Monday, September 17, 2012

Lab on a laptop with Windows Server 2008 R2 – Part 2

Lab on a laptop with Windows Server 2008 R2 – Part 2:
from 4sysops 
This is the second of a three part article on building a laptop with Windows Server 2008 R2 and configuring Hyper-V to provision an SCCM lab.
Now you are comfortable with the idea of having a virtual lab on a laptop, there’s the list of omissions to address as I described in part one of this article. To recap, the list is below:
Feature Fix
Windows Easy Transfer Fixable with sigverify tool
XPS viewer Disabled by default
Windows Media Center Use alternative Media Center
Codecs to play MP4 videos Use VLC or similar
Windows Performance rating Hack available
Windows Sidebar Fixable by copying files from Windows 7
No hibernation (if you use Hyper-V) Not available
No Bluetooth Not available

Windows Easy Transfer (WET)

If you want to transfer data easily from your laptop and then import it once rebuilt, you need to use Easy Transfer. The solution is that you can persuade WET to run by using Microsoft’s Application Verifier tool. This can create a shim to run WET as if it’s on Windows 7. The steps are:
  1. Copy the %windir%\system32\migwiz directory from your old/another Windows 7 machine
  2. Using Application Verifier tick “HighVersionLie” and right-click properties to be:

    Major: 6

    Minor: 1

    Build: 7600

    ProdType: 1
  3. Save the result and you’re ready to run Easy Transfer

XPS viewer

Running XPS viewer is very easy as it’s just not installed by default. To enable it you simply tick the feature in Server Manager.
Windows Server 2008 R2 laptop - Enabling XPS viewer in Server Manager, Features
Enable XPS Viewer in Server Manager, Features

Windows Media Center

Enabling the Streaming Media Service role, after installing a patch Given my goal was not to sit watching on my laptop I ignored this and the lack of codecs. Windows 2008 R2 does still include Windows Media Player 12, but it will play native videos – WMV, ASF and audio WMA or MP3. If I want to watch videos I will use the feature- rich VLC portable instead. It comes with the codecs for most media formats.
Ironically, you can add the Media Streaming Service to 2008R2 but you have to download a patch first. This will encode videos and broadcast them as a stream to other machines on your network. The catch is unless the video is in WMV format already, you will have to convert it.
Windows Server 2008 R2 laptop - Enabling the Streaming Media Service role, after installing a patch
Enabling the Streaming Media Service role, after installing a patch

Windows Performance Rating

The numeric rating system introduced since Vista is really a tool called WinSAT – Windows System Assessment Tool. Windows then uses this to generate an aggregate score, the Windows Experience Index (WEI). It’s of no interest to server people so Microsoft left it out, but it works fine. You simply copy the %windir%\System32\WinSAT directory to your machine. It’s command line only though. If you want the pretty GUI version, there’s a hack you can download.

Windows Sidebar

Finally, Windows Sidebar is nice but unfortunately, security researchers found it’s not secure since it involves running XML and JavaScript on your local machine. Microsoft has quietly removed the gadgets gallery from their site. They want to push Windows 8 apps anyway now.
If you insist on having it, just copy the Sidebar folder, register the sidebar executable and reboot.
Personally, I’d just avoid it. Microsoft has issued an advisory if you want more detail why not.
Author: Mike Taylor


Copyright © 2006-2012, 4sysops, Digital fingerprint: 3db371642e7c3f4fe3ee9d5cf7666eb0


Related

Lab on a laptop with Windows Server 2008 R2 – Part 1

Lab on a laptop with Windows Server 2008 R2 – Part 1:
from 4sysops 
This is the first of a three part article on building a laptop with Windows Server 2008 R2 and configuring Hyper-V to provision an SCCM lab. The first part explains why and the caveats.

Overview

After starting a new job I decided to begin studying Microsoft’s System Center (SCCM) 2012 at home. There is just one problem. I don’t have a £2000 server or even a desktop powerful enough to run it. SCCM itself needs a 64-bit, quad-core processor with 8GB, or better, 16GB of RAM with lots of fast disk space. It also needs a separate server running as a domain controller.
Ironically, my laptop is a core i5, so I decided rebuild it with Windows Server 2008 R2, to use as a workstation. The key reason was that R2 includes Hyper-V. Hyper-V is ideal for any lab environment, as it’s almost like using a video recorder. You can pause, rewind changes to whole virtual machines, meaning you can experiment and rollback to previous states.
Hyper-V beats all other virtualisation products but has stringent hardware requirements: it’s 64-bit only and needs either Intel VT or AMD-V BIOS support, which again my laptop met.
A possible deal killer is the need to do a clean install wiping your OS drive (or whole disk if you only have one partition). I found a great workaround is to buy an SSD and move the old boot drive to a SATA caddy in the DVD bay. If you need DVDs buy an external USB instead.
So I was ready to build my laptop as a Windows 2008 workstation. There are a couple of online articles (including the 4sysops article – WINDOWS SERVER 2008 R2 SERVER – THE PERFECT WORKSTATION OS and even two whole websites win2008R2Workstation and msfn on the subject, but they concentrate on overcome annoyances owing to the hardened security:
Annoyance Fix
Wifi missing Add feature
Logon without ctrl+alt+del Set Local Policy
Disable shutdown event tracker Set Local Policy
Grants users shutdown Set Local Policy
Disable IE enhanced security Un-tick options on Server manager summary page
Enable sound Set service to automatic
Desktop experience Add feature
Themes Add feature
Annoyances of Windows Server default security settings

Things that make you go hmmm

Unfortunately, despite researching, I found out the hard way that there are more basic omissions that are not available as they are inappropriate to Server 2008 R2. They are:
Feature Fix
Windows Easy Transfer Fixable with sigverify tool
XPS viewer Disabled by default
Windows Media Center Use an alternative Media Center
Codecs to play MP4 videos Use VLC
Windows Performance rating Hack available
Windows Sidebar Fixable by copying files from Windows 7
No hibernation (if you use Hyper-V) Unavailable
No Bluetooth Unavailable
List of features and possible fixes for Windows 2008 Workstation
Note, power consumption is identical to Windows 7 especially with your OEM’s power management software. The good news is you can get around most of the above easily, although a few qualify as serious hacks.
As I wanted this for training not entertainment, the above issues are irrelevant except Easy Transfer. You could use Microsoft’s User State Management Tool (USMT) instead, although you need to install Windows AIK or its replacement, Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (WADK). Although the Windows ADK is small 1.5MB, it is a downloader and installer in one. The full WADK is 2.55GB.
Before you decide to proceed, ensure you are happy without these things. If you’re rebuilding your machine you may well want to use Easy Transfer but thankfully it’s an easy one to fix.
In the next part I will describe how to build a laptop with Windows Server 2008 R2.
Author: Mike Taylor


Copyright © 2006-2012, 4sysops, Digital fingerprint: 3db371642e7c3f4fe3ee9d5cf7666eb0


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Friday, September 14, 2012

How Can I Save Un-downloadable Online Video Content to Watch Offline? [Video]

How Can I Save Un-downloadable Online Video Content to Watch Offline? [Video]:
from Lifehacker 
Dear Lifehacker,
I watch a lot of online video, and it's great when I'm actually connected to the internet, but sometimes I want to finish what I'm watching somewhere Wi-Fi or cellular data doesn't reach. Is there a way I can download videos from YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, etc., so I can view them offline? More »

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Scripted Network Defense (Part 2) - Perfmon Events and Task Triggers

Scripted Network Defense (Part 2) - Perfmon Events and Task Triggers:
from WindowsNetworking.com 
 In this article we'll discuss how to use Performance Monitor to watch for certain conditions and set up a triggering mechanism for responding to them.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Prevent Your Mac from Sleeping with a Simple Terminal Command [Mac Tips]

Prevent Your Mac from Sleeping with a Simple Terminal Command [Mac Tips]:
from Lifehacker 
OS X: Sleep helps you keep your Mac from drawing too much power or running low on battery, but sometimes you want to keep it awake for various reasons. Software blog Addictive Tips points to a helpful Terminal command new in OS X Mountain Lion that can keep your Mac awake for a set period of time. More »

Anti-Virus page updated

The links to AVG free have been updated to the latest versions (2013.2667 August 31, 2012)

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How to Find Out What's Keeping Your Computer from Going to Sleep [Troubleshooting]

How to Find Out What's Keeping Your Computer from Going to Sleep [Troubleshooting]:
from Lifehacker 
So your computer is set to go to sleep after a half hour of inactivity, but the darn thing never actually goes to sleep. Want to figure out what's keeping it awake? Here's a quick command for Windows and OS X that'll let you know. More »

Monday, September 10, 2012

Add .NET Framework Repair Tool to your kit

Add .NET Framework Repair Tool to your kit:
from BetaNews 
Microsoft has released the .NET Framework Repair Tool, a compact and portable executable file that aims to detect and resolve some common .NET Framework problems.
The program focuses mainly on issues relating to installation or updates. If its tests don’t reveal anything obvious in this area, though, it can also apply a couple of generic solutions: specifically, stopping, re-registering and restarting the Windows Installer service. And as a result, the Repair Tool may also help to resolve a variety of other Windows Installer-related problems.
The program itself comes in the form of a single, small executable (828KB) -- just download it and you’re ready to go immediately. It’s been designed for non-technical users, too, so there are no complex options to consider: a wizard-like interface walks you through the three core steps, and the entire process could be complete within seconds.
Run the Repair Tool, for instance, and it’ll display a licence agreement (necessary as it collects data on your setup – the licence tells you more).
If you accept the agreement and click Next, the program will run nine simple tests, which on our PC took something less than a second.
And the verdict is then displayed, leaving you to either click Next to apply any suggested fixes, or Cancel to close the program down (so no settings will be changed unless you specifically agree to them).
Overall the Repair Tool doesn’t appear to be doing anything too surprising, and we’d hazard a guess that most people will just get the same recommendation to restart and reregister the Windows Installer service. This can be a useful fix for a whole range of issues, though, so on balance it’s probably still worth adding the program to your portable troubleshooting toolkit.
 Photo Credit: studio online/Shutterstock

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Free Word and Excel Password Recovery Wizard 2.09 lives up to its name, sometimes

Free Word and Excel Password Recovery Wizard 2.09 lives up to its name, sometimes:
from BetaNews 
Passwords are supposed to protect files from unauthorised access, but the sad fact is that just about any password can eventually be cracked. That’s bad news if you’re looking for bulletproof protection, but should you suddenly forget a password you might be grateful that your file isn’t as secure as you might have thought.
Password-recovery tools are plentiful, but freebies are thin on the ground. Many of these don’t even work, but one that does -- within certain limits of file format and password length -- is Free Word and Excel Password Recovery Wizard 2.09.
The limits in question are these: first, Free Word and Excel Password Recovery Wizard only works with older Word and Excel documents, namely .doc and .xls files saved in the Word 97-2003 or Excel 97-2003 formats. Second, it’ll only work with passwords up to a maximum of eight characters long.
Fall within these limits, however, and you’re in luck. As the “Wizard” part of the title suggests, the tool is straightforward to use and set up: select your password-protected file, choose a recovery method (brute force or dictionary), fine-tune your settings to speed up the recovery process and click Go.
If you’re lucky, which means your password is a simple English word found in the dictionary, your password can be cracked in seconds or even tenths of seconds. If you’re a little more careful, however, then you may have to settle down for a number of hours while the app manfully tries every combination of letters and, if selected, numbers and special characters under the sun until it finds the right combination.
Once done, make a note of your password (now is a good time to consider employing the services of a password-management tool like KeePass) and you’re good to go, perhaps shocked at how easy it was to crack your document password, but secretly glad you were able to do so.
Free Word and Excel Password Recovery Wizard 2.09 is a freeware download for PCs running Windows XP or later.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Dell Redacts Prices And Dates From Sales Chat Transcripts, Rendering Them Pointless

Dell Redacts Prices And Dates From Sales Chat Transcripts, Rendering Them Pointless:
from The Consumerist 
  3860586024
Usually, it's our job here at The Consumerist to do the redacting, removing employee and location names in order to prevent Internet mob harassment, among other reasons. But now Dell has gone ahead and pre-redacted chat transcripts when customers try to save them, erasing the evidence of price quotes and sale dates that they've discussed with potential customers. That's what happened to Julie when she tried to discuss a financing offer over chat.
I was purchasing a laptop with a unit price of $768.99; that price is listed on my order summary. Special financing is available for systems $699 and over. But discounts applied to the price after the initial listing - four line-items totaling $114.38 - would drop the price of the laptop below the $699 threshold; however my total purchase from Dell would be $717.60 prior to taxes, shipping, etc.
I wanted to know if I would still qualify for the special financing (to be clear: I didn't think I should be eligible, I just want to know if I am eligible). I didn't do a screen capture as I knew from earlier when I chatted about product features, they would email a copy of the chat. What I didn't know is that all mention of prices and dates would be replaced with asterisks. What good is following their own advice of "Please save the log for your records."
So should my bill arrive without the special financing, demanding payment in full or else they'll charge me 19.99% (or more) interest, I have nothing to back-up my "Hey! Not what I was told!" Which. Yeah. I suppose is why they do it. But it is wrong.
Here's the relevant part of Julie's transcript:
07/17/2012 02:04:57PM julie: "I am trying to figure out if my purchase qualifies for the special financing through Dell Preferred account."

07/17/2012 02:05:10PM Agent ([JT]): "I'd be happy to assist you with that question today"

07/17/2012 02:06:04PM Agent ([JT]): "Our current Dell Preferred Account promotions: Interest free on new home sales systems (XPS, Inspiron, Alienware) $******* or more until June *******"

07/17/2012 02:06:06PM Agent ([JT]): "Do you have any specific specs you were looking for in this system?"

07/17/2012 02:07:00PM julie: "Is that $******* price before or after the limited time offers applied to the computer?"

07/17/2012 02:08:01PM Agent ([JT]): "As long as there is a system in the cart, and the price is over $******* after the taxes are included it will be interest free until June *******"

07/17/2012 02:08:44PM julie: "Great. That is what I needed to know! Thank you."

07/17/2012 02:08:58PM Session Ended
Yep, saving her transcript for her records will come in really handy.

Friday, September 7, 2012

Remote SSH Into Your Home Mac Through iCloud's Network [Mac OS X]

Remote SSH Into Your Home Mac Through iCloud's Network [Mac OS X]:
from Lifehacker 
If you're running two Macs with iCloud support (Lion or Mountain Lion), then you can use iCloud's network to remote SSH back into your home computer no matter where you are with just a few lines in Terminal. More »

Thursday, September 6, 2012

PrivaZer is one of the most powerful free privacy tools we’ve ever seen

PrivaZer is one of the most powerful free privacy tools we’ve ever seen:
from BetaNews 
If you’ve tried a few PC privacy tools then you’ll know they’re often disappointing, doing little more than you can achieve with your browser and Windows alone (clearing your temporary folders, deleting cookies and so on).
PrivaZer, fortunately, is a genuine exception, an amazingly thorough utility which could be one of the most powerful free privacy tools we’ve ever seen.
The program’s plus points start during setup. You can install it, if you like, but that’s not necessary: it’s also possible to launch PrivaZer directly from the installer, enabling you to run the program from a USB key.
Once launched you can run a variety of limited scans on whatever drive you like, but for a first pass we’d recommend running an in-depth scan on your system drive. This may take a while (almost 2 minutes even on our relatively unpopulated 240GB SSD), but it’s worth the wait.
And when the scan is complete you’ll be presented with a list of 18 areas which may need your attention, complete with links which provide way more information than we’d normally expect from this kind of tool.
Take the Registry section, for instance. You might expect this to just list a few Windows “recent files” list, yes? But in fact Privazer examines unallocated space within the Registry, detecting and uncovering deleted or changed keys. On our test PC it found almost 900 of these, many relating to software we’d uninstalled long ago.
The MFT, “free space” and “USN Journal” sections do a similar job for your hard drive, revealing file and document names you might have thought were safely deleted. The Start & JumpList section identifies applications you’ve launched, and files you’ve opened. While Windows History lists everything from recent searches and your opened and saved files history, to typed paths in Explorer and the USB devices you’ve connected to your PC.
Even sections we assumed would be fairly standard, still had enough functionality to surprise. When we clicked Cookies, for instance, we saw regular, Flash, Silverlight and DOM storage, for both our IE and Firefox installations: it’s all very thorough.
And the cleanup options are just as comprehensive. You could simply click “Clean” and leave the program to do its work. But if you’d like to take more control then you can also define a secure overwriting method from one of 7 US DoD standards.
Is there a catch? The program worked well for us, but anything that wipes your system as this low a level (unallocated Registry and MFT space, and so on) has a greater chance of introducing problems. Don’t run it on a system you haven’t backed up, and we’d recommend taking a system restore point immediately beforehand, too.
Otherwise, though, PrivaZer looks like an excellent tool with a great deal of privacy potential. Even if you’re happy with your current cleanup utilities, download the program anyway, and use it to scan your system, see if there’s more activity traces left behind than you realized.
Photo Credit: Santiago Cornejo/Shutterstock