New Desktop Setup

I have certain tweaks that I like on all of my Windows setups.  I'm blogging these down now that I've got my Amazon Workspace (Windows 10 Experience powered by Windows Server 2016):

• Create a folder for my favourite utilities
• create a d:\bin folder
• add d:\bin to PATH
• Run | sysdm.cpl
• Environment variables
• download utilities to d:\bin
• putty
• Select Default Settings
• Category | Window | Lines of scrollback 9999
• Category | Window | Appearance | Font settings | Change | Consolas, 12-point
• Bypass password prompt in Putty for common servers
• Download pageant.exe to your path.  
• Available from https://the.earth.li/~sgtatham/putty/latest/x86/pageant.exe
• This allows plink.exe to log in via without typing in your password every time.
• Follow the instructions in Section 9.1 at http://the.earth.li/~sgtatham/putty/0.58/htmldoc/Chapter9.html. to generate and add a private key.
• Follow the instructions in Section 8.3 at http://the.earth.li/~sgtatham/putty/0.58/htmldoc/Chapter8.html#pubkey, but use the private key instead of the public key.
• Set the auto login username to your cedev1 username to prevent being prompted each time you log in. (Putty -> Connection -> Data).
• Set the background to a dull black or grey
• Set Dvorak as the default keyboard
• Chrome as the default browser
• Notepad++ as the default text editor

Useful Linux Performance Tools

To help diagnose Linux performance, try these colourful tools:
dstat
htop

For some other useful tools:
http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/linux-cool-hacks.html

Welcome to Full Time Work

A good read and reminder for noobs and veterans alike:
http://blogs.atlassian.com/wp-content/uploads/HelloWorldEbook.pdf?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=jira-insiders-newsletter_july

Remove Hidden NICs

I was always annoyed when creating new VMs that the NIC would enumerate to #2. To reset the NIC numbering:

http://networkats.com/blog/march-2012/vmware-converter-p2v-(physical-to-virtual)-tips

Remove Hidden Nics

You will probably run into issue where windows complains about the IP already being assigned to a network card yet no other network card shows up. Sometimes you end up with a hidden NIC that you have to manually remove:

1.     Click Start, click Run, type cmd.exe, and then press ENTER.

2.     Type set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1, and then press ENTER.

3.     Type Start DEVMGMT.MSC, and then press ENTER.

4.     Click View, and then click Show Hidden Devices.

5.     Expand the Network adapters tree.

6.     Right-click the dimmed network adapter, and then click Uninstall.

Follow Your Bliss

http://broughtonadvisory.com/2012/04/follow-your-bliss/

Programmer Joke #1

Q: Why do programmers always confuse Halloween with Christmas?
A: Because 31 OCT = 25 DEC.

Recover Lost Photos

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Download

Clear Orphaned Directories

After cleaning up directories, I orphaned some directories in my directory stack dirs.  To clear out your directory stack, type "dirs -c".

SSO in RDP

To enable single sign on for Remote Desktop:
http://itowns.blogspot.ca/2011/06/enabling-remote-desktop-connection.html

Accidentally Shutting Down

To save power, I often "Sleep" my home computer.

Or with a zero client, I often "Lock" my computer.

To prevent myself from accidentally clicking "Shut Down" in the Start Menu and to configure your power button:

1) Right click on your taskbar

2) Properties | Start Menu tab

3) Change the "Power Button Action".

Note that the button on the bottom right of your start menu is considered a power button...

Robocopy a directory of source files

robocopy /s source_dir dest_dir /xd .svn obj

/xd excludes directories (skip .svn and obj directories)

robocopy /s . /xd .svn obj target* /xf *.vtg *.o /maxage:1

/maxage:1 only copies files less than one day old (i.e. stuff I've changed in the last day)

PowerDVD 8 on Win7

After rebuilding my Win7 PC, I reinstalled PowerDVD 8. However, Blu-ray's wouldn't play unless I go to:
"Settings..., select the Blu-ray Disc tab, click the Advanced button, select the Windows Aero tab, Uncheck Allow PowerDVD to automatically disable Windows Aero to optimize Blu-ray Disc playback."

Thumbs up for the Sony Ericsson MW600 Bluetooth Headset

After shearing off one side of my earbud headphones in my bike, I wanted a wireless headset. I picked up a Sony Ericsson MW600 , but couldn't figure out how to pair anything properly. The solution was to hold down the power button long enough to turn on the pairing when you should see the pairing icon (left) . This works on my iPod Touch 8 GB (2nd Gen) and with my home PC via a MediaLink Bluetooth v3.0 dongle.

Test SMTP Relaying via Telnet

telnet relay.server.local 25

helo server.local

mail from:joesmtptest@server.com

rcpt to:joe@server.com

data

hi!

.

QUIT

Current Readings...

Reading Lifelong Activist by Hillary Rettig. This book has the shortest chapters I've ever read. The first part of the book is a good, concise book about career planning (which is all I've read so far).

I read Karma Chameleons by Dirs & Fordyce (saw this at the library). It was a fun reading about these Brits trying to find happiness, but it was sad that they achieve nothing. I did like their epilogue's suggestion to "think of one thing you did well yesterday".

I read John Piper's Don't Waste Your Life, a modern day re-iteration of Jesus' great commission, but with an "out" for secular work.

Change your Windows login screen background http://www.julien-manici.com/windows_7_logon_background_changer/

To send a syslog message from Linux:

echo "<154>Hi Team Unicorn! Rome is up!" | nc -w1 -u 192.168.112.63 514

Install a KMS Server

Tired of being warned that your Win7 is counterfeit? Instead of typing in product keys, use Windows Key Management Service aka KMS. Works well for any Windows 2008/7 network with more than 25 seats (or 6 servers if you're doing only Windows 2008 R2 servers). If you don't hit 25, no one can activate.

To install the KMS service:

1. Install Windows 2008 R2. For me, I've found that using a domain controller to host the KMS avoids any DNS issues. KMS is advertised via DNS.
2. Install the key: slmgr.vbs /ipk
3. Activate the first KMS license: slmgr.vbs DNS name of client username password /ato
4. Verify that your clients can see the KMS server via DNS. From a Windows installation that you want to activate, run: nslookup -type=srv _vlmcs._tcp.
   You should get the KMS server IP and DNS name back.
5. Once that first one is up, boot up at least 24 other Windows machines. Windows clients should automatically register with the KMS server.
6. Check how many Windows clients have registered by running: slmgr.vbs /dlv on your KMS server and Look for the Current Count
7. Once you hit 25, after you try to activate windows, you should get an Activation Successful message. If you don't, Google the error code. Some common errors and solutions are below:

Troubleshooting:

• 0xC004F074 "The Key Management Server (KMS) is unavailable" - you'll get this error if your client's time is more than 4 hours different than the KMS host's time. Change your client's time. Better yet, use an NTP server.  Also ensure that the time zones match (e.g. a client on 10am GMT will error when connecting to a KMS server on 10am PDT).
• 0xc004f038 is good. It means that you can see your KMS server, but you haven't reached your threshold yet. Keep on activating more clients or convert some clients from MAK to KMS.
• To convert existing MAK clients to KMS, run: slmgr.vbs /ipk FJ82H-XT6CR-J8D7P-XQJJ2-GPDD4 . Don't worry, this key is Microsoft's public KMS client setup key for Windows 7 Pro. For this key and other Windows flavours, check out http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff793406.aspx

All KMS commands use slmgr.vbs and they can be run remotely. You don't even need to log in to the client desktops! Useful commands include:

• Activate windows:

  slmgr.vbs [DNS client name] /ato

• Display license info:

  slmgr.vbs [DNS client name] /dli

• Install the Win7 Pro KMS client setup key:

  slmgr.vbs [DNS client name] /ipk FJ82H-XT6CR-J8D7P-XQJJ2-GPDD4

To run these commands locally (i.e. if you're already on the client desktop), you can omit your credientials and add only the command switch (ex. slmgr.vbs /dli ).

Note that the Windows Server 2008 R2 KMS key will activate W2K8R2 server AND Windows 7 clients. For more details on the licensing scope of KMS keys, check out http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee939271.aspx

Advanced Port Scanner v1.3
A small useful port scanner:
http://www.radmin.com/products/utilities/portscanner.php

Uncover Hidden Hardware in Device Manager
When upgrading from VMWare ESX 3.5 -> 4.1, VM hardware versions changed from 4 to 7 which ended up orphaning Version 4 NICs. To get rid of these hiding NICs, run the following from a command prompt:
set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
devmgmt.msc

Refer to http://oreilly.com/pub/h/3105 for more info.