software drive

[FIX] Common Problems While Installing Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) Beta

2011-10-04T00:20:00.000-07:00

As we all know Microsoft will release public beta of Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 by the end of July. Microsoft has started publishing troubleshooting articles to help you in fixing some common problems which might occur while installing SP1.

You might face following problems while installing SP1 in Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2:

Problem 1:

When installing SP1, you might get an "Installation was not successful" error message. The most common causes of this problem are:

An inconsistency in the Windows Servicing Store. The Windows Servicing Store is a feature that is required to successfully install the service packs.
A program on your computer, such as antivirus or antispyware programs, is interfering with the installation of the service pack.

Solution:

To try to solve this problem, first download and run the System Update Readiness Tool. The System Update Readiness Tool can help fix problems that might prevent Windows updates and service packs from installing.

Problem 2:

If you try to install SP1 with Microsoft Security Essentials or Microsoft Forefront Client Security already installed on your computer, your security program might prevent the successful installation of the service pack.

Solution:

To successfully install SP1, you or a network administrator will have to uninstall Microsoft Security Essentials or Microsoft Forefront Client Security, install the service pack, and then reinstall your security program.

Problem 3:

While installing SP1, you might get "Windows has detected unsupported languages files" error message.

Solution:

SP1 can only be installed on a computer that is running a German, Spanish, French, English, or Japanese version of Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2.

problem with wireless adapter or access Point

2011-10-04T00:16:00.001-07:00

This issue occurs if the Wi-Fi hot spot uses wireless APs or routers that don’t support the 802.11 power save protocol. Choose one of the following three procedures to resolve the issue:

Method 1: Modify the default power saving power plan
Modify the default on-battery power setting for the wireless network adapter. Configure the wireless network adapter to use the Maximum Performance setting when Windows Vista or Windows 7 is configured to use the Balanced power plan or the Power saver power plan. To do this, follow these steps:
1.    Click Start
Collapse this imageExpand this image, type Power Options in the Start Search box, and then click Power Options in the Programs list.
Collapse this imageExpand this imageIf you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type your password or click Continue.
2.    Click Change plan settings under the power plan that is selected. For example, if the Balanced option is selected, click Change plan settings under Balanced.
3.    Click Change advanced power settings.
4.    In the Power Options dialog box, expand Wireless Adapter Settings, and then expand Power Saving Mode.
5.     In the list that appears next to On battery, click Maximum Performance, and then click OK.
Method 2
You could modify the power saving settings of the wireless network adapter to work around this issue. To do this, follow these steps:
1.    Click Start, click Run, type ncpa.cpl, and then click OK.
2.    In the Network Connections dialog box, right-click the wireless network adapter, and then click Properties.
3.    Click Configure under the name of the network card.
4.    Click the Advanced tab, and then modify the power management settings. For example, click Power Management in the Property list, drag the Value slider to the power management setting that you want to use, and then click OK.

Note These settings may differ depending on the manufacturer of the wireless network adapter.
Method 3

To work around this problem, manually create a network profile by using the Manually Connect to a Wireless Network Wizard and by selecting shared-mode network authentication. To do this, follow these steps:
1.    Click Start
Collapse this imageExpand this image, type network and sharing in the Start Search box, and then click Network and Sharing Center in the Programs list.
Collapse this imageExpand this imageIf you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type your password, or click Continue.
2.    Click Manage Wireless Networks, and then click Add.
3.    Click Manually create a network profile.
4.    In the Network Name box, enter the name of the network.
5.    In the Security type box, click Shared.

How to Repair or Reinstall Office Programs

2011-10-03T03:32:00.002-07:00

This procedure detects and repairs problems that are associated with installed Microsoft Office programs, such as registry settings and missing installation files. This procedure does not repair personal files, such as worksheets or templates.

The following two methods describe two ways that you can use the Detect and Repair tool to detect and repair problems with installed programs.

Method 1: Run Detect and Repair on the Help Menu

On the Help menu in any Office program, click Detect and Repair.
Click Start.

Note To restore program shortcuts to the Start menu, verify that the Restore my shortcuts while repairing check box is selected.

Method 2: Run the Detect and Repair Tool from Add or Remove Programs

Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
Double-click Add or Remove Programs, click Microsoft Office 2003, and then click Change.
In the Microsoft Office 2003 Setup dialog box, click Reinstall or Repair, and then click Next.
Click either Reinstall Office or Detect and Repair errors in my Office installation, and then click Install.

Note If you choose to detect and repair problems in your Microsoft Office installation, click to select the Restore my Start Menu Shortcuts check box to rebuild your Microsoft Office shortcuts

How to Install Individual Features in Office 2003

2011-10-03T03:32:00.000-07:00

Generally, when you first try to use a feature that is not installed, Office 2003 installs the feature automatically. For example, if you point to Get External Data on the Data menu in Microsoft Office Excel 2003, and then you click Run Database Query, Microsoft Query is installed automatically.

If the feature that you want is not installed automatically in Office 2003, follow these steps:

Quit all programs.
Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
Double-click Add or Remove Programs, click Microsoft Office 2003, and then click Change.
In the Microsoft Office 2003 Setup dialog box, click Add or Remove Features, and then click Next.
Click to select the check boxes of the components that you want to install.
Click to select the Choose advance customization of applications check box, and then click Next.
Expand the product that you want to customize, click the icon to the left of the feature name, and then click the installation state that you want. For example, if you want to remove a feature, set it to Not Available. To install a feature immediately, click Run from My Computer, or click Installed on First Use if you want to install the feature when it is requested for the first time.
When you finish changing the installation states, click Update.

Explorer Toolbar Editor: Add New Options To Windows 7 Explorer Toolbar

2011-10-02T11:19:00.001-07:00

The toolbar in Windows 7 explorer lets you quickly create a new folder, organize files and folders, include a file or folder in library, and share files with groups. But the explorer toolbar lacks some useful options such as cut, copy, paste, delete, close and many other options which we use very often.

Explorer Toolbar Editor is a tiny application, from our friends at winreview, which provides you the ability to add a number of new options to the explorer toolbar with a mouse click.

Explorer Toolbar Editor lets you add Burn, Clear changes, Close, Copy, Cut, Delete, Details Pane, E-mail, Folder Options, Include in library, Layout, Library Pane, Manage default printers, Menu bar, Navigation pane, Open print queue, Open printer server property, Paste, Play all, Print, Properties, Redo, Remove properties, Rename, Search on website, Select all, Separator, Slide show, Start scan, Sync, Undo, Work offline or online option and Update printer driver options to the explorer toolbar.

This tool also lets you remove the default toolbar options such as New Folder and Share with options from the toolbar.

You can add specific options to documents library, generic library, music library, pictures library, videos library, documents folder, music folder, pictures folder, videos folder and search Results. For example, you can add Print, Slide show and Rename options to picture folder and Undo, Redo, Select all, and Remove Properties to documents folder.

How to use Explorer Toolbar Editor to customize Windows explorer toolbar:

Step 1: Download, install, and run Explorer Toolbar Editor software.

Step 2: Select a library, folder, or search result in the left pane and click Add Buttons to view all available options to to the selected category. Check all the options that you want to add to the toolbar and click Add button.

Step 3: You are done! Open Windows explorer and select a file or folder to view newly added buttons. To remove a button, launch Explorer Toolbar Editor, select a category in the left pane, then select an option that you want to remove, and then click Remove buttons.

Explorer Toolbar Editor is a freeware and works great on both x86 and x64 versions of Windows 7.

Here is how to use UltraISO software to create bootable USB drive:

2011-10-02T11:17:00.001-07:00

Step 1: Download and install UltraISO software on your PC. Even though UltraISO is a paid software, you can download the free 30-day trial version to make your USB bootable.

Step 2: The next step is to run UltraISO trial version with admin rights. Right-click on the UltraISO software shortcut on the desktop or Start menu entry, and select Run as administrator option. If you are prompted with Register Now screen, click Continue to Try.. button to use the trial version.

Step 3: In the home screen, click File > Open option to browse to your Windows 7 or Windows 8 ISO file.

Step 4: Next, in the home screen of UltraISO, click on Bootable menu and then click Write Disk Image option to launch Write Disk Image dialog box.

Step 5: In the Write Disk Image dialog, select the Disk Drive as your USB flash drive, select the write method as USB-HDD before hitting the Format button. It will then launch Format Removable Disk dialog, where you need to simply click Start button to begin formatting the flash drive. Please backup all data from the USB device before hitting the Format button.

Step 6: Once the format in done, click Write button and then click Yes for the warning prompt to start the process. When the writing is finished, you will see Burn Successful message event list. Close UltraISO software and connect your USB to a machine to start installing Windows.

How To: Install Windows 7 Or Windows 8 From USB Drive

2011-10-02T11:13:00.001-07:00

This guide works 100% for Vista & Windows 7 unlike most of the guides out there. I have seen many sites/blogs that have “Install Vista from USB guide” but either with incomplete steps or not working guide. I have also seen some guides that don’t’ use proper commands in this guide. After spending many hours I have come up with this 100% working guide.

I just did this method on one of my friends machine and installed the new Windows 7 BETA. The main advantage is that by using USB drive you will be able to install Windows 7/Vista in just 15 minutes. You can also use this bootable USB drive on friend’s computer who doesn’t have a DVD optical drive.

The method is very simple and you can use without any hassles. Needless to say that your motherboard should support USB Boot feature to make use of the bootable USB drive.

Requirements:

*USB Flash Drive (Minimum 4GB)

*Windows 7 or Vista installation files.

Follow the below steps to create bootable Windows 7/Vista USB drive using which you can install Windows 7/Vista easily.

1. Plug-in your USB flash drive to USB port and move all the contents from USB drive to a safe location on your system.

2. Open Command Prompt with admin rights. Use any of the below methods to open Command Prompt with admin rights.

*Type cmd in Start menu search box and hit Ctrl+ Shift+ Enter.

*Go to Start menu > All programs > Accessories, right click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

3. You need to know about the USB drive a little bit. Type in the following commands in the command prompt:

First type DISKPART and hit enter to see the below message.

Next type LIST DISK command and note down the Disk number (ex: Disk 1) of your USB flash drive. In the below screenshot my Flash Drive Disk no is Disk 1.

4. Next type all the below commands one by one. Here I assume that your disk drive no is “Disk 1”.If you have Disk 2 as your USB flash drive then use Disk 2.Refer the above step to confirm it.

So below are the commands you need to type and execute one by one:

SELECT DISK 1

CLEAN

CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY

SELECT PARTITION 1

ACTIVE

FORMAT FS=NTFS

(Format process may take few seconds)

ASSIGN

EXIT

Don’t close the command prompt as we need to execute one more command at the next step. Just minimize it.

5. Next insert your Windows7/Vista DVD into the optical drive and check the drive letter of the DVD drive. In this guide I will assume that your DVD drive letter is “D” and USB drive letter is “H” (open my computer to know about it).

6. Maximize the minimized Command Prompt in the 4th step.Type the following command now:

D: CD BOOT and hit enter.Where “D” is your DVD drive letter.

CD BOOT and hit enter to see the below message.

7. Type another command given below to update the USB drive with BOOTMGR compatible code.

BOOTSECT.EXE /NT60 H:

Where “H” is your USB drive letter. Once you enter the above command you will see the below message.

8. Copy your Windows 7/Vista DVD contents to the USB flash drive.

9. Your USB drive is ready to boot and install Windows 7/Vista. Only thing you need to change the boot priority at the BIOS to USB from the HDD or CD ROM drive. I won’t explain it as it’s just the matter the changing the boot priority or enabling the USB boot option in the BIOS.

"Invalid Boot.ini" or "Windows could not start" error messages when you start your computer

2011-10-01T12:41:00.000-07:00

When you start your computer after you upgrade to Microsoft Windows XP, you may receive one or both of the following error messages:

Invalid Boot.ini

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:

Windows\System32\Hal.dll

To resolve this issue, start the computer from the Windows XP CD, start the Recovery Console, and then use the Bootcfg.exe tool to rebuild the Boot.ini file. To do this, follow these steps:

Configure the computer to start from the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive. For information about how to do this, see your computer documentation, or contact your computer manufacturer.
Insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, and then restart your computer.
When you receive the "Press any key to boot from CD" message, press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM.
When you receive the "Welcome to Setup" message, press R to start the Recovery Console.
If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot computer, select the installation that you have to use from the Recovery Console.
When you are prompted, type the administrator password, and then press ENTER.
At the command prompt, type bootcfg /list, and then press ENTER. The entries in your current Boot.ini file appear on the screen.
At the command prompt, type bootcfg /rebuild, and then press ENTER. This command scans the hard disks of the computer for Windows XP, Microsoft Windows 2000, or Microsoft Windows NT installations, and then displays the results. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to add the Windows installations to the Boot.ini file. For example, follow these steps to add a Windows XP installation to the Boot.ini file:
1. When you receive a message that is similar to the following message, press Y:
  Total Identified Windows Installs: 1
  
  [1] C:\Windows
  Add installation to boot list? (Yes/No/All)
2. You receive a message that is similar to the following message:
  Enter Load Identifier
  This is the name of the operating system. When you receive this message, type the name of your operating system, and then press ENTER. This is either Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition.
3. You receive a message that is similar to the following:
  Enter OS Load options
  When you receive this message, type /fastdetect, and then press ENTER.
  
  Note The instructions that appear on your screen may be different, depending on the configuration of your computer.
Type exit, and then press ENTER to quit Recovery Console. Your computer restarts, and the updated boot list appears when you receive the "Please select the operating system to start" message.

How to access the Recovery Console

2011-10-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

The Recovery Console is a set of tools which run from a Command prompt. If your system is formatted as NTFS then these tools can help you manage the partition. You can learn more about the Recovery Console through Help and Support or
Click here for information about the different commands and their functions .

To run the Recovery Console from CD boot with the Windows XP CD (or with the optional 6 floppy disk set) and select "R" at the Welcome Screen.

The screen will switch to black and you will be asked which installation to log on to. If you only have one installation you will press "1". Remember that numlock is off at this time.

Next you'll be prompted to enter your Admin password. By default it is created blank so just press Enter.

At the C:\Windows command prompt type "Help" for a list of commands you can use.

How to Repair the Boot Sector:
If XP won't start it may be due to a damaged boot sector or a missing or corrupt ntldr or ntdetect.com files.

To replace damaged ntldr and ntdetect.com you can copy fresh files from the XP CD using the COPY command. Boot with the XP CD and enter the Recovery Console (as above). At the Command Prompt type the following (where "X" is your CD-Rom drive letter) allowing the files to overwrite the old files
COPY X:\i386\NTLDR C:
COPY X:\i386\NTDETECT.COM C:

To repair a damaged Boot Sector at the command prompt type FIXBOOT and press Enter. Then answer "Y"

How To Format using the Recovery Console (click for info on How To Access The Recovery Console)

format drive : /Q /FS:file-system

Use the above command (where /Q performs a quick format of the drive, drive is the drive letter of the partition to format /FS:file-system specifies the type of file system to use [FAT, FAT32, or NTFS]) to format the specified drive to the specified file system. For example the following quick formats C partition as NTFS
FORMAT C: /Q /FS:NTFS
the following will do a full format of C as FAT32
FORMAT C: /FS:FAT32
*** Note: If a file system is not specified, then the existing file system format is retained.
Type EXIT to quit the Recovery Console and restart your Computer

How Partition using the Recovery Console: (click for info on How To Access The Recovery Console)
At the command prompt type DISKPART and press Enter.

An interface is displayed which you can move through with the Arrow Keys. Press "C" to create a partition in unused space. Pressing "D" will delete the highlighted partition.

How To Exit the Recovery Console:
You can not use Ctrl+Alt+Del to quit the Recovery Console. Instead type "EXIT" at the command prompt and Windows will be started.

Boot to Windows.

How to Repair Install: ***Also removes Service Packs***
Sometimes the only way to repair XP is to reinstall. You do not have to wipe your partition and start over. Just as with previous versions of Windows you can reinstall right over top of an existing setup. This has the advantage of retaining your installed applications, data and settings. You will lose previously saved System Restore Points but System Restore will begin creating new restore points again immediately following the Repair Install. You will need to reinstall SP2 and any Critical Updates from the Windows Update Site. Be aware that a Repair Install will leave your system vulnerable to the Blaster and Welchia worms. Do not go on line until you have enabled XP's firewall first. Then visit the Windows Update Site to patch your system It is always prudent to backup important data before you make changes to XP.

There are two approaches. The first one should be used if you can still boot to your Windows Desktop. Simply pop the XP CD into the CD-Rom drive and select Install->Upgrade[recommended]. This will install XP overtop of itself in the same way as upgrading from a previous setup. However if your version is an OEM version then you will not have this option. If you do not see the option to Upgrade[recommended] DO NOT choose New Install as that will either overwrite your current setup completely or give you a dual boot setup. Also if you have an older version of XP and have upgraded to a new service pack you will get a message stating that a newer version of Windows was found and you will not be able to run the Upgrade. Create a Slipstream version to solve this problem

If you cannot boot to the Desktop, or you have an OEM version of XP, or you want to remove a service pack then the following should be used to complete a Repair Install.

Boot with the Windows XP CD and at the Setup Screen press the Enter Key

You will be taken to the Windows XP Licensing Agreement. After reading the agreement press F8 to proceed.

The next screen gives you the option to do a fresh (clean) install or to repair the selected Windows XP installation. To run a Repair Install Press "R" at this time.
***CAUTION*** if you do not see the option to repair the selected Windows XP installation DO NOT choose the option to continue installing a fresh copy without repairing as that will overwrite your data and cause unrecoverable data loss.

Windows XP will copy the necessary files to your Hard Drive to begin the installation and will then reboot. You will see the message that informs you to "Press any key to boot the CD". Do not press any keys this time just wait a few seconds and the Windows Startup Screen will be displayed. Following this you will be greeted by the Windows XP Setup Screens.

When Setup has completed you should find all of your previously installed apps and settings are intact.

How To Determine If XP was Activated?
You installed XP and then can't remember if you activated it. Go to Start->Run and enter the following
oobe/msoobe /a

How to use the Automatic Recovery feature to recover your computer or your Tablet PC if the Windows XP Service Pack 2 Setup program is not completed successfully

2011-10-01T12:29:00.000-07:00

This article discusses how to use the Automatic Recovery feature to restore your computer to its previous configuration if the installation of Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) is not completed successfully, and you cannot start your computer or Tablet PC. Follow these steps if your computer or Tablet PC does not start correctly after you try to upgrade from Windows XP to Windows XP SP2. This article also discusses how to collect information about the Windows XP SP2 installation and about your computer or Tablet PC to help troubleshoot issue. The Windows XP SP2 Setup logs, the System Information tool, and the event logs contain information that can help a Microsoft Product Support Services professional who may be working with you to diagnose the issue.

This article discusses how to use the Automatic Recovery feature to recover your computer to its previous configuration if the installation of Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) is not completed successfully. Use the procedure that is discussed in this article to recover your computer to a bootable state and to remove Windows XP SP2 if Windows does not start correctly after you try to upgrade your computer from Windows XP to Windows XP SP2. (On a Tablet PC, you upgrade to Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005.) This article also discusses how to collect information about the Windows XP SP2 installation and about your computer to help troubleshoot and diagnose the issue.

Recover your computer to a bootable state and remove Windows XP SP2
To recover your computer or Tablet PC to a bootable state and remove Windows XP SP2, follow these steps.

Note The Windows XP SP2 features and components are included in Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005.

    Start your computer by using the Windows XP Recovery Console or by using the Microsoft Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE), depending on your situation. To start your computer by using the Recovery Console, follow these steps:
        Insert the original release version of the Microsoft Windows XP CD in your computer's CD drive or DVD drive, and then restart your computer.

        Note Your computer must be configured to start from the CD drive or DVD drive. For more information about how to do this, see your computer's documentation or contact your computer manufacturer.
        When the "Press any key to boot from CD" message appears, press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP CD.
        When the "Welcome to Setup" screen is displayed, press R to start the Recovery Console.
        When you are prompted, type the number that corresponds to the installation of Windows that you want to access from the Recovery Console, and then press ENTER. For example, if you have one installation of Windows on your computer, type 1, and then press ENTER.
        When you are prompted, type the Administrator password, and then press ENTER.
    At the command prompt in Recovery Console, type the following lines. Press ENTER after each line.
    cd $NtServicePackUninstall$\Spuninst
    batch spuninst.txt
    exit
    Remove the Windows XP CD from your computer's CD drive or DVD drive, and then restart your computer.
    Run the Windows XP SP2 Removal Wizard to remove Windows XP SP2. To do this:
        Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
        At the command prompt, type the following lines. Press ENTER after each line.
        cd %Windir%\$NtServicePackUninstall$\Spuninst
        spuninst.exe
        Follow the instructions to remove Windows XP SP2.

Collect information about the Windows XP SP2 installation and about your computer or Tablet PC
You can gather information about the Windows XP SP2 installation and about your computer that can help troubleshoot the issue. This information includes the Windows XP SP2 log files, details about the configuration of your computer from the System Information tool, and information that is logged in the application event log and in the system event log in Event view. This information can help a Microsoft Product Support Service professional who works with you to diagnose the issue. To collect this information, follow these steps:

    Locate the Windows XP SP2 Setup log files. The Setup program logs information about the Windows XP SP2 installation to the following log files:
        Setupapi.log
        Svcpack.log
        Spuninst.log
    The log files are located in the %Windir% folder. For example, if Windows XP is installed to the C:\Windows folder, the log files are located in the C:\Windows folder.
    Use the System Information tool to gather information about the configuration of your computer. To do this:
        Click Start, click Run, type msinfo32, and then click OK.
        Click File, and then click Save.
        In the Save As box, click Desktop to save the file to your desktop, specify a name for the file, and then click Save.
    Collect the information that is logged in the application event log and to the system event log. To do this:
        Click Start, click Run, type control admintools, and then click OK.
        Double-click Event Viewer.
        In the left pane, click Application.
        Click Action, and then click Save Log File As.
        In the Save "Application" As dialog box, click Desktop to save the file to your desktop, specify a name for the file, and then click Save.
        In the left pane, click System.
        Click Action, and then click Save Log File As.
        In the Save "System" As dialog box, click Desktop to save the file to your desktop, specify a name for the file, and then click Save.

Method 1: Remove Windows XP SP2 by using the Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel

    Click Start, click Run, type appwiz.cpl in the Open box, and then click OK.
    In the list of currently installed programs, click Windows XP SP2, and then click Remove.
    Click Next, and then follow the instructions that are displayed on the screen to remove Windows XP SP2.

Method 2: Remove Windows XP SP2 by using the Spuninst.exe command-line command
To do this:

    Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
    At the command prompt, type the following lines. Press ENTER after each line.
    cd %Windir%\$NtServicePackUninstall$\Spuninst
    spuninst.exe
    Follow the instructions to remove Windows XP SP2.

For more information about how to use the Recovery Console, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
307654 How to install and use the Recovery Console in Windows XP

For more information about how to obtain Windows XP SP2, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
322389 How to obtain the latest Windows XP service pack

How to Restore Windows XP to a Previous State

2011-09-28T07:37:00.000-07:00

Using System Restore to Restore Windows XP

If Windows XP does not start

Start the computer and then press the F8 key when Windows begins to start. The Windows Advanced Options menu appears.
Use the ARROW keys to select Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked), and then press ENTER.
If a boot menu appears, use the ARROW keys to select Microsoft Windows XP, and then press ENTER. Windows XP restores the computer to the most recent restore point.

If Windows XP does start

Log on to Windows as Administrator.
Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Restore. System Restore starts.
On the Welcome to System Restore page, click Restore my computer to an earlier time (if it is not already selected), and then click Next.

Figure 1. Welcome to System Restore
On the Select a Restore Point page, click the most recent system checkpoint in the On this list, click a restore point list, and then click Next. A System Restore message may appear that lists configuration changes that System Restore will make. Click OK.

Figure 2. Select a Restore Point
On the Confirm Restore Point Selection page, click Next. System Restore restores the previous Windows XP configuration, and then restarts the computer.
Log on to the computer as Administrator. The System Restore Restoration Complete page appears.
Click OK.

Top of page

Troubleshooting

You may inadvertently restore Windows XP to a previous configuration that you do not want.

To undo the restoration

Log on to Windows as Administrator.
Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Restore. System Restore starts.
On the Welcome to System Restore page, click Undo my last restoration, and then click Next. A System Restore message may appear that lists configuration changes that System Restore will make. Click OK.
On the Confirm Restoration Undo page, click Next. System Restore restores the original Windows XP configuration, and then restarts the computer.
Log on to the computer as Administrator. The System Restore Undo Complete page appears.
Click OK.

How to Roll Back a Device Driver, for the IT Pro

2011-09-28T07:36:00.001-07:00

Driver Rollback helps ensure system stability. When you update a driver, a copy of the previous driver package is automatically saved in a special subdirectory of the system files (for every driver that you back up, a new value is added to the Backup keys located in the appropriate section of the registry).

If the new driver does not work properly, you can restore the previous driver by accessing the Driver tab for the device in the Device Manager, and clicking Roll Back Driver.

Driver Rollback permits only one level of rollback (only one prior driver version can be saved at a time); this feature is available for all device classes, except printers.

To roll back a driver

Login as Administrator and access the Device Manager: Click Start, and then click Control Panel. Click Performance and Maintenance, and then click System. On the Hardware tab, click Device Manager.
Navigate to the driver you wish to roll back, right click the name of the driver and choose Properties, as shown in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1. Choosing a driver to roll back
Click the Driver tab and then click Roll Back Driver, as shown in Figure 2 below.

Software Installation and Maintenance Scenarios

2011-09-28T07:33:00.000-07:00

Scenarios Covered in this Document

This guide covers a few basic scenarios for Software Installation and Maintenance, including:

Assigning repackaged Microsoft Word 97 (to users).
Publishing Microsoft Excel 97 (using a .zap file).
Removing Excel 97.
Upgrading Word 97 to Microsoft Office 2000 (using an Office 2000 transform).
Assigning Windows 2000 to a computer (a new build).

As the packages for these applications are not included, you may have to modify the step-by-step guide. You may use applications that either natively support the Windows Installer or that you have repackaged for the Windows Installer.

Please note that this guide does not describe all of the possible Software Installation and Maintenance scenarios. You should use this guide to gain an understanding of Software Installation and Maintenance. Then think about how your organization might use software installation and the other IntelliMirror features to reduce TCO.

Note: If you completed the Group Policy step-by-step guide, it may be necessary to undo some of the Group Policy to complete this guide. For example, the Loopback policy disables the ability to access the Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel.

Assigning Repackaged Word

Whether publishing or assigning software, the basic steps are fundamentally the same. This guide presents a scenario for assigning a repackaged version of Microsoft Word 97 for users.

This procedure assumes that you have already created a Word97 folder in the software distribution point created earlier, and that you are using a repackaged version of Microsoft Word 97.

Note: To assign to users, start in the Group Policy snap-in User Configuration node. To assign to computers, start in the Computer Configuration node.

To assign repackaged Word or other software:

Log on to the HQ-RES-DC-01 server as an administrator.
Click Start, point to Programs, click Administrative Tools, and then click SIM Tool.
In the SIM Tool console, double-click Active Directory Users and Computers, double-click reskit.com, and then double-click Accounts.
Right-click Headquarters, and select Properties from the context menu. In the Headquarters Properties dialog box, click the Group Policy tab. Right-click HQ Policy in the Group Policy Object Links list box, and click Edit to open the Group Policy snap-in.
In the Group Policy snap-in, under User Configuration, double-click Software Settings, right-click Software installation, and then select New from the context menu. Click Package.
In the Open dialog box, click the Word97 folder.
You need to substitute the folder for the software you are going to deploy, from the software distribution point you created earlier.
Click Open. Click Word, and click Open. In the Deploy Software dialog, click Assigned, and then click OK.

Note: If you are going to deploy a Windows Installer package with a transform, you have to select Configure package properties in the Deploy Software dialog so that you can associate the transform with the package. Make any other changes to the properties at this point, before you press OK to either assign or publish the software.

The application is added to the Software Installation snap-in as assigned. After the application is assigned, you can right-click the application entry in the details pane to view the assigned applications property pages.

The application is assigned to all the users managed by the Headquarters GPO.

Verifying the Effect of Assigning Word

To verify the effect of assigning Word 97 to the Headquarters GPO, you can log on to Windows 2000 Professional as a user who is managed by the Headquarters OU. (If you are using the common infrastructure, you could log on to the client as elizabeth@reskit.com, for example.)

When you log on to Windows 2000 Professional, you should see a Microsoft Word icon on the Start menu.

If you select Word, the Windows Installer installs Word for you. While the installation is proceeding, you should see a progress indicator from the Windows Installer. When the installation is complete, Word starts and you can edit a document.

If the software installation becomes damaged, then the next time the user selects Word from the Start menu, if all the key files as defined in the Windows Installer package for Word are present, Word starts. If a key file is missing or damaged, the Windows Installer repairs Word and then starts it.

Publishing Legacy Excel

To publish Excel 97 without repackaging it for the Windows Installer, you must first create a .zap file for Excel. Use the .zap file example in the appendix as a model. You also need to create a folder for Excel97 in the software distribution point you created earlier.

Open the Software Installation snap-in saved previously, and edit the Headquarters GPO. (See the steps in the preceding section.) When you are ready to publish Excel 97, the snap-in should look like it did when you assigned Word 97 in the previous section.

To publish Excel:

In the SIM Tool console, double-click Active Directory Users and Computers, double-click reskit.com, and then double-click Accounts.
Right-click Headquarters, and click Properties.
In the Headquarters Properties dialog box, click the Group Policy tab, click the HQ Policy GPO, and then click Edit to open the Group Policy snap-in.
In the Group Policy snap-in console tree, under User Configuration, double-click Software Settings, right-click Software installation, and then select New from the context menu. Click Package.
In the Open dialog box, click the Excel97 folder, and click Open.
In the Files of type combo box, click the down arrow, and then click ZAW Down-level applications package (*.zap). Click Excel97, and click Open.
In the Deploy Software dialog box, the Publish option is already selected, click OK.

Excel 97 is published to the users managed by the Headquarters GPO.

Because a ZAP file publishes the existing Setup, the Setup will not run with elevated privileges. Therefore, you will need to supply administrative privileges during the Setup. This can be done by using the Install Program as Other User dialog box. Accessing this dialog is controlled by policy. A policy called Request credentials for network installations is available in the Group Policy snap-in, under User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Explorer. If enabled, this policy displays the Install Program As Other User dialog box even when a program is being installed from files on a network computer across a local area network. For more information, see the Explain tab on this policy property page.

To set the Request Credentials for network installations policy:

In the SIM Tool console, navigate to the Headquarters OU, and then right-click Headquarters and click Properties.
In the Headquarters Properties dialog box, double-click the HQ Policy GPO to open the Group Policy snap-in.
In the Group Policy snap-in, under User Configuration, click the + next to Administrative Templates.
In the Request credentials for network installations dialog box, click Enabled, and click OK. Close the Group Policy snap-in
In the Headquarters Properties dialog box, click OK.
In the SIM Tool console, click Save on the Console menu. Click Exit on the Console menu.

Verifying the Effects of Publishing Excel 97

To verify the effect of publishing Excel 97 to the Headquarters GPO, first log on to Windows 2000 Professional as a user who is managed by the Headquarters OU. (If you are using the common infrastructure, you could log on as elizabeth@reskit.com, for example.)

To confirm the effects of publishing Excel 97:

Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Add/Remove Programs.
In the Add/Remove Programs dialog box shown in Figure 4 below, click Add New Programs.
Note: Word 97, which was assigned, is listed in the Add/Remove Programs dialog box. This is so that users can add or remove the assigned program if they need to. Even if a user removes the assigned application, it is available for installation again the next time the user logs on.

Figure 4: Add/Remove Excel 97
Select Microsoft Excel 97 from the Add programs from your network list, and click Add.
You should see the Install Program As Other User dialog box shown in Figure 5 below because you are installing a non-Windows Installer based application.

Figure 5: Install Program as Other User
In the Install Program As Other User dialog box, click Run the program as the following user, type Administrator in the User Name text box, and type the domain name (reskit) in the Domain box. If you have an Administrator password set for this computer, you must enter this as well.
Click OK.
Excel now installs using the original Setup program. You should follow the instructions in the original Setup UI to complete the installation. After you have installed Excel, you can close the application.
Close Add/Remove Programs, and then close Control Panel.
Log off Windows 2000 Professional.

To remove Excel 97:

In the SIM Tool console, double-click Active Directory Users and Computers, double-click reskit.com, and then double-click Accounts.
Right-click Headquarters, and click Properties.
In the Headquarters Properties dialog box, click the Group Policy tab, click the HQ Policy GPO, and then click Edit to open the Group Policy snap-in.
In the details pane, right-click Microsoft Excel 97, and select All Tasks from the context menu.
Click Remove.
In the Remove Package dialog box, click Yes.
Note: Because Excel 97 was installed using a .zap file, you do not have the option to force the removal as you would with a Windows Installer file.
Microsoft Excel 97 no longer appears in the details pane.
Log on to the Windows 2000 Professional as the Local Administrator (remember, Excel was installed as Administrator in the preceding scenario).
Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Add/Remove Programs.
In the Add/Remove Programs dialog box, click the Microsoft Excel 97 entry in the Change or Remove Programs frame, and then click Change/Remove.
The Excel 97 Setup program starts. In the Microsoft Excel 97 Setup dialog box, click Remove All.
When Setup prompts you about removing Microsoft Excel 97, click Yes. Click OK.
Close Add/Remove Programs, and then close Control Panel. Log off Windows 2000 Professional.

Upgrade Microsoft Word 97 to Office 2000 With a Transform

Office 2000 comes with a Windows Installer package natively authored. Before performing this upgrade, use the Office 2000 Customization Wizard to create a transform. You must substitute the name of your transform in this scenario.

This procedure assumes that you have placed the necessary files (.msi, .mst, and so on) in a folder called Office in the software distribution point.

To upgrade Word 97 to Office 2000

In the SIM Tool console, double-click Active Directory Users and Computers, double-click reskit.com, and then double-click Accounts.
Right-click Headquarters, and click Properties.
In the Headquarters Properties dialog box, click the Group Policy tab, click the HQ Policy GPO, and then click Edit to open the Group Policy snap-in.
In the Group Policy snap-in, under User Configuration, double-click Software Settings, right-click Software installation, click New, and then click Package.
In the Open dialog box, click the Office folder, and click Open. Select the Office 2000 Windows Installer package (data1.msi), and click Open.
In the Deploy Software dialog box, click Advanced published or assigned, and click OK.
In the Microsoft Office 2000 Properties dialog box, click the Modifications tab, and click Add.
In the Open dialog box, click Office, and then click Open. Select the Office 2000 transform (.mst), and click Open.
Note: It is important that you do not click OK until you have set all the options for the modifications.
In the Microsoft Office 2000 Properties dialog box, click the Upgrades tab, and click Add.
In the Add Upgrade Package dialog box, Microsoft Word 97 should be highlighted in the Package to Upgrade list box. If not, click it to select it. Click Uninstall the existing package, then install the upgrade package, and then click OK.
In the Microsoft Office 2000 Properties dialog box, click the Required Upgrade for existing packages checkbox. Do not click OK yet.
In the Microsoft Office 2000 Properties dialog box, click the Deployment tab, click Assigned in the Deployment type field, and accept the default option (Basic) in the Installation user interface options field.
Review all the tabs to make sure you have edited all the properties and you are ready to assign the upgrade. Click OK.

Office 2000 with the transform is added to the Software Installation snap-in. The snap-in should now show Office 2000 as assigned, and it should show an upgrade relationship between Word 97 and Office 2000.

At this point, if you log on to Windows 2000 as a user in the HQ Policy GPO, you should see Word 97 being removed, the start of the upgrade. When you select any of the Office icons from the Start menu, you install Office 2000 to complete the upgrade.

Assigning Windows 2000 to a Computer Upgrading Windows 2000

You can upgrade Windows 2000 to the release version.

Note: The operating system build being upgraded must be older than the build you are upgrading to.

If you completed the Group Policy guide before this, you may have turned off applying Group Policy to computers. If this is the case, you need to change this before this Software Installation policy can be applied on the computers.

In this scenario, you assign the upgrade of Windows 2000 to computers managed by a policy created for the Desktops OU under Resources. You could just as easily publish it for users.

The RES-WKS-01 computer should be in the Desktops OU. If it is not, you need to move it to one of the OUs under the Resources OU. You can move the computer by highlighting it in the details pane of the Active Directory Users and Computers Snap-in and then selecting Move from the context menu.

Note: To deploy the Winnt32.msi package, you need to modify the Unattend.txt file to include the Windows 2000 CD key information. Otherwise, the Setup program would ask for this information in a non-interactive desktop and wait indefinitely.

Open the SIM Tool console you created earlier.
Double-click Active Directory Users and Computers, double-click reskit.com, and then double-click Resources.
Right-click Desktops, and click Properties.
Click the Group Policy tab, click New, and type Desktop OS Upgrades. Press Enter. Click Edit.
In the Group Policy snap-in, under Computer Configuration, double-click Software Settings.
Right-click Software installation, click New, and then click Package.
Browse to the network to the software distribution point that has the Windows 2000 files.
Note: You may want to place the Windows 2000 CD in the CD drive of the server, and share the CD-ROM drive as the software distribution point for these files. This saves having to copy all the files to the software distribution point, although if the CD-ROM drive is not fast, the install may take longer.
Click the i386 folder, click Open, click WINNT32 (.msi file), and then click Open.
In the Deploy Software dialog box, the Assigned option on the Deploy Software dialog box is already selected. Click OK.
Close the Group Policy snap-in, then in the Desktop Properties dialog box, click Close in the Group Policy page.
In the SIM Tool console, click Save on the Console menu, and then click Exit on the Console menu.

At this point you should restart the RES-WKS-01 computer. When you do, the normal shutdown and startup messages are displayed.

Eventually, in the Windows 2000 Professional startup dialogs you should see the following messages:

Applying Software Installation settings…

Followed by:

Windows Installer installing managed software Windows 2000 Professional…

The computer restarts and continues the upgrade.

Important Notes

The example company, organization, products, people, and events depicted in these guides are fictitious. No association with any real company, organization, product, person, or event is intended or should be inferred.

This common infrastructure is designed for use on a private network. The fictitious company name and DNS name used in the common infrastructure are not registered for use on the Internet. Please do not use this name on a public network or Internet.

The Microsoft Active Directory™ structure for this common infrastructure is designed to show how Microsoft Windows 2000 Change and Configuration Management works and functions with the Active Directory. It was not designed as a model for configuring an Active Directory for any organization—for such information see the Active Directory documentation.

Creating a Software Installation Snap-in Tool

2011-09-28T07:31:00.000-07:00

Creating a Software Installation Snap-in Tool

To create the Software Installation snap-in:

Log on to the HQ-RES-DC-01 server as an administrator.
Click Start, click Run, type mmc, and then click OK.
In the MMC console, click Add/Remove Snap-in on the Console menu.
In the Add/Remove Snap-in dialog box, click Add.
In the Add Stand-alone Snap-in dialog box, click Active Directory Users and Computers on the Available Standalone Snap-ins list, and then click Add. Click Close, then click OK.
In the console tree, double-click Active Directory Users and Computers to expand the tree, double-click the reskit.com domain, double-click the Accounts organizational unit (OU).
Click the + next to the Headquarters OU.

Saving the Software Installation Snap-in Tool

As you go through this guide, you may want to save changes to the MMC console.

To save your changes:

In the MMC console, click Save on the Console menu.
In the Save dialog box, type SIM Tool in the File name text box, and then click Save.

Your snap-in will look similar to Figure 1 below.

Figure 1: Software Installation Snap-In

Creating a Group Policy Object

If you have already completed the Group Policy step-by-step guide, then you may have already created the necessary Group Policy objects (GPOs).

To create a Group Policy Object (GPO):

In the Software Installation snap-in tool you just saved (SIM Tool console), in the console tree, double-click Active Directory Users and Computers, double-click reskit.com, and then double-click Accounts.
Right-click Headquarters, and select Properties from the context menu.
In the Headquarters Properties dialog box, click the Group Policy tab, and then click New.
Type HQ Policy.
This creates a new Group Policy object called HQ Policy.
At this point, you could add another GPO—giving each one that you create a meaningful name—or you could choose to edit a GPO, which starts the Group Policy and Software Installation snap-ins. If you have more than one GPO associated with an Active Directory folder, verify the order; a GPO that is higher in the list is processed first.
Click Close.

Best Practice Consider using security descriptors (DACLs) on the GPO to increase the granularity of software management for your organization.

To close the Software Installation snap-in:

In the SIM Tool console, click Save on the Console menu.
Click Exit on the Console menu.

To edit a Group Policy Object (GPO):

Log on to the HQ-RES-DC-01 server as an administrator.
Click Start, point to Programs, click Administrative Tools, and then click SIM Tool.
In the SIM Tool console, double-click Active Directory Users and Computers, double-click reskit.com, and then double-click Accounts.
Right-click Headquarters, and select Properties from the context menu. In the Headquarters Properties dialog box, click the Group Policy tab. Right-click HQ Policy in the Group Policy Object Links list box, and click Edit.
This opens the Group Policy snap-in.
In the Group Policy snap-in, under Computer Configuration node, double-click Software Settings.
In the console tree, under the User Configuration node, double-click Software Settings.

You have opened the Software Installation snap-in for the HQ Policy GPO. Your snap-in should look like Figure 2 below.

Figure 2: Group Policy Snap-In

You can use the Software Settings node in the console tree under HQ Policy and Computer Configuration to assign an application to computers that are managed by this GPO. You use the Software Settings node under the User Configuration node to assign or publish an application to users who are managed by this GPO.

Configuring the Software Installation Defaults for a Group Policy Object

You can configure default settings for Software Installation on a per-Group Policy Object (GPO) basis.

To specify software installation defaults for the selected Group Policy object, you use the Software Installation Properties dialog box, shown below in Figure 3. This section explains some of the available options.

Figure 3: The Software Installation Properties page

Setting Options for New Packages and Installation User Interface

To control what happens when you add a new package to the selected GPO, you use the General tab in the Software Installation Properties dialog box, and set options in the New packages frame. The default behavior is that the Deploy Software dialog box appears each time, and the administrator can select one of the choices from that dialog box.

If you are going to deploy several packages to a GPO as published without transforms, you can select Publish in the New Packages frame, and every package that is deployed is automatically published. If you are going to add a package with a transform (customization or .mst file), you must select Advanced published or assigned.

Note: You cannot add or change transforms (.mst files) after the software is deployed.

This setting is most useful when an administrator is adding several applications at one time. For example, if an administrator is adding five applications to this GPO and they are all to be published with no transforms, then the administrator could set this to Publish.

Similarly, the options in the Installation user interface options frame allow the administrator to set how much of the user interface (UI) the Windows Installer presents to a user during installation. The Basic UI (the default option) only presents progress bars and messages; no user choices are presented other than Cancel. The Maximum UI option shows the UI that the author of the Windows Installer package defined.

Setting Options for Categories

When an organization has a large amount of software to manage, administrators can create categories for software. These categories can then be used to filter the software in the Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel. For example, you could create a category called Productivity Applications and include software such as word processing and database management applications.

Although there is a Categories tab on the Software installation Properties dialog box, categories are established on a per-domain basis. This means the domain administrator can create and edit the categories from any of the Software installation Properties pages for any GPO in the domain. Administrators can then use these categories with software they are managing within any GPO in the domain. There are no default or supplied categories.

Best Practice Because Categories are established per domain rather than per GPO, an organization should standardize the Categories and create them in a centralized manner.

To configure the default settings:

In the Group Policy snap-in console tree, right-click Software installation under User Configuration, and then click Properties. This opens the Software Installation Properties dialog box. You use this dialog box to set defaults for software installation in the current GPO. You can set the default package location to the network location of the software distribution point you created earlier. Then you do not have to browse for each package that you add.
In the Software installation Properties dialog box, click Browse.
You need to browse for the software distribution point you created in the previous section relative to the network share location, rather than the local drive on the server. This ensures that you are managing software from the network share location that users can access. Users cannot access the package from the local drive of the server.
In the Browse for Folder dialog box, click the plus sign (+) next to My Network Places, double-click Entire Network, double-click Microsoft Windows Network, and then double-click reskit.com.
Double-click HQ-RES-DC-01, click Managed Applications, and then click OK.
Note: The exact navigation above may differ on your network. Be sure that you are pointing to the software distribution point relative to the network rather than relative to the local drive on the server.
In the Software Installation Properties dialog box, click the General tab, select the Display the Deploy Software dialog box (default) in the New Packages field, and select Basic (default) in the Installation user interface options field.
In the Software installation Properties dialog box, click the Categories tab. Click Add.
In the Enter new category dialog box, type Productivity Applications in the Category text box, and then click OK. In the Categories tab, click Add.
In the Enter new category dialog box, type System Applications in the Category text box, and then click OK. Click OK.

Later, if you want to change these defaults or add additional categories for the organization, you can return to the Software installation Properties dialog box. As mentioned previously, categories are per-domain, not per GPO.

At this point you can either close the Software Installation snap-in or proceed with the scenarios described next.

Installing iPhone 2.2 Software Update on iPod touch

2011-09-27T20:46:00.001-07:00

Here's how to check which software version is on your iPod touch:

Tap Settings > General >About.
The software version number appears next to Version.

If you have iPhone 2.0 software 2.0 or later, follow these steps to update your iPod touch software to the latest version:

Make sure you are using iTunes 8 or later. Download iTunes.
Connect your iPod touch to your computer.
When iTunes opens, select your iPod touch under Devices on the left side of the iTunes window (1) and in the iPod touch Summary pane, click Update (2).
iTunes tells you if there's a newer version of the iPod touch software available.
Click Download and Install to obtain the latest version of software.

iOS: Device not recognized in iTunes for Windows

2011-09-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

Symptoms

Your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch may not appear under Devices in iTunes after you connect it to your Windows PC. Any of the following may also occur:

The device cannot be restored in iTunes.
An exclamation point, question mark, plug symbol, or "X" appears next to the device's entry in Device Manager.
During an update or restore, the device may no longer be recognized by iTunes.

1. Verify that Apple Mobile Device Support is installed

iOS devices require Apple Mobile Device Support, which should be automatically installed with iTunes. To verify whether it is installed, follow the steps appropriate for your Windows operating system below.

Windows XP: Click Start and choose Control Panel. Open the "Add or Remove Programs" control panel and verify that Apple Mobile Device Support is visible in the list of currently installed programs.
Windows Vista and Windows 7: Click Start and choose Control Panel. Click "Uninstall a program" (or if using Windows Vista's Classic View of the Control Panel, click "Programs and Features"). Verify that Apple Mobile Device Support is visible in the list of currently installed programs.

If Apple Mobile Device Support is not listed, remove iTunes, QuickTime, Apple Software Update, Apple Application Support, and then reinstall iTunes. Follow the steps appropriate for your Windows operating system below:

3. Verify that the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver is installed

For Windows XP:

Connect the device to the computer.
Quit iTunes if it launches.
In the Start menu, right-click My Computer and choose Properties.
Click the Hardware tab, then click the Device Manager button. The Device Manager window should open.
Click the plus (+) icon next to Universal Serial Bus controllers to expand this selection.
Locate the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver in this list. If this entry is displayed without any "x", "!" or "?" symbols over it, then this driver is successfully installed. Proceed to the next section titled "Check for third-party mobile phone software"

If the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver is not listed, proceed to the section below titled "If the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver is not listed".
If the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver is listed, but has a red "X" appearing next to the device's entry, this device is disabled. To enable this device, right-click its entry in Device Manager and choose Enable from the shortcut menu.
If the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver entry is listed, but has an exclamation mark or question mark over it, continue to the next steps to reinstall the Apple Mobile Device driver.

Reinstall the Apple Mobile Device Driver

Right-click the Apple Mobile Device entry in Device Manager and choose Uninstall from the shortcut menu.
In the resulting dialog box, click OK.
In the Device Manager window, right-click Universal Serial Bus controllers and choose Scan for hardware changes from the shortcut menu.

Windows automatically reinstalls the necessary drivers and attempts to remount the device.

If the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver entry still has an exclamation mark or question mark over it, continue to the next steps to manually update the Apple Mobile Device driver.

Update the Apple Mobile Device Driver

Right-click the Apple Mobile Device entry in Device Manager and choose Update Driver from the shortcut menu.
If asked to connect to Windows Update to search for software, choose "No, not this time."
Select "Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)" and click Next.
Select "Don't search. I will choose the driver to install". Then click Next.
Click the Have Disk button. Note: If the Have Disk option is not present, choose a device category such as Mobile Phone or Storage Device if listed, and click next. Then the Have Disk button should appear.
Click the Browse button, then navigate to the following location: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers.
Double-click the usbaapl file.
Click OK in the Have Disk window. Then click Next. Click Finish. Windows installs the driver.

Note: During installation, if a message appears stating that the software you are installing "has not passed Windows Logo testing", click Continue Anyway to continue installing the drivers.

4. Check for third-party mobile phone software

Certain phone connectivity software from vendors such as Samsung, Nokia, Bora, Novatel, and Sony may cause your device not to be recognized. If you have such software on your computer:

Uninstall your Samsung, Nokia, Bora, Novatel, or Sony phone connectivity software and test. Contact the manufacturer of this software for assistance in doing this.
Remove iTunes and all related Apple software by following this article (for Windows XP), or this article (for Windows Vista and Windows 7).
After reinstalling iTunes, test the device.
If you still need your phone connectivity software that was removed, reinstall this software and test your device to ensure it still functions with iTunes. Contact the vendor of your phone connectivity software if the issue returns.

Create And Restore System Snapshots With Comodo Time Machine

2011-09-27T08:16:00.001-07:00

An effective method of keeping a system clean is by reverting it to an original system snapshot regularly. Returnil can do that for instance. It loads a clone of the operating system that functions like the original system.

Comodo Time Machine is another software program that can create system snapshots and restore them if necessary. The system snapshot will create a copy of all files and settings of the hard drive Windows is running on. This includes Windows files, Registry settings, programs and documents and other files stored by the user.

The program will automatically take a system snapshot during installation which is called the baseline snapshot in the program. The program can create new snapshots automatically or on the user’s request with further options to delete previously taken snapshots (except for the baseline snapshot) to free up disk space.

Snapshots can be mounted right in the applications’s interface by right-clicking a snapshot and selecting the mount option. It is possible to mount the snapshot with full access rights or read-only rights. All files of the snapshot become then accessible in Windows like any other directory.

Files can also be recovered individually without mounting with the help of the Recover Files menu in the Time Machine application. This feature provides a file search option to search for files in the selected snapshot. This makes it rather complicated to use, a Windows Explorer like approach would be helpful here.

The creation and restoration of system snapshots can be scheduled in the application which offers several interesting possibilities. Public computer administrators can for instance schedule a restoration of a snapshot whenever the computer starts to ensure that data that has been tampered with won’t affect the system after a restart.

Users who have full disk encryption software programs installed will not be able to use Comodo Time Machine as it requires the uninstallation of those programs before it will commence the installation. That’s a rather strict and unfortunate rule that will likely turn away users from testing or using the program regularly.

Comodo Time Machine can be managed from the command line as well. Commands like taking or restoring a snapshot can be issued from the command line.

There is finally a so called sub console that is displayed during system startup if the user presses the Home key. This sub-console loads before Windows and offers the means to restore the system, take a snapshot, uninstall the program or compact the snapshots to save hard drive space.

Comodo Time Machine is compatible with most Microsoft operating systems including 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows Vista and Windows 7. Its features make it an interesting program for public computers, test systems, multi-user systems and computer systems where the user wants to be able to restore a previous snapshot in case of emergency. The recovery system that loads before Windows and the ability to schedule snapshots make Comodo Time Machine a clever product for that purpose. Only the incompatibility with file encryption software like True-Crypt put a dent in the otherwise interesting program.

Taking Registry Snapshots

2011-09-27T08:15:00.001-07:00

Taking Windows Registry snapshots can be a way to analyze changes that have been made to the system during a set period of time. The time being of course the days, hours or minutes between the first and second snapshot.

Regshot is a software that is able to take Windows Registry snapshots and compare two of the snapshots that have been taken. Results can be displayed as a text or html document making it easy to find out what has been changed because only the modifications that have been discovered are listed.

It is possible to add directories as well that will also be checked for modifications. An add-on called UnDoReg makes it even possible to undo all the changes to the registry by simply loading the generated text report.

Read More:

Regshot
UnDoReg

Software Installation Monitor

2011-09-27T08:14:00.001-07:00

Many software programs have to be installed on a computer system before they can be used. The installation itself is not a transparent process because the user is not informed about the Registry and file changes that the installer initiates. Most users would probably skip those information anyway but monitoring software installations is a reliable way of determining if a software program is making changes to a computer system that it should not.

SpyMe Tools is a software program that can monitor both file and registry changes caused by software installations. This is done by creating snapshots before and after the software installation. These snapshots are then compared to each other and the differences are shown to the user. The program does require some manual work before it can be used effectively. The first step is to create a snapshot of the Windows Registry before the software installation.

After that it is necessary to switch to file mode and select the hard drives that should be monitored for changes. This usually includes the partition with the Windows operating system and the partition that the software gets installed to. The program will create another snapshot of the hard drives which also has to be saved to the local hard drive.

After both snapshots have been created start the software installation normally. Once the software installation has been completed run a second scan of both the file system and Windows Registry. A click on the Compare button makes it then possible to compare both snapshots with each other to display the changes to both the file system and the Windows Registry that the installation has caused.

The software installation monitor will display the information in a tree like view in the left window of the software program. If you compare the file system it will list all folders that have been changed in the file system since the creation of the first and second snapshot. The right window will contain the actual file information including name, type and size.

SpyMe Tools are also providing access to a real time monitor that can either monitor the Windows Registry or the file system in specified locations. The real time mode is a bit harder to work with as all changes will be listed in one quickly growing table.

Liquesce, Windows Drive Pooling Software

2011-09-27T08:13:00.000-07:00

Drive pooling describes a technique where multiple hard drives, partitions or folders of drives are merged together to become available as one larger virtual drive. Say you have your media on a drive with one Terabyte. When that drive fills up, you have a few options at hand. You buy a new drive when you do not want to delete data on the drive. You can connect the new drive to the computer and use it from that moment on for media storage, you can also move the files from the old drive to the new one and disconnect the old drive afterwards, or you could pool the drives together to end up with a single drive with 4 Terabytes of space.

Every solution has its advantages and disadvantages. If you keep the drives separated you may face management problems as the drives are addressed with different drive letters. Getting rid of the smaller drive reduces the total size of the available storage by the drive’s size. Merging both drives with a drive pooling solution like Liquesce, or the previously reviewed Drive Bender finally is the best option for manageability of data.

Liquesce is a free software for Windows that works in many regards like the Drive Extender functionality in WHS. The program is compatible with hard drives of any type and size, provided that they are accessible under Windows. This includes SATA, IDE, Firewire and ESATA hard drives. Please note that Liquesce requires the installation of the Windows file system library Dokan which can be downloaded here. The installer will throw an error if Dokan is not installed on the system.

Make sure you install the right driver during installation. Dokan can install 32-bit and 64-bit system drivers which are both included in the installer.

A restart of the system is required before you can install the Liquesce software. The management interface is automatically started after a successful installation. This management window is divided into the three areas file system, merge points and expected output.

The file system displays all connected drives and their folder structure. It is possible to drag and drop drive letters or folders to the merge points area. Merge points combines all folders, partitions and drives that you want to merge into a virtual drive letter. You can reorder the the selected items which is important as it determines the order for filling the resulting storage.

The expected output pane finally shows how the virtual drive will look like if you create it right now. You will see duplicate file names and stuff like that to make you aware of problems before the new drive is created.

The tray app offers information about the disk and free space sizes of the virtual drive and all drives used to make that drive.

And that’s basically it. You can use the new virtual drive like any other drive on the system.

It has to be noted that Liquesce is currently offered as an alpha release, which suggests that it should not be used in a productive environment, at least not without extensive testing before deployment.

New users should look at the release notes and documentation of the drive pooling software before they start the installation to make sure they get it right the first time.

The next steps coming up are detailed in the documentation as well. This includes an installer that automatically checks for missing components, the ability for more than one spanning drive and a better management application.

Windows users interested in the project find downloads and documentation on the developer website