BiggAndyy

Ever want to find an picture on the internet?  Tough, huh?  Ever want to find a picture but found something close, but it wasn’t quite right?  Yup.  Well, try this!  Search By Image

Yeah, that is Google’s Search By Image.  Paste the url of the image that is close (or an image you want to see something else similar) and Google will deliver up a few images that appear to match what you have provided.

Let’s see how it does:

Here is my creation, Monkey with a Phaser:

Visually similar images found by Google SBI:

>>> Follow this link <<<

Not a bad job!  Not really Guerrilla Administration, but at least I included a monkey.

C:\IPCONFIG

WHOA!!!!!!!

That’s a LOT of devices… not just the 5 or 6 usually listed… I had HUNDREDS.  What’s going on?  I don’t want them there, even if they are important!

Turns out they aren’t really that important, especially if you are one of the millions of users still using IPv4 (xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx) IP address configuration.  Windows 7 ships with both IPv4 and IPv6 already enabled.  All those tunneling adapters are translators from IPv6 to IPv4.  But since we aren’t using IPv6, let’s get rid of them.  They slow down the machine when there are hundreds, and if you want any USEFUL information from IPCONFIG the getting rid of is easy.

First, uncheck the IPv6 option in your Adapter Settings dialog box and click OK.

If it were THAT easy this post would not be necessary.  It isn’t that easy.  When you retype IPCONFIG at a CMD window the tunnel adapters are still listed.  Don’t bother disabling and re-enabling the network cards or starting and stopping the wireless service or even rebooting.  They won’t work.

Second, you probably (99% sure) will need a program from MS called DEVCON.EXE.  This is the key to the rest of the process.  If you are running Windows 7 64 bit (and many of us are) you can get it at this >>link<<.

Put the program somewhere you can access it easily from a CMD window (such as %HOMEPATH%).
Open a CMD window to that directory and type this:

DEVCON REMOVE *6TO4MP

After you hit ENTER, depending on how many of those things have built up over the months, it can take a minute or two.  Eventually the program will give you the all clear and when you type IPCONFIG again, *POOF* they are all gone.

So, no more swirling down the digital doo-doo drain!  You’ve just fixed it on your own.  Good luck.

Windows 7 (and Vista and even Xbox) will encounter this error, and there are numerous fixes in the cloud to remedy this problem.  I’ll quickly list my attempts failures, and then describe what I did that finally did succeed.

I tried editing the Firewall to allow all the Microsoft sites access.  No help.

Updating the Network Card device driver.  Nothing.

Reinstalling several .dll files mentioned at some sites.  Did not work.

Edited the registry to change the MTU (maximum transmission unit).  Zilch.

Swearing loudly.  I felt better but the machine ignored me.  Zip.

Re-performed all those things logged in as the local administrator.  Up until now I did it as the local user and just upped the privileges when asked by 7.  Lots of time but no effect.

Finally I started to think outside the box/cubicle.  I remembered one of the .dll files was java-something-something.dll.  I began to wonder… did this machine have updated Java?  No, it did not.

I updated Java (to 6r30) over the web, rebooted, and heeeeeeey!!!!  That worked!

Once again, the simplest solution was the correct one, and once again, it was one of the Big 3 Things (Windows Updates, Java, and Antivirus).  So, long story short, if the propeller heads start directing you to edit this registry entry and modify that policy object STOP.  Try the simple things first!  It will only take a small amount of time and many times WILL solve the problem.

A customer came up to me a few minutes ago and asked me if she could undelete some emails.  Well, she did not so much come up to me and ask.  There was a bit of a sense of urgency in her voice.  Well, not so much urgency as it was panic.  And she did not ask, per say, it was more like this —————————–>

Naturally I said, no.  Almost every answer I give is NO, but then I do a Scotty (yes, from Star Trek) and say, “Unless…” and I check with Google (the Tech Support Guy’s Secret Weapon).  Low and behold there was a way to undelete emails that have been purged from the Recycle Bin… IF the Exchange Server is set up for such a contingency.  Luckily ours is.

Here is a shoutout to the guys over at addictivetips.com for their solution.

It goes like this: first click on your Deleted Items folder, next select the Folder tab, and if the Exchange Server is configured for it the Recover Deleted Items button will not be grayed out.  But never fear, if the server is not configured properly the link above will give you step by step instructions on how to fix that as well.

Good luck!

Move over VNC.  RDP?  Thing of the past.  Go to my PC?  Not anymore.  Join Me is a great web application for sharing or controlling a user computer, displaying a powerpoint presentation, even from Android or iPhone!

No subscriptions unless you want all the bells and whistles, but the free version is enough for most small to mid-range tech shops to support users across the hall or across the ocean.

Don’t take my word for it, visit http://join.me and have a friend or customer go there as well.  No logins, no passwords, no foolin’!  The customer only needs to click on the “share” button and the website will ask permission to run a small program, tell your user it’s ok and have them read you the number that appears.

You type in that number and click join and you are connected to their desktop.  You can see it, watch it, even take control of it (with the user’s permission).  The EASIEST way to remote to a customer’s machine, period.

My Windows file server doesn’t act up that much so it is easy to put checking the event logs on the back burner.  So far back that when something does go wrong it takes a catastrophic failure and a few calls from the Dean’s Office to get it taken care of.

Nuts to that!  Windows 2008 server comes with elaborate web based monitoring configurations that allow the savvy admin to check all sorts of bells and whistles.   Dell also has OpenManage software that works (with varying degrees of success) and adds some more glitz and glamor.

But this server is a plain old workhorse that doesn’t need glamor and bells.  I just want to have the server give me a notice when an error pops up in the event log for either System, Application, or Security.  Why not use EVENTTRIGGERS?

That’s what I said!  So I started using them.  They are quite simple and combined with bmail the server can email me my alerts with a minimum of overhead and space taken up.

An EVENTTRIGGERS is invoked in a DOS shell and monitors the log you want to monitor for the conditions you want to keep track of, and executes a command when that condition is met.

@eventtriggers /create /tr SYSTEMERROR /l System /t Error
/tk c:\windows\system\events\systemerrors.bat

The above command tells EVENTTRIGGERS to create a new trigger called SYSTEMERROR, to monitor the system log for the type ERROR and to execute the command when an ERROR is found.

SYSTEMERRORS.BAT

@ECHO OFF
@echo Here are the last 4 error entries from SYSTEM log >systemerrors.msg
@eventquery /l system /r 4 /fi "Type eq Error" /v >>systemerrors.msg
@BMAIL.exe -s {smtpserver} -t {destination email address} -f [who it's from] -h
-a "System Event Log Error Detected" -m systemerrors.msg -c >NUL

Uses the EVENTQUERY.VBS file to get the last 4 errors from the event log and adds them to a .MSG file and emails that file using the BMAIL.EXE program (available on the web).

A trigger for each event log is made and a separate batch file as well.

Now, when something goes BUMP in the night on the server it can drop me a note to alert me.

I learned Outlook 2010 Conditional Formatting is COOL.

I learned the catchme virus is UNCOOL.  The new variant plays audio ads on your speakers from a iexplorer.exe task and redirects all your search links to random junk pages in the cloud.

I learned that standard ports AREN’T – (RDP usually listens on 3389… this time it was on port 49xx).  Had to examine registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\TerminalServer\WinStations\RDP-Tcp\PortNumber

I learned that no matter how many times you tell a customer to email you for the fastest response time they insist on using the telephone, then wonder why it takes so long for a response.  Actually I already knew this, but for the customer that you have told 17 times, it always strikes them as surprising as a dog with a new water dish.

I learned Facebook isn’t alive (yet).

No, this isn’t an advertisement for insurance coverage against infections from malware, viruses and spyware. But protecting your system from infection is so easy a caveman could do it.

It is really as easy as 1 -2 -3. There are only 3 things to keep track of, and all of them offer automated programs to run in the background so all you need to do is allow permission for those programs to do their job.

Number 1: Windows Updates (if you are on a MAC why are you reading this blog???)
Schedule Windows to do automatic updates WHEN YOUR COMPUTER IS ON!  Years ago it made sense to turn off your computer when you were finished using it.  But today, to insure that you are receiving updates from Microsoft in a timely manner have your Microsoft Update run on Tuesdays (Patch Tuesday in geek-speek).

Number 2: Antivirus protection.  There are many antivirus scanners that real time monitor your system for malicious software and attacks.  Many are subscription based, many are free with a subscription option.  Choose one and USE IT.  Leaving your machine on is just more insurance that you receive updates to your virus definitions and keep the window of opportunity for a new exploit to attack your machine as small as possible.

Number 3: Java/Flash Updates.  Yes, the majority of exploits propagating across the interwebs today are being served up by unpatched or outdated Java and Flash plugins.  Both these have a TSR that receives information from their home base and ask the user to update to the latest versions.  USE THIS!

This will go a long way (even to you administrators) in keeping your machines healthy, fast, and trouble free.

Microsoft Software Update Website.

Avast Antivirus Website.

Java Website.

Flash Website.

A quick tip for those remaining workstations still on Windows XP.  Need to have administrator access but you are still logged in as the normal user?  Simple.

Create a desktop shortcut to CMD.EXE

Right click and select RUN AS… and select Adminsitrator

At the Command Prompt type EXPLORER and hit enter.

Presto!  You have an explorer windows with admin level rights.

The KSOD has now morphed into the HSOD (Hang Screen of Death).  Similar symptoms except the hang comes while the desktop is still visible on the screen.  The mouse moves but the buttons don’t work, nor does the keyboard.

To get the machine past the KSOD (see previous post) I allowed Vista to restore from a restore point.  Now this is different.  The machine works for a few minutes then just hangs.  Repeatedly and reliably.  I am all for computers (especially Windows) being reliable, but not this type of reliable.

Spinrite 6.0 found a few unrecoverable sections of the hard drive but nowhere near the boot sector or MBR.  But since it is good to have as clean a drivespace as possible, I ran the fix and locked those sectors out.  Still hangs.

Asked Mr. Google for some advice and found *gasp* MICROSOFT social technet had some good suggestions!  Seems to be two big culprits in this mystery, the WLAN service and NVidia drivers.  Well, since the WLAN NEEDS to be on (this is a notebook), I tried disabling the service.  Still hangs.

Seems our winner of the Vista Fail Award today is NVidia!  Downloaded new drivers, installed them, and so far no more hangs.

However (and this may be a preview of an upcoming Vista Fail) I just ran the Updates and Vista seems to be KSODding again… I think I’ll start selling little clay figurines on eBay to make a living.