ha10

The version of WordPress running on BayWords is pretty archaic.

I have moved over to a blog hosted directly by WordPress.

Please update your bookmarks and visit my new site there: http://halo76.wordpress.com

-halo

Sadly the proper translation for “All Your Base” is not as funny.

No third party software needed any more.  Win7 can mount a VHD as if it was a USB drive for modification, etc.

Right Click on Disk Managment and select Attach VHD.  Navigate to the image.  It is now mounted as if it was a USB drive.

It even offers support to boot from the VHD!  Teh Awesome.

See an in-depth how-to, here.

Testing 2008 R2, I learned that SysInternals NewSID breaks the VM.  Yuck.

My work around, run sysprep.  Start > Run > Sysprep

Doubleclick on Sysprep to run the application

Choose System Cleanup Action: Enter System Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE) and check Generalize.

If you miss the Generalize check, sysprep will not generate a new SID.

Click OK.  Sysprep will now prepare the VM and shutdown/reboot.

After rebooting, it takes quite a while to get to the OOBE.  But at least it works.  Besides, Microsoft stopped supporting OS’s that have been prepared with NewSID some time ago.  So I guess this is a good thing then.  Maybe.

OK, I tried to be a true beta tester and send some feedback to Microsoft.  I clicked on one of the Send Feedback links.  It asks you to login with your Windows Live ID.  To my surprise, my Windows Live ID is not allowed to send feedback.  Fine bee that way.  Now make those links go buh-bye.

From Tech-Recipes:

Start > RegEdit > HKKEY_CURRENT_USER > Control Panel > Desktop > FeedBackToolEnabled > Change REG key to 0 > Restart.

I have found that Hyper-V is easily broken by any on access virus scanning software.  To make life easier, if you are running Hyper-V, or plan to.  Put these exclusions in your vurs scanner:

• Default VM configuration directory: C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Windows\Hyper-V
• Custom VM configuration directory
• Default virtual hard disk directory: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Hyper-V\Virtual Hard Disks
• Custom virtual hard disk directories
• Snapshot directories
• C:\Windows\System32\Vmms.exe
• C:\Windows\System32\Vmwp.exe

I cannot live without CRM at work.  To be able to run Windows 7, I had to work out a few kinks to get CRM for Outlook to work properly.

To get CRM for Outlook to work, it needs to be able to pop open IE windows on the fly.  By default, you are able to get the windows to open, however, they are blank.  An error may appear that says you need to disable your pop-up blocker.  This does not work.  Adding your CRM URL to the trusted sites, also does not work.

I had to cripple IE to get it running.  Open Internet Options, then go to the Security tab.

Uncheck: Enable Protected Mode for the Internet Zone

Restart IE and Outlook.

CRM 4.0 for Outlook now works normally.

I hope that the RTM of Windows 7 will allow you to add your CRM URL to the Trusted Sites so you can enable IE’s Protected Mode and have CRM for Outlook still work.  Not that I will ever use it, but still.  It would be nice.

With the state of our economy today many people are finding themselves on the receiving end of a pink slip.  Thus increasing the traffic on job seeking sites that are full of scam jobs to begin with.  Hopefully you do not find yourself in this position but if you do, you need to be aware of these scams.

Lets take a look at a job that was recently sent to me off on of the popular IT job sites:

XYZ Company is currently recruiting for a Client warranty field technician in your area.

This is an open-ended contract opportunity to work as a consultant to repair desktops, laptops, and printers. The Candidate will perform desktop computer “Break/Fix” support and Simple to Complex Installation, Add, or Change requirements of peripherals & Device Drivers. This is a great opportunity for the right individual.

The troubleshooting has already occurred through the Client help desk support line. That support line has determined the problem is hardware related and ordered the components for replacement.

Your job will be to pick up the hardware and take it to the client site (home, home-based business or small business), swap the part(s) out and return the warranty part(s) to Client.

This contract pays $27.00 per ticket within 50 miles and $35.00 per ticket from 51-75 miles, and you will be assigned an average of 4-8 tickets a day. The mileage is included in the price per ticket.

Does not sound too bad.  No troubleshooting, just pick up the part and take it to the customer.  No sitting in an office with a manager breathing down your neck.  Just you, your favorite podcast and the open road.

Since you would have to provide your own car, you would hope the employer would reimburse you for mileage, correct?  Wrong.  The fee per ticket includes mileage.

Let’s see why this job is such a scam by the numbers.

The current federal mileage rate is 58.5 cents per mile.  This was set July 2008 right when gas was creeping on $4.00 a gallon.  So lets factor our current gas prices and take the rate down, lets conservatively say 48.5 cents per mile.  I am factoring in gas, oil changes, tires, maintenance and wear and tear on a relatively new car.

Now, lets do the math assuming maximum jobs per day at maximum travel distance for each job:

Jobs within 50 miles

• 8 jobs per day * $27 per job = $216 per day
• 5 days per week * $216 per day = $1080 per week
• $1080 per week * 52 weeks = $56,150 per year

Jobs within 51 – 75 miles

• 8 jobs per day * $35 per job = $280 per day
• $280 per day * 5 days per week = $1400 per week
• $1400 per week * 52 weeks = $72,800 per year – not bad you are thinking, right?

Lets factor in the mileage for the jobs within 50 miles:

• 50 miles per job * $0.485 per mile = $24.25 per job
• $24.25 per job * 8 jobs per day = $194 per day
• $194 per day * 5 days per week = $970 per week
• $970 per week * 52 weeks = $50,440 per year
• $56,150 per year salary – $50,440 per year mileage = $5,710 per year

What?  Under $6 grand per year?  That is terrible.  Think of what other work you could do for $2.75 per hour!

How about the long jobs, those have to pay better, right?

• 75 miles per job * $0.485 per mile = $36.38 per job
• $36.38 per job * 8 jobs per day = $291.04 per day
• $291.04 per day * 5 days per week = $1455.20 per week
• $1555.20 per week * 52 weeks = $75,670.40 per year!
• $72,800 per year salary – $75,670.40 per year mileage = -$2,870.40 per year

Well, at least the -$2,870.40 per year is before taxes!  It’s a good thing they added must like driving to the job description!

Now, I know this is is the best/worst case scenario for the job, but seriously, how can you sleep at night knowing you are hiring employees that pay to work for you.  We are not talking used car salesmen here.

If you are in the market for a new job, please be weary of what is sent to you.  If something sounds too good to be true, then it most likely is.

Wait a minute… What if the distances traveled for each job in the description are one way?  I do not want to know those numbers!

Good luck and hang in there, the economy cant stay bad forever.

So I am setting up a brand new 2008 Server setup as an Exchange 2007 SP1 CAS server.  When connected to that server via OWA, I am not able to change my password, even though it is specifically allowed through EMC.  But connected to the 2003 Server, I am able to change my password.

Talking to our Exchange expert, he asked if the IISADMPWD was enabled?  I did not do it, so no, it isn’t.

Some research took me to TelnetPort25 where they have a pretty neat work around for IIS7.

Let me put it step by step:

1. On the 2008 server, navigate to c:\windows\system32\inetserv and create a folder called IISADMPWD
2. From the 2003 server, copy the files in the same folder to the 2008 server
3. Open IIS7 Manager, and expand [server name] > Sites
4. Right click on default website and select Add Virtual Directory
5. Type IISADMPWD for the alias and c:\windows\system32\inetserv\IISADMPWD for the physical path then click OK
6. Right click on the IISADMPWD filder that is now a virtual directory and select Convert to Application
7. The Add application dialog box opens, click on the select button and choose MSExchangeOWAAppPool
8. Click OK twice to return to IIS7 Manager
9. Click on IISADMPWD folder and on the right pane, click on Authentication
10. Make sure Windows Authentication is set to Enabled, click OK
11. Close IIS7 Manager
12. Start > Run > IISRESET /noforce
13. Test password change feature

I was impressed with the easy fix.

I have been running Windows 7 now for two full days.  So far no BSOD.  Impressive how Microsoft has finally released a Beta that is usable.  Thank you…

Here are some of my first impressions while getting up and running on Win7:

• The install took about 20 minutes before I was able to start getting updates and putting it on the domain.
• Windows 7 had a driver for everything in my Latitude D630.  Even had an updated driver for a few things via Windows Update.
• I expected this: Office 2007 installs perfectly and quickly.
• Our company lives off of CRM.  Each client runs CRM for Outlook, which is a monster in itself.  To get CRM 4.0 for Outlook to function, you have to cripple IE.  Turn off IE’s Protected Mode to allow content to load in the IE pop-up windows from Outlook.
• 
• 2003 Admin Tools installed flawlessly.  I cannot live without these.  My custom RDC MMC works great.  This would be a deal breaker for me.
• Trend Micro is not ready for Windows 7.  I did not expect that it was.  Installed it on a test VM first, resulting in a BSOD every 2 min or so.  I am currently running ClamWin 0.94.1 (big fan, BTW) without issue.  The Windows Action Center does not recognize it as virus software, so I had to turn off messages reminding me I had no virus software running.
• Performance is good, I do not notice any slower speed than when I was running Vista.  Boot-up time is great!  30 seconds to log-in screen.
• When replying to an email in Outlook 2007, the aero title bar has a bug.  I loose the minimize, maximize and close buttons.  This seems to be the only place it happens.
• Live window preview from taskbar!  Video is actually watchable!  Nice touch!

My Wish List:

• The new task bar is cool.  Reminds me of an OSX dock.  What would be nice is if there was a way to know weather a program is running or not.  OSX puts a little triangle below the icon to show that the program is running.  There really is no way to determine if it is running or not.
• A built in keyboard shortcut for the Snipping It tool.  I fixed it by creating my own, but a quick and easy say, Windows Key + S would be sweet.

Here, you will like this Windows 7 comic from xkcd