You may receive the following error when installing Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 or Windows 2008 R2:Source : The Windows Servicing Guy
0xC0000022 (STATUS_ACCESS_DENIED)
This can be due to McAfee Host Intrusion Protection being installed on the system. To workaround this problem, disable the following option in McAfee: Startup IPS Protection Enabled
More information is available on this thread: https://community.mcafee.com/message/177267#177267
Some of you probably noticed a new download showed up today:Source : Michael Niehaus' Windows and Office deployment ramblings
The Windows® Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows® 7 SP1
Be sure to read the “readme” that goes along with this at:
Windows Automated Installation Kit for Windows 7 Readme
A quick Q&A that I assembled from information in this readme and our own MDT testing ...
If you tried to logon on a MacBook Pro (OS X) with an Active Directory account you may have seen the following error in the system.log :
createmobileaccount[4146]: MCXCCacheMCXRecordAndGraph(): [localNode createRecordWithRecordType:dsRecTypeStandard:Users name:"paradisj"] == 4100 (Unable to set value or values for dsAttrTypeStandard:Password in the record.)
First of all, many thanks to Travis J. Garrison who pointed me in the right direction.
The problem was that I had two accounts in our Active Directory with the same value for the email attribute. The logon with the first account worked fine, but I wasn’t able to logon with the second one (on the same Mac).
The DirectoryServices.Error.log gave me the identity of the first account :
T[0x0000000102281000] - CDSLocalPluginNode::AttributeValueMatchesUserAlias(), alias exists in file /var/db/dslocal/nodes/Default/users/paradisjtest.plist
I had to change the email attribute (AD) of the first account and refresh the cache (MCX_cache) of the first account :
mcxrefresh -n paradisjtest -a
After that I was able to logon with both accounts.
Question : |
Why does Apple used the email and displayName attribute as an alias of an account when those two attributes are not unique in Active Directory ?
(It’s not a bug, it’s a documented feature) |
A few days ago Microsoft launch a redesigned “Microsoft Answers” site. The new version introduces a “reputation model” that helps identify “good” answers provided by experts.
The new site had a performance issue which now seems to be resolved. Maybe they should post a question about it
Source : www.zdnet.com
I guess those of you who are responsible for patch management have heard of the trick before. I tried it with RSAT on Windows 7 SP1, and it appeared to work fine.
In the description of this workaround, I assume that you want to install x86fre_GRMRSAT_MSU.msu. If you need amd64fre_GRMRSATX_MSU.msu, you have to change the file names accordingly. I also assume that you downloaded the RSAT MSU file to c:\tmp.The workaround description is slightly different than in chibisuke’s comment.
Install RSAT on Windows 7 SP1
- Launch a command prompt with Administrator rights.
- Execute the following commands:
md c:\rsat
expand -f:* c:\tmp\ rsat-windows-7-x86fre_GRMRSAT_MSU c:\rsat
cd c:\rsat
pkgmgr /n:Windows6.1-KB958830-x86.xml /l:log.txt- Wait until this line appears in c:\log.txt: DISM Provider Store: PID=1120 Releasing the local reference to DISMLogger. Stop logging….
- Reboot.
- Launch the “Turn Windows Feature on or off” applet in the Control Panel under Programs, and enable the Remote Server Administration Tools or Role Administration Tools you need.
Source : 4sysops.com
Scott Forsyth has started a new series of walkthrough videos about web technologies. It’s worth watching.
Web Pro Series / Week 1 / Ping and Tracert walkthroughs
Web Pro Series / Week 2 / Understanding DNS Zone Records
Web Pro Series / Week 3 / Nslookup–the Ultimate DNS Troubleshooting Tool
Web Pro Series / Week 4 / Three Tricks For Capturing Command Line Output
Web Pro Series / Week 5 / Understanding IIS Bindings
Web Pro Series / Week 6 / The SSL Bindings Issue
Web Pro Series / Week 7 / Setting Host Headers for SSL Sites in IIS
Web Pro Series / Week 8 / An Intro to IIS URL Rewrite–plus redirecting URLs to www
Good job Scott, can’t wait to see more. I will check your blog regularly.
Il you have exprienced an error with SP1 for Windows 7 / Windows 2008 R2 installation you should take a look at the Ramblings of a Support Engineer blog from a Microsoft Engineer.
Source : www.zdnet.com/blog/bott
If you’ve ever tried to use Wake-on-LAN technology, you may know that its configuration can be confusing sometimes. You have to enable WOL in BIOS and motherboard settings and correctly specify the WOL command parameters. Wake-on-LAN utilities (see a review for one of them) usually allow waking up one remote PC and require that you specify its IP and MAC addresses in order to generate and send a magic packet to it. In order to wake up multiple PCs, you have to write scripts to detect MAC addresses of remote PCs and execute a WOL utility to send the magic packet to every PC. A free Wake-on-LAN tool from EMCO is specially designed to wake up multiple remote PCs and allows automating all required operations.
Source : 4sysops.com
It is officially out !
Download details Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (KB976932)
Source : Bink.nu
When you try to install RSAT (Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7) on Windows 7 SP1, you will get this error message: "This update is not applicable to your computer".Source : 4sysops.com/archives/install-rsat-on-windows-7-sp1
This language add-in allows you to see the corresponding PowerShell script for static methods on classes. Most of the common language structures are supported.
Source : reflectoraddins.codeplex.com
Very interesting :
Google and Apple are very different. Apple has a design DNA. Google has a technology DNA.
Apple has a different feel. Its the, I'm cool, feel. Its the look, we made this thing look cooler and prettier and now there are too many people vying for your employee discounted stuff.
My manager at Apple told me that it is a hardware company, and that software is not the chief priority. This affects Apple, and software engineering is, without question, a second class citizen.
Working at Apple is like working in the Army. Sure you can ask why you should jump into the river, but you better be soaking wet before you ask that question
Source : www.quora.com/Why-would-an-engineer-want-to-work-at-Google-instead-of-Apple
Apple officially called an end to its server line on Tuesday and it’s a bitter pill for some Mac stalwarts in the data center. Part of the problem is that enterprise customers have a comfort-level problem when it comes to living with questions about Apple’s product and strategic plans like the rest of us. Cupertino’s cone of silence is absolute, whether it’s the details of the next iPad or the continuing support for Mac OS X Server.
Source : The Apple Core Blog RSS | ZDNet
The 2011 Volkswagen Jetta that we get in the United States is a different animal than the one enjoyed throughout Europe. European Jettas are fitted with a multi-link rear suspension setup, upgraded wiring harness to handle more complex optional features and more upscale interior materials. Why don't we get these things? The main answer is cost.
Strong sales would show that the Jetta is in high demand, meaning Volkswagen could realistically introduce the upgraded European features by way of a mid-model change, perhaps by 2014. Will it happen? Somehow, we tend to doubt it... but a lot can happen in three years.
Source : Autoblog
Web farm framework has in built extensibility to work with any load balancer. The intent of this article is to show how you can use a load balancer like F5.
Integration with a load balancer like F5 is great with WFF because it allows you to simplify the management and deployment of your web farm (in presence of a load balancer) without having to do these operations manually. These benefits and provisioning details are discussed in more details in WFF detailed walkthroughs.
Through its extensibility model, the Web Farm Framework is able to communicate with the F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) through the LTM's open SOAP/XML based API. This API allows WFF to make dynamic configuration changes on the load balancer, such as creating pools, disabling nodes, and re-enabling to make sure connections are not being sent to servers as WFF is updating them. F5 has wrapped their iControl SDK in a .net assembly (icontrol.dll), making integration into WFF a simple procedure.
Source : The Official Microsoft IIS Site
With the free Microsoft utilities LockoutStatus and Acctinfo of the Account Lockout and Management Tools, you can quickly access a user account’s lockout status, unlock the account, and reset the password.
Source : 4sysops
Download : Microsoft’s Account Lockout and Management Tools.
Group Policy Search is a free online tool from Microsoft that allows you to find Group Policy settings easily.
When I discovered the power of the System Policies in Windows NT 4, I wondered why Microsoft didn’t offer a search tool that allows to me find all policies easily. I had to wait only 15 years until I stumbled across the Group Policy Search service.
Source : 4sysops
Microsoft released its very first official Office app for iPhone today – OneNote Mobile, which is available in the U.S. iTunes app store only and free for a limited time.
OneNote Mobile for iPhone is a note taking and organizing app. It allows you easily create and edit notes that can include text, photo and list. With automatic SkyDrive cloud sync capability, you can always keep your OneNote notes up to date on your iPhone, and access them from anywhere – your phone, your PC and browser.
Source : LiveSide.net
Ashley McGlone has a great script up for merging GPOs together through powershell.
I wish I had this script five years ago. At the time I was searching for a way to combine or merge GPOs, but there simply wasn’t a way to do it. And today there still isn’t a way to do it… until POWERSHELL! Almost every environment I see (including my own former environment) has a collection of GPOs that have evolved over time and really need to be consolidated and cleaned up.
In Windows Server 2008 R2 we released a new PowerShell module for Group Policy administration. I haven’t seen much written about it, and I don’t think many people realize it is there.
Source : Group Policy Team Blog
Excellent wrap-up of DFS on non-MS OS
Hi all, Ned here again. I’ve been asked a few times if other operating systems can utilize DFS Namespaces running on Windows Server. It’s a sticky wicket; as a “voice of Microsoft” my statements carry a lot of weight - deserved or not. It’s not smart or ethical for me to say that something not made by Microsoft works well, works better than something else, or doesn’t work at all. In some cases, lawyers may be summoned from Vhoorl.
Complete article : Ask the Directory Services Team
Earlier this summer I blogged about IIS Express. IIS Express is a free version of IIS 7.5 that is optimized for developer scenarios. We think it combines the ease of use of the ASP.NET Web Server (aka Cassini) currently built-into VS today with the full power of IIS. Specifically:
- It’s lightweight and easy to install (less than 5Mb download and a quick install)
- It does not require an administrator account to run/debug applications from Visual Studio
- It enables a full web-server feature set – including SSL, URL Rewrite, and other IIS 7.x modules
- It supports and enables the same extensibility model and web.config file settings that IIS 7.x support
- It can be installed side-by-side with the full IIS web server as well as the ASP.NET Development Server (they do not conflict at all)
- It works on Windows XP and higher operating systems – giving you a full IIS 7.x developer feature-set on all Windows OS platforms
Source : weblogs.asp.net/scottgu
WSUS Offline Update is a free portable tool that allows you to download updates for Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, and all Office versions and install those updates on computers with no Internet connection.
Source : 4sysops
IIS 7.5 Express is a simple and self-contained version of IIS 7.5 that is optimized for developers.
IIS 7.5 Express enhances your ability to develop and test web applications on Windows by combining the power of IIS 7.5 with the convenience of a lightweight web server like the ASP.NET Development Server (also known as Cassini). The benefits of using IIS 7.5 Express include:
- The same web server that runs on your production server is now available on your development computer.
- Most tasks can be done without the need for administrative privileges.
- IIS 7.5 Express runs on Windows XP and all later versions of Windows.
- Many users can work independently on the same computer.
Download details Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.5 Express
Source : Bink.nu
- Migrate Web applications between IIS 6.0 and IIS 7.0 with ease
- Synchronize your server farm efficiently
- Package, archive and deploy Web applications more easily
For more information, see the following articles:
Source : Bink.nu
Microsoft also is releasing the 1.0 version of its free, open-source “Orchard” content-management system (CMS). Like WebMatrix, Orchard’s goal is to require users to do less coding, making the product appealing for a less techie audience, Microsoft is hoping.
Source : www.zdnet.com
Ref : orchardproject.net
The free Microsoft tool WSUS ClientManager allows you to add Windows workgroup computers to a WSUS server. To add multiple computers to WSUS, you can use the REG file that WSUS ClientManager creates.
Source : 4sysops.com
Download : wsusworkgroup.codeplex.com
I was recently talking with some good friends about tips for performance and what an IIS Administrator could do on the server side. I also see this question from time to time in the forums @ http://forums.iis.net . Of course, you should test individual settings in a controlled environment while performing load testing before just implementing on your production farm. IIS Compression enabled (both static and dynamic if possible, set it to 9) If you are running IIS 6, check this article out by Scott...(read more)
Source : The Official Microsoft IIS Site
This is a list of free e-books that are useful for Windows administrators. It will be regularly updated.
Source : 4sysops
GDism ELDI is a free GUI for DISM of the WAIK (Windows Automated Installation Kit) that allows you to manage WIM images.
Source : 4sysops
Organizations are always on the prowl for cost-effective storage solutions. In a number of previous posts, whenever a free storage product is mentioned, TechRepublic members frequently suggest FreeNAS as an alternative to StarWind, Openfiler and other software storage solutions. By its name, FreeNAS is a free solution. In this gallery, FreeNAS will be installed as a virtual machine and provisioned as a Windows file resource using the common internet file system (CIFS) storage protocol.
Source : TechRepublic
This week we are introducing a new Windows Live plug-ins website, which allows you to download and submit plug-ins for Windows Live Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, and Writer.
Source : Inside Windows Live
Microsoft Security Essentials, released back in September 2009 as a free replacement for the subscription-based Windows Live OneCare, has been updated to version 2.0 today. The final release carries the build number 2.0.657 and includes new features such as:
- Windows Firewall integration – During setup, Microsoft Security Essentials will now ask if you would like to turn the Windows Firewall on or off.
- Enhanced protection for web-based threats – Microsoft Security Essentials now integrates with Internet Explorer to provide protection against web-based threats.
- New protection engine – The updated anti-malware engine offers enhanced detection and cleanup capabilities with better performance.
- Network inspection system – Protection against network-based exploits is now built in to Microsoft Security Essentials.
You can download Microsoft Security Essentials 2.0 at Microsoft Download Center.
Source : LiveSide.net
I wanted to setup a virtual lab with a Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 server and a PXE client in Virtual Box. I finally got it to work !
The main problem is that the Intel PRO/1000 network card in VirtualBox does not seems to work with PXE (I dont know why) and the PCnet-FAST adapter is not supported (by default) in Windows PE (and no driver available in x64).
My solution is to simply define 2 network adapters in your virtual machine (the PXE client) :
PXE will use the first adapter (PCnet-FAST) and Windows PE will use the Intel PRO/1000 because it doesn’t know about the other one (no driver).
Here’s a step-by-step guide :
Ensure that the boot order of you VirtualBox machine allow it the boot from the Network :
You should also check that APIC is ON (Windows PE wont boot without it).
Boot you virtual machine, a screen like this should appear :
Open your "Windows Deployment Services” (WDS) console and approve the new pending device :
To avoid confusion in Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) I prefer to use the Computer UID instead of the MAC address to identify the computer (because we have two network adapters). To get the Computer UID at this stage, open “Active Directory Users and Computers” and display the properties of the new Computer object that WDS created when you approved the pending device.
On the Remote Install tab, copy the ‘Computer’s unique ID’ without the bracelets {}.
Open the ‘Deployment Workbench’ and create a new computer in the database (Advanced Configuration)
Enter a description and paste the ‘Computer’s unique ID’ in the UUID field. Complete the computer configuration the match your MDT setup (Assign a role or a TaskSequenceID).
That's it, reboot your virtual machine and your deployment should start.
Note : This article does not cover all your MDT/WDS setup, you have to install and configure those by yourself before using this solution. But if you used MDT before that should not be a problem.
When it comes to building a virtual datacenter, perhaps no topic is as controversial as domain controller placement. Server virtualization has been around for a long time now, and with several mature virtualization products on the market, one would think that the ground rules for virtualizing network servers would have been firmly established by now. For the most part there are clear and concise guidelines for server virtualization. This is not necessarily the case when it comes to virtualizing domain controllers though. It absolutely amazes me how many different philosophies there are as to how domain controllers should be dealt with in a virtual environment. Since there are pros and cons associated with each of these different philosophies, I decided to take a critical look at domain controller placement in a virtualized environment.
- Solutions for Virtualizing Domain Controllers (Part 1)
- Solutions for Virtualizing Domain Controllers (Part 2)
- Solutions for Virtualizing Domain Controllers (Part 3)
- Solutions for Virtualizing Domain Controllers (Part 4)
- Solutions for Virtualizing Domain Controllers (Part 5)
- Solutions for Virtualizing Domain Controllers (Part 6)
- Solutions for Virtualizing Domain Controllers (Part 7)
Source : www.virtualizationadmin.com
Thanks you all for your patience waiting for the full set of deployment walkthrough videos to be posted on TechNet Edge. As per my previous post, over the past few months I have been updating the deployment walkthrough videos and I am pleased to announce that the whole video series has now been posted. In all there are seven videos (around 10 hours of content) - you can see the full list of videos here or you can link to the individual videos below:
DEPLOYMENT PLANNING:
OFFICE DEPLOYMENT:
- Exploring the Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) 2.0
- Exploring the User State Migration Toolkit (USMT) 4.0
- Exploring the Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) 5.5
IMAGE ENGINEERING AND SERVICING: IMAGE DEPLOYMENT:
- Deploying 2007 Office System (I'm working on the Office 2010 deployment video – will be out early January)
Source : The Deployment Guys
Visio shapes to use to create models of server deployment environments.
Download this zip file of Microsoft Visio stencils to create your own diagrams for models of server deployments. For examples of how the IT pro content publishing team for Microsoft Office 2010, Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, Microsoft Project Server 2010, Microsoft Search Server 2010, and Microsoft SharePoint Foundation used these shapes, see these pages:
Download details Visio shapes for SharePoint Server, Project Server, Search Server, and Office Posters
- Office 2010 technical diagrams
- SharePoint Server technical diagrams
- SharePoint Foundation technical diagrams
Source : Bink.nu
Browse, edit, and create new code-snippets in rich UI without leaving your scripting IDE – this is what you can now do with the add-on just posted by Denniver here:
SQL injection attacks have been increasing over the last three years, mainly because of automated tools. Since these automated attacks were first noticed in December 2007, very little has changed in the way that they work. Attackers use automated tools to query search engines for interesting URLs and then submit various SQL injection payloads to each. The goal is to inject malicious JavaScript into all string columns in SQL database tables.
Microsoft has provided guidance (http://blogs.technet.com/swi/archive/2008/05/29/sql-injection-attack.aspx) and some tools (www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/954462.mspx) to combat these attacks. Microsoft has also started tracking these automated SQL injection attacks during the last one year and provides the information in the Microsoft® Security Intelligence Report.
Today I would like discuss another technique that one can use to block automated SQL injection attacks against web applications that use Microsoft SQL Server® as the back-end processor. (Note: These attacks exploit vulnerabilities in web applications; there are no known security vulnerabilities in Microsoft SQL Server). Before I describe the technique, I would like to reiterate that using parameterized queries is the best way to mitigate SQL injection vulnerabilities in web applications. You can read this Quick Security Reference: SQL Injection that details various classes of SQL injection vulnerabilities and how to address them in the design, development, and testing phases.
Source : Microsoft Security Tips
… a significant and obvious drop in the interior quality – even the non-VW faithful will notice how cheap the door panels look …
Volkswagen has long attempted to make hay from the perception that German automakers build driver's cars, but the 2011 Jetta is less so in any of the currently available U.S. trims
the seats are still widely adjustable, though less so compared to past Jettas
Electric power steering is numb and strangely weighted, like there's a coupling made of rubber bands somewhere.
Drivers looking for the old Jetta formula of near-premium feel for near-economy price will find the 2011 Jetta is Volkswagen's New Coke, though others will remind you that the updated formula actually tasted better. This new Jetta is a different flavor that appears to be more tasty to shoppers, despite leaving a bad taste in the mouths of the Jetta faithful.
Source : Autoblog
Today we released a recommended update for all Internet Explorer 9 Beta customers via Windows Update (KB2448827). This update includes stability fixes for the beta build. It is not a new Internet Explorer 9 Beta build. Another update shipped today (KB2452648) resolves issues between the IE9 send feedback feature on 64-bit machines with Windows-Live-Essentials 11. These updates apply only to Internet Explorer 9 Beta.
Customers who have automatic updating enabled will not need to take any action because this update will be downloaded and installed automatically. Customers who have not enabled automatic updating need to check for updates and install this update manually. For information about specific configuration options in automatic updating, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 294871.
Source : IEBlog
www.virustotal.com will allow you to upload a file and check it against 43 antivirus engines. Oh and did I mentioned it is totally FREE !
How effective is free antivirus software? I had a chance to see a real, in-the-wild example just this month, and the results were, to put it mildly, unexpected. Microsoft’s free antivirus solution found and removed a threat that two well-known paid products missed.
Our initial opinion of the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta went something like this; nice enough vehicle that still outpaces the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic, but the cost-cutting is evident. Soft touch materials have been replaced with harder plastics that don't feel particularly good and almost look as bad. But the U.S. Jetta starts at a class-competitive $15,995, and chopping thousands off of an MSRP doesn't come without sacrifices. But will these cost-cutting measures fly in Europe, where a higher premium is placed on an upscale interior and sporting characteristics?
Fortunately for the folks overseas, they apparently won't have to worry about it. Automotive News reports that the Euro Jetta, which launches in March 2011, will feature a more upscale interior and a four-link independent rear suspension instead of the lower cost 'built for comfort' beam axle setup we have in the U.S.-spec sedan. Source : Autoblog
I envy them :-(
Source : www.autoblog.com
Web-browser cookies, you either love or hate them. There is no in between. Well, get ready to be either more in love or more upset. Read more
Source : Micheal Kassner (TechTepublic.com)
I now have a new external monitor with my Thinkpad. Unfortunately Windows 7 is missing some tools to optimize this setup (dual monitor). Here’s what I use :
DisplayFusion
The free version of DisplayFusion is a must have for everyone with two monitors or more. It will allow you to have a different wallpaper (background) on each monitor. You can also add keyboard shortcuts to move your Windows from one monitor to another.
Good Wallpaper sites
If you want to span a single wallpaper through all your monitors you need big wallpapers. Here’s a list of good sites where you can find those special wallpapers :
| Ref : | Best Places to Find Multi-Monitor Wallpaper |
This download consists of a list of sites that are most likely to be displayed better in Compatibility View in Windows Internet Explorer 8.
Source : Microsoft Download Center
Watch a couple of interviews that highlight how SharePoint was used to implement solutions for the University of Washington, Foster School of Business and the Lake Washington School District.
Source : Get the 'Point: Posts
When coding, it's easy to make small mistakes. Usually these types of mistakes have no direct effect; the code runs and everything appears to be OK. That makes this situation so dangerous.
…
If you want to gain a quick overview of potential errors, you can use the free TM VBA Inspector. This add-in lets you browse the entire VBA code of an application for potential errors.
Source : Microsoft Access Team Blog
MONTREAL – A Montreal man who sent more than four million spam e-mails to Facebook users over a two-month period was ordered to pay the social media giant more than $1 billion in compensation.
Source : cnews.canoe.ca
The long and the short of it is that, as a general rule, I always leave UAC enabled on Windows and never run as Administrator by default. But I do have scripts that need to run as administrator from time to time.
Rather than launching PowerShell “as Administrator” (which would result in me running other scripts as administrator – because it would be convenient) I have put together the following chunk of script :
This means that when you run the script in question – a new window will be opened “as Administrator” (with an appropriate prompt).# Get the ID and security principal of the current user account $myWindowsID=[System.Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent() $myWindowsPrincipal=new-object System.Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal($myWindowsID) # Get the security principal for the Administrator role $adminRole=[System.Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole]::Administrator # Check to see if we are currently running "as Administrator" if ($myWindowsPrincipal.IsInRole($adminRole)) { # We are running "as Administrator" - so change the title and background color to indicate this $Host.UI.RawUI.WindowTitle = $myInvocation.MyCommand.Definition + "(Elevated)" $Host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor = "DarkBlue" clear-host } else { # We are not running "as Administrator" - so relaunch as administrator # Create a new process object that starts PowerShell $newProcess = new-object System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo "PowerShell"; # Specify the current script path and name as a parameter $newProcess.Arguments = $myInvocation.MyCommand.Definition; # Indicate that the process should be elevated $newProcess.Verb = "runas"; # Start the new process [System.Diagnostics.Process]::Start($newProcess); # Exit from the current, unelevated, process exit } # Run your code that needs to be elevated here Write-Host -NoNewLine "Press any key to continue..." $null = $Host.UI.RawUI.ReadKey("NoEcho,IncludeKeyDown")Cheers,
Ben
Source : Virtual PC Guy's WebLog
…VW aimed the sixth-gen Jetta at the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. But going head-to-head with two perennial best-sellers meant dropping the Jetta's base price to just $15,995. In doing that, VW cut some corners, even on the upscale SEL version ($21,895) we spent a day in.
The biggest changes are to the interior, where you'll find a lot of hard, shiny plastic where VW once used more upscale materials. Some of the knobs and switches feel flimsy. Leather is no longer an option. And though the interior is spacious and comfortable, it doesn't have quite the same fit and finish as earlier models.
VW cut costs under the car as well. The base model doesn't get cruise control. The base and SE models get old-school drums brakes at the rear, but to be fair VW says they perform as well as competitors' discs. And only the sporty GLI — available early next year— gets the multi-link independent rear suspension. Everything else uses a less sophisticated semi-independent torsion beam.
Source : www.wired.com
No, F1 2010 is not iRacing and does not qualify as a hardcore simulation in any shape or form.
To be honest, I´ve never been more torn regarding a title as I am with F1 2010. There certainly is a lot on the bright side, namely stunning graphics, excellent atmosphere like you won’t find in any other racing title and a rather innovative career mode.
Sadly, the title feels very much unfinished in its current state, being plagued by bugs and a horrible AI system as well as very limited multiplayer options. What makes these problems worse is that, aside from the issues, F1 2010 is a very fun title that shows a lot of promise.
Source : www.virtualr.net
Big news yesterday as the endgame for Spaces was finally revealed. The handwriting has been on the wall for quite some time for Spaces, with anything of value (Photos, People, etc.) pulled out of Spaces quite some time ago, and a whole Wave of innovation passing it by.
Still we were relieved and even encouraged by today’s announcement that Microsoft was partnering with WordPress.com to allow current Spaces users (and future Windows Live bloggers) will be able to migrate or start a new blog at WordPress.com, and connect their blogs to Windows Live Activity Streams through Messenger Connect.
Source : www.liveside.net
We are pleased to announce that Windows Live Essentials 2011 for Windows 7 and Windows Vista is now available for download!
Source : windowsteamblog.com/windows_live
I just found out about some simulators available for IBM servers. Mostly they are BIOS, uEFI, ServerRAID or MegaRAID software simulator that allow you to see what the interface looks like.
They are very cool.
You will find them here.
Yesterday I was trying to build a bootable USB Key with WinPE 3.0 (from Win7/2008 R2 AIK) to use on my new IBM x3550 M3. I was unable to boot the computer with the key. Strangely the key works fine on another computer.
I was building my boot image (boot.wim) for x86 (32bit) OS. This morning it hits me, why not try to build an x64 image (amd64) ? and it worked !
Here’s my understanding of the problem (and I could be wrong) :
My IBM x3550 M3 is an EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) system, you know the replacement of the old BIOS. It looks to me that booting an EFI system with a x86 WinPE is not supported because the bootmgr.efi file is missing. When you build an x64 (amd64) WinPE the file (bootmgr.efi) is present and everything works fine on my server.
Recently Microsoft published the security update MS10-039 for Sharepoint. You may want to read the following articles BEFORE applying that update :
Starting today, you can embed a PowerPoint presentation or Excel spreadsheet in a blog or website. With PowerPoint presentations, viewers can page through a mini version of the slides or view in full screen. For example, you might embed a PowerPoint presentation of photos from your last vacation, share slides from a lecture or talk that you enjoyed, or broadcast your knowledge of a special subject.
Source : meraTechPort
Powershell has become a defacto scripting environment for a lot of companies and rightly so considering its capabilities.
However, not every place do we find all modules loaded into powershell as one would like for the ease of scripting. I faced a similiar situation wherein I wanted to perform few admin tasks on an IIS box and din't have the IIS powershell snap-in installed. Wish the server was Windows Server 2008 R2 (IIS module is out-of-the-box loaded). There are more than a couple ways which could handle the script I was aiming for. Nevertheless, I thought it was a great opportunity to check out this functionality.
Source : The Official Microsoft IIS Site
It's gotten to the point where iTunes is simply something that we, as Windows users, have learned to live with. It's a bloated, poorly-written, poor performing pig of a program. But it's also an absolute necessity for the hundreds of millions of us who use iPhones, iPods, and iPads every day.
iTunes 10 might be brand new, but little has changed in Cupertino. Apple still gives Windows users a single installer that clutters your hard disk with a bunch of unnecessary components, some of which can be harmful to your system’s security and reliability. I show you how to take control of the iTunes 10 installer so you get exactly what you want and nothing more.
If you want to insert some dummy text in a Word document, start a new paragraph, type =lorem() and hit Enter.
...
Or Just type the command =rand.old(m,n) at the beginning of a new paragraph and hit enter. The number n is the number of paragraphs while n is the number of lines that you want to appear in each paragraph.
Source : Digital Inspiration Technology Blog
Today I am releasing PHP Manager for IIS 7 – beta, which is an IIS extension for setting up and managing multiple PHP installations on IIS 7 servers. It can be used to: Register PHP with IIS; Run multiple PHP versions side by side; Check PHP runtime configuration and environment (output of phpinfo() function) Configure various PHP settings Enable or disable PHP extensions Remotely manage PHP configuration in php.ini fille The PHP Manager installation packages can be downloaded from these locations...(read more)
Source : The Official Microsoft IIS Site
Download and print a reference chart of default user groups and their associated permission levels for SharePoint Server 2010.
Source : Get the 'Point: Posts
Download this Microsoft Excel 2010 template
In an interview here on Thursday, Microsoft's Dharmesh Mehta told CNET that Exchange ActiveSync, which will let Hotmail users get push e-mail on cell phones and other devices, will become available on Monday.
Source : Bink.nu
Back in April, Microsoft FUSE Labs released Docs.com, a service which ties in Facebook with Office Web Apps to let you share documents with your friends on the social network. It seems like the guys over at FUSE Labs had recently updated Docs.com, adding new features which makes document much more social and discoverable.
Source : LiveSide.net
With the relase of Codemasters’ first ever official Formula One title now being less than a month away, the last gaps of information regarding F1 2010 are quickly being filled. Part of that is the official controller compatibility list that includes all controllers that will be officially supported by the title on the PC, Xbox [...]
Source : VirtualR - Sim Racing News
Recently, Google made available the “Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.” This add-on enables consumers to “indicate that information about the website visit should not be sent to Google Analytics.” We agree that making it easy for consumers to protect their privacy is good, and Internet Explorer offers a variety of features to help keep you in control of your information when visiting websites. In this post, we describe how to use some of these built in features to accomplish the same outcome without installing a Browser Helper Object and the Google Update Service.
Source : IEBlog
Source : F1 2010 Offical site
Thanks to a tip by Chrilo, who has found out the download address for the new Windows Live Essentials 2011 “Beta Refresh” supposedly due to be released in a few hours (10AM PST according to Neowin.net). To get it, simply click on the link below:
Download Windows Live Essentials 2011 Beta Refresh (English Full Installer)
The new installer weighs in at about 151MB for the full installer and carries the build number 15.4.3001.0809. For the web installer, click here to download.
Update: We also have the installer links for other languages:
Source : Windows Live Essentials 2011 Beta Refresh available for download NOW! (Updated)
There is an update for “Calendar Printing Assistant for Outlook” that is compatible with Microsoft Office Outlook 2010 (32-bit).
It was publish last July so I misted it because I was on vacation.
Download : http://www.microsoft.com/downloads
The SQL Server team just announced the release of their latest PHP driver for SQL Server. Details about the release can be found at http://blogs.msdn.com/b/sqlphp/archive/2010/08/04/microsoft-drivers-for-php-for-sql-server-2-0-released.aspx.
A major highlight of this release has been the introduction of PDO drivers for SQL Server. This means the PHP application developer now need not care about database but rather focus on the application code.
Source : The Official Microsoft IIS Site
Sometimes you want to check if the network is up in your application, there is a built-in function for that : NetworkInterface.GetIsNetworkAvailable()
the problem with GetIsNetworkAvailable is that it incorrectly always report TRUE if a loopback adapter is present. It also report TRUE if a “VirtualBox Host-Only Network” adapter is present.
So I have written the following function in Visual Basic (vb) to replace GetIsNetworkAvailable :
Function IsNetworkAvailable() As Boolean
IsNetworkAvailable = False
Dim AllAdapters As NetworkInterface() = NetworkInterface.GetAllNetworkInterfaces()
Dim Adapter As NetworkInterface
For Each Adapter In AllAdapters
If Adapter.OperationalStatus = OperationalStatus.Up And
Adapter.NetworkInterfaceType <> NetworkInterfaceType.Loopback And _
Adapter.NetworkInterfaceType <> NetworkInterfaceType.Tunnel And _
Not Adapter.Name.Contains("LoopBack") And _
Not Adapter.Name.Contains("VirtualBox Host-Only Network") Then
IsNetworkAvailable = True
End If
Next
End FunctionSee Autoblog
IIS team has recently released a Web Farm Framework 2.0 beta . The goal of the Web Farm Framework is to enable easy provisioning, deployment and managing of web farms. This blog post provides an example of what Web Farm Framework can do and how it can simplify the Web Farm management tasks. To demonstrate the capabilities of the tool, we will create a simple web farm that looks as on the following diagram: The load balancer will be using the Application Request Routing for IIS 7 and will also act...(read more)
Source : The Official Microsoft IIS Site
Microsoft today said it will issue an emergency patch for the critical Windows shortcut bug on Monday, Aug. 2.
Source : www.computerworld.com
On this special international day, give your System Administrator something that shows that you truly appreciate their hard work and dedication.
More : www.sysadminday.com
judging the overall package based on the test cars, we'd have to say that the 2011 Jetta will be VW's best car.
Source : www.usatoday.com
I just find out that could get a copy of Microsoft’s Official logos for almost all Microsoft products at the Microsoft Press site.
An open source, AJAX implementation of the VirtualBox user interface written in PHP. As a modern web interface, it allows you to access and control remote VirtualBox instances. Much of its verbage and some of its code is based on the (inactive) vboxweb project.
phpVirtualBox was created for people (like me) who prefer not to have to log in to their headless VirtualBox host to administer their virtual machines.
Source : code.google.com/p/phpvirtualbox/
Microsoft Outlook Social Connector Provider for Windows Live Messenger Connect your Windows Live ID to the Outlook Social Connector and stay up to the minute with the people in your network by accessing everything from e-mail threads to status updates in one single, centralized view.
Microsoft Outlook Social Connector Provider for Facebook
Connect your Facebook account to the Outlook Social Connector and stay up to the minute with the people in your network by accessing everything from e-mail threads to status updates in one single, centralized view.Download:
Source : bink.nu
It’s been a while since we wrote the popular Tutorial on installing Snow Leopard on Virtualbox. Certail users had trouble with the guide due to lack of proper hardware support — Intel VT support. So here comes a tutorial with the help of tek411 which works without much hackery
Source : www.taranfx.com
Sandro Villinger wrote an excellent article on speeding up boot-times, most of these articles do not go further than msconfig.exe, this article does.
Like this article talks about “MainPathBootTime”
Read the full article: What’s Taking So Long How to Fight Slow Startup Times in Windows 7 « IT Expert Voice
Source : Bink.nu
Office Web Apps are now online :
- Word
- Excel
- PowerPoint
- OneNote
You can try it for yourself at office.live.com
This is a new tool available for free from Microsoft Download.
This is a ‘must have’.
RDCMan manages multiple remote desktop connections. It is useful for managing server labs where you need regular access to each machine such as automated checkin systems and data centers. It is similar to the built-in MMC Remote Desktops snap-in, but more flexible.
From a click in a tree I can launch a Remote Desktop on any of our servers.
There is even a thumbnail view of my connections.
You can set all the Remote Desktop Client parameters for each server.
The settings in each tab can be inherited from the parent group. This mains that you can change the settings of all, or a group, of your connections in one place.
You can log off (or disconnect) all your connections in one click.
All the settings/groups/servers you define are store in a RDG file. You can copy this file to another computer or use it to import a list of servers.
Many thanks to Julian Burger who made this nice little tool.
Download : www.microsoft.com/downloads
