Microsoft Excel 2003 has become the spreadsheet of choice for over 80% of corporate businesses around the world. One of the clear advantages of using Microsoft Excel 2003 over other spreadsheeting programs is the ability to have multiple people entering information into the same spreadsheet. This function in Microsoft Excel is called Shared Workbooks and we will go through how to setup this capability in this article.
If a user tries to open a Workbook that is already open, then they normally get a message saying that the File is locked by a certain user and would you like to open the file in Read only mode. However, you can open a workbook in shared mode by following these steps. First open the file that you want to share, then once the workbook is open, go to the Tools menu and choose Share Workbook from the drop down menu.
The Share Workbook dialog box will now appear. To enable sharing, you simply click once on the Allow Sharing check box, so that it has a tick. Once you do this other people will now be able to use your Excel workbook whilst you are working on it.
However, there are some other parameters that can be set at the same time. For other options, simply choose the Advanced tab. There are three core parameters that you need to be aware of. The first is the length of time you will store the history in your file.
Microsoft Excel allows you to store over 32000 days worth of changes to your Excel file, however, there is a catch. All of that information is stored in your file and consequently your file will grow exponentially. Most organisations generally work on a maximum of 30 days and that is the default, however the value entered simply depends on your workbooks requirements. You can choose the second option which says, Don't Keep Change History. This simply ensures no changes are maintained.
A second option that is available is the Update Changes option. This function simply allows you to define how often the spreadsheet changes are updated. The most common element users use is the Update Every 15 minutes. What this does is to force a save and filter through the data to all the users. One point to consider is that if you workbook is relatively large and you are working on a slow computer you may want to increase that time to 30 minutes.
The last area of concern is the Save Changes function. This defines whose changes will override who's. There are two options available which say, Ask me Which Changes Win and The Changes Being Saved Win. Which option you choose really depends on the type of workbook you have created.
The final issue you need to consider is if somebody disables the Share Workbook function. If this occurs, when you try to save your workbook you will be required to save it somewhere else or lose your work. This is one of the downsides to the Share Workbook function.
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Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Microsoft Excel Shortcuts: How To Setup A Shared Workbook
Microsoft Excel 2003 has become the spreadsheet of choice for over 80% of corporate businesses around the world. One of the clear advantages of using Microsoft Excel 2003 over other spreadsheeting programs is the ability to have multiple people entering information into the same spreadsheet. This function in Microsoft Excel is called Shared Workbooks and we will go through how to setup this capability in this article.
If a user tries to open a Workbook that is already open, then they normally get a message saying that the File is locked by a certain user and would you like to open the file in Read only mode. However, you can open a workbook in shared mode by following these steps. First open the file that you want to share, then once the workbook is open, go to the Tools menu and choose Share Workbook from the drop down menu.
The Share Workbook dialog box will now appear. To enable sharing, you simply click once on the Allow Sharing check box, so that it has a tick. Once you do this other people will now be able to use your Excel workbook whilst you are working on it.
However, there are some other parameters that can be set at the same time. For other options, simply choose the Advanced tab. There are three core parameters that you need to be aware of. The first is the length of time you will store the history in your file.
Microsoft Excel allows you to store over 32000 days worth of changes to your Excel file, however, there is a catch. All of that information is stored in your file and consequently your file will grow exponentially. Most organisations generally work on a maximum of 30 days and that is the default, however the value entered simply depends on your workbooks requirements. You can choose the second option which says, Don't Keep Change History. This simply ensures no changes are maintained.
A second option that is available is the Update Changes option. This function simply allows you to define how often the spreadsheet changes are updated. The most common element users use is the Update Every 15 minutes. What this does is to force a save and filter through the data to all the users. One point to consider is that if you workbook is relatively large and you are working on a slow computer you may want to increase that time to 30 minutes.
The last area of concern is the Save Changes function. This defines whose changes will override who's. There are two options available which say, Ask me Which Changes Win and The Changes Being Saved Win. Which option you choose really depends on the type of workbook you have created.
The final issue you need to consider is if somebody disables the Share Workbook function. If this occurs, when you try to save your workbook you will be required to save it somewhere else or lose your work. This is one of the downsides to the Share Workbook function.
If a user tries to open a Workbook that is already open, then they normally get a message saying that the File is locked by a certain user and would you like to open the file in Read only mode. However, you can open a workbook in shared mode by following these steps. First open the file that you want to share, then once the workbook is open, go to the Tools menu and choose Share Workbook from the drop down menu.
The Share Workbook dialog box will now appear. To enable sharing, you simply click once on the Allow Sharing check box, so that it has a tick. Once you do this other people will now be able to use your Excel workbook whilst you are working on it.
However, there are some other parameters that can be set at the same time. For other options, simply choose the Advanced tab. There are three core parameters that you need to be aware of. The first is the length of time you will store the history in your file.
Microsoft Excel allows you to store over 32000 days worth of changes to your Excel file, however, there is a catch. All of that information is stored in your file and consequently your file will grow exponentially. Most organisations generally work on a maximum of 30 days and that is the default, however the value entered simply depends on your workbooks requirements. You can choose the second option which says, Don't Keep Change History. This simply ensures no changes are maintained.
A second option that is available is the Update Changes option. This function simply allows you to define how often the spreadsheet changes are updated. The most common element users use is the Update Every 15 minutes. What this does is to force a save and filter through the data to all the users. One point to consider is that if you workbook is relatively large and you are working on a slow computer you may want to increase that time to 30 minutes.
The last area of concern is the Save Changes function. This defines whose changes will override who's. There are two options available which say, Ask me Which Changes Win and The Changes Being Saved Win. Which option you choose really depends on the type of workbook you have created.
The final issue you need to consider is if somebody disables the Share Workbook function. If this occurs, when you try to save your workbook you will be required to save it somewhere else or lose your work. This is one of the downsides to the Share Workbook function.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Welcome to the new Support Lifecycle blog
Welcome to the new Support Lifecycle blog
Welcome to the new home of the Microsoft Support Lifecycle blog. For those of you who are not familiar, the Microsoft Support Lifecycle is the set of policies that governs the length of support for all Microsoft products. Or, as described by our website, "provides consistent and predictable guidelines for product support availability when a product releases and throughout that product’s life". The goal of this blog is not to replace the main http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle website as the authoritative source for information on the policy. Instead, our goal is to use this blog as an informal communication mechanism to supplement the site and answer some of the common questions we receive.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by!
*This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.*
Welcome to the new home of the Microsoft Support Lifecycle blog. For those of you who are not familiar, the Microsoft Support Lifecycle is the set of policies that governs the length of support for all Microsoft products. Or, as described by our website, "provides consistent and predictable guidelines for product support availability when a product releases and throughout that product’s life". The goal of this blog is not to replace the main http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle website as the authoritative source for information on the policy. Instead, our goal is to use this blog as an informal communication mechanism to supplement the site and answer some of the common questions we receive.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by!
*This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.*
Saturday, September 18, 2010
AV7 Computer Virus
AV7 Computer Virus
AV7 or Anti virus 7 is a misleading computer program that is designed to make you believe your computer is infected with Trojans, spy ware, adware, malware and other malicious software.
This program is a virus although there are a few people that will argue and say its not a computer virus and say it’s just a rogue.
Call it whatever you want to call it.
It causes serious damage to computers and there are more then hundreds of variations of this program all over the internet.
In short this is a nasty computer virus and is very difficult for get rid of once you are infected.
There are all kinds of removal instructions out on the internet and we learned it can be much more time consuming to figure out exactly which variation of this virus you have and there are hundreds or more different variations of this virus all over the internet and one set of removal instructions may or may not work. Additionally we learned that Symantec anti virus software does not recognize this malicious program as a computer virus and in fact the virus usually cripples the Symantec anti virus program. There are other companies out there that advertise they have the cure for this virus and from researching we found some of these companies are affiliated with websites that in fact host these computer viruses.
How do users get infected with this computer virus?
Very easily, when this virus is embedded in a website which by the way is no accident. The website visitor sees a pop up message on their internet browser window that displays a message that may say one of many things such as Warning! New virus detected or many other messages designed to make you believe your computer has a virus. Usually the computer user will click the download or yes to scan button on the website believing this is going to fix their problem when in fact the only problem is the website is attempting to trick the user into downloading the malicious program.
Here are two images of this computer virus displaying messages on a computer screen.
Notice how these images could mislead many people.
Image of one of the many random messages this virus can display
Antivirus7 image
What happens next is the program installs itself on the victim’s computer and displays all kinds of pop up messages. A few examples are shown below and there are hundreds if not more different variations of this computer virus so not every infection or message will be the same every time.
We have seen many variations of this computer virus and they all stem from the AV7 Virus which has also been modified many times by internet criminals or internet gangs.
If you believe you are infected with this computer virus and do not know what to do.
Shut the computer off and call an Orlando computer consultant.
Completely removing this computer virus is not an easy task and in fact can lead into an all day project depending on the variation of the virus and the severity of the damage it may have caused.
There are some tools available that can remove this virus but again there is always that WHAT IF factor.
WHAT IF the tool does not completely remove the virus?
WHAT IF the tool says the virus is gone but it’s not?
There is always this chance and we feel its best to not take that chance with a client or a customer that demands the absolute best computer service in Orlando Florida.
The only true and safe way to know if the virus is gone is to backup your data and reinstall your operating system, software, drivers and start from scratch. Sure there may be websites out there that claim they have the special program to elevate these computer viruses but this is a security risk especially on a production computer network. What if the program you download does not completely get rid of the computer virus? What if the process of manually attempting to hunt down every single infected file, registry entree, dll files take all day or longer to do? What if you perform all this tedious work and the virus comes back?
We have learned the best way to stop this virus is to prevent it from infecting computer in the first place. We already know Symantec and other major anti virus software vendors have not been successful at preventing or stopping this virus from infecting computers. There are two different ways we prevent this virus from affecting computers. One is we use a commercial content filter from barracuda networks on our network in addition to locking down computer user profiles so no programs can be installed on computer unless done so by our network administrator. This prevents the virus from entering the network through the internet and prevents users from accidentally installing this virus or any unwanted software on the managed computers.
Ok so what if you don’t have a competent computer consultant?
Ask around and spend some time on google and question whomever you are considering to help you.
AV7 or Anti virus 7 is a misleading computer program that is designed to make you believe your computer is infected with Trojans, spy ware, adware, malware and other malicious software.
This program is a virus although there are a few people that will argue and say its not a computer virus and say it’s just a rogue.
Call it whatever you want to call it.
It causes serious damage to computers and there are more then hundreds of variations of this program all over the internet.
In short this is a nasty computer virus and is very difficult for get rid of once you are infected.
There are all kinds of removal instructions out on the internet and we learned it can be much more time consuming to figure out exactly which variation of this virus you have and there are hundreds or more different variations of this virus all over the internet and one set of removal instructions may or may not work. Additionally we learned that Symantec anti virus software does not recognize this malicious program as a computer virus and in fact the virus usually cripples the Symantec anti virus program. There are other companies out there that advertise they have the cure for this virus and from researching we found some of these companies are affiliated with websites that in fact host these computer viruses.
How do users get infected with this computer virus?
Very easily, when this virus is embedded in a website which by the way is no accident. The website visitor sees a pop up message on their internet browser window that displays a message that may say one of many things such as Warning! New virus detected or many other messages designed to make you believe your computer has a virus. Usually the computer user will click the download or yes to scan button on the website believing this is going to fix their problem when in fact the only problem is the website is attempting to trick the user into downloading the malicious program.
Here are two images of this computer virus displaying messages on a computer screen.
Notice how these images could mislead many people.
Image of one of the many random messages this virus can display
Antivirus7 image
What happens next is the program installs itself on the victim’s computer and displays all kinds of pop up messages. A few examples are shown below and there are hundreds if not more different variations of this computer virus so not every infection or message will be the same every time.
We have seen many variations of this computer virus and they all stem from the AV7 Virus which has also been modified many times by internet criminals or internet gangs.
If you believe you are infected with this computer virus and do not know what to do.
Shut the computer off and call an Orlando computer consultant.
Completely removing this computer virus is not an easy task and in fact can lead into an all day project depending on the variation of the virus and the severity of the damage it may have caused.
There are some tools available that can remove this virus but again there is always that WHAT IF factor.
WHAT IF the tool does not completely remove the virus?
WHAT IF the tool says the virus is gone but it’s not?
There is always this chance and we feel its best to not take that chance with a client or a customer that demands the absolute best computer service in Orlando Florida.
The only true and safe way to know if the virus is gone is to backup your data and reinstall your operating system, software, drivers and start from scratch. Sure there may be websites out there that claim they have the special program to elevate these computer viruses but this is a security risk especially on a production computer network. What if the program you download does not completely get rid of the computer virus? What if the process of manually attempting to hunt down every single infected file, registry entree, dll files take all day or longer to do? What if you perform all this tedious work and the virus comes back?
We have learned the best way to stop this virus is to prevent it from infecting computer in the first place. We already know Symantec and other major anti virus software vendors have not been successful at preventing or stopping this virus from infecting computers. There are two different ways we prevent this virus from affecting computers. One is we use a commercial content filter from barracuda networks on our network in addition to locking down computer user profiles so no programs can be installed on computer unless done so by our network administrator. This prevents the virus from entering the network through the internet and prevents users from accidentally installing this virus or any unwanted software on the managed computers.
Ok so what if you don’t have a competent computer consultant?
Ask around and spend some time on google and question whomever you are considering to help you.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Cisco wireless controllers open to attack
Cisco wireless controllers open to attack
Cisco this week issued a security advisory for its wireless LAN controllers, which are susceptible to seven vulnerabilities including denial of service, privilege escalation and access control list bypass. The advisory can be found here.
The affected products include the Cisco 2000, 2100, 4100, 4400 and 5500 series controllers; Wireless Services Modules (WiSMs); wireless LAN controller modules for the Cisco Integrated Services Routers; and integrated controllers for the Catalyst 3750G switch. The products are affected by at least one of the seven vulnerabilities.
There are two DoS vulnerabilities, three privilege vulnerabilities and two ACL bypass holes. The DoS vulnerabilities are an Internet Key Exchange (IKE) DoS Vulnerability and an HTTP DoS Vulnerability.
The IKE glitch allows an attacker with the ability to send a malicious IKE packet to an affected Cisco controller to cause the device to crash and reload. This vulnerability can be exploited from both wired and wireless segments.
IKE is enabled by default in the controllers and cannot be disabled, the Cisco advisory states. Only traffic destined to the Cisco controller could trigger this vulnerability, not transient traffic, according to the advisory.
The IKE DoS vulnerability affects Cisco controller software versions 3.2 and later.
The HTTP hole allows an authenticated attacker with the ability to send a series of malicious HTTP packets to an affected Cisco controller to cause the device to reload. This vulnerability can be exploited from both wired and wireless segments. A TCP three-way handshake is needed in order to exploit this vulnerability, the advisory states.
This vulnerability is also triggered by traffic destined for the controller, not transient traffic.
The HTTP DoS vulnerability affects Cisco controller software versions 4.2 and later.
The three privilege escalation vulnerabilities could allow an authenticated attacker with read-only privileges to modify the device configuration. The privilege escalation vulnerabilities affect Cisco controller software versions 4.2 and later.
The ACL vulnerabilities involve traffic to and from wireless clients or to all traffic destined for the controller CPU. The vulnerabilities could allow an unauthenticated attacker to bypass policies that should be enforced by CPU-based ACLs. No other ACL types are affected by these vulnerabilities, the Cisco advisory states.
One of the two ACL bypass vulnerabilities affects Cisco controller software versions 4.1 and later. The second ACL bypass vulnerability affects Cisco controller software versions 6.0.x.
Cisco says it has released free software updates that address these vulnerabilities. There are no workarounds to mitigate them, the company says. Cisco also says it is not aware of any public announcements or malicious use of the vulnerabilities, which were found during internal testing and troubleshooting of customer service requests.
Cisco this week issued a security advisory for its wireless LAN controllers, which are susceptible to seven vulnerabilities including denial of service, privilege escalation and access control list bypass. The advisory can be found here.
The affected products include the Cisco 2000, 2100, 4100, 4400 and 5500 series controllers; Wireless Services Modules (WiSMs); wireless LAN controller modules for the Cisco Integrated Services Routers; and integrated controllers for the Catalyst 3750G switch. The products are affected by at least one of the seven vulnerabilities.
There are two DoS vulnerabilities, three privilege vulnerabilities and two ACL bypass holes. The DoS vulnerabilities are an Internet Key Exchange (IKE) DoS Vulnerability and an HTTP DoS Vulnerability.
The IKE glitch allows an attacker with the ability to send a malicious IKE packet to an affected Cisco controller to cause the device to crash and reload. This vulnerability can be exploited from both wired and wireless segments.
IKE is enabled by default in the controllers and cannot be disabled, the Cisco advisory states. Only traffic destined to the Cisco controller could trigger this vulnerability, not transient traffic, according to the advisory.
The IKE DoS vulnerability affects Cisco controller software versions 3.2 and later.
The HTTP hole allows an authenticated attacker with the ability to send a series of malicious HTTP packets to an affected Cisco controller to cause the device to reload. This vulnerability can be exploited from both wired and wireless segments. A TCP three-way handshake is needed in order to exploit this vulnerability, the advisory states.
This vulnerability is also triggered by traffic destined for the controller, not transient traffic.
The HTTP DoS vulnerability affects Cisco controller software versions 4.2 and later.
The three privilege escalation vulnerabilities could allow an authenticated attacker with read-only privileges to modify the device configuration. The privilege escalation vulnerabilities affect Cisco controller software versions 4.2 and later.
The ACL vulnerabilities involve traffic to and from wireless clients or to all traffic destined for the controller CPU. The vulnerabilities could allow an unauthenticated attacker to bypass policies that should be enforced by CPU-based ACLs. No other ACL types are affected by these vulnerabilities, the Cisco advisory states.
One of the two ACL bypass vulnerabilities affects Cisco controller software versions 4.1 and later. The second ACL bypass vulnerability affects Cisco controller software versions 6.0.x.
Cisco says it has released free software updates that address these vulnerabilities. There are no workarounds to mitigate them, the company says. Cisco also says it is not aware of any public announcements or malicious use of the vulnerabilities, which were found during internal testing and troubleshooting of customer service requests.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Nearly half of Microsoft's 2010 security patches have known problems
Nearly half of Microsoft's 2010 security patches have known problems
Last month's fix of a broken Windows Server patch got me thinking -- just how often does Microsoft release a patch that it knows has problems? The answer: nearly half the time. How often are those problems so severe they fry your system? That's less clear, but it seems as if the answer is, "not all that often."
Microsoft patches with known problemsMicrosoft has so far released 45 updates in 2010, some fixing multiple vulnerabilities. Of them, 20 were released with a known problem (see list below) but of those, only two had issues severe enough to warrant a fix and re-release of the patch altogether. Those two patches were MS10-024 and MS10-025. Both were originally released during April's patch cycle. 024 was re-released in July after users began reporting that the patch hosed their systems and that Microsoft's workarounds didn't work. 025, also originally released in the April Patch Tuesday, was re-released two weeks later.
"The [025] bulletin was rated critical and affected Windows Media Services. On April 21st, Microsoft pulled the bulletin from their webpage as they found the patch did not fully fix the vulnerability as intended. On April 27th, Microsoft re-released the bulletin as it addressed the vulnerability as originally intended. With this bulletin, this had a pretty low impact on administrators as it only affected Windows 2000 SP4 with Windows Media Services installed. This service is not installed by default, so this type of software scenario is typically quite rare," explains Jason Miller, data and security team manager for patch management vendor, Shavlik Technologies, Minneapolis.
The number of re-releases isn't a good indicator of how many bulletins hose a users's systems. As Miller notes, each bulletin may fix multiple vulnerabilities and if Microsoft changes one patch, it may not re-release the whole bulletin. Users might get a cumulative patch bulletin for the product (common for Internet Explorer, for instance). One would assume that these new fixes are rolled into the next service pack, too.
Additionally, Microsoft will re-release a bulletin not because the patch is faulty but because it is updating the list of software known to be affected (usually adding, not subtracting) or because Windows Update is just plain confused. "There are cases where a patch will be detected as missing when it is actually installed. Microsoft has made changes to patches addressing these detection and deployment issues. If the patch has already been applied, no action is required by the administrator as the vulnerability has been fixed," Miller adds.
Still, I wanted some measure of how many patches cause problems. So I counted the number of bulletins released in 2010 with stated known issues. This doesn't indicate how badly these issues might affect the performance of the machine it was meant to fix. For instance, below is the known issue and its fix for MS10-040, a June patch rated "important" that fixes a hole in IIS.
This security update could cause IIS application pools to not start on installations of Windows Server 2003 SP2 where IIS 6 may contain some SP1 binaries. In this case, the System log displays the following error message when the IIS service is started:
Event ID 1009, Description: A process serving application pool 'DefaultAppPool' terminated unexpectedly. The process id was '1234'
To resolve this problem, reapply Windows Server 2003 SP2 on the affected computers, and then install this security update.
This sounds like a patch that could hose a system, and yet the fix sounds reasonable -- make sure your WS2003 SP2 computers are fully running SP2.
According to my research, these are the 2010 patches with known issues:
MS10-003 MS10-019 MS10-024 MS10-039
MS10-004 MS10-020 MS10-031 MS10-040
MS10-011 MS10-021 MS10-033 MS10-041
MS10-015 MS10-022 MS10-036 MS10-044
MS10-017 MS10-023 MS10-038 MS10-045
A tip from a reader leads me to believe that despite known issues on all the above patches, Microsoft updates don't hose a system all that often. (Thank you George Heindel from Custom Computers.) A couple of weeks ago, a TechRepublic article posted the results of a unscientific poll that asked readers how often Windows patches break their system. Of the 841 respondents, 72% said patches hardly ever, or never, gave them problems. Only 5% reported that patches broke their systems every month -- poor souls.
Last month's fix of a broken Windows Server patch got me thinking -- just how often does Microsoft release a patch that it knows has problems? The answer: nearly half the time. How often are those problems so severe they fry your system? That's less clear, but it seems as if the answer is, "not all that often."
Microsoft patches with known problemsMicrosoft has so far released 45 updates in 2010, some fixing multiple vulnerabilities. Of them, 20 were released with a known problem (see list below) but of those, only two had issues severe enough to warrant a fix and re-release of the patch altogether. Those two patches were MS10-024 and MS10-025. Both were originally released during April's patch cycle. 024 was re-released in July after users began reporting that the patch hosed their systems and that Microsoft's workarounds didn't work. 025, also originally released in the April Patch Tuesday, was re-released two weeks later.
"The [025] bulletin was rated critical and affected Windows Media Services. On April 21st, Microsoft pulled the bulletin from their webpage as they found the patch did not fully fix the vulnerability as intended. On April 27th, Microsoft re-released the bulletin as it addressed the vulnerability as originally intended. With this bulletin, this had a pretty low impact on administrators as it only affected Windows 2000 SP4 with Windows Media Services installed. This service is not installed by default, so this type of software scenario is typically quite rare," explains Jason Miller, data and security team manager for patch management vendor, Shavlik Technologies, Minneapolis.
The number of re-releases isn't a good indicator of how many bulletins hose a users's systems. As Miller notes, each bulletin may fix multiple vulnerabilities and if Microsoft changes one patch, it may not re-release the whole bulletin. Users might get a cumulative patch bulletin for the product (common for Internet Explorer, for instance). One would assume that these new fixes are rolled into the next service pack, too.
Additionally, Microsoft will re-release a bulletin not because the patch is faulty but because it is updating the list of software known to be affected (usually adding, not subtracting) or because Windows Update is just plain confused. "There are cases where a patch will be detected as missing when it is actually installed. Microsoft has made changes to patches addressing these detection and deployment issues. If the patch has already been applied, no action is required by the administrator as the vulnerability has been fixed," Miller adds.
Still, I wanted some measure of how many patches cause problems. So I counted the number of bulletins released in 2010 with stated known issues. This doesn't indicate how badly these issues might affect the performance of the machine it was meant to fix. For instance, below is the known issue and its fix for MS10-040, a June patch rated "important" that fixes a hole in IIS.
This security update could cause IIS application pools to not start on installations of Windows Server 2003 SP2 where IIS 6 may contain some SP1 binaries. In this case, the System log displays the following error message when the IIS service is started:
Event ID 1009, Description: A process serving application pool 'DefaultAppPool' terminated unexpectedly. The process id was '1234'
To resolve this problem, reapply Windows Server 2003 SP2 on the affected computers, and then install this security update.
This sounds like a patch that could hose a system, and yet the fix sounds reasonable -- make sure your WS2003 SP2 computers are fully running SP2.
According to my research, these are the 2010 patches with known issues:
MS10-003 MS10-019 MS10-024 MS10-039
MS10-004 MS10-020 MS10-031 MS10-040
MS10-011 MS10-021 MS10-033 MS10-041
MS10-015 MS10-022 MS10-036 MS10-044
MS10-017 MS10-023 MS10-038 MS10-045
A tip from a reader leads me to believe that despite known issues on all the above patches, Microsoft updates don't hose a system all that often. (Thank you George Heindel from Custom Computers.) A couple of weeks ago, a TechRepublic article posted the results of a unscientific poll that asked readers how often Windows patches break their system. Of the 841 respondents, 72% said patches hardly ever, or never, gave them problems. Only 5% reported that patches broke their systems every month -- poor souls.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Selecting A Microsoft MCTS Course – Insights
Selecting A Microsoft MCTS Course – Insights
Thinking of taking an MCTS Training? Then it’s likely that you’ll fall into one of the following categories: You’re someone with a certain amount of knowledge and you need to formalise your skill set with the Microsoft qualification. Or this could be your first step into the computer workplace, and you’ve discovered that there are many opportunities for certified networking professionals.
Take care to ensure you confirm that your training company is educating you on the latest Microsoft level. Many students get frustrated when they realise they’ve been learning from an old version of MCITP Certification which will need updating. Steer clear of providers who’re just out to sell you anything. Advisors should be helping to verify that you’re on the right course for you. Guard against being rushed into their standard course by an over-keen salesman.
Have you recently questioned how safe your job is? For the majority of us, this isn’t an issue until we get some bad news. However, the reality is that true job security is a thing of the past, for the vast majority of people. Security can now only exist via a fast increasing marketplace, pushed forward by a shortage of trained workers. It’s this alone that creates the right setting for a higher level of market-security – a much more desirable situation.
The most recent British e-Skills investigation showed that twenty six percent of all IT positions available remain unfilled due to a huge deficit of well-trained staff. Meaning that for every 4 jobs existing around IT, we have only 3 certified professionals to fill that need. This single fact in itself shows why the United Kingdom urgently requires so many more people to get into the IT industry. Actually, gaining new qualifications in IT as you progress through the coming years is most likely the greatest career direction you could choose.
Look at the following facts carefully if you think that old marketing ploy of examination guarantees seems like a good idea:
Everyone knows they’re still being charged for it – it’s quite obvious to see that it’s been added into the gross price invoiced by the college. It’s certainly not free (it’s just marketing companies think we’ll fall for anything they say!) The fact is that if a student pays for their relevant examinations, one at a time, the chances are they’re going to qualify each time – since they’ll be conscious of their investment in themselves and so will prepare more thoroughly.
Why pay your training company up-front for exam fees? Hold on to your money and pay for the exam at the time, instead of paying any mark-up – and do it in a local testing centre – instead of miles away at the college’s beck and call. Many unscrupulous training providers secure big margins because they’re asking for all the exam fees up-front then banking on the fact that many won’t be taken. In addition to this, you should consider what an ‘exam guarantee’
really means. Many training companies won’t pay for re-takes until you’re able to demonstrate an excellent mock pass rate.
Shelling out hundreds or thousands of pounds on an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is remiss – when consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will get you through.
Your training program should always include the latest Microsoft (or any other key organisation’s) accredited exam simulation and preparation packages. Don’t fall foul of depending on non-official preparation materials for exams. Their phraseology can be completely unlike authorised versions – and this leads to huge confusion when the proper exam time arrives. Ensure that you have some simulated exam questions so you’ll be able to check your comprehension along the way. Mock exams add to your knowledge bank – then you won’t be quite so nervous at the actual exam.
Make sure that all your accreditations are current and commercially required – forget programmes which provide certificates that are worthless because they’re ‘in-house’. Only properly recognised qualifications from the top companies like Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe and CompTIA will mean anything to employers.
Thinking of taking an MCTS Training? Then it’s likely that you’ll fall into one of the following categories: You’re someone with a certain amount of knowledge and you need to formalise your skill set with the Microsoft qualification. Or this could be your first step into the computer workplace, and you’ve discovered that there are many opportunities for certified networking professionals.
Take care to ensure you confirm that your training company is educating you on the latest Microsoft level. Many students get frustrated when they realise they’ve been learning from an old version of MCITP Certification which will need updating. Steer clear of providers who’re just out to sell you anything. Advisors should be helping to verify that you’re on the right course for you. Guard against being rushed into their standard course by an over-keen salesman.
Have you recently questioned how safe your job is? For the majority of us, this isn’t an issue until we get some bad news. However, the reality is that true job security is a thing of the past, for the vast majority of people. Security can now only exist via a fast increasing marketplace, pushed forward by a shortage of trained workers. It’s this alone that creates the right setting for a higher level of market-security – a much more desirable situation.
The most recent British e-Skills investigation showed that twenty six percent of all IT positions available remain unfilled due to a huge deficit of well-trained staff. Meaning that for every 4 jobs existing around IT, we have only 3 certified professionals to fill that need. This single fact in itself shows why the United Kingdom urgently requires so many more people to get into the IT industry. Actually, gaining new qualifications in IT as you progress through the coming years is most likely the greatest career direction you could choose.
Look at the following facts carefully if you think that old marketing ploy of examination guarantees seems like a good idea:
Everyone knows they’re still being charged for it – it’s quite obvious to see that it’s been added into the gross price invoiced by the college. It’s certainly not free (it’s just marketing companies think we’ll fall for anything they say!) The fact is that if a student pays for their relevant examinations, one at a time, the chances are they’re going to qualify each time – since they’ll be conscious of their investment in themselves and so will prepare more thoroughly.
Why pay your training company up-front for exam fees? Hold on to your money and pay for the exam at the time, instead of paying any mark-up – and do it in a local testing centre – instead of miles away at the college’s beck and call. Many unscrupulous training providers secure big margins because they’re asking for all the exam fees up-front then banking on the fact that many won’t be taken. In addition to this, you should consider what an ‘exam guarantee’
really means. Many training companies won’t pay for re-takes until you’re able to demonstrate an excellent mock pass rate.
Shelling out hundreds or thousands of pounds on an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is remiss – when consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will get you through.
Your training program should always include the latest Microsoft (or any other key organisation’s) accredited exam simulation and preparation packages. Don’t fall foul of depending on non-official preparation materials for exams. Their phraseology can be completely unlike authorised versions – and this leads to huge confusion when the proper exam time arrives. Ensure that you have some simulated exam questions so you’ll be able to check your comprehension along the way. Mock exams add to your knowledge bank – then you won’t be quite so nervous at the actual exam.
Make sure that all your accreditations are current and commercially required – forget programmes which provide certificates that are worthless because they’re ‘in-house’. Only properly recognised qualifications from the top companies like Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe and CompTIA will mean anything to employers.
Selecting A Microsoft MCTS Course – Insights
Selecting A Microsoft MCTS Course – Insights
Thinking of taking an MCTS Training? Then it’s likely that you’ll fall into one of the following categories: You’re someone with a certain amount of knowledge and you need to formalise your skill set with the Microsoft qualification. Or this could be your first step into the computer workplace, and you’ve discovered that there are many opportunities for certified networking professionals.
Take care to ensure you confirm that your training company is educating you on the latest Microsoft level. Many students get frustrated when they realise they’ve been learning from an old version of MCITP Certification which will need updating. Steer clear of providers who’re just out to sell you anything. Advisors should be helping to verify that you’re on the right course for you. Guard against being rushed into their standard course by an over-keen salesman.
Have you recently questioned how safe your job is? For the majority of us, this isn’t an issue until we get some bad news. However, the reality is that true job security is a thing of the past, for the vast majority of people. Security can now only exist via a fast increasing marketplace, pushed forward by a shortage of trained workers. It’s this alone that creates the right setting for a higher level of market-security – a much more desirable situation.
The most recent British e-Skills investigation showed that twenty six percent of all IT positions available remain unfilled due to a huge deficit of well-trained staff. Meaning that for every 4 jobs existing around IT, we have only 3 certified professionals to fill that need. This single fact in itself shows why the United Kingdom urgently requires so many more people to get into the IT industry. Actually, gaining new qualifications in IT as you progress through the coming years is most likely the greatest career direction you could choose.
Look at the following facts carefully if you think that old marketing ploy of examination guarantees seems like a good idea:
Everyone knows they’re still being charged for it – it’s quite obvious to see that it’s been added into the gross price invoiced by the college. It’s certainly not free (it’s just marketing companies think we’ll fall for anything they say!) The fact is that if a student pays for their relevant examinations, one at a time, the chances are they’re going to qualify each time – since they’ll be conscious of their investment in themselves and so will prepare more thoroughly.
Why pay your training company up-front for exam fees? Hold on to your money and pay for the exam at the time, instead of paying any mark-up – and do it in a local testing centre – instead of miles away at the college’s beck and call. Many unscrupulous training providers secure big margins because they’re asking for all the exam fees up-front then banking on the fact that many won’t be taken. In addition to this, you should consider what an ‘exam guarantee’
really means. Many training companies won’t pay for re-takes until you’re able to demonstrate an excellent mock pass rate.
Shelling out hundreds or thousands of pounds on an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is remiss – when consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will get you through.
Your training program should always include the latest Microsoft (or any other key organisation’s) accredited exam simulation and preparation packages. Don’t fall foul of depending on non-official preparation materials for exams. Their phraseology can be completely unlike authorised versions – and this leads to huge confusion when the proper exam time arrives. Ensure that you have some simulated exam questions so you’ll be able to check your comprehension along the way. Mock exams add to your knowledge bank – then you won’t be quite so nervous at the actual exam.
Make sure that all your accreditations are current and commercially required – forget programmes which provide certificates that are worthless because they’re ‘in-house’. Only properly recognised qualifications from the top companies like Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe and CompTIA will mean anything to employers.
Thinking of taking an MCTS Training? Then it’s likely that you’ll fall into one of the following categories: You’re someone with a certain amount of knowledge and you need to formalise your skill set with the Microsoft qualification. Or this could be your first step into the computer workplace, and you’ve discovered that there are many opportunities for certified networking professionals.
Take care to ensure you confirm that your training company is educating you on the latest Microsoft level. Many students get frustrated when they realise they’ve been learning from an old version of MCITP Certification which will need updating. Steer clear of providers who’re just out to sell you anything. Advisors should be helping to verify that you’re on the right course for you. Guard against being rushed into their standard course by an over-keen salesman.
Have you recently questioned how safe your job is? For the majority of us, this isn’t an issue until we get some bad news. However, the reality is that true job security is a thing of the past, for the vast majority of people. Security can now only exist via a fast increasing marketplace, pushed forward by a shortage of trained workers. It’s this alone that creates the right setting for a higher level of market-security – a much more desirable situation.
The most recent British e-Skills investigation showed that twenty six percent of all IT positions available remain unfilled due to a huge deficit of well-trained staff. Meaning that for every 4 jobs existing around IT, we have only 3 certified professionals to fill that need. This single fact in itself shows why the United Kingdom urgently requires so many more people to get into the IT industry. Actually, gaining new qualifications in IT as you progress through the coming years is most likely the greatest career direction you could choose.
Look at the following facts carefully if you think that old marketing ploy of examination guarantees seems like a good idea:
Everyone knows they’re still being charged for it – it’s quite obvious to see that it’s been added into the gross price invoiced by the college. It’s certainly not free (it’s just marketing companies think we’ll fall for anything they say!) The fact is that if a student pays for their relevant examinations, one at a time, the chances are they’re going to qualify each time – since they’ll be conscious of their investment in themselves and so will prepare more thoroughly.
Why pay your training company up-front for exam fees? Hold on to your money and pay for the exam at the time, instead of paying any mark-up – and do it in a local testing centre – instead of miles away at the college’s beck and call. Many unscrupulous training providers secure big margins because they’re asking for all the exam fees up-front then banking on the fact that many won’t be taken. In addition to this, you should consider what an ‘exam guarantee’
really means. Many training companies won’t pay for re-takes until you’re able to demonstrate an excellent mock pass rate.
Shelling out hundreds or thousands of pounds on an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is remiss – when consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will get you through.
Your training program should always include the latest Microsoft (or any other key organisation’s) accredited exam simulation and preparation packages. Don’t fall foul of depending on non-official preparation materials for exams. Their phraseology can be completely unlike authorised versions – and this leads to huge confusion when the proper exam time arrives. Ensure that you have some simulated exam questions so you’ll be able to check your comprehension along the way. Mock exams add to your knowledge bank – then you won’t be quite so nervous at the actual exam.
Make sure that all your accreditations are current and commercially required – forget programmes which provide certificates that are worthless because they’re ‘in-house’. Only properly recognised qualifications from the top companies like Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe and CompTIA will mean anything to employers.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
IFixit lays bare Microsoft's Kin smartphone
IFixit lays bare Microsoft's Kin smartphone
Have you been itching to know what's under the Kin's skin? The helpful demolition experts at iFixit and Chipworks lay it all for you in a step-by-step disassembly of Microsoft's just-introduced, youth-oriented smartphones.
Microsoft's design is a bit bulkier than high-end smartphones like the iPhone and Motorola Droid. It's 0.77 inches thick compared to 0.48 inches for iPhone and a bit thicker for Droid.
Mobility Management for Dummies: Download now
Part of the thickness is due to the fact that the Kin models are slider phones, with two halves sliding apart to show a simple full QWERTY keyboard. The teardown revelas Microsoft uses two springs to keep the halves fully open or fully closed. (Close-up photos from Chipworks are online at iFixit)
Also read: Out-of-this-world iPad has 5 antennas
The heart of the phone is the first-generation mobile chip from Nvidia, the Tegra APX2600. Tegra is the chip vendor's mobile silicon platform, based on an ARM core, with a companion GeForce graphics core and other components. It's been designed for good quality multi-media applications, and Microsoft already uses it in its line of Zune music players.
Later this year, the first smartphones, many of them apparently Android-based, with Nvidia's next generation CPU, the Tegra 2, will become available. The company is also targeting tablets and netbook-style devices. More details can be found at Nvidia's Website.
The onboard camera, a Sony IMX046 with an impressive 8 megapixels, only takes up 0.3 cubic inches. Sony fabricates it with a 90 nanometer CMOS process. Chipworks notes it's one of the first phones to feature 720p High Definition video.
Networking connectivity is provided by a Qualcomm QSC6085 CDMA processor and, for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (and FM radio) a Texas Instruments WL1271A chip. The touchscreen controller is from Synaptics: its Clearpad technology in a device marked T1021A.
Storage is via the Samsung moviNAND KLM8G4DEDD package, based on an advanced 30-nanometer architecture, with up to 8GB of capacity.
* Avago has two chips inside the Kin Two: an ACFM-7103 CS/Cellular/S-GPS Qunitplexer and an ACPM-7353 dual-band power amplifier.
* The camera is the Sony IMX046. The IMX046 is fabricated using a 90nm CMOS process. The camera's resolution is 8.11 effective megapixels (8 active megapixels), 1.4 μm sized pixel, 1/3.2" optical format. Samsung was the first to use this camera in the M8800.
* Taking a cue from the iPhone and Zune HD, the Kin Two has an accelerometer. It's an STMicro 331DL 3 Axis nano MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) device.
John Cox covers wireless networking and mobile computing for “Network World.” Twitter: http://twitter.com/certkingdom
Have you been itching to know what's under the Kin's skin? The helpful demolition experts at iFixit and Chipworks lay it all for you in a step-by-step disassembly of Microsoft's just-introduced, youth-oriented smartphones.
Microsoft's design is a bit bulkier than high-end smartphones like the iPhone and Motorola Droid. It's 0.77 inches thick compared to 0.48 inches for iPhone and a bit thicker for Droid.
Mobility Management for Dummies: Download now
Part of the thickness is due to the fact that the Kin models are slider phones, with two halves sliding apart to show a simple full QWERTY keyboard. The teardown revelas Microsoft uses two springs to keep the halves fully open or fully closed. (Close-up photos from Chipworks are online at iFixit)
Also read: Out-of-this-world iPad has 5 antennas
The heart of the phone is the first-generation mobile chip from Nvidia, the Tegra APX2600. Tegra is the chip vendor's mobile silicon platform, based on an ARM core, with a companion GeForce graphics core and other components. It's been designed for good quality multi-media applications, and Microsoft already uses it in its line of Zune music players.
Later this year, the first smartphones, many of them apparently Android-based, with Nvidia's next generation CPU, the Tegra 2, will become available. The company is also targeting tablets and netbook-style devices. More details can be found at Nvidia's Website.
The onboard camera, a Sony IMX046 with an impressive 8 megapixels, only takes up 0.3 cubic inches. Sony fabricates it with a 90 nanometer CMOS process. Chipworks notes it's one of the first phones to feature 720p High Definition video.
Networking connectivity is provided by a Qualcomm QSC6085 CDMA processor and, for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (and FM radio) a Texas Instruments WL1271A chip. The touchscreen controller is from Synaptics: its Clearpad technology in a device marked T1021A.
Storage is via the Samsung moviNAND KLM8G4DEDD package, based on an advanced 30-nanometer architecture, with up to 8GB of capacity.
* Avago has two chips inside the Kin Two: an ACFM-7103 CS/Cellular/S-GPS Qunitplexer and an ACPM-7353 dual-band power amplifier.
* The camera is the Sony IMX046. The IMX046 is fabricated using a 90nm CMOS process. The camera's resolution is 8.11 effective megapixels (8 active megapixels), 1.4 μm sized pixel, 1/3.2" optical format. Samsung was the first to use this camera in the M8800.
* Taking a cue from the iPhone and Zune HD, the Kin Two has an accelerometer. It's an STMicro 331DL 3 Axis nano MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) device.
John Cox covers wireless networking and mobile computing for “Network World.” Twitter: http://twitter.com/certkingdom
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