Microsoft Clear Cache feature for Internet Explorer

November 30, 2005

This program intended to automatically delete all temporary Internet files, cookies, and history files when it is installed and executed. The program was developed to programmatically clear these files when a corrupt entry caused errors with Internet Explorer.

Download…


Microsoft Presentations Available for Download.

November 25, 2005

Command to Lock XP Workstation.

November 24, 2005

Apart from the common ways of locking an XP workstation, another way is to run the following command:

%windir%\System32\rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation

To create a script that includes this command:

On Error Resume

NextSet objShell = CreateObject(“Wscript.Shell”)
objShell.Run “%windir%\System32\rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation”

To enable the script to run on a remote computer see the following link…


Remote Scripting Trick

November 23, 2005

With permissions configured correctly, you can make a script load and go on the server at your script’s discretion.

How…


Using GUIDs to Open Shell Folders in Windows Explorer

November 23, 2005

A GUID is a string of 32 hexadecimal digits enclosed within braces, hyphens separating the digits into groups of eight, four, four and twelve – like this

{nnnnnnnn-nnnn-nnnn- nnnnnnnnnnnn}

Windows XP uses GUIDs to identify all kinds of objects, including certain system folders. The following GUIDs can be opened in Windows Explorer.

{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D} My Network Places
{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D} My Computer
{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D} Printers and Faxes
{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} Recycle Bin
{7007ACC7-3202-11D1-AAD2-00805FC1270E} Network Connections
{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF} Scheduled Tasks

One useful use for knowing these GUIDs is for example to make Windows Explorer open on My Computer, instead of my documents. This can be done by creating a shortcut with either of the following command strings:

explorer.exe /e, :: {20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}

or

explorer.exe::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}

The first of these opens Windows Explorer with the folders bar in place.

To use these command strings in scripts or batch programs, put a space after the word explorer and then two colons.

explorer.exe ::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}

If you use one or more of the optional switches (for example, /root,), follow the last character in the string with a space, then two colons, then the GUID, like this:

explorer.exe /root, ::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}


Routing on Windows 2000 Server.

November 23, 2005

PCWorld: Best Privacy and Security Utilities

November 22, 2005

RedmondMag.com Editors’ Choice Awards 2005.

November 17, 2005

Visual Studio .NET 2003 Setup Unable to Determine a Valid Ordering for the Installation

November 17, 2005

Recently I tried to uninstall Visual Studio .NET 2003 via Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel, only to receive the following error:

Visual Studio .NET 2003 setup is unable to determine a valid ordering for the installation.

As I could not find a solution to this problem in a timely fashion, I decided to manually remove Visual Studio, using the following steps from http://support.microsoft.com/?id=824642.

These steps require the use of a utility called MSIZap.exe. This utility is shipped with Windows Installer SDK, which can be downloaded from

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=A55B6B43-E24F-4EA3-A93E-40C0EC4F68E5&displaylang=en

As this download for SDK is approximately 400MB, a quicker way to obtain MSIZap.exe is to download and install Windows Installer Cleanup Utility from http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;290301, which ships with a copy of MSIZap.exe


TechNet Magazine – Free Online Version.

November 16, 2005