Acronis Deal

OK here I go again.
Back your sh%t up!

I have written many times previously [read here and here and for Macs here ]about the prudence and wisdom of having backups of your digital data. And by backup I mean that your data exists in TWO places at once and is able to be accessed or recreated from either source.

I believe the best solution is to use Disk Images. And my favorite tool for Windows is Acronis (they should pay me for all the referrals!).
Right now Acronis has another super deal Acronis® True Image™ Home 2012 WITH their Plus Pack which enables restores to dissimilar hardware for only $49.99! And a 3 PC license for only $79.99.

I urge you purchase a large external HDD (or two) – they are very inexpensive now ($100-$150 U.S.) and to invest in this software if you haven’t already. Create a Full Image and breath a sigh of relief, for now. Follow my other posts on continuing a good backup plan. With the option of ‘Universal Restore’ you can ‘take your data forward’ to new/dissimilar hardware too!! OK be data safe! Peace out.

Installing SQL Server 2008R2 to Windows 7 VM

While installing an instance of SQL2008R2 to a Windows 7 Workstation VM (used by my programmers) on my VMWare vSphere cluster I ran into a problem.

While the SQL installation seemed to go OK, it hung up toward the end during ‘Windows Installation Final Tasks – Clean up processes…” or something at “Install_sqlncli_Cpu64_Action”
The install just hung forever – let it actually try to run over night and it never completed.

The solution is simple, and kind of a ‘duh’.
SQL2008R2 needs 4GB RAM and minimum of 4 cores/processors.
My Production SQL VM’s easily met this criteria but not so with the workstations.
So simply cancelled the installation. Shut down the VM. Edited the VM – upped RAM to 6GB and processors to 4.
Restart VM then let it boot and let Win7 reconfigure itself. It will require another reboot.
I then completely uninstalled the failed installation. Then rebooted.
Also remember that this is REALLY IMPORTANT!! – Open the ports on the Windows Firewall for SQL2008

This can be done by copying the following (everything in between the break lines including the last ‘return’ at the end) into a text file and renaming it with a .bat extension. something like ‘opensqlfirewallports.bat’ or what ever and running it with administrative permissions.
————————–
@echo =========  SQL Server Ports  ===================
@echo Enabling SQLServer default instance port 1433
netsh firewall set portopening TCP 1433 “SQLServer”
@echo Enabling Dedicated Admin Connection port 1434
netsh firewall set portopening TCP 1434 “SQL Admin Connection”
@echo Enabling conventional SQL Server Service Broker port 4022
netsh firewall set portopening TCP 4022 “SQL Service Broker”
@echo Enabling Transact-SQL Debugger/RPC port 135
netsh firewall set portopening TCP 135 “SQL Debugger/RPC”
@echo =========  Analysis Services Ports  ==============
@echo Enabling SSAS Default Instance port 2383
netsh firewall set portopening TCP 2383 “Analysis Services”
@echo Enabling SQL Server Browser Service port 2382
netsh firewall set portopening TCP 2382 “SQL Browser”
@echo =========  Misc Applications  ==============
@echo Enabling HTTP port 80
netsh firewall set portopening TCP 80 “HTTP”
@echo Enabling SSL port 443
netsh firewall set portopening TCP 443 “SSL”
@echo Enabling port for SQL Server Browser Service’s ‘Browse’ Button
netsh firewall set portopening UDP 1434 “SQL Browser”
@echo Allowing multicast broadcast response on UDP (Browser Service Enumerations OK)
netsh firewall set multicastbroadcastresponse ENABLE

———————————————–

I also added this registry key below. You can copy everything between the breaks and save as a .reg file if you’d like and run that ‘as administrator’ as well.

—————-
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSSQLServer\Client\SuperSocketNetLib\tcp]
“DefaultPort”=dword:00000599
—————-

After that I was able to very quickly install SQL2008R2.
During server configuration, under Account Name I selected “NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM”, leaving password blank. In addition I also changed its startup type from Automatic to Manual.

Once installation was complete, I opened SQL Server Configuration Manager. The current setting was that I was logging on as built-in account “Local System”. I started the service without making any changes and this time it started without any error messages.

Just thought I’d put this up for any of those who’ve had the same issue and as a reference for myself.

To connect to the Server make sure you specify the machine name AND the server instance name: Windows7PC1\SQL2008dev or whatever

Well, until I hear differently from my Devs 😛

More Free Cloud Storage

I like free and I like options.
I already have written about Microsoft’s awesome SkyDrive storage previously here along with other options here.

I really like using DropBox to hold my Titanium Backup files; my Android phone (Rooted Samsung Galaxy SII/Epic 4G Touch) synchronizes my nightly automated Titanium Pro backups to DropBox. This provide me with one more source for me to have access to my phone applications and settings should they get hosed or I need to ‘go back’ to them.

Right now you can get a whopping 50GB Free lifetime storage from Box.net. The forever part is crucial here, since it’s not some gimmick offer that’ll turn into a lemon after a few months of use. The space is yours to keep. Plus the file size limit gets a bump to 100MB, up from 25MB, if you get the app before March 23, 11:59PM. There are no strings attached, either; just download the app and sign in or create a new account FROM YOUR PHONE FIRST to get the free storage, which is then accessible from any device — not just your Android phone. They ran a promotion like this for the iPhone 4S a while back too. I hope you iPhoners got that.

SC20120223-140934

I use many of these cloud services to store data – documents, pictures and encrypted files that I can ‘afford’ to lose. I have loads of photos, technical documents, class/school work and other notes stored. However I don’t store ANY vital information in ANY cloud service; ever. No passwords or keys, no bank account information etc.. I just don’t trust anybody to be safe with my data like I would. But they provide an invaluable service for sharing and collaborating with family, friends and associates.

So take advantage of this while you can and utilize technology to be more productive and have more fun!

[As a footnote. I have the Dropbox, Skydrive and Box.com applications installed on all my machines – BUT they are not set to start at startup and I run/turn them on manually every couple of days. I personally leave VERY few connections to the ‘outside’ world open on any of my systems. Especially ones that I have no direct control over. You may not care, but I’m the ultra paranoid type of guy. You know the type who has worked in the IT security industry for a few decades who might have an idea of what is safe and reasonable. Smile with tongue out ]

Facebook Timeline Fix with Social Fixer

OK. I was asked again about Facebook’s Timeline and how to ‘fix it’ and make the experience more like ‘it used to be’. I’ll tell you now: You are stuck with Facebook Timeline – it’s Facebook’s world and what they say goes in their world. (for the most part anyways). And Facebook says EVERYONE is getting Timeline!

BUT you can Un-Fack the Timeline and make it more ‘enjoyable’ by using the Social Fixer extension for Firefox, Chrome, Opera or Safari. Get it here. I just posted about this a couple of days ago but seems not many actually read it. Hope you will this time. The folks at Lifehacker put up a quick and simple video of it’s use here:

 

So get the extension, watch the video and experiment and see if this help you.

I have also written numerous articles on using extension/add-ons for Browsers – specifically Firefox and Chrome. Since so many of us spend so much time interacting with the world via a Browser window, it’s seems utterly silly that most won’t or don’t customize or tweak that window for more productivity, security and enjoyment. Maybe, many of you just don’t know what you can do. But now you do. So go search through my blog to find those other tips!

While I’m here let me give you some other links on how to better secure your Facebook Profile and enhance your personal security.

Techworld has a VERY good article here. I agree with, and do everything they mention.

Have fun and stay safe out here. 🙂

Peace.

Jailbreak for iOS 5.01 now available

UPDATE #2:

Here is an easy peasy walkthough and video on the iPhone 4s/iPad 2 jailbreak.

They walk through the entire simple process.

I could not imaging owning an iDevice that wasn’t jailbroken. But that is just me. If after doing some research and reading you are fine just doing only what you are told you can do with the device YOU own(Apple’s way or no way) than please keep your device as it is. If you are also terrified of making changes to anything technical then DON”T do anything.

If on the other hand you would like to install applications not available in the iTunes App market, change your phones themes and settings to YOUR liking and have loads more functionality available to you (functioinality actually supported by the Operating System (iOS 5) and hardware). Then I’d recommend the jailbreak.

Please remember to completely back up you device prior to doing anything! Read my other post here for that.

UPDATE
Well that didn’t take long.
The Windows version of ‘Absinthe’ the iOS 5.01 Jailbreak tool from Greenpois0n is now available. The tool works on the iPhone 4S running iOS 5.0 and 5.0.1 and the iPad 2 running iOS 5.0.1. You can read a little more here, or go strait to the download(s):

The New Windows version

The OSX version

[Remember to fully back up your device before using any of these tools. It is very rare that with the great expertise of these developers that anything will go wrong, but as always better to have a backup and not need it than to need it and not have it! Backup backup backup. If you are wondering how read some of my previous posts!]

More detailed news and details from Greenpois0n here.

Looks like the Jailbreak for iOS 5.01 – the operating system on the iPhone 4S and iPad2 is Here now!! The tool is OS X only for now. But a Windows and Linux version are on their way very shortly. The tool works on the iPhone 4S running iOS 5.0 and 5.0.1 and the iPad 2 running iOS 5.0.1. But not any new Beta releases (most of you wouldn’t have that anyways!).

You can read about it here.

A better How-To is here [note the part about the VPN connection at the end!]

What exactly is jailbreaking? Jailbreaking is a hack, or exploit, that brings added functions and features that were not imagined by Apple or restricted. Under recent revisions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act last summer, the process has been legalized in the U.S. on smartphones and tablets.

Jailbreaking allows you to install apps through Cydia (which is, cleverly, Latin for a kind of worm that eats away at apples), which automatically gets installed when you jailbreak your iPhone. Cydia app store is really where all the real action is when you jailbreak. The simplest way to describe it is to call it an app store for jailbroken devices. Like Apple’s App Store, you will find some free and some paid programs.

Some questions often asked:
Q. Does jailbreaking affect the iCloud Backup?
A. No, it’s still a legit iphone tied to a legit icloud account.

Q. What happens if I DO update from the wireless update?
A. Your jailbreak will go bye bye and you’ll have to wait for them to update absinthe to re-do it. [We’re talking about carier Over The Air updates here.]

About the ‘Bricking your device’ warnings many may read or hear: Without some very heavy-handed screwing up, you will not brick an iOS device. If something screws up along the way, chances are it will just be indefinitely detected as being “in restore mode” and you’ll be prompted to restore your phone through iTunes. The only way you could really brick one of these devices is by flashing the device to the point where iTunes won’t even recognize the device as an iOS device. You would have to try really hard to make that happen.

And if you want any more reasons than those I’ve given previously in my blog posts why you might want to Jailbreak you iPhoneiDevice you can check here.

CCleaner for OSX out of Beta

I written previously about a great tool I regularly use for Windows PCs now being available to OSX called CCleaner here. The application is now out of beta and adds a full set of features! Yay!

With the full version CCleaner adds cleaning capabilities for Safari, Google Chrome, Opera  and Firefox. This final release for Mac offers cookie management – you can always keep all or some cookies for persistent logins where by default cleaning tool clears all cookies. It also features and improvements include: Repair permissions, Wipe free space,  stability fixes on 0.5  and 10.7.2, cleaning of Chrome’s omnibox and other minor  fixes. You can get it here or from the link in my previous post.