Missing Start Menu and all desktop item on Vista

Symptom:

• On impacted Vista machine, after logged in, the desktop is black, all desktop items, Windows Start button and tool bar are missing. Only Windows Explorer is open on the screen, and drives and others like control panel were accessible.


• Tried to launch Explorer.exe from Task Manager, but got "C:\windows\explorer.exe application not found" error. Same to all other programs such as regedit.exe or msconfig.exe. Please see this article to get rid of this error.

However, the fix did not bring the missing items back.

• Some have suggest to Kill Explorer.exe and create a new task, Explorer.exe in Task Manager. It did not work for me and it would only bring up another Windows Explorer on the screen.


• At least now I could get into the registry. Google said to check the SHELL, then I went to "HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\ and Click on Winlogon, on the right pane, found out the value of SHELL was C:\PROGRA~3\dsgsdgdsidgw.bat" which obviously a virus or non sense. I changed it to "explorer.exe" and restart. The desktop came back right away.


• Some other clean-ups needed to be done though.

Outlook 2010: The reply of Calendar invite from Secretary went to Executive instead of Secretary

Problem: Secretary has right to send invite from Executive's calendar, but all the responses come back to Executive's inbox which is not desired.

Solution: add secretary to Outlook Delegates of Executive

Sang: Got error of "The Delegates settings were not saved correctly. Unable to activate send-on-behalf-of list. You do not have sufficient permission to perform this operation on this object." while trying to add secretary to the delegates.

MS KB: following this KB, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2593557 to edit the registry has not fixed the problem. Read closely in the Cause section and found out another possible cause, The SELF object does not have the Write Personal Information right on your Active Directory user object. Corrected it and worked!!!!

UT Proforma failed due to FA

Error message when proforma i UT2012: Fixed asset data unavailable for proforma.

Solution: go to client folder in DeprData directory and delete all .L12 files.

Make Xerox Color to print in Black and white by default

We like to make Xerox DocuColor 252 to print Black and White by default on all print job.

I first went to printer IP interface, change the PS in PDL configuraiton to GrayScale in color mode. It did not achive what I wanted.

The better approach is to configure it on the driver of printer server level, and clean up the drivers on client level:

• Go Printer Properties on printer server


• Advanced tab, printing default, make necessary changes, here we set colorwise to Grayscale


• Go to Printing Preferences, change colorwise to Grayscale too


• Open a notepad on print server, print and check the preference of that printer to see if the change maintained


• On Client: Remove all printer drives for that model. then


• On Client: go to  Print Server Properties, remove that printer from Drivers tab and Ports tab


• Re-add the printer driver on client


• Open Notepad on Client and check the printer preferences

Failed to upload 30MB large file to MOSS2007

Found out it's limitation on Windows 2008 at this KB, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925083.
Then follow this article to change the "Max allowed content length" to 1GB. The issue resolved.

Doc cannot be saved in GFR

Doc was open in edit mode in GFR, but the changes were not saved.

Checked the file and found the 'save back to gfr' icon is grayed out.
Solutions:
1. Turn off UAC and reboot
2. Run GFR add in in distribution folder

Outlook failed to start...

and kept repairing or trying to open in safe mode.

Solutions:

• Rename OST files


• Follow the tips at here


• MS KB on inbox repair

Scanpst locations

32-bit Windows C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12
64-bit Windows C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office12

 

Virus hided all folders in shares and replaced with {folderName}.exe

1. Remove all .exe files


2. Use command to unhide folders: C:\<Shares>\attrib *.* /d /s -h -r -s

http://www.symantec.com/security_response/attacksignatures/detail.jsp?asid=26197

Shut down without installing updates

ALT + F4

Install Dell OM on PE R720

OS: ESXi 5.1 - no previous editions of OM was installed

1. Enter the host to maintenance mode in vSphere client


2. Download vib file (OM-SrvAdmin-Dell-Web-7.1.0-6339.VIB-ESX51i_A00.zip)


3. Upload vib file to tmp directory by using WinSCP


4. In Putty, run command: "esxcli software vib install -v /tmp/cross_oem-dell-openmanage-esxi_7.1-0000.vib"


5. Reboot the server and the vib file will be removed from the tmp directory automatically


6. in vSphere client, exit maintenance mode


7. Go to Configuration tab, Advanced Settings under Software, UserVars and make sure CIMvmw_OpenManageProviderEnabled set to 1


8.  Download "OM-SrvAdmin-Dell-Web-WIN-7.1.0-5304_A00" and install on the Windows client to access OM.

Enable PING reply on Win08

In command prompt, type:

netsh firewall set icmpsetting 8

Insert SIM Card error

Unable to make call but emergency only.

Solution: in manage conneciton, mobile network options, change network technology to 1XEV.

Restore Missing Tabs in Outlook 2010

Most likely, the previous version was installed...

1.       Close Outlook
2.       Go to Start-Run type in Regedit
3.       Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\{2DF8D04C-5BFA-101B-BDE5-00AA0044DE52}
4.       Right click on the 2.4 regkey and choose Export.  Save this export to your desktop for now so we have a backup.
5.       Now once that is backed up right click on the 2.4 regkey and choose delete.
6.       Launch Outlook

Good WDS article

http://datanotes.wordpress.com/2007/11/26/how-to-deploy-xp-using-windows-deployment-services-wds-2/

Projects for MJ

Folder Redirection

• http://www.itechtalk.com/thread1958.html


• http://www.group-policy.com/gp%5Cfolder_redirection.smp


• http://padmandesilva.wordpress.com/2008/01/29/step-by-step-guide-to-redirect-users-%e2%80%9cmy-documents%e2%80%9d-to-server-folder-and-implement-disk-quota/


• http://support.microsoft.com/kb/274443/en-us

Restore MOSS content database

1. After the new server is installed, no content database.
2. In central admin, Create a new web application at port 80, named wss_content (default)
configurable username and password: pxxxadmin/xxxxx
3. In SQL management studio, r-click databases and select restore database and select wss_content
4. point to bk file and ok to restore
5. got error

6. stop sql service, rename wss_content.mdf and wss_content_log.ldf and try (see screenshot, error1)
7. remove content datbase in central admin>app mgt>content database
8 then i got another error (see screenshot error2)


once removed content db from central admin
stop sql services and delte wss_content.mdf and ldf
restore again and make sure go to options to select overwrite
restored successfully this time

STSADM –o addcontentdb –url <URL name> -databasename <database name> -databaseserver <database server name>
but got error

The specified SPContentDatabase Name=WSS_CONTENT Parent=SPDatabaseServiceInstance has been upgraded to a newer version of SharePoint. Please upgrade this SharePoint application server before attempting to access this object.

verison is 12.0.6425.1000 on both servers!??
run config wizard again

verison on new moss is 12.0.0.6421
on old server is 12.0.0.6565
http://insomniacgeek.com/how-to-determine-the-installed-sharepoint-version/
requested and installed KB2553020 - failed as well
try KB2596541 - 12.0.0.6653 - WTF
well "Operation completed successfully"

"Unable to open workpaper" error when the Excel is open anyway

1.serach *.xlb and delete all
2.copy epace.xla from /pfx engagment/wm/utitliy to c:/progarm files/micfosoft office/office10 (the current version)/library
3.open Excel alone, Tool>allins make sure only epace is check and browse to officexx/library and copy it
4.regedit: currnet user-software-microsoft-excel and make sure "open" key point to the correct path

1004 Unable to get the Insert property of the Pictures class Edit

This is a document specific problem.

Solution is to re-create the document.

I keep receiving an error when I try to open up one of the workpapers in Engagement. The error says “Convert NS – OpenProtectedDatabase”.

1.Close the Engagement application and all Excel files. You can confirm no Excel is running by going to Task Manager (ctrl + alt +del), Processes tab, sort by Image Name column. If you still see Excel.exe once you have closed all Excel files, you can select Excel.exe and end the process.

2.Go to C:\pfx Engagement\WM directory, right-click “WorkPapers” folder, select “search..” Type in *.ldb (ldb stands for Locked DataBase) as the file name, and click on Search.

3.Delete everything found.

When open TB report, got 'CreateMatrixSheet4Dictionary:457 This key is already associated with an element of this collection'

Solution: need to re-create