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[updated 29/9/12 with new link] Given the recent comments about AD validation I thought I would share this excellent document on verifying your AD before you begin a migration (or at any other time) Active Directory Health Check - Active Directory This document outlines a basic procedure for validating...
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I've been part of a lively debate on the Yahoo UK SBS Group about how to migrate from SBS 2003 to SBS 2008 and what the issues are. The information I have so far is good, but I need much more to take it to the product teams. For sure, the issues so far are: Concerns around the "state"...
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David Overton
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Mon, Jan 19 2009
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Filed under: SBS 2003, Support and Tools, Community, Exchange, Windows Server 2003, SBSC, Microsoft, SBS 2003 R2, Small business, Partner, If you only read one post today, Windows Server 2008, SBS 2008
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If you have have Office 2007 or a Windows Vista or Windows Desktop Search (WDS) then you probably have V2.6 or V3 of this fantastic search product. Version 4 has a wealth of updates, but most importantly, is more stable and faster. One of the things I love about this is that if you put this on a client...
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David Overton's Blog
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David Overton
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Sun, Jun 8 2008
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Filed under: SBS 2003, Windows 7, Vista and XP, Support and Tools, Windows Server 2003, Windows Home Server, Microsoft, Windows Client, Windows XP, SBS 2003 R2, Windows Server 2008, Search, SBS 2008
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I have a Windows Home Server at home and I decided I wanted it to be responsible for handing out DHCP and DNS addresses in the house. All very good, but when I set up the services none of it worked because of the built in Windows Firewall. While I could have just turned off the Firewall I decided to...
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[updated 4th March] Many people congratulated Microsoft after the Mr Busy campaigns allowed partners to drive their customers back to them using a MS campaign. Well, this is now being repeated for a number of campaigns. Today I found the click and go site to get them all ( http://www.campaigns.arvato...
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David Overton's Blog
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David Overton
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Tue, Mar 4 2008
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Filed under: SBS 2003, Windows 7, Vista and XP, Office System, CRM, Support and Tools, Business, Windows Mobile, Windows SharePoint Services, Community, Windows Server 2003, SBSC, Microsoft, Windows Client, Vista, Office 2007, SBS 2003 R2, Marketing, Small business, Partner
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Just to recap on these links since I still get questions about the Transition Pack. These are some good starting points for understanding Transition Pack (pay special attention to the registry key portion if they have Backup Exec installed): http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/archive/2006/01/12/417350.aspx...
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There was a short burst on e-mail the other day about this, but I thought I would share. The situation was that someone was adding SBS to an existing domain, not a problem, but the existing domain had some trusts set up. Since SBS does not support trusts things did not go well. So, to follow up we need...
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I love Vlad's straight talking. If you get a chance read the whole of the blog entry Vlad Mazek - Vladville Blog » Blog Archive » Windows Server 2003 SP2 EEULA & CYA because as far as I am concerned he is preaching to the converted. I will stand by my view that Service Packs are tested as much...
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David Overton's Blog
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David Overton
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Sun, Jun 24 2007
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Filed under: SBS 2003, Support and Tools, Security, Community, Windows Server 2003, SBSC, SBS 2003 R2, Small business, Partner, Service Pack, System Update, If you only read one post today
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I did a quick scan and it seems that this month Office is the main target of updates, along with one critical one for Windows Server (for DNS RPC attack) and one for IE7. Worth a quick download and install :-) I also got this in the mail today: Apple QuickTime 7.x must be upgraded to 7.1.5 or higher...
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David Overton's Blog
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David Overton
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Tue, May 8 2007
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Filed under: SBS 2003, Windows 7, Vista and XP, Office System, Support and Tools, Security, Exchange, Windows Server 2003, Windows Client, Windows XP, Office 2007, SBS 2003 R2, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Office 2003
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First off I have some bad news for you - this pack no longer exists (although if you search the web hard enough you might find someone with a legitimate one to sell). However, this pack would have taken you to Windows 2000 - not exactly the best destination, so what are your options? Migrate to SBS 2003...
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I had some apps fail on my machine yesterday after I got back from the TechNet event, so off I went to diagnose. It was then that I discovered that the help and support service had gone. Vanished, Vamoosh. I did find this little baby in the event log though: Event Type: Error Event Source: HELPSVC Event...
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A nice man named Zack dropped me a mail asking about the Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) tools and "real" documentation, which led to Matt in the PTS team writing about all the great tools (see below). I then installed SP2 for Windows Server 2003 and realised that my SBS 2003 system now has the capabilities...
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David Overton's Blog
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David Overton
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Fri, Mar 16 2007
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Filed under: SBS 2003, Windows 7, Vista and XP, Office System, Support and Tools, Virtualisation, Windows Server 2003, Windows Client, Windows XP, Vista, Office 2007, SBS 2003 R2, Documentation, Training, OPK, Partner, Virtual PC, Service Pack, Virtual Server, Office 2003
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[updated 21th March 14:15] This is just a quick note to say that the release notes are WRONG (and will be changed) in stating that IE7 has to be uninstalled. Also, if you have automatic updates turned on, SP2 will still prompt prior to an install as the EULA needs to be accepted, so no discovering that...
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David Overton's Blog
by
David Overton
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Wed, Mar 14 2007
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Filed under: SBS 2003, Support and Tools, Community, Windows Server 2003, Microsoft, SBS 2003 R2, Documentation, Partner, Service Pack, System Update
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[updated 9th August 2007 to add read/write document registry change] A few people said this was a showstopper for them in recommneding Office 2007 to their customers so I figured it had to be fixed. I nixed a huge amount of work from the right stuff blog " Office 2007 File Icons for Windows SharePoint...
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David Overton's Blog
by
David Overton
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Tue, Mar 13 2007
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Filed under: SBS 2003, Office System, Support and Tools, Windows SharePoint Services, Community, Windows Server 2003, SBSC, Office 2007, SBS 2003 R2, Tips, Small business, SharePoint
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[updated 28th Feb 2007 - 07:47 with correct link for Outlook 2007 and Windows XP] Use this document to join computers that are running Windows Vista to your Windows Small Business Server 2003 network using the "Update for Windows Small Business Server 2003: Windows Vista and Outlook 2007 compatibility...
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David Overton's Blog
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David Overton
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Wed, Feb 28 2007
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Filed under: SBS 2003, Windows 7, Vista and XP, Office System, Support and Tools, Business, Windows SharePoint Services, Community, Windows Server 2003, SBSC, Windows Client, Vista, Office 2007, SBS 2003 R2, Documentation, Application Compatibility
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I can be abrasive sometimes and whether it "is my fault" or not, I don't always understand others' point of views. To this I would like to say "It is my fault". Now, if you have got up off the floor, let me give you a few examples. I say "contact our customer support" and you say "I don't have time"...
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David Overton's Blog
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David Overton
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Mon, Feb 19 2007
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Filed under: SBS 2003, Windows 7, Vista and XP, Office System, Support and Tools, System Builder Information, Business, Off-topic, Windows SharePoint Services, Community, Windows Server 2003, Personal, SBSC, Windows Client, Vista, Office 2007, SBS 2003 R2, Marketing, Action Pack
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WFetch 1.4 A tool aimed at helping resolve problems where the browser is unable to connect to a Web site. SSL Diagnostics Version 1.1 (x64) Download this troubleshooting tool for Internet Information Services (IIS). SSL Diagnostics Version 1.1 (x86) Download this troubleshooting tool for Internet Information...
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I saw this and thought of you :-) Seriously, if you are trying to resolve these issues then these tools can be very useful indeed. Debug Diagnostic Tool v1.1 The Debug Diagnostic Tool (DebugDiag) is designed to assist in troubleshooting issues such as hangs, slow performance, memory leaks or fragmentation...
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David Overton's Blog
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David Overton
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Sat, Jan 20 2007
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Filed under: SBS 2003, Windows 7, Vista and XP, Support and Tools, Windows Server 2003, test, Windows Client, Windows XP, Vista, SBS 2003 R2, Documentation
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I am sure you have seen these already, but if not, these are great tools to help when you quickly need a machine to test something on, or spend longer learning about a product. I know you can get the disks in the action pack, but then you have to load it up on a PC or VPC - this saves you all the trouble...
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You can tell I am in catch up mode on the blog today. Just saw the article If you do remote support of servers - I think you need to call for this hotfix on Susan's Blog and decided this is something we all need to include into our patching cycle this month, so go and request the hotfix. ttfn David
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I still fear Susan and what she would do if I ever made a serious security blunder. Luckily for me, I haven't yet. I also love the way she tells you the way it should be and makes it easy. I went through the process of evaluating my patches and then installing those I thought were needed (I do have some...
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http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/jul06/07-18WinternalsPR.mspx This is a bit of old news, but I have not reported it. There has always been a set of amazing tools that were usable to diagnose inside Windows, they were sold from a company called WinInternals, who then produced a set of free...
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This one was a bit of a surprise to me, but my Dad, who is an IT Consultant phoned me up to explain that when he range business critical support for a customer down situation he was told that his registration had lapsed. He then had to go through a process to re-register before his call could be processed...
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I have a mate at work, Chris, who has always been a good and clever egg the whole time I have known him. He is also very passionate about partners getting the right level of support as well as liking Stoke City, but something's just have to be forgiven. One thing he has got a bee in his bonnet about...
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David Overton's Blog
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David Overton
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Mon, Sep 4 2006
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Filed under: SBS 2003, Windows 7, Vista and XP, Office System, CRM, Support and Tools, Windows SharePoint Services, SQL Server, Exchange, Windows Server 2003
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I remember this time last year - people were debating the benefits of SMBNation - was it worth the cash, then a nice sized bunch left the safe shores of the uk and traveled across the shiny pond and mottled country to arrive in Seattle. Behold, what they found was not quite gold and definitely not fools...