Wednesday, May 30, 2007

You don't have any posts marked with this label - Blogger

I had the problem with Blogger Labels reporting 1 post but when I selected the Label I was faced with the following message - "You don't have any posts marked with this label"

I have just managed to remove both lables that were having the problem (could have been lucky):
  1. Create a new test post with only a title, no main content and do not add any Labels'.
  2. In the Post list put a tick in the box to select the newly created test post.
  3. In the Label Actions drop down box select the miss-reporting Label (Repeat for other Labels).
  4. When the Labels have been added click on the Delete button to delete the test post Confirm deletion on the next page.
  5. Back on the post list page put a tick in the box to select the recently deleted post which has been moved to Drafts and click on the Delete button.
  6. Click Delete it to confirm the deletion. - (If you were lucky it will have deleted the miss-reporting labels.)

Multiple computer names using one IP Address in DNS

If you have multiple computer names using the same IP address 2003 DNS

  1. Configure DHCP to do all the DNS registrations for DHCP clients and to remove DNS registrations when the lease expires.
    - Always dynamically update DNS A and PTR records
    - Discard A and PTR records when lease is deleted
  2. Configure DHCP with a dedicated user account with a non-expiring password. (Advanced tab of the server property sheet.It can also to enable Windows 2000 option 002 (Release IP lease on shutdown)
  3. You may have to manually clear the DNS registrations before the DHCP server can update records because the record is owned by the client instead of the DHCP server.

The problem occurs when a dynamic client, such as a laptop, that registers its own record, is disconnected from the network without releasing its IP address and therefore is not deregistering its record. Since it owns the record no other computer can update the record.

Link: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/816592

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Groupwise Web mail client and Vista

Special Notice For Windows Vista Users

Please note if you are accessing GroupWise WebAccess from Internet Explorer 7 and Windows Vista (in that combination, IE7+Windows XP is OK), you need to disable TLS1.0, otherwise you won't be able to log in.

To do this, open IE7 on Vista, select the "Tools" menu, select "Internet Options", click the "Advanced" tab on the far right, scroll down the options and just up from the bottom DESELECT the option "Use TLS 1.0".

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Removing stubborn uninstall programs

  1. If there's been any manual hacking of files and/or registry, use System Restore to get things back to how they were before it started.
  2. Download safemsi.exe from here. The utility lets Windows Installer be invoked in Safe Mode.
  3. It might be necessary to start the Operating System in Safe mode.
    Boot into Safe Mode by pressing F8 before the Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 boot screen starts.
  4. Run safemsi.exe.
  5. Remove the offending application as normal using Control Panel.


Link: http://www.jsifaq.com/SF/Tips/Tip.aspx?id=9233

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Monday, January 22, 2007

Editing Group Policy settings fails

If when editing Group Policy Object settings, you notice the settings are reverting to the previous settings - this could be because the policy is set as Read Only.

This can occur when importing group Policies from a CD Rom using Group Policy Management Console. This is because the Group Policy Object held on the CD Rom is only in Read Only format.

How to remove Read Only access to a Group Policy object

  • In Group Policy Management Console, select the Group Policy Object, then on the right hand pane, select the Details tab and make a note of the Unique ID:
  • In Windows Explorer browse to the domain Policies folder (i.e. c:\windows\sysvol\sysvol\FQDM\Policies)
  • Right Click the Unique ID Folder then select Properties
  • In the Attributes section of the General tab, remove the tick from Read Only, then click Ok
  • Ensure Apply changes to this folder, subfolder and files is selected, then click Ok.

Note: The correct Read Only settings are reapplied.

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

MS Excel - deleting blank rows

This technique will allow you to delete all rows that have blank cells in a particular column.
  1. First, before you make any drastic changes to any workbook always make sure you have a backup copy or a recently saved copy in case you need to restore the original data .
  2. Now, select the cells in one column from the top of your list to the bottom.
  3. Make sure that all the blank cells in this selected range are the rows you want to delete.
  4. Select Edit, Goto (or press F5).
  5. Click the Special button.
  6. Click the Blanks option and click OK. This will select all blank cells in the range you had previously selected.
  7. Now choose Edit, Delete, select the Entire Row option and click OK.

If you work with large lists of data in Excel, this tip will save you a lot of time.

Link: http://www.theexceladdict.com/tutorials.htm

Monday, October 09, 2006

Displaying Opened TCP/IP and UDP Ports

CurrPorts displays the list of all currently opened TCP/IP and UDP ports on your local computer. For each port in the list, information about the process that opened the port is also displayed, including the process name, full path of the process, version information of the process (product name, file description, and so on), the time that the process was created, and the user that created it.

In addition, CurrPorts allows you to close unwanted TCP connections, kill the process that opened the ports, and save the TCP/UDP ports information to HTML file , XML file, or to tab-delimited text file.

CurrPorts also automatically mark with pink color suspicious TCP/UDP ports owned by unidentified applications (Applications without version information and icons)

Link:
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/cports.html

Personal Download
http://digitalvault.bt.com/document/collectionDetails.jsp?collectionName=69e9-10e0c1aad23-gemini01&mediaType=M

Monday, August 07, 2006

Changing the Attached Word Template

Problems with Microsoft Word templates.

If you move the document to a different computer that doesn't have the template, the attachment will be broken. If you move the template into a different directory on your computer, the attachment will probably be broken. If your template is on your server and you give the server a different name, the attachment will be broken. You can change the template attached to a document using:

In Microsoft Word 2003

  • Tools => Templates and Add-Ins...
  • Click Attach, then browse to the correct location i.e. file://Servername/Templates and then select the appropriate template.
  • Tick automatically update document styles
  • Click Ok
  • Save the document.

In Microsoft Word 2007

  • Click the Microsoft Office Button , and then click Word Options.
  • Click Add-Ins.
  • In the Manage list, select Templates, and then click Go.
  • Click the Templates tab.
  • Click the Attach button then browse to the correct location i.e. file://servername/Templates and then select the appropriate template.
  • Tick automatically update document styles
  • Click Ok
  • Save the document.

Links:

Template basics
Word 2007 beta help

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Creating a Persistent Route

The Route command is used to manually configure the routes in the routing table.

If problems accessing websistes or external services, with a system with two network cards setup up a Persistent Route.

To display existing active routes: - in a command prompt, type

Route Print


To create the Persistent Route type:

SYNTAX:

ROUTE [-f] [-p] [command [destination] [MASK netmask] [gateway] [METRIC metric] [IF interface]

-f
Clears the routing tables of all gateway entries. If this is used in conjunction with one of the commands, the tables are cleared prior to running the command.

-p
When used with the ADD command, makes a route persistent across boots of the system. By default, routes are not preserved when the system is restarted. When used with the PRINT command, displays the list of registered persistent routes. Ignored for all other commands, which always affect the appropriate persistent routes. This option is not supported Windows'95. command

command
One of these:
PRINT Prints a route
ADD Adds a route
DELETE Deletes a route
CHANGE Modifies an existing route destination

destination
Specifies the host.

MASK
Specifies that the next parameter is the 'netmask' value.

netmask
Specifies a subnet mask value for this route entry. If not specified, it defaults to 255.255.255.255.

gateway
Specifies gateway.

interface
the interface number for the specified route.

METRIC
Specifies the metric, ie. cost for the destination.


EXAMPLE:

route add -p 192.168.1.33 MASK 255.255.255.255 134.30.254.254

Additional information:
http://www.computerhope.com/routehlp.htm#01
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all
/proddocs/en-us/route.mspx?mfr=true

Thursday, June 08, 2006

Microsoft Virtual Server

Using the keyboard in a virtual machine in Virtual Server

Virtual Server 2005 provides much of the required keyboard functionality through the use of a Host key and keyboard shortcuts. By default the Host key is the right ALT key. You use the Host key in two ways:

  • If a virtual machine has captured the pointer, you can press the Host key to return control of the mouse to the host operating system.
  • You can use the Host key in combination with other keys for specific functions.

The following describes the keyboard shortcuts and the functionality that each provides.

HOST KEY+DELETE
Sends CTRL+ALT+DELETE functionality to the virtual machine operating system.
HOST KEY+C
Connects the Remote Control or VMRC to the VMRC server.
HOST KEY+A
Switches the Remote Control or VMRC to the Administrator Display.
HOST KEY+I
Displays connection information.
HOST KEY+V
Sets the virtual machine so that the guest operating system cannot be manipulated. You can only view the virtual machine window.
HOST KEY+H
Displays the control to set the Host key.
HOST KEY+ENTER
Switches the virtual machine window to full-screen display. This option is available only when you connect to a virtual machine using the VMRC client.
HOST KEY+LEFT ARROW
Switches to the previous virtual machine. This option is available only when you connect to a virtual machine using the VMRC client.
HOST KEY+RIGHT ARROW
Switches to the next virtual machine. This option is available only when you connect to a virtual machine using the VMRC client.

Special keys
Virtual Server includes menu options to send the following special keyboard shortcuts to the virtual machine:
• CTRL+ALT+DELETE
• PRINT SCREEN

Virtual Server 2005 Technical Library (TechNet) http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsServer/en/Library/00eb6596-14bf-4ad6-97b7-e8bcf048cd8b1033.mspx



Capture the Virtual Machine Additions Image File

The project team used the following procedure to capture the Virtual Machine Additions .iso image file to the CD/DVD drive of a virtual machine running a guest operating system.

  1. Open the Virtual Server Administration Web site.
  2. In the navigation pane, under Virtual Machines, point to Configure and then click a running virtual machine.
  3. In Configuration for the virtual machine (in the lower part of the page), click CD/DVD.
  4. Click Known image files, select VMAdditions.iso from the drop-down menu, and then click OK.
  5. On the Virtual Machine run cdrom\windows\setup.exe

Improving Virtual Server Performance - http://www.thincomputing.net/news.php?extend.1589


Switching Virtual Machines Full screen and back quickly

http://blogs.technet.com/jhoward/archive/2006/02/01/418536.aspx
So I can't admit to having written this, but I thought it was worth sharing. It's also a good example of how to use WMI to find out if a process is running, start new processes up and kill of running processes from VBScript.
Save the below as a .VBS file somewhere on your local machine. Then create a shortcut to it on your desktop and setup a keyboard quick-key access to the shortcut through the properties of the shortcut.
Assuming the virtual machine is running, you can do (assuming Z is the keystroke) type Ctrl+Alt+Z to switch between your desktop and a virtual machine. Of course, change the virtual machine name and DNS name accordingly.


strComputer = "."Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:" & "{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & _strComputer & "\root\cimv2")set sh = CreateObject("wscript.shell")strCmdLine = "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Virtual Server\VMRC Client\vmrc.exe"strArgs = "-fullscreen " & chr(34) & _"vmrc://localhost:5900/Contoso Client" & chr(34)
'//Determine if VMRC is running?Set colProcesses = objWMIService.ExecQuery ("SELECT * FROM Win32_Process WHERE Name = " & "'VMRC.exe'")
'//If the VMRC Process is running - Launch it, otherwise terminate it.If colProcesses.Count = 0 Thensh.Run chr(34) & strCmdLine & chr(34) & " " & strArgs,,FalseElseSet colProcessList = objWMIService.ExecQuery _("Select * from Win32_Process Where Name = 'VMRC.EXE'")For Each objProcess in colProcessListobjProcess.Terminate()NextEnd If

Monday, May 08, 2006

RealPlayer and ISA Server

Download RealPlayer - http://service.real.com/realplayer/down_in/ if the download manager does not work.

RealPlayer and ISA 2004

Create a firewall rule

Open ISA Management, go to the "Firewall Policy" node, click "Tasks" in the right frame of the screen, then choose "Create New Access Rule" which will take you through the following steps:

  • rule name: RealPlayer Rule
  • Allow rule
  • Selected Protocols option and add the RTSP protocol from under the Streaming Media category
  • From window you can choose Internal to permit requests from your internal clients
  • To window you can choose Anywhere to permit such requests to any site on the Internet
  • All Users to permit access from any user account

http://www.eggheadcafe.com/forumarchives/isaconfiguration/
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=288734


RealPlayer and ISA 2000


The only reliable way I found of getting the above to work (with RealPlayer 10) working with ISA in firewall mode was to do the following.
  • Install the firewall client on the workstation.
  • In ISA Server 2000
    Protocol Rule
    Set the Protocol Rule name of RealPlayer and applies to the protocols, MMS - Windows network, PNM - Realnetworks protocol (Client) and RTSP and set to Allow, set the rule to apply to a Client Set of All Clients.

    Extensions
    In Application Filters, right click HTTP Redirection Filter, in the Options tab select Send to requested Wbe Server.
  • If not set manually set the http proxy in RealPlayer preferences to the ISA server.
  • Last final section might not be required. (If required it will stop the logging of user account details)
    This final step requires you to switch off the "ask authenticated users for identification". (right click your server name under "server & arrays" -->properties-->"Outgoing web requests".
    Streaming should be reliable, although you may have issues banning users using ISA after that!

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

How to reinstall a dynamic DNS Active Directory-integrated zone

SUMMARY
This article describes how to reinstall a dynamic DNS Active Directory-integrated zone.

MORE INFORMATION
Under the following situations you may want to reinstall the dynamic DNS in a Windows 2000 Active Directory:

  • Multiple DNS errors have occurred and methods have been unsuccessful.
  • Services that depend upon DNS, such as, the File Replication service (FRS) and/or Active Directory are failing. Also, the standard troubleshooting procedures have been unable to locate the exact cause of the problem.
  • DNS had been built as a secondary DNS server or files copied from a DNS server do not support dynamic updates.
  • To create a better name space design, such as, splitting the internal and external name spaces.

You have to remove DNS and the DNS cache. Then, you must rebuild one Active Directory DNS server to set up long term stability.

The following steps can remove the defective information in Active Directory-integrated DNS:

  1. Go to the properties of the DNS zone files and change them to be a "Standard Primary".
  2. In the %Systemroot%\Winnt\System32\DNS folder, delete the text DNS Zones files.
  3. Delete the object in Active Directory Users and Computers.
  4. On the View menu, click Advanced Features, expand the System folder, click MicrosoftDNS, and then delete the zone file objects.
  5. For each Active Directory-integrated DNS server, repeat steps 1-3.
  6. In the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) properties of the first Active Directory-integrated DNS server, point it to itself. For any other DNS servers, point all of them to the first DNS server that you bring up.

    NOTE:
    Do not change the properties of any additional Active Directory-integrated DNS servers to point to themselves until you have confirmed that a full and complete zone transfer has occurred from the first Active Directory-integrated DNS server after the rebuild process.
  7. To obtain proper resolution, you must clear the Caching Resolver, which is the DNS client on the DNS server. At the command prompt, type: ipconfig /flushdns.
  8. Stop and restart DNS and the NetLogon service. Then, remove and re-add the DNS service.
    NOTE: You can use the net stop netlogon command and the net start netlogon command for the NetLogon service that registers information in DNS. Also, you can use the net stop dns and net start dns commands (to stop and start the DNS service) if DNS has not been totally removed. Or, you can stop and start the NetLogon service and the DNS service in Control Panel, in Services, or you can restart the computer.

You have completed the process to clear out a DNS server. You must complete the process for any additional DNS servers that you plan to integrate with Active Directory.

The following steps can assist you to build a strong foundation for DNS, Active Directory, and FRS:

  1. Configure all DNS servers to point to the same DNS server in the domain or forest under TCP/IP properties in DNS: Right-click My Network Places, click Local Area Connection, right-click Local Area Connection, click Properties, select the properties of TCP/IP, and then point all DNS servers to the same DNS server. Also, click the Advanced DNS tab, and then confirm that secondary DNS servers are not configured.
  2. Re-add the DNS service, or re-add the zones and configure them to be Active Directory integrated. For troubleshooting purposes, you may want to set "Allow Dynamic Updates?" to Yes. Later, you can change this setting to "Allow Only Secure Updates".
  3. Stop the DNS service and the NetLogon service by using either a command or the Computer Management snap-in.
  4. Run the ipconfig /flushdns command, and then run the ipconfig /registerdns comand. This command can help you to register your A resource record for DNS as well as your start of authority (SOA). You may want to run this command on any other servers that are critical to you.

    NOTE: The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client service needs to be running on each of these computers to register the records in Dynamic DNS. It is not relevant if the computer is a DHCP client or not. You must have this service set to "start" and the "Start up" type set to "automatic." The DHCP client service is what registers records in Dynamic DNS. (Refer to the description in the Computer Management snap-in.)
  5. Active Directory-integrated DNS is now working on your first Dynamic DNS server. You must point additional Dynamic DNS servers to the first DNS server under TCP/IP properties. You must confirm that a full and complete replication process has occurred before you change the TCP/IP properties to point to itself for any additional DNS servers.

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=294328

Microsoft Windows DNS

Wrong DNS Suffix after upgrade: KB 257623

How to configure DNS dynamic updates in Windows Server 2003: KB 816592

Monday, April 10, 2006

Enable Clear Type

Easy way:

Click on or cut and paste link below:
http://www.microsoft.com/typography/cleartype/
cleartypeactivate.htm?fname=%20&fsize=

or

  • Right-click on a blank area of the Desktop and choose Properties.
  • Click on the Appearance tab; click effects.
  • Check the box: Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts.
  • In the drop down box select: Clear Type.

Sunday, March 19, 2006

10 things you can do when Windows XP won't boot

When your computer hardware appears to power up okay, but the Windows XP operating system won't boot properly, you have to begin a troubleshooting expedition that includes getting into the operating system, determining the problem, and then fixing it. To help you get started on this expedition, here are 10 things you can do when Windows XP won't boot.

#1: Use a Windows startup disk

One of the first things you should reach for when troubleshooting a Windows XP boot problem is a Windows startup disk. This floppy disk can come in handy if the problem is being caused when either the startup record for the active partition or the files that the operating system uses to start Windows have become corrupted.

To create a Windows startup disk, insert a floppy disk into the drive of a similarly configured, working Windows XP system, launch My Computer, right-click the floppy disk icon, and select the Format command from the context menu. When you see the Format dialog box, leave all the default settings as they are and click the Start button. Once the format operation is complete, close the Format dialog box to return to My Computer, double-click the drive C icon to access the root directory, and copy the following three files to the floppy disk:
  • Boot.ini
  • NTLDR
  • Ntdetect.com


After you create the Windows startup disk, insert it into the floppy drive on the afflicted system and press [Ctrl][Alt][Delete] to reboot the computer. When you boot from the Windows startup disk, the computer will bypass the active partition and boot files on the hard disk and attempt to start Windows XP normally.

#2: Use Last Known Good Configuration

You can also try to boot the operating system with the Last Known Good Configuration feature. This feature will allow you to undo any changes that caused problems in the CurrentControlSet registry key, which defines hardware and driver settings. The Last Known Good Configuration feature replaces the contents of the CurrentControlSet registry key with a backup copy that was last used to successfully start up the operating system.

To use the Last Known Good Configuration feature, first restart the computer by pressing [Ctrl][Alt][Delete]. When you see the message Please select the operating system to start or hear the single beep, press [F8] to display the Windows Advanced Options menu. Select the Last Known Good Configuration item from the menu and press [Enter].

Keep in mind that you get only one shot with the Last Known Good Configuration feature. In other words, if it fails to revive your Windows XP on the first attempt, the backup copy is also corrupt.


#3: Use System Restore

Another tool that might be helpful when Windows XP won't boot is System Restore. System Restore runs in the background as a service and continually monitors system-critical components for changes. When it detects an impending change, System Restore immediately makes backup copies, called restore points, of these critical components before the change occurs. In addition, System Restore is configured by default to create restore points every 24 hours.

To use System Restore, first restart the computer by pressing [Ctrl][Alt][Delete]. When you see the message Please select the operating system to start or hear the single beep, press [F8] to display the Windows Advanced Options menu. Now, select the Safe Mode item from the menu and press [Enter].

Once Windows XP boots into Safe mode, click the Start button, access the All Programs Accessories System Tools menu, and select System Restore. Because you're running in Safe mode, the only option on the opening screen of the System Restore wizard is Restore My Computer To An Earlier Time, and it's selected by default, so just click Next. Then, follow along with the wizard to select a restore point and begin the restoration procedure.


#4: Use Recovery Console

When a Windows XP boot problem is severe, you'll need to use a more drastic approach. The Windows XP CD is bootable and will provide you with access to a tool called Recovery Console.

To boot from the Windows XP CD, insert it into the CD-ROM drive on the problem system and press [Ctrl][Alt][Delete] to reboot the computer. Once the system begins booting from the CD, simply follow the prompts that will allow the loading of the basic files needed to run Setup. When you see the Welcome To Setup screen, press R to start the Recovery Console.

You'll then see a Recovery Console menu. It displays the folder containing the operating system's files and prompts you to choose the operating system you want to log on to. Just press the menu number on the keyboard, and you'll be prompted to enter the Administrator's password. You'll then find yourself at the main Recovery Console prompt.

NOTE:

CHKDSK /P /R will locate bad sectors and recover readable information. (From the Recovery Console.


#5: Fix a corrupt Boot.ini

As the Windows XP operating system begins to load, the Ntldr program refers to the Boot.ini file to determine where the operating system files reside and which options to enable as the operating system continues to load. So if there's a problem rooted in the Boot.ini file, it can render Windows XP incapable of booting correctly.

If you suspect that Windows XP won't boot because Boot.ini has been corrupted, you can use the special Recovery Console version of the Bootcfg tool to fix it. Of course, you must first boot the system with the Windows XP CD and access the Recovery Console as described in #4.

To use the Bootcfg tool, from the Recovery Console command prompt, type

Bootcfg /parameter

Where /parameter is one of these required parameters:

  • /Add--Scans the disk for all Windows installations and allows you to add any new ones to the Boot.ini file.
  • /Scan--Scans the disk for all Windows installations.
  • /List--Lists each entry in the Boot.ini file.
  • /Default--Sets the default operating system as the main boot entry.
  • /Rebuild--Completely re-creates the Boot.ini file. The user must confirm each step.
  • /Redirect--Allows the boot operation to be redirected to a specific port when using the Headless Administration feature. The Redirect parameter takes two parameters of its own, [Port Baudrate ] [UseBiosSettings].
  • /Disableredirect--Disables the redirection.

#6: Fix a corrupt partition boot sector

The partition boot sector is a small section of the hard disk partition that contains information about the operating system's file system (NTFS or FAT32), as well as a very small machine language program that is crucial in assisting the operating system as it loads.

If you suspect that Windows XP won't boot because the partition boot sector has been corrupted, you can use a special Recovery Console tool called Fixboot to fix it. Start by booting the system with the Windows XP CD and accessing the Recovery Console as described in #4.

To use the Fixboot tool, from the Recovery Console command prompt, type

Fixboot [drive]:

Where [drive] is the letter of the drive to which you want to write a new partition boot sector.


#7: Fix a corrupt master boot record

The master boot record occupies the first sector on the hard disk and is responsible for initiating the Windows boot procedure. The master boot record contains the partition table for the disk as well as a small program called the master boot code, which is responsible for locating the active, or bootable, partition, in the partition table. Once this occurs, the partition boot sector takes over and begins loading Windows. If the master boot record is corrupt, the partition boot sector can't do its job and Windows won't boot.

If you suspect Windows XP won't boot because the master boot record has been corrupted, you can use the Recovery Console tool Fixmbr to fix it. First, boot the system with the Windows XP CD and access the Recovery Console as described in #4.

To use the Fixmbr tool, from the Recovery Console command prompt, type

Fixmbr [device_name]

Where [device_name] is the device pathname of the drive to which you want to write a new master boot record. For example, the device pathname format for a standard bootable drive C configuration would look like this:

\Device\HardDisk0


#9: Restore from a backup

If you can't seem to repair a Windows XP system that won't boot and you have a recent backup, you can restore the system from the backup media. The method you use to restore the system will depend on what backup utility you used, so you'll need to follow the utility's instructions on how to perform a restore operation.


#10: Perform an in-place upgrade

If you can't repair a Windows XP system that won't boot and you don't have a recent backup, you can perform an in-place upgrade. Doing so reinstalls the operating system into the same folder, just as if you were upgrading from one version of Windows to another. An in-place upgrade will usually solve most, if not all, Windows boot problems.

Performing a Windows XP in-place upgrade is pretty straightforward. To begin, insert the Windows XP CD into the drive, restart your system, and boot from the CD. Once the initial preparation is complete, you'll see the Windows XP Setup screen. Press [Enter] to launch the Windows XP Setup procedure. In a moment, you'll see the License Agreement page and will need to press [F8] to acknowledge that you agree. Setup will then search the hard disk looking for a previous installation of Windows XP. When it finds the previous installation, you'll see a second Windows XP Setup screen.

This screen will prompt you to press R to repair the selected installation or to press [Esc] to install a fresh copy of Windows XP. In this case, initiating a repair operation is synonymous with performing an in-place upgrade, so you'll need to press R. When you do so, Setup will examine the disk drives in the system. It will then begin performing the in-place upgrade.
Keep in mind that after you perform an in-place upgrade or repair installation, you must reinstall all updates to Windows.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

User Profile Hive Cleanup Service

Brief Description
A service to help with slow log off and unreconciled profile problems.

Overview
The User Profile Hive Cleanup service helps to ensure user sessions are completely terminated when a user logs off. System processes and applications occasionally maintain connections to registry keys in the user profile after a user logs off. In those cases the user session is prevented from completely ending. This can result in problems when using Roaming User Profiles in a server environment or when using locked profiles as implemented through the Shared Computer Toolkit for Windows XP.

On Windows 2000 you can benefit from this service if the application event log shows event id 1000 where the message text indicates that the profile is not unloading and that the error is "Access is denied". On Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 either event ids 1517 and 1524 indicate the same profile unload problem.

To accomplish this the service monitors for logged off users that still have registry hives loaded. When that happens the service determines which application have handles opened to the hives and releases them. It logs the application name and what registry keys were left open. After this the system finishes unloading the profile.


http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=
1B286E6D-8912-4E18-B570-42470E2F3582&displaylang=en

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

How to connect to Wanadoo (Freeserve) AnyTime if you withhold your phone number

How to connect to AnyTime if you withhold your phone number

Caller Line Identification or CLID is required

Please note that if your CLID is withheld, the instructions below for overriding this will need to be applied whenever you reconfigure your computer

Ensure that your CLID is being presented by following the instructions:

If you have Windows 2000 or Windows XP
  • Double click ‘My Computer’ on your desktop
  • Double click ‘Control Panel’
  • Double click ‘Network and Dial Up Connections’
  • Right click on the Freeserve HomeTime icon
  • Click ‘Properties’
  • Remove the tick from ‘Use dialling rules’
  • Click in the ‘Phone number’ box and enter 1470, before the number
  • Click ‘OK’

Norton Internet Security Fixes

Cannot send or receive email with regular email, such as Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express after installing Norton Internet Security http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nip.nsf/34d620401eba7
81c88256d8e0076b295/09dfad744fb5ce4965256f9b0065831a?OpenDocument&src=bar_sch_nam&seg=ag


Message: "Norton AntiVirus 2005 does not support the repair feature . . . "http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nav.nsf/docid/
2004090712504306?OpenDocument&src=hot&prod=Norton%20AntiVirus&ver=2005&csm=no&tpre
=

Error: "Your server has unexpectedly terminated the connection . . ." when sending or receiving email in Outlook or Outlook Express
http://symantec.atgnow.com/consumer/resultDisplay.do?gotoLink=743&docType=1000&contextId=2792%3A743.937&clusterName=ConsumerCluster&contentId=d60cb6d7-e033-4a6e-9012-18878c3d628c&responseId=a7a613d67668be41%3A1b1fbf4%3A108bad03ca3%3A336c&groupId=1&answerGroup=2&score=685&page=http%3A%2F%2Fservice1.symantec.com%2Fsupport%2Fnav.nsf%2Fpfdocs%2F2001060516275506&result=1&excerpt=%28Account%3A+%26lt%3Baccount+name%26gt%3B%2C+POP3+Server%3A+%26lt%3Bserver+name%26gt%3B+Error+Number%3A0x800ccc0f%26quot%3B++--+%26quot%3BXIMS%3A+Outlook+Express+POP3%2C+Error+0x800ccc0e%2C+Socket+Error+10061%26quot%3B++--+%26quot%3BThe+connection+to+the+server+has+failed.&resultType=5000#

Error: "Your email message to with the subject was unable to be sent . . ." (1003,9)http://service1.symantec.com/support/sharedtech.nsf/docid/
2004121009243713OpenDocument&seg=hho&src=_mi&
product=CC&version=103.0&language=english
&module=1003&error=9&build=Symantec

Emailing and resizing photographs from My Pictures

To send more pictures you can send the pictures as a smaller file size – not so good for printing but good enough for viewing on screen.

Here’s how to do it:

I am assuming when you transfer your pictures from your camera to your computer it saves them in the My Pictures section of My Documents.

  1. Click on “START
  2. Click on “My Pictures”, this will open a new window on your desktop, displaying all your pictures.It should include folders where you have saved your photographs.
  3. Double click the folder with the pictures you want to email, this will open the folder and display the pictures.
  4. To send one picture select the picture, by onto it clicking once, then click on the “E-Mail this file” link from the left hand side of the screen, under File and folder tasks.(To send multiple photographs in the same email, click on the first photo to select it, then hold down the CTRL key (Bottom left of the keyboard) and then click on another picture. Keep the CTRL key pressed until you have finished selecting all the photographs you want to send. To deselect a picture keep the CTRL key down and click on the picture again. With all the photos selected click on the “E-Mail the selected items” link from the left hand side of the screen, under File and folder tasks)
  5. Send Pictures via E-Mail will be displayed, Make all my pictures smaller should be selected.
  6. Click on “Show more options
  7. Select “Medium (fits in a 800 by 600 window)” for the Make my pictures this size: (This should be large enough to get the detail of the photograph, but small enough to be quicker at emailing.
  8. Click “Ok
  9. This will open a new email message, with all the photos resized and attached to the email.All that needs to be done is either type in the email address of who you want to send it to, or click the “To” button to select email addresses from your address book. (You can add multiple email address into the To section of the email address, this means the email will be sent to multiple people but only send from your computer once. If you are typing in the email addresses manually include a ; (semicolon) between the email addresses)
  10. Click the "Send" button