OverWorked

@OutToLunch: Thanks for your suggestions, but I've fixed it another way. I tried running proxycfg (which I've never come across before), but found it had to be installed as part of WinHTTP5.1. My solution (for anyone who's got the same problem) was to change the proxy in IE to the ISP's proxy, instead of my local proxy (it's Smoothwall if that makes a difference). RM Securenet has the same problem, it can't connect if it's given the Smoothwall's address as the proxy, it has to use Smoothwall as the default gateway, and then the upstream proxy at the ISP.

I have Web Server 2008 running as a VM on VMWare. I've entered the MAK key and when I try to activate it, the Windows Activation gives me the error code 0x8004FE2F. The event log shows Security-Licensing-SLC event ID 8200: License acquisition failure details. hr=0x8004FE2F and:- Security-Licensing-SLC event ID 1008: Acquisition of Secure Processor Certificate failed. hr=0x8004FE2F Googling doesn't turn up much, apart from setting the proxy details manually in IE, which I've done. We don't have KMS. The only other option is to try phoning MS, but that's an ordeal. Any ideas? Thanks.

VMWare Server is how I got started, and it's still my product of choice. I haven't tried the MS products. It will run on a Windows OS. Just make sure you use a machine that has plenty of RAM (ideally 2GB or more), and also preferably run the virtual machines on a different drive from your host OS (for speed). I've also looked at ESXi. It's also free and installs on the bare metal, rather than on a host OS. Because of this, it has a narrower range of machines it will run on. EDIT: I second all that EduTech just said!

I'm just looking for one for a nonogenarian man I help out. I did see a great supplier at BETT 2009 on the upper floor, but I can't remember their name. They were selling all kinds of special needs keyboards (USB and PS/2) at under £25. After 20 minutes of Googling, I've found Valatech, who sell through an Ebay shop. They look to be the best bet so far, with USB at reasonable prices. Select keyboards from the left hand menu.

I have something similar to you. A Buffalo Terastation NAS 1.5TB at the far end of the school. I back up everyone's documents and the DC's system state every day, with weekly full and daily incremental backups. I backup the stuff that is less important and rarely changes, like the apps folder with daily incremental and 3-monthly full backups. I also have a bit of space for stuff that I keep for 6 months and back up manually occasionally. I have about 250GB to back up, and that 1.5TB capacity gives me about 2 months. It's rare that I'm asked for something older than that.

Hello, Starting yesterday, I can't log on to my Liberum helpdesk. Each time I access it, it logs on as 'administrator', and won't give me access to the admin page. I can't log on with my usual account. I've tried running IE under another user account, and restoring the helpdesk files and db from a week ago. No joy. It's like it's just not getting the authentication. Has anyone else had this? I suppose this is a good time to move over to MLH, but there's years of data in the LIberum, which I need to access.

Also, make sure your XP clients have Group Policy Preference Client Side Extensions for Windows XP (KB943729) installed. It allows them to be managed by GP preferences, making things like mapping drives, desktop shortcuts, IE settings a lot easier to manage.

I've just had a look. The RC is only available to Technet Plus subscribers. I'm only a normal Technet member, so can't download. The Beta has also been withdrawn. I'll have to wait until 5 May and download it with everyone else.

Update for Java RE 6 update 13 It now unpacks the msi to C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Application Data\Sun\Java\jre1.6.0_13. There are two files: the msi and a cab - you'll need them both. It also unpacks a msi file to the old location zerohour gave for update 6, but that doesn't seem to be any use for GPO deployment. Attached is an updated mst for update 13 to also disable updates, register with IE, and hide the tray icon. jre1.6.0_13-properties.mst

Thanks broc & plexer. I'll look into it later - perhaps when I get all my APs replaced with something decent like 3com or Cisco. I was trailling RADIUS on an old D-Link AP, so I still wonder if that was part of the problem. At the moment, I have a Cisco and D-Link APs. The only common security method they share is 128-bit WEP, or RADIUS, so I'm using the WEP. WEP isn't great, but it's the best I can do right now.

I don't think the DHCP options 66 and 67 need configuring. I'm sure I haven't. It sounds to me that the RIS server is no longer authorised as a DHCP server, since you demoted it from a DC (and removed the DHCP role at the same time?). It has to be authorised as a DHCP server, even if it isn't one. Authorize a DHCP server in Active Directory Check your RIS server is in the list, along with your new DHCP server. Also see this and this. MS advise against setting options 66 & 67. I think I had the same problem years ago, and set the options to fix it, then found the real reason for the problem was that it wasn't an authorised DHCP server.

Another tip is to use a clean virtual machine running under VMWare Server. Use it for creating the MSI and testing deployment. Take a snapshot of the VM switched off before you do anything, that way you can go back to the clean machine at any time instantly.

I agree with this. I use Wininstall LE initially, then Wininstall LE again to do some editing to cut out windows system files it often picks up (can't remember their names right now - it's usually the same ones). Then finish off with Orca to do the fine tuning. Orca can also put in the icon images that Wininstall LE always misses. Orca isn't easy and documentation is scant. I worked out the basics for myself - changing shortcut locations, icon images.

Another vote for PDFCreator. As it works as a printer driver, it can convert anything that be printed. The resulting pdf file size is smaller than OOo too. I also like the way you can send several files to it, and it can sort them and combine them into one pdf document. OpenOffice is good, but I only use it for converting native OOo docs, as there's often issues with opening MS Office docs in OOo - some fancy formatting features don't come through right.

Is it possible to use the Windows VPN client with Smoothwall? I'm trying to get this working now, but no joy yet. Is anyone actually doing this?

Don't worry about it. Printing is a very slow activity anyway. It will run on any low-spec server. I currently have a low spec server running as secondary DC, DNS, DHCP, WSUS, Sophos, and print for about 8 printers, including 2 heavily used staff multifunction printers. It isn't a file server, though. I doubt if making your existing file server do printing as well will make a noticable difference. Have you thought about just virtualising the old server? If you're already familiar with it it could save a lot of work.

At the moment all our staff have ancient laptops with offline files so they can take work home. It's taken several years to get to this point. They're expensive, slow, some are impossible to upgrade, and impossible to repair when the warranty expires. We're a small school with only 20 staff laptops, but at £500 each for something half decent, it's going to cost £10,000 to replace them. I'm seriously considering setting up a VPN and giving them home access to a Terminal Services on Server 2008. This will give them the same environment they have at school, with shares, printers etc. They could use their old laptops or home computers as TS clients.

Phil, I know this doesn't help you with Hyper-V, but yesterday I tried VMWare vCenter Converter to virtualise a Server 2003 machine which was a DC, DNS server, DHCP server, WSUS server, Sophos AV server. Apart from having to enter the IP details on the new virtual NIC, and install VMWare tools, it just worked. After switching off the physical server and switching on it's virtual clone, the rest of the network never noticed the swap over.

I go to our LEA for software, as they generally do a good job of getting the best prices. I don't know who they went to for these prices, but the last time I bought MS licenses from them, it was from Misco. The point about DC being licensed per processor, not per server like the other editions, is important. At these prices, there's no need to buy Standard and Enterprise Editions. Just go for Datacenter (and Web if you need it). Buy a multi-core server with loads of RAM and good storage, then virtualise as much as you want for free! MS even allow third-party virtualisation like VMWare, so you're not forced to learn Hyper-V. Which, I think, is very generous of MS. As for virtualising existing servers, I see that VMWare have released vCenter Converter for free. If it does as claimed, it'll be a doddle to convert physical machines to virtual. I'm downloading it now and will have a go this week.

Thanks for that. I've spent the best part of this week reading that site, but missed that bit. I can always get Web Server 2008 for the one instance I need it, as it's only £28. The way I read the Server 2008 licensing page, hosting ePortal (or any site that requires users to log in) requires server CALs for all the users (i.e. parents), on any edition other than Web Server. See my other thread.

I was surprised at the low price too. I've queried it, but it's probably correct. At the moment I have only two servers (both DCs) that would need upgrading. And both of them are single processor, so would be that cheap. One of them is already running Server 2003 std and VMWare Server, and with more RAM I could put many Server 2008 VMs on it at no extra cost for licenses. Ideally I'd like to have VMWare ESXi, but it would be a big job to virtualise the Windows Server already on it. Does the unlimited VM allowance in DataCentre include for other editions of Server 2008 (like Web Server)?

Is anyone actually using Server 2008 Datacenter in school? I'm currently using Server 2003 Standard. I want to take adavntage of the unlimited virtualisation rights in 2008 Datacenter. I've just been quoted £166 for 2008 Datacenter and £174 for 2008 Enterprise, so will go for Datacenter unless there's compelling reasons not to. Also, one of my servers is running Server 2003 Std with SQL Server 2005. Is the upgrade to 2008 Datacenter likely to cause problems? Thanks

John, As I read it, any web site requiring users to log on, running on Windows Server 2008 Standard/Enterprise/Datacenter will need user or device CALs or an External Connector license as they're authenticating. It's the 'through any other means', which includes any form of identification, AD or otherwise. I'm probably getting too obsessed with this. Anyway, we now know it'll work on Web Server 2008, which doesn't need CALs under any circumstances. So I'm going to put my ePortal on that to avoid any problems. I've still got the SQL Server CALs to sort out, though.

Yep! I haven't looked into the SQL Server licensing in detail yet, but regarding the Windows Server CALs, that's my understanding. BUT... I've just had a 25 minute remote support session with Serco, and, after quite a bit of puzzling, they got ePortal running on IIS 7 on Windows Web Server 2008. So, the issue of Windows Server CALs has gone away. There'll likely be a document for configuring IIS 7.0 for ePortal appearing on the Serco support site soon. When Server 2008 R2 comes out, it'll include IIS 7.5. So off we go again!

That doesn't sound too bad. I was thinking of the number generating key fobs. I know our school gets charged £150 (possibly annually), for ours.