frank xmas book ideas

Other great books, classics they should enjoy:

• Watership Down by Richard Adams
• I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
• Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
• The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
• The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
• Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Thanks,
David Summers

Deploying VM(s) with Powershell Script

I've been working on this for a while and currently use this to deploy VM(s) in batches for my environment.

It takes the parameters from a CSV file and deploys the standard OS VM(s) template to new VM(s). All you need to do is add any data/application drives. It isn't perfect, but I'm still working on it.

Things I want to add:

• add any data/application drives
• a method for deploying to appropriate datastore without checking GUI myself
• check if dynamic virtual port group has enough free ports, adding one as needed
• script more of the overall post VM deployment steps for my environment

Windows 2008 VM console freezes

I found a great atricle for changing the video driver on Windows 2008 or 2008 R2 VMs from the default VMwate SVGA to a WDDM version from VMware. It seems to have resolved my issues with several of my VMs.

Check it out:
http://sysadmin-talk.org/2010/06/windows-server-2008-r2-console-freezes-when-viewed-from-vcenter-client/

Found a great article about using the Server License Manager Script, slmgr.vbs. This is the command line method for activating and installing license keys on windows 2008 and windows 7 machines.

I needed a way to do the activation of a Windows 2008 server from a command prompt after deploying a new VM. My answer was simple, use slmgr.vbs to kick off the activation as part of the VM's customization specification. I added "slmgr.vbs /ato" to the command to run after setup and now all the 2008R2 VMs deployed from templates using that OS customization spec are working fine. I don't have to go back and activate them manually.

Check out the larger article to see some of the other great info you can pull with this.

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/Windows-Server-License-Manager-Script-slmgrvbs.html

Unblocking Windows Update

If you've ever gotten the error below when you go to Windows Update on a machine or Windows Update is completely missing from the Tools menu in Internet Explorer, it's fortunately an easy registry change to temporarily back out.

Network policy settings prevent you from using this website to get updates for your computer.

If you believe you have received this message in error, please contact your system administrator. Read more about steps you can take to resolve this problem (error number 0x8DDD0003) yourself.

This is generally set as a group policy setting and thus will get refreshed, but, you can delete the registry value below and restart your browser and Windows Update will work again at least temporarily.

Key - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Type - REG_DWORD
Value Name - NoWindowsUpdate

I'm of course not recommending that you circumvent your organization's policies, but, since I periodically need this setting and I usually forget it, I've put it here for the permanent record.

Who's using that email address?

At work, we sometimes need to find out which account is using an email address. Now this may sound simple to find by just doing a query of all the primary email addresses of all the users. The issue in our environment, and I'd wager yours as well, is that users and groups never seem to only have just one email address. They've either been with the company long enough for us to have changed the "Standard" from flast@work.com to first.last@work.com, or maybe they got married/divorced/both. Any way I look at it, most of my users have more than one email address because they don't want to give up the old one because their existing contact know/use it.

So we give them additional email addresses, but at some point we have an issue that requires us to find out who's using that email address.

If you use powershell with the exchange plugins, it's an easy search to find the account/group using a secondary address.

Try this:

get-mailbox -resultsize unlimited where { $_.emailaddresses -like "smtp:elmer.fudd@work.com" }

Just substitute the address you need to find in the like section. Be sure to leave the smtp: or it wont find it.

Happy searching.

Checking & Setting Permissions for Exchange 2007 mailboxes

I needed to backup all the mailboxes on an Exchange 2007 server. The backup agents we use allow this to be done at the mailstore level, but the brick level backup takes too long to complete. We have been doing exmerge nightly exports for as long as I can remember, then backing up those to the normal backup system. We can then restore a user's mail for the week without going to tape/backup system, and we don't have to restore more than a 2gb mailbox.

I found myself in need of setting up a service account with permissions needed to run export-mailbox and/or exmerge for mailboxes on a new Exchange 2007 server. This is what I came up with.

I'll start with the commands for checking permissions:

Get-MailboxDatabase -server "exserver1" | get-adpermission -user "service.account" | fl

On the Technet site the question was asked and this is the thread and a portion of the response.
FROM:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/exchangesvradmin/thread/3b8abdbc-d5a5-46c7-8fc8-4a48c9b116d0

********************************
To get full access right on all mailboxes in a database, we can grant "Receive As" permission to the user or group with cmd-let "Add-ADPermission". Please simply run command as the steps below:

1. Logon Exchange server and load Exchange management Shell.
2. Remove Deny permission with command
3. Run following command to grant the permission

• Grant permission on a single mailbox store

Get-MailboxDatabase "" | Add-ADPermission -User "" -ExtendedRights Receive-As

• Grant permission on all mailbox stores on a server
Get-MailboxDatabase -server "" | Add-ADPermission -User "" -ExtendedRights Receive-As

Please note that the permission granted with the command above can't be taken effect until the cache on information store refreshes. By default the refresh interval is two hours, or we can force refreshing the cache by restarting Exchange Information Store service. To do so, please:

1. Load Service snap-in by run services.msc.
2. Locate entry Microsoft Exchange Information Store, right click it and select Restart.

********************************

for one store:

Get-MailboxDatabase "Cluster01\UserStore1\UserStore1" | Add-ADPermission -User "domain\service.account" -ExtendedRights Receive-As

or for all the stores on a server:

Get-MailboxDatabase -server Cluster01 | Add-ADPermission -User "service.account" -ExtendedRights Receive-As



Be sure to run the get-adpermission command before and after to verify the permissions are adjusted.

I'm sure this isn't as complete as I'd like, but I hope it helps somebody.

Thien Dust Collector

Cleaning out the shop vac I use for dust collection is a pain. This may be the answer to clogged filters. It's supposed to help keep chips and much of the dust out of the shop vac filter and leave it in a separate can. I'm going to put one together when I get a chance.

Thien Dust Collector

Workshop Layout

I stumbled across this and when I get the time, I'll put together a floor plan for my garage. I want to be able to do more than just store camping gear and boxes. Some day I would like to actually be able to work out in the garage and make it a woodworking workshop.

Grizzly Tools Workshop Planner

The Dangers of Craigslist

Craigslist is fun.

Planer / Jointer Knive Replacement

Dispoz-a-blade

I found this the other day when I was going through the Grizzly.com site. Grizzly carries versions for several of their models, but the company website has contact info that will allow you to contact them to verify if a specific planer / jointer is compatible.

2010 Catalog Page 63

This is an article about the system:

WOODWORKERSJOURNAL.COM LINK

The company website:

Esta USA Dispoz-a-blade

Router Templates

Where was this last year when I needed to have a template made for making Arrow of Light plaques for my son's Webelos den?

Check out this article:

http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/Ezine/Articles/Martins_Router_Template_A_Quicker_Route_to_Templat_7124.aspx

Exchange Info

This is a growing list of Exchange 2007 articles:

exchange 2003 to 2007 migration gotchas

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555854

how to move an exchange 2007 ccr cluster

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa998282.aspx

exchange 2007 ccr cluster scheduled and unscheduled outages

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa998584.aspx

how to upgrade to exchange 2007 sp2 ccr cluster on windows 2008

http://www.howexchangeworks.com/2009/08/upgrading-exchange-2007-ccr-to-sp2.html

moving from exch 2003 to 2007 in the same domain

http://www.howexchangeworks.com/2009/06/moving-from-exchange-2003-to-2007-in.html

smtp relay options in exch 2007 - allowing app server to send email

http://www.howexchangeworks.com/2009/06/allowing-application-servers-to-send.html

http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2006/12/28/432013.aspx

Broken PS3 - Repair or Replace ?

My PS3 decided to just stop working a few months ago. For anyone who has this happen, you need to ask yourself if it makes sense to replace or repair it. If you don't use it anymore, then you can also consider moving to another type of device, i.e. Wii or Xbox 360.

In my case, I decided it makes more sense to repair it. We love the functionality it provides for both playing games and movies. The PS3 store lets us download movies and TV shows, as well as games. We also love being able to watch HD content on Blueray DVDs.

The repair made more sense than replacing it because we still play a lot of PS2 games that just aren't compatible with the new PS3 units. The unit we have has hardware emulation, so the old games play great. A new unit with a much larger hard disk would cost considerably less than a replacement unit with the same features. Repairing the unit after the warranty period expires costs around $150 plus any applicable local sales tax. You pay via credit card on Sony's secure site and they ship you a box. You make sure to backup you hard drive, if possible, and only send the PS3. No cables, controllers, games, or anything else, just the PS3. They include a shipping label and you send it off.

A few days later, Sony sends it back to you. UPS requires a signature for pickup, so plan on being home or have it shipped to your office.

To wrap this up, it works great and we are really enjoying the games and movies again. It was quick and painless and I just wish I hadn't procrastinated for so long.

Turkey Frying Checklist

I know, I know, everybody knows how to fry a turkey.

But I would be remiss if I didn't caution you in the strongest words I can that frying a turkey -- a whole bird -- is not safe for small animals or little children. In fact, it's a tad dangerous.

So here's a quick checklist of things to remember when frying a turkey, especially if it's your first time. Tape this list to the refrigerator and keep it until next year when I do this again.

Send any kids or pets into the house and lock the door. The last thing you want is a bunch of small creatures running around a pot of boiling oil.

Likewise tell your favorite uncle, the one who gets into the Christmas cheer a little earlier than most folks, to stay inside with the kids. You don't want anybody who can't pass a field sobriety test anywhere near the pot.

Make sure the turkey is thawed completely before you dunk it in the oil. Any ice -- any -- still in the bird will react violently with the grease and the outcome won't be pretty.

Don't overfill the pot. Fill it no more than half way and a little less is actually bettter. It can boil over.  Another way is to put the turkey in the empty pot and fill with water to get the level.  Make a mark and don't fill more than the mark.

Concentrate. Timing is critical in turkey frying so either pay close attention to the time (3 to 3½ minutes per pound) or find somebody more reliable than you and charge them with the task of time keeping.

Take the oil's temperature regularly. Try to maintain a temperature of about 340 degrees if possible. Don't let it drop below about 320 or get above 360 degrees.

Pinewood Derby Links

Here is a list of links for some Pinewood Derby websites I visit.  They all have good info, but some are more for the Mom's and Dad's and others who take Pinewood very seriously.

Message Boards

• http://pddr.proboards51.com
  
• http://www.derbytalk.com
  
• http://pwdracing.proboards91.com
  
• http://pinewoodp.proboards29.com
  

Vendors - Supplies

• http://www.maximum-velocity.com/
  
• http://www.derbydoc.com/
  
• http://www.derbydad4hire.com/
  
• http://www.winderby.com/
  
• http://www.pinewoodextreme.com/
  
• http://www.derbychamp.com/
  

Vendors - Track & Software

• http://grandprix-software-central.com/
  
• http://www.besttrack.com/
  
• http://www.pinewoodderbytrack.com/
  
• http://www.microwizard.com/
  

PS3 Hard Drive Upgrade

Follow the link for a walk-through of a PS3 HD upgrade.

http://vgstrategies.about.com/od/ps3cheatsandcodes/a/PS3HDDDriveSwap.htm

There are many choices, but the Western Digital WD3200BEVT is a good place to start.  Any SATA 2.5" drive should work.

TIVO 30 Second Skip

ENABLE THE 30 SECOND SKIP ON YOUR REMOTE

The 30 Second Skip

Every TiVo can do a 30 second skip - you just have to enable it. Here's how you do it:

1 Start playing any recording.

2 During playback press:

Select - Play - Select - 3 - 0 - Select

3 You should hear three bongs (if you don't have the TiVo sounds disabled), and you're done.

Your "skip to beginning/end" button (the arrow pointing to a line) is now a 30 second skip button. During fast-forwarding or rewinding, the button will still "skip to tick."

The button looks like this: 

 

To turn the feature off, repeat the three steps.

Important note: this feature is set to "off" at default on restarts. So if your TiVo restarts or loses power, the feature will be turned back off. Just enter the code again while watching a recording to re-enable it.

The most importaint word...

A Boy Scout Troop's Scoutmaster asked the question, "What is the most important word in the Scout Law?"

After all the Law had been shouted out, Trustworthy? NO, Reverent, NO, Helpful and so on. The Scoutmaster answered by saying the most important word in the Scout Law is "IS". 
"The Scout Law doesn't say A Scout might be, or maybe be or sorta could be.  Remember you are a Scout and a Scout IS Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, etc..."

"Go be a Scout."

Mark Murray, Scoutmaster

Troop 753, Carrollton TX

democracy

Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those others that have been tried. - Winston Churchill

This quote was used in an episode of Law & Order ("King Maker") to describe the political process of the advisors who make things happen for the candidates and elected officials behind the scenes.