Continue reading »]]> A client recently required Windows Server 2008 server, they already had Windows Sever 2008 R1, with Hyper-v installed and required an additional server.

So we ordered a copy of Windows Server 2008 R2 for their additional sever requirements.  Upon receiving this copy the license sticker got me intrigued. It had both a physical product key and a virtual product key.

The performance benefits that come with Windows Server 2008 r2 for hyper-v are more than worth while.

So could we use these product keys to install Windows Server 2008 R2 and use the virtual key as intend and get the Windows Server 2008 R2 performance benefits?

It appears you can!  Take a look at this extract:

Q. If I have one license for Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard and want to run it in a virtual operating system environment, can I continue running it in the physical operating system environment?

A. Yes, with Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard, you may run one instance in the physical operating system environment and one instance in the virtual operating system environment; however, the instance running in the physical operating system environment may be used only to run hardware virtualization software, provide hardware virtualization services, or to run software to manage and service operating system environments on the licensed server.

Source: www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/licensing-faq.aspx

Which is exactly what were doing. 

Continue reading »]]> A clients Terminal Server/Remote Desktop Server failed.   We installed Windows Server 2008 R2 and configured it as a Remote Desktop Server.  But it didn’t appear in the RWW as a 2003 Terminal server would have normally.  As the image below demonstrates.

Thanks to Philip Elder, http://blog.mpecsinc.ca/2008/08/terminal-server-not-showing-up-in.html for the following fix.  Which I have posted here for connivance.

“This one is via the SBSC SBS Newsgroup: After setting up a new Terminal Server on the SBS2K3 network, the “Connect to my Application Server” link is not appearing in RWW.
Remotely edit the SBS and Terminal Server’s registry and look for the keys:

• On SBS:
  • HKLM\Software\Microsoft\SmallBusinessServer\RemoteUserProtal\
    KWLinks\AppTS=1 (wrapped on purpose)
• On the TS:
  • HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\TSEnabled = 1
  • HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\TSAppCompat = 1

If one or both of the keys are not present, create them with the values indicated. If the value for the key is anything but “1″, then edit the key to change that value.
We need to make sure that the Remote Registry service on the TS box is running, and that the firewall has the appropriate ports open to serve TS or the firewall is off altogether.”

This worked a treat for us.

Continue reading »]]> Ran into an issue with 64 bit windows and Sage Line 50.   We use excel to suck data from sage for our stock, accounts, etc… All of the spreadsheets that we have rely on the ODBC connector but it wouldn’t work, even when we tried to configure it via the 32 ODBC control panel applet.   I had another look at it today and a little Google later I found this link.

Here’s what I got from it.  Browse to the C:\Windows\syswow64 folder and run odbcad32.exe, you should now be able to configure the path to your sage data ase before.  This basically fixed the issue, seems to me that Microsoft have some more work do to.

I belive that this is only an issue with Windows 7 64 bit.  I have installed Windows 7 (64 bit) clean and then installed Sage on top of the clean Windows 7, then Excel 2010 (it was Excel 2007 when I first had the issue) and it worked frist time so if you having issues, a bit drastic but maybe a format reinstall will work.  If you go down the reinstall route ensure that you have a fully tested backup.

UPDATE (16/07/2010):

Put the insturctions for the fix on this post, to save a click.

Would you like a video demo?  If so then please leave a comment telling me so, if I receive enough then I, i’ll do it.

Continue reading »]]>  

VMWare player crashes when you try and run Virtual PC along side…. great.  When I try to open the VHD, it can’t convert.  So now I have to spend time installing Windows XP/Vista clients, which I already have into VMWare…..

I’m actually thinking of building a new PC to run Windows Server 2008 on so I can do X64 Vitalization, with more easy…. just don’t want another box and I’ve spent out on 8GB Ram….  Please MS updated virtual PC to allow x64 Guest’s.