Start -> Run:
type regedit
then navigate to:

Hkey_Local_Machine\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon. In the left pane, right click on Winlogon and click New and click Key.
Type “SpecialAccounts” and press Enter.

In the left pane, right click on SpecialAccounts and click New and click Key.
Type “UserList” and press Enter.

In right pane of UserList, right click on an empty area and click New then click DWORD (32bit) Value.
Type in the name of the user account that you want to hide and press Enter .e.g.: “IT”.

In the right panel, right click on the user account name and click Modify.

To hide the user account – Type ”0″ and click OK. (The number zero not the letter O). Changing this value to “1″ will unhide the account.

user account · vista · windows 7

Tiny Receiver

I predominantly use this mouse because it is a laser mouse, because it looks like the Delta Flyer and because its pretty. If I’m honest i saw the chance to change my mouse for very little and felt it was worth the effort. My previously mentioned colleague Joe had terrible luck with the Logitech MX1100. So now that this new “goddess” has walked into my life i said goodbye to the MX1100 and hello to the Performance MX.

To date, running about a week on a single purchase charge of the battery the mouse is still going. A quick check of the logitech software, which i love, and I’m told that the battery is “low”. Pity really as i plan on playing some more Modern Warfare 2, buying X-Mas presents and general server messing with tonight. However as i speak i have plugged in the extremely handy USB cable and hey presto it’s charging and more importantly still working as i use it. I think Logitech copped something. Cradled mice need to have the PC on in order to charge them, the charge is slow and .. annoying. You cannot even use the mouse while its charging. Also what’s the point in docking the mouse when you turn off your PC for the night?

So it seems that they copied the XBOX 360 method, charge as you play. If this mouse’ battery runs out it will simply become a corded mouse, never a non functioning one. Quite like the humble escalator, it doesn’t break it becomes a staircase.

The unifying receiver is a welcome bonus, however i have no Logitech Keyboard, pointer or otherwise capable device to connect with. The size of the damned thing still impresses me as i look at these photo’s. It is simply astonishing and the amount of USB Dongle problems that a slim and tiny (almost flush) USB receiver can solve by existing.

The Receiver is Unifying or Tiny take your pick

It’s comfortable, its large which is frankly great for me as i have big hands/long fingers. I found the MX1100 to be stumpy and stiff in comparison. Overall comfort is great and the mouse works perfectly on my worn wooden desk. Distance has not been an issue, however if you use the mouse for a Media Center setup then you may require more distance than your standard PC desk. Logitech even provide a USB extender cable for just that with a slightly stylish design so you won’t feel too put out be the trailing cable.

darkfield · laser · logitech · mouse

In most businesses there is a request for a Director/Manager to be able to check his email remotely. More times than not he wants it on his PC @ home, mobile phone and the ability to access it anywhere in the world. Those with a Small Business Server operating system have this luxury from day 1. However in Exchange 2010 its not an “out of the box” solution. However since OWA is, half the work is already done for you. So i set about enabling my “users” to access email from their domain laptops in Outlook using a single sign-on.

Step 1: Install and SSL Cert for your remote site.
Step 2: Enable Outlook Anywhere in Exchange.

Step 3: Install the Windows RPC Over HTTP Proxy Component

For Outlook Anywhere to work correctly, the Windows RPC over HTTP Proxy component must be installed on your Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 server that’s running Windows Server 2008 (R2). So i install this new role, quick reboot and hey presto outlook works. At this point you can stop and continue to use Basic mode. However for NTLM you need to change the setting in Part 3.

Step 4: Set Outlook Anywhere to NTLM Authentication

Wait the required 15 Min’s and it will work. This is extremely beneficial as the user does not have to authenticate with his/her user name and password each time. Given that it also requires the user to type the domain name as a prefix “DOMAIN\Username” NTLM allows you to rule out that horrible explanation into “why you have to type the domain name” where the answer is inevitably, “you just do”.

Resources: Outlook Anywhere Howto http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb123542(EXCHG.140).aspx
Enable NTLM Authentication http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd776122(EXCHG.140).aspx

Exchange · ntlm · oma · outlook · owa · VPN

 

I recently purchased a WD 1.5TB hdd for my Desktop. About 2 hours into its use in my PC it burnt out. I sen this back to the nice folks at overclockers.co.uk and 2 weeks later (blame the UK postal strike) it arrived and was promptly replaced. So the new drive arrived and 24 hours later i deem it working OK. However with my current rig i have 1 x 160 GB SATA, and 3 x 1TB SATA. The 3 x 1TB drives are in a RAID 5 configuration. No more data loss for me. Recently my gaming habits have pushed my 160GB drive to capacity. So i figure its time to try Windows 7 Built in Backup and Restore.

Start ->Â backup. Simple eh?

Select the Library and Local Disk, also tick include a system image.

Now to the scary part. Installing the new HDD in the Antec 900 was easy and a prompt reboot and boot to DVD brought up the Recovery disk. This restore process detected my backup and offered to restore it. My fear of losing my raid array made me chose the custom route. However this was not necessary as the drive restore stated that the RAID would be excluded from the backup as it was the location of the backup media. My fears however were  not alleviated as i found in the past with Microsoft that sometimes they mess up the simplest wording of an action.

20 Mins later and the PC had booted into Windows 7. As it uses an image level backup my HDD was showing as 160GB. Thankfully microsoft were smart enough to remove the need for Partition Magic and other partitioning software and i was able to “expand disk” while windows was still running. No reboot needed at this point and no re-activation of windows.

Some benchmark tests will follow once i get my SSD’s up and running.

hdd · overclockers · raid · sata · windows 7

Today i arrived into work to a very … different sight.
I was missing my taskbar icons. Having seen explorer crash in the past in XP and Vista whereby it decides to take the quick launch away i figured that this was the same. Well i was wrong.

You see 1 icon there, thats the Problem Steps Recorder at work

Further investigation revealed that i could pin and unpin new items at will. But the oldies would not reappear. Some well placed r-click’s lead me to “C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar”. This handy little place is the physical store for what we “pin” to the taskbar. So it was very surprising when i found that my icons were still there!

A quick jump to Microsoft support online and they had never heard of this issue before. So i record the problem i am having using the beautiful “Problem Steps Recorder”. For those that don’t know this is the greatest gift from Microsoft in Windows 7 for anyone who troubleshoots issues for remote desktop users. If you haven’t used it simply give it a try and you will see why this tool is excellent for troubleshooting your computer illiterate grandparents “errors” and to even make how to guides on navigation or setting changes.

My psr file was 13MB unzipped (in .mht format) due to the number of screenshots it took when i made it and the dual screen high res setup that i am using. (2x 22″ @ 1680×1050). Currently i am liaising with Sherry Jia, Partner Online Technical Community, and as my employer is a Microsoft Gold Partner it seems that i will get the support i need.

So finger crossed that tomorrow shows the results, not that it matters as i have installed Server 2008 R2 with HyperV on my second HDD in work and plan to make a fresh Win7 VM. That will hopefully push me onto Win7 backup and restore and finally HyperV backup and restore.

HyperV · missing taskbar · problem steps recorder · psr · Quick Launch · taskbar · windows 7

As per my rant yesterday i decided to continue searching for an awesome mouse.
My field was limited to Logitech (I’m still hopeful) and i came across the Logitech MX Performace, and yes its really this sexy…

Works out at around €120 including shipping from Komplett.ie but they aren’t due in until Friday. This has forced me to look elsewhere, dabs.ie don’t have priority shipping so that could take 3-5 days. Nothing on overclock.co.uk and as i said yesterday I’m ditching overclockers.co.uk.

Peats.com have them on their site for 99 Euro but as always have none in stock. This mouse had better be worth the wait!

Peats.com won’t have them until Friday evening at 3pm earliest. Some other local checks reveal that dixons are becoming currys who don’t seem to have a store in Tallaght (lol). Maplins are useless. This has brought on why i shop online and have to deal with stupid couriers and false delivery dates. I want to walk into a shop today this evening and buy this mouse but there’s nowhere to go. The same thing happened when i wanted to buy an ATI 4890 Gfx Card. Nowhere in this country has them. So I’m justified Mr Cowen is shopping abroad, because our consumer “IT” suppliers are useless.

Back to the specs of the mouse you may like this

And don’t try to tell me that this mouse does not look like “The Delta Flyer” from ST: Voyager.

logitech · mice · mouse

So it seems that according to Overclockers UK i am “extremely unlucky”.
Let me begin this saga back on the 28 of September.

I got 2 demo mice from HP in work> Needless to say i tried it out and was extremely impressed as was my colleague Joe.

HP Laser Demo Mouse

As this mouse was a demo i naturally had to go and purchase one for myself, Joe tagged along and wanted one too.
Some quick looking around pointed to Logitech still being on top form for Mice.
Some more reading and it seemed the MX 1100 was the perfect mouse for me.

Logitech Mx1100

Having purchased a 4890 Gfx Card from Overclockers.co.uk only 3 weeks before this i decided to purchase 2 of these mice from them.
2 Days later DPD deliver the mice and the Saga begins.

Only 1 of these mice worked. Yes i tried plugging it out and back in, tried a new PC, tried everything i could think of. Nada.
Unlike other wireless mice there is no “sync button” to help out. So an RMA was requested and approved for the mouse on the 30th of September.
Once delivered it was processed quickly and a second mouse sent on its way.

The Logitech strikes back, busted, again. At this point i should explain that when i received the 2 mice i gave Joe the good one (little did i know) and afterwards he gave it to me saying he would wait for the replacement, a decision i think he is regretting now.

Another RMA and another postage paid €7.50. 2 weeks later the mouse is still being processed. A call to overclockers reveals that they are “extremely busy”. 2 Days later  they agree to replace it. Testing a mouse isn’t really hard. You just plug it in and if it doesn’t work then its clearly broken.

More time passes and we receive the new mouse and did it work??
No. Another faulty mouse. That’s the 3rd so far. I begin to complain, and google this model of mouse. Turns out this isn’t news. One person received 3 dead mice and then got a refund and bought one in a local computer store where he made the staff plug it into a PC first.

So joe being placid had decided to give it one last try and send it back. RMA, print, postage $7.50, delay and bingo a new mouse.
Busted. Yes that’s 4. How the hell can a person receive 4 faulty mice in a ROW? I must point out that i have the original mouse here and that still works on this PC and the 3 others that we tried.

So my advice to you is to not go near an MX1100 unless you can see it working first.
I’m giving Joe my MX1100 tomorrow and I’m going back to Komplett.ie for purchases and getting me a new mouse.

logitech · mouse · overclockers