Windows 7 Customizing and Copying Default user profile with Windows Enabler

In past Operating Systems, such as Windows XP, if you wanted to customize the default user profile’s settings, customizations, wallpaper, screen saver, etc that new users would have applied upon first logging into a machine, you’d simply:

[Log in as a local administrator] > Go into User Profiles > [select your customized user profile with the settings you want to be default] > click Copy To button > [choose the location of the Default User folder]

Presto! The next time a user logs in (who doesn’t already have a profile created) will have the customizations applied.

In Windows 7 however, Microsoft decided to disable the ability to copy profiles to the Default profile using this classic method. In fact, the only profile you can copy from is the “Default” profile itself! This prevents you from customizing a profile, and copying it anywhere.

I spoke with a Microsoft representative who specializes in imaging. She said the only supported method is to use sysprep with the <copyprofile> tag in the unattend.xml file, and running:
sysprep /generalize /unattend:unattend.xml
To make it easier, she suggested MDT2010.

I hope all is well with you! With respect to customizing the default user profile in Windows 7, the only supported option is to use the copyprofile setting in the unattend.xml. Are you using MDT to build your image? If so, enabling this functionality is very simple. Essentially, you would open up the task sequence you are using to create the image and edit the unattend.xml (associated w/ that task sequence) to enable the copyprofile setting. In your task sequence, you can then add a script (or scripts) to customize things like your corporate screen saver, desktop wallpaper, etc. Did I provide you with these scripts when you attended the deployment HOL? If not, let me know and I can stage them on a share for you to download. If you don’t have your customizations scripted you can insert the pause task into your task sequence so that after the OS and apps are installed you can manually make your customizations. After you complete this process, the task sequence will resume and it will automatically sysprep the image (with the copyprofile setting enabled) and capture it as a WIM image.

These scripts can be used inside and outside of MDT 2010 to automate customizations made to the profile. Download MDT 2010 here.

Sysprep? Well this is good and all if I were going to be implementing Microsoft’s deployment and imaging solutions, but all I wanted to do is customize the default profile. There should be no need go through these complexities for something so simple. Read on for the Solution!

Solution!

Rather than spending hours trying to create/generate an unattend.xml file, performing various reboots, and running into limit for the /generalize switch (you can only generalize 3 times, or up to 9 times with the <SkipRearm> tag), among other headaches, and limiations (such as only being able to copy the administrator profile, then dealing with the deletion of the profile), I decided to think outside of the box.

After browsing various forums, I remembered an OLD utility called “Windows Enabler”. I posted my solution to the Microsoft Technet online forums, and everyone was ecstatic. It worked!
(Click here to visit the post, do a find for my name “Imfusio”. Below that you can see everyone’s testing, and verification procedures.)

1. Download a little freeware program called “Windows Enabler 1.1” Download here.
(It’s a handy little portable utility I keep on my thumb drive and network utilities folder. All you need is the “Windows Enabler.exe” and “EnablerDLL.dll” together in a folder.)

2. Run Windows Enabler *as Administrator* on the Windows 7 machine, and a little blue & white icon will show up in your system tray.
3. Bring up the “Users Profile” window, and select the profile you wish to copy where the button is grayed out.
4. Click on the Windows Enabler icon in your system tray, and it should say “On”
5. Click once on the “Copy To” button, and it should un-gray the button. Click the Windows Enabler icon again to turn it off.
6. Now, you have your Copy To button working! Copy the user profiles as you normally would, and try logging in as a new user on the machine.

Potential Issues

I tested this method, and it appears functional with only minor issues, just as with XP (for example, the My Documents kept the name of the original profile, ie “temporaryuser’s Documents” while logged in as another user). The Windows 7 resource kit mentions DJs (Directory Junctions) that can become corrupt, and other registry data that is not copied when using this technique, or any other method than that which is supported (sysprep method). However, I was able to copy a profile, and log in with a new user, and everything looks good! I had saw no visible problem with the Directory Junctions, or anything else. I currently have plans to put an image with user profiles created from this method through QA in a corporate environment. I will make note of any issues we run into.

The known issues are very subtle. We’ve been using this process with Windows XP, many of us not even knowing that using that function was not supported, and that issues existed when using this method. However, we never ran into many real problems with it. It is just now that the Copy To button is disabled that we are aware of the potential side effects.

Take a look at this technet artcile: Configuring Default User Profiles – Full update for Windows 7

Windows XP did not support manual copying of profiles either. Here are issues to look out for when using this method.
It is very old procedure from NT4, when the shell was much simpler.  The shell is more complicated for Windows 2000 and higher.  This process will copy settings that should not be copied to the default user profile.  It may seem to work but you will find subtle problems.  Windows XP and later have made those subtle problems more visible.

The manual profile copy process can cause issues such as:

• Their list of most frequently run programs is not cleared
• Whether the user has been introduced to the Start menu (will be set to TRUE for the source account, but should be FALSE for new users). Windows Explorer does some special things the first time you log on to introduce you to the Start menu and other new features.
• Whether the user is an administrator (and should therefore see the Administrative Tools, etc).
• The personalized name for “My Documents” will be incorrect. All users documents folders will be called “Administrator’s Documents”.  This is documented in the Knowledge Base article “The Desktop.ini File Does Not Work Correctly When You Create a Custom Default Profile” (http://support.microsoft.com/?id=321281).
• The default download directory for IE will be set to the Administrator’s Desktop folder.
• The default Save and Open locations for some application with point to the Administrator’s documents folder.
• Windows 7 Libraries are broken.

VB Scripts and UAC elevation

With User Account Control (UAC) enabled in Windows 7, one needs to open an elevated Command Prompt in order to run scripts under administrative privileges. Although the elevated Command Prompt accomplishes the task, the question How to run as script under elevated privileges/admin privileges

1. without using the Command Prompt? 

2. without user being admin on machine?

We can achieve the same by GPO which can deploy application etc. using system account but it doesn't solve the purpose where only selected users need to install applications with no admin rights on machine.

Scenario in my organization

We have intranet site in our organization with downloads page for installation of any software's for users.

Downloads page has a link to .vbs script which installs the software from local available repository when users click on the link

Problem is that users with no admin rights on local machine cannot install software especially in windows 7 as most of our users have been migrated to windows 7 with no administrator rights.

Solution: 

We created a script which can install the software on any machine with no admin privileges

We encoded the final script to protect from users

Below is the script:

******************************************************************

Option Explicit

Dim MyArr, i, IPaddress, tstr, Subnet2, Subnet3

Dim SCSserver,MapPath,oWshShell

Dim strArgs, strAdminUser, strAdminPass

Dim objFSO, wshNetwork, strComputer, objShell, strCommand

Set objFSO = WScript.CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

Set wshNetwork = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Network")

Set objShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

'Enter your domain admin user id/password or account with admin privelliges on your organisation machines

strAdminUser = "domain\userid"

strAdminPass = "password"

Dim WSHShell

            Dim objNTInfo

            Dim GetComputerName

            Set objNTInfo = CreateObject("WinNTSystemInfo")

            GetComputerName = lcase(objNTInfo.ComputerName)

            Set WSHShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

           

If WScript.Arguments.Count < 1 Then

      Call Normal_User_Commands

ElseIf WScript.Arguments(0) = "AsAdmin" Then

      Call Admin_User_Commands

Else

      MsgBox "Unknown Argument received"

End If

Sub Normal_User_Commands

      'MsgBox "Running as initiating user"

      strComputer = GetComputerName

      'Download psexec.exe and copy it on network as we are using psexec.exe

      strCommand = "cmd /c <Path for psexec.exe> \\" & strComputer & " -i -u " & strAdminUser & " -p " & strAdminPass & " wscript.exe <complete path for your script which installs application/software.vbs> ""AsAdmin"""

      objShell.Run strCommand, 0, True

End Sub

Sub Admin_User_Commands

      'Now running as Administrator on the target machine

      'MsgBox "Running as Admin"

      strCommand = "notepad.exe"

      objShell.Run strCommand, 0, True

End Sub

********************************************************************

Force software to always run as admin without exposing admin password

     
I have some software that only functions right if the person has administrative permissions on the machine. I don't want to give my users the admin passwords so they can do a Run As for obvious reasons.  Is there a way to force a program to run as administrator without exposing the admin password?

The answer is yes and can be achieved using a simple command and then creating a windows shortcut.

You can create and save the shortcut on any normal users desktop. You will have to configure to run the program as Administrator / Domain Admin account and it will save the password (don't worry it will be hidden)

User who wants admin rights to run any application can now be restricted as a normal user by this workaround.

runas /savecred /user:ComputerName\UserName "Full Path of Program"

or 

runas /savecred /user:Domain\UserName "Full Path of Program"

Example:

runas /savecred /user:ComputerName\UserName "c:\Program Files\CCleaner.exe"

Create a new windows shortcut and paste this command and save the shortcut on users desktop

Once you have the shortcut created, you will need to run the shortcut from the users profile and enter the admin password (one time so that savecred saves password).

From there the user should always be opening the program/application with admin rights and not be asked for a password. 

You can even change the icon for shortcut in properties screen.

I forgot my Windows XP Administrator password?

The “admin” method” is pretty straightforward. On many Windows XP systems, especially on the Home editions preconfigured by third-party OEM manufactures like Dell and Compaq, the installation creates a user called “Administrator” with, of course, administrator group policy privileges. It creates this user so consumers can fix what they’ve messed up if locked out of their accounts. This user can only be accessed in safe more. Conveniently, it is not password protected at all!

“Administrator” User

1. Just restart the computer. In between the appearance of the BIOS POST screen and the Windows XP boot screen, alternate pressing Ctrl and F8.
2. The Windows boot menu should appear. Select any “safe mode.”
3. On the login screen, you should see “Administrator.” If you don’t, press Ctrl + Alt + Del twice and manually enter the “Administrator” in without at password.
4. Once successfully logged in, go to the “Control Panel” and make necessary modifications to the user profiles.

If you are stuck at any of these steps or if it flat-out does not work, you’ll have to switch to “Plan B” … not the morning after pill. :)


“SYSTEM” User

There are many variations of this method. Basically, you gain control of the “SYSTEM” user, which is the highest user on the power hierarchy. The two main ones involve either the windows internal scheduling system or the screensaver. There are a couple of requirements for this method. First, you will need any type of user access, be it Limited User or Guest. Second, either the scheduling system has to be enabled or the screen saver has to be configured. Lastly, Windows cannot be patched. I’m pretty sure Microsoft would have plugged the hole since this discovery was a breakthrough in the tech world last year.
“AT” Command

The “AT” command schedules the operating system to run programs automatically. For example, if you want the operating system to make a backup of a crucial file or if you want the operating system to update the dynamic DNS provider with the current IP address, “AT” is at your command. It is the windows equivalent to the *nix cron command. The loophole is who runs the program when it is time to execute it. The “SYSTEM” user runs the command instead of the original user. So, if you schedule the OS to run “cmd” in the next minute, you’ll get the console DOS prompt for the “SYSTEM” user.

1. Go to “Start Menu” then “Run”
2. Type in “cmd.exe”
3. In the command prompt type “at 4:25pm /interactive cmd.exe” replacing the time with the next minute.
4. When the new command prompt appears, type “net user username password” replacing “username” with your target user and “password” with the password combination that you want to set.


"Screen Saver Variation"

When it is time for Windows to display the screen saver, the SYSTEM runs the screensaver file (which is pretty much an *.exe file renamed *.src). If you replace the default screensaver file with the cmd.exe file, again, you will obtain access to the “SYSTEM” console.

1. Go to “Start Menu” then “Run”
2. Type in “cmd.exe”
3. Type “cd\”
4. Type “cd\windows\system32″
5. mkdir temphack
6. copy logon.scr temphack\logon.scr
7. copy cmd.exe temphack\cmd.exe
8. del logon.scr
9. rename cmd.exe logon.scr
10. exit

The next time the screen saver is supposed to run, the command prompt will display. Then you can type “net user username password” replacing “username” with your target user and “password” with the password combination that you want to set.

"Repair OS"

If that’s your only problem, then you probably have nothing to worry about. As long as you have your Windows XP CD, you can get back into your system using a simple but effective method made possible by a little known access hole in Windows XP.

This method is easy enough for newbies to follow – it doesn’t require using the Recovery Console or any complicated commands. And it’s free - I mention that because you can pay two hundred dollars for an emergency download of Winternals ERD with Locksmith which is a utility for unlocking lost Windows passwords.

ERD is an excellent multi purpose product, but you should know it is not a necessary one if you have a healthy system and your sole problem is the inability to logon to Windows due to a forgotten password. Not necessary because you can easily change or wipe out your Administrator password for free during a Windows XP Repair. Here’s how with a step-by-step description of the initial Repair process included for newbie’s.

1. Place your Windows XP CD in your cd-rom and start your computer (it’s assumed here that your XP CD is bootable – as it should be - and that you have your bios set to boot from CD)

2. Keep your eye on the screen messages for booting to your cd Typically, it will be “Press any key to boot from cd”

3. Once you get in, the first screen will indicate that Setup is inspecting your system and loading files.

4. When you get to the Welcome to Setup screen, press ENTER to Setup Windows now

5. The Licensing Agreement comes next - Press F8 to accept it.

6. The next screen is the Setup screen which gives you the option to do a Repair.

It should read something like “If one of the following Windows XP installations is damaged, Setup can try to repair it”

Use the up and down arrow keys to select your XP installation (if you only have one, it should already be selected) and press R to begin the Repair process.

7. Let the Repair run. Setup will now check your disks and then start copying files which can take several minutes.

8. Shortly after the Copying Files stage, you will be required to reboot. (this will happen automatically – you will see a progress bar stating “Your computer will reboot in 15 seconds”

9. During the reboot, do not make the mistake of “pressing any key” to boot from the CD again! Setup will resume automatically with the standard billboard screens and you will notice Installing Windows is highlighted.

10. Keep your eye on the lower left hand side of the screen and when you see the Installing Devices progress bar, press SHIFT + F10. This is the security hole! A command console will now open up giving you the potential for wide access to your system.

11. At the prompt, type NUSRMGR.CPL and press Enter. Voila! You have just gained graphical access to your User Accounts in the Control Panel.

12. Now simply pick the account you need to change and remove or change your password as you prefer. If you want to log on without having to enter your new password, you can type control userpasswords2 at the prompt and choose to log on without being asked for password. After you’ve made your changes close the windows, exit the command box and continue on with the Repair (have your Product key handy).

13. Once the Repair is done, you will be able to log on with your new password (or without a password if you chose not to use one or if you chose not to be asked for a password). Your programs and personalized settings should remain intact.

I tested the above on Windows XP Pro with and without SP1 and also used this method in a real situation where someone could not remember their password and it worked like a charm to fix the problem. This security hole allows access to more than just user accounts. You can also access the Registry and Policy Editor, for example. And its gui access with mouse control. Of course, a Product Key will be needed to continue with the Repair after making the changes, but for anyone intent on gaining access to your system, this would be no problem.

And in case you are wondering, NO, you cannot cancel install after making the changes and expect to logon with your new password.

Cancelling will just result in Setup resuming at bootup and your changes will be lost.

Ok, now that your logon problem is fixed, you should make a point to prevent it from ever happening again by creating a Password Reset Disk. This is a floppy disk you can use in the event you ever forget your log on password. It allows you to set a new password.

Here's how to create one if your computer is NOT on a domain:

* Go to the Control Panel and open up User Accounts.
* Choose your account (under Pick An Account to Change) and under Related Tasks, click "Prevent a forgotten password".
* This will initiate a wizard.
* Click Next and then insert a blank formatted floppy disk into your A: drive.
* Click Next and enter your logon password in the password box.
* Click Next to begin the creation of your Password disk.
* Once completed, label and save the disk to a safe place

How to Log on to your PC Using Your Password Reset Disk

Start your computer and at the logon screen, click your user name and leave the password box blank or just type in anything. This will bring up a Logon Failure box and you will then see the option to use your Password Reset disk to create a new password. Click it which will initiate the Password Reset wizard. Insert your password reset disk into your floppy drive and follow the wizard which will let you choose a new password to use for your account.

Note: If your computer is part of a domain, the procedure for creating a password disk is different.

See here for step by step instructions: http://support.microsoft.com/default.asp…

Good Luck!

Print spooler missing in services.msc

PRINT SPOOLER

Issue: Print spooler missing in services.msc

Troubleshooting

If the print spooler entry in missing in service, Copy the file below and paste it into a notepad and name file spooler.reg on desktop and then double click on it.

It will create all the entries in registry and you will be able to find spooler entry in services.msc

Note: You need to restart the computer.

Copy the text below and paste it into a notepad and name the file spooler.reg and save on Desktop

==============================================================

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Spooler]
"DependOnService"=hex(7):52,00,50,00,43,00,53,00,53,00,00,00,00,00
"Description"="Loads files to memory for later printing."
"DisplayName"="Print Spooler Service"
"ErrorControl"=dword:00000001
"FailureActions"=hex:80,51,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,e8,47,0c,\
  00,01,00,00,00,60,ea,00,00,01,00,00,00,60,ea,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"Group"="SpoolerGroup"
"ImagePath"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,\
  74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,\
  00,70,00,6f,00,6f,00,6c,00,73,00,76,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,00,00
"ObjectName"="LocalSystem"
"Start"=dword:00000002
"Type"=dword:00000110

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Spooler\Parameters]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Spooler\Performance]
"Close"="PerfClose"
"Collect"="PerfCollect"
"Collect Timeout"=dword:000007d0
"Library"="winspool.drv"
"Object List"="1450"
"Open"="PerfOpen"
"Open Timeout"=dword:00000fa0
"WbemAdapFileSignature"=hex:ee,77,f6,e4,05,9a,12,60,ce,fa,84,c7,a3,a5,c1,a1
"WbemAdapFileTime"=hex:00,99,f6,d2,64,9a,c4,01
"WbemAdapFileSize"=dword:00023e00
"WbemAdapStatus"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Spooler\Security]
"Security"=hex:01,00,14,80,90,00,00,00,9c,00,00,00,14,00,00,00,30,00,00,00,02,\
  00,1c,00,01,00,00,00,02,80,14,00,ff,01,0f,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,01,00,00,\
  00,00,02,00,60,00,04,00,00,00,00,00,14,00,8d,01,02,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,\
  05,0b,00,00,00,00,00,18,00,9d,01,02,00,01,02,00,00,00,00,00,05,20,00,00,00,\
  23,02,00,00,00,00,18,00,ff,01,0f,00,01,02,00,00,00,00,00,05,20,00,00,00,20,\
  02,00,00,00,00,14,00,fd,01,02,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00,01,01,\
  00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Spooler\Enum]
"0"="Root\\LEGACY_SPOOLER00"
"Count"=dword:00000001
"NextInstance"=dword:00000001

==============================================================

I have recently found that even the registry fix above may not completely fix the issue, if you still experience printer 
spooler service stopping, restarting or after print job the service is in stopped state, apply the fix below

Step1: Delete the Printer Spooler service as it may be corrupt

Note: You should be administrator of local machine
XP: Launch command prompt
Windows 7: Launch command prompt as administrator even if you are local machine administrator

Type: SC delete <service name> ex. SC delete spooler 

reboot the computer

Step3: Reinstall print spooler service

Go to C:\windows\System32 and run Spoolsv.exe

Reboot and service should be installed

Links do not open: This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect on this computer

When clicking on a hyperlink within an email I get the following error;
“This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please contact your system administrator.”

I am the administrator of this computer. How can I use these deactivated links again as currently links do not open at all?

This usually happens when there is no default Internet browser (properly) registered in Windows.

To recover, it often is enough to reassign a default browser via;

• Windows 8
  Start-> type: Default Programs
  or
  Charms (+C)-> Settings-> Control Panel-> Programs-> Default Programs
• Windows Vista and Windows 7
  Start-> Default Programs
• Windows XP
  Control Panel-> Set Program Access and Defaults

When you have multiple browsers installed, it sometimes helps to set the other browser as the default, apply the changes and then set your preferred browser as the default again.

If you only have a single Internet browser installed in Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8, you can also deselect all the defaults for the browser by pressing “Choose defaults for this program”, save the changes and then select them all again.

Reset the browser

Depending on your Internet browser, you might additionally need to reset the browser. For Internet Explorer this can be done in Control Panel-> Internet Options. When you use Internet Explorer 6 or lower, you’ll find this option on the Programs tab. For Internet Explorer 7, 8, 9 or 10, you can find this option on the Advanced tab.

For Firefox, open a Run command and type the following (note the spaces);
firefox -safe-mode firefox-safe-mode

In the dialog that pops-up select the option “Reset all user preferences to Firefox defaults” and press “Make Changes and Restart”.

Registry fix

If resetting via the conventional means does not work out for you, then the issue is probably rooted a bit deeper and are the file associations and handlers not correctly registered in the registry or are conflicting. To resolve this, you can download this registry file.

This zip-file contains 3 files;

• readme.txt                                      Some information over the zip-file itself
• ie-fix-restrictions-Win32.reg           For when using a 32-bit version of Windows
• ie-fix-restrictions-Win64.reg           For when using a 64-bit version of Windows

This registry file contains the minimal amount or registry entries needed for making Internet links open again with Internet Explorer. All these registry entries are original entries which are also there when you do a clean installation of Windows.
If found, it also removes some registry entries which could conflict with the original entries. These registry entries also do not exist when doing a clean installation of Windows.

Note 1: For importing this registry file you’ll need to have Administrator rights on the computer.

Note 2: The registry keys are based on a default installation of Windows on the C:\-drive. If you installed Windows to another drive letter or if you want to see what’s inside the reg-file before importing it, you can extract the zip-file and then open/edit it in Notepad by right clicking on the reg-file and choosing Edit.

Blue Screen View - BSOD utility

A great utility I have come across lets you find answers for the weird Blue Screen of Death errors - (BSOD)

I have been able to fix many issues using this small piece of software.

Available for download to you all enjoy :)

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/92862901/BlueScreenView.zip

Description
===========

BlueScreenView scans all your minidump files created during 'blue screen
of death' crashes, and displays the information about all crashes in one
table. For each crash, BlueScreenView displays the minidump filename, the
date/time of the crash, the basic crash information displayed in the blue
screen (Bug Check Code and 4 parameters), and the details of the driver
or module that possibly caused the crash (filename, product name, file
description, and file version).
For each crash displayed in the upper pane, you can view the details of
the device drivers loaded during the crash in the lower pane.
BlueScreenView also mark the drivers that their addresses found in the
crash stack, so you can easily locate the suspected drivers that possibly
caused the crash.

BlueScreenView Features

=======================

* Automatically scans your current minidump folder and displays the

  list of all crash dumps, including crash dump date/time and crash

  details.

* Allows you to view a blue screen which is very similar to the one

  that Windows displayed during the crash.

* BlueScreenView enumerates the memory addresses inside the stack of

  the crash, and find all drivers/modules that might be involved in the

  crash.

* BlueScreenView also allows you to work with another instance of

  Windows, simply by choosing the right minidump folder (In Advanced

  Options).

* BlueScreenView automatically locate the drivers appeared in the crash

  dump, and extract their version resource information, including product

  name, file version, company, and file description.

Outlook 2003 will not open ZIP files on Windows 7

Summary

User has Windows 7 (32 or 64 bit) and when they open a ZIP file directly from within an email, nothing happens.   If the user saves the ZIP file from the email to the C Drive then opens it, it works normally.

Solution
For 32-bit version of Windows
• Open Registry Editor (Start > regedit)
• Navigate to the following key
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ShellCompatibility\Applications\outlook.exe
• You will see the following entry:
VERSION = 11.*;10.*;9.*;8.*;7.*
Edit the Version value and remove the 11.*;

For 64-bit version of Windows
• Open Registry Editor (Start > regedit)
• Navigate to the following key
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WoW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ShellCompatibility\Applications\outlook.exe
• You will see the following entry:
VERSION = 11.*;10.*;9.*;8.*;7.*
Edit the Version value and remove the 11.*;

Windows 7 x64 and printers hosted on Windows server 2003

The first obstacle which I've had to overcome that was worthy of a post is regarding network printer installations on a Windows 7 64 bit client. Nice and easy you say, however our printer servers are running Windows server 2003 32bit and when I try to connect to them from a Win7 client, it tells me no drivers are available and that's that.

Well I found an easy solution to allow Win7 clients to install these printers ok and avoid having users go and browse for drivers etc. Users are stupid and if you give them a choice, they will pick the wrong one.

Here's what I did

Jump onto your Windows server 2003 box and open printers and faxes
Right-Click on one of your network printers and properties
Click on the Sharing tab
Click on the Additional Drivers button
Tick the box for x64 (see below)
Now browse for your Windows Server 2003 x64 drivers (which you downloaded in advance!) and let the server install them.

Despite those being drivers for Windows Server 2003 x64, my Windows 7 x64 clients happily installed the printer and are able to print just fine.  We use leased Toshiba e-Studio multi function printers which are a great idea for cost effective communal office printing rather than operating expensive individual laser-jet printers but this is a blog topic for another day.

ThinkPad W510 with unknown device PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_4239

The new Lenovo website launched in the last month or so has been the brain of my working life. I visit that site like 10 times a day and since it has changed it has pretty much made my working life hell.

Today's challenge saw me build a ThinkPad W510 laptop with Win7 x64. All went well until I was left with one ? in device manager and it was the wireless adapter. System update didn't find drivers for it so I was left to visit the wonderful new site and pull the driver manually. This is run of the mill usually and wasn't bothered however after downloading and trying every wireless driver listed for a W510 I still had no joy.

Anyway I googled the device Instance ID of PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_4239 (from device manager) and found the type of wireless adapter in this machine is the Intel Centrino(R) Advanced-N 6200 AGN.
I went to Intel's support website and looked for the drivers - and the latest version listed is currently 14.1.1.0 which i downloaded and installed. Still no driver loaded after running setup.

I then saw in the small print that you needed to use a previous release 13.5.0.6 for win7 x64.

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?DwnldID=19856

I downloaded this and it picked up my wireless adapter and installed fine!

I've achieved nothing today except this so thought it might help someone else.

But why doesn't system update pick it up nor do they list this driver on their site when i narrow my selection to ThinkPad W510.. because they are clowns I tell you