SBS 2008 - Fix My Network Wizard

A nicety of Windows SBS 2008 is the new feature: 'Fix My Network'. I have already found this useful in some of the installations myself and others have performed when DHCP is incorrectly functioning without reason or DNS has issues simply running this wizard from the Server Management Console clears up most within reason Network Issues.

For a more in-depth look into the Fix my network wizard click here

List of Handy UK DNS Servers

BT Broadband
62.6.40.178
194.72.9.38
194.74.65.69
194.72.9.34
194.72.9.38
194.74.65.68
194.74.65.69
194.72.0.98
194.72.0.114
62.6.40.162
62.6.40.178

Demon
Primary DNS Server:- 158.152.1.58
Secondary DNS Server:- 158.152.1.43

Eclipse
212.104.130.9
212.104.130.65

Plusnet
212.159.13.49
212.159.13.50

Zen
212.23.3.100

Microsoft CRM Version 4 Service Calendar Doesnt Show

I'm not too sure how many other people might have seen this error but it was a nuisance for me!

Some users will find that the service calendar is not available or simply doesnt appear when viewing the CRM Service element.

You need to make registry settings changes to overwrite the servername that is used for the Outlook client - using either a variation of the host name or the IP address of ther server that hosts CRM.

See the following knowledge base article for more info. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/910050/en-us

Creating a new User Profile in Vista

Of all the daily issues we face in IT Support a new user profile we expect to be both an easy and quick task...until now.

With the introduction of Windows Vista's new profile system although designed to be more stable they still do have tendancies to become as XP did..corrupt. From looking around the Operating system there most certainly isnt any quick or obvious solution to this.

After a while of digging on the net and testing in house I have found the solution to be a registry change:


regedit:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList\ and delete the SID key for the corrupt profile. Easiest way to find the correct SID is to search from the 'ProfileList' key for the directory.

Microsoft CRM V.4 "Unable to Load Client Print Control"

When clicking the Print icon to print a CRM v4.0 report (in a SQL Server 2005 database) you receive the message 'Unable to Load Client Print Control' and the report does not print.

It is caused by Windows Security Update KB956391. Once installed you will see the issue above with Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and possibly others. Windows Vista machines do not appear to be affected.

The solution to this issue is as follows:

Install the fixes below on the necessary servers and reboot each server.

CRM Server:

Microsoft Report Viewer Redistributable 2005 Service Pack 1 http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=82833f27-081d-4b72-83ef-2836360a904d&DisplayLang=en


SQL Server:

Security Update for SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 (KB954606)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=4603c722-2468-4adb-b945-2ed0458b8f47&DisplayLang=en#filelist

Robocopy GUI

Fed up of writing all of those custom scripts...
Missing the all important quotation marks...
Parse errors...

No more is this a problem, the clever little people at Microsoft have now helped us out with a GUI for use with Robocopy, simply open up the .exe fill in the blanks and out pops your script. A fantastic time saver tool for an already very useful dos based application.


Download Link:
Click Here for Download

A required installation file sku011.cab could not be found. Outlook 2003

It happens to most Office users; one day, completely randomly and without warning .

Your PC decides it doesn't want to let you run any of the Microsoft Office applications. You also most likley see the error "Installation Error: File not Found"

Well before you go scrambling in the closets to go find those 5 - 10 year old discs that you obviously put in a safe place, never to be seen again you will be happy to know that the error isnt the error at all. If that makes sense...

Basically the file the office package needs is still on your PC it just needs to be told where.

The fix is actually pretty straight forward:

Simply go to:
1. Start
2. Run and type "Regedit"
3. Naviagate to the following Key: HKLM > Software > Microsoft > Office > 11.0 > Delivery.
4. Then click the GUID sub key (Usually a string of numbers)
5. Now on the right you will see, CDCACHE with an entry of "2".
6. Right click and select Modify, change the "2" to a "0" and then hey presto.

You're done, simply close down regedit and any other dialogue boxes still open and you'll then find it opens ok.


Did I solve your problem? Buy me a virtual beer by clicking on a Google ad :). Thanks!

Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 (BETA) + Vista Service Pack 2 (BETA)

The new Service pack 2 both for Vista and Windows Server 2008 has been officially announced as the first of its kind, incorporating the 2 service packs for both operating systems into the one update.

Although still in it's Beta stages it has been said to optimise the performance of many Vista machines and improve the Hardware support throughout.

You can download it here.



For the Techies like myself who like to click-away without reading the Install docs, I will just bring this one to your attention:

"Service Pack Information
SP2 Beta is pre-release code which will change before the final release of SP2

Windows Server 2008 SP2/Windows Vista SP2 Beta is time-limited software that will operate until May 1st, 2010 - Un-install Windows Server 2008 SP2/Windows Vista SP2 Beta before May 1st, 2010

After SP2 installation your desktop may display the text "Evaluation Copy". This does not mean that your system is no longer "Genuine", only that you have installed a test version of software which is time-limited

After installing the service pack, the "Evaluation Copy" text may show up on the 2nd boot

After un-installing the services pack, the "Evaluation Copy" text may remain during the first boot, but will disappear after the next reboot

Starting any Windows Server 2008 SP2 or Windows Vista SP2 installations will result in Microsoft collecting information about the installation process."

Microsoft Outlook 2007 - "A dialog box is open. Close it and try again"

When making new user profiles in Outlook 2007 or sometimes from a fresh installation you may have seen this error:
" A Dialogue box is open, Close it and try again"

Although looking around in the Outlook window there definately isnt anything open to close in the first place.

This issue is most commonly caused by the Windows Desktop Search program that runs on top of the dialogue box in Outlook which asks you for your User Initials. There are two easy solutions I have found for this problem,
The 1st - Close Outlook via Task Manager and Open Microsoft Word this will present you with the Initials Dialogue Box, complete and submit this, re-open Outlook and it will work.

The 2nd is to uninstall a security patch issued by Microsoft; this is also known to resolve this issue if the 1st does not:
Go to Add/Remove Programs and uninstall: KB946983

Red Cross or Blank compose window in Outlook Web Access

This I have seen happen many times and the answer is very simple, It mostly happens on clients running Windows Vista, you will find that in Vista, Microsoft changed the way it uses the Active X control and so you need to update the server with a more recent component.

This applies to Vista and Exchange Server 2003

This update is freely available from microsoft here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/911829

P.S I Have seen this when you are using IE7 on XP for some reason so this may still apply if that is the case with you.

Logon Via Dialup - Windows Vista

When logging on to a corporate network from a remote location, you're usually required to authenticate against the Windows domain.

For years that's been accomplished by using 2000 or XP's "Logon via Dialup connection" checkbox at startup.

But it's not there in Vista, so what do you do?

Don't worry as the process is similar; it's just not obvious. The setting is located in the Control Panel's "Network and Sharing Center". The secret is to select the "Allow other people to use this connection" option, allowing Windows to display the connection prior to a user login.

Next time you logoff you will see a blue icon to the lower right of the screen, select this option to "dial up at logon"

Visual Basic Dialogue when opening new email in Word 2003

There are only two possible solutions to this from what I understand and then one workaround,

Resolution one:
In Outlook, Go to Tools > Macro's> Security and lower the security then restart outlook.


Resolution two:
Close Outlook, Go to Word > Tools > Macro's > Security > Then enable the checkbox that says Trust VBA project.

If neither of these work I have found a workaround of simply stopping Outlook from using word as the default editor, to do this go to Outlook, Tools > Options > Mail formatting and uncheck the box.

C Drive Filling with Exchange .log files

This is one that doesnt explain itself very well, whether it be fault, feature or otherwise you can decide.

The solution is simple: Exchange has a "Self protect" feature by recognising if it has been backed up or not. If it detects that the database isnt properly backed up either using NTBackup the SBS Backup or another body which correctly cleans the database then the exchange will begin logging every email in plain text into a Text document in the C:\Progr~\Exchsrv\MDBDATA directory.

So the solutions are simple if you are using a backup program then make sure it is running ok. if you are using your own custom built backup script like Xcopy or something like, you may need to look at Circular Logging to stop the build up of log files.

The only other reason I have so far found that this can happen however are Database corruption; to check this again is relatively simple if you have used the ESEUtil application before.

Open a command prompt and navigate to C:\Progr~\Exchsrv\Bin\
Then run Check the value "State" which should display Clean, if it instead displays "Dirty" or "Inconsistent" you will need to repair the database using ESEUtil and the transaction logs created so do not delete them.

To repair look at following the below articles:

How to remove Transaction logs

OR

How to Maintain after repair

Vista: User has not been Granted the Requested Login Type

One of the most by far annoying errors in Vista I have come accross, presenting you with next to no information as to why you get the message or why you arent presented with a Username & Password dialogue.

So if you find that connecting one XP or Vista machine to another Vista machine brings up the above message for you, this will almost certainly solve that issue and within 30 seconds too!

Simply enter a command prompt and copy and paste the three commands below, line by line.


net user guest /active:yes
ntrights +r SeNetworkLogonRight -u Guest
ntrights -r SeDenyNetworkLogonRight -u Guest

'Error in registry for extension "Exchange Extensions;?"' error message when you start Outlook 2003

Bit of an awkward one, it was said to have been fixed in an update but I have seen it once or twice since:

To Fix simply follow the following steps:

Close Outlook 2003.

Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.

Expand the registry, and then click to select the following subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Exchange\Client\Extensions

Right-click Exchange Extensions, and then click Delete.

Click Yes to confirm the deletion of the Exchange Extensions string value.

Exit Registry Editor and restart Outlook.

N.B
Always take copies of your registry before modifying any entries.