Hotfix - When you try and log on a Windows XP workstation with SP3 using a roaming profile, the profile fails to load

I thought about other useful posts I could put on this blog and decided that hotfixes can be useful.  Most of the time Microsoft Support will be first in the list of Google but having said that some of the fixes I have obtained aren't readily available until later and also their key word searches can be a bit poor.  Mine may not be much better but Google aren't that bad at getting me the answers I need.

Anyway here is my first hotfix that could prove useful for those with Win XP clients, with SP3, that won't log into the domain with a proper roaming profile.  This is a particular issue with Thin Client XP boxes.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/958058

This is the hotfix we have applied and it does appear to be working well.  Remember any hotfixes should be tested thoroughly and only applied to systems that exhibit the issues described.  Be sure to read Microsoft's guff before you apply them!

Exchange 2010 - Scheduled Migrations Made Easy

It would appear that in their infinite wisdom, Microsoft have removed the tools to allow you to schedule migrations. During all my 2003-to-2007 migrations I used this feature heavily for overnight moving of mailboxes that needed to be up the next day. But do not fear Exchange geeks for I have found a useful little article from a fellow Exchange blogger that aided me - this is how it's done...

TMG - URL Normalization

Hey Folks, found a fix for something I haven't seen before and fortunately it was quite a quick one too.  If you are publishing a website via TMG using a publishing rule you will find that, if your URL contains % symbols or "escaped characters" as the Help file calls them, the HTTP Filter which is on all HTTP/HTTPS rules will block it.  This is how to fix it...

PowerShell - Easy Mailbox Stats Gathering

Just a quick bit of PowerShell for those that use it as often as I do.  This is something I created a long time back for reporting against user mailbox sizes.  You can tailor it to your own needs of course if you know the right attributes:

Get-mailboxstatistics –Server GLL-EXCHMB-01 | select-object servername, storageGroupname, databasename, DisplayName, @{name="TotalItemSize(KB)";expression={$_.TotalItemSize.Value.ToKB()}},StorageLimitStatus,LastLogonTime, LastLoggedOnUserAccount,ItemCount, DeletedItemCount | export-csv c:\Server_Stats.csv

Have fun!

Documentation - Can it be easier?

Just a quick post to say that someone has showed me one of the best features I have ever seen in Windows and hopefully it will make life documenting installs and configuration so much easier than using Print Screen and Wordpad...

Windows Server 2008 R2 - Print Servers and different architecture drivers

There comes a time where we all have to upgrade and move on away from old things to the new and mostly it is a good thing to do.  One pain in the side though that I am sure many technicians and consultants alike will face is the prospect of upgrading a Windows 2003 server with a Windows Server 2008 R2 version and want to get those lovely x86 printer drivers going.  Well I have news for you, it isn't always easy...

SQL Server - Active Directory Helper service does not start

I rebooted a server today and when it came back up I received the usual "Service Failed to Start..." hoo har that plagues all IT administrators.  Now most of the time it is the Network Load Balancing service or something that isn't in use but Windows will endeavour to start for you.

On this occasion though it was something that looked a bit more serious...