SQL: installing SQL server on Windows 7 Dutch

When you install SQL server 2008 R2 on Windows 7 Dutch, it is possible you will receive the following error during the “setup support rules” phase: Performance counter registry hive consistency

Setup Support Rules

The solution was found here: http://bertvanvreumingen.blogspot.com/2010/11/performance-counter-registry-hive.html

In short:

  • export the registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Perflib\009
  • Edit the registry file you just created and change the value 009 to 013, resulting in:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Perflib\013
  • Merge the registry file and re-run the “setup support rules”

Windows 7 GodMode

At first ,when I read this, I thought “he is kidding, this can’t be”.

If you create a new folder on your desktop and name it  GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}, you will see the following Icon appear:

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Upon clicking it you will see shortcut’s to all kind of settings within Windows 7.

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This reminds me of Doom (or was it Unreal) ….godmode on :-)

Edit: Picture below added to post, see comment of Dave Durand :-)

rise-of-the-triad

thanks to lessthandot.com

Windows 7 tips

Some nice windows 7 tips I found.

Command Prompt output to Clipboard
You can directly paste the output of a command prompt command into the clipboard by adding clip to any command. For example: dir | clip

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You can then paste it into notepad

Changing the Power Button Command
You can change the command behind the power button. To do this right click the start button, choose properties. You can now choose the action you want the power button to do (like  lock, logg off, sleep, etc)

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How good is your laptop battery
To find out how good your laptop battery still is, execute the command:
”powercfg –energy”

After 60 seconds you will receive a html report named “energy-report.html” in the same folder where you executed the command. Open this html file and scroll almost to the end, you will then find a section called Battery: Battery Information. Compare the Design Capacity with the Last Full Charge
note: you need to have admin privileges

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Forefront Client Security and windows 7

I just installed a new virtual machine with Windows 7 Enterprise. As I wanted to have some good protection from viruses and malware, I decided to go for Forefront Client Security.

I copied the installation files for FCS to a local temp folder, and executed the command CLIENTSETUP.EXE /NOMOM (to install FCS with the MOM agent). Keep in mind that if you are using a x64 system, execute the clientsetup.exe inside the x64 folder
This installation failed because of UAC.
I changed my UAC settings to low by launching the “Change UAC Settings”, under the tool tab in MSConfig.

Change UAC Settings

Again I tried to execute the CLIENTSETUP.EXE /NOMOM.
This time FCS installed correctly.
After installation I pressed the “Check for Updates Now” inside FCS, but it reported that there we’re now updates….strange, because the definition files are from September 14th 2006.

FCS reporting "No new definition files"

I then found this webpage: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/935934/ you can download the antimalware definition files manually and install them. This solved it for me.

FCS Status

Windows 7 Federated Search

wow, this is nice.

Windows 7 Federated Search.
This Federated Search will change the scope of your search beyond your Computer. You can now search for items in remote repositories from your PC. It is based on OpenSearch and the RSS format. Since it is based on open standards, it becomes very simple to create custom ‘search connectors’ for your own remote repositories. For example, you can search Flickr or Twitter from within explorer.
Here are some search connectors.

I even created one for my own site :-) , you can download it here

search on windows 7 @ marcvalk.net

Microsoft Windows 7 – 64bit and IE8 new tab hang

A few colleagues of mine had some problems with IE8 in Windows 7. Whenever they CTRL+clicked on a link in IE8, the new tab would hang. I did not have this problem on my machine (as a developer would say: “it works on my machine”).
Also when the dragged a link from the address bar to their favorites bar, IE8 would crash completely.

After some intensive research one of my colleagues found a solution and posted it on his blog, check it out here.

Some other things that might happen. because of this setup:

  • An error will occur when you open the Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio and connect to a SQL Server instance:
    Unable to cast COM object of type ‘System.__ComObject’ to interface type ‘Microsoft.VisualStudio.OLE.Interop.IServiceProvider’. This operation failed because the QueryInterface call on the COM component for the interface with IID ‘{6D5140C1-7436-11CE-8034-00AA006009FA}’ failed due to the following error: No such interface supported (Exception from HRESULT: 0×80004002 (E_NOINTERFACE)). (Microsoft.VisualStudio.OLE.Interop)
  • When using Microsoft Exchange’s webmail page, you’re popup’s when creating a new mail message could resolve in a white page (no content)

Installed: Windows 7

After waiting a long time on august 6th, Windows 7 finally arrived. The installation was really easy, and I am surprised with the boot time, but then I always am with a freshly installed OS.

Some “nifty” things I found out:

  • Command Prompt Here
    I always had a power toy installed which added a context menu to the windows explorer, to open a command prompt at the exact same folder I was browsing. This is now built into windows 7. Just hold shift and right click a folder.
  • Explorer in new process
    As you try out the command prompt thingy, you might notice another new context menu “open in new process”. This will open a new explorer window, but different from the menu “open in new window” it will open as a new explorer.exe process. So if one explorer.exe crashes (why should it?), another will still stay open.
  • Starting your pinned taskbar programs
    with the windows key combination Win+1, Win+2, Win+3, you can start the programs which you pinned to your taskbar.
  • ISO Burner
    really nice.. build in ISO burner. Just double click any ISO file.
  • WordPad
    WordPad can open the Office Open XML (Word Files).
  • Peek at desktop
    damn… where is my “desktop” shortcut on my taskbar. Searched a few seconds for it and then I found it. On the other hand (right side) of the taskbar, next to the clock. Nice thing is you can also peak @ the desktop by hovering over this “button” .
  • your favorite folders pinned
    If you’re always opening the same folders, you can pin them with the Explorer icon on the taskbar. Hold the right-click button down and drag the folder to the taskbar, and it will be pinned in the Explorer Jump List.

Windows 7: RDP Platform Improvements

Some things in RDP that will be improved in Windows 7:

  • Aero Experience
    like translucent effects, previews
  • Direct 2D & Direct 3d 10.1
  • True MultiMon Support
  • RDP Core Performance Improvements
  • Multimedia: Media Foundation
    Running Audio and Video smoothly
  • Multimedia: DirectShow
  • 40% gain in bandwidth reduction

I’ve seen a demo where they played a video (1080p), the audio was a little behind on the video (but not irritating slow), the video was really smooth and the processor load on the server was only 1%.
Want to see it for yourself? Check out this link, @ 22min. it is playing the video, and @ 23min, it plays the HD movie.

My opinion: impressive, I know some company’s who really could use it.