Tip of the Day - Where's the Clipboard in XP?

When using the copy/cut & paste features on a computer there can be times that it will become confused. This happens most often when working with remote connections, such as Remote Desktop. This also can happen when using VM software.

I have needed on occasion, the ability to clear the clipboard and start with a fresh copy/cut & paste session. Here is how I go about doing this.

• In Windows XP – Microsoft removed the shortcut to the clipboard from the Start menu.
• So, I created my own on the Desktop.
• Right click on the Desktop.
• Goto New -> Shortcut.
• Item location is – C:\windows\system32\clipbrd.exe
• Change Windows path to correct drive.
• Give the Shortcut a name.
• Finish

Now whenever you need to quickly view the contents or delete the contents of the clipboard – you can.

Reference:
http://www.andyrathbone.com/tips/clipbrd.html

Tip of the Day - Re-Register ASP.Net with IIS, a How-to.

Why this is needed?

In a rush to get things installed on machines you may install software in an order that it was not supposed to be installed in. Meaning, software that depends on other software to function correctly. The following is one of many scenarios that may cause errors to happen.

1. My scenario:

• You setup a new machine with Windows XP Pro and all current updates.
• You install the .NET Framework version x.x. Assume v2.0
• You install IIS.
• You install MS SQL 2005
• During install, the setup blows up with errors about an ASP.NET user that is not setup on your computer.

2. What needed to happen was this:

• You setup a new machine with Windows XP Pro and all current updates.
• You install IIS.
• You install the .NET Framework version x.x. Assume v2.0
• You install MS SQL 2005
• Setup should complete without errors.

On the first scenario, there is a way to recover from this incorrect install order. You need to re-register ASP.NET with IIS. Here is the command to do it.

• Open up a command prompt
• Switch to the Windows -> Microsoft.Net -> Framework -> Version Number -> run this command: aspnet_regiis.exe –i
• Example v2.0 .NET:
• C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\aspnet_regiis.exe –i
• A new user will be created in the user accounts called ASP.NET
• You then can re-install MS SQL 2005 and it should complete without errors.

Here is some reference URL’s for your viewing pleasure – the best thing to remember is to make sure IIS is installed before installing any applications that depend on it or require web functionality:

• ASP.NET IIS Registration Tool
• ASP.NET pages exhibit unexpected behavior because the server-side code is not processed - Microsoft KB Article
• Re-Register ASP.Net with IIS

Tip of the Day - How to use the "shutdown" command to shutdown or restart your local or remote computer.

If you have ever been in a situation where you needed to quickly shutdown or restart your local or remote machine, this Windows tool is for you. Here are some steps of the usage. See this link for the KB article from Microsoft - http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=317371

Open a command prompt or type this information in the Run dialog box to run this command.

LOCAL MACHINE – NOT ALL THAT CAN BE DONE.

To Shutdown a local machine:

• shutdown –s

To Shutdown a local machine and force applications to close:

• shutdown –s –f

To Shutdown a local machine with a timed delay in seconds:

• shutdown –s –t xx

To Shutdown a local machine with a timed delay in seconds and a comment:

• shutdown –s –t xx –c “Hi you are being shutdown”

To Restart a local machine:

• shutdown –r

To Restart a local machine and force applications to close:

• shutdown –r –f

To Restart a local machine with a timed delay in seconds:

• shutdown –r –t xx

To Restart a local machine with a timed delay in seconds and a comment:

• shutdown –r –t xx –c “Hi you are being restarted”

REMOTE MACHINE – NOT ALL THAT CAN BE DONE.

To Shutdown a remote machine:

• shutdown –s –m \\computername

To Shutdown a remote machine and force applications to close:

• shutdown –s –f –m \\computername

To Shutdown a remote machine with a timed delay in seconds:

• shutdown –s –t xx –m \\computername

To Shutdown a remote machine with a timed delay in seconds and a comment:

• shutdown –s –t xx –m \\computername –c “Hi you are being shutdown”

To Restart a remote machine:

• shutdown –r –m \\computername

To Restart a remote machine and force applications to close:

• shutdown –r –f –m \\computername

To Restart a remote machine with a timed delay in seconds:

• shutdown –r –t xx –m \\computername

To Restart a remote machine with a timed delay in seconds and a comment:

• shutdown –r –t xx –m \\computername –c “Hi you are being restarted”

The "\\computername" can also be the IP Address of the machine. Such as \\192.168.1.1

I use this command all the time when I am in a hurry. It seems to be faster then using the mouse and because I have a server machine that does not have any thing hooked up except power and a network cable to access it.

I also love using this on my home networked computers, especially when my kids are ignoring me when I call them up for dinner, etc. I just shutdown or restart the computers that they are using with my laptop (with a timed delay – so they can save and exit what they are doing and comments as to why I am doing it). Very handy!!!