“HMC provisioning issue: Adding machine into default OAB CAS Pool in Exchange 2007″

- J.

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ATTENTION HMC hosters - are you telling your customer you support iPhone? Figures this morning told of 1 million iPhone sales since launch.

Here’s the link the the EHLO article

- J.

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But time has moved on and I decided I was going to look at other things, principally the Server version of OS X Leopard and what it can do. I wanted to find out more about the Podcast Producer component (which is VERY cool by the way) but I hit a major issue during the installation process, a BIG error box saying (I paraphrase slightly here) ‘The “BaseSystem” package could not be validated, please go away’ or words to that effect anyway!

I was slightly miffed at this and was not able to find any reference to what could be causing this despite a good amount of time spent with Mr Google, so putting it down to a ‘bad’ DVD image I put that disk to one side and decided to put the original Leopard distribution back on (no real reason but a machine with no OS seems a little sad to me) - and got the exact same error message!!

Now I know that this installer works, I’d already re-installed a couple of times when creating the bootcamp split for the Windows Server install, so this set me to thinking.. what had I changed in the meanwhile? The answer was the RAM upgrade.

I’d done the previous installation and the Windows Server deployment with the original 1GB of RAM fitted, waiting for the 4GB to arrive in the post, which I subsequently installed. I still had the original 2 x 512MB SODIMMS so I popped the lid off and set about swapping things over. I left the lid of to do the testing - just in case - and BINGO the Leopard distro which came with the MIni installed without issue!

So, I retrieved the Server version from the corner of the room where it had been ’stored’ and gave that a go… after an anxious wait while the installer checked things over it worked!! YAY I AM A GENIUS! After the installation had finished I re-installed the 4GB upgrade and put the lid on.. my work was done.

So if you’re seeing errors like this and don’t know why - think about what you’ve changed hardware-wise and try returning to base config, it worked for me.

- J.

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I have always been of the opinion that a ‘presentation’ is given by a person and that tools such as PowerPoint or Keynote should be used to deliver punch, highlights and provide a flow to the message. The details of the message can be included in speaker notes for sure, but the actual delivery comes from the person.

I’ve sat through more than a few (too many if I’m honest) presentations where the ’speaker’ simply reads through the information presented on the screen in fabulous verbosity! not fun and certainly not a valuable use of either of our time! So here’s my new presentation paradigm, put highlights on the screen to get attention, use graphics and animation where appropriate and timely to do so - a picture can say a thousand words, but sitting through pretty builds can just get boring. Make sure the notes supplied contain all of the information you are going to use - that’s what note are for, the slides should be clean and crisp.

And finally if your presenting, present, don’t simply read from the deck. Anyone can read, you have to engage.

- J.

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I wanted to share this little bit of knowledge, I couldn’t find any information out there so I played around until things worked.

Scenario:
I buy Office 2008 for the Mac - Home and Student Edition because it’s cheaper and I don’t have an Exchange server.
I update as updates come along, like the diligent user I am (should user be highlighted there.. I’m not sure!)
I use the Mac Mail application for ALL of my email, because I like it and it works well. I use iCal for my appointments for the same reasons.
I take on a job where I’m given a mailbox on an Exchange Server. Now, Mail will connect to an Exchange server using the IMAP protocol and this is fine on the whole, unless that Exchange SErver is 2007 in which case appointment invitations are irretrievable (this is an Exchange issue I believe as Outlook on a PC connecting with IMAP does the same thing).
Joy! I’m allowed to download Entourage with Exchange access from the service provider of the Exchange system - it’s hosted you see, a solution i wholeheartedly support of course!
Pain! I install the new Entourage and then am prompted to do an update, the update fails with the message:-

"You cannot install Office 2008 12.1.0 Update on this volume. A version of
the software required to install this update was not found on this volume."

This is of course no fun, it’s even less fun when I find that non of my Office applications now work either!

The solution was to remove the Office Suite from the machine (dragging the folder from Applications to the Trash and emptying it), re-booting, re-installing the Suite from the DVD, re-installing the new Entourage from the DMG I downloaded and then letting the updater loose on the system.

It looks like the bottom line on this is - if you change ANYTHING in Office, do it from a FRESH installation before you update. This is more than tedious, even today I had to re-downloaed SP1 and then get the 12.1.1 update too, this process is only going to get longer until the restrictions that the updater seems to be hitting are mitigated.

But it’s working now so I’m (reasonably) happy!

- J.

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This isn’t necessarily the personal ability, it’s the ability to change minds and time-lines within the business or to overturn the deep-rooted beliefs that ‘ what we do is working so we don’t need to change it’. This is what causes the pain behind their eyes, the frustration below the surface which my words and discussions have simply inflamed and made painful.

I could be sorry about this, but I see it as birthing pains. We will collectively come through this in a better and stronger place, with superior services being available to a greater audience. More pain, more frustration please.. the results will be better for the struggle!!

- J.

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• Work clothes x number of days with clients
• Tee-shirts x evenings away
• Jeans and cargos (1 pair each)
• Smalls to cover all of the changes.

Sometimes though I find myself thinking “If only I’d packed…”. Today is one of those times. Andover near Boston seems like a nice place, this is what I can see of it through the torrential downpour streaming from the skies outside the Chillis I’m currently ensconced within (GOOODD Habanero Wings!)

I got pretty wet on my walk here from the hotel to get my ‘MUST STAY AWAKE’ meal - actually as a side bar I’m interested in finding out anyone else’s routine to beat the clock? I have only 5 hours to gain somewhere but it seems that these short trips of destined to be tired and off-kilter! My usual routine, and this time was no exception, is land, get to hotel, get checked in, have an evening meal and stay awake until as late as possible (typically 9-10 pm). I then awake as fresh as a daiy at about 4 am ready for the world!!

Anyway, tonight’s meal segment of the process at Chillis (good margueritas too) has been accompanied by the thrumming of rain on the roof and I’m thinking that perhaps a raincoat might have been a good choice.. next time perhaps!avel

- J.

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-J.

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Please note that unless you are seeing this particular issues in YOUR HMC deployment you should only apply these hotfixes if they are marked as ‘required’. IF you need help with the installation of these hotfixes Planet Technologies can undertake this on you behalf for a small fee through their On-Line Consulting service.

- J.

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Today I finally got sick of the error dialogue and prompt so did some diggin around. I initially thought that this was being set up and passed through by Parallels but a search there yielded nothing at all, then I found this little snippet about doing stuff in the Windows environment itself:

• Open Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) and navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ Software \ Microsoft \ WindowsNT \ CurrentVersion \ Winlogon

• Delete the DefaultPassword entry.
• Double-click AutoAdminLogon, type 0 in the Value Data box, and then click OK.

BINGO! I now get a nice login prompt with no auto-nonsense.

Thought I’d share

- J.

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