The “Weezer Snuggie”:

Yes, this is for real. You can buy yourself (or me) one at www.weezer.com

Microsoft TechNet Event
Primary Target Audience: Microsoft Partners
Start: Wed 12/2/2009 8:30 Eastern
End: Wed 12/2/2009 12:00 PM Eastern

Venue: Kentucky Intl. Convention Center
Address: 2210 Fourth Street, Louisville, KY 40202
Registration: Free

Agenda:
Session 1: Introducing Windows 7
Session 2: Introduction to Windows Server 2008 R2
Session 3: Introducing Exchange Server 2010

Registration URL: http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032429190&Culture=en-US

Door prizes: 
Register and attend for your chance to WIN*!
- Netbook!  Dell Mini 10 - US $329.00 (ARV) Approximate Retail Value
- Zune!  Zune HD 32gb - US $289.00 (ARV)
- Games!  "Halo 3 ODST" for Xbox 360 - US $59.99 (ARV)
- Books!  Windows 7 Inside Out – US $49.99 (ARV)
 
 

Microsoft MSDN Event
Primary Target Audience: Microsoft Developers
Start: Wed 12/2/2009 1:00 PM Eastern
End: Wed 12/2/2009 4:30 PM Eastern

Venue: Kentucky Intl. Convention Center
Address: 2210 Fourth Street, Louisville, KY 40202
Registration: Free

Agenda:
Session 1: Taking Your Application to the Next Level with Windows 7
Session 2: Light up Your Application with Graphics, Multi-touch and Ribbon on Windows 7
Session 3: What’s New and Changed in Windows Server 2008 R2

Registration URL: http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032429198&Culture=en-US

Door Prizes:
Register and attend for your chance to WIN*!
- Netbook!  Dell Mini 10 - US $329.00 (ARV) Approximate Retail Value
- Zune!  Zune HD 32gb - US $289.00 (ARV)
- Games!  "Halo 3 ODST" for Xbox 360 - US $59.99 (ARV)
- Books!  Introducing Windows for Developers – US $39.99 (ARV)

*No Purchase Necessary. Open only to registered event attendees. Game ends day of event. Must be present to win. For full Official Rules, see event registration desk.

After the initial Windows 7 setup with a mouse & keyboard plugged in, I decided to use my fancy multi-monitor setup and Remote Desktop to finish configuring & patching the PC before taking it on-site. I remotely installed the AV software, updated all of the drivers, etc. However, when it came time to configure Windows Media Center I was in for a bit of a surprise.

When I opened Windows Media Center | Tasks | Settings | TV, the menu was missing some options.

The TV Setup menu looks like this…

Fig. 1 Windows 7 Media Center via RDP 

When it should really look like this…
 
Fig. 2 Windows 7 Media Center via Hyper-V

Or even this…

Fig. 3 Windows 7 Media Center via Console

As you can see in Fig. 1, the TV missing the Set Up TV Signal option. I searched all over the Internet and couldn’t find an answer to this problem. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the Windows Media Center feature:

That didn’t fix it.

I even tried Media Center Recovery

Open a Command Prompt

Type CD \windows\ehome [Enter]

Type mcupdate.exe –MediaCenterRecoveryTask [Enter]

That did reset Media Center, but it didn’t fix the ‘no tuner option’.

So I checked one of my Windows 7 virtual machines running on my Hyper-V test box, and it showed the Set Up TV Signal option as shown in Fig. 2. I decided to try one more thing and RDP into that exact same virtual Windows 7 box and bingo, the Set Up TV Signal option disappeared right before my eyes!

So, I physically logged in locally on the new Win7 PC with a mouse and keyboard, restarted Media Center and the menu choice was there! And the choice for “Configure Your TV or Monitor” was there too. Apparently, the Windows 7 Media Center is aware of how you’re logging into the PC.

Once you’ve properly configured your tuner(s) the Tasks | Settings | TV menu should look like this…

I’m sure this is an ‘edge case scenario’ since most people aren’t configuring Windows Media Center on Windows 7 via RDP, but it’s good to know that there are differences in MCE depending on how you login.

My original plan was to install this server in a media closet as a headless unit with all of the other AV equipment. But now that I know some features will be missing with RDP, I’m going to plug a physical monitor into it (or maybe install LogMeIn instead).

Description:

Charlie has done it again! Learn about the new features of Windows Server 2008 R2 in the areas of virtualization, management, the Web application platform, scalability and reliability, and interoperability with Windows 7. Download Introducing Windows Server 2008 R2, written by industry experts Charlie Russel and Craig Zacker along with the Windows Server team at Microsoft.

Contents at a glance:

• Chapter 1 – What’s New in Windows Server R2
• Chapter 2 – Installation and Configuration: Adding R2 to Your World
• Chapter 3 – Hyper-V: Scaling and Migrating Virtual Machines
• Chapter 4 – Remote Desktop Services and VDI: Centralizing Desktop and Application Management
• Chapter 5 – Active Directory: Improving and Automating Identity and Access
• Chapter 6 – The File Services Role
• Chapter 7 – IIS 7.5: Improving the Web Application Platform
• Chapter 8 – DirectAccess and Network Policy Server
• Chapter 9 – Other Features and Enhancements

Title: “Windows 7: It’s Like Crystal Meth for Geeks”
Presenters: Susan Bradley [SBS-MVP] & Tim Barrett
Date: 10/22/2009
Time: 12:00 PM Noon Eastern (GMT –5)
Host: Third Tier
Link to attend: Click here

Description:
This presentation will help you understand the features of Windows 7. This version of Windows has many, many cool new features that end users are going to love and geeks will become addicted to. Susan and I share our favorite parts of Windows 7, and I’ll try not to act like a goober and embarrass her. Join us for all the fun!

Question – How do I change the timeout in SBS 2008? Users are complaining that Companyweb times out when they get involved in a phone call or when someone walks in their office.

Answer:

1. Click Start | Administrative Tools | Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager (not IIS 6.0 Manager)
2. Expand the Server name | expand Sites | click on SBS SharePoint

   

3. On the Actions pane on the right side of that page, under the Configure section click Limits… 
   
4. On the Edit Web Site Limits dialog box you can configure your Connection time-out (in seconds), limit bandwidth usage and limit the number of connections. Below is a screenshot of the SBS 2008 default settings for Companyweb / “SBS SharePoint”.
    
5. Adjust your settings as needed, and click OK.

Here’s what each setting does:

Link: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc731169.aspx

Question: How do I rename a VPN connection in Windows 7? There’s no option to rename it in the Network and Sharing Center or on the taskbar.

It’s true that there’s no way to rename a VPN connection on the Network and Sharing center main screen:

…and if you click the icon in the System Tray and then try to right-click the VPN connection, there’s no rename option under properties either:

But the rename VPN option is nearby, tucked away under “Changer Adapter Settings” on the Network and Sharing Center:

Here you will see the familiar wired and wireless NICs and VPN connections listed. Just right-click the VPN connection here and then click Rename.

It’s just one of those easily overlooked or forgotten things.

Disclaimer: Matt isn’t really a poo-poo-head, he actually rocks.

Description: This handy reference chart includes over 170 different types computer reference pictures, including:

• Notebook RAM
• Desktop RAM
• Power Connectors
• Hard Drives
• Ports
• Processor Card Slots
• Processor Card Sockets
• Peripheral Cards
• Desktop Card Slots
• and CPU Sockets

Note: The download link for the big picture is on the left of side of that web page. You can also buy prints of that picture from the website, but they’re pretty spendy.

Bea is back and this time she’s joined by Walter Glenn and Scott Lowe and has just released a must-have book for those working towards certification on SBS 2008!

Title: MCTS Study Guide (Exam 70-653): Configuring Windows Small Business Server 2008
Authors: Beatrice Mulzer, Walter Glenn and Scott Lowe
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Published: August 19, 2009
ISBN: 0-7356-2678-2
Retail: $69.99 USD ($44.09 at Amazon.com)
Pages: 640

Description: Announcing an all-new SELF-PACED TRAINING KIT designed to help maximize your performance on 70-653, the required exam for the new Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS): Windows Small Business Server 2008, Configuration certification or the Microsoft Small Business Specialist (SBSC) designation.

This 2-in-1 kit includes the official Microsoft study guide, plus practice tests on CD to help you assess your skills. It comes packed with the tools and features exam candidates want most:

• In-depth, self-paced training based on final exam content
• Rigorous, objective-by-objective review
• Exam tips from expert exam-certified authors
• Customizable testing options
• Real-world scenarios
• Case study examples
• Troubleshooting labs

Work at your own pace through the lessons and lab exercises. This official study guide covers deploying hardware and software for Small Business Server servers, migrating to SBS 2008, joining computers to the domain, modifying Remote Web Workplace (RWW) and RAS, and working with Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) and Exchange server technologies.

• Assess yourself using 200 practice questions on the CD, featuring multiple, customizable testing options to meet your specific needs.
• Choose timed or untimed testing mode, generate random tests, or focus on discrete objectives.
• Get detailed explanations for right and wrong answers—including pointers back to the book for further study.

You also get an exam discount voucher—making this kit an exceptional value and a great career investment.

DISCLAIMER - Only open the ports you absolutely MUST have. Example, if you’re not running the POP3 connector or FTP, don’t open those ports! If you’re not sure about a port, check the Port/IP Lookup on Sans.org or ask someone who knows!

To check all of the commonly used SBS ports at once:

1. Go to www.grc.com/default.htm
2. Scroll down & click ShieldsUP!
3. Click Proceed
4. In the center box on that page, paste this string:
   21, 25, 80, 110, 123, 143, 220, 443, 444, 500, 987, 1701, 1723, 3389, 4125, 4500
5. Click User Specified Custom Port Probe

This scan will come back with a list of ports you entered and show the status.

Below is a handy chart that I stole from Susan and Windows IT Pro and updated a couple of times over the years.

Common Ports for Small Business Server (SBS)

**Note: The ports listed above in bold are required by SBS 2008, per Microsoft TechNet article “Managing Windows Small Business Server 2008 Remote Web Workplace”, including port 3389, but see article below.

***Question: Should I open port 3389 for remote administration or remote desktop connections?
Answer from Microsoft: “You no longer need to open port 3389. Windows Small Business Server 2008 uses Terminal Services Gateway to redirect traffic from port 443 to a selected desktop or server for RDP connections. You would need to use RWW or configure the Terminal Services client to use TS Gateway.”
Source: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sbs/cc817589.aspx

There’s also a post on the Official SBS Blog that talks about an IPSec issue back in 2008 that affected ports 1645-1646, 1701, 1812-1813, 2883 & 4500.

I’ll try to keep this form updated as time goes on and will keep a permanent copy at http://www.nogeekleftbehind.com/sbs-ports/.