Small Business Server 2003 Service Pack 2 Stupidity

I kept getting the error "Setup could not verify the integrity of the file Update.inf. Make sure the Cryptographic service is running on this computer," when I tried to apply SBS 2003 SP2. I stopped and started the cryptographic service. I read every Microsoft KB and followed every step. I ran DJ-Lizard's Dial-a-Fix - an excellent tool for repairing a variety of windows problems by automating the deletion of some pesky files as well as unregistering and reregistering some pesky DLL's - and still had no luck.

Reading Experts Exchange (well worth the subscription price) another individual had the same problem, ran through the same troubleshooting steps, and had no success until he realized that he hadn't applied SBS 2003 SP1. I checked my server, and sure enough, I hadn't applied SP1. The Stupid Server service packs aren't cumulative? Windows deskop OS SP's are, so I naturally assumed that server service packs would be, too.

Let's Waste Some More Time!

A lot has changed since my last post about wasting time (not this one, that one!) - users decided that downloading and installing a dedicated application to run Internet television is NOT on their to-do list. Web-based video sites have instead opted to follow a format most similar to YouTube. I like the application-based model because it didn't feel like YouTube, which lets you browse videos much as you would browse Ebay.

Admittedly the new online television sites don't look exactly like YouTube, but I dislike browsing video content inside of a browser window. The full-screen Babelgum and Joost clients had their own personalities which were expressed through various eye candy like slick menu effects, and Joost's fade-to-a-dot like an old-school TV was just awesome - it reinforced the fact that it was TV.

Now that I've got my pitiful whining out of the way, lets look at our FREE online television viewing options:

YouTube

For the sake of completeness I've included the 800 pound gorilla. You know it, you love it. There's nothing that can't be found here - from the inane to the insane. It works in every browser on every platform (OK, that's a bit of a stretch, there's some geek reading this in

Lynx running under Linux on his Atari 2600 who can't). It features low-quality and high-quality modes, fullscreen viewing, and if you have a slow connection you can pause it and let it queue up some more data for a better viewing experience. It's owned by Google. What more can I say? Go watch something stupid.

Hulu

The not-quite 800 pound Gorilla but having 800 pound gorilla backing (Fox, WB, and Comedy Central to name just a few) has many, perhaps too many, TV episodes online for your viewing pleasure. And it's legal - unlike Youtube, which is regularly asked to pull copyrighted content by the content's owners. The content owners have given their precious shows over to Hulu (when they haven't Hulu gladly links to a content-providers site on which you may watch your show), which places a single 20 or 30 second ad at the points where television viewers would endure a few minutes. Even with less ads, they're making a fortune because the advertisers are willing to pay for ads that they know will be seen - it's pinpoint accuracy advertising, unlike the shotgun of over-the-air TV.

Hulu has classics like AirWolf and V, and fresh content like The Daily Show (a day late). An added bonus: Movies. They're not terribly recent, and the content is changed up regularly, so if you missed The Fifth Element when it was on Hulu a few months ago you're out of luck.

OK, on to the geeky stuff: you will need a fat Internet connection to enjoy Hulu thoroughly - the video is usually very high quality. Many hotel networks don't fit the bill. Neither does dial-up. Users with a slow connection can pause the show and let it queue up - it has a handy queue meter when you pause it - for smoother viewing.

Joost

I thoroughly enjoyed their stand-alone client's visual effects. Kudos to Joost for managing to bring some of that visual style to their site. It seems that the corporate television overlords have seen fit to keep their eggs in different baskets (I won't name names, but one rhymes with Schmomedy Schmentral). Ads are placed at the beginning of the show and at appropriate places throughout the show, much like Hulu. There is a lot of classic cartoon content - like GI Joe, He-Man, and Transformers - great stuff, I rushed home after school for these! Newer content from Nickelodeon can also be found here. Also, I'm delighted with the PBS channel, educating and entertaining at the same time!

I'm not thrilled with the layout and navigation of their site - it's clunky, wasting lots of space and hiding the impressive depth and breadth of available content. The video quality is excellent, it queues when you pause it, and you'll enjoy it more with a good fast Internet connection.

Babelgum

The European answer to Hulu and Joost, Bebelgum has an excellent easily customized interface that invites you to search deeper. And deep is what you get here - independent films and Britain's BBC as well as a plethora of documentary films. My favorite documentary? Red Files.

The site is supported by video ads that play at the beginning of the video. Then, during the video, to my irritation, static ad content slides out in a translucent bar, which is closed by clicking the X in the top-right corner. Video quality is excellent. I like this site due to the sheer uniqueness of the content, all of which is professionally generated.

LiveStation

This one is pretty iffy. It's a web site that pairs with an application (spyware risk, anyone?) that streams live TV and radio stations from mostly non-American sources - like the BBC and Al-Jazeera. Remember how I was delighted with the video services that required a player to view the content? Well these guys got it wrong. The clunky player only plays the video or audio half the time due to the fact that users may add content that then becomes unavailable even though LiveStation shows it as available. I think that what they're doing with their client is aggregating the streaming content from a "partner" entity's web site. I'd save the effort and just go to the web site of the entity you want to watch - you'll likely not suffer as much disappointment. Quality is wildly variable. The player app is available for almost every OS and platform, from Windows and Linux to Mac (Intel and PPC!).

Miro

Miro is a horse of a different color. First up you have to download and install it. It is RSS for video. You tell it which "channels" you like, and whenever you run the app it checks those feeds for fresh content, which it will then download for your offline viewing pleasure (the bar doesn't have Wifi? Pshaw, I'm still entertained!). That's right, it saves the movie files right to your hard drive, from which you can copy them into your favorite mobile device and watch them on the go, or you can just watch them in Miro. Miro is NOT for those seeking instant gratification as it must download the entire video before it plays it. Miro seems to be the only video app that plays HD content, so if you hook your computer to your TV and play the videos your in for a real treat. My favorite channels include NASAcast and Monty Python.

TVUnetworks

This one has potential, but in its current form it's too hit and miss, too low quality, and too difficult to navigate to be used by most people. Unless you're an expatriate from Asia, Europe, or the Middle East who's missing the TV from home, you will likely be disappointed by this service. It's similar to LiveStation (see above) in that it attempts to aggregate several sites' streaming content into one searchable, useable place. It won't work unless you download their proprietary plugin (I wonder if its' loaded with spyware?), and the video quality is poor. However, I'm going to periodically check back on this one because I can see the potential - the web site has a visual appeal a la Joost.

Firefox: No Longer King of the Browser Hill?

After nearly seven years of telling Windows users to "Get Firefox!" I've finally stopped - Internet Explorer 8 is faster, just as secure, and has an excellent feature set. I'm not just whistling Dixie here - I deal with hundreds of Windows computers across 5 states. I see users of Firefox with spyware and extra browser bars just as often as I see IE users with those sorts of junkware. IE 8 adheres more closely to web standards and displays web pages the way the author intended. Firefox does - usually. Have you ever connected to Outlook Web Access with Firefox? It sucks. I won't explain why, I'll just wait while you try it.

OK, next up, IE 8 is just plain faster than Firefox 3.5. Take a Pentium 3 with 256MB of RAM and Windows XP, install IE 8 and Firefox 3.5 (go on, I'll wait, this will take a while . . .) then surf the web. IE 8 is faster, and it is most noticeable on older computers.

Also, Google Chrome is cool too. It's fast, displays web pages well, but it works the same as Firefox if you hit Outlook Web Access. On the up side it's new enough that it's a tiny target for malware.

OK, now for my Mac followers: Quit with the Firefox and try Safari. The latest updates have made it super fast, and its interface reminds me of a cross between Firefox and Google Chrome. The Top Sites feature is great eye candy, check the picture at the right.

Best of all, Flash (Shockwave) games work better in Safari. A good example is the Star Wars Clone Wars game my son plays on Cartoon Network. It loads much, much faster on Safari, then actually works. Lets see Firefox do that!

E-Mailed Virus Warnings

I never thought I would have to make this blog post, but events over the past couple of weeks have forced my hand.

Please: NEVER, EVER FORWARD E-MAILED WARNINGS OF VIRUSES

True virus warnings will not come from the guy that sends you silly emails. They won't even come from your accountant. They will come from the news - yes, that's right, watching the TV news or listening to the news on the radio you will hear stories of impending computer virus doom. Nimda, Melissa, and Conficker all made the 10 O'Clock news. They were worth worrying about.

E-mailed missives of impending doom often come from someone we trust, contain bogusness similar to "I checked with the executives at Symantec and they confirmed that this is for real," and "it will 'burn' your hard drive, making it unreadable and destroying all of your data," and are complete and utter wastes of time.

There are some idiots out there who create things like this then laugh at the chaos it creates. Please don't be their patsy! Don't kid yourself, forwarding these things is almost as bad as spreading a real virus in that they waste time and resources. Resources that have been spent assuring people that this warning is a hoax and that we do not need to prepare for this disastrous worm or virus or whatever. My phone rang for two days. My inbox filled up. My patience wore thin.

Your computer guy has better things to do than assure you that this is a hoax.

Windows XP/Server NTBackup Script

WARNING

If technical content gives you a headache SKIP THIS POST. I make a lot of assumptions about the technical savvy and familiarity of the user with the command line and DOS batch files.

I've played this one pretty close to the vest, but it's time for the world to behold the glory that is . . . My Windows NTBackup Script. This baby will back up your registry, your Exchange data, Sharepoint, user documents, and, provided you use the proper net stop commands, your databases can all be backed up. Familiarity with your database server also helps - often there is a command to dump the data from the database into a separate set of files that can be backed up while the database is still running.

This script is for backup to an external hard drive - in this case the i:\ drive. It's specific to many of my health care servers, but is easily modified to work almost anywhere - just delete the references to SharePoint, MySql, ProgressiveSQL, etc.

You will need to create the following directories on your external hard drive:

\backups
\backups-shortterm
\backups-longterm
\backups-delete

You will also need to create %windir%\backups\data\sysstate.bks and%windir%\backups\data\userdata.bks by opening up NTBackup, making the selections for your system state and user data, and saving them into the necessary files name and placed appropriately.

Lastly you will need to install Blat in your c:\windows\system32.

REM @echo off

REM ***Set Variables***
Set DateCode=%date:~-4%%date:~4,2%%date:~7,2%.%time:~0,2%%time:~3,2%%time:~6,2%
set sharepointbackuplocation=d:\sharepoint\backup
set blat=c:\windows\system32\blat.exe
set relayserver=mail.charter.net
set yoursite=http://server
set emailsub=SharePointBackupReport
set templog=d:\backupscripts\spbackup.txt
set sharepointfile=Backup.bak
set to=desireduser@yourdomain.com
set who=sbackup@yourdomain.com
set reply=noreply@yourdomain.com

echo System Backup Script v1.1 by J Hoeft >> %templog%

REM ***Lock Sharepoint as readonly, create backup, unlock***
echo Backing up Sharepoin" >> %templog%
"C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\12\BIN\Stsadm.exe" -o setsitelock -url %yoursite% -lock readonly
"C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\12\BIN\Stsadm.exe" -o backup -overwrite -url %yoursite% -backupmethod full -filename %sharepointbackuplocation%\%sharepointfile% >>%templog%
"C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\12\BIN\Stsadm.exe" -o setsitelock -url %yoursite% -lock none
dir %sharepointbackuplocation% >> %templog%


REM ***shutdown Progressive SQL for ECS backup***
echo Stopping Progress SQL >> %templog%
\\server\keane\dlc\bin\pccmd.exe proservice stop >>%templog%


REM ***delete previous ECS backup***
del /q d:\AmericanData\EcsBackUp\dbar
del /q d:\AmericanData\EcsBackUp\dbarforms
del /q d:\AmericanData\EcsBackUp\dbdoc
del /q d:\AmericanData\EcsBackUp\dbhistory
del /q d:\AmericanData\EcsBackUp\dbmds
del /q d:\AmericanData\EcsBackUp\dbparadox
del /q d:\AmericanData\EcsBackUp\dbpicklist
del /q d:\AmericanData\EcsBackUp\dbreport
del /q d:\AmericanData\EcsBackUp\mysql

REM ***create new backup files***
d:
cd \
cd AmericanData
cd mysql
cd bin
mysqladmin flush-tables
mysqladmin flush-tables

copy d:\AmericanData\mysql\data\dbar d:\AmericanData\EcsBackUp\dbar
copy d:\AmericanData\mysql\data\dbarforms d:\AmericanData\EcsBackUp\dbarforms
copy d:\AmericanData\mysql\data\dbdoc d:\AmericanData\EcsBackUp\dbdoc
copy d:\AmericanData\mysql\data\dbhistory d:\AmericanData\EcsBackUp\dbhistory
copy d:\AmericanData\mysql\data\dbmds d:\AmericanData\EcsBackUp\dbmds
copy d:\AmericanData\mysql\data\dbparadox d:\AmericanData\EcsBackUp\dbparadox
copy d:\AmericanData\mysql\data\dbpicklist d:\AmericanData\EcsBackUp\dbpicklist
copy d:\AmericanData\mysql\data\dbreport d:\AmericanData\EcsBackUp\dbreport
copy d:\AmericanData\mysql\data\mysql d:\AmericanData\EcsBackUp\mysql

REM ***Start Progressive SQL***
echo Starting Progress SQL >> %templog%
\\server\keane\dlc\bin\pccmd.exe proservice start >>%templog%

REM ***Do System State Backup***
ntbackup backup "@%windir%\backups\data\sysstate.bks" /j "System State Backup" /f "i:\backups\SysState-%datecode%.bkf" /d "System State" /v:yes /r:no /l:s /m normal /rs:no /hc:off

REM ***Do User Data Backup***
ntbackup backup "@%windir%\backups\data\userdata.bks" /j "User Data" /f "i:\backups\UserData-%datecode%.bkf" /d "Full - User Data" /v:yes /r:no /l:s /m normal /rs:no /hc:off


REM ***Cleanup backup files weekly***
If /i "%date:~0,3%" == "Sun" (
Echo Weekly backup file considation performed.>>%templog%
move i:\backups-longterm\*.* i:\backups-delete
move i:\backups-shortterm\*.* i:\backups-longterm
move i:\backups\*.* i:\backups-shortterm
del /q i:\backups-delete\*.*
)

REM *Email backup results*
dir i:\backups >>%templog%
%blat% "%templog%" -t %to% -s "%emailsub%" -i %who% -f "%reply%" -q -server "%relayserver%"

REM ***Delete Temp Log***
del /q %templog%

I found out how to print the NTBackup Log!  (From WindowsITPro.com, thanks, guys!)


Create a .bat file called PrtBakLog.bat that contains the following:

@echo off
setlocal
if {%1}=={} @echo Syntax PrintDevice (\\Server\Printer)
set device=%1
set prt=N
for /f "Tokens=*" %%i in ('dir /o-d /b "%userprofile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows NT\NTBackup\data\backup*.log"') do call :print %%i
endlocal
goto :EOF
:print
if not "%prt%" EQU "N" goto :EOF
set prt=Y
print /D:%device% "%userprofile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows NT\NTBackup\data\%1"

Insert Call PrtBkLog \\Server\Printer In the backup batch file, and you're going - you can even leave out the lame e-mailed reports!

Windows 7 Available on New Computers!

Or more accurately, free upgrade to Windows 7 once it becomes available. I've even seen this made available to users who purchase computers with an XP Downgrade.

What's so cool about Windows 7?

• It's faster than Vista. If your computer runs Vista, this will make it run faster. If you use a computer that is more than three years old it will be sluggish if you upgrade it from XP.
• It will run your old programs. That popular time and attendance application that hasn't been updated since 1994? Worked fine from Windows 3.1 to to Windows 95, NT4 to 2000 to XP, then POW, it won't work on Vista. The camera view zooms out. Snow falls silently. Crouched at the edge of the bamboo is . . . XPM. XPM is XP Mode, and it is here to help you. I haven't tried it out yet, but as a fan of Microsoft VirtualPC, I'm willing to believe the hype.
• The cool effects are actually useful and make sense in their various contexts. You're just gonna have to trust me on this one.
• It's easier to support - my job will be much easier with the new Problem Steps Recorder, which allows the user to record a video of what is going on in their computer, add comments to it, then save it to a file that can be emailed to the support tech. Rock on for thinking about me, Micro$oft!

What sucks about it?

• It's an incremental upgrade, not a radical rethink (despite what Microsoft says about it) - it's like Windows ME was an upgrade of Windows 98, but this time it won't suck. As bad. We hope.
• It looks like Vista. You know how caterpillars have distinctive colors to let birds know that they taste bad and might be poisonous? The bird eats a pretty caterpillar, gets sick, and remembers what they look like so they don't do that again. Humans can be like that bird - I cringe at the Vista interface not because it's a bad interface but because Vista sucked.

Sysco TraySys Network Configuration

Dietary Managers across the Midwest, and likely across the country, use a handy program called TraySys to manage their residents' dietary needs and to print tray cards to insure that these needs are accurately met.

Most facilities have one computer in the Dietary department, and it will likely stay that way. However, some facilities have multiple dietary users - say a Dietary Manager and a Dietitian. Both need access to TraySys, and it's mighty convenient to have it in a server for both users to use.

However, the documentation and support for a network environment are virtually non-existant. Sorry, Sysco, but someone dropped the support ball on this one. I was told by telephone support to RTFM (Read The Fine Manual). The manual said nothing about network support.

Through trial and error I figured it out:

1. You must install the software locally on each computer
2. Create a share on the server that is accessible to both users and map it as a network drive (I chose T: because it stands for TraySys)
3. Run TraySys on each computer, one at a time and do the following:
4. Click Tools -> Network Configuration
5. Fill in or browse for the new mapped drive you created
6. Check "Use Data Server"
7. ONLY if you have already been using TraySys locally should you click the Copy Data to Server button, and ONLY on the 1st computer - if you do it from subsequent computers the data will be overwritten with blank data.
8. Click Connect to Server and wait for a success message.

Free Antivirus Roundup - Summer 2009

A lot has changed since my last post about Antivirus products - editions have been thoroughly updated and spyware has become a bigger threat than viruses.

Avast, a one-time favorite of mine (for its excellent protection) had stopped being free for home use for a short time, so I stopped using it. It is back, and freely available at http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html for home and non-commercial use. Registration is compulsory if you plan on using it for more than 60 days, but accurate registration information I'm sure is optional. Avast is known for being light-weight with regard to system resource consumption. I hate the Avast user interface.

What you get:

• Anti-Virus
  
• Anti-Spyware
• Anti-Rootkit
• Resident Shield
• P2P and IM Shield
• Network Shield
• Web Shield
• E-Mail Scanning
  
• Virus Vault
• Scheduled Scans
  
• Supports 64-bit Windows
• Integrated Virus Cleaner

What's crippled unless you get the pro version:

• Web Script Blocker
• Automatic Updates
• Push Updates
• Command-Line Scanner

AVG Free has been a solid option, and there is no requirement for registration. However it periodically nags you about being a cheapskate and informs you of the many benefits of paying for your antivirus.

The new user interface for Version 8+ isn't as intimidating as previous versions, but it still sucks. Burying options behind a bunch of vague icons and menu items is no way for a product to make friends and influence people. Aside from the lousy interface I've been unimpressed with the frequency of reboots the paid product has required in order to complete updates. Come on, guys, servers can't be rebooted every week!

On the plus side, the resident application has a small system footprint (except when it's scanning) and does a great job of detecting and removing viruses and spyware. In a business environment AVG brings a lot of bang for your buck - great centralized deployment, reporting and management.

What you get:

• Anti-Virus
  
• Anti-Spyware
• Resident Shield
• Automatic Updates
• Scheduled Scans
  
• Link Scanner Surfing and Search Shields (real-time malicious link and site blocking)
  
• Virus Vault
• Supports 64-bit Windows
• Integrated Virus Cleaner

What's crippled unless you get the pro version:

• P2P and IM Shield
  
• Anti-Rootkit
• E-Mail Scanning
  

Avira Antivir Personal has also been a solid choice if you can tolerate the periodic nag trying to get you to fork over 50 Euros - tres costly! The minimalist user interface and tiny system footprint make this an ideal antivirus for older systems. Its detection capabilities border on supernatural.

What you get:

• Anti-Virus
• Anti-Spyware
• Anti-Rootkit
• Automatic Updates
• Scheduled Scans
• Integrated Virus Cleaner
• Supports 64-bit Windows
  

What's crippled unless you get the pro version:

• Web Shield
• E-Mail Scanning

Panda Cloud Antivirus, currently in beta, is the newest kid on the Anti-virus block, and so far I'm thinking its the coolest! Minimalist user interface has no ambiguity. Real-time protection extends to the Internet - I tried downloading the Eicar test files and was prevented from doing so before they even reached the desktop.

Oh yeah, it's FREE as in beer! There is no pro version, this is the whole enchilada. I'm imagining that Panda isn't doing this altruistically - they've been an underdog Anti-virus provider for some time, so a free offering like this will get the attention of IT pros who will then be interested in the full editions with management features and such.

There is no option to schedule scans, but the real-time protection scheme might well remove the requirement for slow-ass scheduled scans. I don't know if it integrates with e-mail or not.

What you get:

• Anti-Virus
• Anti-Spyware
• Resident Shield
• Automatic Updates
• Integrated Virus Cleaner

What's crippled unless you get the pro version:

• NOTHING!
  

Microsoft Security Essentials is in a closed beta. However, it will soon be freely available to all once the beta is over. Minimal configuration options and a Spartan interface make it easy to use and understand. It will likely be an excellent option for personal antivirus as it has a small system footprint yet is highly effective at detecting threats in real-time. It doesn't integrate with e-mail products.

What you get:

• Anti-Virus
• Anti-Spyware
• Resident Shield
• Automatic Updates
• Scheduled Scans
  
• Integrated Virus Cleaner

What's crippled unless you get the pro version:

• NOTHING!
  

ClamWin is the only Open Source Anti-virus offering for Windows. It has a simple user interface and reliably detects all manner of malware. It has no real-time protection, it has no web protection, and doesn't integrate with e-mail products. It is by far the most basic of Windows Anti-virus systems.

However this simplicity can be seen as a strength:

Tiny system footprint makes it ideal for low-power computers. Even while scanning the file system for viruses on a low-end system you will still be able to use the computer at a reasonable speed.

What you get:

• Anti-Virus
• Anti-Spyware
• Automatic Updates
• Scheduled Scans
  
• Integrated Virus Cleaner

What's crippled unless you get the pro version:

• NOTHING!
  

FTP Applications and Squid Proxy (AdvProxy for IPCop)

I'm having a lot of trouble with Windows applications that transfer files to and from Internet-based servers via FTP or that tunnel FTP over HTTP. I know I'm in trouble with a Windows file transfer app if it has proxy settings - even if I configure them with the correct proxy info (despite the fact that its a transparent proxy it will gladly accept traffic at port 800) they still fall flat.

Passive FTP from a Windows command prompt works great. Active mode transfers fail, which I can understand as they represent a security threat (open Port 20). I also understand Squid squashing tunneling over HTTP as this is a great way to hide malicious or undesirable traffic, but I'm not sure why applications that seem to use straight Passive FTP fail when the AdvProxy is enabled even though I can use a command-prompt ftp.

I guess I need to look at the traffic with Wireshark (my favorite packet capture and analysis tool) and see what's really happening.

I'm also going to add the kernel module ip_nat_ftp to an IPCop on a network experiencing this problem - the command is modprobe ip_nat_ftp.

If someone reading this has more insight, please share!

Pitney Bowes Postage Meter and Squid Proxy

The software that comes from Pitney Bowes for loading postage into your meter doesn't work behind an IPCop running the Squid proxy - doesn't matter if its in Transparent Mode or not. I added ports and protocols, tried several options, and still no dice. It worked only when the proxy was turned off, which then makes the IPCop handle all traffic with IPTables which acts as a state-aware NAT box.

So this Geekspeek is meaningless - how do you use a Pitney Bowes postage meter when you are using an IPCop on your network?

1. Open the IPCop web administration page.
2. Go to Services -> Proxy (or Advanced Proxy).
3. Uncheck "Enabled on Green."
4. Scroll to the bottom and click "Save and Restart." - Don't close your web browser!
   
5. Run your Postal Meter program and load your meter with cash.
6. Go back to your browser and check "Enabled on Green."
7. Scroll to the bottom and click "Save and Restart."