Kurt Shintaku's Blog

How would you like to reboot your system without having to go through the BIOS POST saving you about 15-20 seconds during boot? (This was an interesting bit I read on Nathan Weinberg’s "Inside Microsoft" blog)

Basically, the net-net of it is that if you want a fast reboot, simply hold down the Shift-key while you’re clicking Start button –> Restart, and it’ll restart Windows without a complete BIOS execute.

Nathan does make one mistake I believe:  This is exclusively available on Windows Vista – not Windows XP.

I hate our Windows Vista Enterprise web site:  http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/enterprise/default.mspx

Our awful Windows Vista front page.

Look at this:  It’s awful.  It looks like and is organized like a consumer web site which is sad.  You really have to hunt to find the information that you need.  Particularly technical details & whitepapers.

Here’s the link to get this stuff.  It’s an unattractive page but it’s chock full of good stuff… and not fluff like the Windows Vista Enterprise web site.
LINK:  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/default.aspx

 
The glorious Windows Vista Tech Center!

Many IT folks have two PCs these days:  Sometimes one desktop, one laptop… other times two desktops.  In my case, I have two laptops.

Switching between the two can be a little irritating however having to "context switch" between each laptop’s keyboards and mice.  The interruption is somewhat disconnecting and requires briefly having to relocate the new mouse and get your hands on the new keyboard of the second machine.

Not any more.  Check this out:

Synergy
Synergy lets you easily share a single mouse and keyboard between multiple computers with different operating systems, each with its own display, without special hardware. It’s intended for users with multiple computers on their desk since each system uses its own monitor(s).
http://synergy2.sourceforge.net/

Simply moving the mouse across just like when using multimonitor support allows you to capture the context of the second machine.  Except you’re using a completely different processor and a completely different installation, as opposed to multimon which uses the same machine with the same install.

BTW:  It doesn’t say so however it also works on Windows Vista.

Microsoft Locale Builder enables users to extend and modify the set of locales included in Microsoft Windows Vista with his or her own regional and cultural data. The application was created to support users in regions without built-in Windows locales as well as users seeking to modify locales provided by Microsoft.

Microsoft Locale Builder also allows corporations, governments, universities, and special-interest groups to create and easily share custom locales on Microsoft Windows Vista.

DOWNLOAD:  http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=96654

So what’s a locale?  Well first of all, there’s a MSDN article on building them here:

International Features:  Custom Locales
Locales enable Windows to express various international properties. Microsoft ships a set of over 200 locales. However, certain regions must express even more international properties to provide a culturally appropriate experience for users. Windows Vista introduces the concept of custom locales to address this requirement.
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms776342.aspx

MSDN Magazine also did an article on Locale Building:

Locale Hero:  Enable Global Apps With Locale Builder And Windows Vista
…The locale the user selects informs many aspects of his user experience. Locale choice determines whether the user sees a 12- or 24-hour clock; what keyboard he uses by default while typing; whether algebra.txt or zebra.png shows up first when he looks at a list of file names; and what calendar he sees in Microsoft Outlook^®. The effects of locale selection are pervasive, and the range of locale data creates some unique opportunities and challenges for developers who want to make their applications globally aware. By using locale data correctly, a developer can tailor applications to create a linguistically and culturally appropriate user experience for a wide range of customers…
http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/06/12/LocaleHero/

There’s a blog out there specifically for the Locale Builder:

Shawn Steele’s Blog on Windows Vista Locale Builder
http://blogs.msdn.com/shawnste/archive/2006/02/20/535633.aspx 
Shawn Steele also posted the bits to enable a "Klingon Locale" which is interesting because it not only changes the default font to something that isn’t normally part of the system, but it also changes the date & time format, it has a keyboard modifier to change the keyboard for input via Klingon, and a number of other interesting changes as a locale.

DOWNLOAD:  Klingon Locale
http://blogs.msdn.com/shawnste/archive/2006/02/17/534533.aspx

Take advantage of the following special offers available exclusively to customers running genuine Windows. To access any of the offers below, you must first validate your copy of Windows. It’s easy! Just select an offer and install the Windows Genuine Advantage validation tool when prompted.

WEB:  http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/offers/Default.aspx?displaylang=en&sGuid=eee02af9-b4dd-4fbf-a01c-062afdd6bbec

[This is a repost of http://skydriveteam.spaces.live.com/]

Introducing Windows Live SkyDrive!

Thanks for your help testing Windows Live Folders. It’s been a month and a half since our first release, and today we’re making three major announcements!

First, we’re happy to announce our new name:  Windows Live SkyDrive

Second, we’ve been listening intently to your feedback and suggestions, and based directly on that feedback, we’re excited to bring you our next release, featuring:

• An upgraded look and feel — new graphics to go along with your new features!
• "Also on SkyDrive" — easily get back to the SkyDrives you’ve recently visited
• Thumbnail images — we heard you loud and clear, and now you can see thumbnails of your image files
• Drag and drop your files — sick of our five-at-a-time upload limit? Drag and drop your files right onto your SkyDrive
• Embed your stuff anywhere — with just a few clicks, post your files and folders anywhere you can post html

Third, we’re excited to introduce SkyDrive in two additional regions: UK and India.

Note for existing beta users: if you’ve sent or posted links using Windows Live Folders, you will need to update your links due to changes in our URLs with this release.

So without further ado, go sign up today! And then let us know how you like the changes.

The open source Apache has been the leading web server software since the March 1996 Netcraft Web Server Survey. In November 2005, Apache was found on 71 percent of web sites, putting it more than 50 percentage points ahead of Microsoft IIS (20.2 percent). At the time, Apache’s market share advantage seemed insurmountable. But less than two years later, Microsoft has narrowed that 50 percent gap to 16.7 percent. The margin is even tighter in active sites, where Apache leads Microsoft by just 12.2 percent.

http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2007/08/06/august_2007_web_server_survey.html

I was recently forwarded some information about the Windows Vista hotfix packages below.  I know that earlier versions of these have been out there for a bit but I can’t remember if I’d posted these before.  I figure it can’t hurt to repost:

Windows Vista Performance Fix pack & Reliability Fix pack
(UPDATED AUGUST 8TH)
There are two major Windows Vista fix packs that we’ve recently released for download.

• The Windows Vista performance fix pack, KB 938979, (both 32- and 64-bit versions).
• The Windows Vista reliability fix pack, KB 938194, (32- and 64-bit flavors).

Each of these fixes will be released via Windows Update soon.  I thought you might like an opportunity to download and evaluate them in your environment ahead of time.

The fixes that these KB articles address will be included in the upcoming release of Windows Vista SP1.

OMG.  You just have to see this.

http://images.soapbox.msn.com/flash/soapbox1_1.swf

If you work for us, I fully expect you to know what this is.  For those of you who don’t get this, do a search on the Internet for a video called "Monkey Boy".

This is reprint of a blog post I made back in Dec 2006 – it’s being reposted for the benefit of some new viewers, and besides, I put a lot of work into this article and wanted to do a rerun of the content.

My Mom has a 256MB Celeron-based PC with an 80GB drive and firewalled Windows XP SP2.  It’s behind a NAT-ted Router that connects to a PPPoE DSL connection, meaning the DSL IP address is always different – not unlike a cable Internet connection – and her PC is issued a 192.168.x.x address.   She had problems with it slowing down and a while ago, she even had spyware issues.  There is also a laptop PC (Dad’s) that has the same situation and it’s on the same network.

In the past, I’ve remotely controlled her PC but only after painfully walking her through the process of sending me a "Remote Assistance" invite.  (Incidentally, that was NOT a well thought out technology in Windows XP.  Who the @#$% ever thought computer-illiterate parents around the world would know how to "send Remote Assistance requests" to their offspring when their computer was having trouble?  Ridiculous.)  This was always done using Remote Desktop technology which is actually a very well optimized, high quality protocol however the facilities to connect to the remote workstation have been lacking at best.

So the question is: 

How does a person easily & quickly "remote control" their parent’s computer?

EXISTING REVIEWS?
I did some research and frankly, to my surprise, not a lot has written on this specific scenario.  Sure folks have written about "remote controlling" someone else’s over the Internet PC, but the assumptions made have always been that:

• the person’s computer is a small business that can afford something relatively costly
• the person’s PC isn’t NAT-ted (using a translated 192.168.x.x address)
• the person’s PC is the ONLY PC to be managed behind the NAT
• the end user is a customer, not a family member
• the people putting the solution together didn’t mind installing, tweaking & configuring a ton of helper software

SOLUTIONS
I found a ridiculous array of tools and services and after culling through them and Windows Live search results, I’d examined several products:

• GoToMyPC
• MyWebExPC
• Laplink Everywhere
• I’m In Touch
• UltraVNC
• Symantec PC Anywhere
• Dameware
• LogMeIn Free
• …and about a dozen others not worth mentioning…

My evaluation criteria was pretty simple.  It’s all the information above:  Assuming a broadband connection on both ends, I need basic high performance Windows-to-Windows remote control over multiple PCs behind a NAT using a DHCP assigned router and I need to be able to access the machine any time of the day without my parents involvement.

THE VERDICT
I’m not going to bore you with all my analysis.  After looking at all the products & services, it became readily obvious to me what solution works best for my parents:  There’s no question that LogMeIn Free wins hands down for this particular scenario, although it’s conceivable that GoToMyPC and maaaaaaaaaybe UltraVNC could be useful in other situations.

1. NAT-SUPPORTED.  This is where most desktop-only software fails.  LogMeIn gets around the issue of having a NAT by registering itself with an online directory, and basically keeping a HTTP connection open all the time with the service, providing a "tunnel" to the DHCP-enabled router, through the NAT, and into the PC to be remote controlled.  This connection allows other PC’s to externally converse with the PC since a communicatins path has already been established between the service & the home PC.  No modifications need to be made to the router and nothing fancy needs to be installed on my PC.
   To be fair, UltraVNC does this exact thing however their facilities are entirely, "do-it-yourself".  If you’ve got the time and the will, you could actually set up a poor man’s version of this yourself through UltraVNC’s NAT-to-NAT Helper service.  But considering bullet #3 below… why bother?
2. SECURE & CORPORATE-SUPPORTED.  This is where UltraVNC gets questionable.  LogMeIn Free software is proprietary, fully SSL-encrypted and supported by a corporation registered with the US government.  I’m not interested in using questionable freeware leveraging open source code written in some guy’s basement that might potentially expose my parents to privacy threats & intrusions.  I want a legally established company that stands behind their products and understands the legal consequences of their software’s integrity – or lack thereof.
3. FREE.  And this is where GoToMyPC fails.  LogMeIn "Free" software & service is totally free.  The only thing you don’t get in the "free" version vs. the "Pro" version is direct PC-to-PC file transfer capabilities, and frankly, if you have Internet-based storage, it’s just as easy to transfer what you need between each PC through that resource.  Note that I’m not a leech:  I’m actually pleased enough with the software that I’m going to subscribe to it for my parent’s PC… at $49 a year, that’s worth having the pay-for product in my mind.  (Although, if I get some love from the Citrix folks and get a partner discount, I’ll probably switch over to GoToMyPC.com which is frankly a much more full-featured product with richer features than LogMeIn doesn’t have and it DOESN’T REQUIRE JAVA.  It is however the most expensive technology in this genera at $249/year.

HOW TO USE "LOGMEIN FREE"

1) Create an account:
https://secure.logmein.com/welcome/get_logmein_free/signup.asp
2) Download software & add a computer to your account:
https://secure.logmein.com/go.asp?page=products_free
(You can also download the installer separately here:  https://secure.logmein.com/logmein.msi)
3) Sign in from any computer to remote control the machine:
https://secure.logmein.com/go.asp?page=home
(Note that you need to have a JavaVM installed on the machine doing the controlling which sucks because Java’s slow relative to Native Win32 binaries, and besides, it’s one more thing that you need to keep patched.  This is one of the reasons I actually prefer the ridiculously more expensive GoToMyPC and its Win32 client for remote control.)

DISCOUNTS
Check this out:  I found this discount on line for the LogMeIn Pro product, which is a $20 discount off the annual subscription to Logmein.com.  Use the code:  JHZH-YXVL and you’ll find the cost go from $69.95/year down to $49.95/year.

A FINAL NOTE ON WINDOWS XP’S REMOTE DESKTOP
I’m a KoolAid drinker and I’m the first to try Microsoft’s own software.  But before anyone starts howling about using Remote Desktop over LogMeIn Free, recall that I need to support multiple computers behind the router.  Even if I were to configure port forwarding for port 3389 (RDP’s port) on the router, which I don’t really want to do, I would only be able to do this for one PC.  There’s an article on how to accomplish this if you want to set it up here.  (http://www.networkgarage.com/2006/04/cancel_your_gotomypc_subscript.html)

Incidentally,  pay no attention to the comments list to the folks screaming that RDP is insecure:  The protocol used to remotely control a Windows PC using the Remote Desktop Client 6.0 is not only encrypted using RC4, it’s also quite secure.  Be sure to be using the most recent remote desktop client software here, use WinXP SP2, and for good measure, upgrade to Windows Vista. 

In the interests of honesty, technically there is a very small threat of what is called a "man-in-the-middle" attack on WinXP systems using RDP 5.2, however let’s be clear… man-in-the-middle attacks are extremely rare and very difficult to accomplish and there are few people in the world with the technical sophistication to execute them.  It accounts for something like "less than 1000th of a percent of all intrusion attacks made" because of their difficulty and requirements to execute and would require invasively corrupting the routing cache on your personal workstation or setting up a rogue DNS server on your ISP or something really extreme to target just you specifically.

To give you an idea of the sophistication we’re talking about, this hacking technique is usually reserved for attacking eCommerce sites like eBay & financial institutions like Bank of America to intercept credit cards & passwords.  If someone is in fact truly attempting to use this technique against you and your computer, it’s not random:  You or your organization is probably important enough (or rich enough) that skimping paying $50/year for LogMeIn Pro, $200/year for GoToMyPC, or whatever support service you might otherwise be using isn’t exactly your first priority. 

Remember:  This is your Mom we’re talking about… not freakin’ Bill Gates.