New and Improved?

[lonewolf]

Ah, here it is again, Saturday, when I can look forward to clicking "MORE INFO" 20 times to see who's playing locally.

Thats's OK... Windows XP Professional is new and improved, right? Try using its "search" on a Windows 2003 Server mapped network drive. It doesn't work! Remember Windows 98 when it was called "Find" instead of "Search". At least it worked when I was "finding" something.

Another NEW AND IMPROVED feature is the elimination of "Network Neighborhood" from the Windows desktop. Why would anybody right out of the box want to double-click a desktop icon to reveal all the computers in their workgroup? Oh, hell, why bother putting anything on the desktop besides a subscription to MSN? They don't need My Computer or Network Neighborhood...they can find (or search) for their workgroup and if they are lucky, find it in 6 or 7 mouse clicks. Maybe GM should start putting steering wheels in the trunks.

These are client side examples...I could go on and on about server side and enterprise quarks, but one thing that is common to most:

In the quest for post-Y2K-guaranteed-obsolescence, I have found few pieces of software that work as well as their pre-Y2K counterparts. I think its time for a new career......

[bassist_25]

Tech..tech...tech...

But on a serious note...

I think that it's time for a new career.

No, it's just time to switch to Linux.

[lonewolf]

Tech..tech...tech...

But on a serious note...

I think that it's time for a new career.

No, it's just time to switch to Linux.

Linux is OK for web servers, but nobody makes serious engineering and manufacturing enterprise software for that platform. In this business you have 2 choices: IBM mid/mainframe or Windows Server.

[RobTheDrummer]

Why not get Ron, Lonewolf, and Hurricane together and create a new system?

[KMFDM ROB]

I've got retail copies of XP, that it won't let me update because it cannot authenticate...I have to wait for someone to UL pirated copies with the service packs and updates, because mine can't update...that's microsoft for ya!

[songsmith]

I still have a desktop running '98 (I'm on my laptop now), and I actually prefer it to XP. It seems more stable and robust to me, but I'm not an expert at anything computer-related except porn. --->JMS

[BDR]

My computer has "solitaire" on it. I can change the style of cards whenever I want.

r:>)

[HurricaneBob]

I been beta testing Vista and it still sucks.

LW, go to display properties, desktop, customize desktop and you can check what desktop items you want to show. Network neighborhood is now My Network Places.

[Banned]

I been beta testing Vista and it still sucks.

I think people's love for Vista will be directly proportional to how much of a woodie they have for OS X. (To be fair, I'm as much of a sucker for pretty UI as anybody.)

[lonewolf]

I been beta testing Vista and it still sucks.

LW, go to display properties, desktop, customize desktop and you can check what desktop items you want to show. Network neighborhood is now My Network Places.

We may know this, but what about the 150 users for whom I have to provide helpdesk, many of whom don't even have a home computer?

To be more specific, Network Neighborhood is now called "Computers Near Me". To get it on your desktop:

Network Neighborhood = Start + My Computer + My Network Places + Computers Near Me + "UP 1 FOLDER" + Find your workgroup + right-click on your workgroup + Create Shortcut + OK

Of course, this resulting gem is called "Shortcut to Workgroup". If you don't like that title, you can always rename it to Network Neighborhood.

What was wrong with just having "Network Neighborhood"? The above procedure is not "improved" and it sure doesn't make Windows more user friendly than before. Its just another hidden steering wheel in one of those many new Windows trunks.

What about searching files or folders a Windows 2003 Server mapped network drive? It just plain does not work. Thats really screwed up.

Also, for Kelsey Grammar to note: the end-quotation mark is on the outside of a sentence's punctuation mark ONLY if the entire sentence is quoted. Network Neighborhood, above, requires that the end-quote is inside the question mark because it is a phrase within the sentence, not the entire sentence.

[HurricaneBob]

Every server and i used to setup were installed as Primary Domain controllers, where users log onto the domain and not the local computer. I believe they call primary and secondary tied servers Forests now, its been a year or two since i worked the IT field. BTW, Gates ripped off Novell on this.

This way the admin sets all the users rights and permissions and mapped drives for the domain. If you run server side apps, all desktops were set with all the shortcuts for every user who logs in. Kinda like dummy terminals. A server side proflile instead of a local. If the primary is down, a user cant login unless a secondary controller is used. not even to the local profile, unless you uncheck the domain name. I could log in from any workstation and have my admin desktop.

This way saves alot of hassle and time messing with each individual computer. Use remote desktop connection so you dont have to leave your chair for other problems.

Setting up users and groups takes some time but in the long run the phone and beeper stay quiet. I used to specialize in groups with different permissions, admins, operators, super users, users, ect. Adding specific users to groups was time saving.

Let me know if your servers are DC's, i might still have MMC scripts i used to run.

[Starr]

God...I think I'm creamin' myself with all this computer-geek talk.

[lonewolf]

2003 Server is very different and eliminated the primary and backup (not secondary) domain controllers. All the servers are equal now. For some reason, indexing also does away with the clients' ability to search files and folders.

Profiles worked fine when I was running NT Server at PennState in the early to late 90s because the student computers were supposed to all look the same. I tried it here at this manufacturing company and everybody freaked out because they didn't want to be told what their desktop looked like. Then you have so many people with so many different functions, different printers and different servers that it would require SO many profiles that you just forget that idea. It is actually easier to customize the new and screwed up Windows XP.

I've been doing this stuff 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for 15 years now. I had lots of training seminars at PSU and was an admin in the College of Engineering Network. I doubt there are any old tricks that I don't know about. Its the new ones (or lack of) that I'd like to see.

[bfoust]

... I have an Xbox 360!

[HurricaneBob]

2003 Server is very different and eliminated the primary and backup (not secondary) domain controllers. All the servers are equal now. For some reason, indexing also does away with the clients' ability to search files and folders.

Profiles worked fine when I was running NT Server at PennState in the early to late 90s because the student computers were supposed to all look the same. I tried it here at this manufacturing company and everybody freaked out because they didn't want to be told what their desktop looked like. Then you have so many people with so many different functions, different printers and different servers that it would require SO many profiles that you just forget that idea. It is actually easier to customize the new and screwed up Windows XP.

I've been doing this stuff 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for 15 years now. I had lots of training seminars at PSU and was an admin in the College of Engineering Network. I doubt there are any old tricks that I don't know about. Its the new ones (or lack of) that I'd like to see.

Im glad i got out when i did ....

[Staceman]

A Linux distro running Samba is a nice replacement for a Windows PDC. Of course, being Linux, it can be a total bastard to set up at first, but after that, it's smooth sailing.

[MOONDOGGY]

I think its time for a new career......

I think you may be right Mr. Wolf. In the few weeks that I've been working in the same office with you, I've noticed you slowly slipping towards insanity, to no fault of your own. I have a whole new respect for network guys because of you. When something goes wrong, people go crying to you and passing the blame your way, when all you did was manage keep the server alive for eight years! Since you already have your cubicle packed up, you should just hand in your two week notice and make music for a living! (I would do the two-week notice thing rather than simply walking out, just for the sake of not burning any bridges!) Either way, it's fun having you in the office yelling and swearing! It adds just enough fun at work to keep people from slitting their wrists.

I got this good quote from a movie I saw the other night:

"You can't take life so seriously.....You'll never get out alive."

[bassist_25]

I remember whenever I would try and set up a secondary domain server with NT, it was always a crap shoot on whether it would even actually join to the domain. Half the time I would install the OS, and near the end it would attempt to join. Either it would or wouldn't. If it didn't, well that usually meant an F-disk and another attempt at reinstalling. But I don't think I've ever worked on an NT server out in the "real world". By the time I started working in IT, most companies were using 2000 as their primary networking OS. There were a few clients we had that were still using NT for workstations, but I can't recall any NT servers.

I have a whole new respect for network guys because of you. When something goes wrong, people go crying to you and passing the blame your way, when all you did was manage keep the server alive for eight years!

Dude, IT is the ultimate test to see whether you have customer service skills. It's a highly skilled field - oftentimes requiring more skill than some of the idiots you work for - yet when the shit rolls down the hill, it's always you at the bottom. I remember that I was once asked a question from a client on why she had to click through a folder on her desktop to accesss a certain file. I know that it's a major inconvience to double-click that folder first so I saved the file to her desktop. Then there was the idiot client who thought that it was my fault I couldn't join his computer to the network, even though he went and bought the computer from a 3rd party and didn't bother to find out what the local administrator password was.

But IT is worth it to play with all the latest technical goodies.

[lonewolf]

Silver Sunday has the right idea!

[homerski]

I started in this business back in 1983 when the only (mainstream) O/S's available for microcomputers were DOS 1.1, CP/M, Unix, and Apple DOS.

Of all of these, only unix was developed from the ground up to be used in a networked environment.

That is the crux of the problem.

Microsoft O/S's have always been and continue to be a personal computer O/S.

All releases of anything network related have been kluges and patches and added services to the base O/S to perform functions like file and print services, domain (user, group, policy) management, etc...

Proof of this is that every MS O/S has a Workstation (read Personal Computer) service function that it can not function without. And in 90% of the cases, guess who has control of the desktop (workstation),.??,, THE END USER. So this is where most of the virus and trojan writers focus their attacks. If you can gain control of the workstation, it is much easier to gain control of the Server functions.

Have you ever tried to use a Novell Server as a personal computer workstation to launch applications or play games?? Nope, can't be done. Novell has always been a Server O/S, oh and by the way originally written in Unix).

Don't get me wrong, I like Microsoft, if for no other reason, they have allowed me to make very good money fixing their customers problems. I don't see this changing anytime soon.

Right now I'm working for a major financial institution as a Network and Security administrator. I get to work with scanners, firewalls, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS's), secure links and protocols, and systems management systems.

One of my major focii is Virtualization (consolidation of physical servers to virtual ones, that can then be managed using a control program called a "Hypervisor") using VMware. Here's a stock tip, Buy VMware !!

I'm not sure why I'm writing this because if you're an IT geek like me, then you already know this, and if you aren't, you probably couldn't care less.

John Homerski Jr.
MCSE (Microsft Certified Systems Engnineer)
MCP (Microsft Certified Professional) - SMS (Systems Management Server) expert
CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker)
CTT+ (Certified Technical Trainer)
CNA (Certified Netware Administrator)
CET (Certified Electronics Technician)
A+ (CompTIA A+)
EI-EI-EI-O (Polka Drummer)

By the way, I am always available as a Contracted Consultant.
(814) 948-7254
john@homerski.com