Find the Windows Installation Date

Launch a new Command prompt (Start > Run, cmd) and type systeminfo.  Wait for a bit, and eventually it'll spit out a slew of useful information.  You're looking for about the 10th line from the top, Original Install Date.

C:\>systeminfo

Host Name:                 xxxx
OS Name:                   Microsoftr Windows VistaT Enterprise
OS Version:                6.0.6001 Service Pack 1 Build 6001
OS Manufacturer:           Microsoft Corporation
OS Configuration:          Standalone Workstation
OS Build Type:             Multiprocessor Free
Registered Owner:          xxxxx
Registered Organization:
Product ID:                xxxxxx-xxx-xxxxxxx-xxxxxx
Original Install Date:     11/9/2008, 9:00:50 PM

It actually does say "Microsoftr" and "VistaT", because obviously a random "r" or "T" tacked onto a word is just as clear as (r) or (TM).

MS Word is smart

Outlook 2007 uses Word (2007) for its editor; there's no way around it.  Luckily Word 2007 is much smarter than it's predecessors when it comes to HTML.  I pasted a single 14 character word into a WordPress RTE and Word truly shined. As you can see it only came with the most essential XML.

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<m:dispDef /> <m:lMargin m:val="0" /> <m:rMargin m:val="0" /> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup" /> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440" /> <m:intLim m:val="subSup" /> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr" /> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]–><!–[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"   DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"   LatentStyleCount="267"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"    UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal" /> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"    UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1" /> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2" /> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3" /> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4" /> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5" /> <w:LsdException Locked="false" 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Priority="37" Name="Bibliography" /> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading" /> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]–> &lt;!–  /* Font Definitions */  @font-face     {font-family:"Cambria Math";     panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;     mso-font-charset:1;     mso-generic-font-family:roman;     mso-font-format:other;     mso-font-pitch:variable;     mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-face     {font-family:Calibri;     panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;     mso-font-charset:0;     mso-generic-font-family:swiss;     mso-font-pitch:variable;     mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} @font-face     {font-family:Consolas;     panose-1:2 11 6 9 2 2 4 3 2 4;     mso-font-charset:0;     mso-generic-font-family:modern;     mso-font-pitch:fixed;     mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750091 0 0 159 0;}  /* Style Definitions */  p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal     {mso-style-unhide:no;     mso-style-qformat:yes;     mso-style-parent:"";     margin:0in;     margin-bottom:.0001pt;     mso-pagination:widow-orphan;     font-size:11.0pt;     font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";     mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;     mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;     mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;     mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;     mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;     mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;     mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";     mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} p.MsoPlainText, li.MsoPlainText, div.MsoPlainText     {mso-style-noshow:yes;     mso-style-priority:99;     mso-style-link:"Plain Text Char";     margin:0in;     margin-bottom:.0001pt;     mso-pagination:widow-orphan;     font-size:10.5pt;     font-family:Consolas;     mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;     mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;     mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";     mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} span.PlainTextChar     {mso-style-name:"Plain Text Char";     mso-style-noshow:yes;     mso-style-priority:99;     mso-style-unhide:no;     mso-style-locked:yes;     mso-style-link:"Plain Text";     mso-ansi-font-size:10.5pt;     mso-bidi-font-size:10.5pt;     font-family:Consolas;     mso-ascii-font-family:Consolas;     mso-hansi-font-family:Consolas;} .MsoChpDefault     {mso-style-type:export-only;     mso-default-props:yes;     mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;     mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;     mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;     mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;     mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;     mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;     mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";     mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1     {size:8.5in 11.0in;     margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;     mso-header-margin:.5in;     mso-footer-margin:.5in;     mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1     {page:Section1;} –&gt; <!–[if gte mso 10]>
<mce:style><!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable     {mso-style-name:"Table Normal";     mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;     mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;     mso-style-noshow:yes;     mso-style-priority:99;     mso-style-qformat:yes;     mso-style-parent:"";     mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;     mso-para-margin:0in;     mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;     mso-pagination:widow-orphan;     font-size:11.0pt;     font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";     mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;     mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;     mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";     mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;     mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;     mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} –>

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20105 characters to describe 14 characters of text, a 1436:1 ratio. Smooth, damn smooth.

Use the Microsoft Keyboard IntelliType Zoom button to scroll

I recently picked up a Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 since I prefer to have a wired keyboard, but wanted to try out an ergonomic keyboard for a while.  I've only been using it for a day, but overall I'm quite pleased with it.  The only thing I found fairly useless was the Zoom button in the middle of the keyboard.  I very rarely zoom anything, especially a webpage.  What I do frequently do though, is scroll. Using the IntelliType software you can change the functionality of all the extra keys, but you can't modify the Zoom button behavior.

Zoom Button

Luckily you can edit commands.xml (\Program Files\Microsoft IntelliType Pro\commands.xml) and change the action performed by the Zoom button.  Open up commands.xml with a text editor and replace the following lines:

<C319 Type="6" Activator="ZoomOut" />
<C320 Type="6" Activator="ZoomIn" />

With:

<C319 Type="6" Activator="ScrollUp" />
<C320 Type="6" Activator="ScrollDown" />

I replaced it for the following applications:

<Application UniqueName="IEFrame" AppName="Internet Explorer">
<Application UniqueName="IEFrame7" AppName="Internet Explorer 7.0">
<Application UniqueName="MozillaUIWindowClass" AppName="Mozilla Firefox 1.5">

Once the changes have been made you need to reload the keyboard driver.  From the Start menu choose Run and type mskey and press enter.  Microsoft Keyboard Diagnostics should load.  From the Actions menu choose Close IntelliType Pro.  Then re-launch IntelliType (Start, Run, "C:\Program Files\Microsoft IntelliType Pro\DPLaunch.exe" keyboard cpl) or by choosing Microsoft Keyboard from the Microsoft Keyboard Start Menu group.  Adjusting the Zooming speed in IntelliType will also control the Scrolling speed.

Configure ActiveSync with a single Exchange server (Exchange sync for an iPhone)

I recently picked up a first-generation iPhone from a friend and after playing around with it for a while I decided that I needed to have my email synchronized on it. For my business I run my BES, Exchange with RPC over HTTPS and ISA on a Server 2003 virtual machine, so my infrastructure was almost ready.

Almost, but not quite. A typical ActiveSync deployment consists of a front-end Exchange server, an ISA server and a second Exchange server. I've only got a single VM (more for convenience than anything else), so I had to make a few changes.

Assumptions

I'm assuming that you've got Exchange and ISA working, either on a single box or two individual servers. You also have a valid SSL certificate and port 443 is open.

Exchange Configuration

Enable ActiveSync

Open the Exchange System Manager (ESM) and expand the Global Settings tree. Right click on Mobile Service, choose Properties and ensure that the ActiveSync options are all checked.

IIS Configuration

These steps are identical to the ones in Microsoft KB 817379 – Exchange ActiveSync and Outlook Mobile Access errors occur when SSL or forms-based authentication is required for Exchange Server 2003.

  1. Start Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
  2. Locate the Exchange virtual directory. The default location is as follows:
  3. Web Sites\Default Web Site\Exchange
  4. Right-click the Exchange virtual directory, click All Tasks, and then click Save Configuration to a File.
  5. In the File name box, type a name. For example, type ExchangeVDir. Click OK.
  6. Right-click the root of this Web site. Typically, this is Default Web Site. Click New, and then click Virtual Directory (from file).
  7. In the Import Configuration dialog box, click Browse, locate the file that you created in step 4, click Open, and then click Read File.
  8. Under Select a configuration to import, click Exchange, and then click OK.
  9. A dialog box will appear that states that the "virtual directory already exists."
  10. In the Alias box, type a name for the new virtual directory that you want Exchange ActiveSync and Outlook Mobile Access to use. For example, type ExchDAV. Click OK.
  11. Right-click the new virtual directory. In this example, click ExchDAV. Click Properties.
  12. Click the Directory Security tab.
  13. Under Authentication and access control, click Edit.
  14. Make sure that only the following authentication methods are enabled, and then click OK:

    • Integrated Windows authentication
    • Basic authentication
  15. On the Directory Security tab, under IP address and domain name restrictions, click Edit.
  16. Click the option for Denied access, click Add, click Single computer and type the IP address of the server that you are configuring, and then click OK.
  17. Under Secure communications, click Edit. Make sure that Require secure channel (SSL) is not enabled, and then click OK.
  18. Click OK, and then close the IIS Manager.
  19. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
  20. Locate the following registry subkey:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MasSync\Parameters
  21. Right-click Parameters, click to New, and then click String Value.
  22. Type ExchangeVDir, and then press ENTER. Right-click ExchangeVDir, and then click Modify.
  23. Note ExchangeVDir is case-sensitive. If you do not type ExchangeVDir exactly as it appears in this article, ActiveSync does not find the key when it locates the ExchDAV folder.
  24. In the Value data box, type the name of the new virtual directory that you created in step 8. For example, type /ExchDAV. Click OK.
  25. Quit Registry Editor.
  26. Restart the IIS Admin service. To do this, follow these steps:
    1. Click Start, click Run, type services.msc, and then click OK.
    2. In the list of services, right-click IIS Admin service, and then click Restart.

ISA Configuration

You'll want to increase the heartbeat to 30 minutes per Microsoft KB 905013 – Enterprise firewall configuration for Exchange ActiveSync Direct Push Technology. If you don't do this you'll receive Event ID 3033 in your Application event log with the message:

The average of the most recent [200] heartbeat intervals used by clients is less than or equal to [540]. Make sure that your firewall configuration is set to work correctly with Exchange ActiveSync and direct push technology. Specifically, make sure that your firewall is configured so that requests to Exchange ActiveSync do not expire before they have the opportunity to be processed.

  1. Open ISA Server Management and click Firewall Policy.
  2. On the Toolbox tab, click Network Objects.
  3. Expand the Web Listeners node, and then view the advanced properties of the applicable Web Listener.
  4. Click the Preferences tab, and then click Advanced.
  5. Modify the Connection Timeout from the default 120 seconds (2 minutes) to 1800 seconds (30 minutes).
  6. Click OK two times to accept these changes.
  7. Click Apply.

The End

That's really all there is to it. If you've got RPC over HTTPS working then your ISA server should be ready to handle traffic on port 443, and you're only a few steps away from ActiveSync glory.


© 2007-2010, Corey Gilmore | Posts RSS Feed | Comments RSS Feed | Contact

 

The views expressed on these pages are mine alone and not those of any past or present employer. All information presented on this site was obtained lawfully and not through disclosure under the terms of an NDA.