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The Random Musings of an IT Consultant.......
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  • Adding a Windows 2008 Server Core box as a Domain Controller into an SBS2003 domain

    We've installed a Server Core box into our network here so we can run Hyper-V as well as VMware ESX. We have also set it up as a DC and DNS server so that of our SBS box is offline things might continue to work a bit better than they have up until now :-) Instructions on how to do this are a bit sparse and my Technician got this information from the SBSC Newsgroups: From your description, I know that you want to add Windows Server 2008 Server Core to SBS domain. If that's not correct, please don't hesitate to let me know. Unfortunately there is no article talking about how to add Windows 2008 Core to SBS domain. You can add Windows 2008 Server Core to SBS domain with the steps below on the SBS server: 1. Open a Command Prompt window. To do this, Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK. 2. Perform the following commands in the sequence noted: Note In these instructions, "drive" represents the letter of your DVD drive on SBS server with Windows 2008 DVD inserted. 2. At the command...

  • HMRC CD

    If any of you are struggling to get this paragon of brilliantly written software to run on your PC, just unplug the network cable. Seriously. You couldn’t make it up.....
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  • SVCHOST.EXE taking 100% CPU - Windows Update Service

    We've just had an issue at one of our non-mmanaged clients where they have had a number of machines running at 100% CPU due to the Windows Update Service going bonkers. The solution we have used on all machines is as follows: On the machine in question carry out the following: Log in as administrator. Download updates from step 1 and 2 from KB927891 into C:\ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927891 Go to Start>Run, type net stop wuauserv. Kill the process ‘svchost.exe’ using 100% CPU if service fails to stop. ------------------- Install updates ------------------- Reinstall WUA 3.0 with option /WUFORCE from step 2. Install update 927891 from step 1. ----------------------- Re-register DLLs ----------------------- Open Notepad and copy/paste the following text: regsvr32 wuapi.dll regsvr32 wuaueng.dll regsvr32 atl.dll regsvr32 wucltui.dll regsvr32 wups.dll regsvr32 wuaueng1.dll regsvr32 wucltui.dll regsvr32 wups.dll regsvr32 wuweb.dll regsvr32 wups2.dll regsvr32 msxml.dll regsvr32 msxml3.dll regsvr32 msxml2...

  • Installing SQL reporting Services and getting "SetDialogs" and "error 1603"?

    Just been trying to install SRS on my replacement desktop and was getting an error about SetDialogs and Error 1603. I've installed SRS on an XP SP2 box before with no problems, so a bit puzzled. A hunt around found me this thread: http://sqlforums.windowsitpro.com/web/forum/messageview.aspx?catid=92&threadid=34274&enterthread=y and running aspnet_regiis -i from the %windir%\Microsoft.Net\Framework\v1.1.4322 folder seems to have done the trick. Good old Google The reason I think I had problems this time was because I had IIS installed on this machine so I can run Virtual Server. Previously IIS wasn't installed. Hope this helps someone else.......

  • Moving CompanyWeb

    Our internal SBS2003 box and one at a clients were starting to get a bit short of space on the C: drive. One of the culprits were the Sharepoint database files which were well over a gig on our system and .5 gig at our clients. I read up various documents on the MS site and a few NG and blog posts before trying this and I have now successfully moved both sets of Sharepoint databases. I would strongly recommend you read the document at http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/1/6/11671e4d-fb21-489c-870f-db36fd21a7d2/SBS_MoveDataFolders.DOC before doing this. Because I'm basically lazy by nature and prefer to do things the easy way and I really don't like typing in obscure OSQL commands I decided to write a batch file that would do it all for me. Here it is: -------------------------------- @echo off rem Move CompanyWeb rem Based on MS document and posts on newsgroups rem YOU MUST CHANGE THESE SOURCE AND TARGET FOLDERS TO MATCH YOUR OWN rem DON'T FORGET THE TRAILING "\" EITHER OTHERWISE NASTY...

  • Enabling Log on as a Service for a local user

    I came across a situation on our network where we needed to give a local user the right to "Log on as a Service" on one of our servers. This was to support a LOB application that we run on a server here in our office. The problem I had was that for both the "Log on as a service" and the "Log on as a Batch job" the "Add User or Group" button was greyed out. This is because our SBS 2003 box has a Domain Group Policy which sets the rights to these services at a Domain level and stops any changes being made elsewhere. To get around this I did the following: 1) Logon to the server in question as Domain Administrator. Open up the Active Directory Users & Computers (ADUC) snap-in. 2) Right click on the Domain and choose Properties. Click on the Group Policy tab and open the group policies. You have to do this unless you install the GPMC on the server. 3) Create a new Group Policy and name it something appropriate. 4) Navigate to Computer Configuration / Windows Settings / Security Settings / Local Policies / User...

  • Possible issue with Outlook 2007 SP2 and access to GAL with RPC/HTTP

    Sandy Donald has recently reported on the UKSBSG Yahoo! group that he has seen an issue with Outlook 2007 connecting to the GAL over RPC/HTTP (or Outlook Anywhere if you prefer). He reports the following in his post: "I did some more digging and testing. My conclusions are that after the application of Office 2007 SP2, Outlook cannot reconnect to directories over http. It can reconnect to mailbox and public folders but not directories. So, GAL is not available and the offline message appears. I have restored a client to the pre Office SP2 install status using System Restore (having proven the issue on this client by installing SP2) and after the rather lengthy process of Office 2007 having to do a lot of reconfiguring when Outlook is started (after the System Restore) including an apparently necessary reboot, and error 1719 Windows Installer, - but no reboot occurred. Anyway Outlook 2007 is back to SP1 and, hey presto, Gal is visible and directories are connected over http. You know, on the Outlook client...

  • Proliant Support Pack 8.0 is a bit broken.....

    We have one HP ML350 G4p server that we have just started providing full Managed Service for. As a matter of course we install the HP Proliant Support Pack. The latest version is 8.0, but there appears to be a problem with it where it breaks the System Management Home Page . Only solution according to HP Support is to downgrade PSP to previous version 7.91 which does not require a server reboot. According to HP there is a fix due RSN, but I'm not holding my breath :-) Hope that helps someone avoid the same pain!

  • Installing Sophos Small Business Edition in a workgroup

    Sophos is a great anti-virus, anti-spam etc product but installing the Small Business Edition on a workgroup can be something of a challenge . The Sophos Knowledgebase is deafeningly quiet on the issue too. I had to install Sophos SBE on a client's network this week where they don't have a domain and I decided to write a batch file to do all the stuff that I believe is necessary to get it to work. For this batch file to give the Sophos Update user the correct rights on the local system you need the program NTRIGHTS from the Windows 2003 Resource Kit. I copied this into the same folder as the batch file for ease. This is the batch file: rem Create Sophos User for workgroup computers c: cd\ md temp cd temp net use x: \\<servername>\data\admin\batch copy x:\ntrights.exe rem Change the bits in <> below to your choice of username and password net user <Sophos Update User> <password> /ADD /COMMENT:"Sophos update user" /EXPIRES:NEVER net localgroup administrators <Sophos Update User> /ADD...

  • Connect iPaq to Motorola L6

    Just had to replace my aging (and totally horrible) Sony Ericsson T610 phone when it decided that life was no longer worth living. Basically I traded it's corpse in for the cheapest bluetooth phone the local Orange shop had, a Motorola L6. As I use my iPaq and Outlook Mobile Access to read email whilst I'm out of the office I needed to get the iPaq to talk to Orange GPRS via bluetooth and my phone. Basically the procedure is as follows: 1) Pair the iPaq and the phone. I won't go into that here. Look in the phone and iPaq docs on how to do that. 2) Open the Connections applet (Start, Settings, Connections tab). Click on Connections. 3) Add a new modem connection 4) Choose a meaningful name for the Connection and select "Bluetooth Dialup Modem". Click on next. 5) Enter *99# in the number field. Click on use dialling rules and ensure Use dialling rules is unchecked. 6) Enter "user" and "pass" in the username and password fields (without the quotes). 7) Click on Advanced. Change the baud rate to 57600 and enter the...

  • Microsoft Licencing as Religious Enlightenment.......

    I'm fairly convinced that there only a select few who Truly Understand MS Licencing. These are the High Priests. They are the only ones who are privy to The Inner Secrets. The Prolitatriat and the bog-standard Priesthood (who are on the Licencing Desk or who work for Distributors) are left to struggle on in the dark as best they can. Occassionally a member of the Priesthood or Redmond Forbid one of the Prolitariat have a flash of insight into the inner workings of Licencing. However the feeling of Enlightenment and Well-Being soon dissolves when one the High Priesthood gently explains that it really Isn't Like That At All. Gloom and Despondency then returns to those who are not so Enlightened.......

  • Sharepoint, metadata and OneNote 2003

    I've just been out and bought myself a Tablet PC. I decided to go for an HP TC4200, but that's another blog post at some point or another. One thing that I have now started using is Microsoft OneNote 2003 so I can scribble notes when on client's sites. I've also found that if you are talking to clients they are less intimidated by it than if you opened your laptop up and started typing away. One thing I wanted to be able to do was upload these OneNote scribblings to my Sharepoint site in a Document Library and at upload time add some metadata to the document entry such as Client, Product or whatever. However I couldn't get it to work I could save the OneNote document to the Sharepoint site (no problem with that) but I couldn't get it to ask me to update the metadata. It works beautifully in Word and Excel, but not in OneNote <sigh> It would appear that it doesn't work in OneNote by design. Yet another one of Microsoft's bizarre design decisions. This document was very helpful in sorting this out: http:/...

  • London Small Business IT Pro Group meeting 8th May - CRM with Julian Sharp of Vigence

    The next meeting of the London Small Business IT Pro Group will take place this coming Monday 8th May. We have another special guest this month. Julian Sharp of Vigence will be talking about implementing and helping clients to use CRM 3.0. Vigence are one of the leading Microsoft CRM consultancies in the UK and I know that Julian has lots of tips and tricks up his sleeve that he's going to share with us. The meeting will be start at 5:30pm Monday 8th May at Microsoft House, 10 Great Pulteney Street, London, W1F 9NB. Drinks and pizza will be served and the meeting will finish around 8:30pm in time for those who travel any distance to get away and for the locals to retire to the pub If you could let me know you are coming that would be appreciated. Look forward to seeing all of you who can make it!

  • Creating a "reminder" appointment for the next day in Outlook

    I don't know about you, but I often need to put a quick reminder in Outlook for tomorrow. Such things as "Phone Bill", "Feed the Guinea Pig" and "Get son to have bath" are the sort of essential things that make life slip along that little easier. A while ago I wrote a quick VBScript to do just that. Here it is: ' Written by Ian Watkins September 2002 ' This script creates an Outlook Appointment item to act as a reminder to the user Dim ol Dim olns dim olAppt dim olAppointmentItem olAppointmentItem = 1 ' Set the Application object. Set ol = CreateObject("Outlook.Application") ' Set the Namespace object. Set olns = ol.GetNamespace("MAPI") ' Create an appointment item and populate it set olAppt = ol.CreateItem(olAppointmentItem) olAppt.start = date + 1 & " 09:00am" olAppt.duration = 0 olAppt.ReminderMinutesBeforeStart = 0 olAppt.subject = inputbox("Please enter a subject", "Reminder Appointment") olAppt.BusyStatus...

  • Hello and welcome.....

    Hi! Welcome to my blog...... I am hoping to use this to drop bits and pieces of information that I come across as I do consultancy work for my SME clients here in Peterborough. Partly so that I can pass those things on to all and sundry, but also somewhere where I can find them when I need them again!! A bit about me...... I run an IT Consultancy in Peterborough, UK working with a wide range of SME companies in the area. Our main focus is on Small Business Server 2003, but we have clients running on a wide range (both in size and age!) of Microsoft platforms. My passion is to see real business benefit come out of my client's investment in IT. Hope you enjoy what you read!

  • Ping a remote host then if it times out run a TRACERT and send an email

    Recently I needed to find out why a connection to a server was failing every so often. I knocked this script up from a few pieces of old wood and a couple of tin cans I had lying around to do just that. It was nicely indented until I pasted it into here :-) Run it using the following command line: cscript <filename.vbs> Setup a scheduled task to run it when you need to. ' Created by Ian Watkins - Oxbridge Technology Ltd - May 2007 On Error Resume Next Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell") strComputer = "host.domain.com" vbCRLF = Chr(13) & Chr(10) strPingStatus = PingStatus(strComputer) If strPingStatus = "Success" Then Wscript.Echo "Success pinging " & strComputer Else WshShell.Run "%comspec% /c c:\windows\system32\tracert.exe " & strComputer & " > c:\belfry\testlog.txt" , ,1 Const ForReading = 1, ForWriting = 2, ForAppending = 8 Dim fso, f Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject") 'Open...

  • Puzzle of the week......

    Why does it take so long to prepare the desktop on a Windows 2008 Core server when you RDP to it? I mean it's only a command prompt.....

  • Remote Web Workplace after the updates of 11/08/2009 (that's 11th August)

    Had calls from two of our client's staff this morning who are working from home and connecting to an SBS 2003 server from their own PCs. Both had had this month's security updates downloaded to their PC last night and could not connect to RWW this morning. It turned out that we had to place the URL for their company's SBS box in Trusted Sites in IE. Why it wasn't already there and why it had worked before (they both were running SP3) is a mystery.

  • APC Powerchute

    After an exchange with an APC Support person a while back I discovered that you can get lots more information about your UPS by using a web browser. If you go :3052/">http://<servername>:3052 you get a login page to your attached UPSes. This gives a shedload more information about the UPS then you get from the PowerChute software. Well worth investigating.
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  • Problem with PureMessage can cause Exchange to be unresponsive

    We have had problems both with our own Exchange server and with another client’s this morning. Sophos released a Support Advisory last night and the KB article is here: http://www.sophos.com/support/knowledgebase/article/42245.html To resolve the problem we tried restarting the PureMessage services, the Sophos Services and the Exchange Services but the only thing that really seems to have solved it is rebooting the SBS box...... Hope that might help someone else.....
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  • VMware Consolidated Backup and Backup Exec

    We've implemented a VMware ESX farm in our offices (and we do have a Hyper-V server as well) and I have been looking at using VMware Consolidated Backup along with our NFR copy of Backup Exec to take snapshots of the VMs. I'm cheap see :-) I have got the VCB command line utilities working fine with the given documentation but whan I set BE up it failed with invalid username or password. This has been doing my head in. However looking around I discovered one post where someone had improved the JavaScript files that come with BE integration module and this gave me the idea to see if I could find out what username and password were being passed. I edited glue.js and wrote the username and password out to STDERR. In the CONFIG.JS I had put the username and password in (I'll lock down when it's all working) and was using a domain user in the form of domain\username. When I looked at the output in the logfile I was seeing domainusername all together. Being a JavaScript file it needed two \\ between the...

  • Testing connectivity to Exchange Server

    We have just being doing some work for a new client who's SBS box was in a real mess. We took advantage of Business Critical Support as part of our Microsoft Partner benefits and one of the sites the MS Engineer pointed us to was https://www.testexchangeconnectivity.com/ It's in beta at the moment, but looks as if it could be a useful resource.
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  • London Small Business IT Pro Group meeting - Monday September 11th

    Just to remind you that the next meeting of the London Small Business IT Pro Group will take place this coming Monday, 11th September. Following on from our presentation on Kaseya back in June we have two presentations on Managed Service software this month. The first is by Doug Wilson and Dr. Alistair Forbes from HoundDog Technology and the second is by Ian Blyth. Ian presently works for Pygmalion, but was the Lead Technology Specialist for MOM in the UK for 4 years. He will be talking about all things MOM and telling us what he can about the up and coming System Center Essentials. The meeting will be start at 5:30pm Monday 11th September at Microsoft House, 10 Great Pulteney Street, London, W1F 9NB. Drinks and pizza will be served and the meeting will finish around 8:30pm in time for those who travel any distance to get away and for the locals to retire to the pub :-) If you could let me know you are coming that would be appreciated. Just to remind you of the other dates we have booked this Autumn: 9th October...

  • London SMB IT Pro Group meeting Monday 9th October

    The next meeting of the London Small Business IT Pro Group will take place next Monday, 9th October. We have a slightly different emphasis this month. After a few months of technical input we are going to concentrate this month on some of the business aspects of running a consultancy. Susanne Dansey from the Kent group will be talking about the community and how to use the resources there to help you, "Utilising the Community for fun and for Profit" and also give us a run-down on last month's SMB Nation in Redmond. We also welcome Maurice Isaac and David Coburn from the Business Referral Exchange who will be doing a short talk on the benefits of Referral Generation Networking. If you are anything like me most of my work comes from referrals, so this should be useful to us all. The one bit of techy-related stuff is that there will be some folks from Microsoft Licencing there. They are looking for feedback on Open Value and Open Value Subscription licencing and on some planned training and promotions...

  • London SMB IT Pro Group meeting Monday 13th November - EVO

    The next meeting of the London Small Business IT Pro Group will take place on Monday, 13th November. If you can let me know you're coming that'll be great (just so I've got some idea of numbers) otherwise just turn up. This month we welcome Matt McSpirit, Partner Technology Specialist for Vista who is coming to talk about all things Exchange 2007, Vista and Office 2007. In fact he would like us to tell him what we'd like to hear about so he can tailor some of his talk to our requirements, so if you let me know you are coming also let me know what subjects around EVO you'd like to hear about and I'll feed that back. Please let me have your input by 9:00am Wednesday. The meeting will be start at 5:30pm Monday 13th November at Microsoft House, 10 Great Pulteney Street, London, W1F 9NB. Drinks and pizza will be served and the meeting will finish around 8:30pm in time for those who travel any distance to get away and for the locals to retire to the pub :-) This is as far as I know the last meeting...
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