Setup to shared printer from Mac OS 10.6 or newer

When trying to link to a Windows Vista, 7 or 8 shared printer from Mac OS 10.6 or newer, you may find that the printer gives this error message. Essentially, SMB printing from CUPS (the Mac OS printing system) seems broken – it does not pass along the correct user name and password (even when entered manually).

The solution is quite long winded… Firstly, ensure that the printer is shared on the Windows machine, with a share name with no spaces. (i.e. not “Canon IP 6700D”, but “CanonIP6”)

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How to resize a partition on a hard drive Using GParted

When using GParted to resize a partition on a hard drive you have cloned you may notice an exclamation mark on the drive.

When you attempt to apply the resize it will most likely fail, and you may receive an error message, similar to the one below, stating that there are “bad sectors” on the disk.

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Adding phpShield to Linux Hosting

SSH into the server
Run:
​​/usr/local/bin/php-config --extension-dir
The result shows the PHP extension directory
/usr/local/lib/php/extensions/no-debug-non-zts-20100525
​
​Upload the latest version of ixed.5.4.lin to this directory using WinSCP or similar file transfer tool
Find the location of php.ini​
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Manually set FreePBX timezone

Check here for the correct timezone: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tz_database_time_zones​

SSH into the server

Run the following, with the relevant TZ database timezone. In this example, Europe/London

​ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/Europe/London /etc/localtime
Then, edit /ect/sysconfig/clock
nano /etc/sysconfig/clock

Change the line to the correct TZ timezone:

ZONE="Europe/London"

Save the file

Run to check all is now correct:
date

Reboot the server

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Join a wireless network before login

Export the existing wifi setup

​netsh wlan export profile %SSIDName% folder=c:\temp
XML files of the existing connections will be exported to c:\temp. Find the one you want all users to access. You need to modify the to false and enter the wireless key.

You will end up with something like this:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<WLANProfile xmlns="http://www.microsoft.com/networking/WLAN/profile/v1">
<name>Best Network</name>
<SSIDConfig>
<SSID>
<hex>42657374204E6574776F726B</hex>
<name>Best Network</name>
</SSID>
</SSIDConfig>
<connectionType>ESS</connectionType>
<connectionMode>auto</connectionMode>
<MSM>
<security>
<authEncryption>
<authentication>WPA2PSK</authentication>

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How to reset a network card in Windows

Open Control Panel
Click Hardware and Sound
Click Device Manager

In Network Adapters, find the LAN card you want to reset – this is often something like:

• Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller
• Broadcom NetXtreme 57xx Gigabit Controller
• Intel PRO/1000MT Network Adapter

Right click on the adapter and click Uninstall
You will be warned that this will remove the device from the system – ensure that ‘Delete the driver software’ is *not* ticked if this is shown

Note: Clicking OK will disconnect your remote access session if you are connected!

Click OK
The icon will disappear, and the network adapter will be disabled
At the top of the device manager list, the PC name is displayed
Right click this PC name and select Scan for hardware changes

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Countdown to End-of-Support for Windows XP

On April 8th 2014, Microsoft will end support for its decade-old Windows XP. This means, you will no longer receive security updates, fixes or online technical support for PCs still running Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003. The security and privacy implications of this event could have significant impacts on your business, so if you’re running either of these products you should plan to take action soon.
As a precaution, we would recommend all our clients to consider upgrading to the latest supported operating systems such as Windows 7 or Windows 8.1. Customers migrating to these platforms will benefit from enhanced security, broad device choice for a mobile workforce and higher user productivity.
Why upgrade now?

1. No support: Microsoft support, including online and phone-based technical support, will end. As a result both Jaytag and any other IT support company will not be able to properly support Windows XP.
2. Security Risks: Critical security updates will stop, making machines much more vulnerable to viruses. Hackers are waiting to take advantage of this insecurity. If your computer gets a virus your machine will not only not perform properly – it may shut down entirely. Moreover, you are at risk for losing files and having your personal and business information stolen. Anti-virus software will also not be able to fully protect you once Windows XP itself is unsupported.
3. Compliance: Businesses that are governed by regulatory obligations may find that they are no longer able to satisfy compliance requirements e.g. PCI compliance.

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Sporttracks v2 – Map problem fixed

 

With Sporttracks v2, there is an issue that the Terraserver map plugin no longer functions correctly. Maps cannot be zoomed, and over time, none of the routemaps appear to display at all. Thankfully, there is a user created plugin called Apply Routes. Apply Routes provides a number of extensions to the SportTracks functionality: It adds a number of MapProviders (google, microsoft, openlayers, geoportail) - See more...

Send test email via telnet

It’s often useful to test an email server manually – to ensure the port is open and redirected properly, and also that the server is delivering messages to the mailbox correctly.
Here is how to send an email manually with telnet:

Open a command prompt on the PC you will send the test email from telnet server.server.com 25​

HELO jaytag.co.uk (response will be 250 OK)

MAIL FROM:dmcmillan@jaytag.co.uk (response should be 250 OK – mail from dmcmillan@jaytag.co.uk)

RCPT TO:james@stephenrjames.com (response should be 250 OK – Recipient james@stephenrjames.com)

DATA (response should be 354 Send data. End with CRLF.CRLF) - See more...

How to reset a network card in Windows

Open Control Panel
Click Hardware and Sound
Click Device Manager
In Network Adapters, find the LAN card you want to reset – this is often something like:
Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller
Broadcom NetXtreme 57xx Gigabit Controller
Intel PRO/1000MT Network Adapter
Right click on the adapter and click Uninstall
You will be warned that this will remove the device from the system – ensure that ‘Delete the driver software’ is *not* ticked if this is shown Note: Clicking OK will disconnect your remote access session if you are connected! - See more...

Convert plain numbers to MAC addresses with Excel

We use the following formula if you need a – between the octets:
 =MID(c2,1,2)&"-"&MID(c2,3,2)&"-"&MID(c2,5,2)&"-"& MID(c2,7,2)&"-"&MID(c2,9,2)&"-"&MID(c2,11,2)

We use the following formula if you need a :
between the octets:
=MID(c2,1,2)&":"&MID(c2,3,2)&":"&MID(c2,5,2)&":"& MID(c2,7,2)&":"&MID(c2,9,2)&":"&MID(c2,11,2) - See more...

No DAHDI modules on the system. Not starting

You need to retrieve the correct kernel-devel for the kernel of linux you are running, and remake DAHDI from source
SSH onto the machine and run: uname -r
Note the kernel version. then, google for kernel-devel (kernel version) find a suitable download source (i.e. from rpm.pbone.net) then on the machine rpm -ivh ftp://ftp.is.co.za/mirror/centos/6.5/updates/x86_64/Packages/kernel-devel-2.6.32-431.1.2.0.1.el6.x86_64.rpm - See more...

Internet Explorer and HMRC – this file could not be downloaded

If you are unable to download P60, CT100 or VAT forms from the HMRC website, you may need to check that Adobe Reader is working correctly. Often, an issue with the installation will mean the PDF file from the HMRC site will not open automatically. The error message will then appear – “this file could not be downloaded”. Here is how to fix the problem: In Internet Explorer, go to Tools (or the small cog icon) then click Internet Options Select the Advanced tab Check the Do not save encrypted pages to disk option is ticked in the security section Click OK - See more...

Session setup failed: NT_STATUS_INVALID_PARAMETER

When trying to link to a Windows Vista, 7 or 8 shared printer from Mac OS 10.6 or newer, you may find that the printer gives this error message.
Essentially, SMB printing from CUPS (the Mac OS printing system) seems broken – it does not pass along the correct user name and password (even when entered manually). The solution is quite long winded… Firstly, ensure that the printer is shared on the Windows machine - See more...

On Hold (Authentication Required) – Mac OSX and Windows printing

The solution to this issue is the same as another error: Session setup failed: NT_STATUS_INVALID_PARAMETER We have detailed the solution here.
Read more...

Windows XP Recovery Console – KB310994 download

Windows XP Recovery Console – KB310994 download

To manually install the Windows Recovery Console, you have to have the necessary updates. It seems Microsoft have removed the link to the recovery console that used to be linked to from here.

This makes running tools like ComboFix for example, quite difficult.
I’ve sourced the files (at least for SP2 and up) they are mirrored here: windowsxp-kb310994-sp2-home-bootdisk-enu.exe – For Windows XP Home SP2 and newer. windowsxp-kb310994-sp2-pro-bootdisk-enu.exe – For Windows XP Professional SP2 and newer. - See more...

Office 365 – Set the default domain

When you first setup Office365, Microsoft provides you with a default domain – usually companyname.onmicrosoft.com – for example, the Jaytag domain is jaytag.onmicrosoft.com.

This can cause a small headache – as it’s not obvious when you have added your companies domain where to set this as default – so when you add new users, the primary email address will be emailaddress@companyname.onmicrosoft.com.

To set the default domain to the domain you have added, login to Office365 and click into the adminin - See more...

Installing Ubuntu 8.04 on a Viglen MPC-L

 

The Viglen MPC-L (<– PDF link) is a low powered (both in terms of CPU speed and power consumption) compact computer. They are extremely similar to the Linutop machine (i.e. identical) and are actually an FIC ION 503 under the hood. It comes preinstalled with xubuntu, a version of ubuntu that substitutes the gnome window manager with XFCE. Better still, email Duncan Hargreaves at Viglen (tell them the ubuntu podcast sent you) and you can pick one up for a mere £79. If like us, you are a stickler for utilising similar OS environments for support reasons (including the window manager) then a full install of ubuntu is the way to go. - See more...  

Conficker Virus – Think you have it?

Conficker Virus – Think you have it?

The Conficker virus has to be one of the most difficult to get rid of. But how can you quickly diagnose if you have it? There are some well known signs: Windows Update and Automatic Updates are blocked System Restore has been turned off You cannot access anti-virus websites (such as Symantec, McAfee, AVG etc.) There is now also an even quicker way: Click Here Think you might be infected? - See more...

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Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance. Check back in a minute

 

This WordPress error message appears when a plugin update fails half way through. The fix is extremely simple: FTP to your WordPress installation directory Delete the .maintenance file at the root wordpress folder (where wp-config.php lives) Login and retry the plugin operation - See more...