BCM Mastery Series #1 – Server Shared – Location, Location, Location!

So where is it?  That is a great question that gets to the heart of an issue you need to change.  Do you want the database to survive if the original creator leaves the company?  YES!  Did you know that won’t happen by default?  Well if that user’s profile is deleted so goes the database.  Gotcha!

We are talking about a server located and shared Business Contact Manager (BCM)/Small Business Accounting (SBA) database created using the fantastically easy Business Contact Manager for Outlook 2007 Database Tool.

Yes, location is everything as it applies to real estate, locating a city in hurricane-alley ocean-front and below sea level, and in BCM, Business Contact Manager this is also true.  Let me explain that BCM was first designed to be run simply from a user(s) on a single desktop.  Later SBA, Small Business Accounting, came along and was integrated with this same database for obvious great common data access.  This design legacy still has an affect even as we can now move the BCM latest version’s database (.mdf & .ldf files) to the server for sharing, centralized management, and improved resources.  It’s installed default location is at:

C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Business Contact Manager

So for database continuity and protection it is moving time unlike those inured and unresponsive to New Orleans’ death trap locale.  Let’s put it in the same logical area as all other SQL databases under

“C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server”

Since our database instance for BCM/SBA is MSSMLBIZ we will create a sub-folder there called “MSSQL$MSSMLBIZ” (imitating the other SQL folders).  Now continue the following steps as follows:

1. in Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express (SQL 2005 Express Advanced) under Object Explorer expand the database MSSMLBIZ, right click the target database which is by default “MSSmallBusiness”, and then “Detach” under Tasks
2. now detached we go to the current file location of the .ldf &  .mdf files (see above path) and “cut” them to start the move – note I only need the .ldf & .mdf files
3. now we navigate to our newly created folder and “paste” them
4. last step is to go back into the Studio and in the same place we did the “detach” we choose to “attach”, browse to our new location, and pick the .mdf file.
5. Voila! It should complete and your now ready to open up an Outlook w/ BCM client and check that you are connecting. It’s all good now.

Later I’ll link to information on how to restore with just the .ldf & .mdf files if that was all you had since you were a bonehead and never did the BCM backup that Outlook Tasks reminds you of once a month.  Perhaps you can figure out that desired goal sufficiently with the Studio knowledge learned solely from this post and working knowledge of NTBackup or whatever else you are using.

BCM Mastery Series

1. Location, Location, Location
2. BCM for Outlook 2007 Database Tool overview (being written)
3. BCM for Outlook 2007 Database Tool Logging
4. SQL Management Studio for the BCM Database (being written)
5. SQL 2005 Express Advanced installation Walk Through (being written)

Where’s My Network Places in Vista!

Perhaps you like the adventure of following the mysterious Waldo or Carmen Santiago or whatever but Vista has introduced it’s own sleuthy puzzle I’ve yet to crack.

What happened to the concept of having a nifty UI that displays frequently needed top level network resources?  In Windows XP this was formerly known as “My Network Places” and leveraged the NetHood aka Network Neighborhood feature.  In Vista there is a thing called “Network Shortcuts” but it isn’t handy, isn’t auto-populated, and there is no provision to add any network shortcuts if you want to (other than a cut-n-paste or whatever from some other origination point).

Remember when you wanted to save a document to some network share or to a SharePoint document library how nice it was to just choose My Network Places and then the ultimate deposit destination was but a click or two away?  Oh those were the good days.

The new location isn’t easy to find unless you know to look for it and then it still isn’t easy.  This is nested underneath each user’s (& Default User) hidden AppData folder location.  Here’s the default path for reference and use in a Run  or Quick Search prompt.  You will see this only from within an Office application if you choose to Publish:

%systemdrive%\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Network Shortcuts

I’m trying to search for answers from the guru’s of Microsoft in the Office SharePoint forum but if you know the answer – please please please – share a comment.

 Here’s the next post on this subject which provides the quasi solution:

http://duitwithsbs.wordpress.com/2007/11/19/wheres-waldo-my-network-places-in-vista/

Microsoft Windows XP – Install and advertise a product with a transform using the command line

To install and advertise a product using a transform with the command line

1. Open Command Prompt

2.  From the command window, type msiexec package /j[u][m] /t transform list and then press ENTER.

Where:

j means to advertise a product. This option ignores any property values entered on the command line.

u means to advertise to the current user.

m means to advertise to all users of this computer.

t means to apply transform to advertised package.

package is the name of the Windows Installer package file.

Microsoft Windows XP – Install and advertise a product with a transform using the command line

Downgrade Rights Q&A – from Microsoft OEM Partner Center Web site

as copied today 10/23/2007

Q. What are downgrade rights and how would my customer benefit from downgrade rights?

A. Downgrade rights refer to the ability of your customers to acquire the most recent version of Microsoft software but continue to run a previous version until they are ready to upgrade. Downgrade rights are an end-user right and are documented in the product End-user license agreement.

Q. Where can I find out more information on downgrade rights?

A. Please visit http://oem.microsoft.com/downgrade for more information.

Q. Who can install the downgrade software or reinstall the original software?

A. A System Builder (when authorized by end user), or the end user. Because downgrade rights are an end user right granted in the end user license agreement (EULA), the end-user must first be able to accept the (EULA) associated with Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows XP Professional, Windows Server 2003 or Windows Small Business Server 2003 software, so this software must be installed first before the downgrade software is installed.

Q. Where do customers get the CD/media to install the Downgrade Software?

A. End users must use a legally licensed version of the specified previous version of the Windows desktop or server operating system to install the Downgrade Software. The Downgrade Software may be from the retail, OEM/System Builder, or volume licensing channels.

Q. Can end users use both the latest version and the downgrade software at the same time?

A. No. End users may only install and use one Microsoft operating system (either the downgrade software or the applicable Windows Vista Business, Vista Ultimate, Windows XP Professional, Windows Server 2003, or Windows Small Business Server software) at any given time.

Q. Can end users return to Windows Vista Business, Vista Ultimate, Windows XP Professional, Windows Server 2003, or Windows Small Business Server 2003 software after they downgrade?

A. Yes. End users who downgrade may reinstall the original software when they are ready to migrate. For example, an end user who downgrades to Windows XP Professional may later return to Windows Vista Business software provided that the end user deletes the Windows XP Professional software from the PC.

Q. How do end users reinstall the original software after downgrading to a previous allowed downgrade version?

A. End users must use the original System Builder media that was included with the PC or server for reinstallation. The Downgrade Software must be deleted from the hard drive before the original software is reinstalled.

Q. Does the Office 2003 or 2007 OEM license contain the downgrade rights to a previous version?

A. No, OEM System Builder licenses of Office do not contain downgrade rights. Currently, Windows Vista Business, Vista Ultimate, Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Tablet, Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition, Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition, and Small Business Server 2003 Premium Edition are the only OEM System Builder Licenses that contain downgrade rights.
Please see the Downgrade Rights Overview page for more information on downgrade rights.

Microsoft OEM Partner Center Web site

Vista Speech Recognition – Why not Office 2007? Doh!

This weekend I was trying to set up a microphone to initiate some verbal communication on an instant messenger when one thing led to another and I discovered a cool Vista feature I’ve heard about before. There is a very accurate and nifty Speech Recognition tool built into Vista – yes for those of you naysayers out there who say Vista offers nothing try saying this now . After going through the well done tutorial I set out to try out this to see what potential fun could be had. Also using voice commands is kind of an ego trip; I hope they come out with a virtual serfdom game sometime (that is a joke just in case you missed it).

I switched windows, minimized programs, closed some, and then opened a new game of Spider Solitaire. All of this worked great and then I was actually playing a game while have a drink sitting back with my feet up and using only the calories needed to move my facial muscles. The next version will need to use thought control to improve on this further …but I digress.

Anyway I finally got around to checking out its practical business use – dictation. This is where I ran into a wall with a big thud. You can dictate into WordPad and Notepad but I don’t normally construct documents in these rudimentary programs. Instead I opened Word 2007 and struggled to type a single word. After enough futility I did some investigation through the Office Online Help to discover that Office 2007 doesn’t support Speech Recognition. Doh!!!! What the? Is Microsoft awake at the helm on this one? Yes, Microsoft is awake; apparently I wasn’t.  Tonight after finding contrary information I tried again and it worked as desired.  Doh!  Here’s the MS info.

Compose documents by talking to your computer
The 2007 Microsoft Office system works with Windows Speech Recognition in the Windows Vista operating system, allowing you to navigate the User Interface, compose documents, open email and more without using a mouse or keyboard

What have your experiences been on this if any?