you have a hardware failure.


For more details, see Windows 7: Exploring Credential Manager and Windows Vault.


6: Display projection and Windows Mobility Center


If you give lots of presentations, you’ll welcome a new tool in Windows 7 that makes it easy for you to display your Windows 7 portable computer’s desktop on a projector. Just press the Windows logo key + P and you’ll see the pop-up box shown in Figure I.


Figure I



The Display Switch settings box lets you quickly change how you want your desktop displayed.

The first setting is the default and displays on the computer screen only. The second setting clones the display on the computer screen to the projector. The third setting extends the desktop across both the computer screen and the projector, and the fourth setting displays via the projector only and turns off the computer screen.


Pressing the Windows logo key + X opens up the Windows Mobility Center. Through this interface, shown in Figure J, you can turn on presentation mode. This disables your screensaver, sets your wallpaper to a neutral one and even puts your IM client on ‘do not disturb’ status.


Figure J



When you’re presenting, you can set your laptop to Presentation mode.

7: Text tuning and color calibration


Your computer does the work, but your monitor is what you look at all day. If it doesn’t look good, you don’t get the most out of your computing experience, and you can even strain your eyes. Windows 7 includes two great tools for adjusting your display to fit your preferences.


You can access the ClearType Text Tuner from Control Panel or from the command line (cttune.exe). If you have multiple monitors, you can tune the type on each of them individually, as shown in Figure K.


Figure K



You can tune the ClearType text on each of your monitors to suit your preferences.

The tuning tool works somewhat like those eye charts at the optometrist’s office: You select the one that looks best to you, as shown in Figure L.


Figure L



To tune the text display, you pick the text that looks best to you.

In addition to the text tuner, Windows 7 provides a color calibration tool. It’s accessible from the Control Panel or from the command line (dccw.exe). It helps you to adjust the gamma, brightness, contrast, and color rendition on your monitors for the best display, as shown in Figure M.


Figure M



The Windows 7 Color Calibration tools helps you optimize your display.

8: System Repair Disc


The Vista Service Pack 1 betas included a new feature that let you easily create a system repair disc with a friendly graphical interface, but it was removed in the final release of SP1. Windows 7 restores this functionality. Just click Start and type System Repair in the Search box. Click on Create A System Repair Disc. This opens the dialog box shown in Figure N.


Figure N



Windows 7 makes it easy to create a system repair disc.

To use the disc, put it in your drive and reboot the computer from the disc. (You may have to set the CD/DVD drive as the primary boot device in your BIOS.) Then, you’ll get a list of system recovery options, which include:



  • Startup repair

  • System restore

  • System image recovery

  • Windows memory diagnostic

  • Command prompt


9: Better backup utility


Of course, previous versions of Windows included a backup utility, but this tool has been significantly improved in Windows 7. Vista’s backup program was user friendly but not very flexible. Windows 7 gives you more granular control over what you want to back up.


You can invoke the Backup And Restore applet from Control Panel or by typing Backup in the Search box on the Start menu. You can back up your files to a local hard disk, a removable disk, a DVD, or another computer on the network. (You may need to provide credentials to access a network location.) Then, you can choose to back up libraries or individual folders, as shown in Figure O.


Figure O



The Windows 7 Backup utility lets you back up the folders you choose.

You can also exclude specified folders from the backup.


10: PowerShell v2


Windows PowerShell (Figure P) is a command-line shell interface and scripting tool that makes it easier for Windows administrators to automate tasks using cmdlets, which are commands that perform single tasks, and scripts, which are made up of multiple cmdlets to perform more complex, multi-step tasks.


Figure P



Previous versions of Windows include a command-line interpreter (command.com or cmd.exe), but PowerShell is much more powerful, providing a UNIX-like command environment that can automate almost every GUI functionality.


PowerShell can be downloaded to run on Windows XP or Vista, but Windows 7 is the first client operating system that comes with it built in. (It is also installed by default in Windows Server 2008 R2.) PowerShell v2 adds about 240 new cmdlets, as well as new APIs and features, such as the ability to invoke PowerShell scripts and cmdlets on a remote computer. You can find out more about PowerShell on the Microsoft Web site.







"



(Via Clippings.)

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

In Depth: 15 Terminal commands to supercharge OS X

In Depth: 15 Terminal commands to supercharge OS X: "

Time was that Mac users would stare blankly or visibly shudder when the words 'command line interface' were uttered.

But with Mac OS X being a Unix variant, Apple bundled Terminal right from the start, enabling Mac users to geek out as much as their PC-based brethren.

Although you can replicate the results or functionality offered by most Terminal commands via various bits of freeware and shareware, it's simpler to fire up the command line and paste in a handy command.

Below are our favourites, centring on workflow efficiency and system streamlining and improvements. Note that if Terminal becomes a mess at any point, 'clear' removes everything from the current window or tab.

Terminal commands to tweak your system

Starting with the system itself, here are four workflow-orientated tips:

1. Kill a process

killall [process name]

If a process is misbehaving or needs a restart, use the above command. For example, 'killall Finder' restarts Finder. Note that process names are case-sensitive.

2. Show hidden files

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles true

This shows hidden files in Finder. Take care to not trash something you shouldn't. Replace 'true' with 'false' to put things back to normal.

3. Force expanded dialogs

defaults write -g NSNavPanelExpandedStateForSaveMode -boolean true

defaults write -g PMPrintingExpandedStateForPrint -boolean true

These commands force expanded dialog boxes for saving (top) and printing (bottom), if an app doesn't already have a custom setting. Use 'false' to reverse the commands.

4. Declutter your 'Open With' menu

/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Versions/A/Support/lsregister -kill -r -domain local -domain system -domain user

The 'Open With' menu often gets full of junk. The above command, which must be pasted/typed as a single line, clears it out and starts again.

Terminal commands to tweak the Dock

We've already shown how to improve the Mac OS X Dock, which mentioned one of the commands below. However, other commands exist that improve your Dock and Stacks. When you're done inputting commands, restart the Dock with 'killall Dock'.

5. Make the Dock 2D

defaults write com.apple.dock no-glass -boolean yes

Switch 'yes' to 'no' if you go temporarily insane and hanker for reflective 'glass'.

6. Make hidden app Dock icons semi-transparent

defaults write com.apple.Dock showhidden -boolean yes

This turns Dock icons of hidden apps slightly transparent, making hidden apps easier to spot. Again, 'no' reverses this.

7. Make Dock app icons spring-loaded

defaults write com.apple.dock enable-spring-load-actions-on-all-items -boolean yes

Dock stacks are spring-loaded, but app Dock icons aren't. To change this, use the above command. This unhides and focuses an app when you hover an item over its icon.

8. Turn on stacks highlights

defaults write com.apple.dock mouse-over-hilte-stack -boolean yes

When a stack is set to 'Display as Stack', a highlight appears behind icons when you navigate using the keyboard. The above command forces the highlight to appear when using the mouse also.

9. Create recent-item stacks

defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-others -array-add '{ 'tile-data' = { 'list-type' = 1; }; 'tile-type' = 'recents-tile'; }'

Make sure the above is pasted as a single line. On restarting the Dock, you'll see a stack next to Trash. Click-hold and you can set it to show recent apps, documents or servers, or 'favorite' volumes or items. Run the command again for further instances that can be set to different display options.

BETTER DOCK: Add stacks for recent items, servers and documents to the Dock via a Terminal command

Terminal commands to tweak Dashboard

Some Mac users hate Dashboard so much they want rid of it, whereas others want widgets to stay put when Dashboard closes. The following tips enable these things. Use 'killall Dock' after entering commands for changes to take effect. (Dashboard is part of the Dock process.)

10. Disable Dashboard

defaults write com.apple.dashboard mcx-disabled -boolean yes

Reverse this by using the same command, but replace 'yes' with 'no'.

11. Drag widgets to the desktop

defaults write com.apple.dashboard devmode yes

This command activates developer mode for Dashboard. Once it's active, click-hold a widget and close Dashboard. The widget will stay put, floating above other windows. To put it back, click-hold, open Dashboard and 'drop' the widget. (This is fine for one-offs, but if you're a massive widget junkie, consider buying Amnesty Singles, a $10 app that converts widgets to Mac OS X applications.)

DESKTOP WIDGETS: Activate Dashboard's developer mode via Terminal to put widgets on the desktop

Terminal commands for better screen grabs

Mac OS X bungs screen grabs on the desktop in PNG format. When taking multiple grabs, regularly moving them is annoying, and you might prefer a different format...

12. Change your screen grab format

defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg

Alternate formats are 'tiff' and 'pdf' or the default, 'png'. Logout and back in for changes to take effect.

13. Amend your screen capture location

defaults write com.apple.screencapture location [path]

If you don't fancy typing a full path, add a space after 'location' and drag a folder to Terminal from Finder—the location will be added automatically. Again, a logout/login will be required for this change to be made. An eminently sensible place for screen captures is a folder within ~/Pictures.

DRAG AWARE: Terminal is drag aware, so you can add paths by dragging a folder from Finder

Terminal commands to make your Mac more fun

14. Make your Mac talk

say [string]

Replace '[string]' with some words to make your Mac talk.

15. Play Tetris

This isn't a Terminal tip per se, but you can use Terminal to access Emacs and play a skinny Tetris. Type 'emacs', hit Return, wait for Emacs to load, hit Escape, type 'x', then 'tetris' and then Return. Arrow keys and Space control the tetronimos.

Finally, if you have an aversion to typing, many of these changes can be done via TinkerTool and Secrets, but Terminal is where the action's really at for a generation of Mac users finally getting comfortable with typing (or at least copying and pasting) the odd command.



"



(Via Clippings.)

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Learning to Do It Yourself

I really enjoyed this article. I've long been a big fan of DIY and my daughter thinks my job is to 'fix stuff' so this article is quite appreciated by me. An inspiration to all those who are afraid to DIY.


Learning to Do It Yourself: "

This is a guest post from my wife.


I am not handy.


Given a garden tool or a kitchen gadget, I can usually find success. But I have neither the talent or inclination for wiring, plumbing, or carpentry. I come from a long line of un-handy people, too, so there’s no phoning home when the car’s making a funny noise or the garbage disposal is on the fritz. And, unfortunately for me, I also married one of the un-handy (although, to be fair, J.D. tries his best).


In our lifetime together, we have spent more than our share of money and time on projects that would seem simple to those with even rudimentary repair skills. However, we are getting better. Part of it is that we now live in a house with lots of ‘character’. Things break.


One day, the cold water in our upstairs bathroom sink wouldn’t turn off. I don’t mean that it was dripping; I mean it was full on. This was approximately two months after we moved in. It was at this point that I realized that we either need to learn, or have a very large home emergency fund — or both. I also realized that, in most cases, it’s not the end of the world.


So, here’s what I did this week. You might even call it handy.


Too hot to handle

On Saturday night, I baked pancetta-wrapped halibut for dinner. This recipe calls for a higher oven temperature than most: 550 degrees F.


On Sunday morning when I went to make blueberry scones (while listening to the Car Talk guys, perhaps two of the most handy people on the planet!), I noticed that the top oven of our double oven wouldn’t preheat. Luckily, I could use the bottom oven to prepare breakfast, but I was annoyed. Did I burn out the element? Then I realized we have a gas stove — there’s no element. Did I burn out something else? When I tried to preheat and failed, was I pumping natural gas into the kitchen, potentially creating a fireball scenario? The stove is only four years old, and, of course, we did not buy the service contract or extended warranty.


I pulled out the owner’s manual and flipped to the section for troubleshooting. ‘Oven not heating’ was not on the list. Time for Google. I typed in my range’s make and model and ‘troubleshooting’. Nothing really helpful came up, but I eventually navigated to a site called Just Answer.


Now, this is the first time I’ve heard of Just Answer, so I am not endorsing them. But I was intrigued by the concept and pleased with the result. Here’s the premise:



  • I type in my question and how much I’m willing to pay for an answer from one of their site’s experts.

  • Once I received the answer, I could decide to pay the amount or not, based on how helpful it was.


I thought this was an interesting business model — I decided to give it a try.


I ‘bid’ $15, the middle choice from a set of options, and wrote my question, giving make/model info, symptoms, the question about my safety concern, and the 550 degree factor. I submitted the question — and waited. Twelve minutes later, ‘appliance Doc’ answered. A real person, who answered me specifically, and told me exactly what I wanted to know, even explaining why gas was not flowing: an ingenious safety feature design that makes perfect sense.


The answer also allowed a chance to ask a follow-up, so I inquired about how easy it would be to replace the faulty part, the gas ignitor, myself. A few more minutes elapsed and a reply came with more details and a link to the part number I needed.


Personal empowerment

Could I have found this information without the online expert, by just continuing with my own online research? Maybe. Eventually. A handier person may have been willing to do that. But what this expert did for me was give me the confidence to go downstairs, dismantle the oven, conduct the test to confirm his (or her) diagnosis, and remove the faulty part. I now knew there were two kinds of ignitors, and I knew which type I needed, and I knew about how much it should cost. And I knew that the replacement should be manageable, even for me.


Armed with this knowledge, I was eager to make the repair myself and could target further Googling now that I had a name for the problem. It sure beat scheduling, and paying for, a repair person to come to the house. Ah, the marvel of the internet — and a burst of personal empowerment.


J.D. picked up a replacement part Tuesday and I put it in Tuesday night. No swearing. No fighting. The oven works, and I spent $67.50 plus about two hours of time to make it happen. I was so excited that I updated my Facebook status, crowing about it!


I also learned a lot more than I knew before about just how a gas oven functions, and that I can easily remove the oven doors when they need a cleaning. The next time this part goes bad (every 5-8 years with normal use), I’ll know exactly what to do.


I’m hardly handy, but I’m learning!


---
Related Articles at Get Rich Slowly:







"



(Via Clippings.)

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Strange NetBIOS Share Browsing Issue

We encountered a pretty interesting issue the other day....

The desktop (Windows XP Pro) could see domain member computers and shares and could open up the main file server and view the shares but when opening them it would say that the shares couldn't be found. We could, however, access them by using the FQDN.

Now this client used to have a single Server 2003 machine running AD, WINS, DNS, Exchange, etc. When we came in we moved to discrete servers for all the services and extracted all the old AD roles from the old server and decommissioned it. Turns out the old server still had the DNS role running and registered in AD. As a result, when it was finally shut off a few days ago, it was the primary WINS server. We've now removed its entries from AD and DNS, als went to the properties for the DNS and chose the WINS tab. Lo and behold, there it was listed as the WINS server. We removed it and all is well!

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

NIN Gets Evolving Technology

OReilly has an article and YouTube video interview discussing the now controversial NIN iPhone application.

While I definitely admire Trent Reznor and NIN for his stance on a lot of issues regarding the music industry but after watching this video about the app and learning about their site, NIN.com, these guys are way beyond anything else I'm aware of.

They're hitting this from so many angles, not the least of which is building customer loyalty by offering so many neat social networking and collaborative resources for fans. It's a little long on the video side and you may not be a NIN fan but it's truly impressive the work that they're doing with technology.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Consumer Reports rates free PC security software as Best Buy

This makes for fun reading and while I can't say that the free solutions are bad, they're really geared toward typical home users. The commercial products offer centralized management and notifications of viruses whereas the free versions don't and they often require much more tweaking and tuning. Even a home user will make up for the difference in price fairly quickly.

Consumer Reports rates free PC security software as Best Buy: "Consumer Reports slapped a Best Buy logo on a trio of free security programs for Windows PCs, saying they are a smarter pick than suites from companies like Symantec and McAfee."



(Via Clippings.)