Schedule expressmaint backup in 2008 Server

In order to succesfully schedule an sql backup batch witch expressmaint utility you must ensure that the following conditions are true.

- Choose an administrative account to run the batch
- make sure it has full control file system permissions on the folders containing the batch file and the destination folder
- choose a destination folder with no spaces, and avoid using " in the batch file.
- since expressmaint uses the launching user credentials to connect to the sql server, make sure that the windows user credentials under which you run the batch have full permissions on the sql dbs (use sql management studio to add/configure the windows account under the security section).
- Unless you specify the "Start in..." option when you select the script to run you must specify the full path to executable file in the batch file (e.g. c:\batch\expressmaint -S ecc..)

HP Proliant ML150 G6 Embedded RAID and 2008 x64

Symptom: When you enable RAID mode in embedded Sata controller on a Proliant ML150 G6 server you cannot install 2008 server x64 because of an "unsigned drivers" error.
Downloading latest x64 drivers from HP support & software site does not help.

Workaround that work(around)ed for me:

1) Install windows server 2003 (32 or 64 bit) from any media you have, and don't activate it (it is just a jumping platform).

2) Insert your 2008 server setup dvd and launch the setup from 2003 server console.

3) I needed to install MAPS Program Software, so upgrade choice was greyed out.

4) During setup you can see the raid logical drive, thanks to 2003 drivers loaded.

5) Anyway I loaded additional latest x64 drivers from hp, getting the annoying warning about unsigned drivers.

6) After setup completed I rebooted and got a stop stating that a fundamental system driver was missing or corrupt.

The path to the file was:

C:\SWINDOWS.~BT\Windows\system32\drivers\hpahcisr.sys

Rebooting using F8 options to ignore unsigned drivers warning leads to the same stop.

7) I Rebooted into 2003 server and got to the path specified.
The version was 8(something) for both 32 and 64 bit.

8) I Downloaded from HP Support site the latest drivers for embedded SAS RAID memory controller for the OS 2003 Server 32bit (english version):
Version: 6.6.0.32 Build 8 (x86)
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=it&cc=it&prodNameId=3884324&prodTypeId=15351&prodSeriesId=3884323&swEnvOID=1005&taskId=135&swLang=13#113100

9)Copied it over x64 hpahcisr.sys in setup directory listed above.

10) Rebooted, et voilà. Setup continues and leads to a bootable 2008 x64 OS.

Open questions:
a) I don't know if loading directly those 32bit drivers in step 5 will avoid the manual copy in 2003 environment.

b) why hp has not resolved the issue, which in their support site forums dates back from the initial release of this ML150 G6 server?

Well enough, the goal is reached, and I can start using that proliant mate.

Bye,

Raf

Offline Folders Problem in windows XP

How to: re-initialize the offline files cache and database.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/230738/en-us

Raf

Want to create a "New Word 97-2003 Document"?

Since I'm not resolving new problems by myself I've decided to start collect link to useful information found all around the web.

Here it is my first link.

A Office 2007 user asked me to have the possibility to create a new Office document in old 97-2003 format from the context menu.
Searching on the web I found this solution.

My best regards to the author!

Raf

Office 2007 error saving over the network

Scenario:
a brand new acer travelmate with Vista OS and Office 2007, connected to a Windows Server 2003 R2.

Whenever Saving an office document to a network share on the server this error occurred:

"There has been a network or file permission error. The network connection may be lost.
File name.doc"
Ctrl+Shift+I results in error code 200932 being displayed.

Googleing around you usually find the MS KB article
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/291156/en-us
which is misleading (and a bit frustrating).

Instead I found resoluting this article from MS KB http://support.microsoft.com/kb/934160/en-us

referencing another network problem:
Error message in Windows Vista when you try to rename a new subfolder in a shared folder on a network: "The folder does not exist"

Note: the offline folder sync was disabled on the client, but it worked anyway!

Hi,

Raf

Microsoft RDP ActiveX Control

Symptom:

• you are accessing a 2008 terminal server remote "web application" page, or the "Remote Web Operators" page in SBS2003 and receive the message to activate the MS RDP ActiveX control.
• You Click on Tools -> Manage Add-Ons -> Enable or Disable Add-Ons in IE to enable the Terminal Services ActiveX control, but you are unable to see/enable the Terminal Services ActiveX control
• you have IE7 on XPSP3o 2003 Server

Cause:
bug in security model which comes with xp sp3 or web security of 2003 Server.
Terminal Services ActiveX control is disabled by default in XPSP3 as a security measure. You need to explicitly enable the Terminal Services ActiveX control in IE in order to use the ActiveX control.

Solution:
try deleting the following registry keys:

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Settings\{7390f3d8-0439-4c05-91e3-cf5cb290c3d0} HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Settings\{4eb89ff4-7f78-4a0f-8b8d-2bf02e94e4b2)

ActiveX control should now be enabled.

Access Runtime

Once upon a time there was Access 2000, and if you wanted to deploy an application throughout your company you had two choices:

1. Buy Access for every pc you needed the application to run on
2. Buy the developer edition / Access runtime, which made it possible to distribute your .mdb application and distribute only the access runtime ("freely" since you didn't have to buy one for every pc).

Now with Office 2007 Microsoft made the developer edition an add-on of Access2007, and made it FREE!

The addon and the runtime are downloadable from MS sites, and are greatly improved, permitting to deploy application through a setup.

Vista ping "general error"

If your Windows Vista get isolated from network and any ping command (even loopback) boinks an ungraceful "general error", think about this: have you tried to uninstall Norton Internet Security or tampered with any Symantec program while NIS was installed?

Then try to find and run "norton removal tool", a cute program from Symantec that uninstalls programs by programmatically deleting files, folders and registty keys from Symantec (hope this could be on distribution cd as a tool, or even substitute their terrible uninstaller...).

ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/removal_tools/Norton_Removal_Tool.exe

NOTE: If you still need symantec's program, you will have to reinstall it.

Desktops at reach

Do you miss Remote Web Workplace from SBS 2003 in non sbs standard envinronments?

Take a look at Terminal Service Gateway in combination with Terminal Web Access features of Windows 2008 Server.

It rocks!

And, relating to this, make it simple at home with Microsoft Windows Home Server

Extending RAID on DELL PowerEdge 2600

Hey,
In these days I'm working on old stuff...

This post is just to le you all know that the operation in the subject is possible.

Server Model: Dell Power Edge 2600
RAID Controller: Perc 4/DI (firmware v. 251X)

Added a new Dell 72 GB HDD and expanded existing array (yes, I've lost half the sotrage capacity of the new disk: noblesse oblige...)

Only a couple of warnings:

a) The rebuilding and resync operations took several hours (about 8) with nearly no resources left for user activities (even if rebuild rate was at 20% of resources)

b) It is not possible to change rebuild rate once the operation is in progress, so remember to set it before adding the new disk to the array.

Now running smooth and in plenty of space!