Top Tools for Deploying Windows 7

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/hh307507.aspx

PowerGUI Script Editor Add-ons

• Script Editor Essentials: add View White Space, Word Wrap and Virtual White Space menu items to the Edit | Advanced menu …
• ExpandAlias: expand aliases in the code pane to the full cmdlet name.
• Script Template: insert a header for new documents.
• PShellExec: secure/encrypt scripts and execute them right inside the editor

Windows Server 2008 DHCPv6 Stateless and Stateful Mode

Windows Server® 2008 supports stateless and stateful DHCPv6 server functionality. DHCPv6 stateless mode clients use DHCPv6 to obtain network configuration parameters other than the IPv6 address, such as DNS server addresses. Clients configure an IPv6 address through a non-DHCPv6 based mechanism such as IPv6 address auto-configuration (based on the IPv6 prefixes included in router advertisements), or static IP address configuration.

In DHCPv6 stateful mode, clients acquire both the IPv6 address as well as other network configuration parameters through DHCPv6.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753493.aspx

Fix “could not locate entry in sysdatabases” Error

Problem: I ran into this error when executing a script on a SQL database.  I could attach or deattach the database, and SQL Management Studio showed the database was fine.

Fix: it turns out the database has ‘-‘ in the name, e.g. database_2008-10-01.  Renaming the database by removing ‘-‘ fixed the problem.

Do not use ‘-‘ in SQL database name.

Cannot Add User Account in Windows 7 Home Premium

Local Users and Groups management console (MMC) is not available in Windows 7 Starter and Home Premium.  Adding use account in these versions is through Control Panel / User Account.  If you get an error “The specified account is not valid, because account names cannot contain the following character…. Please type a different name”,

Here is how to troubleshoot

1. Verify the user account name do not contain the listing characters.
2. This error also happens when the user account name already exists.  Because the disabled account is hidden from Control Panel / User Account, type “net user” in the command prompt to view all user accounts.

Hide User Account in Windows 7 Logon Screen

One way to hide user account in Windows 7 logon screen is to disable the account if it is no longer in use.  This is probably the easiest way.

User account management usually is in Local Users and Groups management console (MMC).  For Windows 7 Professional and Enterprise Edition, user account can be disabled there.  However Local Users and Group MMC is not available in Windows 7 Starter and Home Premium Edition.  But it can be done through “net user” in the command line.

1. Launch Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Enter “net user” to list all the local user account.
3. Enter “net user <user name> /active:no” to disable the account.
4. Once the account is disabled, it is hidden from the logon screen and Control Panel/User Accounts.
5. To reactivate the account, enter “net user <user name> /active:yes”.

Free Burning, PDF Converter, Backup Software

Tiny Burner – Free CD, DVD or Blu-ray burning software for Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2008/2003/2000 Server (32 and 64-bit)

doPDF – Free PDF converter for Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2008/2003/2000 Server (32 and 64-bit).  No GhostScript or .NET required.

FBackup – Free backup software for Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2008/2003/2000 Server (32 and 64-bit)