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Time to look at SharePoint Team Services again

28 September 2008

Can not reinstall SharePoint.
Ok, My clients SharePoint is dead. I have the database files but the SharePoint as I know it is dead. Under Add/Remove in Control panel I tried to run "Windows Small Business Server Setup" and run maintenance and reinstall or install the Intranet component. It fails. There are many other steps to take. I tried to used the maintenance wizard to install, it failed, I went back in, it said it was installed, so I uninstalled again and then reinstalled, it failed. I tried everything I could think of. I spent 6 hours trying to get SharePoint back onto the system.

I tried Microsoft KB 829114 "How to remove and how to install the Windows Small Business Server 2003 SharePoint Services 2.0 companyweb Web site"
(This involves stopping the services, deleting the SharePoint website and application pools in IIS, editing the registry removing MSDE instance of companyweb and removing the MSDE data). This also failed.

I threw caution to the wind and downloaded the Windows SharePoint Services 2 SP2 from the web. The version for Windows 2003 server (Non SBS). I installed it flawlessly. I then uninstalled it, again it went perfect. I then run the wizard for maintenance in Add/Remove "Windows Small Business Server Setup" and the Intranet installed first time. It shows you how valuable a gut feel can be sometimes.

Why did I have to reinstall Sharepoint ?
I removed the MSDE instance for Companyweb in Add/Remove in preparation to move the databases to SQL 2005 Workgroup edition. Due to other issues, we could not continue with the SQL 2005 install so we ended up with no Companyweb. We could not install SQL 2005 in a way that we needed for the upgrade as the workstation components (Management studio) etc would not install. The repair suggested is to run a "change" on the existing SQL 2005 instance in Add/Remove in control panel and restrospectively install the tools. This did not work for us in this situation. I have seen this previously. Backup Exec 12d includes SQL 2005 Express. It does not include the tools. If this is installed before you try andinstall SQL 2005 Workgroup, there seems to be no way to install the missing tools. I have tried uninstalling Backup Exec and SQL 2005, and then reinstalling but I can't seem to get the tools to install.

From Microsoft "You may be unable to install the Client Components when you update the SQL Server Desktop Engine instance to SQL Server 2005. This behavior may occur if this is not the first instance of SQL Server 2005 that is installed on the server and if you did not install the Client Components together with the first SQL Server 2005 instance. If this is the case, SQL Server Setup displays a message that states that the Client Components have already been installed."

In my case the error was sompthing like .. a newer version of the tools has previously been installed, please exit the installation and from the comand line perform an upgrade ..... Nothing I read on the internet seemed to work.

Take a look at this link

It then dawned on me. The SQL 2005 interface and Management tool runs across the network. I had the software installed on a secondary PC. I could use that one to manage and make the changes to this database as SQL 2005 had installed on this server, Just minus the tools. It worked like a dream.

SharePoint recovery ?
how can you recover SharePoint ?
You can do it from the flat files, if you have them (The Ldf and MDF files). You can do it from a stsadm backup or from your backup tool if it supports a SQL Agent. All are valid recovery methods.

If all you want is the document libraries, you could also mount the companyweb under "My Network places" as a Network place (http://companyweb) and simply copy the data out.
It might be helpful to backup C:\inetpub\companyweb (If you have modified it) and have an IIS metadatabase backup handy.

You can recover to the same server and same AD or a new server with the same server name. You do this using different methods. Look at this article for help.

I had the situation where I needed to do a recovery from the Ldf and MDF files into a fresj MSDE instance. I reinstalled the Intranet onto the same server and AD. I stopped the services, replaced the Ldf and MDF files with the backup and restarted the databases. I then was told (in Internet Explorer) it was a foreign database "The Web site that is referenced here is not in the configuration database". Here is how I fixed it.
Start the companyweb Web site
(Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager. In IIS Manager, expand server_name (local computer), and then expand Web Sites.Under Web Sites, right-click companyweb, and then click Start.

Now remove Windows SharePoint Services 2.0 from thr CompanyWeb intranet site.
(Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click SharePoint Central Administration (http://localhost:8081). Under Virtual Server Configuration, click Configure virtual server settings. On the Virtual Server List page, click the virtual server that you want to configure. In this example, click the companyweb virtual server. Under Virtual Server Management on the Virtual Server Settings page, click Remove Windows SharePoint Services from Virtual Server. On the Remove Windows SharePoint Services from Virtual Server page, click Remove without deleting content databases.Click OK. You will receive the following error message.
"The virtual server that is referenced here is not in the configuration database "

Extend the CompanyWeb intranet site by using Windows SharePoint Services 2.0.
(Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click SharePoint Central Administration (http://localhost:8081). On the Central Administration page under Virtual Server Configuration, click Extend or upgrade virtual server.On the Virtual Server List page, click the name of the virtual server to extend. In this case, click companyweb. On the Extend Virtual Server page under Provisioning Options, select Extend and map to another virtual server. Under Server Mapping, click companyweb.Under Application Pool, click Use an existing application pool, and then click DefaultAppPool (NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE). Click OK.)

For further information look here

Web Part Error: This page has encountered a critical error
After restoring my site I had this error. You can also get it after installing .Net Framework 2.0. You may have to change the .Net Framework back to 1.1.4322 on the site or virtual directories. Please do as following:

1. Open the IIS management snap-in.
2. Go to the properties of companyweb.
3. Go to the ASP.NET tab.
4. On the ASP.NET version select the drop-down and change from the 2.0.50727 to 1.1.4322.
5. Apply and close out the properties.
6. Browse companyweb.

Run Company Web on ASP.Net 2
If you want to run companyweb on ASP.NET 2.0.50727 you will need to upgrade run the following SharePoint command:

stsadm.exe -o upgrade -forceupgrade -url http://companyweb

SBS server 2003 WSS2- Everyone can edit my Company web ?
I have a client whose companyweb seems to ignore the permisisons supplied. Anyone can edit the companyweb, move webparts around and delete items. Even those whom have no account linked to the MSDE instance and do not appear in the users list. It has a strange "log in" button floating where the "Modify Shared Page" should be on the right hand side. It turns out that the reason is someone has played in the AD. The "SBS SP Admins" group is set and used by Sharepoint to allow people to edit and play with Sharepoint. It is in the Active Directory and in this case, someone added "Domain Users" to the Membership. Removing the "Domain Users" fixed the problem.

My Sharepoint has all my data in it, it is my life....
... Then you should consider an additional backup for it. Use the commandline in a batch file
"C:\Program files\Common files\Microsoft shared\Web server extensions\60\Bin\STSADM.EXE" -o backup -url http://Companyweb -filename C:\Backup\companyweb -overwrite

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28 September 2008 - Mickyj.com

Dang Malware

25 September 2008

Tell Someone !!!!!
I have a client who had suspected that they had a virus for some time. They did not deem it important to let me know. When they logged into their PC, after everything had settled and finished loading, Explorer would crash and want to send information off to Microsoft. From that point onwards, popup ads would start appearing. I ran Hijackthis, rootkit revealer, Trend Micro Sysclean, Spybot 1.6 (with Rootkit plugin) and Malware bytes. Nothing found the cause of the popup ads. I manually checked through the running processes and dll files with process explorer. There were no clues.

On reboot, I happened to start up task manager and watch processes as they loaded. There was this "_qbotinj.exe" file starting up. Nothing I ran could find it on the hard disk. It seems to be a rootkit of some kind. I found information regarding this, it is a virus and easily removed using Prevx. In this case, Prevx CSI could not find it.

http://spywarefiles.prevx.com/RRFBGJ29452751/_QBOTINJ.EXE.html

I looked in C:\Documents and settings\all users\_qbothome\ as suggested in various documentation, the path did not exist. Then I ran regrun reanimator and it found it but could not remove it. It did stop it running. When the rootkit was removed from memory I could see C:\Documents and settings\all users\_qbothome\ folder and renamed _qbotinj.exe to _qbotinj.old and created a folder called "_qbotinj.exe". As it turns out, on reboot, something tried to place the file _qbotinj.exe back into the file system but could not, as I had a folder there by the same name. Then I saw all the text log files. All websites, Internet explorer autocomplate, passwords, usernames and Visa/Banking details had been captured through keylogging and placed into this log file.

Not nice. When you see popups ... tell someone. Get it checked.

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25 September 2008 - Mickyj.com

A night with Epson

22 September 2008

Epson evening in Adelaide
It was great to see a large number of Small Business IT friends at the recent Adelaide Epson event. These events are always a great chance to network and catch up. We are all so busy with our lives and client bases we forget those in the trenches alongside us. So to PWFI, computertech, Boon and many others, it was great to catch up and I look forward to the next socoal event.

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22 September 2008 - Mickyj.com

Musings

15 September 2008

Super fast Ultrium backup unit, slow backup.
I have clients using Ultrium backup units hitting speeds of 2500 mb/min on u320 SCSI. Why do their backups (Backup Exec) take 11 hours for 400 Gb ? Why does the overall backup speed appear to be 700 mb/min ?

If you look through the backup exec logs, you will see the System state and Exchange Public folders/mailboxes can drop down to 30 mb/Min. The Exchange information store backs up very quickly but if you also elect to backup the public store and mailboxes, the rate drastically drops. The breaking of single instance storage and the Backup agent all contribute to the speed issue. The larger the Public folders or mailboxes, the slower the overall backup.

There are also maintenance schedules for Exchange after 1 am. Symantec have many article about this issue.

Ebay, a haven for stolen parts?
I recently placed a bid on an item that was second or maybe even third hand. I managed to win the Auction and took delivery of my new pride and joy. The device included a compact flash card.

I popped it into my multi card reader and ... there are photos on it and even data. I took a look through the data and found tax records, receipts and more. There was enough information to contact the person in the documentation and it turns out the card and numerous other items were stolen two months previous. It also turns out a number of photos on the card ... are not his. Maybe the thief caught on camera ?

Buyer beware.

Epiphanies
I want to share two youtube videos with you all. Once you have seen these I know you will know why I am excited about project codenamed Epiphanies.To those of you who know me well, you know I have a heart for the community. I especially love helping the disabled or rather, helping in situations where I can bridge the gap between PC's and humans.Please take the 5 minutes needed to check out these two videos. I hope you will also be excited. This is the future. This is real and working.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNMLndomRw8
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSbCZJPVLrU

If you want further information or have any comments, please feel free to contact me on my email direct. We want to know what everyone thinks of this project.

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15 September 2008 - Mickyj.com

Tech Ed 08

5 September 2008

Where was I at the Australian TechEd ?
I heard a rumour that all but two Australian SBS MVP's attended TechEd this year (For the SMB day). That is fantastic. It is a real show of force to have all these guys there. I am also an Australian SBS MVP, was I there ? No. Did I want to be there ... Absolutely.

I wanted to support Robbie Upcroft (Microsoft) and the other SBS MVP's and Small Business Specialists but I had started a new business all of my own, the month previous.

It did not make eccononomic sence to leave the business for a week and I had responsibilities. Myself and my Business Partner, Sam Webster, started Business Technology Partners Pty Ltd with a large clientel base and they needed our attention. This is also why I can not make it to SMB nation nor any other events for a short while. I really want to be there and support the guys (And Microsoft) however the cost is too large at this moment. I hope all those that have asked about my lack of presence will understand.

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5 September 2008 - Mickyj.com

SBS 2008 RTM

22 August 2008

Here it comes .....

sbs-2008-released-to-manufacturing

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22 August 2008 - Mickyj.com

The weeks musings

16 August 2008

Can I reprint an SPL file ?
Yes. The short answer is, "you can". An SPL file is one of the two files that makes up a Microsoft printer queue spool file. These spool files are generated by the Windows spooler, using the printer driver software. One file with the .SHD extension for job settings (Printer type, size etc), and one with the .SPL extension for the drawing commands (the data).

If this is a local LPT printer and you want to reprint a captured spool file, try copy /b filename.spl LPTx:

If this is a network printer

net use lptx: \\ComputerName\PrinterShareName
copy /b filename.spl LPTx:

It will then reprint your job.

Recently since installing Trend Micro Internet Security 2008, my profile has died.
I get Windows cannot load the user's profile but has logged you on with the default profile for the system.
Detail: Insufficient system resources exist to complete the requested service.

To resolve this problem, modify the registry to increase the PoolUsageMaximum value and the PagedPoolSize value. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
2. Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ Session Manager\Memory Management
3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
4. In the New Value #1 box, type PoolUsageMaximum, and then press ENTER.
5. Right-click PoolUsageMaximum, and then click Modify.
6. In the Value data box, type 30, and then click OK.
7. If the PagedPoolSize registry entry exists, go to step 8. If the PagedPoolSize registry entry does not exist, create it. To do this, follow these steps: a. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
b. In the New Value #1 box, type PagedPoolSize, and then press ENTER.
8. Right-click PagedPoolSize, and then click Modify.
9. In the Value data box, type ffffffff, and then click OK.
10. Exit Registry Editor, and then restart the computer.

More details are available at KB 935649

Cannot Execute as Child of BASIC.
I have a client with an XP workstation running an older DOS based application and they can't get past this error. I downloaded a Qbasic update from HP (sp2517.exe) I edited the batch file that calls the DOS program and added "FIX50F /I " before calling the program and it is all fixed.

You can see what others are saying about this here

Toshiba A100 with a DVD multi drive, Drive does not appear to work
Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing. (Code 39)

I found many references to Microsoft KB 310123 (This no longer exists) and then my answer with KB 929461

To resolve this problem, remove the affected filter drivers. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, type regedit in the Start Search box, and then click regedit in the Programs list.
If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type your password, or click Continue.
2. Locate, and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\ Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
Caution There can be many instances of the registry subkey that is mentioned in step 2. You must make sure that you are in the appropriate registry subkey before modifying the UpperFilters and the LowerFilters values. To verify that you are in the appropriate registry subkey, make sure that the Default data value is DVD/CD-ROM and the Class data value is CDROM.
3. In the right pane, right-click UpperFilters, and then click Delete.
4. Click Yes to confirm the removal of the UpperFilters registry entry.
5. In the right pane, right-click LowerFilters, and then click Delete.
6. Click Yes to confirm the removal of the LowerFilters registry entry.
7. Exit Registry Editor, and then restart the computer.

More information is available in the Toshiba Forums.

Windows 2000/XP could not start because \Winnt\System32\Config\System.ced is missing or corrupt
Well its not missing and its probably not corrupt. You get this message if something is writing too much data to the System subkey in the registry. You might need to review what you have installed lately.

Intel and ARC (RISC) systems have a design limit such that 16 megabyte (MB) of memory is available at this stage of the boot process and the following must fit in that available 16M RAM :
loader
kernel
HAL
boot drivers
system registry hive

If the System registry hive exceeds 13MB, you get this error.

To resolve the problem, you have to replace it with a backup version. Use the Repair Console tool to replace the backup copy of the System hive from the repair folder. If you do not have the Repair Console tool installed, you can run it from the Emergency Repair process:

Start the computer by using the Windows CD-ROM or the Startup disk.
When you see the "Welcome to Setup" message, press R for "repair."
Press C to run the Recovery Console tool.
Select the installation that you want to repair.
Type the administrator password. If this is a domain controller, you need to supply the password for Directory Services Restore Mode.
Log on to the Recovery Console tool and type the following commands:
cd system32\config
ren system system.old
ren system.alt systemalt.old
Copy the backup of the System hive from either the %SystemRoot%\Repair folder or the %SystemRoot%\Repair\Regback folder if you run the Emergency Repair Disk Wizard from Windows Backup and Recovery tools.
You will need to restore the most recent copy of the System hive. Any programs that run as a service or hardware device drivers that you installed since you last ran the Emergency Repair Disk need to be re-installed.

(If you have never ran the Emergency Repair Disk, then the system that you restore will likely be the one that first existed when Windows was first installed.)

To copy the default System hive, type the following command:
copy c:\winnt\repair\system to copy the default system hive

To copy the System hive that was backed up the last time that you ran the Emergency Repair Disk Wizard, type the following command:
copy c:\winnt\repair\regback\system

After you run these commands, type exit at the command prompt to restart your computer.

You might also consider using BartPe to restore these files or another Preinstallation environment.

HP toolbox 3390 AIO - Not scanning
I have a client with an All in One printer. The fancy HP toolbox software allows you to setup templates for scanning destinations on the MFP. You can point the scan to a network share or back to your PC.

At this clients site, it simply does not work. We tried uninstalling the drivers, but now we can not reinstall them. We have downloaded the full Drive CD form HP (600 mb) and it still will not reinstall.
Reinstallation causes the error :Now Launching C:\hp+unpack\hpzwrp01.exe -m dpinst.xml -l xxx -f ERROR_SUCCESS Returned 0x643 Exit code=1603. When you click a button the software then uninstalls. We have this printer on a network shared with 4 other users. 3 of the users can not scan to their PC's. It is these three that we tried to fix using each of the following utilities.
FixScanUtility3_1.exe
FixScanUtility.exe (2.95)
ScanDiagnosticUtility_ver_1.5.exe

They all apparently fixed something but none of them actually made the scanning work again. We decided to uninstall the software, which did so correctly, but on all three can not reinstall the software.

I tried clearing the temporary files. I ran upgrades for Vbscript and XML parsers. I used the Windows uninstaller to make Sure HP was stripped from the system. Still no go.
Looking through the temporary files I found hpzrcv002.log. This file lists the steps taking by the installer and I found a matching :Info 1603. The file C:\Windows\system32\HPZinw12.dll is being held in use.
A quick look in services showed PML Driver HPZ12 was running and was a HP service. I stopped it, edited the registry and removed it.
I reran the installation and it failed again. This time the Net Driver HPZ12 was running and was a HP service. I then tried to reinstall, it failed again. It keeps filing at a new point so I can see a pattern. The original HP software did not appear to fully uninstall. I am manually locating the files in use, killing them one at a time and reinstalling. As each reinstall fails at about the 20 minute mark, it is very time consuming.
In the end, after hours, it made more sense to reformat the PC. After doing this, everything now works fine. I see many people with the same error on the internet. My advice is to pull the plug. Reformat.

To locate the Fix scan utilities, use Google to search for:
hp scan diagnostic utility 2006-11-27 step 1: Do you need to update
hp laserjet fix scan utility 2.95

And refer to this this page.

New! Online Peer Group Benefit for Small Business Specialist and Windows SBS Partners
Microsoft announces Online Peer Groups, a new benefit for current Small Business Specialist partners that took the Windows SBS 70-282 exam.

What are the Online Peer Groups?

The online Peer Groups are an opportunity for Microsoft partners to learn, share and complete activities designed to improve their business and professional lives. The Content will consist of these six topics over a 12-month period:
Vision, Mission, Values
Business Planning
Sales and Marketing
Budgeting and Finance
HR and Metrics
Vendor Engagement and Wrap-up

The online Peer Groups consist of up to 15 members partners per group. The meetings are scheduled at uniform times. Each meeting will focus on practical, useful content and tools that help you improve your business over the upcoming month and beyond. Homework and goal assignments are required and will supplement the learning. Peer group sharing is also a key part of the best practice exchange and overall learning.

- Have to be a current Microsoft Small Business Specialist
- Passed the SBS 70-282 Exam
- Fluency in English (open to partners worldwide)
- Commitment to participate includes attending peer group sessions and completion of homework
- Pay USD $600 for participation

To learn more or to SUBMIT the nomination form, please visit: http://www.htgmembers.com/online_year1.htm. Form needs to be submitted latest by Aug 31, 2008 for participation in the FY09 Online Peer Groups. Submitting the form does not guarantee selection. Microsoft and Heartland Technology Groups reserve the right to decline a submission. All peer groups will be conducted in English only.

What Peer Group members have to say:

�Life is too short to learn all these things the hard way. Most of us got in to this business because we are technicians and have to learn how to be businessmen and managers. Sessions like this are the closest thing we can get to having a mentor or hiring a professional corporate President to run the company�

�I entered this program with no specific expectations other than to have the opportunity to interact with and learn from and with my peers. The HTG Online Peer Group experience was simply excellent. Our group had a good mix of firms, in terms of geographic location, company size and experience. This was one of the keys to the value I derived from the program. Most importantly, the program afforded me an opportunity to speak with my peers and interact with them in a very open and collaborative manner and I found that it really forced me to take a critical look at my business model. As a result, I will definitely implement changes in my business this year that are the direct result of my participation in this group. It was worthwhile to take time to work through the exercises, meetings and presentations in order to get the full benefit of a thought-provoking program. I highly recommend this program to any firm that works with SMB clients.�

Technical training series on Windows Essential Server Solutions from Partner Academy Live.
The series kicks off on August 15 (this Friday) at 9am PDT with �The Small and Midsize Business Server Platform: Which Is Right for Your Customer?� and continues with eight sessions for Windows SBS 2008 and eight sessions for Windows EBS 2008. Each session will be a live, one-hour webcast, with the recording posted later for on-demand use.

Get Ready for the Windows Essential Server Solutions Launch with Technical Training Series

The November 12, 2008 launch for Windows Essential Server Solutions is fast approaching! Prepare by attending Partner Academy Live technical training sessions for Windows Small Business Server 2008 and Windows Essential Business Server 2008 starting on August 15, 9am PDT with �The Small and Midsize Business Server Platform: Which Is Right for Your Customer?�. Topics include planning and installation, migration, security, management, virtualization, and more for both Windows SBS 2008 and Windows EBS 2008.

SBS days at Tech Ed
Why should the big boys have all the fun? Join Microsoft and your fellow SBS Partners for the biggest SMB Server event of the year. The Microsoft SMB Servers TechEd 2008 Pre-day is your first opportunity to experience 300-level content on Small Business Server 2008 and the new Windows Essential Business Server 2008 � the solutions that will redefine the way your SMB customers deploy, manage, connect and secure their networks.

LEARN from experienced local users and Microsoft experts. Tap into a huge range of Partner-to-Partner content. Discover what your industry peers have been up to and gain from their knowledge.

See how to SOLVE the issues your customers face, and how to sell-in the solutions they need. Talk with your peers around the real-world scenarios you deal with every day, and the success stories Partners like you have created.

GROW your knowledge of the products that are going to take your business forward.

PLUS, receive a complimentary full-product copy of
Microsoft Small Business Server 2008 � VALUE $1200.

At a cost of just $550 for the full day event.

Visit http://www.microsoft.com.au/teched/pre_days.aspx

Office DevCon back for 2008
Run by Aussie MVPs, the Office DevCon is on again this year in Sydney. The objective of this 2 day event is to help Microsoft Office developers and power-users gain new skills and discover the amazing things that are possible with the Office suite.
More Information here

SQL Code Camp on again for 2008
One of Australia's best SQL community events, the SQL Down Under Code Camp is back for 2008. A great opportunity for SQL Server professionals to learn new skills and do some networking with over 100 other DBA's and developers from around the country, SQL Code Camp will again be held on the Wagga Wagga campus of Charles Sturt University, October 11 and 12, 2008. Read more here.

Don't Forget
The SBS team has a community survey out. This is the third year that they have run this survey and it has been really useful to the SBS Product team. The Windows Small Business Server 2008 WW Community Survey is live here

IE 8
Consistent with Microsofts efforts to promote further interoperability across the Web, Microsoft will be releasing Internet Explorer 8 to render content in its most standards-compliant way by default. Giving top priority to Web standards interoperability allows us to help web developers and designers drive toward the ideal of �write once, run anywhere�, freeing up more time to innovate rather than modify content for different browsers. This commitment also addresses several development and design pain points from previous Internet Explorer releases.

However, browsing with this default setting may cause content written for previous versions of Internet Explorer to display differently than intended. This creates a call to action for site owners to ensure their content will continue to display seamlessly in Internet Explorer 8. As such, Microsoft provided a meta-tag usable on a per-page or per-site level maintain backwards compatibility with Internet Explorer 7. Adding this tag instructs Internet Explorer 8 to render content like it did in Internet Explorer 7, without requiring any additional changes.

Microsoft are encouraging site administrators to get their sites ready now for broad adoption of Internet Explorer 8, as there will be a beta release in the third quarter of this year targeted for all consumers. To learn more and get started, follow the step-by-step instructions located at the following link at Microsoft.

The following links provide additional information you may find useful:

Internet Explorer 8 main site: http://www.microsoft.com/ie/ie8

Internet Explorer Team Blog: http://blogs.msdn.com/ie

Internet Explorer Developer Center: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/ie/default.aspx

Internet Explorer 8 Readiness Toolkit (for web designers and developers): http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/ie/ie8/readiness/default.htm

Microsoft Interoperability Principles: http://www.microsoft.com/interop/principles/default.mspx

Symantec Corporation has just issued a Software Alert
There is a critical technical issue for Symantec Backup Exec 12.0 for Windows Servers Agent for Microsoft Exchange For complete details, a description of the issues and their recommendations, visit the following reference link

Microsoft prepares for end of Windows with Midori
Midori is a componentized, non-Windows OS that will take advantage of technologies developed since the advent of Windows and likely will be Internet-based. This is the begining of Windows and applications in the Cloud. If you dare, take a moment to read this article.

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16 August 2008 - Mickyj.com

Bunch 'o' items

10 August 2008

Times have changed
In my day (As a child), when leaving to go somewhere with my parents, I was happy enough to go bare feet and take my favourite toy. My daughter is not quite 3 yet, as we are leaving for church this morning she suddenly announces, "I can't go. I can't find my phone."

She is talking about a Nokia phone I gave her almost a year ago to play with. She was serious. She really wanted it believing someone would be calling her. She is all dressed up, nice shoes on and has the phone for bling.

My how times have changed. I pity the fathers of the next generation. What will they have to deal with ?

SQL state: '28000', SQL Server Error: 18456
We got this error on a workstation running a custom SQL application. The server was a purpose built SQL server that was not a member of the domain. The solution was to add each user of the network to the local Administrators group on the SQL server.

This gives them more power than I would have wanted them to have however the numerous list of other things people have tried (on the net), proved fruitless.

How to access Trend OfficeScan for SBS without the Trend Admin password?
So you have taken over a new customer site, and the old administrator has not left the password for the Trend OfficeScan Administrator console. Maybe you have had a team member setup a server and they forgot the password.

Using this method you can reset the password to a known good one and then get into the console to force a change on all the client workstations.

1. Edit the file Ofcscan.ini under the folder \PCCSRV of your Officescan Server directory.
2. Search for the Master_Pwd under the [INI_SERVER_SECTION].
3. Then change the equivalent value into "70". This would give you a password of 1.
4. Make sure that you save the Ofcscan.ini file after changing the value of the Master Password.

How can I backup my companyweb without fancy tools ?
Assuming you have installed it to the default location and have your backup drive as E:\
"C:\Program files\Common files\Microsoft shared\Web server extensions\60\Bin\STSADM.EXE" -o backup -url http://Companyweb -filename e:\backup\companyweb -overwrite

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10 August 2008 - Mickyj.com

Partner of the Year Award

7 August 2008

Business Computing Australia
Tonight at the Australian Partner Conference, Microsoft held their Partner of the Year Awards. There were a large number of submissions for this award this year and it came down to 4 outstanding finalists.

Business Computing Australia - Stuart Applegate - Aussie SBS MVP, was determined by the judges to be the winner.

Congratulations Stuart. Well done.

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7 August 2008 - Mickyj.com

Don't open Email Zip attachments

28 July 2008

Oh for goodness sake
People, please oh please, don't blindly open Attachments in email especially Zip files. I thought it was bad enough with the Malware circulating in the UPS Spam email but now there are spin offs. There are Resumes, retirement letters and more. They all appear to be Word files but they are really viruses. If you must open the Zip file, right click, select properties on the compressed file and make sure it is not of type exe. We have enough Malware ciculating the globe without poeple opening attachments and bypassing their antiviruses.

Rant Over !

In case of infection, break glass
I have a new Tool for you. Especially good at cleaning up the UPS Malware. It is called Malware Bytes. Learn to love it as this tool actually works. If you like it, buy it. This tool has certainly helped my clients today. Thanks to Jerome for putting me onto it.

Uninstall Wayward installations
Do you have something that is installed and even though you have uninstalled it, it appears to still be there ? Does it stop you reinstalling it or is your system running dodgy ?

Consider running the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility. This tool easily installs itself, Identifies the software that is installed and allows you to remove bad installations ! Excellent !

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28 July 2008 - Mickyj.com

Caches, fax testing and Viruses

27 July 2008

How can I turn off Vista's offline network cache?
If "Delete offline copy" is not working, likely due to the presence of ghosts in your cache. One option is to reinitialize the Offline Files cache. This will also blow away all other data in your cache from other servers/shares as well, including changes you made offline.

To reset the offline files cache, perform the following steps(note - you'll lose everything that you made available offline on the client):

In registry
Create the key "Parameters" under "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\CSC"
create a DWORD value called FormatDatabase
To this value, assign the value of 1.
Restart the computer.

All done

Every time I reboot I get viruses removed, ever since the UPS email.
A lot of friends and clients were caught by the UPS email. It contained a spammed out virus. For more information, take a look at my Malware Blog, 15th July 2008.

How can I see test results for my modem or fax line?
Are you interested to know the data failure rate or resend data packets for your modem or Fax? Are you wondering about all the dropped faxes or slow modem speed?

Telstra provide two tests.

Send a fax sheet to the Telstra FOLDS (Fax OnLine Diagnostics System)/Telstra Faxstream Test number 1300-368-999 (make sure your Fax machine has been configured to give out your correct Fax number including country code).

To test your modem, start up Hyperterminal, dial into the MOLDS tets (Modem Online Diagnostic System) on 1300 368 909.

The results might surprise you.

The end of my epic struggle
For those who constantly read my blog and laugh at my inability to use my imate Ultimate 9502 phone, the end has come and gone. My epic star wars battle of good and evil has consumed my better judgement and Telstra now have the phone back. The fact the LCD screen would not light up on incoming calls was more than enough to live with. Now I have my old Dopod back. I have updated it to WM6.1 and loving it. It is strange how a bad phone feels really good, after you have used a really bad phone. To catch up with my Rom busting ways and my upgrade to WM6.1 check out my Dopod upgrade page.

My server is talking to itself?
Event Type: Information
Event Source: Application Popup
Event Category: None
Event ID: 26
Date: 8/07/2008
Time: 8:43:09 AM
User: N/A
Computer: SERVER
Description:
Application popup: Messenger Service : Message from Server to Server on 8/07/2008 8:43:09 AM

Your computer may be infected by a virus and may be attacking other computers on the network. Please check your antivirus software and virus pattern.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

I logged into the console of the server and got this popup. I imeadiately thought someone was using Windows Messenger to spam me and checked ISA was running and my Cisco Firewall. It turns out Trend Micro Officescan sends these messages. Someone had logged off and had a virus in their roaming profile :) For more information go to http://esupport.trendmicro.com/support and look up article 125968.

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27 July 2008 - Mickyj.com

Ingram Micro in Town

23 July 2008

Expotech

Well done to Ingram Micro. The food was great, the atmosphere was full of excitment and I actually learnt something. I have been pondering what to do about the removal of ISA in SBS 2008. I think IM and SonicWall have the answer. A device with AD integration, logging, reporting and destination set blocking.

On another note, great to talk to all those that came along and had a chat. It was great to catch up with Peers and Venders. It is always good to see who has moved on and what their latest challenge is.

Now, lets look forward to another year in IT with IM and see where it takes us.

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23 July 2008 - Mickyj.com

Stupid iMate Ultimate phone

21 July 2008

Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader
Well I am not as dashing and hansom as Luke Skywalker and my foe, well, actually, it is fairly ugly. I just hope, unlike Luke, I don't find out that I love or am related do the Darth Vader in my life.

This struggle of good and evil is again with my iMate phone. If I grow to love this thing then beat me silly with a Linux driven iPod. Again, it locks up on me, stalls and needs rebooting. Now I can't find a suitable car caddy for it. The power plugs into the wrong place and the windshield mounted versions, the foam grips that hold the phone, push in the camera soft buttons and before I know it, I am recording my driving through the front windshield of my car. The design of this iMate is truly missing the human element. Tomorrow, this phone is going back to the Telstra dealer. I promise this is the last update to my ever running sage of the iMate phone (Then again, star wars has six episodes on celluloid).

First week as BTP
Well our first week trading as Business Technology Partners has concluded. We had way more media coverage than I was expecting (printed and online). We have started the company with a very healthy and large client base. We are off to a great start. Thanks to all those Adelaide IT firms that have partnered with us and to the clients, thanks for helping the launch of Business Technology Partners to be a huge success.

Spybot 1.6
Watch out Malware, the ever impressive Spybot has a new horse in it;s stable. Spybot 1.6 with the ever more needed Rootkit detection. Finally it is out of beta. Check it out at Safer Networking's site

Adelaide events coming up
We have both the Cisco SMB launch (5th August) and Ingram Micro Expotech (23rd July) in Adelaide in the coming weeks. Did these events catch you by surprise? Keep up to date (or email me events and keep me up to date) by checking this page

TechEd SMB day
Are you going to the Australian SMB day ? If so, Microsoft is going to giveaway a sellable copy of SBS 2008 as part of the SMB Server Pre-day at TechEd for all attendees. Although given the late August RTM means Microsoft will probably won�t have the actual disks on the day, they will come shortly there after.

Get more details here

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21 July 2008 - Mickyj.com

Moving On .....

12 July 2008

The Birth of Business Technology Partners
It is will a little sadness that I announce I am leaving Copyworld to start my own company. I have enjoyed my time at Copyworld and I have learnt an immeasurable amount. I will miss all the staff and this is compounded by the fact that they valued the work I did and let me know in no uncertain terms on my last day and at our end of year financial party.

It is to these people I give my warm well wishes to. To those in Adelaide who I saw at the party and those in Perth who I have not seen face to face for some time, but to all, no matter where, you need to know that it has been a pleasure to work with you all.

I would like to thank David and Jackie for their support but I think I will stop naming people there as there is no need for 40 or 50 names to start appearing here. They know who they are, past and present employees at Copyworld.

Now it is time to move on to bigger and better things. The hugs and kisses of last night will not be forgotten and the well wishes will help me to strive on in my own company. They will help me power on. The partnership with Copyworld will likely continue on in some fashion but Business Technology Partners will now need to stand on it's own two feet and move forward into the unknown.

Mickyj.com will remain in it's current form. It will remain community based and not tainted or have bias from any workplace, where it might be.

Adam Internet Technology Show
Date: 11 - 13 Jul 08
See, Try and Buy the latest in Business and Home IT solutions. Special 'show only' specials, info sessions and expert advice plus interactive games area and huge games clearance. Admission includes entry into the Building and Home Improvement Show.

Opening Times: Fri 10am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 5.30pm
Entry Cost: Adult $9, Concession $7, Children under 15 Free
Parking Facilities: North West Carpark - Rose Terrace
Catering Facilities: Retail Catering
Entry Gate/s: Rose Terrace

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12 July 2008 - Mickyj.com

iPhones and Smartphones

6 July 2008

The iPhone!
I am the network administrator for many companies, large and small. I am very protective of the networks I install and monitor and avoid putting any chinks in my armour. Traditionally my customer base from Soho through to corporate, use blackberry handsets and Windows Mobile (or Smart Phones). The devices interface with Microsoft Exchange or Blackberry equivalent products and allow me total control over what happens to devices if they are lost, what happens to the data on the devices, what password policies they must conform to and how the wireless is to interact with hotspots. I heavily use and promote Microsoft Exchange Push email, calendar appointments, tasks and contact updates. For me there has been no option but to use a Smart phone, until now. Where blackberries are a great email device but fall just short of the features of a Microsoft based Smart phone, Smart phones fall short of the latest features of the iPhone. (Except MMS and Video calling)

IPhones are designed to work with businesses systems. iPhones are secure. Certainly being an IT administrator, I object to iTunes being installed on a network but what if it unlocks features that bring benefit to the user and ultimately the business?

The iPhone supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync push email, calendar, and contacts. It has built in support for Cisco IPSec VPN and wireless network services with WPA2 Enterprise and 802.1X authentication. iPhones can download your internal Global Address book and help you work outside the office, as if you never left your desk. Whilst you are on the road you can benefit from contact aware GPS signals and maps. You can install security Certificates, use encryption for data transfers and as the administrator, I can enforce security policies.

In this day and age, every phone should have 3G, internet surfing abilities and remote wipe (The ability to make the phone useless, from the safety of your server, if the phone is stolen or lost) but do they have the iPhone's Multi-Touch display? users will find it easier to perform common tasks such as accepting meeting invitations and finding contacts in the company directory or Global Address List (GAL). They can open common file formats and edit them, review them and return them.

The iPhone can easily be deployed across network infrastructure and the adoption rate should be high. I can not see any security risks with this system and my clients security and armour remains safe.

Will the iPhone kill the blackberry? no. Will it render the Smart phone useless? no. There are times and places for all these devices. The iPhone has a place and is now in my heart and on my network.

If you would like more information regarding this, check out the article I appear in, in Saturdays (5 July) Adelaide Advertiser. Page 44. Whilst I am a Microsoft MVP, I appreciate all technologies and one of the powers of an MVP, they are not loyal to anyone but the customer. They just want to tell you exactly where a product is and and what it does, without an agenda.

Cyberon Voice Commander
ok, so my expeariance with the iMate Ultimate 9502 has not been great. My latest gripe is the fact that the ear section of the phone is sharp when held to the ear. It is not a brick of plastic you want to hold to your ear for too long. Solution, buy a Bluetooth earpiece. Today I used the phone as a GPS for the first real time. I mean a serious 3 hour drive. TomTom 6 worked flawlessly (Although I did not take or receive any calls and the GPS did drain the battery).

One of the shortcomings in the phone is the Cyberon Voice Dialier. It is no where as good as the Voice Commander version 2 that I am used to. Great news, I have joined the Beta testing for Cyberon Voice Commander 3.0. It is not designed for the iMate but it works. The audio has some decryption issues and has some weird tones (Rather like an MP3 gone wrong) but it works, the voice detection is wonderful. I have yet to force it to work through my earpiece but it is working enough for me to bash iMate with it and tell them to install it in their phones at the OEM level.

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6 July 2008 - Mickyj.com

I can't print!

2 July 2008

My printer stopped working in IE7!
I have a client with a HP 6300 printer and IE7. It looks like his system did an IE7 upgrade/update.

He can print from any application, except internet explorer. The print job never makes the printer queue. Through a series of trial and error attempts we found turning off he IE7 protected mode (on the security tab of the internet settings) allowed printing again.

Looks like we need a newer HP printer driver! I hope this post saves time for anyone else with the same issue.

Windows - No Disk
"Windows - no disk Exception Processing Message c0000013 Parameters 75b6bf9c 4 75b6bf9c"

If you see this error or something like it, look for a program accessing your floppy drive, and there is no disk in the drive. Look for something trying to access your USB disks, Multicard readers or something else like that. The error literally means it can not find the drive you are trying to access. Some multi 33 in 1 card readers software cause this but it is just as likely a usb disk has taken a network mapped drive and has caused this.

I can't resist
Yes, more i-Mate abuse. Why can't they put the charging/power port in a place the leather case does not cover? I want to unclip the phone from my belt and plug it in to charge it. Not possible ! you have to take it out of it's case first. Very painful !

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2 July 2008 - Mickyj.com

i-Mate Ultimate 9502 Phone

28 June 2008

It is not the size of the processor, it is the way you use it.
They say the i-mate Ultimate 9502 Smart Phone is the "Hamburger with the lot". It certainly has a large and long list of features but is it a device before it's time? Have the Research and Development people made sure it is ready?

Regular readers of this blog, and my hardware blog, will already know about this device. I have one and just can't seem to stop playing with it.

Firstly, i-mate no longer use HTC for their mobiles.

"Taiwan-based Mobinnova, a start-up handset maker that reportedly has strong connections with Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry), has landed smart phone orders from Dubai-based handset vendor i-mate, according to market sources in Taiwan. Under the contract, Mobinnova will manufacture two smartphones, the Ultimate 8502 and Ultimate 9502, for i-mate with volume shipments to begin in the first half of 2008, the sources noted."

This means to me, I need to get my support and updates from i-mate, not HTC. This is not good as i-mate are notoriously bad at being available, even with their live internet support.

Why did I pick the subject for this blog? The Qualcomm 400MHz processor (in this phone) is faster than the Intel PXA (the same chip as the i-mate JASJAR), it's more efficient. Also, the Qualcomm chipset offers better features than the Intel based processor (such as GPS and 3D processing). The Qualcomm MSM7200 CPU has more than one core, sporting multiple processor engines that work together to enhance every feature on this phone. It ultimately comes down not to the faster processor, but how Windows Mobile uses it. Windows Mobile is complex and a hungry beast. Lets hope the Qualcomm is up to the task and has been optimised.

Lets talk more about this phone. Not the specs (which you can find on my hardware blog) but what I have found in real life. The LCD display slides out quite snappy and it is good to hold the 9502 in the hands (Nice, solid and weighty). The phone has a metal back case (A great touch). To open the battery cover you have to slide a "key" to the left and the cover will pop out. The cover has to be inserted in an 60 degrees angle since there is a lock mechanism with a hook in lowest button/cover part. The battery has a stiff plastic strip you need to pull to take it out. Under the battery, you'll find a sim card holder. The memory card slot it located at the left side of the PDA (if you have the display towards you). You have to take off the battery cover to access this slot. You can take the cover off and change the card whilst the phone is running. The Camera on the rear has a 3 mega pixel resolution. The screen is very colourful. The connection for an external display works well.

Overall, the build quality is superb and because of the metal casing, unlike all current competitors which are plasticky, it rates with me. It's no bigger than a PSP. It's 1mm taller and narrower than an I-phone and 6.2mm thicker.

This is a great phone but as others have said, the battery life is not great (But then again, this is a PDA, not a phone). The unit has all the features of my previous phone (A Dopod 868pro) and adds the GPS to the mix (And a better display). Surfing the internet using Telstra's latest broadband speeds is fantastic. I have not measured the speed but I don't need to, to know it is quick. The phone has good fast connectivity, a sharp display, all the functions you can ask for and the sliding mechanism fells good (And sounds good).

All the other things are fairly standard for these types of PDA phones (lots of programmable buttons etc) but the external Bluetooth keyboard setup is a pleasant touch.

Basically the Imate Ultimate 9502 is not a bad product. It is a good phone (Better than my Dopod with Optus). It receives and sends e-mails without a problem, internal and external qwerty keyboards are a bonus (although small internal), It is great as a modem (Careful with the Telstra software/Proxy), the rear camera takes good photos (It has a very bright flash), It can keep you up to date with what's happening with the news, weather, sport etc (Careful, remember your data cap), the battery could last around 2 days with normal use, a good size screen, music sounds good, video (low bit rate using TCMP and DivXhtcdriver) is quite watchable and I can manage with my 2 gig storage card at the present moment.

The unit has a great build quality, fast WiFi, great TV (composite - not VGA) and the 640x480 screen is great for remote desktop use and rebooting servers (The fonts get a little small at this res). If you install the remote desktop CAB you can always remote to your home PC and use a normal web browser. The VGA out works surprisingly well especially when teamed with a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard. Instant laptop.

Now lets look at some of the negatives. The keyboard. The keys are not very big in size (Hard to type with) and the soft keys are placed a bit too high up towards the display part. The four ways keypad (4 direction buttons) to move the cursor in the menus is a little plastic and it is not the best to press (They are also sluggish to react ). There is no Control (cntrl) key so you need to bring up the soft keyboard for that one. The buttons are too easily pushed and I keep bring up programs I never wanted.

The PDA is heavy, but I assume its due to the battery (1660mAh). The software for the camera is not the best. The camera application takes 3-6 sec to start. Taking a picture, first the capture sound is heard, then it takes 1-3 sec before the picture is shown. On the screen you can change between camera and video "real-time" by pressing on icons. You can also use soft keys to access some choices. A menu pops up for settings and I think this could have been made a little better. Its nothing extra, just an ordinary PDA camera solution. the WiFi is nothing special or unusual. Bluetooth, one should be able to define a default folder for saving pictures transferred. There is a printer option under Bluetooth settings. (Be aware that such options quite quickly can be taken away from a Windows Mobile phone). I did find that I can not start a call or start the built in Cyberon Voice Speed Dial by pressing the action key on the paired headset. Very annoying. This was one of my favourite things about the Dopod. The unit also does not include IR (Infrared) so you can't point your PDA at the TV and change channels. IR was disappearing anyway :)

Another feature that is unessential, but would have been nice, would be an FM radio. Come to think of it, it would have also been nice to include some software that would use the GPS system. I installed Tom-Tom 6 (The GPS uses Com9 by default). The GPS is very slow (2-10 minutes to locate satellites, standing outside) but then so are all the other PDA's using the Qualcomm chipset. (The Sirf Start III chipset is very fast for locking on and I would have hoped this made it into this phone). I hear that if a call comes in with Tom-Tom running, you will often have the call drop. Tom-Tom goes slow and the phone hangs. You can also cause this by starting Tom-Tom and pressing either 'hang up' or 'ok' to get back to the home screen.

(To setup Tom-Tom You need to set it up in the Tom-Tom software under "Other NMEA GPS Receiver" Max baud rate (115200)and COM 9. Also set com 9 in the phones GPS settings under the Programs Tab. I must warn that it takes a wile to start getting a "valid GPS signal" Maybe 2 minutes or more)

If you want to use Google maps, I use the following
Google Maps - menu - options - GPS settings - Using Windows (automatic)
Start - settings - External GPS - Programs : com9
Start - settings - External GPS - Hardware : None
Start - settings - External GPS - Access : Manage GPS automatically

I had a few problems, so I downloaded this free application VisualGPSe (from www.visualgps.net). Here you can follow the detection of satellites. (don't forget to enable the GPS on Wireless Manager).

The power button is placed on the left corner on the top of the phone. This button is completely in scale to the rest of the top, so I find it difficult to hit precisely (it is also a little recessed).

It is nice that the i-mate Ultimates will eventually get Windows Mobile 6.1, but they have version 6 for now. I am also missing a few of the normal tools I previously used so I have downloaded these.

QuickMark-DS-ADV-v3_6r3387.CAB (Designed for an Asus Phone) to read 2D barcodes. Htc_Zip.cab adding file compression to the system.

I can't survive without Cyberon Voice Commander (Much better than Voice Speed Dial) so I signed up for their Beta for Version 3. They do not officially support I-Mate so I am on my own. So far, the voice prompts sound awful (Clicking noises) and I can't get it to work over my headset but it interprets me well and works if I yell at it.

The unit only has a 64k display but that is fine as WM6 and older versions of Windows Mobile can not support more than 64K. The unit has a NVIDIA GoForce 5500 graphics accelerator but this is hardly used as the correct drivers are not there to drive it. This is a pity if you want to watch movies on the unit but then again, at VGA, who cares, use a low bit rate.

Be aware, this unit only supports a 2 Gb MicroSD card. If you want to break free and use 32 Gb (When these units are available) you need to install a new driver. The hardware will read 32 Gb, the driver installed by default will not.

Be careful. This driver reportedly interferes with Wireless. The file is called SDHC.777.cab.zip (Google it). The MicroSd is hot swap but hard to get to behind the back metal cover.

The speed of the CPU is up and down and I do get frequent hangs. On more than one occasion I have had to soft reset the phone. I see memory leaks and the system easily bogs down. I also note that when I wake up the phone it does not seem react as it thinks I want to play music, surf the web and a host of other things all at once (Stalling and crashing the unit). I wonder what button it was that caused all that to happen !

I am an early adopter. I have to live with these things. Hopefully the Bluetooth integration, Video support, 2 Gb memory card limit and other things will be fixed with WM6.1 and new drivers.

There are some very serious cons. For one, the battery life (turn on WiFi and GPS sparingly, or you will not see the day out), you have to buy your own GPS software and the slide out screen feels a little tacky (wobbly) although it is cool (As I mentioned before). When their is low signal, the phone easily drops phone calls. The phone also suffers from sluggish performance and is cumbersome to configure access to the internet. The power cable sticks out the side, not easy to use the phone whilst it is charging (And with this battery, the chances of needing to use it whilst it is charging are high).

I can't confirm how to get rid of the Telstra customizations yet (SIM manager and Telstra Proxy Manger). I hear if you hard boot the phone with no SD cards and your Sim card out, it removes all the customisations. A Hard boot can be done through the "Master Clear" Settings applet, with an (active) Telstra USIM inserted (Adds back all the Telstra tools) or removed (comes back as a normal I-Mate) Start--Settings--System--Master Clear If you ever want to totally remove Telstra, You could re-install the latest ROM from the i-mate site (you'll need a code off your box, so have this handy):
http://www.imate.com

It is fantastic to finally have a VGA screen. It is a 480x640 screen so it's true VGA nothing less. It's NOT the size of a PSP screen...in fact it's just slightly larger than the PSP LCD screen. Size is not an issue but then again I had a Dopod before. VGA is hard to read at full res, i.e. when you make the fonts small but you can fit so much more on that screen! Unfortunatley it is difficult to read the display in sunlight.

I need to avoid using the camera unless I really need it, because by the end of the day there will be no free RAM left due to a known issue with Memory leaks. The manual tells me that I can "stamp" my GPS co-ordinates onto a photo at the time the photo is taken ("geo-tagging"). There is nothing in the camera software that seems to turn this on. Maybe it is automatically in the Exif data?
If your sending a picture via MMS it may not work. This is a normal MMS issue if you have taken a 2 MP photo because it's too large to be sent via MMS. If you want to send a picture via MMS, try changing the camera res to VGA or lower so the photo size isn't as large. But some parts that's bothering me is that the 3 MP camera quality is not as expected compared with the same MP from Nokia or Samsung.
The plastic above the camera lens sticks out and is unprotected. This is likely to scratch horribly.

The phone has been known to mute by itself in conversations. It has also been known to lose signal in standby (You get bombarded with missed calls and SMS messages when you wake it up). It has a known group of memory leaks (needing soft resets) and I have already experienced a lot of software crashes which then need a restart.

One other note, it's onboard memory is very limited as the Rom and applications load up into it leaving you only a small slice for yourself.

If I think back to my first HP IPAQ h5550 PDA, then my Dopod 383pro and now the i-Mate, it is not all bad. All of these devices had issues at Version 1. As long as I realise this is a PDA/Computer and not just a phone, all this becomes an old memory and I know I will love this phone. Overall this is a good phone although not excellent. It is very expensive and I would have thought they would have polished it more and included WM6.1.I understand the limitations of the technology, and compared with the available choices its a fantastic phone and I love it. Yes it does have its faults but with the odd workaround and a bit of tweaking, most issues can be minimized.

With the impending release of an updated ROM, hopefully it will turn into a great product.

The screen does not always come on
I had a problem with my Ultimate 9502 where it would not come out of standby at random. The backlight for the face buttons illuminated but the screen did not. Several symptoms pointed to the screen just not illuminating rather as it would accept input i.e. one could hold down the power button and after the appropriate audible signal, hitting the 'action' key would power it off.

The problem was completely random. It didn't matter whether an application was attempting to bring it out of standby or human intervention; whether the unit was wiped (equiv - hard reset) or software loaded, the battery was full or empty.

What I have found is if I "Lock" the device (using "Device Lock" on screen), it comes out of Standby mode no problems. The screen turns itself on and comes out of standby mode when a call comes in, when a reminder goes off or when I press the power button to bring it out of standby manually.

I have also seen it fail coming out of standby when the phone rings ( I'm not able to see who is calling) or when connected to Bluetooth or GPS, the backlight does not work. I can sometimes just see the icons and by tapping on the device lock (assuming the phone was unlocked when it went into standby) the backlight comes on.

The phone does not power up.
With the charger plugged in, the charging light [normally solid red while charging] will blink red. This is whether the battery is in the phone or not.

Some Ultimates have an inability in the circuitry within the battery to register the battery's presence to itself and the phone. Time to call i-Mate. (This is actually a reported issue with this phone)

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28 June 2008 - Mickyj.com

New things to play with

27 June 2008

New Pages on Mickyj
Yes, time to update some of the pages and their contents. I now have a whole section on Malware with tutorials on using anti Malware products and letting you know how to get help.

I will also be trying to stay up with posting about my latest adventures in Malware with my Malware Blog .

New Phone for Mickyj
I have a Dopod 838pro with Optus for work. To be honest, it does not always answer, it drops calls, locks up, calls people without me requesting it to and can be a pain. Other users of this phone on the Telstra network report a much better experience so I wonder if it is Optus's implementation of 3G as my old Nokia 2G worked fine.

Now I have an I-mate Ultimate 9502 with Telstra. I would like to say ... love at first site however, the keyboard is smaller than the Dopod (I love the dopods keyboard), it seems to run very slow, it has GPS (no GPS software) and it does not have the Cyberon Voice Commander (I love this software). I have already downloaded HTC Zip and QuickMark-DS-ADV-v3_6r3387.CAB (This is the barcode software for the Asus P526 and it works) and have joined the Beta for Cyberon Voice Commander 3.0. I have installed TomTom to get some GPS happening (the satellites not easily found with this thing).

It is a far cry from my review on the hardware blog (June 4). Infact my review has turned on it's head. Just check out these other reviews here.

I also find picking it up starts media player, SMS and the camera to come up. Maybe the buttons are too sensitive or maybe the Windows Mobile 6 freaked out ? Speaking of the camera, the interface is not easy to use and jerky. I am sure I will find more about this, the more I use it.

The Dopod does not have the GPS but it does have IR and seems faster and more stable. Then again, the I-Mate does have TV out !

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27 June 2008 - Mickyj.com

SBS users meet in Adelaide

16 June 2008

Meeting with Wayne Small MVP and Orin Thomas MVP
Tonight we meet with Wayne breifly on SBS 2008 and Orin on Vista SP1. Dean gave away lots of freebies and ... I gladly took some. Seriously, if you are not coming to these meetings and are in Adelaide, you need to come. It is a great networking night and you will learn heaps. Check out times for the next meeting on my Events - Industry Events page.

I know it is late notice however
Adelaide has the first official public showing of Small Business Server 2008 and Essential Business Server 2008 in Australia. There is also updated information on Hyper-V, and implementing XP downgrade rights.

Led by Robbie Upcroft and Wayne Small, the presentation will include live demonstrations and cover the following:

Overview of the new products
Pricing and launch plans
Set-up and deployment
Migration
Virtualisation

Differences from SBS 2003 in the RWW, reporting, security and the management console
How to get your head around the opportunity that the new products represent

All this in Adelaide: Tuesday June 17th

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16 June 2008 - Mickyj.com

Catching up with my posts ....

15 June 2008

Why the catch up?
It has been a busy few Months. I have had an article published in my local Newspaper, appeared Nationally on TV and am looking at a role on the Cisco SMB council. I am sorry to say I have let my website slide. The Blogs are way behind, the reviews page has not had a new review in ages and the hardware page has only old news on it. As of this weekend, all that changed and I have updated many pages. I have also added some new ones. Even though my website has not been updated, I am getting a steady 20-30 hits per day so someone out there is reading the pages. For those who do read it and come back often, lets make a deal. I will try and keep it more up to date if you email me and tell me what you like, dislike and what you want more of. I love SBS 2003, MCE and my Xbox but you might like to see other information. I also love trapping and finding Malware, but do my pages help you remove that Malware ? Feedback please !

Speaking of Malware, the Drive-By's are getting worse. First Whitepages and other websites were hacking us and now the UNICEF website got hacked. This getting ridiculous. There is one particular that I am seeing more and more.
The symptoms (At least on a domain) are excruciatingly long log offs, dodgy internet and even as the administrator, you can't RWW to the machine or RDP to it internally. If you go to the file system through the network (Connect to \\workstation\c$) you can see some hidden files in C:\Windows\System32. They are rotr.sys or rotw.sys. If the user logs off, you can delete these files remotely or do it in safe mode. As the files are a part of a rootkit, you can't actually see them as the user. Once deleted and the system is rebooted, everything is back to normal.

You might also like to remove %system%\kl80.bin, rhs.bin, routew.sys and then clear all the temporary files. I have a nice script to do the cleaning for you. You can use Hijackthis to remove the tools from starting.

You might also find %UserProfile%\ctfmon.exe and %system%\drivers\spools.exe
You can use Hijackthis to remove the tools from starting in winlogon but be careful. You might find that after cleaning everything up, exe files can not longer run.
There is a registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\exefile\shell\open\command, Default, "%UserProfile%\ctfmon"%1"%*" That needs to become simply "%1" %*

And we thought that we were smart ....
Ever been to the Capri Theatre, Goodwood, South Australia ?
Wow, what a Wurlitzer theatre organ

In today's banging and clashing of keyboards, configurations and software tweaks, we think we are experts. Now watch someone play an organ that is connected to drums, pipes, cymbals and strings.
Watch them play with both hands, both feets and a keyboard, three rows deep. The whole room is an instrument with the organ in the middle, the other instruments in the walls and the movie screen obscured by moving bladders of air and instruments. All this being played by one person in the middle. Wow. Multitasking.

Check it out Here

Acer LANscope
I have a client with an Acer desktop. They have a 33 in one card reader and heaps of USB ports. Whilst USB keyboard and mouse work, all other drives come up with "Administrator has restricted this computer to access USB/1394 mass storage devices". Using the Acer LANscope tool, and re enabling access to the ports, I still could not get access. I tried stopping the services, still no access. I booted into safe mode, renamed the LANscope directory and suddenly I can access the drives in normal mode, but they have the wrong icons associated with each drive letter. After much searching the internet, I found others had the same issue and had uninstalled, reinstalled LANscope. I went to try this but the user could not remember the password for it so I could not remove it. I disabled and deleted the LANscope agent from the hard disk. I cleared the entries for it from the services and registry. I still have icons telling me access to the drives is blocked. Then I discovered, the icons for USB drives etc all come from Shell32.dll. Acer LANscope has permanently edited and changed the icon in the DLL file so I will always get these weird icons for removable drives. (Icon type 7).

I used the registry key for driveicons to set a new icon for removable drives and now the client will live with slightly different icons for removable drives.
Start/Run/ Regedit

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Explorer

Create a key called DriveIcons. Within DriveIcons, create another key with the drive letter you want to change (..\DriveIcons\K). Create another key within the drive letter key called DefaultIcon. Set the default value equal to the icon you want to use. If you have a file that has more than one icon in it, such as a DLL file, use the standard C:\full_path\icon_file.dll,x - file:///C:/full_path/icon_file.dll,x) where x is the number of the icon within the file icon_file.dll.

You can change a hard drive's icon in any 32-bit Windows platform by including a valid Autorun.inf file in that drive's root directory. Windows Desktop Update presents another way to change a hard drive's icon. To change the icon for drive C:, insert the name and (optional) icon index number of a valid icon file as the (Default) value for this key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ explorer\driveicons\C\DefaultIcon. Replace C with a different letter to change another drive's icon.

Tier one vendors to offer XP pre-installed after June deadline
If vendors have the stock, they are allowed to sell it. If they are selling "nettops" they are allowed to sell it. Some vendors are using Vista downgrade rights. There have been several date changes to the retirement of XP and it looks like we at least have one more !

XP SP3 and RWW
Users of Windows XP SP3 might not be able to use RWW.
You attempt to connect to a Desktop or Server via RWW and you get the following:

"This portion of the Remote Web Workplace requires the Microsoft Remote Desktop ActiveX Control. Your browser's security settings may be preventing you from downloading ActiveX controls. Adjust these settings and try to connect again."

Internet Options, Security, Internet, Custom Level, ActiveX Controls and Plug-ins:

"Allow previously unused ActiveX controls to run without prompt"

Set to enabled, restart IE, try RWW again, make a server or desktop connection and you will be prompted to reinstall the RWW ActiveX control, install it and finish connection to server or desktop. Set the control to default and you should be fine.

This did not work for me however the following did

Click Start-->Run, type following command and click OK.
regsvr32 /u "%windir%\downloaded program files\msrdp.ocx"
Click Start-->Run, type regedit and click OK.
Search for msrdp.ocx, export and then delete all the keys found.
Restart the client and check if the issue persists.

If this fails, you can try and reregister all the major DLL files for IE
regsvr32 urlmon.dll /s
regsvr32 hlink.dll /s
regsvr32 msjava.dll /s
regsvr32 mshtml.dll /s
regsvr32 jscript.dll /s
regsvr32 vbscript.dll /s
regsvr32 shdocvw.dll /s
regsvr32 browseui.dll /s
regsvr32 actxprxy.dll /s
regsvr32 softpub.dll /s
regsvr32 scrrun.dll /s
regsvr32 shell32.dll /s
regsvr32 Oleaut32.dll /s
regsvr32 wintrust.dll /s
regsvr32 dssenh.dll /s
regsvr32 rsaenh.dll /s
regsvr32 cryptdlg.dll /s
regsvr32 dssenh.dll /s
regsvr32 rsaenh.dll /s
regsvr32 gpkcsp.dll /s
regsvr32 sccbase.dll /s
regsvr32 slbcsp.dll /s
regsvr32 cryptdlg.dll /s
regsvr32 schannel.dll /s
regsvr32 wuapi.dll /s
regsvr32 wuaueng.dll /s
regsvr32 wuaueng1.dll /s
regsvr32 wucltui.dll /s
regsvr32 wups.dll /s
regsvr32 wuweb.dll /s
regsvr32 atl.dll /s
regsvr32 wucltui.dll /s
regsvr32 initpki.dll /s

and delete del "%windir%\downloaded program files\msrdp.ocx"

HP Rewards
Register now for your chance to receive great HP reward products by purchasing eligible HP LaserJet printers, support and warranty products.

New to DonorTec
DonorTec is proud to announce the addition of new products to the donations catalogue offered by both Microsoft. One of the key new offerings is the Microsoft System Centre Suite of products.
Sentry Networks - DonorTec's newest Donor Partner

iTX Certification Kickstart
We just had a Trend Micro Sales iTX Certification Kickstart Workshop in SA. If it was not for all the Adelaide dealers crying out it would not have happened. The event was to occur in every state except SA. Well done to the people who screamed the loudest.

6 Cores
Intel and AMD are going to 6 cores. Easy for AMD as they already have 3 cores in their processors. They can just double it. Strange for Intel to be following this trend however it seems 6 cores is the sweet spot for wattage and power.

ARN Salary Survey
Check it out, you could win a prize!

Hyper-v RC
The Hyper-v RC is available on MS downloads � KB949219

Charlie Anthe Moves on (Redmond)
Charlie Anthe has decided to take-on new career challenges after 8.5 years of service to SBS and the Windows Server Group in general. Charlie has accepted the role of Lead PM for the WU/MU team, managing their partner relationships with all product teams that deliver updates and content through those services. Thanks for the help Charlie and good luck !

Download the full IE
Did you ever want a full copy of Internet explorer ?
For IE6 you could use the command line ..... ie6setup.exe /c:"ie6wzd.exe /d /s:""#E"

For IE7, just download IE7-WindowsXP-x86-enu.exe (15mb) and opt to do the system updates later.
For more information look at this site

Time travelling apps
Have you ever wanted an older version of a program ? (Adobe Acrobat springs to mind). Here are two great sites for finding previous versions of programs
oldversion.com
holdapps.com

IE7 for SP2 and SP3
On the download page for Internet Explorer 7 it seems quite clear you can only download it for Windows XP SP2. I am here to tell you that it is also for SP3. The webpage has not been updated yet.
If you are still waiting to jump into IE7 and have SP3 (Yes, it is possible) then go for it.

Windows XP SP3
I have Windows XP SP1. This is not by Choice. I tried to install SP2 but my system never rebooted and I had to go into the recovery console and manually run batch files to rip SP2 back off. This means I am stuck with IE6, no updates and no silverlight. My MSN messenger is no more and I am in an unsupported state. Along came Windows XP SP3. Not only did it install but it actually runs faster and more stable. I now have IE7 (A bit behind as IE8 beta is out there) and silverlight. If you are in a similar boat, backup your system and give SP3 a go!.

Acdsee annoyance
Ok, so it is old. I own it. How many people can say that !
Opening some images I get

"Unrecoverable plug in error with IDE_ACDStd.apl"

Agghhh, Acdsee goes to 100% system resources and crashes out. This is really annoying and I see from the web, others are also having this issue.
IDE_ACDstd.apl just won't load (Needed for Jpeg viewing)

I found that if you go to Tools - Plug In Settings
Select "IDE_ACDStd.apl", click Properties, click the JPEG icon, then "Format Settings", and untick the "Use embedded thumbnails".
My problem disappeared completely.

Active Directory Reporter
Dinally do reports on users etc with Active Directory Reporter from Cion Systems, get a 30-day free trial
"Active Directory Reporter provide an administrator with most needed precise, accurate, and up to date information about Active Directory infrastructure and objects. Active Directory Reporter extracts vital information about Windows 2000/2003 Active Directory infrastructure and objects quickly and displays it in a clear and logical format simplifying the regulatory auditing work. Administrator can then export the reports to their desired format like CVS, DOC and PDF."

Out of the box report types
Active Directory User Reports
Active Directory Security Reports
Active Directory Logon Reports
Active Directory Exchange Reports
Active Directory Password Reports
Active Directory GPO Reports
Active Directory Computer Reports
Active Directory File and Printer Reports
Active Directory Site Reports
Active Directory Policy Reports
Active Directory Replication Reports
Active Directory Terminal Server Reports
Active Directory OU Reports
Active Directory Schema Reports
Active Directory Group Reports
Active Directory Trust reports

Microsoft's new website
Check out the new Microsoft Press website !
For all your books go to www.mspress.com

ANZ SMB Information Technology Specialists (ANZ-SMB-ITS)
A yahoo groups community for Information Technology service providers specialising in the (SMB) Small and Medium Business space. The aim of the community is to share information, provide peer support, open discussion and best practices in providing Information Technology infrastructures and services to (SMB) Small and Medium Businesses.
The group is NON-vendor specific and aims to discuss best of breed solutions that address the needs of SMBs cost effectively, manageably and reliability with a High ROI to both the SMB and the Service provider.
Group Email Addresses

Post message:
ANZ-SMB-ITS@yahoogroups.com

Subscribe:
ANZ-SMB-ITS-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Unsubscribe:
ANZ-SMB-ITS-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

List owner:
ANZ-SMB-ITS-owner@yahoogroups.com

There are also the other yahoo groups available
sbs2k@yahoogroups.com (SBS discussions)
smallbizIT@yahoogroups.com (Information about running a small / Medium business)
sbsusers@yahoogroups.com (Adelaide SBS users group)

Feedback on SBS2008
Please see this site for an opportunity to give Microsoft some important feedback on SBS2008. SBS2008 beta
Keep an eye on this link for details on the SBS2008 beta You�ll need a 64-bit capable machine with at least 4Gb RAM to really test properly.
The C: partition will need to be a minimum of 40Gb too (prefer 60Gb)

Trick to getting a Windows 2008 terminal server to show up in RWW
The connect computer wizard will normally kick of the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SmallBusinessServer\ RemoteUserPortal\KWLinks\AppTS is set to 1.
With the Server 2008 you have to manually join the server to the domain but then if it has Terminal Server cals/role it doesn't show up in the Connect to my application server screen. You need to manually edit
HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\ Terminal Server\TSEnabled Reg_DWORD =1

Sign-up now for the SMB pre-day at Tech.Ed 2008
Think Tech.Ed is just for the big boys? Think again. Making their first Australian in-depth appearance at Tech.Ed 2008 will be the new SMB-focused Small Business Server 2008 and Windows Essential Business Server 2008. Alongside Windows Home Server, these solutions will re-define the way companies - from the small home office to those with up to 300 PCs - think about deploying, managing, connecting and securing their networks. Find out more about the Windows Essential Server Solutions (SMB) pre-day. Check it out here

Exchange 2007 on Windows Server 2008
To install Exchange 2007, you need SP1, check out the notes from the Exchange teamand download SP1 for Exchange here.

Mailbox store vanished
If you use ExMerge to export data from Exchange, be careful when setting the permissions at Org level. The Mailbox store may disappear. The priv1.* will still be there but OWA will not work etc.
If this happens to you, run a dsacls command from the command line. Then mount the mailbox store agian !

Bill Gates Gets in Touch !
Watch Bill Gates at Microsoft�s 12th annual CEO Summit as he demonstrates the Touch Wall and talks about what�s changing over the next 10 years.
link 1
link 2

Windows PowerShell Scriptomatic !
Utility that writes Windows Instrumentation Management (WMI) scripts for system administration.

Big Brother 2008 Live Streaming powered by Microsoft Silverlight
Microsoft Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform, and cross-device plug-in for delivering the next generation media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web. That�s why Channel 10's Big Brother 2008 series is using it to delivering real time live streaming on their site.
More here

Windows XP Service Pack 3 is here!
Old news now, however worth mentioning. Windows XP users can now download Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) via Windows Update or the Microsoft Download Center. Windows XP SP3 includes all previously released updates for the operating system, in addition to a small number of new updates. It will not significantly change the Windows XP experience. If you are a TechNet subscriber, you will also find links to TechNet subscriber downloads, as well as SP3 overviews, updated deployment guidance, and related downloads.

2009 Exam Retirements: MCAD, MCSD, MCDBA (Worldwide)
If you're pursuing a Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD), Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD), or Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA) certification, Microsoft encourages you to finish it within the next 12 months. On March 31, 2009, Microsoft Learning will retire 12 exams in these tracks that are no longer supported by Microsoft mainstream support.

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) is now available
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) is now available in all 36 Windows Vista languages via the stand-alone installer and Windows Update. For MSDN subscribers, the DVD image of Windows Vista with SP1 is available for download in some languages now, and will be available in all 36 languages by the end of April 2008. Download now

Windows Vista now supports more than 77,000 printers, cameras, speakers and other devices.

More than 2,700 software programs are �Certified for� or �Works with� Windows Vista-logoed; 97 of the top 100 consumer applications are compatible.

62% of small businesses said Windows Vista saves them time, and 70% said it makes them more productive, according to an independent survey.

More than 140 million copies of Windows Vista have been sold, making it the fastest selling operating system in Microsoft history. Even Macs run it.

71 percent of Windows Vista customers like it better than their last operating system.

People familiar with Windows Vista are two to three times more likely to have a favorable impression of it.

Every 10 PCs that switch to Windows Vista is the equivalent of taking an automobile off the road, in terms of greenhouse gases.

Windows Essential Business Server Public Preview Now Available for Download
Windows Essential Business Sever 2008 is an integrated and affordable solution that offers the Microsoft software midsize businesses require - preconfigured, integrated and manageable from a single administrative console, and at a significant discount compared to standalone products. Register to evaluate the public preview software today and you will receive valuable resources assembled to help with the evaluation.

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15 June 2008 - Mickyj.com