MozBackup and RocketDock

Two really useful pieces of programming code:

MozBackup does Backup your Thunderbird, Firefox, etc Installations (even with commandline parameters (use it with rsync!!!)) under windows.
http://mozbackup.jasnapaka.com/

Rocketdock is one of these new stylish docking bars as known from MacOS X. Together with the addon "Stack Docklet", this thing is REALLY useful to get your shortcuts organized and handy under windows (2000, xp, vista, 7)! ^.^
http://rocketdock.com/

Enjoy and have a great day,

Nico

PC doesn't boot (Black Screen of Death)

Normal things that go wrong and you should check up on a "total black" screen:
- Try to reset via reseting power
- Are the fans running?
- Is the power supply working (exchange)?
- Is the ram connected (replug, exchange)?
- Is the cpu ok (exchange)?
- Is the graphics card working (replug, exchange)?
- Is the mainboard directly screwed to the frame (shortcircuted)?
- Is the mainboard screwed with too much pressure (cracks)?
- Unplug LEDs, Front USB etc. (maybe shortcircuted)
- CMOS Reset
- Try to plug out and remove everything not needed to show your some bios messages (even Harddrive and Cdrom)
- What about the internal speaker? Got some nice post beeps? (Check out manual of the vendor!)

PXE Boot Acronis True Image Home 11

Files needed:
- smartdrv.exe
- TFTPD Server
- pxelinux.0
- memdisk

- Download and unzip TFTD Server, create Folder “root”.
- Start TFTP Server
Settings:
- Server Interface: Choose the right NIC
- DHCP Server:
Start Pool: 192.168.2.40
Size of pool: 4
Boot File: pxelinux.0
WINS/DNS Server: 192.168.2.1
Default Router: 192.168.2.1
Mask: 255.255.255.0
->> Press Save
- Under "Seetings"
Base Directory to the created "root" Folder
TFTP Security "None"
PXE Compatibility
->> Press OK
- Copy memdisk, pxelinux.0 and smartdrv.exe to the root Folder
- Also copy kernel.dat and ramdisk.dat from the Acronis Resuce Disc into the root Folder
- create pxelinux.cfg Folder within root
- create File with Name “default” (no .txt or such!) with following stuff inside:
LABEL acronis
KERNEL kernel.dat
APPEND initrd=ramdisk.dat vga=791 ramdisk_size=32768 acpi=off quiet noapic
- Connect the Laptop to the Network, choose PXE / NIC as Bootmedia in the BIOS.
- Let that thing boot to PXE and enter acronis at the boot: prompt
- Have fun!

Orginal taken from: http://www.networkcomputing.de/aus-dem-testlabor-linux-pxe-server-fuer-restore-mit-true-image-bereitstellen/seite/2/?no_cache=1

The DHCP Settings are important as well!
Also set firewall to off!

Remove Files on Windows that "just doesn't want to be removed"

If you can't remove a file on Windows, its mostly because of the usage of a too long filename, invalid characters and such.
To solve that there are many tools like unlockers and such which doesn't solve the problem because they doesn't solve the sympthoms:
The filenames.

So if you step into that kind of problem, open up and commandline and cd to the folder with the "bad" file or file.

And then, do an quick dir /X

That will show up the normal Filename as well as the old "Dos-Style" 8 character name.
By using that short name, you can delete a file with a simple del filename or an folder with an rmdir foldername

Easy, ain't it?

PXE Install of Windows (without Floppy, without CDRom)

Files needed:
- smartdrv.exe
- TFTPD Server
- pxelinux.0
- memdisk
- menu.c32

- Download and unzip TFTD Server, create Folder "root".
- Start TFTP Server

Settings:
- Server Interface: Choose the right NIC
- DHCP Server:
Start Pool: 192.168.2.40
Size of pool: 4
Boot File: pxelinux.0
WINS/DNS Server: 192.168.2.1
Default Router: 192.168.2.1
Mask: 255.255.255.0
->> Press Save
- Under "Seetings"
Base Directory to the created "root" Folder
TFTP Security "None"
PXE Compatibility
->> Press OK

- Copy memdisk, menu.c32, pxelinux.0, bartdisk.IMA to the root Folder
- create pxelinux.cfg Folder within root
- create File with Name "default" (no .txt or such!) with following stuff inside:

DEFAULT menu.c32
TIMEOUT 300
ALLOWOPTIONS 0
PROMPT 0
MENU TITLE PXE Boot System
LABEL BartBoot
MENU LABEL ^Bart Network Disk
kernel memdisk
append initrd=bartdisk.IMA
LABEL BootNormal
MENU LABEL ^Boot Normal
LOCALBOOT 0

- Create an SMB Share in an Folder of your Choice. I took the Folder D:\PXE and did share that as pxe
- Create Subfolder for every Windows Version you want to share. I created the subfolder tabxpsp3
- Copy the i386 Folder from the Windows CD to that Folder
- Do also copy the smartdrv.exe into the i386 in your pxe/subfolder/i386
- Start tftpd
- Connect the Laptop to the Network, choose PXE / NIC as Bootmedia in the BIOS.
- Let that thing boot to PXE and go through everything with just default settings.
- Fidsk: Delete All, than Create Primary Partition with all Space (minus 1000 MB), create extended Partition with the space left - and logical Partition in that
- Reboot
- This time, only accept normal default settings until an "Idetification Settings" comes up. Fill out and enable lmhosts option
- In the empty pad enter IP Adress of your SMB Server TAB Name of the Server. For example: 192.168.2.39 ATOM, and press ALT+X to save and leave
- Format: format c: and format d:
- net use x: \\atom\pxe
- cd tabxpsp3\i386
- smartdrv
- winnt (/T D:)

Orginal taken from: http://www.lockstockmods.net/2008/04/26/easy-way-to-pxe-boot-windows/

Problem solutions if you can't connect to the SMB Share via net use:
- Do install Netbios Protocol on your SMB Server NIC and restart
- Make sure your Servers Name ain't longer than 8 characters
- As well as the Name of your share

Astaro Security Gateway v7 Factory Reset

Access to SSH or console with root passwords:

/etc/init.d/factoryreset reset
No Access to SSH or root passwords are lost:

Connect a keyboard and monitor to the system.
Wait for boot prompt
Enter:
boot: default factoryreset

After that you can go to your during the installation definied IP like: https://192.168.0.1

Alternativ:

1. Boot on the ASG from a Knoppix CD
2. Login as root
3. Mount the root partition of the ASG with: mount –t ext3 /dev/sda7 /mnt
4. Go to the config on the ASG: cd /mnt/etc/wfe/conf/; vim setting
5. Change reset_pwd = 0 to reset_pwd = 1
6. Save
7. Run cd /; umount /mnt; reboot
8. Access the install IP