After installing update MS08-037 on Small Business Server 2003 some people are noticing random problems with services.  MS08-037 is an update to help prevent DNS spoofing.  One of the problems I ran across after this update is:

IP-based AUTD failed to initialize.  Error code: [0x80004005].

and

IP-based AUTD failed to initialize because the processing of notifications could not be setup.  Error code [0x80004005].  Verify that no other applications are currently bound to UDP port [2883], or try specifying a different port number.

These errors were in the event viewer and the Source of them was Server ActiveSync.

The way to fix this is to add these ports to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\ReservedPorts registry key:

• 1645-1646 – Used by IAS
• 1701-1701 – Used by L2TP
• 1812-1813 – Used by IAS
• 2883-2883 – Used by AUTD
• 4500-4500 – Used by IPSEC

Don’t delete anything in this key, you can just add the new ports below the current ones so that it looks like this:

After you add the ports, reboot the server and you’re good to go.

Please note that this fix should be a preventative measure.  Even though the update was released in July 2008 and you haven’t had any issues yet, that doesn’t mean that it won’t happen.  It could take months or years but it could still pop up down the road.

You can find more information about this at technet:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/956189

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/956188

Microsoft announced today that some of their components in Office are going to be web hosted.  The web based version will have integration with the desktop version of Office and mobile phones.

Microsoft issued a press release saying:

“What’s great is that this provides a consistent Office experience when and where our customers want it, regardless of whether they are accessing their Office documents through the PC, phone, or browser.”

No release date has been set, however it will probably release around the same time as Windows 7, late 2009 early 2010.

Here are the first screenshots of Windows 7.  Windows 7 is scheduled to be released late 2009 early 2010.

Windows 7 is actually turning out to look pretty decent.  I can’t wait to see what else Microsoft does with it before it is released.

Thanks to arstechnica

Since Microsoft has introduced Windows Vista they have been rapidly trying to get rid of Windows XP.  You already can’t buy Windows XP from OEM or Retail.  However system builders can still buy Windows XP up until January 31 2009.  After Jan 31 2009, supposedly you will not be able to buy Windows XP anymore.  That doesn’t mean you can’t use Windows XP, that just means you won’t be able to buy new copies for your computers.  Microsoft will still be supporting Windows XP until 2014.

Last week we went over some Microsoft technical jargon terms, this week we will add some more:

Out of Box Experience (OOBE) - Correct initial presentation of Microsoft Windows to the end user.

Office Ready – A program that allows you to preinstall the 2007 Office suite on computers that you build, even if your customers don’t purchase the software at the time of the PC sale. By placing a 2007 Office system “image” on the PC, your customers can try the 2007 release free for 60 days. They can then convert the image to the fully licensed system by purchasing a Medialess License Kit from you.
The 60-day free trial is NOT offered with Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 and Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007.

Client Access Licenses (CAL) - If workstations are networked, and will access a network server to perform certain functions such as file and print sharing, a client access license or CAL may be required. A CAL is not a software product; rather it is a license that gives a user the right to access the services of the server.

Software Asset Management (SAM) - An overall process that lets your customer know what software is in use, what licenses have been
acquired, and how to properly manage software installations and acquisitions on an ongoing basis.

Volume Licenses - Multi-License programs address different customers licensing needs. When it comes to Windows licensing. Volume Licenses cover Windows license upgrades only, and all PCs must have an underlying Windows License. Office and Server have separate license structures.

Academic Licenses - Academic Licenses provide flexible ways for academic customers to license the latest Microsoft technology.

Enterprise Agreement – Microsoft Enterprise Agreement is a Volume Licensing program designed for corporate customers with 250 or more PCs. With Enterprise Agreement, customers can license Microsoft software to standardize on their choice of Microsoft enterprise software (such as Microsoft Office Professional, Windows Professional upgrade, and Core Client Access License) at discounted prices, based on a three-year agreement term.
Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Royalty - The Microsoft ISV Royalty Licensing Program integrates Microsoft licensed software into software business applications, replicates the business solution, and distributes a fully licensed solution.

Open Value - The Microsoft Open Value licensing program provides small (1-25 PCs) and mid-market (25 or more PCs) customers with simplified license tracking, a more controlled upgrade cycle, and improved management of software costs. Open Value also provides Software Assurance benefits, the ability to spread payments annually, and tools and training.

Open License - A Volume Licensing program with two licensing options: Open License Business and Open License Volume. The Open License program offers discounts off the estimated retail price of full packaged products and is designed for small and midsize commercial, academic, charity, and government organizations with between 5 and 250 PCs. The Open License program provides a simple, flexible, and cost-effective way to acquire the latest Microsoft technology.

Select License - A Volume Licensing program designed for corporate, government, and academic customers with 250 or more PCs and mixed product and purchasing requirements. Select License customers receive a volume price level for each category (“pool”) of products selected—applications, systems, or servers—based on a three-year software forecast.

Mislicensing - Use of volume or academic Windows upgrade licenses as full Windows licenses.

End User Support - The System Builder who installs the software is responsible for providing all end-user support for that software. The System Builder is also required to include their support phone number in the help files of the PC or in the end-user documentation. While the System Builder is required to provide support to the end-user, there is no requirement that the support be free of charge.

Edge-to-Edge Hologram Disc - An edge-to-edge hologram disc features a holographic image on the disc. This holographic image is not a sticker but is part of the disc itself and makes it easier to identify genuine Microsoft software. Genuine Microsoft software comes with an edge-to-edge hologram disc.

Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center - Online tool that makes it easy for customers to manage Microsoft Volume Licensing agreements, download licensed products, and access volume license keys—all in one place.

Validation - A process that helps you to verify that your Microsoft software is genuine. Microsoft will ask you to validate Windows when requesting a genuine Windows download from the Microsoft Download Center or Windows Update and to validate Office when requesting a genuine Office download.

System Builder Replacement Media - If you or one of your customers received damaged Microsoft OEM System Builder software media, or have damaged media during preinstallation process, you no longer need to contact your OEM Distributor for replacement. You may now request replacement media online by filling out the Media Replacement Form.

Authorized Education Reseller (AER) - AERs are allowed to sell academically-priced Microsoft products to qualified educational users. This includes volume licenses through the Academic Open License, Campus Agreement, and School Agreement programs, as well as Academic Edition Full Packaged Product (FPP).

System Builder - A person who creates, rebuilds, or works on personal computer systems.

If you have been using Word 2007 for a while you might have noticed that when you save a file, people using an older version of Word can’t open them by default.  This is because Microsoft Office 2007 has different file formats.  Word files save as .docx, Excel saves as .xlsx, PowerPoint as .pptx and so on.  If you see a file with one of these extensions, you can automatically assume that the files were made in an Office 2007 program and saved with Office 2007 compatibility.  That means you have to have Office 2007 to open them.

If you have Word 2007, you can save a file with compatibilty for Word 97-2003.  This will allow people using Word 2003 to be able to open your files.  However this might be annoying to change the file type every single time you save a file.  Microsoft lets you change the default way a file is saved and here’s how:

1. Open Word 2007
2. Click the big Office button at the top
3. Click on Word Options
   

   

4. Click the Save item on the left side of the menu
5. Under Save files in this format, choose Word 97-2003 Document (*.doc)
   



6. Press OK

And that’s all there is to it.  Now what happens if you have Office 2003 and some one sends you an Office 2007 file and you really need to open it.  Well Microsoft has provided a free tool that you can install and it will let you read Office 2007 files.  The Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and Powerpoint 2007 File Formats is available here.  You just download and install it.

There are a lot of acronyms and technical definitions that are thrown around in the computer world and it can get confusing fast.  Luckily Microsoft released some technical definitions that are easy to understand:

Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) - A system that delivers additional benefits to fully licensed customers of Windows, helps protect honest businesses from counterfeiters, helps Microsoft better protect its intellectual property, and combats Windows piracy. WGA is one of many programs Microsoft uses to address the problem of software piracy.

Naked PC - A PC shipped without a licensed Operating System.

End User License Agreement (EULA) – When end users acquire software, they are acquiring the right to use that software. They don’t “own” the software, as it is intellectual property and is generally “owned” by the developers of that intellectual property. The right to use the software is governed by the End User License Agreement.

OEM System Builder License - Authorization affixed to the side of all Microsoft OEM System Builder Packs, providing the terms and conditions for legally distributing and licensing Microsoft OEM software and hardware. The person opening the OEM System Builder software or hardware pack acts as a System Builder and agrees to comply with the terms of this License.

Transfer of OEM License – The End User License Agreement (EULA) is granted to the end user by the System Builder and relates to the license on the PC with which it was originally distributed. System Builders cannot support a license that has been moved from a PC they manufactured to one that they did not.  This is one of the key reasons why an OEM System Builder license can’t be transferred.

Refurbished PC – A computer system that has had substantial hardware modifications, including a new motherboard, that may require a new operating system license—because the modifications have essentially created a “new” PC.

Used PC - A computer system that has had few or no hardware changes. The license for OEM software on a used PC may not be transferred to a new or different PC. However, the entire used PC, including the software media, manuals, and Certificate of Authenticity, may be transferred to another end user along with the software license rights.

OEM Preinstall Kit (OPK) - OPK is an acronym for the OEM Preinstallation Kit, which allows you to automate loading, branding, and customizing Windows.

Medialess License Kits (MLK) – A kit that lets System Builders activate a customer’s full OEM licenses for the preinstalled 2007 Microsoft Office suite simply by entering a product key code. The MLK may only be used with a new PC and contains valuable licensing information for the end user, such as how to obtain backup media.

Product Activation - Technology aimed at reducing software piracy as well as ensuring that Microsoft’s customers are receiving the product quality they expect.

Full Windows Desktop License – Each PC must have a unique full Windows desktop license. Microsoft Volume Licensing programs such as Open License, Select License, and Enterprise Agreement cover Windows operating system upgrades only, and do not provide a full Windows desktop license. Once the  PCs have a full Windows desktop license, a Windows Volume License agreement can be aquired and used to provide version upgrade rights.

Full Packaged Retail Product (FPP) - Shrink-wrapped boxes of licensed software that can be purchased in a local retail store or through any local software retailer.

Certificate of Authenticity (COA) - A label to help you and your customers identify genuine Microsoft Windows software. Without it, your customers will not have a legal license to run their Windows software.

WGA Enhanced Notifications - When users do not activate or if they fail validation they will receive these persistent notifications. Every hour, options to activate are prominently displayed and chosen desktop  is replaced with a plain black background. This feature is included with SP1.

Volume License Keys - Product keys that enable your organization to use the software and products that you have licensed. They are issued to you under a specific license agreement. Volume License Keys can be used only with Volume Licensing products; they cannot be used with retail software or software that is preinstalled on a new computer (original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, products).

Academic Volume License(s) – There are four types – Campus, School, Academic Open, and Academic Select that provide a flexible and economic licensing solution for your customers. But they contain a number of details that need to be clarified.  Most importantly, these agreements never cover the initial full operating system licenses—only the operating system upgrade licenses

Genuine Software Initiative (GSI) - A way to promote Genuine Microsoft software—software that is published by Microsoft, properly licensed, and fully supported by Microsoft or a trusted partner. Using genuine Microsoft software offers your customers greater capabilities and easy integration with the widest variety of hardware, software and services.

Office Genuine Advantage (OGA) – A program requiring users to validate Office software as genuine before being granted updates and downloads. It delivers additional benefits to customers who have fully licensed versions of Office, helps protect honest businesses from counterfeiters, and helps Microsoft combat Office piracy. OGA is one of many programs Microsoft uses to address the problem of software piracy.

Software Assurance – An offering for Microsoft Volume Licensing customers that provides enhancements such as support, tools, training, new version rights, and the ability to spread payments over three years. Can be added within 90 days if purchased through an OEM, with payments spread out conveniently over three years.

Visit part 2 to get more technical definitions.

As Windows XP’s life-cycle is coming to an end for OEM and Retail on June 30th, Microsoft is forcing everyone to switch to Windows Vista. However as you switch to Vista, you may have noticed that there are many different editions available. We’re going to go through the editions and point out the differences so that you can make the best choice for your business.

32 bit vs 64 bit

The first thing you’ll notice is that you can choose between 32 bit and 64 bit of Vista for certain versions. In general, you will have better compatibility with the 32 bit version. However there are some reasons why you would run 64:

• You can run more than 4GB of RAM. For most users, running 4GB of RAM or less is fine.
• 64 bit is faster.

Reasons why you might not run it:

• Application compatibility problems. A lot of the issues have been fixed as of this writing. However there might be older programs or printers that might not work with the 64 bit version of Vista. Your best bet is to check with the vendor that makes the application and make sure that it runs on 64 bit Vista.
• Existing 32 bit drivers will not work. This means you will have to download the drivers for printers, scanners, cameras, etc. and you will have to get the 64 bit version. If it exists..

Windows Vista Basic

• Not meant for businesses
• No remote desktop
• Not meant for laptops

Windows Vista Home Premium

• Not meant for businesses
• No remote desktop
• Prettier; Has Aero desktop (3D)
• No Windows Backup features built in

Windows Vista Business

• Meant for businesses
• Includes Windows Backup
• Has remote desktop

Windows Vista Ultimate

• Fail-safe; contains everything that is in all the other editions

Summary

So as you can see, most business will either want to run Windows Vista Business or Ultimate. Personally I will recommend 64 bit for a new computer, even though I have had some issues with driver compatibility however they have been fixed within the past year. The main reason I suggest 64 bit is not because it might be useful now but in the future. Applications will progress towards 64 bit and they will be faster.

Have you ever wanted to take a picture of your screen to show some one? Taking screenshots is actually very helpful to your tech company. If you can take a screenshot that shows exactly what the error is it will help them solve your issue easier and sometimes faster.

To take the screenshot is actually very easy, all you have to do is hit the “print screen” key on your keyboard. Once you do that the screenshot is copied to your clipboard. At this point you have many options of what to do with the screenshot. You can put it in Word, Paint or even directly into an email. Once you decide what you want to do with the screenshot, all you have to do is paste it (Edit -> Paste). You paste it just like you are pasting normal text that you have copied. Once you hit paste, your screenshot will appear.

Using Print Screen will take a screen shot of your ENTIRE screen and everything on it. If you only want to take a screenshot of just one window on your screen you can hold down Alt and press Print Screen at the same time. This will take a screenshot of just your currently active window.

Microsoft announced that this will be their last service pack(SP) for Windows XP as they are trying to move people to their Vista Operating System (OS).  This last SP has addressed many things about the OS that most people probably didn’t even know were broken.  According to Microsoft’s website, support for XP will end in January 2009.  This basically means that free security fixes will not be available through Windows Update.  Time to start planning those Vista upgrades which unfortunately may come with hardware upgrades to not only your computers but also other peripherals that may be on your network.

The easiest way to download SP3 for XP is through Windows updates.  In most cases you can click on START>ALL PROGRAMS>WINDOWS UPDATE to manually force the update.

Doug