SBSDiva Mobile

Migration Step Thirteen: You installed in migration mode!

2009-11-08T18:34:00Z

And we finished the install and the "migrate to Windows SBS" is ready to go. Under the hood the FSMO roles have been added to this box and the SBS 2003 is no longer the king of the domain. [Meanwhile I have to take a break to wash my car so I'll be back later tonight to continue blogging this test migration] We have 21 days from this point to have the two SBS boxes work together. After 21 days you have to demote/remove the SBS 2003 box....(read more)

Migration Step Nine: Check the health of Exchange

2009-11-08T06:02:00Z

c Optimize Exchange Server and mailboxes. Follow the instructions on pages 16 through 17 in the Microsoft migration document. c Empty the Deleted Items folder. c Archive older mail It can take a long time to migrate large Exchange Server mailboxes. It will take less time if you reduce the size of the mailboxes before the migration. To help reduce the size of the mailboxes, ask each of the users to do the following: · Empty the Deleted Items folder · Archive older mail For additional...(read more)

Migration Step Eight: Raising the functional level of AD

2009-11-08T05:50:00Z

c Raise the functional level of the Active Directory domain and forest. Follow the instructions on pages 12 through 14 in the Microsoft migration document. To be fair this probably should have been done sooner in the steps, but it's still in the prelim phase and before we've started the install of SBS 2008 so we're still during the time phase appropriate to this. Download details: Windows SBS 2003 to 2008 Migration Guide: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=52b7ea63...(read more)

Migration Step Six: Removing ISA

2009-11-08T04:50:00Z

When I moved the SBS 2003 over to the (unsupported) HyperV platform, one of the things I had to do was to uninstall ISA 2004 and take the virtualized box back down to one nic. Just a reminder of the steps I took -- this is from the SBS 2008 migration checklist: c Uninstall ISA Server 2004. If ISA Server 2004 is installed on the server running SBS 2003, you must uninstall it before you can begin the migration. c Uninstall the ISA Server 2004 desktop client. To uninstall the ISA Server 2004 desktop...(read more)

Just a reminder of all of the key migration resources

2009-11-08T04:43:00Z

Just a reminder of all of the key migration resources that I'll be referring to and using during these blog posts/dry run of migation that I'm doing. That first url -- www.sbsmigrationtips.com is actually a key SBS blog post entry that I got lazy enough to get a url redirect so I could find that blog post. Then there is Philip's blog post -- MPECS Inc. Blog: SBS 2003 to SBS 2008 Migration Guide – v1.4.0: http://blog.mpecsinc.ca/2009/06/sbs-2003-to-sbs-2008-migration-guide.html Then...(read more)

Migration Step Seven: Checking Exchange is ready to go

2009-11-08T04:34:00Z

We're back on our Migration blog post series (hint all of the Migration blog posts are tagged with "Migration" for easy reference). And now we're going to check and make sure our Exchange is ready to go: I. In the source domain, check for the existence of an account named Postmaster. SBS setup tries to create a Distribution List with the SAM account name of Postmaster. If it already exists, you will receive the following errors at the end of setup. Setup errors due to an existing...(read more)

Making sure you don't sync with the Parent

2009-11-06T05:41:00Z

I have eventsentry.com on my existing SBS 2003 which also means it's now on my HyperV clone. So I kept getting a time change alert.. DATE / TIME 11/5/2009 9:36:21 PM MESSAGE The system time was changed. Process ID: 1368 Process Name: C:\WINDOWS\system32\vmicsvc.exe I had forgotted to uncheck the box on the time sync setting on the HyperV. You still want the DC inside the HyperV to get and grab it's own time from the various ntp time sync portals and not try to sync up with the HyperV parent...(read more)

P to Ving with the Sysinternals tool

2009-11-05T05:13:00Z

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/ee656415.aspx Testing this out. Have a HP ML370G4 that has a physical install of SBS 2003 on a raid/hardware system. Have a HyperV on an HP ML370G6. In a test run (where I screwed up because I didn't understand that I needed to ensure I copied the VOLUME which included both an Exchange data drive and a data data drive) I booted up the resulting VHDs and they didn't BSOD with the move. Mind you they had ghosted nics so that's to be totally...(read more)

The most important backup of all

2009-11-04T02:50:00Z

So before you run the source tool on your SBS 2003 box in addition to the normal backup. In addition to the possibly paranoid backup you need to do with a third party program like Storagecraft, Acronis, DriveImageXML (paid not free), make sure you do ONE MORE BACKUP. One that I'd argue is the MOST important one of all. Just and nothing else but, the system state backup. With that you can roll the AD back should something occur. Don't stick it on your normal backup location as well, ensure...(read more)

The video card RDP bug nailed me today

2009-11-03T20:23:00Z

So I'd always heard about this, not seen this in action... well now I did today. Nvidia video driver and AFTER the installation of .NET family patch (that I had been holding off installing) I could no longer remote to a machine. I would rdp and the windows would immediately come back. When remotely connecting to the event viewer I saw this: Mind you, nothing was actually being seen on the workstation in question, I just couldn't connect to it after the install of the .NET family update. ...(read more)

How to fix a potential security issue in QuickBooks 2007, 2008, and 2009.

2009-11-01T23:51:00Z

How to fix a potential security issue in QuickBooks 2007, 2008, and 2009. See Web version . FIX FOR POTENTIAL ACTIVEX VULNERABILITY Dear Susan Bradley, We've recently released a fix to address a potential security vulnerability within QuickBooks. The issue was related to the use of ActiveX technology in some versions of QuickBooks. On learning about the issue, we fixed the problem, tested the fixes within the identified versions of the software, and have released updates that will address the...(read more)

Too much, too little, maybe just right?

2009-11-01T03:54:00Z

For the past two years since we started rolling out Vista, I've felt like Goldilocks. I can't find an antivirus software I like. Trend was my choice until it started putting a firewall in there that made it not quite right. Then I was testing out Nod32 and it nearly was my choice until it too started to have known issues with iTunes and network icon interference. So in addition to the desktop icon review tonight, I'm starting the process of removal of the various antivirus' I've...(read more)

Happy Halloween

2009-11-01T01:12:00Z

Tonight to answer the door of the trick-or-treaters I'm asking the door as Danica Patrick's older, less sexy, sister that is a Mini Cooper race car driver. Okay so it's a stretch, I'll admit, but with a Mini Cooper racing shirt and a black wig, what do you expect? I'm also remoting back into the office and doing the annual "what icons landed up on the desktop" review of the desktops. While most of us do remote work as a matter of ease and efficiency, sometimes the only...(read more)

>>> NEW TOOL: Exchange Remote Connectivity Analyzer <<<:

2009-10-31T02:03:00Z

>>> NEW TOOL: Exchange Remote Connectivity Analyzer <<<: http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/partnermsgexchange/thread/421c8eb2-7579-4806-a276-3aaeb90a10a4 Announcing the release of Exchange Server Remote Connectivity Analyzer for Exchange 2003, 2007, and 2010: https://www.testexchangeconnectivity.com/ Client connectivity and inbound email scenarios make up a significant portion of the Exchange support calls. This tool will allow you to remotely test the following client types...(read more)

So what about those action pack licenses?

2009-10-30T14:20:00Z

http://msmvps.com/blogs/bradley/archive/2009/10/30/mpan-program-closed.aspx So the bigger and more important question is ...what about the action pack license that was allowed to be purchased by CPAs as a result? Are they still licensed? Can they renew? Can they keep the licenses or do they have to buy all new Server and OS licenses to make themselves legal? [notice I'm using the word they as I've kept my firm buying software assurance for the server all this time and didn't use the action...(read more)

MPAN program closed

2009-10-30T14:09:00Z

Dear valued MPAN member: We are writing to let you know that Microsoft ® Office Accounting will no longer be distributed by Microsoft after November 16, 2009. As such, MPAN membership will also be closed to new members effective November 16, 2009 and the complimentary download of Office Accounting Professional 2009 and the Office Accounting Customization will be discontinued November 16, 2009. Some existing MPAN benefits, such as online on demand training, will remain. We would like to thank...(read more)

Folder view in Win7

2009-10-29T01:30:00Z

So on the "production" win 7 one of the feedback items was that the file open menu didn't open up the file folders the way Vista used to http://www.windows7update.com/Windows7-Folder-Options.html So one of the settings I put back on the workstation was the open folder settings. And voila, the expanded folder pane on the left hand side like Vista did it is back again....(read more)

Searching for a bit of spam

2009-10-28T07:14:00Z

Someone showed me this "trick" the other day. Google search on a web site, limiting the domain to just your domain and then search for "sex". http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&rls=com.microsoft%3A*&q=sex++site%3Amsmvps.com&aq=f&oq=&aqi = See how many blog spam/web site spam/bad content has ended up on the site that you weren't aware of it. I got some cleanin' to do....(read more)

Windows Vista Ultimate customers

2009-10-28T06:27:00Z

While I applaud what Microsoft is doing in the retail space ( decrapifying the PCs to start with , offering deals on Home Premium and Professional - http://www.microsoft.com/windows/offers/ms-store-bundle.aspx , there's one other group of users that need a bit more TLC. Those that believed in the Vista ultimate experience. While their Home Premium and Professional brethern get discounts, those who are running Vista Ultimate get no discount whatsoever http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums...(read more)

What's your RAID favorite?

2009-10-25T21:19:00Z

This weekend I'm just doing a play install and seeing what sort of RAID array I can build. RAID levels: Learn about RAID 50: http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid5_gci1066983,00.html RAID - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID I can do a "0", a 1+0, a 5 or a 50. RAID 0 (striped disks) distributes data across multiple disks in a way that gives improved speed at any given instant. If one disk fails, however, all of the data on the array will...(read more)