InfoTech Notes - IT Consultant Blog

Check a Website for Malware Infections [Tips]

rachelbaker — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:59:24 +0000

The most likely cause of a computer to become infected with malware is a visit to an infected website. We visit websites seen on social media sites, sent to us via email, linked on other websites, found on search engines, etc. Even websites that look benign to the end user can in the background be running malicious scripts.

If your current anti-virus doesn’t have a component built in to scan links automatically for you, consider using the AVG Online Web Page Scanner. The AVG Online Web Page Scanner also can check links using shortened urls.

AVG also offers LinkScanner as a free software download to Windows users.

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Show Hidden Files in OSX [Tips]

rachelbaker — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:45:41 +0000

There is no way to enable the displaying of hidden files or folders from the graphic user interface on a Mac, but it can be done via Terminal. To enable the displaying of the hidden files open the Terminal and type:

defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE [press enter]

KillAll Finder [press enter]

If you are done viewing the hidden files and would like to stop viewing them, open the Terminal again and type:

defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE [press enter]

KillAll Finder [press enter]

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You Hire the Client, Not the Other Way Around [Opinion]

rachelbaker — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:13:52 +0000

Last Wednesday I went to a Chicago Tech Meetup Group event to hear Jason Fried of 37 signals fame speak. One of the points he made near the end of his question & answer time was about working with clients when he was a web designer:

Clients tend to think that they hire you, but really it is the other way around. You hire them.

This really hit home with me. It is hard when starting out as a consultant not to take any kind or work that you are offered (to be paid for). That is not a successful strategy.

You need to take on projects/clients that are right for you and your skill set.
Projects/clients that will help lead you to other projects/clients.
Projects/clients that you will proudly be able to cite to future potential clients.

The customer is not always right. You can tell a client that you respectfully disagree with them without coming off as rude. If you don’t tell your client why on their website they shouldn’t use red text on a black background or why they need to have a backup strategy, you are doing a dis-service to your client and to yourself as a professional. Integrity is your most important asset. Don’t lose it over one or two projects/clients. It is a slippery slope to go down.

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Five Windows Server Routine Tasks [Tips]

rachelbaker — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 03:59:46 +0000

As an IT Consultant I often get asked to do very minor tasks like setup a new user account or change folder permissions, when accessing the server to preform minor tasks I try to also do a quick little checkup on the server’s health. To do this I have this list of five routine tasks I perform:

Backups – Checking the status of backups is always the first thing I do on any server I touch.
Event Viewer – Making sure to check the Application and System logs for dings. Doing this can lead to proactively fixing an issue before it becomes a problem.
Software Updates – Checking updates for both the Operating System, Exchange or SQL, as well as other Line of Business applications. Updates cannot always be applied on the spot due to requiring reboots, but it is always good to know where the system stands to plan the patching/updating for the near future.
Driver Updates – Checking for updates for vital components like the NIC(s), RAID controller, etc
Disk Space – Making sure there is plenty of disk space for ongoing use, especially on the C partition.

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How to Control Alt Delete in Remote Desktop [Tips]

rachelbaker — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:07:15 +0000

I use Remote Desktop to access all of the servers I administer. I can troubleshoot or perform maintenance on the servers without having to visit each client’s office, not to mention work in my pajamas.

When remotely working on a server, nothing is more panic enducing than a server freezing on you. If you are in front of the server working at console level you would be able to press control, alt, and delete keys to bring up the Logon Information Box which can take you to the Task Manager.

But how do you do that when accessing a machine via Remote Desktop:

Control, Alt, and End keys bring up the Logon Information Box in a Remote Desktop Window

More Remote Desktop Shortcuts (via Technospot)

ALT + PAGEUP : Switch between programs left to right.

ALT + PAGEDOWN : Switch between programs right to left.

ALT + INSERT : Cycle through programs in most recently used order.

ALT + HOME : Display Start Menu.

CTRL + ALT + BREAK : Switch the client computer between a window and full screen.

ALT + DELETE : Displays the windows menu.

CTRL + ALT + Minus Sign (-) : Place a snapshot of the active window in the client the terminal server, same as PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.

CTRL + ALT + Plus Sign (+) : Place a snapshot of the entire window in the client the terminal server, same as PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.

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Checklist for Solving Head Scratching IT Problems [Favorites]

rachelbaker — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:21:44 +0000

All IT folks have that problem/issue that you have been unsuccessfully staring at or thinking about for hours. This has happened to me with everything from simple workgroup networking to writing complex database reports. The worst part about such problems is that when you finally do have that “aha moment” you kick yourself for not seeing the resolution sooner. A list I often find myself referencing in such situations was written by Tom Limoncelli and can be seen on EverythingSysAdmin.

A List of Dumb Things to Check

Layer 0 – PEBKAC

Make sure CapsLock is off. (Same for ScrollLock and NumLock)

Type it again (without using cut-and-paste) and see if you get the same results. (good way to find a typo) (or a unicode “whitespace” char)

Use cut-and-paste to copy that variable name (or URL, commmand line, etc.) to see if it was entered correctly.

Are the binaries really the ones you think are running? (Did you install in single user mode when /opt wasn’t mounted? Can you check the md5 or sha1 checksum vs. a machine that is running properly?)

Check the file permissions.

Are you really on the host you think you are?

Are you doing the test from the right machine? Would the test be more effective from a different machine?

Does your test gear test what you think it tests? What happens when you run the exact same test on a known-good and a known-bad element? Do you get the results you expect both ways?

Is that a file, a directory, a hard link, a symbolic link, or a mountpoint?

Is the filename extention right? Should it be .php instead of .html?

Is the screen paused via Ctrl-S? (press CTRL-Q to find out)

You can get to the web site? Are you working in “off-line” mode?

Layer 1 – Physical

Are both ends of the (power/network/video/etc.) cable plugged in?

Is the cable plugged into the right jack? (Some jacks look the same: AUI and video, Some Sun’s have a ’stealth’ video jack that you aren’t supposed to use, etc.)

Did you unplug and re-plug in the cable to make sure its in right?

It’s too easy to answer “yes” when asked, “Is it plugged in.” It’s better to ask them to power it off, then power it back on OR ask them to “check both ends of the power cable” OR ask them if the power light is on, off, or blinking. (and if it’s blinking… RUN!)

Does plugging a lamp into that outlet make it light up? (If you use a radio, be careful of radios with battery backups)

Is the laptop running off battery? (therefore obscuring a power problem)

Is the device driver you’re trying to install for the device you actually have?

Layer 2 – Data Link

Is there a rogue DHCP server on the network messing with you?

Layer 3 – Network

Is the default route set? Is the netmask set correctly?

http://www.psc.edu/~mathis/MTU/index.html : Six classes of bugs limit network performance.

packet losses, corruption, congestion, bad hardware

IP Routing, long round trip times

Packet reordering

Inappropriate buffer space

Inappropriate packet sizes

Inefficient applications

Is someone else also at that IP address? (Unplug the network cable and ping the address)

(firewall ruleset issues) If you move the machine to another IP address does it still happen? If you move the machine to a different subnet does it still happen? If you put a different machine at that IP address does it still happen? If you boot the same machine on a different OS (like a CD-ROM based Linux or FreeBSD) does it still happen?

Does the same thing happen when you specify the IP address instead of the hostname? (Hint: the lmhost or /etc/hosts may be overriding)

Layer 4 – Transport

Traceroute from A to B. Traceroute B to A. Do they match up?

Layer 5 – Session

SSH, SCP, L2TP, PPTP

Layer 6 – Presentation

Is the program reading the last line of the file? Is it being processed right?

Is there a (invisible) CTRL-M at the end of each line in the text file?

Does the text file end with a newline?

Layer 7 – Application

Is DNS configured right? Misconfigured DNS masks other problems and appears as bizarre problems that will send you looking everywhere except /etc/resolv.conf

Check the environment variables (Use “strings” on the binary to find out what they really are supposed to be).

Are you running the same copy of the script that you are editing?

Is the software looking for the same copy of the configuration file that you are? (Does the new release look in /etc/example2/example.conf instead of the old /etc/example.conf location?)

Layer 8 – User/Political

Is the user pressing RETURN when you think they are? (Are they pressing it at all?)

Is the user typing a “/” or a “\”?

Does the user know which is the lessthan (<) and which is the greaterthan (>) symbol?

“Did you get permission to run crack against that password file?” … “Is it in writing?”

If All Else Fails

Did you remember to check this list?

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Customize the Windows 7 Logon Screen Background [Tips]

rachelbaker — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:41:01 +0000

You can easily change your user picture in Windows 7 from the control panel, but there is no GUI way to change the background image to the Windows logon screen. Thoosje released the Windows 7 Logon Screen Editor to easily allow you to change the background image, and even preview it before committing the change.

For a customized background to be available it must be located in the C:\Program Files (x86)\Thoosje Logon Editor\Library directory. I suggest using a background image that is the same resolution as your monitor.

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Assign a Process or a Program to a CPU in Windows 7 [Tip]

rachelbaker — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:25:03 +0000

In Windows 7 on a dual-core or multiprocessor system, after a program is already running there is an easy way to assign the program or process to a specific processor. Windows normally decides which processor to use automatically, but you may want to reassure yourself.

Bring up the Task Manager
Right click on the process and select Set Affinity
Check or uncheck the processors based on your preference. Leaving all the processors and checked will allow Windows to manage this for you.

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Create a Bootable Windows 7 USB Drive From an ISO File [Downloads]

rachelbaker — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:40:23 +0000

Windows Only: I needed to create a USB boot device for an Asus netbook that was getting a clean install of Windows 7. I found this easy utility to make the USB drive bootable from the ISO image of the operating system disk. I would assume this also works with ISO images of Linux as well, but I haven’t tried it.

Download the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool and install the program.
Run the software and choose the location of the ISO file
Chose USB Device as the media type
Insert your USB drive into the computer, make sure the drive is at least 4gb
The Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool software will format your USB drive (and erase any files already on the drive), make the drive bootable, and then copy the files onto the USB drive.

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Workaround for Exchange Distribution Lists on iPhone [Tips]

rachelbaker — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:21:43 +0000

The iPhone uses the ActiveSync technology to sync and view your email, calendars, and contacts. A drawback of the ActiveSync technology is that it does not support distribution groups. However, if you have taken the time to setup a distribution list in your Outlook, I have a workaround for you:

Find an email that was previously sent to the distribution group in your sent items
Click reply all from that older email
Delete out all the body and subject content in the email message
Save this cleaned email to your Drafts folder
The email template containing your distribution list will now sync to your iPhone

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