• First, right-click the Suggested Contacts folder, choose Properties, select the Outlook Address Book tab, and uncheck the box labeled “Show this folder as an e-mail Address Book”.  This will prevent the Suggested Contacts folder from being searched by the Address Book service.
• Second, click File>Options>Contacts and uncheck the box labeled “Automatically create Outlook contacts for recipients that do not belong to an Outlook Address Book”.  This will prevent Outlook from adding to Suggested Contacts the non-contact addresses to which you send mail.
• Third, you should be able to open the Suggested Contacts, select everything in it by pressing Ctrl+A, then delete them all by pressing or clicking Delete.  The contact folder will no longer populate.  You can also delete the folder by logging into OWA, right clicking on the folder, then left click delete.

Bad News: The folder will re-appear on its own at some arbitrary point, but stays blank.

So, if you have an IPhone for example….you will see the folder listed as a contact group once it re-appears, regardless of whether you removed the address book in outlook and/or disabled the checkbox “Show in address book” in the properties for the suggested contacts list.

Here are 2 Microsoft posts to back this up:

1) http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/office/forum/office_2010-outlook/getting-rid-of-suggested-contacts/daf5c29a-884f-4126-8d01-64d63e172ff6

2) http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/office/forum/office_2010-outlook/how-do-i-delete-the-sugggested-contacts-folders/a0d2bc8e-44d2-4d6a-948b-d9eecec90f36

Once you have setup the printers inside of a GPO, navigate to the following GPO keys:

\computer\policies\admin templates\printers\point and print restrictions —Mark as DISABLED

\user\policies\admin templates\control panel\printers\point and print restrictions —Mark as DISABLED

Make sure that these settings are universal to the domain, or at least applied to all computer and user accounts who need these printers.

Perform a “gpupdate /force /wait:0” on both the server and workstation, then reboot the workstation.

One final note that I should make is that this CAN be done in Windows Server 2003 DC, however, you need to install RSAT on a Windows 7 Machine that is on your domain.  Once installed, install the GPO feature then connect to the Server 2003 DC and modify the GPO keys listed above.  Enjoy your new printer list!

Phishing is a method of online identity theft. Phishing is a scam where Internet fraudsters send communications to trick unsuspecting victims into revealing personal and financial information that can be used to steal one’s identity. Phishers may claim to be from a business or organization that you may with (such as ISPs, banks, online payment services and government agencies) or from an organization that you have never had an association with.

Phishers re-create pages using information from legitimate web sites in hopes of fooling consumers into providing their personal data. The web sites look real and the information sought seems justified. The e-mail may ask you to provide critical account information by replying or clicking on embedded web links which will take you to a site that may appear legitimate, but is actually a malicious site set up to steal your information. In addition to stealing personal and financial data, phishers can infect computers with viruses and convince people to participate unwittingly in money laundering.

Over the years, these scammers have gotten smarter and have created phishing schemes with far greater stealth. So collecting valuable user information started out with phishing tricks to get the user to type it into a phony web form/site, now the user does not even know the malware has loaded into their system when they visited a popular infected site, and that it has logged keystrokes and sent a file back to the “dark side”.

So how do you avoid falling victim to these phishing attacks? Simply being aware that phishing schemes may pop up at any time in your e-mail inbox or in your web browser is probably the best way.

Identifying phishing e-mail or a bogus web site is not always easy. Sometimes, it contains obvious spelling or grammatical errors. In other cases, the errors are harder to spot and there are no visible signs of foul play.

To avoid getting scammed by such bogus e-mails, here are some tips to help safeguard your personal information:

• Do not open suspicious e-mails. Be wary of misspellings, awkward requests or inconsistent grammar.
• A web site link included in an e-mail can make getting to a site easy, but it can also be used to send you to a malicious site. These sites may contain malware (viruses and spyware) that may infect your PC.
• If you have doubts about the authenticity of an e-mail, do not click on any links in the message – instead, type the site or web page address into the address bar of your browser.
• Never type sensitive personal information, such as social security and/or driver license numbers or account numbers and/or passwords, in a reply e-mail.
• Use spam filters to block suspicious e-mails.
• Use industry-endorsed anti-virus and anti-malware programs to automatically detect and eliminate malicious software.

While there are a number of measures your IT provider takes to limit the amount of phishing attacks that occur, it is always wise to be cautious about any unusual messages you receive or sites you are directed to. So think before you click. The best practice for you as the user is to either immediately delete it or report it to your IT manager or consultant.

For more information about phishing, contact your managed services provider or call 215.886.7166.

By now you must have heard about or seen one of the many ads for Salesforce.com. And your first reaction is probably like most, “I’m not in sales so this can’t be a product for me.” If you can get past the name, which, truthfully is a bit misleading, Salesforce is something every business and non-profit should at least investigate, as it’s so much more than what the name implys.

So what is Salesforce and what does it mean for a business like yours? At its core, Salesforce is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution. So it is used by businesses of all sizes and industries to track contacts, leads, opportunities and sales-related data points. But unlike most CRMs, whose functionality is focused around prospecting and closing sales deals, Salesforce and the related Force.com platform can be an end-to-end solution for sales, customer service, project management, and even accounting. Because of the variety of off-the-shelf components and products that Salesforce offers, it has the great capacity for creating custom applications from the ground up, similar to a Microsoft .NET and SQL Server or PHP/MySQL, but Salesforce can literally “do it all”.

While Software as a Service (SaaS) and the ubiquitous cloud are mentioned everywhere these days, it wasn’t long ago that they were not even part of the vocabulary.  Salesforce was one of the first to break onto the scene in 1999 and quickly became the premier player in the SaaS marketplace.

Prior to SaaS, software was typically installed locally on a company’s servers and workstations. Upgrades and updates had to be installed from disks that came in the mail or downloaded from a company’s site. SaaS has changed all that with no software to install and your data can now be accessed directly over the Internet. Create a user name and password and you’re good to go. No waiting for your tech guy to do an install, or worrying about compatibility with your computer’s operating system, or budgeting for the next release cycle. With the program and data all hosted in the cloud, it is accessible through any browser, or mobile device, thus allowing you to access your data wherever and whenever you need it.

Because SaaS, and Salesforce have caught on so quickly, the market has attracted many product developers. In the Salesforce world, these products are showcased in the AppExchange, an online marketplace for Force.com-based applications that can be integrated with the core Sales and Service cloud products that Salesforce makes available. This allows you to extend your data and use of it across multiple departments and functions.  From integration of your Salesforce data with Microsoft Outlook, to marketing automation with common tools like Google AdWords, to full-scale apps for accounting and HR, you can search the vast AppExchange for just about any common business database need, and you’re bound to find a suitable solution.

In addition to enterprise and small/mid-sized business, non-profits and similar orgs are well represented in the Salesforce community. Not only can the Enterprise version be obtained for free or steep discount by qualified organizations, there are also plenty of uses and apps for non-profits to make Salesforce the go-to platform.  Through donations of the product for eligible non-profits, higher education, K-12 and religious institutions, the Salesforce Foundation allows organizations to make use of the popular SaaS solution at a fraction of the cost of what for-profit companies pay. Combine this with the multitude of AppExchange products available, you would be hard pressed not to find the perfect solution in this platform for your institution.  

Like anything, Salesforce and Force.com are not for every business or budget. The per user per month cost for the for-profit seats can add up quickly and is perpetual, so companies need to take a long look at the ROI relative to 100% custom-developed web solutions and rapid deployment client-server products before selecting the Salesforce path. But, for hassle-free, off-the-shelf functionality that can fairly quickly be modified by even non-programmers and can be supported by a diverse, ever-growing developer community, few products can compare to Salesforce today.

As a Registered Partner and custom developer of Salesforce solutions, along with a number of other technologies, IT Solutions is well-poised to help you evaluate the force of Salesforce and help you decide if it’s a fit for your business.

Interested in knowing more?  Contact Jim Higgins at 215-886-7166 to set up a complimentary consultation.

So here is a little VBA script that addresses this zoom issue. You are more than welcome to use it if the situation arises. Hopefully MS will fix this glitch. I have included both the script and the directions to add it.

Script:

Option Explicit

Dim WithEvents objInspectors As Outlook.Inspectors

Dim WithEvents objOpenInspector As Outlook.Inspector

Dim WithEvents objMailItem As Outlook.MailItem

Private Sub Application_Startup()

Set objInspectors = Application.Inspectors

End Sub

Private Sub Application_Quit()

Set objOpenInspector = Nothing

Set objInspectors = Nothing

Set objMailItem = Nothing

End Sub

Private Sub objInspectors_NewInspector(ByVal Inspector As Inspector)

If Inspector.CurrentItem.Class = olMail Then

Set objMailItem = Inspector.CurrentItem

Set objOpenInspector = Inspector

End If

End Sub

Private Sub objOpenInspector_Close()

Set objMailItem = Nothing

End Sub

Private Sub objOpenInspector_Activate()

Dim wdDoc As Word.Document

Set wdDoc = objOpenInspector.WordEditor

wdDoc.Windows(1).Panes(1).View.Zoom.Percentage = 140

End Sub

Instructions:

1. While in Outlook 2010 press Alt-F11 to invoke the VBA Editor
2. On the left side locate ThisOutlookSession (you may have to open up Project1)
3. Double click on ThisOutlookSession
4. On the right window of the screen copy and paste the code above
5. Then click Tools -> References
6. In the scroll box scroll down and select Microsoft Word 14.0 Object Library
7. Click OK and make sure this is now added
8. Click on Save
9. Quit VBA Editor Alt-Q
10. Now you should be back in Outlook
11. Select File -> Options -> Trust Center
12. Click the Trust Center Setting button
13. Select Marco Settings
14. Select Enable All Marcos (Not recommended…)
15. Click OK twice
16. Close and exit Outlook
17. Restart and open an email

You will notice the last line of code “wdDoc.Windows(1).Panes(1).View.Zoom.Percentage = 140” The number is the zoom percentage. You can change this if you would like and test it out. See which one works best for you.

Also if your organization has a class 2 or class 3 digital certificate you can digitally sign the macro. With a digitally signed macro select “notification for digitally signed macros…” in step 14 above.

Part One:

Through the years the Microsoft Windows Operating System (OS) has grown from 16-bit to 32-bit and now to 64-bit. Even though Microsoft has added features and security settings that have caused the OS to swell in ize, it is actually much more stable and harder to crash than previous versions. The newest OS, Microsoft Windows 7, uses the User Mode and the Kernel Mode protection systems to allow multiple applications to run at the same time while greatly reducing the chance for a system crash. But crashes do happen, especially the Blue Screen error affectionately known as the “Blue Screen of Death” or BSOD. Whether or not you have a helpdesk to call for your network support needs, figuring out the cause and troubleshooting BSOD can be exhausting. We have found that the most common causes of BSOD in Windows operating systems are faulty device drivers, but it can also be caused by software or hardware errors, Windows installation errors, startup errors, or intermittent errors.

So knowing what causes Windows 7 to crash is the first step. The next step is finding the best way to stop these crashes from happening. Keeping your system updated is a good start. This means Microsoft updates for Windows and other software, such as Microsoft Office, third party drivers – especially video drivers, hardware drivers and firmware, and BIOS. Check your system by running a virus and spyware scan. Check the computer for hardware or memory errors – memory faults can easily cause Blue Screen errors. Another way to stop these crashes is by undoing recent changes with System Restore or booting into safe mode to troubleshoot the startup or driver issues. You can also try and load the default BIOS settings as resource conflicts and timing issues can be caused by incorrect BIOS settings. But in reality the most common cause of blue screen errors is a faulty device driver. Outdated, incorrect or corrupt drivers can cause the system to encounter a Stop error, resulting in a BSOD. The easiest way to fix a BSOD is to reinstall and update the systems device drivers.

So you’ve done all of the above but are still experiencing crashes and blue screens? Troubleshooting the BSOD error can be difficult, but Microsoft has given us some tools to uncover and address the source of the operating system crash. The first thing to do is to setup the Startup and Recovery settings as shown in Fig 1. 

Fig 1.

By unchecking the ‘Automatically restart’ option the computer will no longer automatically reboot after a BSOD and we can take a look at the crash screen and get the error message and stop error code (Fig 2). This also allows us to get a physical dump or ‘Minidump’ of the processes that were running and/or loaded in memory. Note: Although we will get both a Kernel dump file and a Minidump file for each crash the system will only save the last Kernel dump file. You will have a Minidump file for every crash event.

Fig. 2

There are a myriad or stop error codes and messages. I will list the common ones below and what they reference.

A complete list of stop codes and descriptions can be found on the MSDN Library site located here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh406232(v=VS.85).aspx

Although these error codes are helpful, we can also check the Windows event logs for more information related to the crash (Fig 3).  You should check all system and application events that preceded the system crash.

Fig. 3

We can also look at the error report generated by Windows before sending it to Microsoft (Fig. 4) to see if it sheds any more light on the error and for the location of the Minidump file.

Fig. 4

An important point that is not well known is that most crashes are repeat crashes. This is because most administrators are not able to resolve system crashes immediately. As a result those crashes unfortunately tend to occur again.

Hopefully these steps will assist you in resolving the BSOD error.

In the next installment of this blog we will use the WinDbg utility to analyze the MEMORY.DMP and Minidump files to further track down the cause of the system crash.

These considerations are important, but even more vital to your relocation is the moving and setup of your technology. Without technology, most businesses cannot operate. Can you work without the internet? Without the phone? Without access to your network?

Review this checklist at least eight weeks before your move to ensure you’ll be fully operational at your new office.

1.    Do a Walk-Through. Identify where your PCs, printers and other systems will sit in the new office. Determine if you need new outlets installed to accommodate your equipment. Keep in mind your servers should not share outlets with other equipment. You’ll likely need a dedicated 30 Amp circuit for servers in a room that you can temperature-control.

2.    Assess the Telephone System. As your company grows, your telephone system must grow with it. Some providers limit the flexibility of phone systems to force you to purchase a whole new system as your company expands. If you’re going to purchase a new telephone system for your new office, make sure it’s flexible. Also, purchase you’re a system that can make calls through the Internet. Cheap internet calls are the way of the future, so even though you may not use this service much at first, you don’t want to pay to upgrade later.

3.    Choose Phone Features. Identify features you can’t live without and those that aren’t essential. Find out what features carry more fees. Here are some features for you to consider:

• Call transfer, conference and forwarding
• Hunt groups or Pick-up groups
• Voicemail
• Auto attendant (press 1 for billing, 2 for sales, etc)
• Hold music
• Reporting & analytics
• Call recording
• Remote connection for mobile devices

4.    Choose Extensions. Do all employees need their own extensions? Each additional line will carry an extra cost. If you don’t do most of your work over the phone, you may only need a few phone lines.

5.    Order Call Redirection. If you don’t get to keep your old phone number, divert the calls automatically through call redirection. Your telephone provider can set this up. Don’t forget to change your address and phone number on your website, business cards and stationery.

6.    Check the Cabling. If your network runs in Gigabit speeds, your cabling must be a minimum of CAT5e or CAT6.

7.   Choose the Type of Data Connection. Talk to a managed service provider to determine which connection type will best suit your needs. For example, if you have a high level of data and voice throughput, choose a T1 line, which carries 24 phone lines. This option can get pretty expensive. Broadband service can come from your cable TV company, phone provider, and more. It can come in digital T1 or T3 lines, DSL, or fiber optic connections.

8.    Plan Your Timing. It can take at least two weeks for your new service provider to install and get your systems running properly. Time your move properly so you’re not moved in and unable to run your business.

9.    Update MX Records. When the broadband connection to your new office changes, the MX records will need to be updated. Although this usually happens quickly, it can take up to 48 hours to take effect. Consider requesting the update on Friday before you close for the day. This way, come Monday morning, you should be all set. If you need help, contact an experienced IT company for help.

10.    Back Up & Pack Up. Back up your systems before you unplug. Label everything so that reassembly is a cinch. Take proper care in packing and moving your technology safely.
The key to any office move is organization. Plan ahead with your technical service providers to ensure your move goes smoothly.

The key to any office relocation is organization. Plan ahead with your IT services provider to ensure your move goes smoothly

To resolve the issue, boot into Windows RE (stands for Recovery Environment). When you reboot the server, you’ll get two options. One to “Start Windows Normally”, the other says “Launch Startup Repair (recommended)”. Choose Startup Repair. After entering the local Admin password (which on Domain Controllers is the AD restore PW), you’ll see a Window with a few options. Click Command Prompt to open a DOS prompt Window.

At the DOS prompt, DIR C:. You will probably see volume information that says System Reserved and no files. If you do see a Windows directory on the C: drive, then you probably do not have the problem described in this article.

At the DOS prompt, enter REGEDIT. This will open the Registry Editor. Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices. Look for the values named \DosDevices\drive letter:. We need to find the boot partition’s drive letter. It will usually be assigned the first available drive letter after C: From the command prompt, perform a directory listing of each drive letter after C: until you find the drive with the \Windows and \Users directories. This is the real C: drive. Note its drive letter.

In Registry Editor, rename the value \DosDevices\C: to \DosDevices\J: (or any other available letter). Next rename the value representing the real C: drive to \DosDevices\C:.

Reboot your computer and you’re all set. We still attempting to determine what’s causing this, but following these steps will get a Windows server having this issue up and running promptly.

Bill Gross, Technical Services Director
MCSE: Security, RHCE, VCP4
IT Solutions Consulting, Inc.
http://www.itsolutions-inc.com

8/9/2011 Update:

We still have no idea what’s causing this issue, but it’s happened on a few more of the domain controllers we manage. Fortunately, using this method we’ve been able to get them up and running pretty quickly. That being said, I discussed this with a colleague, Mike Brehm, who pointed out that when I run regedit from the Recovery Environment, I’m actually editing the Recovery Environment’s registry, and not the Windows installation’s registry. (The Windows installation’s registry can be opened by running a reg add command). The server Mike was working on was not fixed by the Regedit trick, instead he booted into AD Restore Mode and reinistalled VMware tools. That resolved the issue in his instance. Other servers experiencing this problem have been fixed, at least temporarily, using the Regedit method, though sometimes the engineers implementing the solution had to try it a couple of times. I used the fix on two servers, it worked the first time on both, but the issue did recur on one.

So, we now have an intermittent problem of unknown cause, that can apparently be resolved by a trick that, based on our understanding of Windows, shouldn’t work.

All servers experiencing this problem have been Domain Controllers running Windows Server 2008 on ESX and ESXi 4.1. So, maybe it is does have something to do with a VMware driver, and reinstalling VMware tools is a true fix, and whatever happens with my registry fix is pure luck.

Solution:

-          Log on to the client PC, launch Add/Remove Programs and remove the following Microsoft Office 2003 Updates (Post SP3 Updates).

• Remove the Office 2003 KB2541025 Update first, then close out of Add/Remove Programs
• Launch Add/Remove Programs and you will see the Office 2003 KB250278 Update appear, remove this update.

Once the 2 updates are removed in the order above, you can launch Excel 2003 and the delay will be gone. It is a good idea to block these patches going forward.

The tool gives you some very valuable information about ALL the wireless networks visible (and sometimes invisible) to your wireless NIC.

MAC addresses, broadcast channels, privacy type, even WAP Vendor all on display.  The Channel Display makes it easy to see how different networks broadcast on conflicting/interfering channels, as well as comparative strength of WLAN signal strength.

 Plus, it’s free!