Domain Name Transfer Tip

Before you try to transfer a domain check the Whois to check on the Administrative email address.  Make sure someone can check the email before you intiate the transfer.  Most sites limit the frequency that you can request a transfer.

Network Solutions took my domain name

I was using Network Solutions to search for available domains.  One day I found one then went to purchase it on Godaddy.  I went to buy it and Godaddy said it was taken.  I did a Whois check and it said it was reserved by Network Solutions.  So my options were to buy from Network Solutions or wait out Network Solutions courtesy hold.  I now do my domain name searches on www.instantdomainsearch.com

Disable DEP

DEP (Data Execution Prevention) keeps closing services I need and I don't believe it is coming from a virus so I am disabling it.  This is how to do it:

To configure DEP to switch to the AlwaysOn policy by using the Boot.ini file, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Advanced tab, and then click Settings under the Startup and Recovery field.
3. In the System startup field, click Edit. The Boot.ini file opens in Notepad.
4. In Notepad, click Find on the Edit menu.
5. In the Find what box, type /noexecute, and then click Find Next.
6. In the Find dialog box, click Cancel.
7. Replace policy_level with AlwaysOff.
   
   WARNING Make sure that you enter the text accurately. The Boot.ini file switch should now read:
   /noexecute=AlwaysOff
8. In Notepad, click Save on the File menu.
9. Click OK two times.
10. Restart the computer.

The 4 options for /noexecute are: OptIn, OptOut, AlwaysOn, AlwaysOff

Easy way to get to Boot.ini

Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.

Click the Advanced tab, and then click Settings under the Startup and Recoveryfield.

In the System startup field, click Edit. The Boot.ini file opens in Notepad.

LoadPerf 3011 and 3012 Errors

Going through the Event Viewer on my Windows Server 2003 Server and noticed I was getting errors 3011 and 3012 on LoadPerf.  It said the registry counters were corrupt.  So I did 2 things.  I set Wmi Performance Adapter to start automatically and ran this:

To rebuild all Performance counters including extensible and third party counters in Windows Server 2003, type the following commands at a command prompt. Press ENTER after each command.
cd \windows\system32
lodctr /R (Note /R is uppercase)

Found @ http://www.eventid.net/display.asp?eventid=3012&eventno=1160&source=LoadPerf&phase=1

Upgrade Window XP Home to Pro

I needed to connect my Windows Home computer to the domain but I couldn't because it is Home.  So I was looking up what it would cost to upgrade and found this and it Worked, which was suprising and cool.  Only down side is that it still won't allow Remote Desktop.

To convert and upgrade Windows XP Home to Windows XP Professional, follow procedure below.

1. Open Registry Editor (regedit).
2. Navigate toHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/ControlSet00X/Control/ProductOptions, where ControlSet00X is the one with the highest number.
3. Delete the ProductSuite registry key.
4. Then, create a new DWORD value and named it as Brand.
5. Set the “Brand” value data as 0.
6. Reboot the system.
7. On boot up after the BIOS screen, press F8 to display Windows XP Startup Menu.
8. Choose Last Known Good Configuration (LNG) and hit Enter.

Windows XP will start up as usual. After logging into the desktop, check the system properties to verify that it’s now Windows XP Professional.

Found it @ http://www.mydigitallife.info/2008/06/13/convert-and-upgrade-windows-xp-home-to-professional-without-reinstalling/

Additional Money on a loan

Monthly payments go up on mortgages by $8-10 per month per $1000 added on to the loan.  So remember if you want to get extra money on your loan to buy a TV for $1000 it will cost you $3000 in the long-run

Domain Troubles

I was messing with Group Policies on a new domain I was making and nothing seemed to work.  I found that if I set the client computer's DNS server to the IP address of the domain controller then all the Group Policies took effect and it logged in much faster.

Windows XP Activation Loop

My computer was messing up so I formatted it.  No big deal.  Go through the normal install stuff and before it lets me login it says I have to Activate.  Weird, but ok.  It says do it online or over the phone.  I try online.  It says it can't find a connection.  I go to try to do it on the phone but the is no key to read to the phone service.  So I Google it and find that it needs a netcard to be installed in order to produce a key to call it in.  So I install a card in Safe Mode, since I can't get pass the Activation.  I reboot and a key has appeared.  I call and do the whole thing it is now activated.  So I click to login and it says I have to Activate.  I try online and it says you are already Activated.  So I'm stuck.  

It turns out that I was installing with a Windows XP SP2 disk but putting in a SP3 key.  Once I reinstalled with a SP3 disk everything went fine.