Miko's Tech Blog

Whenever a new version of a service pack for XP is released I always run it through the slipstreaming procedure to see if everything works as expected. Service Pack 3 (SP3) is the latest release so it was time for another round of testing. For those of you that have a copy of SP3 and want to give it a try the procedure I used is presented below. I experienced absolutely no problems with the procedure based on an original Gold Edition XP Professional CD. The slipstreamed CD booted and installed perfectly to a freshly formatted hard drive.

http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp3_cd.htm

vLite is a tool for customizing the Windows Vista installation before actually installing it.

Main features are:

• hotfix, language pack and driver integration
• component removal
• unattended setup
• tweaks
• split/merge Vista installation CDs
• create ISO and burn bootable CD/DVD

Windows Vista from Microsoft takes a lot of resources, we all know that. vLite provides you with an easy removal of the unwanted components in order to make Vista run faster and to your liking.

This tool doesn't use any kind of hacking, all files and registry entries are protected as they would be if you install the unedited version only with the changes you select.

It configures the installation directly before the installation, meaning you'll have to remake the ISO and reinstall it. This method is much cleaner, not to mention easier and more logical than doing it after installation on every reinstall.

http://www.vlite.net/index.html

What is a Stencil?

Microsoft Definition: A collection of masters associated with a particular Microsoft Visio drawing type, or template. By default, stencils that open with a template are docked on the left side of the drawing window. You can open stencil (.vss) files independently of a template.

Basically, a Stencil contains Shapes that are used to create a diagram. The Shapes can range from simple flow chart boxes or lines to more complicated Shapes like Servers, Racks or anything else that needs to be represented in a graphical form.

Download them here http://www.visiocafe.com/index.htm

Use AcctInfo.DLL to reset passwords and find the last good logon for users on your Windows 2003 systems.

Question: How can I find out the last time that the user's password was set and the last good logon on our Windows 2003 domain?

Answer: The easiest way to find out such additional account information is to install the acctinfo.dll that's part of Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit. When you install acctinfo.dll, it extends the functionality of custom Microsoft Management Consoles (MMCs) by adding a tab to the user account Properties in Active Directory Users and Computers (ADUC) console.

http://mcpmag.com/columns/article.asp?EditorialsID=1050

The Sysinternals web site was created in 1996 by Mark Russinovich and Bryce Cogswell to host their advanced system utilities and technical information. Microsoft acquired Sysinternals in July, 2006. Whether you’re an IT Pro or a developer, you’ll find Sysinternals utilities to help you manage, troubleshoot and diagnose your Windows systems and applications.

Welcome to the ISO Recorder download page. ISO Recorder is a tool (power toy) for Windows XP, 2003 and now Windows Vista, that allows (depending on the Windows version) to burn CD and DVD images (DVD support is only available on Windows Vista), copy disks, make images of the existing data CDs and DVDs and create ISO images from a content of a disk folder.

Go here for the download and instructions

To authorize a DHCP server in Active Directory:

netsh dhcp add server

Where:

  - is the DNS domain name of the DHCP server.
      - is the IP address the the DHCP server.

Example:

netsh dhcp add server jsi001.jsiinc.com 216.144.1.25

To unauthorize a DHCP server in Active Directory:

netsh dhcp delete server

To list the authorized DHCP servers in the Active Directory:

Netsh dhcp show server

For additional help:

netsh dhcp add /?

netsh dhcp show /?

netsh dhcp delete /?