A Windows administrator's guide to Diskpart commands

Introduction

Systems administrators frequently build, manipulate and extend disk partitions in Windows in order to keep from running out of space on their servers. One tool they use is Microsoft's Diskpart utility, which allows Windows administrators to configure storage from a script, a remote session or other command prompt.
This guide reviews the many Diskpart commands and explains how administrators can use Diskpart to manipulate, extend and delete disk partitions.
The Diskpart.exe command-line utility can extend the data volumes and existing partitions in Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 by using the unallocated space displayed in the Disk Management snap-in.

How do I stop/start a scheduled task on a remote computer ?

Here's what I found.

To Stop

schtasks /end /s <machine name> /tn <task name>

To Start:

schtasks /run /s <machine name> /tn <task name>

How can I send an e-mail message from a script?

Send Mail from ScriptThere are a few simple ways to send e-mail messages from the command prompt or from within a script.

Method #1: MAILSEND 
If you want to send a single e-mail message or hundreds of them and do it all from a single batch file or command you should use the MAILSEND program written by Muhammad A Muquit.

MAILSEND is a simple program to send mail via SMTP for MS Windows NT/2000/XP. To use it, you must know the address or IP address of the SMTP server you wish to use.

MAILSEND is a console application; you can run it from command shell or by clicking on the app from file explorer. You can use it in many ways. I'm using 192.168.0.200 as the IP address of the SMTP server as an example, change this to your valid one. Some example are shown below:

Task Scheduler error on Windows 2003 Server 0x80070005: Access is denied.

I tried to create a new task using Task scheduler as the same Domain Administrator user-id (or any other Domain Administrator user-id)  I get the following error:

Why Compact PST (Outlook Data) Files?

You're probably wondering, "What does it mean to compact Outlook data files (usually called Outlook PST files), and why should I do it?"

Your Outlook data is stored on your computer in one or more personal folders files, usually called .pst files.The .pst refers to the file extension assigned to these kinds of files. Anyway, every

Outlook data item (email message, task, contact, etc.) occupies space in a .pst file. So far so good.

So what happens to the .pst file when you delete an Outlook item? The item goes to Outlook's Deleted Items folder. Since the item can be recovered from there, it makes sense that the item still takes up some space in the .pst file.

Now what happens when you empty the Deleted Items folder? From our point of view, the item is completely gone. It can't be recovered using any normal means. And the item is deleted from the .pst file too. But the space it occupied is still unavailable for other uses.

Excel opens, but the file doesn't

This problem sprang up out of nowhere on my XP laptop. All of a sudden, double-clicking an Excel document would open Excel, but not the file. It did not matter if the file was local or remote, if I accessed it via Explorer or not, or if another program (mail client, for instance) tried to call the file open command. Either way, I would be greeted with an empty Excel workbook. If I then chose File, Open, and browsed to my document it would then open it. Very frustrating, but I lived with it . . . until today . . .

I tracked down the problem to the file type associations in Windows XP. The resolution was quite simple once I knew what to do.

IIS 7 Websites failed to start. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80070020)

This is IIS 7 in Windows 7. The web site is stopped and when I try to start it the error message (in subject) appears. 

The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80070020)

This is an issue with binding conflict. There is another application that is using port 80. If you change the bindings for the default website to 8080 [for test purpose] it will work.

You can run NETSTAT -ano and find out the PID for the process that is using port 80, then you can compare that PID with the process name in task manager [may be skype.exe?]

 

Configure OpenFiler iSCSI targets

Last weekend I downloaded the OpenFiler iso to configure the Central Storage solution in my homelab. After installing the software in a new VM I figured out how to configure iSCSI targets and present them to my servers…

I’m running servers which provide iSCSI functionality by default to connect through to an iSCSI target.

After I installed OpenFiler in a VM I connected to https://ip:446, you can manage your service account with the created root account and you can manage the OpenFiler with the following credentials Username: Openfiler Password: password

How to Create and use the iSCSI target service on the NAS

Contents

• Connect to the iSCSI targets by Microsoft iSCSI initiator on Windows
• Connect to the iSCSI targets by Xtend SAN iSCSI initiator on Mac OS
• Connect to the iSCSI targets by Open-iSCSI Initiator on Ubuntu Linux

What is iSCSI and how can one benefits from it?

iSCSI, (Internet Small Computer System Interface), an Internet Protocol (IP)-based storage networking standard for linking data storage facilities. By carrying SCSI commands over IP networks, iSCSI is used to facilitate data transfers over intranets and to manage storage over long distances. iSCSI can be used to transmit data over local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), or the Internet and can enable location-independent data storage and retrieval. (quoted from Wikipedia)

Setting up Database Mail for SQL 2005

Problem
Many things have changed with SQL Server 2005 and one of these changes is the replacement of SQL Mail with Database Mail.  This is a good thing, because SQL Mail relied on having a MAPI mail client installed such as Outlook in order for it to work.  With SQL Server 2005, this has changed and now the mail services use an SMTP server to send out emails which makes it a whole lot easier to setup and maintain.  So how do you setup Database Mail?

How to setup SQL Server alerts and email operator notifications in SQL 2005

Database Mail
First setup database mail with a profile named SQLAlerts. The profile can be named anything but in these instructions, the profile name SQLAlerts is referenced. If you wish to use a different profile name just substitute accordingly. For procedures in setting up database mail,see the post.

How to resolve : Agent XPs disabled

You may have seen this sentence in front of your SQL Server Agent in SSMS. and so you can’t start your SQL Server Agent ( maybe only with Network Service account )
You can enable Agent Xp’s in sql server 2005.  I think you’d better first create a Login and give proper roles to the user who run this service ( in my case Network Service with sysadmin role ). Then  run the below query in management studio to enable agent xp’s.

What SQL Server service pack & sort order do I have installed ?

If you've used SQL Server for a while,for checking Sort Order sp_helpsort and for summery of SQL servers config sp_server_info for service pack information you're probably familiar with the @@version function. run select @@version in Query Analyzer. Selecting the function in a query window produces the following results on my system. 

How do I setup a simple port forward on Windows Server 2003 between multiple Interface

Windows server 2003 will act as the router in this case or a bridge between both Interfaces and his network.

Administrative Tools >

Routing and Remote Access >

ServerName >

IP Routing > NAT/Basic Firewall >

Right-Click on your NIC-1 LAN >

Properties >

Services & Ports Tab >

Add... >

Uninstalling Symantec Endpoint Protection from a corporate network

My company is getting rid of Symantec Anti-virus. The final kick in the shins was the new software they brought out called “Symantec Endpoint Protection”. I’m not exactly sure what Symantec was thinking when they brought out this product, but the old Symantec Corporate Server was much easier to administer. The new product just seems to go out of your way to make itself difficult – from installing to reviewing what sort of viruses are found. Anyways, couple that with the 92% virus detection rate that Symantec supposedly has, and you wind up with one heck of a crappy product.

Accessing the BIOS When You Forgot the Password

Bios password are used to secure your desktop and laptop computer by preventing other user from accessing to your computer making it unbootable intel requiring password or from changing the bios setting whenever you are away.

HERE ARE THE TRICKS AND TIPS ON HOW TO ACCESS THE BIOS/CMOS SETTING WHENEVER YOU FORGOT THE PASSWORD

Windows Automatically Logoff after logon !

For long time ago , I experiment with this problem too many times. and what I can do with it is, Format and Reinstall the windows. But now This problems happened on my boss’s computer, That why I have to try my best to find the solution to fix for him. 

I have Google it many time ago, but still can not find the right solution for this kind of virus. But I think depending on the level of the infection. if you were in the medium ,you maybe lucky!

Resistive vs Capacitive touch screens of Mobiles

 

Are you confused with all this fuss on resistive and capacitive touch screens coming with the smart phones these days? Let me try to help you out in choosing which may work best for you.

Tally Licensing : How to Actvite, Update and Surrender

Tally Licensing is one of the best thing for Tally and the most unique licensing system for stopping software piracy. In fact Tally is one of those software companies who had succeeded in stopping the piracy of software by implementing innovative licensing system.
Although it has proved a boon to company but is has been a bane for the users. This licensing system has raised difficulties for its users. According to Mr Bharat Goenka , Managing Director Tally India, life of pirated user is more easier the original user. All the hardship of licensing are faced by original user.

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT) Explained

Introduction 

Intel has launched two Pentium 4 CPUs – 672 and 662 – supporting the new Intel Virtualization Technology (VT). Formerly known as Vanderpool, this technology enables a CPU to act as if it were several CPUs working in parallel, in order to enable several operating systems to run at the same time in the same machine. In this tutorial we will explain everything you need to know about this new technology.
Virtualization technology is nothing new. There is some software on the market that enables virtualization and probably VMware is the most famous one. With this technique, a single CPU can act if it were several CPUs running in parallel, allowing the system to run several operating systems at the same time. 

How To Make Google Gadgets

The goal of this guide is to teach you how to make Google gadgets regardless of your skill level, even if you do not know any coding. I will assume that you do not know anything, except how to copy and paste. We will begin with very simple examples, but this guide will bring you up to speed on even complex and professional gadgets and how to promote them if you stick around for the whole thing

Intro to Google gadgets

I have some great news, Google gadgets can be made by just about anyone. You do not have to know code, nor do you need to have your own webpage or webserver to get started with Google gadgets. Even if you do not own a computer, you can use the information you find here to create gadgets on a public computer like a library, your school or a community center.

FTP Server -Ubuntu server

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a TCP protocol for uploading and downloading files between computers. FTP works on a client/server model. The server component is called an FTP daemon. It continuously listens for FTP requests from remote clients. When a request is received, it manages the the login and sets up the connection. For the duration of the session it executes any of commands sent by the FTP client.

Windows 7 Network Slow – 6 Easy Ways to Make it Fast

Windows 7 got some improved features than Vista including speed of network.  Sometimes you may notice the network slowness compare to XP due to more advanced features and requirements. These 6 easy steps to help solving Windows 7 network slow problem by disabling some features.

Network is a major factor in computing. Windows 7 computers will be slow in accessing shares on old MS Windows servers and non MS Operating systems including Sun and Linux. Accessing data and transferring data over network are still problem in this case. Resolving DNS requests internally (LAN or WAN) and externally (Internet) also could be slow in Windows 7. The following methods I’m listing out is worked for me to speed up Windows 7 networking with NT,2003 and Sun servers.

How to Fix Windows 7 network slow problem?

Pre-shared Key Recovery - PIX/ASA

This document assumes that you have already configured the security appliance with VPN configurations and provided pre-shared key as the authentication parameter.

The information in this document is based on the Cisco PIX 500 Series Firewall with software version 7.x and later.

The Problem is Once a pre-shared key is configured, it is encrypted, and you cannot see it in the running configuration. It is displayed as *******.

No HyperTerminal to Configure Cisco Routers Connected Via a Local COM Port in Vista & Server 2008

Recently I had to connect routers / vpn devices via a local com port to upgrade BIOS and other configurations. They have Windows vista on all desktops and my Laptop has no serial port. So I decided to use old good HyperTerminal. I thought HyperTerminal is still under the Programs > Accessories > Communications menu. I failed to locate hypertrm.exe. From Microsoft support website:

HyperTerminal is no longer part of Windows. There are several options you can use to replace its functionality. If you previously used HyperTerminal to control serial devices, you can usually find a downloadable version of HyperTerminal on the Internet that is free for personal use.

Sending Automated Job Email Notifications in SQL Server 2000 with SMTP

When you have automated backup jobs running on your database server, sometimes you forget that they are even running. Then you forget to check to see if they are running successfully, and don’t realize until your database crashes and you can’t restore it since you don’t have a current backup.
That’s where email notifications come in, so you can see the job status every morning when you are sipping your coffee and pretending you are working.
SQL Server provides a built-in method of sending emails, but unfortunately it requires you to have Outlook and a profile installed on the server, which isn’t necessarily the ideal way to send an email. Thankfully there is another method, that involves installing a stored procedure on your server that will allow you to send email via SMTP.

How To Disable Internet Explorer First Run Welcome Screen Pop Up

One of the things that makes me run and pull my (remaining) hair out is the mind-nagging "Welcome to Internet Explorer" page that pops out  after you install Internet Explorer 8 or 9 and launch it for the first time. I could live with that, however someone with a sick sense of humor in the IE team has made up his or her mind to constantly keep nagging us even when you reset the IE settings, and obviously when you log in as a different user. This welcome screen appears and asks you to go through a few steps, with the final goal to change the search and accelerator settings of IE.

Excel 2003 Slow Opening From Network Share

Recently a user was having issues opening excel files , were by a 600kb file could take around 20 seconds to open. When you copied this file locally to the computer it opened it straight away , and other computers accessing the file had no problem. What I did notice was when you opened the file , the network usage would spike to 7mb/s for the entire time while only retrieving a 600kb file. Opening .pdf / .doc files around double or triple the size would open instantly A bit of research online only proved the fault/fix with a Windows 7 setup accessing office 2003 documents http://support.microsoft.com/kb/982860 I tried the “Under the registry entry, disable these two registry keys: Right-click Enablesecuritysignature, and then click Modify. Type 0 in the Value data box and then click OK. Right-click Requiresecuritysignature, and then click Modify. Type 0 in the Value data box and then click OK.” However no success , my setup however was Windows XP and Office 2003. After much searching the fix was actually pretty recent from Microsoft http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2570623 “reduces performance due to the network traffic when reading in the parts of the workbook” So upgrade to 2007/2010 or disable OFV! 

Cleanup Winsxs after Windows 7 SP1 install - Huge Winsxs folder

I recently noticed that the free space on the 60GB OS partiton on my laptop was running very low on space. Some of this was due to old offline files which I managed to cleanup fine.

I then ran Tree Size on the OS partition and found that the winsxs folder was 10.2GB.

After a bit of research I managed to use the command below and reduced the winsxs by 4GB 

DISM /online /Cleanup-Image /SpSuperseded

How to change network card speed and duplex settings in ubuntu

If you want to change speed and duplex of your network card you have to use ethtool or mii-tool.

ethtool can be used to query and change settings such as speed, auto- negotiation and checksum offload on many network devices, especially Ethernet devices.

How to Install Java Runtime Environment (JRE) in Ubuntu

Java is an object-oriented programming language developed by Sun Microsystems in the early 1990s. Java applications are compiled to bytecode, which at runtime is either interpreted or compiled to native machine code for execution.

The language itself derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities. JavaScript, a scripting language, shares a similar name and has similar syntax, but is not directly related to Java.

first command to run after installing Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a great operating system. It fast, secured and easy to use when compared to most of other operating Systems. But Ubuntu is not complete without some additional packages. One command make Ubuntu useful for everyday use.

To get started, press Ctrl – Alt – T on your keyboard to open Terminal.

When Terminal opens, type the command below and press Enter to install.

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras