Boot INI Options Reference

Was researching the 3GB switch that could be used in the boot.ini file to extend Windows 2003 to more fully utilize memory when more than 3GB exists (think pre x64 days) – This is not recommended to be used with SBS and the SBS BPA will call your attention to this as is the case with why I did this research.

Overall this is a handy guide for many switch options.

Mark Russinovich

Published: November 1, 2006

Introduction

There are number of BOOT.INI switches that are useful for driver developers that wish to test their drivers under a variety of different system configurations without having to have a separate machine for every one. For example, limiting the amount of memory NT sees can be useful for stressing memory loads, and limiting the number of processors for testing scalability. I’ve compiled a complete list of the options that BOOT.INI currently supports. This list is reproduced in the Startup, Shutdown and Crashes chapter of Windows Internals, where you’ll find more information about the boot process.

Note: to see what options a system has booted with examine HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\SystemStartOptions.

Boot INI Options Reference

XP, Windows 2003, Office 2003 ‘End of Life” Only Days Away! – What does this mean?

Kudos to Eric Ligman, aka The Man, for coming through with a very proactively timed post on what this means that XP is at “End of Life”.  It sounds scary but in reality you might see that there is still more breath to the XP & Windows 2003 OS, as well as, Office 2003.  That’s a good thing since a lot of businesses are still using these products!

Microsoft SMB Community Blog:

How to know when support ends or changes for your Microsoft product

 

There was just a question floating around about when Mainstream and Extended support phases for Microsoft products ended, based on the fact that three of our products (Windows XP, Office 2003, and Exchange Server 2003) all make this shift from Mainstream to Extended support next week on the 14^th, and how would you know. I thought I would share with everyone here in the Community so you all know.

First, let’s start with what the differences are between Mainstream support and Extended support phases. Here is a quick chart to show you what is and is not included inside each of these phases  …more <link below to full article>

Microsoft SMB Community Blog : How to know when support ends or changes for your Microsoft product

Download details: File Server Migration Toolkit

Speaking of data migration (see last post) here’s a really clever way to exploit newer technologies to move massive file server data.  This provided a couple years back by Jeremy Moskowitz of Group Policy MVP fame – the guy from GPanswers.com who’s developed the clever PolicyPak tools for Server 2008 era OS’s.

Microsoft File Server Migration Toolkit 1.1

Brief Description

The wizards in the File Server Migration Toolkit use Distributed File System (DFS) to maintain Universal Naming Convention (UNC) paths and to simplify the consolidation and migration process

KB Link and Download details: File Server Migration Toolkit

Historical Post Series – Auto-eject Script and Email Alert for SBS 2003 Tape Backup

The Historical Post Series are writings I produced in my former blog on Live Spaces and due their value are being reposted here.  Hope you enjoy these.

auto-eject script and email alert for SBS tape backup

originally posted October 2006

I created a folder C:batch then inside it a 5633.vbs file with the following contents:

‘begin code
On Error Resume Next
Set objShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
strCommand = "rsm eject /LGA2A90879A1994371BDE6D8713FF2061C /astart"
Set objWshScriptExec = objShell.Exec(strCommand)
Set objMessage = CreateObject("CDO.Message")
objMessage.Subject = "SBS Backup – Completed Successfully"
objMessage.From = "administrator@sourcedomain.com"
objMessage.To = "me@mainaddy.com"
objMessage.Cc = "metoo@altaddy.net"
objMessage.TextBody = "SBS Backup Succeeded"
objMessage.Send
‘end code

This VBS script uses both the RSM command which you can explore for more information on the switch options.  Initially I tried using various switches and ended up having to learn how to identify and then use the GUID of the Library used.  The GUID in red is unique to this library and you would of course have to modify this to suit your specific situation whether a library, drive, …etc.

The next step uses this script using the "eventtriggers" command.  Under the context of what I’ve created above you would then on one line at a command prompt enter the following exactly:

eventtriggers /create /tr SBSBackupSuccess /eid 5633 /t INFORMATION /tk "c:batch5633.vbs" /ru "System"

Event 5633 is for a successful backup and complements event 5634 for a failed backup.  SBS has a built in alert for event 5634 but no provision for a successful backup.

Go into the Health and Monitoring Console and see how this has been added and how this now works.  It will intuitively explain a lot of what the SBS alert wizard sets up and how to go outside that box.

**Credit and much thanks given to Bob Haley and Marina Roos for their large contributions.**

SBS 2003 – RWW – Finding and Fixing Failed Redirected Printers

Terminal Server Printer Redirection Wizard Tool

Brief Description

This tool will help resolve Terminal Server Printer Redirection errors by scanning the event log of a Terminal Server to create a custom mapping file for administrators.

Quick Details

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=9AD27BE9-40DB-484F-862E-38A094EEEAF7&displaylang=en

File Name:
TSPDRW_Package.exe

Version:
1.0.80

Knowledge Base (KB) Articles:
KB239088

Overview

The Terminal Server Printer Driver Redirection Wizard will help you troubleshoot and replace print drivers that were unsuccessfully redirected. This tool automates the process found in the Microsoft Knowledge Base article KB239088 entitled “Windows 2000 Terminal Services Server Logs Events 1111, 1105, and 1006”

This tool will scan a server’s System Event Log and detect all events with Event ID 1111 and Source ‘TermServDevices.’ The tool will then scan the server’s registry for installed Version 3 MINI drivers, and prompt you to substitute an installed Version 3 MINI driver for each of the printers that failed printer redirection. Any changes will be written to a file named NTPrintSubs.inf which is where custom redirected printer mappings are stored.

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note that this tool will eventually ask for drivers for the printers it discovers weren’t properly redirected .  So be prepared first to run it as a method to catalog what you need to go get and then re-run it to install whatever drivers you’ve gotten and uploaded to some local directory or network share in relation to the server

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