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Archive for Tools – Page 5

Moving multiple folders in Outlook 2013

by KW · Comments (0)
May 06 2014

I was doing a recent migration of email from Windows Live Mail (WLM) to Outlook 2013. The built in transfer within WLM worked perfectly in moving folders over to Outlook with one exception. This customer has two mail accounts created in Outlook, and the folders being transferred over from WLM needed to go into the second (non-default) email account.

No problem, I thought. I’ll transfer them over to Outlook, and then drag and drop the folders from the default mail account to the second mail account.

But Outlook does not support selecting and moving multiple folders, and this customer had several dozen mail folders to be moved. I wanted to see if there was a workaround or a fix for moving multiple folders within Outlook, and I found Pandali Folder Master for Outlook utility.

I ran this on the customer’s Windows 8.1 laptop, and quickly moved the folders to the proper account.

In summary, I was very surprised that the WLM to Outlook transfer worked without a hitch, and that this utility program took care of getting multiple folbers moved to the right email account.

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Categories : Email, Office 2013, Outlook, Tools
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Exchange 2010 Queue Viewer Error

by KW · Comments (0)
Apr 21 2014

Customer is running Exchange 2010 SP3 on a Windows 2012 Server. Email is running fine. But whenever I open up Queue Viewer and try to drill down to a message detail, I get the following popup error message:

Cannot process argument transformation on parameter ‘BookmarkObject’. Cannot convert the “Microsoft.Exchange.Data.QueueViewer.PropertyBagBasedMessageInfo” value of type “Deserialized.Microsoft.Exchange.Data.QueueViewer.PrpopertyBagBasedMessageInfo” to type “Microsoft.Exchange.Data.QueueViewer.ExtensibleMessageInfo”.

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It appears that others have been encountering this same error for over a year (see this thread from Microsoft forum). The very last post in this thread offers a “resolution” to the issue, if you wish to call  it a resolution.

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In KB2931150, Microsoft says that this error is a known bug, and instead of using the Queue Viewer utility from EMC, you should use the Exchange power shell “Get-Queue” command.

So let’s open up the EMC Power Shell and try a couple of commands!

To get a list of queued messages, type get-queue and press enter.

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To get details on a particular message, first take note of a specific message identity you wish to view. Then type get-queue –identity exchangeserver\messageid | fl and press enter

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For a full list of options with the Get-Queue command, type get-help get-queue and press enter

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Open up the EMC Shell, and type “get-queue” and press Enter. A list of queued messages will display

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Categories : Exchange, Servers, Tools, Windows
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WHS 2011 and UEFI GPT Partitions

by KW · Comments (0)
Apr 03 2014

Yes, this info is a year old, but I’m just getting around to having customers by Windows 8.1 computers Smile

One of my customers is using a Windows Home Server (WHS) 2011 system to backup his office computers. He just obtained a Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro laptop. I install the WHS connector, and attempt to backup the laptop, and it died sitting at 1%. I rebooted both the laptop and the server, with the same result. Both systems are current on patches.

Then I discover that there is a Microsoft hotfix for the WHS server that is required to properly backup computers with UEFI/GPT disk partitions.

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There are plenty of web sites posting this information, but none fully address the process, which I will do. What the KB article does NOT tell you is that after installing the hotfix, the workstation will need to apply an update to the Launchpad before the backup will function properly.

Part 1 – from the WHS Server

  1. Login to the WHS system, and go to the Microsoft KB2781272 link and click on the button “Hotfix Download Available –>”
  2. You will be offered three versions of the hotfix. the first version listed is the most recent one.
  3. Select it, and fill in your email address. Microsoft will send you an email with a link to download the file
  4. Look for the email, download the file and move it over to a temp directory on the WHS server. I created a temp folder labeled “UEFI-Hotfix” under the Downloads folder.
  5. Double click on the file, which is a self-executing zip file, and it will expand out the contents to your temp directory. If you are not able to do so, right click on the file and look to see if the file has been “blocked”. If so click on the Block button.
  6. You will be prompted to select a folder to unzip the file. Use the “Browse” button and go to the temp folder you created.
  7. Locate the actual hotfix file (labeled Windows6.1-KB2781272-x64.msu, double click and install it.
  8. You will be prompted to reboot the server

Part 2 – from the Windows 8.1 computer

  1. From the computer in question, startup the WHS Launchpad. Note: you don’t need to sign in, just start it up.
  2. You should then see a task activity button indicating that an update to the LaunchPad is being installed.
  3. Once that is finished, you should be able to successfully create a backup.
Comments (0)
Categories : Backup, Servers, Tools, WHS
Tags : , ,

How to boot from a ShadowProtect USB key on Win 8.1

by KW · Comments (0)
Mar 31 2014

I rely on StorageCraft’s ShadowProtect (IT Edition) for creating a full disk image backup of a workstation prior to replacing the hard drive. I’ve used it literally for years.

I was setting up a Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro with Win 8.1 for a customer, and wanted to make a disk image of the laptop before proceeding. I use a bootable USB stick with ShadowProtect on it. But I was unable to boot from the USB stick on this new laptop.

The solution was simple, after contacting StorageCraft

In order to boot the ISO on the 8.1 machine you need to change the boot options on the system to Legacy instead of UEFI. Once that is done the ISO should boot with no problems.

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Categories : Backup, Tools, Windows
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Roboform for Windows 8 Phone

by KW · Comments (0)
Mar 10 2014

I’ve used Roboform on my main desktop for years to store and manage my logins and passwords to web sites. So, when I purchased my Windows 8 Phone (Lumia 920) back in November 2012, I was disappointed (to say the least) when I discovered that Roboform did not have an app for my phone.

Lo and behold, after waiting for more than a year, Roboform finally released version 1.0 of their Windows 8 Phone app. I will let you read all the complaints and criticisms from people about this first release.

For me, it installed and worked without a hitch. Intuitive? No, but if I can figure out how to make it work, I’m sure you can. Here are some actual screenshots of my first attempt at using the new Roboform app v1.0:

Step 1

Go to the Windows Store on your phone, and search for Roboform and download the app.

wp_ss_20140309_0001  wp_ss_20140309_0002

Step 2

Next, login using your Roboform login name and password. The settings page is pretty sparse, and I did not change them from the default.

wp_ss_20140309_0003  wp_ss_20140309_0004

Step 3

For my first attempt, I decided to see if I could access my Twitter web page, which I hardly do. Type in the Twitter URL, and it then takes me to the mobile version of their login page.

wp_ss_20140309_0005  wp_ss_20140309_0006

Step 4

Look down at the bottom of the screen, and when I press the left icon (highlighted by the arrow), it displays for me the two Twitter login accounts that I have previously saved in Roboform from my desktop.

wp_ss_20140309_0007a  wp_ss_20140309_0008

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Categories : News, Phones, Tools, Windows
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SVCHOST.exe spiking CPU

by KW · Comments (0)
Mar 05 2014

I see this from time to time, on both workstations and servers. Your system seems to be extremely sluggish or unresponsive. So you open up task manager and you see that a svchost.exe process using 50% or more of CPU. To complicate the matter, there are more than one svchost.exe processes running.

What is one to do???

In many cases, a recent Windows update may be the cause. But it’s hard to track down which update might be the culprit.

Meanwhile, here is what I will often do to at least quickly address and resolve the issue:

  1. Identify the PID of the spiking svchost
  2. Identify a list of services associated with that svchost occurrence
  3. Stop each service until you find the offender

Here’s the blow-by-blow:

Identify PID of svchost.exe that is spiking

  • Open up Task Manager
  • Click on View –> Select Columns… –> then click to check PID (Process identified)
    image    
    image
  • Click on the Image Name column to sort by name
  • Scroll down and find the PID number associated with the spiking svchost.exe service. In my case, it was PID 844.
    image

Identify list of services associated with that svchost.exe process

  • Leave Task Manager window open
  • Open up a command prompt window, and type TASKLIST /SVC and press enter
  • This will give you a list of specific services associated with each svchost.exe
  • Locate your PID and note all the actual services running under that instance.
    image

Identify specific service causing the spike

  • Open up Services console (Start –> Run –> services.msc)
  • Position the Services and Task Manager windows side by side
  • Now, one by one, from the Services window, locate each service listed for the associated PID, and stop or pause the service.
  • Then see if from the Task Manager window, if the svchost.exe suddenly drops back to normal. If so, you found your problem service!
  • In my case, I often find that Automatic Updates (wuauserv) Windows Management Instrumentation (winmgmt) to be the culprit. In this particular case, it was wuauserv causing the spike
    image

 

* These screenshots were taken from a Windows 2003 server, but the process is that same for other Windows platform. The only big difference is that the Task Manager window has a new format with Windows 8/2012, and they display the PID# automatically, saving you one step!

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Categories : SBS, Servers, Tools, Windows
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Upcoming Rate Change to Microsoft’s Action Pack Subscription

by KW · Comments (0)
Feb 13 2014

For small I.T. owners and developers who are Microsoft Partners, the Microsoft Action Pack subscription has been a huge blessing financially. For one low annual cost, Microsoft provides us access to almost all iof their current product offerings, from Windows 8 to Windows Server 2012, from Office 2013 to Visual Studio.

Microsoft recently announced changes to the Action Pack subscription model, effective February 24, 2014.

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The change that many will focus on is the price increase, going from $329US to $475US, which is a 30% increase. I agree that that’s a big hike. But before you decide to just walk away from this, here are my thoughts:

  1. The $475 fee is still an inexpensive and easy way to have access to Microsoft’s full line of products – all for the comparable cost of a single Windows Server license. That’s less than $40 a month!
  2. If you are new to the Action Pack program, you may not be aware, but this is only the second price adjustment that Microsoft has made since I first signed up for an Action Pack subscription 12 years ago. The Action Pack subscription fee remained flat at $299 for the years 2003-2010. For years 2011-2013, the price went up to $329.

If you sign up or renew your subscription before February 24th, you can do so at the current $329, thus giving you savings for your first year.

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Categories : Microsoft, SBS, Servers, Tools, Windows
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Error 0x8024402c When Installing Windows Store Apps

by KW · Comments (0)
Feb 08 2014

I truthfully don’t use many apps, whether it’s with my Windows 8.1 desktop, Surface 2, or my Windows 8 Phone or Surface2. But I did want to download an app today to my desktop, and I immediately encountered error 0x8024402c.

The first recommendations I found when doing a Bing search was to open Internet Explorer and make sure that the ‘Use a proxy server for your LAN” was unchecked. Which it was in my case.

Then I found this suggestion to reset Store Cache, which worked immediately, and with no rebooting of my desktop computer:

  1. Press Windows Flag key + R to open the Run box
  2. Type: wsreset.exe and press OK
  3. Wait until it’s finished, then try downloading your app!
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Categories : Tools, Windows
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Windows Movie Maker issue with opening .MOV files

by KW · Comments (0)
Feb 03 2014

You just gotta love the Internet. Just a few quick clicks using your favorite web search engine, and voila, you have your answer!

Case in point: customer calls up to say that they are trying to open up a .MOV video file using Windows Movie Maker. They encounter an error saying that the workstation does not meet minimum requirements.

STEP 1

So, I remote into the Windows 7 workstation, and I see that they have Windows Live Movie Maker on the computer. I do a quick search for “windows movie maker does not meet minimum requirements” and right there on the first page is a YouTube tutorial addressing the issue.

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The solution is to install Windows Movie Maker 6.0 (from the Vista era) – but they will run on Windows 7/8 platform. Make note that there are separate 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the program:

Movie Maker 6.0 (64 bit)     Movie Maker 6.0 (32-bit)

STEP 2

After installing the software, I start it up and try to open the .MOV file, only to be told that I am missing a proper CODEC file. Another quick search, and I find another YouTube tutorial addressing this issue:

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The solution is to download and install the free K-Lite Codec Pack:

http://www.filehippo.com/download_klite_codec_pack/

After that, the user is able to successfully open and edit MOV files from Windows Movie Maker!

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Categories : Tools, Windows
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Apple iTunes crashing with latest update

by KW · Comments (0)
Jan 27 2014

Yes, you heard me right, Microsoft is not the only company that is prone to releasing updates that can cause your computer to crash!

In this case, I received a call from a client today who reported that iTunes suddenly was not working, and would immediately crash when started. He tried to reinstall iTunes, but it went from bad to worse.

It didn’t take long to find that a slew of people (slew = more than I can count) were reporting similar crashes, and it appears to be caused by version 11.1.4 that Apple rolled out at the end of last week (around 22-Jan-2014).

Fortunately, the work involved to fix this was pretty straightforward, but with some minor bumps in the process.

First, a quick summary of the steps required:

  1. Uninstall iTunes and its related components and reboot
  2. Delete associated Apple program files and reboot
  3. Download and reinstall iTunes

Now for the details!

Step 1 – Uninstall iTunes and related components

Apple recommends to remove the following programs in this specific order:

  • iTunes – note: when uninstalling iTunes, be sure to leave your user profile & settings
  • Apple Software Update
  • Apple Mobile Device Support
  • Bonjour
  • Apple Application Support

Then reboot your computer

Step 2 – Delete associated Apple program files
You need to confirm that the following folders have been removed. If any are left behind, remove them now:

  • C:\Program Files\Bonjour
  • C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\
  • C:\Program Files\iTunes\
  • C:\Program Files\iPod\

If you have a 64-bit version of Windows, these are the folders you need to confirm are removed:

  • C:\Program Files (x86)\Bonjour
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Apple\
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\iTunes\
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\iPod\

NOTE: some files may not delete:

It is possible that you may run into some files or folders that will not delete, because these are programs currently running that are using these files. If that happens to you, here are the steps I used to delete those files:

  • Open up an elevated command prompt
  • Type: start taskmgr — and the Task Manager window will display

For the following steps, leave both windows (Command prompt and Task Manager) open!

  • From the Task Manager window, click on the Processes tab, locate explorer.exe, right click on it and click End process. This will close your Windows desktop, but don’t worry, we will restart it in a few moments.
  • Now, switch over to the Command prompt window
  • Using the CD (change directory) and DEL (delete) commands, go to the folder with the file that won’t delete, and then delete the file. In my case, as an example, the commands I entered were: 
    cd \
cd Program Files (X86)
cd Common files
cd Apple
cd Internet Services
del shellstreams64.dll
  • Repeat the above steps, if necessary, if there were other files you could not delete.

Now let’s restart the Windows desktop.

  • Switch back to the Task Manager window
  • Click File –> New Task (run) –> and then type: explorer.exe and the windows desktop should redisplay.
  • At this point, go back and delete those folders that did not previously delete.
  • I recommend rebooting the computer again, and then verifying that all the folders identified above are deleted

Step 3: Download and install iTunes

I think you can handle this part on your own!
But just in case, here’s the link to get you started:

http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

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Categories : News, Tools, Windows
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