Monthly Archives: March 2010

EBS 2008 / SBS 2008 Remote Web Workplace

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I have been working recently with both Essential Business Server 2008 (EBS) and Small Business Server 2008 (SBS), both of these platforms include the excellent Remote web workplace (RWW). From here users can log in and get to their email/intranet/local computer. It is also possible to include a Terminal Server in this environment, or the new RDS as it is known in Windows server 2008 R2.

The major problem I have run into recently is clients running Windows 7, can not connect to a TS Server through RWW. What you see is a very helpful message about a licensing problem:

The Remote computer disconnected the session because of an error in the licensing protocol. Please try connecting to the remote computer again or contact your server administrator.

The Remote computer disconnected the session because of an error in the licensing protocol. Please try connecting to the remote computer again or contact your server administrator.

This is all great and well, but you will find that users of Windows XP can happily connect to your terminal server and there are no licensing errors.

This all points a problem with the client rather than the terminal server.

After some recent findings, there seem to be several things to try:

  • Start Internet Explorer by going to the start menu and choosing Run As Administrator.
  • Modifying the system registry.

If you use the Run As Administrator option above then you should find that you can connect with no problems. This has a small draw back for users on a domain, as you may not be allowed to run programs as an administrator because of local permissions and policies. If this is the case then you need to change the Registry.

You need to modify:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSLicensing

Set full access permissions for all users.

If you are using Windows 7 x64 then you also need to modify:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\MSLicensing

Set full access permissions for all users.

Windows Essential Business Server 2008 to be discontinued.

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If you haven’t yet heard, Microsoft have taken the desicion to discontinue the development of EBS.

As yet details are somewhat thin on the ground, however wait until June 2010 for further offers/information from Microsoft.

If you are a Software Assurance customer then things might not be so bad, as you should be offered the indpendant products in place of your EBS 2008 product.

Further details can be found at:

http://www.microsoft.com/ebs

Windows 7 Key Management Server (KMS)

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So you have the Enterprise version of Windows 7 itching to get installed on your network….

…How do you activate it?

Our systems were moved from Windows XP directly to Windows 7, so KMS is all brand new. Windows Vista Enterprise used the KMS activation style and will work with this solution.

So lets get down to it

Installing KMS

Step 1, Work out what kind of KMS key you have. This is quite important, on your License agreement it should give you an indication of the key type you have. The table below will show you which versions of Windows your key will activate.

Volume product group Windows products Key type Products activated by key type
Windows Vista Windows Vista BusinessWindows Vista Enterprise KMS Windows Vista BusinessWindows Vista Enterprise
Windows 7 Windows 7 ProfessionalWindows 7 Enterprise KMS Windows Vista BusinessWindows Vista Enterprise

Windows 7 Professional

Windows 7 Enterprise
Windows Server 2008 R2Server Group A: Windows Web Server® 2008 R2 Windows Server 2008 R2 HPC Edition

Windows HPC Server 2008 R2

 KMS_A Windows Server 2008 R2 Group A Windows Server 2008 Group A

Windows Vista Volume Editions

Windows 7 Volume Editions
Windows Server 2008 R2 Server Group B Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise KMS_B Windows Server 2008 R2 Group AWindows Server 2008 Group A

Windows Server 2008 R2 Group B

Windows Server 2008 Group B

Windows Vista Volume Editions

Windows 7 Volume Editions
Windows Server 2008 R2Server Group C Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-Based Systems KMS_C Windows Server 2008 R2 Group A Windows Server 2008 Group A

Windows Server 2008 R2 Group B

Windows Server 2008 Group B

Windows Server 2008 R2 Group C

Windows Server 2008 Group C

Windows Vista Volume Editions

Windows 7 Volume Editions

Now this is the obvious part, depending on the type of key you have either use it on your server or workstation.

Now the machine that has the KMS product key simply acts as a KMS server. Simple as that.

Now you have to wait until 25 workstations or 5 servers have connected to the KMS for activation before the server itself activates the KMS and in turn activates all your workstations.

One point to note, that if you use deployment services to roll out your workstations ensure that when you sysprep them that they regenerate all of their installation ids otherwise your KMS server will simply receive requests for activation from the same unique id. (suprising you will not reach you 25 machine limit if this is the case)

If you need change the unique activation number for a workstation because of the above error then you need to open a command prompt and type:

slmgr.vbs /rearm

Unable to open the Outlook window.

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Posts round here seem to be like buses…..nothing for ages, then 2 at once!!

If you get the wonderful error message:

Unable to open the Outlook window.

Then don’t worry, they is a knowledge base article all about it here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/252304

You may find that this is really use(less), and there want to try alternatives to your problem. I have found the most efficient way to get rid of this particular error is:

Start->run..then type the following -> “Outlook.exe /resetnavpane”

A far easier approach!

Blocked Microsoft Outlook Attachments

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Outlook is a strange beast, it decides on its own what it want to block. This has become an ever increasing problem for config files being sent to me via email.

However, there is an easy way to change it (if you don’t mind hacking the registry!)

Outlook 2007, Outlook 2003, Outlook 2002 and Outlook 2000 SP3 (but not Outlook 98 or earlier Outlook 2000 versions) allow the user to use a registry key to open up access to blocked attachments. (Always make a backup before editing the registry.) To use this key:

1.Run Regedit, and go to this key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Outlook\Security (change 10.0 to 9.0 for Outlook 2000 SP3 or to 11.0 for Outlook 2003, 12.0 for Outlook 2007 )

2.Under that key, add a new string value named Level1Remove.

3.For the value for Level1Remove, enter a semicolon-delimited list of file extensions. For example, entering this:

.mdb;.url

would unblock Microsoft Access files and Internet shortcuts. Note that the use of a leading dot was not previously required, however, new security patches may require it. If you are using  “mdb;url” format and extensions are blocked, add a dot to each extension. Note also that there is not a space between extensions.
If you are using this registry entry, a glance at Help | About Microsoft Outlook will show Security Mode: User Controlled above the license information. See OL2002 You Cannot Open Attachments for more information on this registry entry.

Now, if you are a little worried about using regedit, then you can always try out this little tool instead:

Attachment Options

http://www.slovaktech.com/attachmentoptions.htm