Category Archives: Windows XP

Windows previous versions documentation

This is the archive for older Windows 7, 8, Server 2012, 2008, 2003, R2 information that was previously on TechNet.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/

Registry hack enables continued updates for Windows XP

Support for Windows XP ended at the end of April 2014. However, there is still a large base of PCs that are still in use  running Windows XP. This is not good nor safe computing practice, especially if the PC is operating in a business environment and is being used for critical business applications.

ZDNet published an article detailing a simple registry hack (http://www.zdnet.com/registry-hack-enables-continued-updates-for-windows-xp-7000029851/) that will enable Windows XP PCs to emulate a Windows Embedded POSReady 2009 device. These devices are based on Windows XP, and are specifically used in basic terminal applications. The danger is that not all updates will be suitable for mainstream WIndows XP, and some critical ones may be missed. However, if you MUST run Windows XP for a really old legacy application, then there is still a way to obtain some update protection. It is highly advisable that you seek out a way to decommission your Windows XP PCs and replace them as soon as possible.

To enable this hack, add the following Key to the registry – HKLM\SYSTEM\WAP\PosReady

Then create a DWORD called “Installed” with a value of 1.

Alternatively, create a .REG file with the following text and merge it into the registry.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\WPA\PosReady]
“Installed”=dword:00000001

I will warn again that this should be a “I have no reasonable alternative” move. There are always other options, and the best option is to migrate away from Windows XP.

Critical Patch for Apple IOS

AppleLogo

Apple has released a critical update for all IOS devices from the iPhone 3GS up to the new iPhone 5S and iPad Air ranges. The patch fixes a severe security flaw in the operating system which could allow a Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attack where a secure connection could be transparently redirected to a malicious website where password and other data could be stolen or compromised. You can read more about the patch and possible danger here.

NOTE: Although this appears to be a severe issue, it is similar to the many other dangers that are out in the IT connected world today. Make sure your devices and computers are patches. Oh, and by the way, THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO REPLACE THAT OLD WINDOWS XP COMPUTER. Windows XP Will no longer be maintained with security patches from April 2014.

SBS Essentials Client Connector error message on WinXP “The Connector has encountered an unexpected error”

A Microsoft Fix-It has been released to address the issue of the Client Connector in SBS 2011 Essentials terminating with the error message “The Connector has encountered an unexpected error”. This happens on Windows XP clients and affects the Colorado range, namely SBS 2011 Essentials, Windows Home Server 2011, and Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials.

The article, KB2705096, can be found here – http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2705096

 

iertutil.dll was not found error. Cannot start Windows XP

This is becoming a more common problem on Windows XP PCs. It appears to have been corrupted by a faulty update.

To fix the issue, press CTRL-ALT-DEL at the blank screen and start the task manager. From the Task Manager, select File, New Task (Run).

In the Task windows, type CMD, then press the OK button.

The error message will appear a few more times, but the Command Prompt will eventually appear.

From the command prompt, type CD C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DLLCACHE

Then type COPY IERTUTIL.DLL ..

This will copy the correct version of iertutil.dll to the C:\Windows\System32 folder.

If the file is not found, you can type in DIR C:\WINDOWS\IERTUTIL.DLL /S

A list of files and locations will show up. You can copy the files from any of those folders.

After this, reboot the system and the problem showld be fixed.

Use your iPad as an extra monitor

There are a number of programs available to turn your iPad into an external monitor in Windows. The most recent of these was released by Displaylink (http://www.displaylink.com/support/downloads_ipad.php). The big difference with this application is that it supports the Windows 7 Aero interface. And it’s FREE.

Initial testing so far indicates that it is also the fastest driver around so far. One issue I have run into is that it occasioanlly runs into a connect-disconnect loop, rendering the screens unsuable, until the app on the iPad is stopped and restarted.

Fix File Associations following Malware cleanup

This scenario has been coming up fairly often recently. A PC becomes infected by a Fake-AV software. MalwareBytes (www.malwarebytes.org) cleans up the infection. Suddenly, EXE files cannot run. Not even Regedit.

 There are a couple off good resources which help fix up the registry and restore the EXE file association back to normal. Download and unzip the reg files. Right Click on the Reg file and select Merge.

Thanks and acknowledgements to Doug Knox and Ramesh Srinivasan. They have more file association fixes listed below.

PowerShell Not Your Father’s Command Line

There is a great 31 part blog post on PowerShell that is in developement (part 23 of 31 at this moment). Everything you wanted to know about PowerShell and some great scripts that can be used.

The main landing page for the blog is here – http://blogs.technet.com/b/matthewms/p/powershell.aspx

Here are the titles.

Part 1 of 31: Why PowerShell?
Part 2 of 31: The Basics on How to Read PowerShell
Part 3 of 31: Where Did All the Good Cmdlets Go?
Part 4 of 31: Who Ya Gonna Call For Help?
Part 5 of 31: What’s in it for Devs?
Part 6 of 31: A Cmdlet By Any Other Name Would Be An Alias
Part 7 of 31: Conjunction Function PowerShell What Are Functions?
Part 8 of 31: Won’t You Take Me To Functiontown?
Part 9 of 31: Another Side of PowerShell Profiles
Part 10 of 31: PowerShell Protecting You From Yourself
Part 11 of 31: PowerShell Providers and You!
Part 12 of 31: PowerShell and The Registry
Part 13 of 31: The Provider Active Directory Style
Part 14 of 31: Sorry I’m Not Home Right Now, Walking into IIS Webs…
Part 15 of 31: ISE, ISE Baby…
Part 16 of 31: PowerShell Take Me Out To The Grid
Part 17 of 31: Who Wants to Manage Active Directory?
Part 18 of 31: So You Deleted A User…On Purpose
Part 19 of 31: Small Business Server, PowerShell, and Me
Part 20 of 31: Hanging with Hyper-V
Part 21 of 31: Knock Knock PowerShell Calling!
Part 22 of 31: Good PowerShell Things Come in Nifty Packages
Part 23 of 31: HUGE Announcements, Disagreements, Best Practices and A Party…Oh My!
Part 24 of 31: PowerShell Did What!?!? How to Mitigate Risk!
Part 25 of 31: Did You Know PowerShell Can Talk VMware?
Part 26 of 31: Start Spreading the News…
Part 27 of 31: It Takes a Community to Raise a Language
Part 28 of 31: What is the .NET Framework?
Part 29 of 31: Demystifying MSDN and PowerShell static syntax
Part 30 of 31: PowerShell Likes the Pretty Blue Eyes of Azure Too
Part 31 of 31: That’s a Wrap and We are Not Done Yet!

Daylight Savings Time Zone Editor for older versions of Windows

There are still occasions where old Line of Business applications are still in use that cannot/will not/absolutely will never work on newer operating systems. On these PCs, time zone updates for daylight savings are also not updated, and can cause some grief.

To manually create new timezones on these older operating systems, you can use Microsoft’s Time Zone Editor. The Windows NT, 2000, XP, 2003 can be downloaded here – http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/8/a/58a208b7-7dc7-4bc7-8357-28e29cdac52f/TZEDIT.exe

If you are living in a time warp called Windows 95, 98, or ME, you can download the program from the old Microsoft FTP server – ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/services/technet/samples/ps/Win98/Reskit/CONFIG/

Once downloaded, run tzedit.exe and it will install itself to C:\Program Files\TZEdit. Browse to that location and run the tzedit.exe program.

Creating a new timezone is as simple as clicking on the New button and putting in the details.

Offline files from another user a synchronized in Windows XP log on

I found an answer to a long standing question that has been at the back of my mind today.
 
The problem is exactly as described in the MS Hotfix Article – KB811660
 
If you add files to the Offline Files folder on a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer that is shared by more than one user, offline synchronization of those files will occur when another user logs on to that computer. Network shares and Web sites that require your security credentials cannot synchronize and will prompt other users to submit the correct credentials.
 
This problem was fixed in WIndows XP SP3. With SP2, the hotfix is still available via the article link above.