Read Paul Thurrott’s review and download it afterwards (use Get Offer button). It is an interesting product, although I find it limited in two ways: you cannot resize and utilize a high-resolution and the maximum playback target is 1024x768.
Saturday, October 30, 2004
The Sender ID Standard
With AOL now backing Sender ID it seems like it is going to be the standard. Consequently, it is time to read more about in this winntmag article.
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Why you shouldn't be using passwords of any kind on your Windows networks . . .
Read this excellent blog by Robert Hensing, Microsoft. Remember to read all the comments. Great stuff!
Madam, I'm ADAM
A Scripting Clinic article worth reading of that name first gives a good introduction of setting up Active Directory Application Mode and then introduces scripting – which is very much like normal AD scripting.
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
MOM Product feedback center ...
For a while now it has been been possible to interact directly through the Product feedback center with Microsofts development teams on their development tools/technologies. This has now been extended to include Microsoft Operations Manager (Select MOM under Product/technology and search). Use your chance to provide MS with suggestions on how to further develop MOM and on Bugs they need to resolve - and not least get a response from the development team!
Friday, October 22, 2004
Hex to decimal to error text
Just figured out that hex-to-decimal can be very, very easy from the command prompt:
Set /a 0x7a
Next step might be to convert it into an error message:
Net helpmsg 122
This can be done in a one-liner:
Set /a e=0x7a & (net helpmsg %e%)
Note the parenthesis – without, the e environment variable does not exist when net… is parsed by the interpreter. With parenthesis, it is treated like a separate line.
If you get an error number like -2147024891, you have to remove the upper 16 bits before you get the real error number:
set /a "-2147024891 & 0xffff"
Note that the quotes are necessary to treat & like a bit-wise and.
Calc R.I.P.
Set /a 0x7a
Next step might be to convert it into an error message:
Net helpmsg 122
This can be done in a one-liner:
Set /a e=0x7a & (net helpmsg %e%)
Note the parenthesis – without, the e environment variable does not exist when net… is parsed by the interpreter. With parenthesis, it is treated like a separate line.
If you get an error number like -2147024891, you have to remove the upper 16 bits before you get the real error number:
set /a "-2147024891 & 0xffff"
Note that the quotes are necessary to treat & like a bit-wise and.
Calc R.I.P.
Everything you ever wanted to know on how to configure SMTP
You might already have seen this blog on You had me at EHLO... but I thought it was worth mentioning as it it a great blog on the inner-workings of SMTP (That you newer can know enough about ;-)
If you don't know the You had me at EHLO... blog i would suggest that you check it out - IMHO it's a must read for everyone working with Exchange.
If you don't know the You had me at EHLO... blog i would suggest that you check it out - IMHO it's a must read for everyone working with Exchange.
Thursday, October 21, 2004
You Must Rename the SYSVOL Member Object to Rename a Windows Server 2003 Domain Controller
Looking for information about File Replication Service (NTFRS) I found this interesting KB.
In Windows Server 2003, administrators can change the computer name of a Windows Server 2003 domain controller by using My Computer or Netdom.exe, but neither method renames the domain controller's corresponding NTFRSmember object for SYSVOL from the old computer name to the new computer name. The difference between a domain controller's NetBIOS name and the common name for its NTFRSmember object does not break any functionality until a new domain controller is promoted into the forest with the old NetBIOS name of the renamed domain controller. When this behavior occurs, the new domain controller deletes the existing (duplicate) NTFRSmember object and recreates a new NTFRSmember object for itself. The renamed domain controller that originally created the NTFRSMember object ends up without an NTFRSmember object.
Read the rest in this KB
In Windows Server 2003, administrators can change the computer name of a Windows Server 2003 domain controller by using My Computer or Netdom.exe, but neither method renames the domain controller's corresponding NTFRSmember object for SYSVOL from the old computer name to the new computer name. The difference between a domain controller's NetBIOS name and the common name for its NTFRSmember object does not break any functionality until a new domain controller is promoted into the forest with the old NetBIOS name of the renamed domain controller. When this behavior occurs, the new domain controller deletes the existing (duplicate) NTFRSmember object and recreates a new NTFRSmember object for itself. The renamed domain controller that originally created the NTFRSMember object ends up without an NTFRSmember object.
Read the rest in this KB
Xcacls v5.2 was released 2004-07-02
Can be downloaded. Note that this version is implemented fully in VBScript! and has some new features. You can also look in the file to get a good understanding on how to do the same yourself from your own scripts or get a general understanding on how access control lists works.
PsLogList - now a tail -f feature
If you know tail -f and want the same functionality for eventlogs or if you are just sick and tired of pressing F5 in Event Viewer – get PsLogList from Sysinternals. The new –w switch will show the events as they are logged.
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
File based Antivirus scanners and Exchange ...
Hmmm.... after all these years working with Exchange I thought that everyone knew how to configure file-level antivirus scanners on an Exchange Server - but this apparently isn't the case (My gut feeling tells me that I'd prefer not to install an file-level on-access scanner on an Exchange server - but Multi-Purpose servers and other security measures often makes it a requirement).
I've just finished recovering a SBS 2003 Exchange installation from the results of an antivirus scanner which found a variant of Netsky in the e00.log file (The "working" log file in use by exchange, which will be renamed to Exxxxxxx when it reaches 5.120 KB) and deleted it - resulting in a dirty shutdown and an -1811 error from Exchange which prevents mounting the Store.
The person who installed it had excluded the catalogs containing the .EDB files but had forgotten to exclude the catalog where the log files resides - so when you configure this remember that the Exchange Stores and their log files can be placed in many different directories and also to exclude the SRS folder.
To make things worse the Anti-Virus client was configured to delete files instead of quarantining them (so I weren't able to recover the file) and the customers last backup was more than 5 days old. So I had to do a full repair of the databases (Luckily there wasn't any serious corruptions - it was primarily inconsistencies due to dirty shutdown and the missing log file).
This time I used the dial tone restore method, which starts by creating a blank database so all the users got access to e-mail (Sending and receiving new mail, not old e-mail or public folders), while I had the time to repair the old Information Stores and mounting them in a RSG for testing. Afhter this I switched the Dial tone Mailbox Store and the now repaired Mailbox Store around between the Storage Groups and ran Exmerge (The purpose of switching databases is that you retain all outlook rules etc. and just has to Exmerge the content of the smaller Dial tone Store into the older/repaired Store).
Check this page for 4 security best practices for Exchange - including info and links to articles on configuration of filebased antivirus scanners and what to do when everything has gone wrong.
I've just finished recovering a SBS 2003 Exchange installation from the results of an antivirus scanner which found a variant of Netsky in the e00.log file (The "working" log file in use by exchange, which will be renamed to Exxxxxxx when it reaches 5.120 KB) and deleted it - resulting in a dirty shutdown and an -1811 error from Exchange which prevents mounting the Store.
The person who installed it had excluded the catalogs containing the .EDB files but had forgotten to exclude the catalog where the log files resides - so when you configure this remember that the Exchange Stores and their log files can be placed in many different directories and also to exclude the SRS folder.
To make things worse the Anti-Virus client was configured to delete files instead of quarantining them (so I weren't able to recover the file) and the customers last backup was more than 5 days old. So I had to do a full repair of the databases (Luckily there wasn't any serious corruptions - it was primarily inconsistencies due to dirty shutdown and the missing log file).
This time I used the dial tone restore method, which starts by creating a blank database so all the users got access to e-mail (Sending and receiving new mail, not old e-mail or public folders), while I had the time to repair the old Information Stores and mounting them in a RSG for testing. Afhter this I switched the Dial tone Mailbox Store and the now repaired Mailbox Store around between the Storage Groups and ran Exmerge (The purpose of switching databases is that you retain all outlook rules etc. and just has to Exmerge the content of the smaller Dial tone Store into the older/repaired Store).
Check this page for 4 security best practices for Exchange - including info and links to articles on configuration of filebased antivirus scanners and what to do when everything has gone wrong.
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
MOM 2005 resource kit - updated
Windows Server 2003 SP1 delayed
Expect it to appear in first half of 2005. RC is due by the end of 2004.
Sorry, but we’ll have to wait for the Security Configuration Wizard a little longer…
Sorry, but we’ll have to wait for the Security Configuration Wizard a little longer…
Monday, October 18, 2004
Ever wanted to test Microsoft's newest software in a sandbox environment?
Wouldn't it be great to be able to test new servers immediately, without formatting hard drives, using Virtual Something or dedicating one or more computers to the project? Now you can, with the TechNet Virtual Lab
Thursday, October 14, 2004
Registry tweaks for services on Windows Server 2003
Microsoft has a reference at MSDN. But I know for sure, that it is not complete. Anyway, it is a good starting point.
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Thanks, Linux
(Being a little out of focus of this blog, I decided to include it anyway.)
Is Linus Torvalds secretly working for Microsoft? That sounds crazy until you consider that lately, the free operating system he created, Linux, has been helping Microsoft close deals.
Read the rest of this article. Beware of the annoying ads.
Is Linus Torvalds secretly working for Microsoft? That sounds crazy until you consider that lately, the free operating system he created, Linux, has been helping Microsoft close deals.
Read the rest of this article. Beware of the annoying ads.
Virtual PC and hiberation
If you need to play around with hibernation on a Virtual PC client, you have to uninstall the Virtual PC Additions. Read more here
TechNet WebCast: Welcome to Hosted Exchange 2003
Interesting WebCast for those of you new to Hosted Exchange 2003 and/or those of you who have already created your own hosting solution based on Exchange 200x -
This Support WebCast discusses Windows-based Hosting, including Hosted Exchange 2003 ... Hosted Exchange 2003 enables service providers to offer flexible and scalable rich e-mail, messaging, and collaboration services to consumers, and to both small and medium businesses. Hosted Exchange is a tested, pre-engineered solution that is based on standard Microsoft server products ... The Support WebCast also reviews the important components of the solution and addresses common challenges in the hosting world. This includes multi-tenancy (address isolation between customers), automation and provisioning (creating new customers by using automation and without the RUS), client auto-configuration for Outlook by using RPC over HTTP, active user reporting, three-year CALs versus Service Provider Licensing Agreement, multiple services per hosted organization, and user namespace per organization.
SMTP and NNTP security issues ..
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