A great teacher spoke to me today.   A challenge, a task.

A friend stuck in a bind.

“I have a series of Virtual Machines for Demos but they were prepared for Virtual PC.  I need them to run in Hyper-V and have to remove the Virtual Machine Additions...”

“But master!” I the ignorant student was about to burst out “Just uninstall….”

“Ahhhh…” knowingly interrupted the Master. “But they are in Server 2008 Core environments”

A pause.

Just how DO you do that?

A quick search online found this excellent article Uninstall applications from Server Core by Michael Greene which yielded the answer.

But I decided to go, weeeellllll just a little overboard.

What CAN you do (say the installer is pooched, Murphy is having a particularly rotten day, whatever, to make sure the VMAdditions are dead and gone BEFORE Hyper-V?  Let’s just say you only have physical access to the VHD file.  

Yeah.  Mr. Murphy at his prime.

I came a few extra bits of ammo

Location in registry for Uninstall on VMaddtions

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{E799CA03-7E46-4AE7-A7B6-E904CCFD1529}

Command line to uninstall

Uninstall

MsiExec.exe /X{E799CA03-7E46-4AE7-A7B6-E904CCFD1529}

Command line to make changes (suspiciously the SAME! :} )

Modify

MsiExec.exe /X{E799CA03-7E46-4AE7-A7B6-E904CCFD1529}

If you’d like to just make sure the VMAdditions can’t RUN the next time round

Service names to End Task

VPCMAP.EXE
VMUSRVC.EXE
VMSRVC.EXE

Rename C:\Program Files\Virtual Machine Additions\

Here’s the start key in the Registry

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\VMUserServices

Manually Delete the entry for “VMUserServices” or rename the contents by adding a “-“ to the beginning of the Command Line

Want to get MEAN and REALLY pull it out?

Fire up Notepad.exe (Yes, that’s in CORE)

Copy these contents in a file called “KILLIT.REG” and run that from a command line

---------------------------------------

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]

----------------------------------------

That will stop it from loading automatically permanently

And if ALL ELSE FAILS!

Copy these contents into a file called Deadkey.reg and run this from the command Line.  This will remove it from the “Add/Remove Programs” (which you really can’t see anyhow but is referenced by uninstallers)

----------------------------------------------------------

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{E799CA03-7E46-4AE7-A7B6-E904CCFD1529}]

---------------------------------------------------------

Honestly, the first option (uninstall with the provided lines) should just work and there is no need for drastic measures.

But by renaming the folder, killing the start key, stopping the tasks and running the two reg files (And rebooting afterwards) enough of Virtual Machine Additions SHOULD be removed that Hyper-V shouldn’t care.

Cheers
Sean
the Energized Tech

Three cheers to Mark “Chief Geek” Relph for his travels to a greater land! 

In honor of his move along, I write thee a song (I shalt not sing it!  For that would do thee injustice)

Tip a glass of cheer and thanks for helping in your own way, inspiring this silly geek :)

Sung to “Danny Boy”

Farewell to the "Chief Geek" (Mark Relph)

Oh Geeky Guy
The Bytes, the bytes are calling
From stack to stack
And down the Address Lines
The ram is done
The processes dying
For you Chief Geek
Are Flying far away

Gather ye now
The DPEs and Managers
Programmers all, IT Community
Bade thee goodbye
And safely shall thee travel
Oh Geeky Guy
Oh Geeky Guy
We'll miss thee so

And when ye sit
Upon those walls so golden
In Redmond's arms
And gaze on paradise
And see the cornucopea
At lunchtime
But There's no poutine
'Cept for Friday,
once a month

And we shall cry
Whispering our thoughts so softly
A toast to thee
before the rains doth fall
Carry life well,
and remember we'll
always be with you

Farewell Chief Geek and
do us all so proud.

First off.  BIG BIG BIG BIG Disclaimer.  I am an IT Pro, but I am not “Anti Dev / Anti Coder”.  I quite look up to the logical wonders and intricate delights they create.

I do however recognize the humor between “IT Pros VS. Devs” over permissions and security and “who gets what”

And so on the way home, stuck on the Go Train for an hour… This flowered.

Enjoy or Destroy at thy leisure :)

Sung to Billy Talent’s “Falling Leaves”

And noooooo this time I didn’t sing.   It will involve money for that (Either to prevent or to encourage it) :P

Billy Talent's Falling Leaves redone

"Circling Devs"

In a cubicle Oh so Brown
He was trapped,
The systems down
As the Devs
As the Devs
As the Devs
Circled 'round

I sat alone
On Tuesday Night
To redo A/D
Oh what a fright
I hadn't eaten
My brain was spinning

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Developers
They saw me choke
A Hershey Bar
A can of Coke

The price for this treat,
I could. not pay them
"Domain Admins"

In a cubicle Oh so Brown
He was trapped,
The systems down
As the Devs
As the Devs
As the Devs
Circled 'round

A deal that was dangled out
On a stinky Tuesday Night
As the Devs
As the Devs
As the Devs
Circled 'round

Like Vultures they
Around the prize
They stared at me
My bloodshot eyes

They laughed and cackled
As I was shackled
To the chair!

In a cubicle Oh so Brown
He was trapped,
The systems down
As the Devs
As the Devs
As the Devs
Circled 'round

A deal that was dangled out
On a stinky Tuesday Night
As the Devs
As the Devs
As the Devs
Circled 'round

The candies called me
Forbidden treasures
My spinning brain called
For sugared pleasures
"Access is all yours now"
I gave up my dignity!

In a cubicle Oh so Brown
He was trapped,
The systems down
As the Devs
As the Devs
As the Devs
Circled 'round

But he was a smart Admin
Everyone permissions,
such a sin
Trapped the Devs
Trapped the Devs
Trapped the Devs
In Hyper-v

In a Domain so virtualized
They had thought
They got their prize
Fake domain
Fake domain
Fake domain
In Hyper-v

He'll darkly rue the day

That the Devs
That the Devs
That the Devs
Circled 'round

He'll darkly rue the day

That the Devs
That the Devs
That the Devs
Circled 'round

Let’s get a quick run down of Microsoft Techdays Canada 2009.  What is it?

Two Days, Five Tracks, Seven Venues, THIRTY SESSIONS and infinite Wisdom!  Sessions brought forth by over FOURTY of the top people in their field.

In short a massive barrage of well formed and tight knit training targeting what YOU need to know.  Created from suggestions and input from the IT and Development Community.   Microsoft Canada brings forth Techdays, but you helped create the input for the content desired.

The tracks available are covering so MUCH information.  Just look!

And where and when is Microsoft Techdays Canada 2009 being held?

Didn’t I say SEVEN LOCATIONS? YEP.  One near you.  Clicking on the hyperlinks to the right of each city will bring you DIRECTLY to the Microsoft Techdays Canada 2009 Registration page with the SPECIAL LOWER THAN EARLY BIRD Discount code already keyed in.    That code, in case you’re stuck is TDUGVID

There you have it.  Microsoft Canada Techdays 2009.   The Greatest Cornucopia of Information!  Use the Special registration discount code of TDUGVIP to get the low low price of $249 vs the regular price of $599 or Early Bird price of $299.

If you click on any of the above links for registration, you will find the code pre-populated for your purchasing convenience.

You’re hearing it here first.   Hot off the presses.    So hot I had to shut my system down twice from overheating.

This is something you must take advantage of *NOW*.  The pricing for Microsoft Techdays Canada has been pulled out for you my friends.

Even venue will hold a TWO DAY session jam picked with the greatest mass amount of training you can cram into your brain.

Training covering areas from the Client end to the Backend for both Infrastructure IT Pro type guys like me andf Stuff that will keep the Developers in your company drooling and too busy to ask for more ram. 

$599 is the full price for Two JAM PACKED days of training. 

BUT WAIT! You’d like to save money right?

Well Guess What I’ve Got?

Something you can use right now and share.

A Major discount! 

Not a little $2 coin either.

How about “HALF OFF!”.

That’s right.  Early registrations get in at $299!  Just use this discount code TDUGVIP Put that in perspective.   Try to get training at ANY center for that price at a private course.   This is up to *30* available sessions across FIVE DIFFERENT TRACKS! Developing for the Microsoft Based Platform, Developer Fundamentals and Best Practices, Windows Client, Servers Security and Management and even Communications and Collaborations!

Just WHERE are you going to be able to dive into THAT much available training at that price?

So what are you waiting for ?

Seize the OPPORTUNITY of a lifetime!  Get the EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION price right now!  USE Access code TDUGVIP .  That’s right TDUGVIP.  Just think “THAT DOGGONE UNBELIEVABLE GIVEN VERY IMPORTANT PROFESSIONAL” Price!

And it’s for you!  You if you jump on the opportunity now.  

REGISTER ONLINE NOW and seize the opportunity before all is booked up.   Seven locations this year all across Canada.  Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Calgary and THIS YEAR!  For all of you on the east Coast!  HALIFAX.

One in a Major Metropolitan area near *YOU*

So no excuses. 

That that Early bird code TDUGVIP register online RIGHT NOW at www.techdays.ca before Registrations are full

Your brain will thank you later :)

Shhhhh….

I’ve got a secret that I’m going to share.

Details will be here tomorrow morning, if you’re reading this Blog if you read this post.  Echo it.  Retweet it.  Share it with all your friends here in Canada and anybody else who might be interested.

I’ll have full details tomorrow morning.   There’s a little discount code you’re going to see.  You’ll want this.

Grab it.  Share it with your boss.  Share it with your neighbour.  Seize the opportunity of a lifetime for TWO SOLID DAYS of INTENSE TRAINING with Industry Specialists.  Two days of raw uninhibited Technology.   A PERFECT excuse to get away from WORK for TWO DAYS!

And I promise you… 

This will be worth it

Microsoft Canada Techdays 2009

It’s RETURNING!  And Special Pricing will be available tomorrow!  Watch and don’t miss it!

Microsoft Canada Techdays 2009

Details tomorrow… Don’t Miss it!

I have nothing against Sony or their products but if you have a Sony Playstation 3, avoid the update to 2.76.  Apparently there have been quite a few issues as evidenced by this YouTube video reporting on the issue.

Now In my opinion, any manufacturer, no matter who, can mess up.  People are imperfect.

But in the industry it’s important on how you resolve the issue.

Sony will charge you money to fix your system after an automatic Sony firmware update disables or cripples the unit.

I love the comments from these guys.   Everybody knocks Microsoft.   But what was interesting was this simple statement.

“At least when my Xbox gets the Red Ring of Death, Microsoft fixes it for free…”

That’s important statement made by a customer.  It’s not just always about the product, it’s how support that product both when the good and the bad happens.   Microsoft seems to be willing to take the loss for their customers in order to retain them long term.

I think Sony could take a page from this regarding their automatic Firmware updates killing off a system or crippling it.

Before they stop me.  I wasn’t supposed to let you know but this is so unstoppably amazing you’ll flip

If you went to Techdays_CA 2008 last year you’ll be getting an e-Mail Tuesday.   Whatever you do, make sure you use it and take advantage of it!

Hurry quick.  I wasn’t supposed to let anybody know about this but it’s too late!  So seize the opportunity.   It may never happen twice in your life!

WATCH THE EMAILS TUESDAY! IT’S WORTH YOUR WHILE!

Signing off!

Sean
The Energized Tech

It’s coming.

Riding almost on top of the Launch of Windows 7!

Microsoft Techdays 2009, right here in Canada.

And guess what?

If you keep your eyes open on Monday, a little thing might be here for you to take away.  

Maybe save some money?  Never a bad idea.

Watch here and find out how.

Ok here’s the thing.

You’re a tech like me, you don’t carry a bag full of DVD’s to get scratched.  You have an army of ISO files.  Backup media, potential Boot media.  Perhaps even downloads from Technet.

So if you have Windows 7 and you need to make a DVD of that or CD? 

Done.  Built into the O/S and life is good!

But what if you have Vista, Windows XP?  Or what if (just if) that silly ISO file won’t burn to the DVD?

Here you are not dead in the water.

I’ve run into a few good programs (most good techs will know about them, it’s nothing new) that provide a good solid alternate ISO burning capability to you.

Cost? Nil.  Nada.

But you should chip in to the developer, they’re worthy every penny.

The most common one, dead simple and almost never ever fails is the ISO Recorder made by Alex Feinman.  It’s saved my Bacon more than once with an older laptop.

Another good one I ran into recently (because for whatever reason my brain shutoff and I couldn’t find Mr. Feinman’s excellent program) is IMGBURN.  It seems to be a little more powerful than the previous ISO Burner and has a bigger fancier wizard.   But like it’s the previous one, dead simple just install and away you go.

The end result in both cases is the ability to burn ISO file’s to CD / DVD on the fly.  Handy in situations where you’ve got a burner and no ISO burning software.  (more common than you think)

And of course if you’d like to be friendly to the environment, I like to just mount those suckers and save the DVD or CD whenever possible.   The Virtual CloneDrive from SlySoft is another “Free yet great to use” utility.  Install it and you can mount those ISO files like just another CDrom, without having an actual CD rom part :)

Oh and didn’t I mention the best part?

As of this writing, No spyware, malware, infectware, bugware, pestware, lieware, uselessasanythingware stuck in ANY of these programs.

Sean
The Energized Tech

Microsoft is one big company.  One of the reasons I like dealing with them and their people is they do give back to the community daily.

Including providing some free resources.  

Sometimes even just slicing the cost of those resources down.   I mean if you don’t have the training, you can’t use the technology effectively right?

I was poking about on the E-learning catalogs last night when I noticed some feeds down the side I thought I would share with the rest of you.  Their not “deep dark and hidden” but it’s something we can all share.

The two I thought you might all want to share in are particularly the Free Products feed and Special Offers.  If you subscribe to these RSS feeds you might find all sorts of stuff available for online training, some free books from time to time or other specials offered by Microsoft.   The free courses are sometimes normally $350 when taken online, so this isn’t something that should just be ignored.

It’s an opportunity you shouldn’t miss!

Another opportunity to seize is the Career Assist Package and Second Shot Offer.   Hurry on this.  The Career Assist Package ends June 30th 2009!

What the career assist package *IS* is 90% of a Microsoft E-Learning course.  So instead of paying $350 for one of those courses that aren’t free?  $35! 

And the second Shot is simple.  If you write a certification exam and fail, (because these things are expensive) You you RE-Take it one more time for free!  

Because it’s all about community.

Take advantage of these offers and follow those RSS feeds.  There’s almost always some free things in there for both Developers AND ItPros alike.

Sean
The Energized Tech

Had one I got to stumble over a few times.

A misbehaving Blackberry. 

Now before the diehards come out of the crevices, I work with Technology.  Not just Microsoft, not just Apple or Linux.  Technology.

And I don't care *WHO* you talk to, I've spent enough time on enough devices to create one Truth.

THEY ALL BREAK.  That's the nature of the beast.  Sometimes big, sometimes small. 

But they all fail.

In the past 6 months I've seen Blackberry's

*** Fail from a damaged USB connector

*** Unit completely Give and die

*** Weird email things

*** DOA

But in all fairness sometimes they are fixable for stupid reasons.  In the case of the Blackberries it's the infamous "Service Books".  Service books are their lifeline, their configuration about various aspects of the unit.

Think of a service book as a file.   Ever seen a file go bad?  I have.  It's digital.  It's run off power.  Power fails.  Batteries get weak.   Information gets corrupted.

So in my case I had a couple of Blackberries (including my Boss') go bad.   They would either send email but not receive or receive but not send.

I went to one extreme (Complete format because it was the boss' Blackberry and it had to be 100% perfect) to actually digging for an answer (because time was not on my hands to do a proper fix)

Turns out in both cases (thanks to a little search in some Blackberry forums) you needed to delete a Service Book called "Desktop(Cmime)" who's job it is to deal with Email flow (or at least part of it).

Now normally you just "Resend the Service books" and life gets good.   *RIGHT*

But I tried that and “NOTHING WORKED” even after deleting the “DESKTOP(Cmime)” Service book and resending it.  It just wouldn’t appear.

But it turns out that if you tether (Plug in the USB cable and try to sync), sometimes that’s what needed to get the service book to “load” 

Well son of a gun.   Once it was tethered, it began to pull down the service book via USB! Bing!  Unit was running again.

But the other extreme is an apparent "Dead" Blackberry.  I say apparent because there is a Base boot code on them.  Very base.   So apparently the other trick if you're REALLY dead in the water is to charge the bebingers out of it, download an updated firmware for the Blackberry from your local provider for that model, Install the firmware update on the PC, and then apply that firmware to the Unit via the Blackberry desktop Manager.

Here's the catch.   If the unit is "mostly dead" (as opposed to an actual "BRICKED") unit You can go into Desktop Manager, choose "Application Loader", Select "Update Software" WHILE THE BLACKBERRY IS *NOT* Attached.

When you see the slightly grey box that says

Follow this sequence EXACTLY

1) Connect USB cable to Blackberry with Battery removed and *IMMEDIATELY* click “OK” when the ok Button lights up.  IGNORE ANY WEIRD INFORMATION UNDER “PIN” like UNIDENTIFIED.  THIS IS NORMAL

Apply the software update.   Once the procedure begins, connect the battery and cross your fingers.  This process can take quite a while.  It will fail if you have a bad battery.   Get a Charged battery or at least a CHARGEABLE battery.  

But if you’re dead in the water on the Blackberry this could breathe life into it.  Please note.  Oddly enough the firmware update process works on Windows Vista but NOT on Windows 7.  The procedure does detect but somewhere it hangs on Windows 7.

So just in case you’re stuck, before you launch that Blackberry into the middle of a major Highway, here’s a failsafe.   I’ve successfully revived about 5 “Mostly Bricked” units this way.  

But sometimes they are just toast, and if that’s the case?  Personally go by a nice new Smartphone and give up on the Blackberry :)

Sean
The Energized Tech

At one last piece for you.

Upon a clean re-install of my Systems Center Data Protection Manager 2007, I noticed that I, A *Domain Administrator* did not have access to the Database.

But the system was working fine, well except after restoring I need to make an adjustment for the Report Server account as per this excellent post.  There was a phantom entry from my original Report Server account in the restored Database.  Following these instructions resolved that.

But before I *COULD* get there I needed to access the SQL database.

Fortunately there was an account with that access.  There are two accounts created locally on the computer, one that is meant to run the services and one that is meant to access the SQL database for the reports.    The former has the Administrative access.   At least it DID after I temporarily added it to the local Administrators group.  I needed to do this in a Terminal session and needed “quick and dirty” to get the job done.

The passwords for these accounts you will already know.  When you installed DPM 2007 it asked you for a password since it was going to create new two accounts.  It told you that at the beginning.  It did.  For real.  One is called “Microsoft$DPM$Acct” and is local to your server, the second is “DPMR$NameofYourServer” We’re concerned with the former, not the latter.

Use that password and the account (Microsoft$DPM$Acct) your SQL services are running underand login to the Server as THAT user.   Now access the SQL Management Studio.  You may have to Browse for the database the first time, that’s ok.

One you have the Database in front of you, you may add yourself (or whatever accounts require Admin access) to the SQL database.  A good test to see if you have enough rights, try re-enabling the SA account.  If you can do that, you’ve got the rights you need.

Really in all fairness, you don’t typically need access to that SQL database since DPM just works quietly in the background.   But if you need need to re-associate accounts, permissions or even just repair a table, you may find that access needed.

Sean
The Energized Tech

I had a neighbour who was having some issues with the kids accessing the computer at all hours.  Day and Night.  Sites, downloading.

Nothing particularly ridiculous for content but they couldn’t even access their own computer.

Time restrictions, content restrictions, logging.   All built into a certain operating system STOCK.

Vista.

Now I had a few copies floating about my house.  Between Technet and RC1 downloads of Windows 7, I felt I could spare one and decided to introduce our neighbour to Windows Vista Ultimate.    The machine was brought over this afternoon while the kids disappeared for a bit. 

Time for a little “NPR: Nuke Pave Re-install”

The machine was a solid Vista candidate.  Pentium 4, 3 gigahertz a little low on ram (512 meg) and 40 gig drive. 

But I glanced on my desk and noted a pair of 1gb DDR2 modules (Kingston) that came out my Hyper-V box a year ago going to waste.  None of my systems could use them outside the one.

“Time to help out a friend.” and *BAM* now a 2.5gb ram monster box.

Barely 20 minutes later and the O/S was in. 

Created a stock account for the Parents with a standard basic password of 197 characters.

Enabled the Parental Controls.

Turned on the site Monitoring

Setup Time Restrictions for the kids.

Preinstalled all necessary Web Content (including Silverlight naturally!)

Show Mom and Dad how to add sites to the restricted (Blocked list) *OR* switch it to a pure “White list” most where only “Allowed Sites” are accessible by the kids.

I had just finished setting up the computer when the kids returned home.  Prettier colours, faster system, the best Operating system presently on the market.

Three words.

“Oh no!  Blockage!”

Yes.   Vista is fantastic for Parents for keeping the system and the kids under control. *STOCK*.  I believe even in Vista Basic.

Mind you we have a few additional options for free to add in later if needed.

Family Safety Tools from Live.Com and using the basic DNS Monitoring features on Opendns.ORG

There are some 3rd party solutions we can look into as well.   One is Cyber Patrol from Mattel .  However it appears that the control features within Vista will more than adequately meet the needs.  They also don’t require a major change to the operating system.  On/Off.  Adjust as needed.

I like it.  And so does our neighbour.

Let’s keep the details out on “WHY” but leave it that I had a an interesting couple of days with Systems Center Data Protection Manager 2007.   I will chalk the source reason as just stupid bad luck to have a bad piece of Media.   But I thought I’d pass along some helpful advice to anybody working on recovery of the product.

First off.  If you have a backup of the SQL Database (DPMDB) for the MS$DPM2007$ instance and you data backup filestore is intact, BREATHE A SIGH OF RELIEF!  

The application is amazing for backup and recovery.   But the un-install I must say (Unless they have a more slipstreamed copy) leaves a bit to be desired.

DPM itself uninstalls without problem.  But the Pre-installed SQL 2005 database does not.  At least on a Server 2008 X64 setup.  It could be different on others.   I have had no issues on Server 2003 32 bit version.

When uninstalling, it seems to have a big problem properly removing the Reporting Server from SQL.   It thinks it removes it, it doesn’t.   Manually removing it (Even with a SQL expert on the phone from Microsoft) did not pull it out properly.   I had guys on the phone with me doing effectively the same thing I did.  

We all got the same results.  Report Server gone, registry keys removed.  DPM fails to re-install SQL 2005 properly, and crashes on the Report Server instance.

Now this is where things get good.

If you have a dedicated Systems Center Data Protection Manager 2007, if you have backed up that SQL 2005 (preferably through the normal SQL backup channels), if your file structure is STILL intact.  (if if if)

You can get away with blowing away the O/S and just re-installing DPM 2007.    Just touch the operating system, I prefer the (new term I learned) “NPR – Nuke Pave and Reinstall” for best results, but I think if you were stuck and nervous, a good old fashioned Parallel install would do fine.   Having a compete spare drive to put the O/S on?  Way better to leave the original intact.  DO NOT ERASE OR FORMAT YOUR DATA PARTITION, IF YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH UNPLUGGING IT FROM THE SYSTEM DO SO!

Murphy is an untrustworthy person on his best days as EVERY Developer, Manager and ITPro knows.  

But after that reinstall, bring your DPM to the EXACT SAME VERSION as you had before.  (Service Pack 1 or hot fixes) and make sure your SQL is patched to the same level.

And then your little friend.

DPMSYNC

Now you HAVE to be at the version of DPM before for this to work.  Anybody who has done recovery on an Exchange Database knows the perils if you try to repair that database with Microsoft Exchange not service packed to the same level as before.

DPMSYNC.EXE is located in the BIN folder wherever you installed DPM 2007.  It is documented for earlier versions but not current.   In all fairness to Microsoft, this is most likely because DPM 2007 is incredibly solid and RARELY if EVER requires reinstall / repair, so the utility RARELY get’s used.

But after you install Systems Center Data Protection Manager 2007 (and get it to the same Service Pack Level) run DPMSYNC to bring your OLD database back into the system.  Typing in DPMSYNC.EXE just by itself will show you the parameters it can work with.  It can restore a DPM database to an alternate as well (if your instance is not in the Default setup)

DPMSYNC.EXE –restoredb –dbloc PATH\FILENAME.BAK

DPMSYNC.EXE –sync

Run both those commands of course substituting in PATH\FILENAME.BAK to wherever your SQL 2005 Database Backup is for DPMDB

Please note, this only restores the Data Protection Manager database to the new default instance.  It does not touch Report Server.

If you notice an error after restore regarding the agent version being wrong or mismatched, you have to check the Agent version and possibly query online to see if you missed a Hotfix or Rollup on your DPM server.   Once you get the server to match the backup agents life gets good.  

So in a nutshell

- SQL 2005 may not uninstall properly in DPM 2007.  Don’t fight with it. 

- Reinstall of the Operating System to make DPM work *IS* a viable option (as long as you have backed up the Database and you are REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY careful!!!)

- Always run the install from a standalone DPM ISO, *DO NOT* use the MSDN media that contains multiple applications, do NOT copy DPM to a file system and run from there, if you have NO DVD drive available but have the ISO file, using Virtual Clone Drive from Slysoft is an excellent option.  You WILL get a reliable install.  If the DPM 2007 install is not 100% automated after filling the prerequisites in, (IE: It asks you to install SQL server 2005, Manually) DO NOT TRUST THAT INSTALL.

- in the famous words of Douglas Adams “Don’t Panic”

I apologize if this is not as elegant a post as it could be.   But I did want (if anybody else runs into reinstalling DPM 2007) to let people know that you are NOT SCREWED if the Application won’t uninstall properly and the O/S requires to be blanked.

life is good.  It will get better.  Your boss will stop “Calling you out” ;)

Sean
The Energized Tech

Spent a day on this one.  GROAN!

If you go to download KB 959605 for Systems Center Data Protection Manager 2007, be warned.

The x86 and X64 version have the EXACT SAME FILENAME!  The only difference is about a 2k difference in filesize (the x64 is marginally larger)

If you go to run the wrong version it will install the C++ runtime modules and then IMMEDIATELY crash.  No version of the system type (IE: X86 installed on X64) will be received.  You’ll get this error and your jaw will drop.

Description:
Stopped working

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: CLR20r3
Problem Signature 01: rundpmpatch.exe
Problem Signature 02: 1.0.523.0
Problem Signature 03: 493e2edb
Problem Signature 04: mscorlib
Problem Signature 05: 2.0.0.0
Problem Signature 06: 475777fa
Problem Signature 07: f46
Problem Signature 08: 7
Problem Signature 09: N3CTRYE2KN3C34SGL4ZQYRBFTE4M13NB

OS Version: 6.0.6001.2.1.0.272.7

Locale ID: 1033

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Cryptic huh?

If you get this error, double check on what version of the O/S you are running (and DPM) vs. what version of the service Pack you downloaded. (x86 32bit or X64 64bit) 

the file size for the x86 version is 268,747 kb

the file size for the x64 version is 270,973 kb

It's an easy mistake to make.   Just don't panic when it happens and you'll be ok :)

Sean
the Energized Tech

This was interesting.  I searching for the Video Montage Microsoft’s Future of the Office for 2019.   In searching I found a similiar Video of their prediction for 2010 (Pretty soon!)

It was dated 2005.

Take a look at this and compare against present day technology already available from Microsoft.  See how possibly accurate it is.   Then look at the potential view for 2019.   Seems like “Star Trek” now but so did a “Roundtable” and “MultiTouch” almost 5 years ago (at least on a Cost scale!)