August 2006 - Posts
A quick blog about this... The problem has been driving me crazy for the last couple of weeks.
Random clients have been calling, reporting that they were having high RAM usage on the SVCHOST process. That normally worries me and points to some nasties. Looking further into the issue you can see that the Windows Update service is the cause.
Luckily, Les Connor and Susan Bradley - SBS MVP's - were already on the case chatting about the issue on our private listserv. I stumbled across the thread where Susan pointed to:
The Automatic Updates service may stop responding:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/914810/en-us
Oh wonderful. ANOTHER PATCH I HAVE TO CALL PSS FOR! Do Microsoft have ANY idea how difficult and how much of a waste of time it is to sit on the phone just to get a patch! We so badly need another way!
EDIT 4: Due to pressure from my fellow SBS MVP's, I have taken down the links to the patches. Not that I wanted to, because this situation of having to call for patches outside the USA SUCKS!
I found some code the other week on Experts Exchange that has already helped me and will probably help other GFI Mailessentials Administrators with Bayesian analaysis learning of spam mails. It was not quite complete code, and I changed the way it dealt with the mails a little, but you can change it back if you want.
With the below code, you can create two buttons in outlook for your users to press when they highlight an email that is either spam, or not spam. This way, the Bayesian spam filters will learn directly from your user input. The buttons can be added by simply right clicking on the menu, selecting customise, and creating a new menu that links to the macros...
The code simply forwards the mail, then deletes the message. If you un-comment one line below you can also have the item move to deleted items instead of the sent items folder.
Function GetCurrentItem() As Object
Dim objApp As Outlook.Application
Set objApp = CreateObject("Outlook.Application")
On Error Resume Next
Select Case TypeName(objApp.ActiveWindow)
Case "Explorer"
Set GetCurrentItem = objApp.ActiveExplorer.Selection.Item(1)
Case "Inspector"
Set GetCurrentItem = objApp.ActiveInspector.CurrentItem
Case Else
' anything else will result in an error, which is
' why we have the error handler above
End Select
Set objApp = Nothing
End Function
Sub ADDASSPAM()
Dim myOlApp As New Outlook.Application
Dim myItem, myForward As Object
Set myItem = GetCurrentItem()
Set myForward = myItem.Forward
myForward.To = "rcommands@mailessentials.com"
'The line below will place the sent item directly in Deleted Items
'Set myForward.SaveSentMessageFolder = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI").GetDefaultFolder(olFolderDeletedItems)
'The line below will add your text to the beginning of the message body.
myForward.Body = "ADDASSPAM" & vbCrLf & myForward.Body
'The line below sends the message.
myForward.Send
'The line below deletes the message you sent.
Set myItem.SaveSentMessageFolder = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI").GetDefaultFolder(olFolderDeletedItems)
myItem.Delete
Set myForward = Nothing
Set myItem = Nothing
End Sub
Sub ADDASGOODMAIL()
Dim myOlApp As New Outlook.Application
Dim myItem, myForward As Object
Set myItem = GetCurrentItem()
Set myForward = myItem.Forward
myForward.To = "rcommands@mailessentials.com"
'The line below will place the sent item directly in Deleted Items
'Set myForward.SaveSentMessageFolder = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI").GetDefaultFolder(olFolderDeletedItems)
'The line below will add your text to the beginning of the message body.
myForward.Body = "ADDASGOODMAIL" & vbCrLf & myForward.Body
'The line below sends the message.
myForward.Send
'The line below deletes the message you sent.
Set myItem.SaveSentMessageFolder = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI").GetDefaultFolder(olFolderDeletedItems)
myItem.Delete
Set myForward = Nothing
Set myItem = Nothing
End Sub
Hope this helps someone! Oh, and if you are a coder, I would love to know if you can implement any of the other commands available. Maybe there is a market for someone to write a GFI Toolbar for Outlook?
EDIT: Also, thanks to Garren Bellew whom added the command to delete the message after it got sent!
GFI Mailessentials is fantastic. Email antispam and control has never been easier for my offices SBS network.
Up until today however, even GFI's filters were not catching 99% of the spam. But I have taken a major step... I have blocked entirely the @hotmail domains and the @yahoo domains.
Why? Simple... they are the domains that are sending about 35% of the spam to my exchange server. Unless you are specifically on my whitelist with a hotmail or yahoo address... expect your emails to never reach us.
There is no excuse for even a home user not to own your own domain name!
OK, I just heard the most ridiculous thing from Susan Bradley whom helped me with this issue...
I was attempting to use the SBS public folder wizard to add a public folder to my office SBS network.... simple, I thought.
But, about two months ago, I flipped the Exchange server over to Native mode. Obvious thing to do since I am never ever going to have an older version of Exchange on my network.
It turns out that this wizard, even in SBS 2003 R2, does not work if you do this. Silly, I know, but that's the way it is :)
Personally, I would like to see a patch or workaround for this minor, but annoying issue.
Hopefully this will work. I am just playing around with the community server settings to allow embedded video. I picked this google one as it features the IFSD Dublin scenery which I did the modelling for.
A while back, Owen Hewitt posted that he loved the TrackIR 4 Product. I then posted that I was off to purchase one.
I didn't actually get around to making that purchase, but during the beta of Flight Simulator X I soon realised that I would be spending a lot more time in the Virtual Cockpit than I did in FS 2004. The reworked cockpits in the default stock of FSX aircraft are simply fantastic!
One remaining item on the list before spending my hard earned money. Where are the FSX Drivers for TrackIR? Well, the good news is that the ACES team are working VERY hard with add-on developers around the globe. Naturalpoint being one of them. A quick post to the newsgroups and Vincent from Naturalpoint replies with some Beta Drivers for FSX.
I order the kit, it arrives via DHL two days later. Great service! I first gave the product a go in Flight Simulator 2004 and it worked perfectly. Then I kicked up FSX and it worked just as well. Pretty amazing for a first beta release! Nice work Naturalpoint!
Anyway, the reason for posting this is simply to let all of you know that you will have drivers for TrackIR in FSX by the time it is released.... so no use holding back on ordering :)
EDIT: I just updated that ordering link on this post. The guys over at Naturalpoint have given all of my readers $25.00 off the regular price. Cool Huh!
Until further notice BA has halted all flights from the UK.
BA issued the following statement:
"I ain't getting on no goddamn plane, you crazy fool!"
Thanks to Graham Smith for forwarding that one on :)
For a couple of weeks now I have been promising Susan Bradley that I would setup Community Server on the new msinfluentials.com site.
It is finally up and running but not without the usual nightmares. I added the new site and it promptly took down this one (msmvps.com). Oops. Panic.... I still dont understand what happened, but it was something to do with .NET on the IIS sites.
Anyway, our first msinfluentials victim is Jesper. How cool is that :)
Oh, and since I was screwing around with the settings anyway, I decided to update my blog with a new look and feel. Hope you like it.
Owen already pointed this out, but I thought it worth mentioning here as well.
There is a great new Flash Website for FSX. Impressive stuff!
Amazing.
This is a first for the ACES team over at Microsoft. It is something that I applaud and hope to see in future versions.
This proves, once again, that they are interested in community feedback to improve the product. No doubt there will be some people that complain about them doing this, and others that will complain about the product itself. I just hope people remember this is pre-release beta code!
This should also please the hundreds of people that email me daily asking how to get on the beta. Well, now you don't need to ask anymore, you just need to download the beta and then email tell_fs@microsoft.com with your thoughts, but be nice because the team will simply overlook your email if it is nasty or rude. Remember, the ACES team are just as passionate (if not more) about this product as you are!
You should also take a read of Mike's thoughts here.
Katy Pluta, fellow MVP, pointed out this video to me on a newsgroup. It is very impressive and worth the download.
A Tribute to FS2004
On another FS Note, Owen Hewitt has posted the official list of FSX Aircraft here
I have just witnessed an excellent Grand Prix in Hungary.
Jenson Button has finally won a race! Long may it continue :)
A couple of directors from a couple of my business clients decided to take the leap and order the much hyped and seriously expensive Dell XPS 700 back in May / June of this year.
They are still waiting.
What amazes me more is that the product is still listed on the various Dell websites for sale even though there are still major issues in getting this thing built. My suggestion is to cancel your order with Dell and go elsewhere.
More on the story:
Dell Forums
The XPS700 delay story
Digg Story
CDNET
Dell Blog
Dell Blog 2