Forefront for SharePoint blocks access to MOSS

I had to write to say that this artical really saved me Forefront for SharePoint blocks access to MOSS . After rebooting my database server, my sharepoint server started throwing an error. I decided to reboot the sharepoint server, but it did not resolve the issue. Googling the error, I found that at least one other person had this issue and that for some reason Forefront for Sharepoint had marked several files as viruses. This included a config xml and the default.aspx for the site. Once I removed the virus designation in the alldocs table of the sharepoint content database, the site was back online without errors. Not sure what caused Forefront to id the files as virus. I hope this is not a re-occurring issue.

Install Win 7

First of all I love the new OS formost for the speed of install and the speed at which it boots up compared to Vista or XP.  Don't have any numbers just know that I am far less frustrated waiting for the desktop to be available when I reboot due to an install or the like.

My favorite way to install is from a USB flashdrive.  The following website has flawless instructions so rather that repeating them go to http://www.intowindows.com/how-to-install-windows-7vista-from-usb-drive-detailed-100-working-guide/ but I can't find the name of the person who has this blog to give them credit.  So who ever owns http://www.intowindows.com/ - great work.

McAfee® - about - McAfee to Aquire MX Logic

McAfee® - about - McAfee to Aquire MX Logic

Why, I really don't like McAfee products anymore. They are so bloated and slow. And I love MxLogic's service - price, performance, service the whole package. And now Mcafee bought MX Logic - I am going to have to start looking at other options, maybe even going back to Microsoft for my email filtering. Yikes.

Apple - iPhone - New features in the iPhone 3.0 Software Update.

Apple - iPhone - New features in the iPhone 3.0 Software Update.: "Download the 3.0 Software Update.
Available June 17."

Looking forward to this update. The cut and paste is one of those features, I have really missed. The only other feature I have missed from my HTC that I had before the iPhone is video capabilities. I think there is now an app for this and of course the new version of the phone comes with video capabilities. I have alot more contract before I can upgrade the hardware.

2 Factor

I am actively looking for a better authentication solution. Today, I am using username and password, but would love to go to a 2 factor option, RSA, or a token like eToken. Just starting to investigate. I would really like something integrated with AD so that I can manage it within my current AD structure and not have to add additional authentication servers, etc. Ideally the token would work with or without pre-installed client on the windows desktop. It has to work with Juniper SSL VPN, OWA, MOSS 2007, CRM 4.0 and I need to be able to convert current windows authenticated web apps to use the 2 factor solution.

Any Ideas?

Windows 7 - can't wait

I installed windows 7 on my Dell Latitude some time a go (windows 7 ). I love it, no issues on install or use. (only issues were surrounding IE8 and websites stating that I had a version that was not supported. So I am looking forward to the RC and then to installing on my network. My plan at the moment will be to roll it out in my network as soon as it is possible.

I had a slim hope that some of the rumors were true and an RC release would be waiting for me this morning, April 10 .
No such luck, looks like maybe the May rumors are the more likely true.

Trouble with replacement PV-124T tape library

Last week my LTO3 cleaning tape got stuck in my Dell Power Vault 124T tape library. It was under service agreement (4 hour) - This is really incredible, how they can have a whole new library to my office in 4 hours. I swapped out the devices in my server rack. Unloaded the tapes from my old magazine and reloaded them into the new one. I then attempted to use my CA arcserve brightstor application. The Library is attached to my server (not via san) and the drive in the library showed up and was online but the library and the tapes were offline, "device offline". I tried stopping and starting services, rebooting library, rebooting server,etc. Nothing worked. I finally found this blog : http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=628366&page=8 and this resolved my issue - in essence, stop tape service, delete tape Engine registry key - HKLM, Software, Computer Associates, Brightstor ARCserve Backup, Base, Tape Engine - and subkeys.

Then run Device Configuration selecting appropriate options. All is working now.

Updates Broke My MOSS

Yesterday, several of my servers recieved the set of Windows updates that included an IE 7 update and .net update. well...

As stated in my technet forum post. "My Sharepoint portal is having some issues this morning. As an example of what I am seeing. The SharePoint Central administration Home page normally has a list of Administrator tasks. But today the title is there "Administrator Tasks" but under that instead of the list is "". Most of my portal pages render, some with similar RENDER FAILED notices and some are just an error page "an unexpected error has occurred".As there were updates for .net in the Tuesday MS Updates (which were installed on my servers yesterday afternoon) I suspect this has broken something. I can probably roll back my Portal server to before the updates, but would rather fix the issue as the updates still need to be applied.Thanks in advance for any ideas on how to trouble shoot / resolve this issue. "

After googleing and searching for any indication in my logs, I started to worry that it was actually the SQL 2005 sp2 GDR 3077 update that was causing the trouble.

Since my MOSS front end is a VM and since I am trialing Visioncore's vRanger I restored back before the MS updates were downloaded to the server. Brought the VM back online and no more issue.

Now the question is which update caused the trouble. I will try apply the updates one at a time and will be prepared to jump back to this proven backup.

Another Cert issue

Issue on Technet Forum

I run an internal Windows CA for my web, server, computer, and user certificates. My root certificate was about to expire, so I renewed it and then proceeded to renew all of my SSL certificates. (as this is a windows 2003 domain and the CA is on a Domain server, the root CA was installed on all the servers and computers as they logged on). All of my webservers updated without issue, with the exception of my Sharepoint server. When I would attempt to renew the certificate it would Fail to install stating that a certificate existed? Also, if I removed the certificate and created a new certificate, it would create the certificate, (which I could see using the mmc certificate snapin), but it would not "install" it for the website. If I then went back into the wizard and selected the certificate it would install, I could view the certificate, but the https url would not render the site.

It turns out that my permissions on my machine key folder on my sharepoint server were incorrect. System had not rights and Everyone had rights to the folder but not the items within the folder. After changing the rights to match the default per kb 278381 , I could select a certificate and install it such that https url rendered my website. I still have an issue in that if I renew the certificate it does not install the newly created certificate, or rather it installs it in the computers certificate store but the website still holds the old certificate, i can then change certificates for the newly created one and the website begins working with the new certificate.

If anyone has any ideas on how to resolve the last part of this issue, let me know.

Giving Advice

Yikes, my Father in-law was looking for an external hard drive for backing up his Windows xp computer, so I pointed him to the USB external drives in the paper and steered him away from the smaller drives. He selected a Seagate Free Agent, which I said should be good. Now, I am back half way across the country and he is seeing two things - 100% CPU usage 90% is from a FreeAgentService and there does not seem to be any new files backed up even though it is scheduled to run weekly.

So, I did a quick search and see some posts about the Autobackup taking up too much CPU, so it might be the same thing. I kick myself for not setting up a remote desktop VNC or the like while I was there over the holidays. In fact I need to do that on all of my relatives computers - It would be a lot less frustrating to be able to hop on to their desktops and make sure all was well. - Maybe next year -.

I might see if I can get on a windows remote assist with him - see if I can figure it out that way.

Windows 2003 Cert Server Issue

So my Cert Server was working for years without issue (windows 2003). I noticed yesterday that my wireless network was refusing authentication. I looked at my Cisco aironet 1000 and 1200 APs and did not see anything amiss except for the error in the log:

Interface Dot11Radio0, Deauthenticating Station ... Reason: Previous authentication no longer valid

I looked at my AD server and found the following errors:

Event Type: Error
Event Source: AutoEnrollment
Event Category: None
Event ID: 13
Date: 1/27/2009
Time: 4:16:57 PM
User: N/A
Computer: MYADServer
Description:
Automatic certificate enrollment for local system failed to enroll for one Domain Controller certificate (0x80070005). Access is denied.


For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

This was caused by my upgrade of my CertServ to SP2 .

The issue was resolved by adding the AD group Domain controllers to the CERTSVC_DCOM_ACCESS group.

Now my AD server is autoenrolling and receiving a Domain controller certificate from my Cert server and in turn my users are now able to authenticate and logon to my wireless network.

Windows 7

So, I am trying Windows 7 Beta. And let me first say I love it.

I installed on a Dell Latitude D620, formated the disk and did a clean install, installed office 2007, set it up on my network and was good to go. Have not had one issue, and it has been 13 days.

First the install was fast - did not time it, but unlike my vista installs, I was not tempted to time it. Second shuting down and booting up are noticeably faster - being a spur of the moment install (had a rare break in my day), I did not time the shut down and start up of my vista sp1 client, but...

No application or driver issues to date.
(and just for scientific purposes - I installed WOW and it works with out issue). So unlesss something gets messed up between the beta and release, I can not wait to upgrade my office desktops and notebooks, I think my users are going to appreciate it.

I want to play with the libraries more. I love the concept and how it works, but need it to work with Network shares which it did not appear to do.

I will try to keep posting. :-)

Try this again - Blog

Ok, so August 2008 was apparently my last blog post. So I will try to write a tiny bit more often.