Techie Nick

Exchange 2010 Beta

2009-04-16T08:01:00Z

Last night (Thursday 16th) I finally got round to putting an intel processor with intel's Virtualization technology in it, this meant that I could actually have 64bit guest hosts.

Finally a proper installation of exchange. Before I'd had a 32 bit virtual PC to run the edge transport host. Well no more. I also took this time to uninstall exchange 2007 and put exchange 2010 beta on.

OMG it took nearly 8 hours to do. 3 of those hours were spent trying to get Hyper-V to work properly with the networing. It doesn't work like Virtual PC or VMWare. So I went back to VMServer.

The mail server went down at 5pm yesterday, and didn't come back online until 12.20am Friday. Just over 7 hours of downtime.

Anyhow, here's a video of what I managed to finally get working:

(Please visit the site to view this media)

My New Phone

2009-02-03T11:06:58Z

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Work, work and, yes, more work.

2009-01-09T20:07:02Z

Hello all, long time no see. I’ve got a full time job as the only IT technician at a school of 750 students and 50+ staff, just up the road. Because of that I’m usually exhausted when I get home. So understand when I say I’m sorry for not posting anything since my MS MVP award.

My job involves using an RM based network (based on win server 2003 r2 and xp) which is quiet easy to manage, and easy to build pc’s, this network is for the kids and teaching staff. We then have a win server 2003 r2 and xp active directory network for the admin side of things. The separation is due to our Local Authority needs remote access to a server to update SIMS (the Information Management System and Finance Software), so keeping the two separate is useful, and a security aspect. Now on Monday (3rd) I put in an exchange server on the RM system (since all staff have RM user/passwords) but not all have admin users, so it works out better. Now because of Powys, getting this setup took 3 days, and about a month before the Christmas break (the only person in Powys who has access/knowledge of the DNS/Gateway/Proxy system was away on holiday. Once I finally got hold of her, and after a few misunderstanding we finally got things working, OWA for staff and a little program called hmailserver with an IMAP client (asp.net/js based) in front of it for the students. All works quite well. Just have to force the staff to use shared calendars on it now :-P Now the nice thing about this new system compared the LA’s previous install, is that usernames and passwords are the same as the credentials used to log on the network. Which means the children have less to remember, considering at the start of term, on average I have to reset about 5 passwords each day.

I’m worked off my feet, mainly my fault, but sometimes others. Working with kids can be stressful sometimes, not that I show it that much.

I have to keep an eye on the kids in the ICT rooms during lunch and break, so even then I don’t get much free time, but it’s interesting, banging on Kiss 101 on the old computer to torture the kids :-P

Speaking of my MVP award, that got me in to the Windows 7 Private Beta, you know the one on connect. Got my copy of windows 7 yesterday, both x64 and x86, and just had to wait for a 8gb USB memory stick to arrive so I could install it on my laptop (laptop doesn’t have DVD drive). Just so you know there are instructions on HOWTO: Install Windows Vista from a high speed USB 2.0 Flash Drive - Windows Live detailing how to install Windows Vista from a USB flash drive. Now since Windows 7’s installer is built on Vista’s, you can use the same processes, and I have to say, it’s quite easy to do, and a bit quicker than using a DVD.

I can’t wait to test my DVB-S2 tuner with Windows Media Center in Win 7. 1080i HD BBCHD and ITVHD. Just can’t wait for C4 HD to join Freesat.

Anyhow, see my Windows 7 Album:

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My MVP Award, Pics

2008-10-11T12:07:50Z

Here’s some pics of my getting my MVP award through DHL

Phoyosynth

I’ve gotten a Microsoft MVP Award for 2009

2008-10-02T06:29:06Z

OMFG, I’ve just been awarded the microsoft MVP award for my work on CSLive.

So now you all have to bow down and worship me, hehehehe.

On another note, work is going great, though I’m knackered when I get home from work @ 5/6pm in the evening. So please understand why I’m not doing much else at the moment.

1/2 term is coming up soon, but I’m working through that, and I’m saving my paid days off for when my mate alex comes down.

Thanks,

Nick Brown – IT Technician of Crickhowell High School

Start work on Monday

2008-08-25T21:57:51Z

Right, just incase some of you didn’t know, I’ll be starting full time IT tech work on 1st September 2008 (Monday). My hours are going to be 8am – 4pm (usually), so it’s not going to leave much time for playing with CS.

I’ll attempt to get CSLive 2.0 out the door and do reperion’s site and theme.

So enjoy, because this will likely be the last of me in full time CS dev mode.

I have a training and trail day on Wednesday, so if you need to contact me on Wednesday, DON’T!!

Hehe.

I’ve been a bit bored recently, waiting for CS 2008.5, so here’s what I’ve been working on, a new website for my IT Tech Job:

I had to take a jpg image of the logo and make a PSD out of it, just for this muck around. Anyhow wish me luck.

Nick signing off for now

Employment Looms

2008-08-09T01:39:16Z

As full time employment looms I’m starting to reject clients, if you have a really simple job that needs doing, like theming a CS install to look like your site, or working off a PSD, then I’ll still take on work for this, as I can even work on this over weekends outside of work.

But as for the big stuff, the last clients for this are LiveSide and Reperion. If any other clients have gotten in touch with with, sorry, but if I start work, I won’t be able to work on side projects.

Cross Post on techie nick, and dev log.

My New Laptop

2008-07-21T15:02:37Z

Got my new laptop on Friday (18/7/08) and OMG this thing is soo cool.

I love tablet PC’s now.

Here’s some pics:

The laptop is really sweet, and runs really well. Because it’s a laptop, my documents folder is stored on my S:\ which is an encrypted drive, and requires my fingerprint, just an added bit of security when I’m away.

Hopefully, I’m gonna be traveling a fair bit over the next few months, Dallas in October, and Netherlands sometime before that. Hopefully I have enuf money for this, lol.

Anyhow, more soon

I’m now Nick Brown BSc MBCS

2008-06-30T21:08:34Z

Just finished my final year of my BSc in Computing, passed with a 2:1, which is good considering I did really badly in my final exams. Anyhow, with this result, I can finally start looking for a job full time.

FYI MBCS = Member of the British Computing Society.

Dual Monitors

2008-04-21T19:17:56Z

Got my second monitor today, and hehe, I don't have enuf room for both of them. :P But I managed.

O and if your wondering what that bottle is doing on top of the shuttle, that's my signal booster bottle. It improves the TV signal so it's watchable when not in full screen.

The magic of Antec Formula 5

2008-03-17T16:54:59Z

OMFG, my processor's idle temp has dropped 10*C since applying Antec Formula 5.

Seriously.

Usually my CPU would be sitting idle (vista) @ 44*C. Now with Antec Formula 5 thermal grease, it's now idle @ 34*C. That's a huge difference.

Here's another amazing fact. From a cold start (PC powered down for 1/2 hour) the start temp was, wait for it, 26*C. I couldn't believe it, 26*C. Slowly that raised to 34*C, but still, 26*C from cold start is amazing.

I'm going to replace all of my computer's with this stuff over Easter, well all of the desktop computers.

Fixed: Heat Sink + CPU stuck together

2008-03-14T19:08:00Z

Anyone got any idea's on how to remove a heat sink from the processor.

The processors a intel core 2 duo, so it's locked to the motherboard and the latch is under the heat sink.

I've tried a thin wire, twisting, and using boinc for an hour to heat the processor up. All failed.

The case is a shuttle SD37P2, so it's really small, and cramped so can't get in to do much.

~~Will try a hair dryer tomorrow, and if all fails will have to live with the E6400, and stick the E8200 into the new mail server~~

UPDATE [8pm 15/3/8]: Managed to get it unstuck. Played Crysis for 3 hours and twisted. That did the job. Turns out that my motherboard doesn't support the E8200 processor, so it's going back.

O well. The server will have to have a cheap Core 2 Duo.

Vista SP1 Faded Colors - Warning!!!

2008-02-15T03:50:34Z

Just a word of warning, SP1 completely messes with the Colors with nvidia drivers, doesn't seem to effect my laptop. Compare the Pre and Post SP1 installation's blacks, look at the side of gorge W, and of the bank.

Lovely freeview's BBC news 24 in 16:9

Pre SP1:

Post SP1:

Notice the appalling black, in pre SP1 black was BLACK, but post SP1 black is slightly yellowy.

Because of this I'm going to refuse to install SP1 on my main PC until this is fixed. It's most prob a nvidia driver issue more than anything, but it's mighty annoying that the quality is so bad.

Loaded both images into photoshop and did the eye dropper, and here are the results:

Black: Post = #10100f; Pre = #000000
Red: Post = #810f0e; Pre = #800000
White: Post = #e6e6e6; Pre = #f5f5f5

Best Summed up with this:

It's mainly the black, but all of the colors are off.

And it doesn't just effect Live TV, it effects everything, playback and wat not.

And some more examples:

Watching an episode in window and the border is black, video is yellowy

In full screen the whole thing goes yellowy

Vista SP1 + Me

2008-02-14T23:22:40Z

Thanks to my lovely technet subscription, I've legally gotten a copy of the SP1 installer. Here's some screens of the installation

All of the other screens are from a phone cause I can't take screenshots when vista is loading, lol.

Well only one cause I needed some food, but you get the picture.

And after wards, just some proof:

Hopefully things will work ok. Found maybe one bug, in media center. If you watch something in windowd mode, it can be juddery, works fine in full screen, don't know wat's causing that

Exchange 2007 SP1 + Windows Server 2008 RC0

2007-12-17T20:45:29Z

This weekend I took down my mail server, and home server, and reinstalled it. Upgrading from beta 2 to RC0, I've found RC1 to have a couple more bugs in it with regards to profiles and folder redirections.

After installing Windows server 2008, i got cracking on setting up the servers, and joining the PC's to the domain.

All went well until it came to folder redirections. For some reason Vista + RC0 had a big hissy fit with the way I was setting them up. Thankfully I'm got round this by making new user home directories, logging that user in, setting the folder redirects up, then moving the files back in.

After that came the reassigning in the user profile registry entry (ntuser.dat) Thankfully there's only 5 users I had to do that with, real nightmare.

Anyhow, then came exchange. The main installation went fine, with no problems wat so eva. The only issue came with IIS7 and Exchange's client role. For some reason it removed most of the Website authentication rules. Thankfully, don't know how, I managed to fix that with a reinstall of the client role, and a tweak of the IIS settings. Still not sure how tho.

After that, comes the Virtual Machine to run the SMTP server.

Now because my server is a Pentium 4 with HT tech, it's not really a dual core 64 bit processor with Vitalization software on it, so using a 32bit Virtual Machine in VMware was the best I could hope for. Thank god exchange 2007 sp1 was available as a trail (180 day) 32bit preview.

Once again, server 2008 went on the virtual machine, with nothing but Windows Shell, and AD LS (Active Directory Lightweight services) on it (previous known as ADAM [active direcotry application mode]).

This install was server 2008 RC1, as I couldn't get my hands on RC0 of 32bit server 2008. It'd been removed from Technet.

Configured that. Restarted (important step this). And finished the Exchange install with the Edge Transport Role. Exported the setting, imported it. Configured the FQN of the edge transport server's external interface. And hey presto, no spam, and a working exchange install with Outlook anywhere and Active Sync.

Just time for me to import my user settings from a PST, and away I go.

I'ts been over a day now since the emails came back online, and I've had 0, count that, 0, SPAM emails. It's great. I'm used to getting 30+ in 4 hours. I feel left out now.

Anyhow, I love exchange server, love it as a email server, have a few issues with Server 2008, but I think that's prob a Group Policy setting more than anything. And loving IIS7.

http://mail.nbdev.co.uk should be back up now, along with my emails.

You might also be getting alot of emails from nb development as I've configured it to use the email server. So hopefully that works.

Coming on Friday/Moday, will be 2x2gb DDR2 ram sticks which are for my computer. Freeing up the 1gb DDR2 modules for the media center pc. And the left over ram will be sold. 4x512mb DDR2 with heat spreaders on.

Home Network 5 Plans

The next planned update to the network is over the summer, with a planned new server with proper Virtualization technology on it, prob a core 2 duo, again a shuttle for the fact that it's small.

This will free up that PC to replace my sisters machine (6 years old now) with the old server (3 years old), which will be sold, along with the duplicate machine of the same specs.

The server will be installed with Windows Server 2008 RTM, Exchange 2007 SP1, with virtualized machine with Server 2008 on it (might try the core version) and the Exchange Edge Transport Server on it. This will be completed with a x64 OS's. And will prob be the final step of the Network before I move out into the wide world of business.