Microsoft
Centrally setup Windows XP machines to use the new 2008 Group Policy Preferences
With the new 2008 Group Policy Preferences there are some great new tweak tools to manage without the need for login scripts. Windows XP machines are not compatible with these new GPOs without first installing an update for Group Policy Preference Client Side Extensions (CSE). This update is downloadable from Microsoft as an executable via KB943729. Unfortunately Microsoft didn’t package this in a .MSI file so it can’t be deployed through the entire organization via a GP Software Distribution rule. If you have WSUS in place then it can be deployed there, but if not you’ll need to go back to good ol’ login/startup scripts to get this pushed out to all your machines. First some credit to a post over at serverfault.com by Evan Anderson who outlined the strategy. Continue reading →
Public folders and upgrading to Exchange 2010
We recently had some problems with Public folder synchronization during an Exchange 2007 to Exchange 2010 migration. Public folders were not syncing up to the new Exchange 2010 server with the following error message in the logs:
Event ID: 1020, Source: MSExchange Store Driver. The store driver couldn’t deliver the public folder replication message “Status Request (PublicFolderDatabase@yourdomain.com)” because the following error occurred: The Active Directory user wasn’t found.
Can’t add roles, features and can’t run Windows Update on 2008 R2.
The problem is that Windows Updates will not run properly (giving you various errors) and when Roles or Features are selected under the Server Manager you get the following error:
Error: Cannot display data until your computer is restarted.
Simplify Exchange 2010 OWA URL
Exchange Outlook Web Access is a wonderful feature, but directing users to access it on their own can be a patience testing proposal if you’re not using URL redirection.
For example: you’ve installed Exchange 2010, configured all the appropriate roles, including the CAS (Client Access Server; responsible for OWA), and deserve a hero’s welcome, or at least a pat on the back. You then send an email to staff telling them that they can access webmail from the following public URL – https://webmail.domain.com/owa; easy enough right? Wrong! A few days later, calls come streaming in with users attempting to access OWA using incorrect URL’s: http instead of https, forgetting to append /owa to the URL, etc.
Well you can clear all of this up and make it transparent to the user, and they’ll never know you did it; it will just work.
Windows 7 Released!!! (to the public)
Woo Hoo! The floodgates are now open: starting today, you can officially purchase a retail copy of Windows 7 or an OEM version included with your new computer. Microsoft is coming out in full force with this release, which promises to be the most stable and thoroughly tested release ever. They have dedicated their home page to the Windows 7 love-fest today, displaying comments from satisfied users via twitter.
We, at Advanced Data & Network Solutions, are fully prepared to assist you with purchasing, installing/upgrading, and maintaining your new Windows 7 installation in a home or business environment. In fact, most of us here have been using Windows 7 as our OS of choice for a few months, with some having gone through the beta testing for almost a year!
Windows 7: Compatibility
Well, it’s been two weeks and I seem to have all the applications I need installed. After I got Windows 7 up and running (joined our domain, delegated myself the appropriate credentials, applied all released updates, and set the system settings I desired (remote desktop, firewall tweaks, etc)) I began installing additional software.
In this post, I’ll focus on the applications that have given me trouble, as well as some more common suites and if they required any additional work.
Google Analytics on SharePoint Services 3.0
Analytics software can be invaluable when it comes time to prove the worth of the SharePoint site you migrated your company’s intranet from, or when seeking that budget increase for more hardware.
The problem is with the nature of SharePoint sites being fluid, in that they are constantly changing as the data they serve is being updated or consolidated. New features and web parts are being added, and so the code under the hood is always evolving.
This brings me to the problem I faced when a customer needed assistance in setting up analytics software on the SharePoint site.
There are plenty of sites that will walk explain the integration for MOSS 2007 and Google Analytics (GA), but none that I found for WSS 3.0.
The site I am working with is using a combination of default and custom Master Pages.
Windows 7: Install
OK, so the install was pretty much like all other installs of Vista. Since I was moving from a 32-bit (x86) environment to a 64-bit (x64) implementation, I was not able to perform an in place or other upgrade. Fresh, or clean install it is!
Upon booting off of the DVD, Vista users will recognize the familiar screen…
Installing a Unified Communications SSL Certificate for Exchange 2007
Secure communications in an Exchange enterprise messaging environment is critical. In Exchange 2007, Microsoft introduced the use of Unified Communications (UCC) or Subject Alternative Name (SAN) SSL certificates. These Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates allow the secure use of multiple domain names with one certificate, with some certificate providers allowing the use of up to 100 domain names. By default, when initially installed, Exchange 2007 provides a self-signed certificate which secures the hostname of the server (netbios and FQDN). For any use outside of a lab environment, you’ll want to purchase and install a UCC certificate. UCC certificates can be purchased from any major SSL certificate provider (i.e., GoDaddy, GeoTrust, Entrust, Comodo, etc.).
In this example, I’ll show you how to replace a single domain third-party certificate and a self-signed SSL certificate with a new UCC certificate.
Windows 7 is coming
With Windows 7 public availability around the corner, ADNS will be making the move this Friday. We will report our experiences on this blog with all aspects from upgrades (Vista only) and new installations.
Majority of our workstations are Dell Vostro 400s, so we should not have any issues meeting the recommended system requirements.
Here are some specs to help get you ready:
Minimum requirements-
- 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
- 1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
- 16 gigabyte available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
- DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
Check back Friday 8/7 for part 1: Installation.