An ordinary guy trying to make a difference
The face behind the FAQs
OK I've got a fix for the Skype issue I mentioned yesterday:
First backup your contacts as you're going to uninstall the software (my contacts came back when I re-installed but I wasn't taking any chances - from the "Tools" menu select "Advanced | Backup up Contacts to File..." then provide a filename/ location).
Then uninstall Skype.
Reboot (I think this is VERY important)
Re-install Skype BUT on the "Install" screen click the "Options" button.
Uncheck the very bottom option to install the Skype plugin for IE
Finish the install and fingers crossed all should be well (if your contacts don't come back you re-import them using the backup you made earlier.
No official explanation what is going on yet (awaiting a reply to my Support Ticket). More details as I get them.
So I get an email from Skype saying the version of the software is available for Windows (Version: 3.6.0.216) which offers some cool new features so I download and install it as I've never had problems before.
After the install finishes I get a message saying that because of a new IE plug-in that's been installed I need to reboot before I can take advantage of it so I do.
Ever since then though whenever I load IE it freezes and locks up so I'm off to try and troubleshoot it.
If you're seeing a similar issue let me know.
One workaround I've found is to open Skype and from the "Help" menu select "Help" which opens an IE window that works.
If I find out anything I'll let you know.
Shame I didn't keep the install for the old version (lesson learnt :-( )
Internet Information Services 6.0
944884 Description of the time-taken field in IIS 6.0 and IIS 7.0 HTTP logging
943525 You cannot start the SQL Server Agent service of a failover cluster of SQL Server 2005 if the build of SQL Server build is 3179 or a later build
944902 FIX: A federated database server stops responding when you run parallel queries on a multiprocessor computer that uses NUMA architecture in SQL Server 2005
943706 The MonitoringHost.exe process on the System Center Operations Manager 2007 root management server may consume more than 2 gigabytes of memory
942710 The Address bar is displayed unexpectedly when you use Internet Explorer 7 to browse a Web page that you developed
944434 An application that calls the DsUnBind function may crash on a Windows Server 2003-based computer
942088 Error message when you perform a file operation on a Windows Server 2003-based computer that has IPv6 installed: "Stop 0x000000C9"
944704 When you try to shut down or to restart a Windows Server 2003-based computer that has USB devices connected, the computer stops responding and displays a black screen
Following on from my post about making sure you know how to turn off your flash this post explains how to control the flash on the Sony DSC-T1. This camera has the following four settings, the status of which is indicated by the flash (lightning bolt) symbol in the viewfinder:
To switch between modes simply press the Up arrow button on the 4-way pad that has the lightning bolt above.
Page 29 of the manual (available for download from here), gives full instructions.
OK time for some Feedback on Windows Live Writer:
I'm going to carry on using Live Writer despite these nuances as on the whole it's a good product and I know Rome wasn't built in a day ;-)
I can't explain what happened to me earlier in the year but I was taking pictures with my trusty Sony Cybershot in Lisbon when I got the urge to start shooting more than just your typical tourist "point and shoot" pictures.
So after investing in a Canon EOS 400D and some lenses and starting to learn some basic skills I've been visiting some amazing places and taking what I think are some pretty okay pictures (improving all the time I'm glad to say).
But one thing I find repeatedly disturbing is people's lack of respect when taking pictures in museums, churches and other monuments where it clearly states either in words or pictures or BOTH that photographs are allowed but NO FLASH.
So there is me playing by the rules and countless times I've seen someone fire off a picture with the flash.
Now these places have these rules for a variety of reasons such as disturbing other visitors or the ambience, but probably most of all you firing off a flash at something like an old oil painting is actually fading and damaging it.
If you stop to look and think the whole reason these places and their artifacts have survived several centuries is because they are darkened without direct sun light in the majority of cases.
"So what difference does my one little flash picture?"
On it's own probably not that much but when you've got hundreds and maybe even thousands of people doing the same thing the cumulative effect is alarming and we're damaging our and our children's heritage.
So PLEASE folks I know instruction manuals are as interesting as watching paint dry and hardly the most intuitive at the best of times but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make sure you know how to turn off the flash on your camera (and also the auto focusing beep whilst you're at it as it's very off putting being in some of these wonderful, serene places and being disturbed by the constant auto focusing beep of people taking pictures).
Why bother? Well if you don't then pretty soon many places will be forced to introducing the rule of no photos at all to protect their assets which is frustrating as hell when you visit somewhere and want to take a picture but you're told you can't as people never respected the no flash rule in the past so there's now a blanket no photo ban.
Don't believe me? The next time you visit somewhere like this just ask a member of staff and they will tell you.
You'll probably find you get a better, more natural result by turning off the flash anyway.
In fact to help folks out if people want to email me or post comments on how to turn off the flash on different models of camera I'll post them here for everyone's benefit. Spread the word folks and let's help protect our heritage for generations to come as well as allowing everyone to enjoy happy memories by looking back on wonderful pictures of the beautiful places we are blessed with.
944886 Error message when you use the Response.BinaryWrite method in IIS 6 and in IIS 7: "HTTP 500" or "Response buffer limit exceeded"
939318 Error message when you insert data in an article that has automatic identity range handling enabled in a merge replication in SQL Server 2000: "The identity range managed by replication is full and must be updated by a replication agent"
944390 Error message when you connect to a named instance of SQL Server on a client computer that is running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008: "Specified SQL server not found" or "Error Locating Server/Instance Specified"
944517 FIX: Error message when you create a WMI event alert by using the sp_add_alert stored procedure in SQL Server 2005: "The @wmi_query could not be executed in the @wmi_namespace provided"
942704 FIX: All later commands are ignored after the SQLDescribeParam function returns an error message in a SQL Server 2005-based application that uses the SQL Native Client ODBC provider
944443 List of issues that are fixed in System Center Operations Manager 2007 Service Pack 1 Release Candidate
945009 Detection and deployment guidance for the November 13, 2007 security release
942880 A Windows Server 2003-based computer may stop responding after you enter your user name and password in the Windows logon dialog box
944329 All members of a group are removed when the group is selected by the Restricted Groups policy settings and then Group Policy is refreshed in the background
944733 The Add Printer Wizard stops responding in Windows Server 2003 SP1 when you install a printer to a print server
942213 The MMC.exe program randomly becomes unresponsive when the user clicks OK or Cancel several times to close a Windows form in Windows Server 2003
944402 The password of the wrong user account is reset when you use the Active Directory Users and Computers MMC snap-in to reset a password on a Windows Server 2003-based member server
944203 You may be unable to print a job after you install the .NET Framework 3.0 or the XML Paper Specification Essentials Pack on a Windows XP SP2-based computer or on a Windows Server 2003-based computer
942610 The color depth is unexpectedly changed to 8-bit when a high screen-resolution setting is used in a terminal-server session that is connected to a Windows Server 2003-based computer
943460 MS07-061: Vulnerability in Windows URI Handling could allow remote code execution
941672 MS07-062: Vulnerability in DNS could allow spoofing
944200 A Windows Server 2003-based DHCP server that has a single deactivated scope still responds to DHCP INFORM packets from clients, and therefore network access problems occur
938759 You cannot distribute or install a software package in Windows Server 2003 if the software package contains a very large signed CAB file
Microsoft have announced details of the System Center certifications for both ConfigMgr and Operations (SCOM 2007).
Want to know what the score is? Well look no further... [Go to article]
About 5 years ago, I approached Server Management magazine (then known as BackOffice magazine), about the possibility of writing some SMS-related articles for them. At that time SMS was nowhere near as popular as it is know. Well I'm delighted to say that earlier this year I was approached by the magazine to write some SMS articles for them.
The initial topic I chose was Management Points as I still personally feel these are one of the major pain points for any SMS-installation when in fact they needn't be.
The first part of the article was published in the October 2007 edition of the magazine and focuses on the basics of what a Management Point (MP), is and then goes on to look at what you need to consider from a design perspective. The second part part of the article due to be published in the November issue looks at installation, configuration and troubleshooting.
I've waited until now to blog about it as I wanted the article to be available online as the printed magazine is only available to UK subscribers (when the second part is available online I'll let you know).
Anyway here's the link:
Site servers are busy machines so how can your advanced clients get a word in? The answer is to provide them with an assistantWritten by Cliff HobbsPublished - October 2007
Let me know what you think as well as any ideas you've got for future articles.
In closing, if you're based in the UK and you currently don't subscribe to the magazine then why not? It's free, all you need to do is answer some really basic questions here.
If you're not in the UK all of the articles are available free of charge so I'd recommend you pay a regular visit to the site to checkout the many articles related to Server Management in general not just Systems Management.
"Could not get property (memberOf) for system" error in AD System Group Discovery LogWondering why you're seeing errors like this in your AD System Group Discovery log? Here's why...
For as long as I can remember I've been trying to recruit a SCOM/ MOM specialist to help run these sections of the site as I know the information has been sadly lacking for these sections. Well I'm delighted to announce that Andy Dominey has agreed to join the FAQShop team so keep an eye out for his expert advice on the forums as well as some articles coming soon.
Welcome Andy it's a real honour to have you aboard. To learn more about Andy check out his bio.
OK go figure this one. I copy and paste some information from an MS Security Bulletin to post on my blogs.
It all looks fine on the screen. I post to my myIT blog no problem. But when I post to my WMUG blog a lot of the spaces Microsoft have used to indent lines are replaced with a text string like "   "
The fix is easy if you ever come across the same thing - just edit the post, scroll to the end then delete and re-type the last character. Publish and job done.
Just need to work out why it's doing this now.
If you know the answer then please let me know, if I find it I'll post it here ;-)
SummaryThe following bulletins have undergone a major revision increment. Please see the appropriate bulletin for more details. * MS07-049 - Important
Bulletin Information:* MS07-049 - Important- http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms07-049.mspx- Reason for Revision: V2.0 (November 13, 2007): The security update for Microsoft Virtual PC 2004, Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 Service Pack 1, Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 Standard Edition, Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 Enterprise Edition, Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 Standard Edition, and Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 Enterprise Edition did not correctly install in certain cases. Microsoft recommends that customers apply the update at the earliest opportunity. No action is required on systems where the security update has been successfully installed. For details please read the "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Related to This Security Update" section. - Originally posted: August 14, 2007- Updated: November 13, 2007- Bulletin Severity Rating: Important- Version: 2.0
Microsoft Unveils Windows HPC Server 2008
Common set of HPC productivity tools across desktop and clusters, including new Parallel Computing Initiative for multi-core development.
Reading, UK, Nov. 13, 2007-- Microsoft today released the first public beta of Microsoft Windows HPC Server 2008, a server operating system and tools designed for the fast-growing high-performance computing (HPC) market. Microsoft also created the Parallel Computing Initiative, a program creating a set of common development tools across multi-core desktops and clusters.
Windows HPC Server 2008, the successor to Windows Computer Cluster Server 2003, is based on the Windows Server 2008 operating system and is designed to increase productivity, scalability and manageability. Windows HPC Server 2008 has been renamed to reflect its readiness to tackle the most challenging HPC workloads. Key features include new high-speed networking, highly efficient and scalable cluster management tools, advanced failover capabilities, a service oriented architecture (SOA) job scheduler, and support for partners’ clustered file systems. The beta is available for download today at http://www.microsoft.com/hpc ; the final version will be generally available in the second half of 2008.
“With the new advancements, Windows HPC Server 2008 allows customers to achieve the levels of scalability and performance of the most efficient clusters in the Top500 benchmark, while making it dramatically more productive to deploy, utilize and integrate the advanced HPC clusters within their environment,” said Kyril Faenov, general manager of HPC at Microsoft. “By upgrading to Windows HPC Server 2008 on our 2,048-core production test cluster, we increased the Linpack performance by 30 percent and were able to deploy and validate the cluster in less than two hours using out of the box software. Expanding beyond traditional MPI-based HPC applications, Windows HPC Server 2008 enables support for high throughput SOA applications with its advanced web service routing capability and paves the way for bringing HPC capabilities to a broad range of enterprise applications.”
This efficiency is currently being demonstrated at the Holland Computing Center in the Peter Kiewit Institute at the University of Nebraska, one of the largest clusters in the world. The new 1,151-node Windows-based cluster is expected to enhance the curriculum and resource capabilities by providing compute cycles for a broad variety of government, research and industry uses.
“We see this as a tremendous opportunity to advance the research capabilities of the Institute to meet the growing and emerging demands of the university community as well as our business partners,” said John Callahan, director of technical infrastructure for the Peter Kiewit Institute. “The scalability and demonstrated performance of the Windows platform has empowered us to provide a medium through which we can develop and train students in a new specialization on parallel computing.”
Adding to performance, Microsoft is also showcasing how cluster administrators, end-users and developers can increase productivity with a common set of tools that span desktop and cluster. Cluster administrators can save time with Microsoft System Center for application-level monitoring and rapid provisioning; and SQL Reporting Services for capacity planning and auditing. End-users can save time with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server for data collaboration; and the Windows Workflow Foundation for automating processes across workgroups.
Mixed, dual-boot clusters can also improve cluster efficiency; because dual-boot clusters flexibly service both Linux and Windows users, they increase utilization rates by expanding their number of addressable users. Examples of customers deploying large mixed clusters include the University of Iowa, Cambridge University, 3M and Baker Hughes. Leading partners that have announced mixed cluster support for Windows HPC Server 2008 include Altair, Cluster Resources, and Platform Computing. Clustered file system vendors that have announced support for Windows include Panasas, Quantum's StorNext, HP PolyServe, Sanbolic, and IBM has plans to support IBM GPFS on Windows.
Multicore and the Future of High-Performance Computing
Deepening its investment in developer productivity, Microsoft also created the Parallel Computing Initiative, which encompasses the vision, strategy, and innovative developments in systems, runtimes, programming models, libraries, language extensions, and development tools across the desktop and cluster. Designed to simplify and enable parallelism for a broad set of commercial applications, this initiative adds to standard-based tools available today like MPI and OpenMP, and native parallel debugger support in Visual Studio 2007. New technologies include the Parallel Extensions to the .NET Framework that will enable developers to express parallelism and improve efficiency and scalability of parallel applications. Over the next six months, Microsoft will ship customer technology previews (CTPs) of this technology.
Demonstrating how Microsoft’s investment into parallel programming is expanding the high-performance computing market, market leaders in the actuarial insurance software market, like Milliman and Towers Perrin, have already announced native support for Windows HPC, introducing a large new segment of performance-sensitive customers to the benefits of parallelism.
These major investments from Microsoft in high-performance computing and parallel programming will enable a broader set of commercial application vendors, as well as corporate and research programmers to embrace parallelism and take full advantage of the potential performance gains that are made available through adoption of multi-core processors and server clusters.
For more information on Windows HPC Server 2008, see the following website: www.microsoft.com/hpc .
####
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential.
#########
This material is for informational purposes only. Microsoft Corporation disclaims all warranties and conditions with regard to use of the material for other purposes. Microsoft Corporation shall not, at any time, be liable for any special, direct, indirect or consequential damages, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other action arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of the material. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting any kind of warranty.
Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
This from Tony Rogerson SQL Server MVP and founder of the UK SQL Server User Group
"I've secured Kalen Delaney SQL Server MVP and leading SQL Server author on her 20th year of working with SQL Server anniversary tour to do a full day seminar in Reading, the seminar is close to my heart, being a consultant I see many problems and when I get consultancy at different clients with the same problems revolving around parameter sniffing and poor procedure cache usage then it sort of hits you that a lot of other folk are probably having these problems too and probably aren't even aware of it. Kalen will cover these topics:
Price is GBP199 ex VAT considering how much a consultant like me charges to come in and fix a problem this is an absolute bargain.
For information on Kalen's event:
One Critical and one Important patch this month:
Critical Security BulletinsMicrosoft Security Bulletin MS07-061 - Affected Software: - Windows XP Service Pack 2 - Windows XP Professional x64 Edition - Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2 - Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 - Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 - Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition - Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2 - Windows Server 2003 with SP1 for Itanium-based Systems - Windows Server 2003 with SP2 for Itanium-based Systems - Impact: Remote Code Execution - Version Number: 1.0
Important Security BulletinsMicrosoft Security Bulletin MS07-062 - Affected Software: - Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Service Pack 4 - Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 - Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 - Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition - Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2 - Windows Server 2003 with SP1 for Itanium-based Systems - Windows Server 2003 with SP2 for Itanium-based Systems - Impact: Spoofing - Version Number: 1.0
Other InformationFor this month:* Microsoft is planning to release three non-security, high-priority updates on Microsoft Update (MU) and Windows Server Update Services (WSUS).
Note that this information pertains only to non-security, high-priority updates on Microsoft Update, Windows Update, and Windows Server Update Services, and released on the same day as the Security Bulletin Summary. Information will not be provided about non-security updates released on other days.
Martin Bell is organising this event which will be held in Glasgow in conjunction with Scottish Developers with two sessions, "Introduction to Reporting Services" and "SQL Server Managed Objects".
For information on this event goto: http://sqlserverfaq.com?eid=102
So I see all the hype about the new "System Center Alliance" so I go here to checkout the site and see what information is there. Cool apart from the fact that when you click on the majority of the links you get:
"We’re sorry, but we were unable to service your request. You may wish to choose from the links below for information about Microsoft products and services."
I'm sure it's something to do with one group not talking to another to get the content posted or waiting for replication or one of the many stories we've all heard before but come on Microsoft for big announcements you need to be more organised and make sure this stuff works before announcing it.
Microsoft Announces New Virtualisation Offerings, Windows Server 2008 Details, System Center Product Availability at TechEd IT Forum 2007
Broad range of new products and programs unveiled as Microsoft helps customers prepare for the next generation of Dynamic IT
BARCELONA, Spain — 12 November 2007 — Today at TechEd IT Forum 2007, Microsoft Corp.’s foremost technology show in Europe for IT Professionals, Bob Kelly, corporate vice president for Microsoft, announced details of next generation solutions to deliver Dynamic IT for the People-Ready Business.
“Earlier this year, we introduced our vision for Dynamic IT, which aims to make IT a stronger partner to the business by bringing together the capabilities of core infrastructure, application and development platforms,” Kelly said. “At TechEd IT Forum, we are demonstrating how that vision is coming to life for customers as IT is streamlined across the full spectrum of our software and technology offerings, including exciting new developments with Windows Server, Microsoft System Center, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack and more. The response from customers has been strong as we move toward the worldwide February 2008 launch of Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008, and Visual Studio 2008.”
New Windows Server 2008 virtualisation offerings, pricing and licensing details announced
During his keynote address, Kelly made the following announcements regarding Windows Server 2008:
• Hyper-V was introduced as the official name of the server virtualisation technology within Windows Server 2008 (previously code-named Viridian). Microsoft also announced Microsoft Hyper-V Server, a standalone server hypervisor-based server virtualisation product that allows customers to virtualise workloads onto a single physical server complementing the Hyper-V technology within Windows Server 2008, allowing customers to consolidate workloads onto a single physical server.
• Windows Server 2008 editions, pricing and licensing. Microsoft will offer customers the choice of eight versions of the product, each tailored to suit a variety of customer requirements. Pricing and licensing details were also disclosed. Complete details can be found here: <LINK HERE >
• The Server Virtualisation Validation Program was unveiled. The program will enable vendors to test and validate virtualisation software running Windows Server 2008 and prior versions. The program will enable Microsoft to offer cooperative technical support to customers running Windows Server on validated, non-Windows server virtualisation software.
• Virtualisation Solution Accelerators are a set of free guidance resources and tools to help IT professionals effectively plan and deploy virtualization technologies. The initial release includes the Infrastructure Planning and Design series and the Microsoft Assessment and Planning tool beta program. Details can be found here: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/solutionaccelerators
New Microsoft System Center products, alliance program announced
Kelly also announced the general availability of three new products in the Microsoft System Center family of systems management solutions, and an expansion of alliances and investments to provide customers with the solutions they need to build more dynamic IT systems.
System Center products now available to customers are:
• System Center Configuration Manager 2007
• System Center Data Protection Manager 2007
• System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2007
These products enable organizations to optimise a variety of scenarios, including server and software deployment, compliance and configuration management, backup and restore, and virtualisation management.
Also announced for Microsoft System Center:
• The System Center Alliance Program provides detailed guidance and resources for partners who want to deliver products that work with Microsoft System Center management solutions. The program also helps partners communicate information about their offerings to customers. Additional information on the System Center Alliance Program and community can be found at http://www.systemcenterpartners.com .
• The Enterprise Edition of the System Center Server Management Suite license is available and enables customers to manage the entire lifecycle of their servers with one purchase and provide better value for managing both physical and virtual environments.
TechNet, MSDN revamped to provide stronger community connections
Kelly unveiled a series of improvements to the TechNet and MSDN online experience, which provide comprehensive tools for IT Pros and Developers to evaluate, plan, deploy and maintain complex systems and to develop advanced software solutions. The enhancements include:
• New online Developer TechCenters to increase visibility of key members of the technical community. MSDN Library Community Content enables experts within the community to extend and enhance Microsoft product documentation with code samples, links to related resources, and more
• New TechNet EDGE online community featuring video interviews with Microsoft insiders and community experts specifically for the IT Professional community.
• Updated TechNet and MSDN Forums with a new user recognition system to reward forums users with points for participation and contribution.
• Enhanced TechNet and MSDN online Evaluation Centres to provide access to trial and beta software as well as virtual labs and virtual hard disks.
• New TechNet and MSDN Spotlight, a video portal featuring the best rated sessions from Microsoft’s top technical conferences worldwide.
More information can be found at www.msdn.com and www.technet.com .
Other Announcements at TechEd IT Forum
Microsoft continues to create new products with Dynamic IT in mind to provide customers with better-connected, simplified and adaptable IT systems. To help customers prepare for the next generation of Dynamic IT environments, Microsoft made a number of other announcements today:
• Microsoft SQL Server Community Technology Preview (CTP) announced
The November Community Technology Preview (CTP) for Microsoft SQL Server 2008 is available for customer download this month. It features a significant amount of new functionality including compatibility with Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 as well as new features such as Resource Governor, Backup Compression and Transparent Data Encryption. This CTP also includes new business intelligence enhancements including Design Alerts, block computation, Enhanced Report Designer including new visualizations and integration with the 2007 Microsoft Office system. This is the first CTP to help customers store and consume any type of data including new FILESTREAM data types for unstructured documents and to provide support for spatial data for location intelligence. Separately, companies such as SpatialPoint, Barrodale, I.S. Consulting and Manifold announced their intention to ship applications to take advantage of spatial data support in SQL Server 2008.
• Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack details unveiled
The Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) for Software Assurance has sold more than three million licenses since being made available to Software Assurance customers in January 2007. New components of MDOP are now available for beta testing:
• Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.5, formerly known as SoftGrid Application Virtualization, is the first Microsoft-branded release of the product and includes several key features for the enterprise, including the addition of Dynamic Virtualization, extended enterprise scalability, enhanced security and globalization. Microsoft Application Virtualization is now available in a public beta on Microsoft Connect and will become available through MDOP and Microsoft Application Virtualization for Terminal Services in summer 2008.
• Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT) 6.0, enables IT staff to remove viruses and spyware from an offline system. DaRT now supports both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, unlocks BitLocker volume encryption and enables the ability to pull files from a USB device. DaRT is currently available through a private beta and will become available through MDOP in spring 2008.
• Asset Inventory Service (AIS) 1.0, which offers a complete software inventory scan of the environment, released to the web this month and is available for MDOP customers after activation of the service at: https://licensing.microsoft.com/eLicense/L1033/Default.asp For more information on MDOP for Software Assurance, visit http://www.windowsvista.com/optimizeddesktop .
• Microsoft FastCGI Extension for IIS 6.0 (FastCGI Extension) download released
Microsoft announced the release of Microsoft FastCGI Extension for IIS 6.0, available as a free download from the IIS community site, http://www.iis.net . For the first time, Microsoft is providing full support for technology, which enables reliable, scalable PHP hosting on production Windows Server 2003 Web servers. Windows Server 2008 with IIS7 delivers FastCGI with a GoLive license, making it the first Windows OS to natively support PHP hosting. For more information, visit: http://www.iis.net/php .
• Windows Essentials Business Server publicly demonstrated
The newly named Windows Essentials Business Server (formerly code-named “Centro”), Microsoft’s integrated IT solution for mid-sized businesses, is being publicly demonstrated at TechEd IT Forum 2007. New details about the product’s capabilities, as well industry hardware and software partners supporting it, are available here.
• Group Policy Preferences details unveiled
Group Policy Preferences, formerly known as PolicyMaker Standard Edition and Policy Share Manager, will be available to Microsoft customers in two ways:
• Integrated into the Group Policy management tools in Windows Server 2008
• Integrated into the forthcoming Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) for Windows Vista, which will be available as a separate download in the Windows Server 2008 timeframe and will work in a Windows Server 2003 environment. Customers can continue to purchase PolicyMaker Standard Edition and Policy Share Manager from the Desktop Standard subsidiary through January 31, 2008. For more information visit: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=103735
941052 Error message in Internet Explorer when you click a hyperlink that links to a file whose name contains UTF-8-encoded characters: "The page cannot be displayed"
934812 FIX: You cannot bring the SQL Server group online in a cluster environment after you rename the virtual server name of the default instance of SQL Server 2005
941720 FIX: Error message on a Windows Vista-based computer when you try to query data from a column of the XML data type or from a variable of the XML data type in a SQL Server 2005: "Unexpected end of file has occurred"
This is an integrated IT solution for midsized organizations. Next week at TechEd: IT Forum in Barcelona, Spain, Microsoft will demonstrate Windows Essential Business Server and discuss its relevance to home users, small businesses and, now, midsized companies.
A Q&A with Steven VanRoekel, director of the Windows Server Solutions group at Microsoft Corp is posted here.
Should you have any questions, please feel free to drop me a line and we would be happy to connect you to the relevant Microsoft spokesperson.
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2007/nov07/11-07midmarketserver.mspx
I've been using Tom Tom on my PDA now for a good couple of years maybe longer and to be honest I would be literally lost without it at times (no pun intended).
Sure it's not perfect, doesn't always work, can sometimes send you round the houses, try to send you the wrong way up a one way street, or turn places you can't etc. etc. but on the whole it's one of man's better inventions.
But a word of warning.
Tom Tom (don't know about others), allows you to set your "Home" location so when you've been somewhere you can simply tell it to navigate to Home without having to enter your address details.
Great but hang on a minute. In the event that some unsavory character steals your car (something I wouldn't wish on anyone), and you've decided to leave the SatNav in the glove box or somewhere else in the car (as after all they're not the smallest and lightest things to carry round), they've simply got to plug it in and tell it to navigate to "Home" as after all the crooks know you're not going to be there as they've got your car. If they've also got your keys then you've as good as given them free access to your home AND a car to take everything away in.
So please, if you use SatNav DON'T LEAVE IT UNATTENDED IN THE CAR. If you do, then PLEASE at either don't set the "Home" location or set it to somewhere near your home (maybe a few streets away), not your actual home as a bad day could turn into an unthinkable one.
943635 You cannot rebuild system databases if you run the Setup command from a location that is not the original installation location of SQL Server 2005
942665 FIX: You cannot run some SQL Server 2005 Integration Services packages in Business Intelligence Development Studio if you also run the same packages by using the Dtexec.exe utility
941539 FIX: SQL Server 2005 may send error information for the same problem many times when a fatal error occurs
940941 FIX: Some events are not logged correctly when you enable SQL Server event forwarding on a SQL Server Agent of SQL Server 2000 to forward events to SQL Server 2005
943655 FIX: Error messages when you run a SQL Server 2005 Integration Services package after you install Cumulative Update 2 for SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2: "Data conversion failed" and "SSIS Error Code DTS_E_INDUCEDTRANSFORMFAILUREONERROR"