cluberti

The server service needs to be enabled and running for inbound network connections to work, and the workstation service needs to be running to make outbound connections. Also, you need file and printer sharing enabled in the properties of your network connection, and the Windows firewall, if enabled, needs to be configured to allow inbound file and print sharing connections at least on the local subnet.

If you do choose RIS, these sorts of things can be filled out before the installation begins, so there's no need to modify it later. I did post autologon registry entries a while back, so a quick search on it should net you the registry entries you're looking for.

Looks clean to me, at least regarding this issue - does the same problem occur when the laptop is installed from a clean Windows source?

You are correct on all counts.

' Registry constants Const HDI_CLASSIC = "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\ClassicStartMenu" Const HDI_NEW = "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel" Const MY_COMPUTER = "\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}" Const MY_NETWORK_PLACES = "\{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}" Const MY_DOCUMENTS = "\{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}" Const INTERNET_EXPLORER = "\{871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D}" ' Edit registry to show all icons With CreateObject("WScript.Shell") .RegWrite HDI_CLASSIC & MY_COMPUTER, 0 .RegWrite HDI_CLASSIC & MY_NETWORK_PLACES, 0 .RegWrite HDI_CLASSIC & MY_DOCUMENTS, 0 .RegWrite HDI_CLASSIC & INTERNET_EXPLORER, 0 .RegWrite HDI_NEW & MY_COMPUTER, 0 .RegWrite HDI_NEW & MY_NETWORK_PLACES, 0 .RegWrite HDI_NEW & MY_DOCUMENTS, 0 .RegWrite HDI_NEW & INTERNET_EXPLORER, 0 End With ' Create explorer command file to toggle desktop window Set oFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject") sSCFFile= oFSO.BuildPath(oFSO.GetSpecialFolder(2), oFSO.GetTempName &".scf") With oFSO.CreateTextFile(sSCFFile, True) .WriteLine("[Shell]") .WriteLine("Command=2") .WriteLine("[Taskbar]") .WriteLine("Command=ToggleDesktop") .Close End With ' Toggle desktop and send F5 (refresh) With CreateObject("WScript.Shell") .Run """" & sSCFFile & """" WScript.Sleep 100 .Sendkeys "{F5}+{F10}in" WScript.Sleep 100 .Run """" & sSCFFile & """" End With ' Delete explorer command file oFSO.DeleteFile sSCFFile

Very good .

This is usually caused by either a network driver issue, or an issue with RPC on one of the two machines in the communication link. Have the default security permissions been changed on DCOM at either end of the communication (check via dcomcnfg)?

Could you post your lastsession.ini from nLite?

Do the servers that you're running WSUS on have proxy information set in IE?

You could use psexec (www.sysinternals.com) to import a .reg file remotely, and create a batch script to automate this on all your PC's.

Is the system running antivirus software? I'm not asking because I think you have a virus, but because it's possible it's the A/V filter driver that's causing the issue - does uninstalling the A/V fix anything? Also, does this happen in safe mode?

Zxian: A Com port is a Com port . As long as it isn't a blade server, you should be fine (blades rarely have NMI ports without pluggable expansion cards - that don't ship with the units ).

MailEnable is a free, relatively robust mail server for Windows. http://www.mailenable.com/standard_edition.asp

Not a problem. We're a pretty clean-cut and ethical bunch here, who frown on piracy and theft of any kind (but especially electronic). While yours wasn't theft per-se, you have to understand that modifying the source to be a VLK version of XP and using a keygen to get a key can make it look bad - because technically, it isn't legal.

Did you install Server 2003 over Windows XP, on the same drive?

Good catch - that is likely the root cause of all of the problems. I made the silly assumption that the poster did own workgroup.org. To the original poster: if someone else owns the domain, you will have problems. Either use a domain name you own, or make the domain name <whateveryou'dlikehere>.local.

Have you moved your program files directory from C:\Program Files?

WAN stands for Wide Area Network, but I doubt that's what you mean. Could you be a little more specific in what information you're looking for, and where you found WAN in the OS? Is it a service, an application, etc?

Any time the NIC has to negotiate speed and duplex, the traffic along the line stops until negotiation is finished. If the network hardware that your NIC is attached to is not feeding the NIC proper negotiation data (less likely), or if the NIC driver itself (more likely) has trouble doing auto-negotiation of speed and duplex, you will see a speed penalty until the problem is resolved (either a driver update or forcing speed and duplex). ALL traffic along the wire stops during negotiation, and if there is a problem with autonegotiation, this "negotiation handshake" can happen quite often (slowing things down considerably).

Was the installation source modified in any way before Windows was installed on the laptop? Also, are we talking about a third-party battery monitor, or the built-in Windows "power" icon?

I'm not entirely sure you'll find help for this here, as the legality of the copy of XP you have is in question: It was likely an OEM copy of Windows XP, meaning it was sold installed on someone's PC. The Winnt.sif file being prepopulated on a minted CD would say that this is the case, as no Retail, channel OEM, or Corporate CD's come with a prepopulated Winnt.sif file. Also, since this is an OEM version of Windows, without the COA sticker that came with the CD, usage of that CD or CD key on another machine is technically illegal (at least in the USA). As far as the activation, the OS may still be installed and activated on someone's home PC. I understand it's just a salvage project, but I'd say manipulating the CD to be a corporate version goes beyond the grey area and into illegal - corporate versions require a corporate license. So to answer your questions - a ) yes you can physically change the setupp.ini file, b ) yes it would work without asking for activation, and c ) no it is not legal to do so.

Changes made to AD to force automatic update settings will effect both XP and 2K machines, unless you separate them into different OU's, and apply separate GPO's to each group. You could simply script in the registry changes for the AU settings in a logon script or enter them remotely via psexec or some other tool as well, for the time being. Most settings in Group Policy are simple registry changes (edit the .adm files in notepad sometime).

The ASP.Net Machine Account is created when the Microsoft .Net Framework 1.1 is installed onto a Windows XP computer. The user is created to run the asp.net worker process used in Microsoft's Internet Information Services, which allows ASP.Net to run on your local web server (this is basically its only usefulness, as it is not used to run normal .net managed executables). There is no need to worry about this user's presence on your system, as it was not created in malicious way by a virus or spyware. Note that there is yet another user account created for the ASP.Net worker process (aspnet_wp.exe) so that it does not run with administrator privileges. You can delete the ASP.Net Machine account, but it is vital if you do ASP.Net development work on your machine. By removing the account you may find your ASP.Net projects will no longer function correctly. It is possible to recreate the user by issuing the following command from the run dialog (changing the framework version number as appropriate): %systemroot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v1.1.4322\aspnet_regiis.exe /i

One way to be sure it's a hardware problem (albeit somewhat involved, it is right 100% of the time) is to set the /debug option (and the requisite /debugport and /baud options) in the boot.ini file on the machine in question, then attach a null modem cable to another machine running Windbg (part of the debugging tools for Windows). When the first machine hangs, break in from the second machine (ctrl+break) - if you get a prompt, the hardware is fine (and you can .crash the box to get a memory dump to analyze); if you are unable to break in, it's always a hardware problem. Just a little something for all you hard-core support guys out there - carry around a null modem cable and a laptop with the debugging tools installed, and you'll always be able to tell if an NT-based system has bad hardware .

If you have Ghost 8.x or 9.x, you should have documentation right on the CD for how to use Ghost with RIS.