These are only a couple of reasons you need to protect the volume license keys and KMS server(s) from rogue authorizations.  Microsoft has a document, Using Server Isolation to Protect the Key Management Service (KMS), available for download.

If you haven’t looked it over, you need to.
If you have read it and can’t figure it out, it’s because the document slightly outdated and the directions are incorrect.  The document appears it was written for a Windows 2003 server without having the Group Policy Management Console (gpmc.msc) or a Vista machine without the Remote Server Administration tools installed.  If you haven’t installed these tools yet, you really should. Vista RSAT  Windows 7 RSAT.

After reading the document I created a test OU and move my KMS server and a couple of clients into the object.  I then launched a remote desktop session to the KMS server and logged in locally to my client machines. I then proceed through the directions, double check everything and deploy the policy.

I open a command prompt on the clients and run gpupdate /force, and both the user and computer policies update successfully. I go to my KMS server and run gpupdate /force and after several seconds the sessions starts trying to reconnect. Not good, not good at all.

I turn my attention to the clients and run the resultant set of policy (rsop.msc) and find that the policy is being ignored. I tried pinging the KMS server and received no response. Something is definitely wrong here. I verify both the KMS server and client are in the same OU and that the policy is configured as written in the document.

Well it turns out the document was WRONG!!
The WMI filter in the document reads:
Select * from Win32_OperatingSystem where Version >= ‘6’
The correct WMI filter should be:
SELECT Version, ProductType FROM Win32_OperatingSystem WHERE Version >= ‘6′

I update the policy with the correct WMI filter and update the clients. Using my virtual machine console, I login to the KMS server and find it was unable to connect to the network.   Knowing that that the policy change the firewall rules, I open the services console (services.msc) and disable Windows Firewall.  A few seconds later network connectivity is restored, the group policy gets updated and I restart the firewall. 

And things are as they should be. Computers not in the domain can’t communicate with the server, those in the domain can and the server can see everything.

Ever been busy behind the router and wish a website would verbally inform you of your IP address?  Well your dreams have come true:
http://www.moanmyip.com

Now we all know that if you find a copy of Office just happen to be laying around, it’s not a good sign:
Office 2007 Lost and Found

Ready to connect with the local tech community for a good cause? GiveCamp needs your support. For one weekend in June, we’ll take on the technology wish lists of 20 non-profit organizations, and we’re looking for about 100 volunteers, both technical and non-technical, to help us do it.

A typical GiveCamp draws 75 to 100 volunteers. Individuals can work with their colleagues in company teams, or they can opt to be matched with fellow volunteers who have complementary skill sets. Everyone is welcome to head home for the evenings – but there are always the diehards who work from Friday kickoff straight through Sunday afternoon. Food and drinks, especially of the caffeinated variety, are provided, along with game systems for breaks.

Technical volunteers
We’re looking for graphic or UX designers, developers with .NET/Java/LAMP/Open Source/CMS experience, project managers, system/network administrators, DBAs, and non-profit technical consultants and web strategists.

Non-technical volunteers
Beyond the technology, there are many other aspects that make GiveCamp a success. We need non-technical volunteers to run errands, help with setting up and cleaning up, and everything in between. Whether you can offer a couple hours of your time or join GiveCamp for a couple days, your support is needed.

When & Where
Philly Give Camp will be held at the Microsoft Office in Malvern, PA
June 4th – 6th
Great Valley Corporate Center
45 Liberty Blvd., Suite 210
Malvern, PA 19355
Register Here

When Windows Task Manager launches it usually default to Full Options:

But sometime you may accidently click one of the borders and turn Task Manager into Tiny Footprint mode:

According to an ancient post at The Old New Thing, it was for ultrageeks. Now I consider myself one of the UberWindows geek and have never seen this before.

Just click an empty spot on the border to swap views.

Once again good old research before jumping into a resolution pays off.

-Thanks for reading 1wisegeek

Flash backward to Monday:

I came in Monday morning and find out that I haven’t received any e-mails since Saturday.
Strange… Outlook shows connected, and I always get some of annoying e-mail from a technology salesperson (You know who you are). So I restart my laptop and login and launch Outlook. Hmmm… Outlook shows connected to Exchange, but still no new e-mails. I’ve had problems like this before so I try send/receive. Nothing, nada, no e-mails.

So I Remote into the Exchange server and get the famous Low on Virtual Memory and can’t login.

Here is where I start thinking (Like all Exchange Admins do): PLEASE, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS FORCE ME TO DO A HARD SHUTDOWN OF THIS SERVER, OH PLEASE DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN TO ME. IT’S MONDAY MORNING AND I DO NOT NEED THIS TO HAPPEN TO ME FIRST THING IN THE MORNING.

I turn to my laptop and launch computer management console, connect to the Exchange server and begin stopping services. (This is where you say which services, and I say any experienced Windows Administrator knows which services are unnecessary and to stop first, second, third, etc.)

Finally I get enough services stopped so I can restart the server. While I am waiting on the Exchange server to reboot, I decide to restart the backup and journaling servers (they also attach to the server). We all know the first rule in troubleshooting is to restart things. Just like a cup of hot coffee first thing in the morning, nothing beats a clean restart and I get my cup of coffee.

Exchange servers by themselves are slow to shut-down and even slower to start backup, however this restart was different. (Reminiscing) I just knew something bad was in the works. I could tell, the coffee just didn’t have that “Good Morning” kick.

Well back to the server.

First servers up are the backup servers. So I login to one and find that the backup account hasn’t been able to attach to the server since Saturday. (HE’S COMING I CAN FEEL IT). Check to ensure the account hasn’t been changed, locked out or set to expire. Nothing in all 3 cases (CAN YOU FEEL IT?). By this time the exchange server is up, so I turn my attention to the journaling server. I check the event logs and it too has had a problem since Saturday. I open the Journaling account e-mail and Outlook crashes. This account is fine. (HE’S ALMOST HERE)
So then I console over to the Exchange box (You always want the bad news last, don’t you?), open the Exchange console and find that the Mailbox and Journaling store are dismounted. Not a problem, I’ll just mount the database. (HE’S HERE). Database doesn’t mount. Okay let me look through the logs, there are some interesting events but I can tell this isn’t going to be pretty:

Like I said earlier I don’t work with Exchange everyday and I don’t consider myself anywhere close to being an advanced Exchange admin. But I do know how Exchange works and I’m one of the best troubleshooters (or so I’ve been told.)

I turn to my reference library and grab my Exchange Server 2007 Administrator’s Companion and arm myself with Google.

(To be continued tomorrow)

I go on-site and fix the computer as best as I could and told him that the OS and applications sould be reinstalled.  I explained to him that sometimes removing spyware, malware, or viruses leave a system very unstable.  He agrees and decides to drop the PC off on Saturday.

Saturday rolls around and he drops off his PC, but doesn’t have the HP rescue disks.  I plug everything in and power it up. AHA! The rescue disk utility hasn’t been run. So I create the rescue disks (2 DVD’s), backup his data, and then start reinstalling the OS.  So an hour later (Yes, HP has one of the longest reinstall times), I reboot the PC and Windows XP starts its install routine and then:

BAM!!!
CODE PURPLE.

What?  CODE PURPLE?  I’ve worked on many HP’s and have never seen a CODE PURPLE.

I turn to my favorite search engine and search for CODE PURPLE HP.  I found several articles that mentioned booting from your Windows XP CD going into the recovery console and renaming the file C:\hp\bin\ConfigCheck\cfgchk.bat to *.old.  Great!! Wonderful!! I grab my Windows XP CD from the shelf, boot from it and load the recovery console.  I go to rename the file, access denied. Trying chdir to get to the file also results access denied.

I go back to researching the CODE PURPLE and found articles about using Ubuntu, pick your flavor of Linux, or rescue apps to boot from.  So I am thinking to myself what about a Vista or Windows 7 CD?  I reach over and grab my Windows 7 DVD, put it in the drive and boot from it.

After a minute or two, the DVD loads and I select System Recovery Options. It does a startup repair, doesn’t find anything wrong and gives me a Window to use other repair tools or load drivers.  I selected other repair tools, which loads the system Recovery Options menu and then selected command prompt.  Once the command prompt loads, I am able to access the file and rename it.

Reboot and Windows XP continues installing with no problems.

Now if you don’t have a couple of Windows 7 you can download it from here:http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/cc442495.aspx.  Just make sure you have burned it to DVD before working on an HP.

As 1 Wise Geek grows, I do plan to add more features to the site:
Forums
Book review page
Geek Gadgets