Russ Rambles

Vintage guitars like Gibson, Gretsch, Martin, Fender amps

russlewis@stormsoftware.net (russ) — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 22:38:14 GMT

If you know me, you'll know I like jazz and guitars. Well lately, my hobby became just a little more serious.

Do take a look at the web site, and spread the word to anyone who you think may be interested: Vintage Gibson, Gretsch, Guild, Martin at JustGreatGuitars.com.

Unlock your Orange Smartphone

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 12:48:17 GMT

You will need to unlock your Orange Smartphone if you want to install an unsigned application. OK, so there are questions one should ask about installing an unsigned program, but assuming you still do, it may not be quite as straight-forward as it should be.

Here are the things which DON'T work:

Filling-in the form at http://developer.orangews.com/orgspv/SPVdev.aspx?L=T (This is worth a try, but failed for me - it said it didnt recognise the IMEI number)

Emailing SPVDev@orangeimagineering.com (it's a bad domain and email is returned)

Eventually, you may email developers@orange.com > and if you have the word "unlock" somewhere in your email, you will likely get an automated response that includes the magic line:>

Please point your phone web browser (or pc) to the following URL: http://spvunlock.rd.francetelecom.com > and fill in the form.>

Obvious really!

Russ Lewis MCSD

www.stormsoftware.net

Microsoft Certified Partner

Dont buy an Acer laptop - especially an Acer TravelMate

Mon, 14 May 2007 20:49:21 GMT

I recently bought an Acer TravelMate 4230, equipped with Acer’s Windows Vista Business. I put Office 2007 on it (plus my usual development tools) and it ran unbelievably slowly. Even with 2 Gb RAM it was awful. I use Outlook all the time and just hated being at work because of it’s speed and non-responsiveness. I have hardly been able to do any development work and even writing a letter has become a chore (it was made slightly better by adding Word 2003). I’ve lived with it for a couple of months simply because I didn’t have the time to rebuild it.

Last week I took the plunge and installed a 'proper copy' (not an Acer OEM version) of Vista . Everything went well and the basic system was noticeably faster.

I then installed good old Office 2003, SQL 2005, VS etc. and it was still fine and still fast. Which is when I noticed that it had only recognized one of the two DRAMM chips and was in fact faster on only 1 Gb RAM than it had been on 2 Gb! But, I couldn't find the missing PCI MEM (PCI FLASH) drivers for the extra DRAMM slot and Acer didn’t have them either.

About this time I also realized that Vista wouldn't activate, and a call to Microsoft confirmed that I had installed the wrong version for the partner product keys we have. I decided to go back to the Acer recovery image to see if that had the drivers. But, the recovery disk I’d been prompted to make wasn't a real recovery disk; it doesn't boot - apparently Acer uses a hidden partition with the recovery tools on it. So I spent a couple of hours learning how to read DOS partitions with a live Unix OS, got the utilities I needed, created a boot disk and discovered that it still wouldn't restore because the version of Windows had changed and there was no backup or CD of the Acer version of windows. That’s right, Acer do not ship any OEM CDs with their notebooks.

At that point I had a super fast system, which used only half the installed RAM and had only about 24 days remaining before activation shut it down!

Acer tech support in the US said the required PCI MEM (or PCI FLASH) drivers were on their website but it was down at the moment. When the site came back, the drivers weren't there, and when I called back (and spoke to someone else) they said the drivers didn't exist.

Acer in the UK said there could be a hardware fault but they couldn’t fix it because it was a US machine. They would though, sell me the recovery CDs which included Windows Vista and the missing drivers for 50 quid. (It was just $40 from the US !)

Since we get some technical support incidents from Microsoft as part of the Partner program, I decided to use one - value GBP 200. We get five of these each year, and the last one we used was back in the year 2000, so I didn’t feel too bad about using one. It took nearly two hours for the technician to call back, but when he did he could not have been more helpful. He carefully listened to the problem and made sure he understood it. He used Google to try to search for answers and sent me a link that he wanted me to try. When that didn't get the answers we wanted, he initiated a conference call with Acer technical support. Surprisingly, Acer resisted the might of the call from Microsoft and steadfastly refused to provide the drivers that would make their notebook's RAM work with (retail) Windows Vista. However, they did confirm that these PCI MEM drivers do exist and that they would not provide them.

Although MS support was unable to resolve the issue, I was very impressed with the service and professionalism. I liked that he volunteered the information that he hadn't done anything which I hadn't already tried, and I especially liked that he said the case would only be closed when my notebook showed the full 2 Gb. Today, the matter has been escalated within Microsoft, so they can petition Acer for the drivers, but through another channel.

Meanwhile I managed to find the correct license keys for Vista , so I do now have a working PC. Hurray!

The very first notebook I ever bought was an Acer and it was great. Wow, have they changed.

Error installing Visual Studio 2005 SP1 on Windows 2003 Server

Mon, 14 May 2007 10:19:07 GMT

Visual Studio 2005 SP1 failed with error Installation failed - 0x64C

The error is related to an unsigned driver.

I found an excellent post which explained the steps to take to enable the correct Software Protection Policies at

http://blogs.msdn.com/knom/archive/2007/05/02/problems-with-visual-studio-2005-sp1-on-windows-2003-server.aspx

1) Open local security setting: Start -> Programs -> Administrative Tools -> Local Security Policy.

2) Click on "Software Restriction Policies" and if it shows "No Software Restriction Policies Defined" then insert a new (right click the left pane node).

3) 2 x click on the "Enforcement" entry and under "Apply software restriction policies to the following users:" section change to "All users except local administrators".

He also mentions that he tried placing the original VS2005 disk in the CD tray whilst performing the service pack installation (note that getting MS products to work correctly engenders all kinds of quasi-supernatural beliefs!)

I followed the above steps (including the CD in the tray) and the SP installed correctly.

I also found a bizarre KB article which tells you to remove the .NET framework, then install the SP, then reinstall the framework – don’t bother!

VS2005 & ASP.NET on Vista

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 21:02:46 GMT

OK, so you’ve worked-out how to run VS2005 as an administrator (create a new shortcut to devenv.exe, and check the box in the Compatibility tab).

But you can’t browse the IIS metabase and you still can’t create or debug an IIS application. Worse, you get a spurious error message about missing FrontPage server extensions! Well, you’re right in thinking you don’t need FP server extensions. The thing you really want is called the IIS6 compatibility layer for IIS7. It’s configured via Control Panel | Programs & Features | Turn Windows features on or off. Then drill down into IIS as shown here.

Whilst there, you should make sure that you have ASP.NET enabled

And, if you want F5 debugging (which, of course you do,) you need Windows security too

Now, use IIS manager to configure your Web application. It should use the ASP.NET 2 Application pool

And you will need to enable Windows authentication for your Web:

There’s an excellent post which explains what’s going-on here: http://mvolo.com/blogs/serverside/archive/2006/12/28/Fix-problems-with-Visual-Studio-F5-debugging-of-ASP.NET-applications-on-IIS7-Vista.aspx

Microsoft Empower

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 18:01:04 GMT

This looks good...

Microsoft Empower is a two-year initiative that helps turn your idea for a software application into a reality. For just £260 + VAT, the programme gives you a full range of development resources, MSDN subscriptions, software licences and technical support - all the tools you need without the cost!

http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=5834397 >> >

GoogleClient Demo

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 10:24:03 GMT

Here's an updated version of the Google & Amazon Client demo from my course 508.

Download: GoogleClient.zip

localhost, (local) and . fail with SQL Server 2005

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 10:24:03 GMT

If you've moved your databases from SQL 2000 to 2005 and tried to run them using a connection string which includes something like:

server=(local); or

server=localhost; or

server=.;

you will have surely noticed that it falls over when your .NET application tries to access the database with a "server not found" error.

The cause is that Microsoft have shipped the developer versions of SQL 2005 with local access only. This means that

server=YOUR MACHINE NAME;

will work, but that's really bad practice, because the application will certainly fail when you copy it to the deployment server, having forgotten to amend the machine name.

The solution in fact is to do this :

Start | All Programs | MS SQL Server 2005 | Configuration Tools | SQL Surface Area Config.

Follow Surface Area Config for Services and Connections, then click Remote Connections in the left hand pane.

On the right, select Local and Remote Connections | using TCP/IP only

The old, familiar monikers will now work once again :-)

HTTP Pipeline in ASP.NET 2.0

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 10:24:03 GMT

Here is a quick reference for the steps in HTTP pipeline in ASP.NET 2.0.

Some of the steps are internal (cannot be subscribed by HTTP modules or GLOBAL.ASAX):

Internal step to validate request. Protects against malicious attacks exploiting path canonicalization
Internal step to perform URL mapping (if the URL mapping feature is enabled)
Fire BeginRequest event
Fire AuthenticateRequest event
Fire DefaultAuthentication internal event
Fire PostAuthenticateRequest event
Fire AuthorizeRequest event
Fire PostAuthorizeRequest event
Fire ResolveRequestCache event
Fire PostResolveRequestCache event
Internal step to determine the IHttpHandler to process the current request (this is when the page compilation takes place)
Fire PostMapRequestHandler event
Fire AcquireRequestState event
Fire PostAcquireRequestState event
Fire PreRequestHandlerExecute event
Internal step to execute the IHttpHandler (call its ProcessRequest method) for the current request. The handler is determined at step #11
Fire PostRequestHandlerExecute event
Fire ReleaseRequestState event
Fire PostReleaseRequestState event
Internal step to perform response filtering (only if HttpResponse.Filter is installed)
Fire UpdateRequestCache event
Fire PostUpdateRequestCache event
Fire EndRequest event. This is the only event that is guaranteed to be fired for each request

I came across this in Dmitry Robsman's blog. He has several excellent code projects there, two of which I have incorporated into production websites today!

We have evolved -- or were created -- as a small hairless creature in a world of big hairy problems and predators.

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 10:24:03 GMT

I loved this quote from one of the keynote's in Waterfall 2006 - a conference dedicated to re-welcoming the waterfall method of software development.

Read all about it at www.waterfall2006.com and if you're doing nothing else on April 1st, maybe even go along!

It is not possible to run two versions of ASP.NET in the same process

Fri, 16 Dec 2005 11:43:25 GMT

Here's a problem that many people may encounter as they start deploying ASP.NET version 2 applications on servers running which have existing ASP.NET v.1 sites.

The first symptom is a Web page or Web service that sometimes works but at other times refuses to start debugging or yields a "Server Application Unavailable" error page. This page suggests looking in the event log for further information. If you do, you are told in the log that "It is not possible to run two versions of ASP.NET in the same process ..."

Further observation may lead you to realize that you have a .NET v.1 and a .NET v.2 website running on the same IIS Web Site (usually 'Default Web Site'). What's happening is that whichever site is being hit first is imposing it's ASP.NET version on the process which IIS creates for 'Default Web Site'. When a subsequent request is then made to the other application, it cannot load its version of ASP.NET, a fact which it notes in the event log.

So, how do you create a separate process for a Web?

Open Internet Information Services manager,

For Windows Server 2003, create a new Application pool, accepting the default settings.

Next, locate your Web (under Default Web Site), right-click to select Properties, and

Windows Server 2003: assign the newly-created pool to the Application Pool property

Windows XP and 2000: Change the Application Protection property to High (Isolated)

Not too obvious, but now you know :-)

How to install Application Center Test without installing Visual Studio

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 17:04:04 GMT

D:\ENGLISH\VS.NET2003\setup\setup.exe /NO BSLN CHECK

What's new in WSE 3.0 (for VS.NET 2005)

Tue, 29 Nov 2005 15:10:13 GMT

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnwse/html/newwse3.asp

Writing C# .NET stored procedures

Thu, 08 Sep 2005 09:43:09 GMT

The 2005 release of SQL Server will allow developers to write their stored procedures in a .NET language, does that mean the end of T-SQL as we know it? Not at all. T-SQL 2005 is the workhorse for this database, it has been developed and modernised (slightly) from T-SQL classic, but it's the language database developers will use 95% of the time for writing stored procedures. .NET code allows you to bring .NET types directly into the database for manipulation. Because those types run in the CLR, so must the code you use. However, this is the "long way round", so you can't expect it to perform as well as the classic T-SQL route. You would use .NET code in the database when: - returning a .NET class (or type) is more useful than returning a SQL type - the processing is not SQL-like The advantage of writing CLR code in SQL Server, is the ability to populate a custom business class (a .NET type) inside the database, in order to more readily marshal it to the business layer. Architecturally, it simply means you have the same types in the data layer as in the business layer.

Current status of restoring my blog from Google

russlewis@stormsoftware.net (russ) — Fri, 26 Aug 2005 17:22:02 GMT

I've got all the pages - held open in about two dozen browsers, now I just have to do some copy and pasting ...

done... now, some removing of Google highlighter, and we're good to go :-)

Thank Blog for Google

Thu, 25 Aug 2005 13:56:06 GMT

So, the other day, I deleted this blog. I deleted it accidentally, thinking it was the blog engine I no longer used. I did it using Shift + Delete, so it wasn't moved into the Recycle bin. The blog is completely self-contained within one folder, so there was no database content. Neither did I have any form of back-up - whatsoever...typical IT professional I hear you say :-)

Once I'd had enough of kicking myself, I thought about how to restore the content of my blog. Since I use it as a personal journal, making notes to myself, I was pretty keen to do this. I'd noticed that the blog got a lot of hits from Google, so I tried a little Googling....

Within minutes, I had found all the textual content from Google's cached pages - thank-you Google :-)

P/Invoke - My version of the GetVersionEx / OSVERSIONINFO marshaling example

russlewis@stormsoftware.net (russ) — Mon, 08 Aug 2005 17:36:37 GMT

It's taken me a little while to unravel the example in MSDN, but I finally worked out what it was showing!

Here, in case it will help anyone else, is my version of the code, with altered names and some comments, that, I hope, will make it easier to understand.

//You need to put this bit in a form and place a button1 on that form!

private void button1 Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)

{

OSVersionInfoClass osvi = new OSVersionInfoClass();

osvi.OSVersionInfoSize = Marshal.SizeOf( osvi );

LibWrap.GetVersionExClass( osvi );

label1.Text = "Class size: " + osvi.OSVersionInfoSize;

label1.Text += "\nMajor : " + osvi.MajorVersion;

label1.Text += "\nMinor : " + osvi.MinorVerision;

label1.Text += "\nBuild : " + osvi.BuildNumber;

label1.Text += "\nPlatformID : " + osvi.PlatformID;

label1.Text += "\nVersion : " + osvi.versionString;

OSVersionInfoStruct osvi2 = new OSVersionInfoStruct();

osvi2.OSVersionInfoSize = Marshal.SizeOf( osvi2 );

LibWrap.GetVersionExStruct( ref osvi2 );

label1.Text += "\n\nStruct size: " + osvi2.OSVersionInfoSize;

label1.Text += "\nMajor : " + osvi2.MajorVersion;

label1.Text += "\nMinor : " + osvi2.MinorVerision;

label1.Text += "\nBuild : " + osvi2.BuildNumber;

label1.Text += "\nPlatformID : " + osvi2.PlatformID;

label1.Text += "\nVersion : " + osvi2.versionString;

}

//This stuff goes outside the form class. Either in a separate .cs file or just outside the form class

//class demo

[ StructLayout( LayoutKind.Sequential )]

public class OSVersionInfoClass

{

public int OSVersionInfoSize;>

public int MajorVersion;>

public int MinorVerision;>

public int BuildNumber;>

public int PlatformID;>

[ MarshalAs( UnmanagedType.ByValTStr, SizeConst=128 )]

public String versionString;

}

//struct demo

[ StructLayout( LayoutKind.Sequential )]

public struct OSVersionInfoStruct>

{

public int OSVersionInfoSize;>

public int MajorVersion;>

public int MinorVerision;>

public int BuildNumber;>

public int PlatformID;>

[ MarshalAs( UnmanagedType.ByValTStr, SizeConst=128 )]

public String versionString;

}

// This class just hides the externs

// note they both map to the same function in the API, but I'm giving them a more useful name within .NET

public class LibWrap

{

[ DllImport( "kernel32", EntryPoint="GetVersionEx" )]

public static extern bool GetVersionExClass( [In, Out] OSVersionInfoClass osvi );

[ DllImport( "kernel32", EntryPoint="GetVersionEx" )]

>public static extern bool GetVersionExStruct( ref OSVersionInfoStruct osvi );

}

SOAP formatting: RPC/Doc/Enc/Literal

russlewis@stormsoftware.net (russ) — Mon, 08 Aug 2005 17:36:37 GMT

If anyone is still having trouble remembering what the different SOAP styles are, here's a reminder of Yasser Shohoud's article that reviews the whole topic and also tells you why you shouldn't worry - just be happy you're a .NET developer.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnwebsrv/html/rpc literal.asp

Do you get errors when generating a dataset from the designer?

russlewis@stormsoftware.net (russ) — Mon, 08 Aug 2005 17:36:37 GMT

I did. Here's the symptom. I was trying to recreate a sample of a typed DataSet for a course I'm writing. My original sample, which worked fine, was in a project called Junk. Call me old-fashioned, but I wanted to present it with a better name. I chose TypedDataSets since that was what we were going to be investigating.

Time after time, I found that I got the same error message - that there were problems generating the DataSet and I should build the project and fix any errors before trying again.

Here are the mental pictures I took with me to bed last night...wondering just what I was doing wrong..

This morning, I worked out the problem. It's frankly unbelievable, but I can assure you this is the case. It was because I was working on a project which was located in a path with and ampersand in its name! Yes, that's it. Strangely, none of the several dozen solutions I've built in that same path displayed any weird behaviour, although none of used typed DataSets of course!

I wonder if the same is true of .NET2 ?

Get hold of great .NET Samples

Mon, 14 Mar 2005 18:33:27 GMT

This looks like a useful set of links and recommendations: (Just noticed the hyperlinks didn't make it via email, so will add them in later - Russ)

Adding Oomph With Samples by Mike Taulty

There are a whole host of resources that can help you learn about developer technologies. You can read books, check out magazine articles, attend conferences, watch online sessions, hang around in newsgroups and so on, but I think it's rare that any of these options give the same amount of pure oomph <http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=1510970> as a good sample. With that in mind, I thought I'd use this article to list some oomph-packed samples of .NET applications that will potentially speed up your own development with (or conversion to) .NET. Here's the shortlist of three sites that I'd recommend:

Windows Forms.NET Sample Applications: <http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=1510971> If you're looking at Smart Client applications then you need to take a look at samples such as FotoVision <http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=1510972> and IssueVision <http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=1510973>. The new Infragistics Tracker application <http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=1510974> which makes use of the patterns & practices <http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=1510975> code blocks and comes with documentation detailing the design and implementation decisions made during implementation is particularly useful.

The ASP.NET Starter Kits: <http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=1510976> If you're building a web-site with ASP.NET then you need to take a look at these six applications that provide a fantastic starting point to get you going. Download them, install them, play with them and then discuss them in the ASP.NET Forums <http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=1510977>.

Learn247.NET <http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=1510978 > - The WeRock 247 <http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=1510979> & Football 247 <http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=1510980> Samples:These go way beyond just being 'samples'. Both applications come with training materials that lead you through building the applications from scratch. Introductions are given to the technologies involved which span Smart Client, Web Client, Mobile Client and Web Services and the materials are available online or for order on DVD. >

From

***************************************** MSDN Flash ***************************************** 22 November 2004

MSDN Nuggets

Mon, 14 Mar 2005 18:33:27 GMT

This promises to be a great mini series - 10 minute nuggets of technical knowledge. Great idea, great presentations

Go along to http://www.microsoft.com/uk/msdn/events/nuggets.aspx and see what there is to tempt you

Show(owner) is so neat

Mon, 14 Mar 2005 18:33:27 GMT

I was building a simple menu system from LinkLabels and wanted this behaviour: when the user chose a link, to minimise the menu form, show the chosen form, then restore the menu form when the user closed their chosen form.

Here's the code:

//minimize this window, and show another>

this.WindowState = FormWindowState.Minimized; >

frmDemo f = new frmDemo();>

f.ShowDialog( this); //this form *owns* f>

}

// in frmDemo, control the calling (owner) form!>

private void Form1 Closed(object sender, System.EventArgs e)>

{ //restore parent

this.Owner.WindowState = FormWindowState.Normal;>

}

It happens that I was investigating .NET 2, but actually this is a .NET 1 feature, although in .NET 1 it is only available for modal forms (ShowDialog method) and in .NET 2 it's available for both Show and ShowDialog methods.

http://www.connectionstrings.com/

russlewis@stormsoftware.net (russ) — Mon, 14 Mar 2005 18:33:27 GMT

How great is this?

A simple site with a simple purpose and exactly the right name!

Well done, those folk at http://www.connectionstrings.com/