I used the free time after Christmas to install Windows Vista Ultimate and Office 2007 - instead of doing an upgrade of my current Windows XP system I choosed to do complete new installation...

I succeeded in a short time, but afterwards I had some trouble and therefore I had to solve some issues...

1. Join your domain as soon as possible - but pay attention!

The first step you should do after installation is to join your domain - if you have one.

But please pay attention if you use Small Business Server mechanisms - or any other - to deploy software to your clients. I had a configuration which tried to install IE6 and other tools from the server to the client after joining the network. There just pops up a question if you really want to execute the setup and being a "creature of habit" I just clicked "Yes".

This seems to have wrecked my installation, because afterwards Vista decided to start without a taskbar, explorer and elements on the desktop...
So I installed it a second time...

2. systemvendor-specific software

I am using an IBM R50 laptop, which brings up some vendor-specific software like powermanagement utilities, Network access and so on.

Do yourself a favor and keep a cable for Internet access ready after installation and do not panic if you have got a kind of incomplete system after a successful installation.

Therefor the second step you should do afterwards is to start the windows update and download all vendor-specific software the system will offer you. That brought back power management and WLAN also, but some other tools are still missing (like the display control to switch to a beamer) and are not allowed to install on Vista.

3. Security and UAC (User account control)

I bet, that the new feature UAC (User Account Control) will be a pain in your neck - especially during the first hours doing all installations you need. Everytime you start a setup you will be faced with "Do you really want to?", everytime you will be alerted "a program tries to..."...

As described in the article above it really gets annoying and also brings up some risks like clicking every OK you will face without reading carefully, but if you want to be secure you can not have everything. That UAC could give you a hint for investigating for Trojans and others is proofed with this blog-entry

If you are interested in digging deeper into Windows security, read Windows Vista Security blog or UAC blog.

4. Installation of SQL 2005

I you want to install SQL 2005 on your Vista client you will have to fulfil some prerequisites, especially enabling the IIS and doing some configuration, as described in KB article 920201. But even if you do this it is not guaranteed that Reporting Services will run as described in the comments of James Kovacs' posting.
Further tips and known issues are described in Microsoft SQL Server 2005 on "Microsoft Windows Server Longhorn" or Microsoft Windows Vista.

We will have to wait for the official version of SP2 and see what it brings - I hope it will work!

5. OWA with IE7 and Vista

I am using OWA to access my exchange server and I did do this also using IE7 and Windows XP.
Windows Vista seems to have a slightly other IE7, which handles ActiveX-controls - even the one form Microsoft - a little bit stricter. Using OWA I was able to read messages, but I could not answer to a message´, because the input frame just displayed a red X...

There are two KB articles - 911829 and 924334- and also two downloads which will solve this problem.

6. 3G data card for PCMCIA-Slot

I am using a Novatel Merlin™ U740 Wireless PC Card to connect via 3G to the Internet and my German provider is Vodafone.

In Germany it is very common that providers will deliver a specific software with there own branding to assure that you will have an easy installation and access, the Vodafone software is called "Dashboard" and the current downloadable version is 7.04.

Due to the Vista restrictions you will not be able to install the software and there you neither get the drivers nor the software to communicate with your data card.

So I allowed myself to call the business hotline to ask for a new version of the dashboard to enable the data card using Vista.
The answer was that there is no specific time schedule which is public but that there will be a good chance that the software will be presented at the CeBit and available afterwards...
Presented? This software is just a little tool to enable and control the connection and not the ultimate version of a hype-whatever software suite!
And CeBit? This fair will be in the mid of March! Should I wait about three months to enable my data card?
Common, I understand that the software has to be tested and certified also and that this could be time consuming but to be honest... Is Windows Vista really such an unexpected and uncommon OS??

So I called not only one time but twice, because the first answer was not very satisfying...
The second answer was that there will be a version around end of January....
Ah, there is light at the end of the dark! But having to wait till end of this months would be also annoying...

So I choosed another solution, why not to use the data card as a kind of normal dial-up connection??

First you will have to disable the PIN on your SIM-Card, because the dial-up connection will not be able to ask for the PIN like the dashboard does.
You can use your mobile phone or the dashboard software for that.

After disabling the PIN insert the data card to your PCMCIA-Slot and wait for the drivers to be installed.

Then you will have to do some manual steps:

• Open the Control Panel - Network and Sharing Center
• Click "Setup a connection or network" in the tasks at the left side.
• Mark "Connect to the Internet" and click Next
• "Create a new connection"
• Choose "Dial-up"
• Choose the Novatel Wireless Merlin HSDPA Modem
• enter *99# as Dial-up phone number
• leave User name and Password blank
• enter a describing description into Connection name
• decide whether to allow other people to use this connection
• click Connect

To make it a little bit more secure you should turn of all options in "Sharing and Discovery" and as a little comfort hint: you should put a Shortcut on the Desktop or into the Quick Launch to be able to activate the connection very easily.

This will work, but without the Vodafone dashboard you will not be able to diagnose you connection speed and control your download rates (a pity if you pay for volume or time and do not have a flat rate) so be careful! But I think that will be a proper workaround till the software will be available...

There are only two reasons why I have avoided Windows Live Writer so far

1. it is still beta...
2. it does not have a kind of "Insert Code" like my online form

Today I discovered that Omar Shahine has build a "Insert Code for Windows Live Writer" - and kindly also hast posted it on Windows Live Gallery.

Thanks Omar!

Microsoft provides a whitepaper for Virtual PC 2004 called Virtual PC Development and Debugging, which is worth reading.

Charlie Maidland provides some infos about Virtual PC 2007 in his post Vista Backup PC to VPC.

If you are interested in betatesting Virtual PC 2007 you should apply for the Virtual PC 2007 Beta Program.

I just came across Ms. Dewey, which in my personal opinion is a very interesting effort to make a search engine more "personal" and could also help to tear down barriers for target groups with low affinity for the Internet...

The search engine technology used behind the scenes is Windows Live like mentioned here in the Windows Live Blog.
As a suggestion:
the result set could be arranged in a larger area to enhance the lucidity....

But this is a nice try I think...

Microsoft, listen! With Lena Gerke being the "german face" for Windows Live I would expect - and also highly recommend.. - a localized version...

Kay Giza points to the Soapbox beta and also gives a link to join the beta.

But not only that, Kay also gives an example how to view a soapbox video in your website or your weblog like this one...:

<p align="center">
<embed name="msn_soapbox" pluginspage="http://macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" align="center" src="http://images.soapbox.msn.com/flash/soapbox1_1.swf" width="412" height="362" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="c=v&amp;v=55feb6d9-1691-4643-845e-c41d0f995816" wmode="transparent" quality="high" border="0" hspace="10" vspace="10" /><br />
<font face="Verdana" size="2">
<a title="Brotherhood of DPE" href="http://soapbox.msn.com/video.aspx?vid=55feb6d9-1691-4643-845e-c41d0f995816" target="_blank">
Video: Brotherhood of DPE</a></font></p>

And I am not astonished that Kay once again used the fabulous Brotherhood Of DPE video to show the power of Soapbox... Lean back and enjoy [sorry, german only...]

Video: Brotherhood of DPE

Definition from the SQL Server 2005 Product Guide:

"SQL Server Management Objects (SMO) is the management object model for SQL Server 2005. SMO represents significant design and architectural improvements for the SQL Server management object model. It is a simple to use but rich object model that is based on .NET Framework managed code. SMO is the primary tool for developing database management applications using the .NET Framework. SMO is used extensively by SQL Server Management Studio. Every administrative action that you can perform in SQL Server Management Studio, you can also accomplish by using SMO.
The new SMO object model and the WMI APIs replace SQL-DMO. Where possible, SMO incorporates similar objects as those in SQL-DMO for ease of use. You can still use SQL Server 2005 with SQL-DMO, but SQL-DMO will not be updated to manage features that are specific to SQL Server 2005.

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Management Objects Collection from the Feature Pack for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 - April 2006

Database Engine Administration Programming

SQL Server Management Objects (SMO)

Programming Specific Tasks

Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo.Agent Namespace

Job.Start Method

Job.CurrentRunStatus Property

Jasper Smith - Getting Started with SMO in SQL 2005

Darshan Singh - A Quick Introduction to SQL Server Management Objects (SMO)

Thomas Haller - SMO - Manage your SQL Server

Michiel Wories - SQL Server: SMO Scripting Basics

SMO enumerator in SQL Server Integration Services

After ruining my SDA I had to decide which toy to buy next...

The new mobile should meet the following requirements:

• synchronize contacts and calender items with my exchange in the way I like
  [I think it is really boring if you have to use your Outlook in the way your mobile manufacturer thinks you should use it...]
• several profiles for several situations
• email ability
• qwertz-keyboard
• no pen for navigation
• long lasting accu

I do not need multiple ring tones, a camera, video, MP3 and so on - I have had that on the SDA and I used it only a couple of times...

I decided to buy a Blackberry 8707v, which is a german derivate of this one.

And you probably ask yourself why, especially because of Exchange 2003 bringing up "Exchange Direct Push" in SP2 and the Blackberry solution requiring additional installs and licenses and a seperate fee for the Blackberry service?

Mainly because of Christoph Stotz, being the chairman of the board of PASS Germany, teasing me due to my mail access and some problems in the first days...
Christoph, you will have to answer me some more questions in the future I think...

As pointed out by Volker Weber in his article the new solution is not a kind of real push-mail...
And RIM now offers BlackBerry Enterprise Server™ Express which is a free solution if you do not need to have more than 15 users.
(probably to tighten the sales regarding products and services, but hey, thats marketing! and a kind of Microsoft style also...)

So I decided that other users should make experiences using Exchange 2003 SP2 or Exchange 2007 and I will decide to jump onboard if I get aware of positive experiences in a year or two... If the Blackberry will live longer than the SDA...

These days I came across a post by Jens Süßmeyer announcing that he has done some screencasts to visualize some common sql problems.

Jens has done it with Wink and I think I will also give this tool a try to document some bugs rather by screens than with words... 

After giving away the Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 for free since April this year MS now announced, that MS Virtual PC 2004 will also be available for free now.

Now the nonsense getting the server for free while having to pay for the desktop solution is over...

And if you are searching for tips & tricks regarding the virtual solutions of MS you should look at http://blogs.msdn.com/virtual_pc_guy.

If you are into football (or should I say - political correct - soccer) - you may know that the FIFA World Cup 2006 starts this friday...

Than you also should be interested in this download, because it keeps you up-to-date:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=df6a6e6e-21af-4786-ad1d-a38e8bfda82f

The programm also gets you in touch with new GUI- and design-thoughts - using it you will know "Vista is near"...

Bill Graziano has developed a tool called Scriptio which is available for download as ClickOnce-Application and as source code (version 0.5.1.0).

Here is the current history of development / posts:

• http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/billg/archive/2005/11/22/8414.aspx
• http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/billg/archive/2005/12/24/8613.aspx
• http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/billg/archive/2006/02/12/9019.aspx
• http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/billg/archive/2006/02/17/9063.aspx

As posted nearly a month ago, Microsoft announced some usefull tools for Lotus Notes and Domino Migration.

The Microsoft Application Analyzer 2006 for Lotus Domino is now available for download - there is a seperate whitepaper, which explains the usage of the tool.

Extract from the website:
"The Microsoft Application Analyzer 2006 for Lotus Domino is a tool that helps organizations to analyze their Lotus Notes/Domino application environment. It generates reports based on a number of application properties such as last accessed/modified dates, template types and the presence of workflow. Based upon the reports generated by this tool, customers can quickly identify applications that should not be migrated (such as administration applications or unused applications), applications that can easily be migrated to Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) templates and applications that require additional analysis."

If you use Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 (I bet you will!) you will be glad about this highly sophisticated How-To by Andre Connel called "Use Virtual PC's Differencing Disks to your Advantage".

roudybob has posted an interesting article about Networking Settings in Virtual PC which summarizes some other postings and if you have problems with the Microsoft Loopback Adapter than Aaron Stebner provides an article which should help.

The article "What Are the FrontPage Server Extensions?" brings up more clearness regarding the unloved FPSE

Microsoft has announced the realease of some new tools targeting Lotus Notes and Domino Customers, this is the english press-release and this is the german one.

I think there is a very interesting description of the following two tools:

• Microsoft Application Analyzer 2006 for Lotus Domino.
  This tool, available in the first quarter of 2006, will significantly improve the process of analyzing a Notes/Domino application environment and provide a framework for making recommendations to transition those applications to the Microsoft platform.
  
• Microsoft Data Migrator 2006 for Lotus Domino.
  This new tool, available in the second quarter of 2006, will allow organizations to migrate data from Lotus Domino template-based applications to Windows SharePoint Services Application Templates.

The Beta 2 of Internet Explorer 7 is available now.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ie7/ie7betaredirect.mspx

And the IE Product Team is blogging too:
http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/

Today I tested it and now Reporting Services is not working anymore!
Calling a report just brings up this error message:
"The report server cannot decrypt the symmetric key used to access sensitive or encrypted data in a report server database. You must either restore a backup key or delete all encrypted content and then restart the service. Check the documentation for more information. (rsReportServerDisabled)"

I am really curious why the installation of the IE7 has to touch the Reporting Services repository?

And be assured - before installing IE7 B2 Reporting Services worked fine...

BIRT was started in September 2004 as Toplevel-Projectof the Eclipse-Organisation.

It is an open source, Eclipse-based reporting system that integrates with your application to produce compelling reports for both web and PDF and provides core reporting features such as report layout, data access and scripting.

LGX Report is a free reporting tool by LogiXML.
There is a new version available, called "LGX Report Liberator+ Edition", which uses Excel as front end for designing.

The website and the reporting gallery gives a good impression about the value of this tool - LogiXML provides also enhanced versions, which are not free.

Anyone tried this tool? Comments appreciated.

CodeSmith is a template-based code generator that allows you to generate code for any text language.

You will not believe how easy developing could be - even try this tool with stored procedures!

SNARF, the Social Network and Relationship Finder, from Microsoft Research was built around the notion that social network information that is already available to the computer system can be usefully reflected to the user: a message from a manager might be seen differently than a message from a stranger, for example. SNARF applies this idea to email triage: handling the flow of messages when time is short and mail is long.

SNARF requires Microsoft Outlook (2003, 2002) as a MAPI source. It has been tested with Exchange and MAPI servers, Hotmail, POP, IMAP, and the OL Connector  for Lotus Notes. SNARF does not work with Outlook Express.

Starter Kits, Codes, Snippets, Tools - all available in this Download section.

Please have a special look on these two tools:

• Code Snippet Editor for Visual Basic 2005
• Refactor! for Visual Basic 2005

I came across a MySQL database during a project last days and had to migrate it to a MS SQL Server database.

I could have printed the ER-diagram and rebuild the tables, but... I have discovered a real cool and cheap tool to do this!
Take a look at the MySQL-to-MSSQL migration tool from intelligent converters.

My tip is to convert just the metadata and do the data transformation using DTS or SSRS, this is much faster.

They also provide other converters worth a look.

Michael Washam posted an article on MSDN named "How to Write a Back Up and Restore Application for SharePoint Portal Server 2003" to provide a GUI for the backup and discovery tools.

Extract from the website:
"The SharePoint Portal Server Data Backup and Restore utility is the SharePoint Portal Server tool you use to back up and restore sites created with SharePoint Portal Server 2003. You can access this utility from the SharePoint Portal Server group on the All Programs menu, on the server running SharePoint Portal Server. For information about backing up and restoring sites created with SharePoint Portal Server 2003, see the Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003 Administrator's Guide."

You will find the Download here.

Extract from the website:
"The SPSBackupSample in this download (SPSBackupSample.exe) includes programmatic steps and code to demonstrate how to backup and restore all SharePoint Portal Server 2003 or Microsoft Windows® SharePoint Services sites in the server farm. The code shows how to write a backup and restore application for SharePoint Portal Server 2003, and to perform Web Storage System backup for backwards-compatible Microsoft Exchange Server document libraries"

Eric Bracke provides a cool tool named SQL Digger which enables searching in Stored Procedures, UDF´s, Views and Triggers.

He also provides guides to add it into SQL Enterprise Manager or in the .NET IDE.

Tired of typing your dummy text on your own while coding?
Do you want a little diversion?

Try this page http://www.newmediadesigner.de/, it provides a bunch of dummy texts

It also provides a Generator at http://www.newmediadesigner.de/blindtext-generator.htm (sorrowly this page does not load the navigationframe...)

"The adminpak allows administrators to install the Windows Server 2003 management tools onto a Windows XP Professional or Windows Server 2003 family machines to perform remote server management functions. This is the final version (build 3790) of the adminpak.msi file. Please uninstall all previous versions of adminpak (Beta 3, RC1, RC2) before installing this final version. Please read Knowledge Base article 304718 for more information on the release process for this file and all known issues. Requires Windows XP SP1 or Windows XP QFE 329357 to install onto a Windows XP machine build 2600 (RTM build). See the Microsoft download site to install this QFE hotfix."
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=c16ae515-c8f4-47ef-a1e4-a8dcbacff8e3&DisplayLang=en

Because of some known issues with the adminpak.msi regarding several system enviroments here is a link to the Microsoft Download Area with keyword adminpak.msi
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/results.aspx?productID=&freetext=adminpak.msi&DisplayEnglishAlso=on&DisplayLang=de