Archive for the 'Microsoft' Category

SBS 2008 R2 or SBS 2010 – Methinks the latter

Published April 3, 2010 Microsoft , SBS , SBS2010 2 Comments

I have no inside information, but just from perusing the interweb when the question came to mind tells me there may never be an R2 of SBS 2008.

Why do I think this?

  • Microsoft has in recent times begun shipping new products more quickly – a la Vista & Windows 7; Server 2008/2008 R2.
  • Server 2008 R2 has been out quite a while already. The least they could have done was provide R2 as a license for the member server (I’ve already got 3 installs working this way with separate licensing). Seems pretty silly that a new purchase of SBS Premium doesn’t get you R2 licensing (making SA kind of a must have, even though we’re left guessing).
  • Exchange 2010 is out now. Why would they pass up the opportunity to release a NEW SBS product vs. R2 with only a new Server code base.
  • Office 2010 is imminent.
  • Eric Ligman makes a passing reference to EBS 2010 in THIS POST about the demise of EBS, insinuating EBS 2010 was the NEXT version of that product, which is/was part of the same family as SBS.

So I’m predicting a Fall release of SBS 2010. Which will be cool.

Come on Microsoft – make an announcement. I promise it won’t stop me from selling SBS 2008 (assuming it’s an ‘in-place’ upgrade :) )

Outlook 2003 Crashes – Redux

Published March 30, 2010 Microsoft , Office2003 , Outlook Leave a Comment

Follow up on the previous post, Microsoft support confirmed there is an issue, but they don’t know where the problem got introduced. What they do know is the issue involves loading of the performance counters (the perf.dll) and the following is Microsoft’s recommendation to fix the problem.

…follow these steps to set the registry value that will prevent Outlook from  loading the perf counters.

1.Click Start, click Run, type regedit.exe, and then click OK.

2.Using Registry Editor, locate the following key for Outlook 2007:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Outlook\Options\Mail

4. On the Edit menu, point to New, click Key, type CancelRPC, and then press ENTER to name the key.

6. On the Edit menu, point to New, click DWORD Value, type EnablePerfTracking, and then press ENTER to name the DWORD.

7. In the right pane, right-click EnablePerfTracking, and then click Modify.

8. In the Edit DWORD Value dialog box, click Hexadecimal, and then type 9 under Value data.

9. Click OK to quit Registry Editor.

Outlook 2003 Crashes post-March 2010 Patch Tuesday

Published March 15, 2010 Microsoft , Office2003 , Outlook , XP 3 Comments

Just a quick note for anyone with this issue – 5 of my clients were affected, the only things common among them were Exchange and Outlook 2003, and XP Pro.

Outlook would not start – alternating between memory errors and a debug screen pointing to perf.dll as a culprit.

System Restore would fix the issue – for 24 hours.

So I called Microsoft support this morning, and got a call back almost 4 hours later. An hour and 10 minutes later, we found a solution, but no reason for the problem:

Delete the HKLM\System\ControlSet001\Services\Outlook key, and voila. All fixed.

Definitely a bug in the March update. Microsoft is still to identify it as a broader issue, but with 5 clients at 4 locations all with the identical problem, I don’t need any more proof. Just glad it’s fixed.

Next…

Bad Apples in the Computer Industry

Published November 7, 2009 Microsoft , Office2007 , Win7 1 Comment
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I was a little perturbed today having witnessed some really poor salesmanship at a local Orlando computer shop I stopped into to try and find a special type of USB cable (another story).

While I was in the shop, the owner (I assume) began helping a walk-in client who came in with a laptop asking about Windows 7 and if he could upgrade it.

The salesman/owner turned over the laptop and saw an OEM Vista Home Premium sticker, and said ‘yes you can upgrade it, but we don’t recommend it’ and went on to give the guy some techno-babble about the hard drive not working correctly when you ‘try’ to do an upgrade’

THEN he went on to say he could sell him an OEM copy of Windows 7, complete with a CD he could take home for $200, and they could do the install for $50.

The obviously non-technical customer asked if Windows 7 came with Word, and to my utter disbelief, the sales-owner said ‘yes’! About 5 seconds later, he somewhat correctly himself saying it comes with Word-pad – making a distinctive pause between ‘word’ and ‘pad’. “But we also can install OpenOffice for you.” More blank looks.

As I was browsing around the store waiting to see if his tech could find the cable I was looking for, I also saw 4 copies of the Office 2007 OEM disk kit in the counter display case, for anyone to come in a buy.

So this company misrepresents Microsoft products, blatantly selling OEM product completely against Microsoft’s licensing requirements, AND he’s completely misleading this customer.

Turns out they didn’t have the cable, and I didn’t have the opportunity to talk to the customer as the owner-sale guy was glued to his side. I did sit in the car for a few minute in the parking lot hoping the customer might clue-in and leave and I would have talked to him outside (and tell him to go buy the Windows 7 upgrade from a reputable store and just do it himself).

Microsoft needs to put the hammer down on this type of reseller. It hurts all of us.

The really scary part I saw on their window as I drove away is their ‘business’ service offering. They ‘take care’ of you. Right.

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