Despite my own meltdown over a frustrating mishap with Dell’s chosen shipping agency, Dell provides the services they promise - a PC built to your specs. Those looking to buy a PC for bargain basement prices who then have the audacity to expect semi-local reps to answer the phone instead of someone who happens to be offshore is living in a land of make-believe. As I discovered recently, and I am a dummy for not realizing this earlier, you get what you pay for. So let’s see how the local support pans out before exclaiming that it is something to be scoffed at.

When I read articles like this, I have to object as the razor thin margins on selling full PCs may make a lot of money in bulk, but seeing Dell trying to correct a customer service problem only to be booed for it makes me angry. Dell has ticked me off in the past, yet the same time, they have made many others into happy customers.

I may disagree with the way they handle things, but I will never hold the desire to charge for US based customer support. Linux companies have been doing this for years, so why are we getting all twitchy when seeing the same level of support for Windows users?

In the end, we must remember the following:

• You have the right to not use the additional service.
• You have the right not to use a local tech for assistance, perhaps at a better rate.
• And you have the right to vote with your dollars and stop whining. Speaking for myself, I was getting nowhere complaining about my past Dell experience, so I voted with my dollars and spent MORE and ended up with a better match for my own needs elsewhere.

I would encourage anyone to voice their distaste with any customer service experience that is specific and went badly. But to do so about something that has not even happened yet, is just plain silly. I say give Dell a break on this one. Don’t like it, buy elsewhere. That is the beauty of a free market.

With the exception of Apple, I have never had a good call-in experience from a super-large (US based) PC manufacturer. So if the Dell move potentially changes this, I applaud their effort.

RunAs Radio talks to Garth Jones about SMS 2003 and its new version, System Center Configuration Manager 2007. Configuration Manager takes over where SMS left off, handling software distribution, updates, asset management, even working with Windows Deployment Services to do bare metal installations!

Garth Jones is the founder of the Ottawa Windows Server User Group (OWSUG) and its associated study group, He is an MVP for Windows Server System - SMS, who was recently profiled on the Can IT Pro Blog and is member of the myITforum Community Council. Garth is Chief Architect of Enhansoft, an Ottawa company that develops products and services to extend the value of System Center Configuration Manager 2007, SMS, Operation Manager, MOM and Virtual Server. He started working with Systems Management Server when it was a v1.1 (1996). He can be found in Microsoft newsgroups, on a few web forums, OWSUG.ca, SMSug.ca, FAQshop.com and myITForum.com and on the mailing list of myITforum.com. Garth has presented numerous times to OWSUG, created webcast for both SMSUG.ca & myITForum.com and has presented at Microsoft Management Summit.

If you launch a program such as Internet Explorer when you have not established a connection to the Internet, Vista will automatically go ahead and attempt to establish an Internet connection. Users sometimes have multiple dial-up connections, one of which is designated as the default connection. When Vista attempts to establish a connection, it uses the default connection.

If you do not want Windows to dial automatically, or if you have defined multiple dial-up connections, you can tell Windows, which, if any, of the connections you want it to dial automatically.

To change the default settings, follow these steps:

1. Open the Control Panel, select Network and Internet, and click Internet Options. Alternatively, within Internet Explorer, you can choose Tools, Internet Options.
2. Select the Connections tab, and highlight the dial-up connection you want to use for Internet browsing
3. If you use a standalone computer or a portable computer that sometimes has Internet access via a LAN, select Dial Whenever a Network Connection Is Not Present.
4. If you want to use the modem connection even while you’re connected to a LAN, you can select Always Dial My Default Connection.
5. Finally, if you don’t want Windows to dial automatically at all but and you prefer to make your connection manually, you can choose Never Dial a Connection.
6. If you have actually changed the default dial-up connection, click Set dDefault.
7. Click OK.

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Biting my tongue as hard as I can, I am unable to believe the following statement.

“XP will hit an end-of-life. We have announced one. If customer feedback varies, we can always wake up smarter, but right now, we have a plan for end-of-life for new XP shipments“

Steve Ballmer stated clear as day that he is waiting for customer feedback on keeping XP. Seriously, he is kidding, right? While there are certainly plenty of people who have found the migration to Vista to be just fine, without too many major hurdles, there are countless articles, forum posts, emails and even signs in peoples windows indicating that they want XP as an alternative!

Now, outside of it being a major support hassle, I fail to see what irritating people even further serves in the long run? But even still, when you see companies like Dell using “We will still have XP after the deadline” as a marketing pitch, I would be willing to bet there may be something to this keeping the now dated OS around as an option for consumers who simply prefer something less “glossy”.

This not an anti-Vista or Microsoft rant. Rather, this is a point that I firmly believe is being missed by Microsoft. A large number of your own users have spoken out loud and clear - keep XP around until another option is available. Ballmer himself has finally admitted that things have been “a work in progress” with Vista, while others have already rolled back to their older OS anyway. So how about it, should Microsoft simply say too bad or instead, consider the will of their customers? You decide!

This was a long time coming. As neat as the OLPC project was in the beginning, it was due for a change as it was simply not meeting the needs as initially thought. And while the idea of Windows XP might not be my first choice, it is a darn sight better than the “sugar” distribution of Linux I have tested out myself in the past. Sugar for XP, is even more hair brained as the UI is still flawed.

At the end of the day, I honestly do not have all of the answers that best suit the future of this project. While I believe that taking a Linux route would be more economical in the long run, if Microsoft is willing to make Windows XP available, awesome, go for it. Just make darn sure that some of the security features provided in Vista are available in these XP installations as they will otherwise, be food for XP ready malware. A special, stripped down Vista may have made more sense. But this is just my thinking realizing that we really do not need more newbies with XP downloading everything in sight.

Am I wrong? Is XP, with its benefits and flaws, really the best choice from a security standpoint for developing nations? Hit the comments, you be the judge.

In terms of security, only a few folders are accessible with password-less file sharing, and although anybody with access to the network can access them, the damage an intruder can do is limited to stealing or modifying just the files in a few folders that are known to be public.

Passwordless file sharing has two disadvantages: First, and most important, it is crucial that you have a firewall in place. Otherwise, everyone on the Internet will have the same rights in your shared folders as you. (That’s one of the reasons for Windows Firewall and why Vista is so adamant about either installing the Firewall or disabling file sharing.)

The second disadvantage, although less troublesome and probably less noticeable to most people, is that if you attempt to use a shared folder from another computer on which you have the same username and password, you won’t get the full rights that you’d have locally. You’ll be a guest, like anyone else. In particular, the very handy whole-drive administrative shares such as C$ do not work when password-less file sharing is in use.

The second file sharing option in Vista is Password Protected File Sharing. By default, Vista uses password-protected file sharing, which is much more secure because it limits access to the Public folder and all other shared folders to users with a user account and password on your computer. Password Protected File Sharing provides for finer granularity of control because you can set sharing permissions for individuals and groups. You can also give individuals different permissions, depending on the type of access they need.

Knowing the disadvantages, if you want to make the Public folder accessible to everyone on your network, you can disable password-protected file sharing. Click Start, Control Panel, Network and Internet, Network and Sharing Center. Under Sharing and Discovery, click the drop-down arrow beside Password Protected Sharing, click Turn Off Password Protected Sharing, and click Apply.

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Have to say, I honestly did not see this one coming. We are always hearing about how spammers are generally first to market on just about everything. Well it seems there is quite a bit of truth to this as you can see here.

As we might expect, this was bound to happen using technology like Google calendar. Seriously, if not there, it would have happened elsewhere. MySpace and Facebook have pretty much been done to death, which is partly why I am putting less and less faith into them these days ever taking the reigns as their own platform.

So what do you think? Can spam ruin various means of communication such as public calendars, email and perhaps, even OPML feeds? Hit the comments, you be the judge.

Vista supports two types of file sharing: password and password-less. The Password-less file sharing option eliminates some of the hassle of the older Windows NT/2000 network security model. If your computer were a member of Windows NT/2000 workgroup and you attempted to access a shared resources on another workgroup computer, Windows would see if your username and password matched an account on the remote computer.

At that point, one of four things would happen:

• If your username and password exactly matched an existing account on the remote computer, you got that user’s privileges on the remote machine for reading and writing files.
• If your username matched but the password did not, you were prompted to enter the correct password.
• If the username did not match any predefined account, or if you failed to supply the correct password, you got the privileges accorded to the Guest account, assuming that the Guest account was enabled.
• If the Guest account was disabled, you were denied access.

The main problem with this network security system is that you needed to have a username and password on each computer you wanted to access shared resources on. With six other computers in a workgroup, you were required to have (and remember) six additional usernames and passwords. If you were the workgroup administrator, you had to create multiple accounts for each user.

Enter the first Vista file sharing option - Password-less File Sharing (previously known as Simple File Sharing in XP). Password-less file sharing can make sharing folders and files much easier. This method to sharing files makes the contents of the Public folder accessible to everyone on the network, regardless of whether they have a user account and password on your computer. Password-less file sharing is ideal if you want to share everything in your Public folder and do not need to set sharing permissions for individuals.

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RunAs Radio digs into Hyper-V with guest Anil Desai. Hyper-V is the virtualization product that shipped as a beta with Windows Server 2008, the release version to be available 180 days later. This show was recorded while Hyper-V was still a release candidate. Anil digs into the strengths and weaknesses of Hyper-V and how it compares to products like VMWare’s ESX Server.

Anil Desai is an independent consultant based in Austin, TX. He specializes in evaluating, implementing, and managing IT solutions. He has worked extensively with Microsoft’s Server products and the .NET development platform and has managed environments that support thousands of virtual machines. Anil holds numerous certifications and is a Microsoft MVP (Windows Server — Management Infrastructure). Anil is the author of numerous technical books focusing on the Windows Server Platform, Virtualization, Active Directory, SQL Server, and IT management. He has made dozens of conference presentations and is a frequent contributor to online and print magazines.

It is no secret that I have been hard on Dell in the past, both for my own personal experiences along with some of their business decisions. But this time, I think they might be onto something with their up and coming eco-friendly PCs. Hardly a new concept, with one exception. Dell is using bio-friendly cases, along with low-impact hardware.

Now again, Zonbu amongst a host of others have also found ways of making a low impact PC viable, however I must say, going with bamboo is definitely a new one in my book.

So what do you think? Did Dell make a smooth choice in working to offer Bamboo PCs in the near future or is this just a move to grab at the unusual? You decide.

I actually found a comment whereas the submitter mentioned that eBay is going to “eat Craigslist from the inside out.” After checking into this latest news about Craigslist being sued by eBay, I frankly believe that Craigslist quite possibly brought it upon itself… or did it?

Unlike the myth that Microsoft still owns Apple shares, which, back when they were outstanding, were non-voting shares only to be sold off a few years ago, eBay actually has a very real stake in Craigslist. Surprised? Well before outwardly blaming Craigslist for allowing this to happen, consider this.

“Mr. Newmark and the Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster said in separate messages posted on the Web that they never imagined a stake in Craigslist ending up in the hands of a publicly-traded company. Still, the former Craigslist executive made it clear to the company that he intended to sell his shares and began approaching other parties, including eBay. ”

So who is really telling the truth? If it was me, I think I am going to lean with the non-publicly traded, undervalued company run out of a large house. Why? Read closely…

“eBay’s motivation could also partly be defensive, allowing it to keep a stake in Craigslist out of a competitor’s hands and giving it the chance to acquire the remainder of Craigslist should the company’s founders decide to sell, according to a person familiar with the matter.”

But this comment is dated as of 2004 - a lot has changed since then, including a better understanding why so many are seeking to do business with Craigslist - it’s generally free to use and would not really recoup the other 75% of investment. Another possibility is that it might simply be cheaper to sue the company silly later on…

Today’s eBay is full of honest sellers and crooks alike. The same can certainly be said for Craigslist. But because one of these companies encourages face-to-face sales, over that of having a product shipped to you, it seems that Craigslist stands to be a better avenue for many sellers and buyers looking not to be ripped off through the mail.

Is Craigslist in real trouble here? It is entirely too early to tell for sure. One thing is for sure, eBay is hiding something and the winner will be the one with the best legal team.

Vista provides the capability to connect two different network types through software. This feature is referred to as network bridging. Network Bridging can eliminate the need to buy a hardware device to connect two different networks.

For example, you can bridge a phone line with an Ethernet network. Vista acts and the bridge between the two networks and computers on either network can communicate as if they were directly connected.

Bridging is similar to routing, but it’s more appropriate for small network because it’s easier to configure and doesn’t require different sets of IP addresses on each network segment. Technically, bridging occurs at the physical level of the network protocol stack. Windows forwards network traffic, including broadcasts and packets of all protocol types received on either adapter to the other. In effect, it creates one larger network.

To enable bridging in your Vista computer, install and configure two or more network adapters. However, don’t worry about setting up the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) parameters for either of the adapters because once you enable the bridge, any original settings are lost.

Once the network adapters are installed, complete the steps described below:

1. View the connection icons by clicking Start, Control Panel, Network and Internet, Network and Sharing Center, Manage Network Connections.
2. Select the icons you want to bridge by clicking on the first, holding down the Shift key, and clicking on the second.
3. Right-click on one of the icons and select Bridge Connections.
4. A new icon appears. Select the new bridge icon and, if you want, rename it appropriately.
5. Double-click the bridge icon. Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and configure your computer’s TCP/IP settings. You must do this because any TCP/IP settings for the original two adapters are lost.

When you’ve created a bridge, your two network adapters function as one and share one IP address, so Microsoft disables the “network properties” of the individual network adapters. You must configure your computer’s network properties with the bridge’s icon.

Remember that the connection between the two networks depends on the computer with the bridge being powered on. You can remove the bridge later by right-clicking the network bridge and clicking Delete.

Processor’s format provides a comprehensive display of corporate equipment and services, including storage, communications, and servers. You’ll also find product announcements, marketplace information, and other articles designed to keep IT workers up to date with the latest news that matters most.

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In the past, I have talked about my thoughts on Microsoft Surface technology, acknowledging how well it would fit into kiosk type duties with companies such as AT&T. But when I heard about a possible Surface “Sphere“, I about lost it. Now obviously most people have pointed out that technology such as this is not really practical in the home or office. We are brought up these days to use a keyboard and a mouse in our computing lives. Yet at the same time, there was a time not all that long ago when the idea of a mouse was just plain silly. I see a home based Surface Sphere facing the same challenge and opportunity.

Contrary to what others have said in the past, I do not believe that the concept of the Surface computing platform is to outwardly replace Windows, compete with OS X or even overthrow Linux as the star-filled newcomer. No, I see this as something of a 10-15 year venture. I am talking about creating the next “mouse” so to speak. This is where I believe Microsoft is headed which in reality, leaves other computing platforms as a moot point. There is no competition because it is not likely the focus for MS…yet.

What do you think? After fully realizing that Microsoft knows full well that in this day in age users are not really ready to lose the keyboard/mouse combination all at once, do you suspect that Microsoft will be using future Windows releases to slowly warm us up to using new and exciting ways of interacting with our PCs using touch?

IPv6 has been around for something on the order of 15 years, yet it has yet to see widespread adoption. It was recently enabled on Internet core DNS infrastructure, and had been adopted in some network like those operated by certain mobile carriers. The current IP addressing and allocation scheme, dubbed IPv4, will eventually run out of IP addresses. There’s been a sort of boy-called-wolf debate over whether we’re really going to allocate the entire IPv4 address space anytime soon or not. But eventually we’ll run out — some say in 2010.

Sean Siler, Program Manager responsible for IPv6, joined Richard Campbell and me for a RunAs Radio show. Sean really knows his stuff and did a terrific job of describing IPv6, comparing it to IPv4, and other useful information.

IPv6 enables a lot more than just additional addresses, though. Sean discusses what’s the same, what’s different and what’s new (hint: IPSEC and multicasting everywhere). He also offers a great analogy to describe the enormous size of the IPv6 address space. It’s mind-boggling, really.

If you don’t understand or know much about IPv6, this interview is a great place to start learning, and you truly need to be doing so if you do network design or other work in your job. The change is significant, but not impossible — so go listen to the show and get learning!

Other resources:

• IPv6 information on Wikipedia
• IPv6 info from Microsoft
• Sean Siler’s IPv6 blog

If your network contains a single domain and a couple of DCs, and all computers are on the same network, you really don’t have to concern yourself with indicating the correct target DC when making changes to the group policy. However, if you have multiple domains, DCs, and users with the ability to change the group policy, getting the target right for group policy edits is important. In addition, you could have more than one DC receiving edits, causing edits at other DCs to be lost during replication.

You have two possibilities for specifying options for controlling DC group policy changes:

• Dynamically through the Group Policy Editor console
• Dynamically through policies defined in the Administrative Templates branch

To configure the options through the console, open the properties for the domain, click the Group Policy tab, and edit the Default Domain Policy object. Select the root of the object, then choose View | DC Options to display the Options For Domain Controller Selection dialog box.

Options you’ll find on this screen include the following:

• The One With The Operations Master Token For The PDC Emulator: This option causes Windows Server 2003 to use the same DC as the target for all group policy creation and editing, with all other DCs receiving updates through replication. This ensures that you don’t experience editing collisions caused by multiple concurrent policy changes on different DCs. With this option selected, the Group Policy console automatically focuses on the specified DC. Typically, the DC with the Operations Master token is the first DC created in the domain, although this can change.
• The One Used By Active Directory Snap-Ins: This option enables you to select a DC when using the Group Policy console snap-ins. As long as you select the right one, edits happen on the selected DC. Selecting the DC, however, is a conscious, manual process, inviting error. If you forget to change the focus and inadvertently make changes on the wrong DC, those edits could be lost during replication or cause other problems, so use this option with care.
• Use Any Available Domain Controller: This option allows changes to be made on any DC, making it the least desirable option. If you have only a few DCs and only one person making policy changes, then this option is acceptable.

If you prefer to establish these options through a policy (a better method as it then applies to all administrators), configure the policy settings at the domain level. Open the Default Domain Controller GPO and modify the policy User Configuration/Administrative Templates/System/Group Policy/Group Policy Domain Controller Selection as desired. The available options are the similar to those discussed above and include:

• Use the Primary Domain Controller
• Inherit from Active Directory Snap-ins
• Use any available domain controller

At this point, you should have a relatively good understanding of what group policy objects are and how they enable you to apply policies, at least in a general sense. You also should have enough information to start planning a group policy implementation.

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