CTX: Configure Citrix XenApp6 using a Oracle database

The first step before the setup of XenApp 6 on the server is install the Oracle Client 32-bit on the server.

Download the file win32_11gR2_client.zip (Oracle Database 11g Release 2 Client for Microsoft Windows (32-bit)) available at

http://www.oracle.com/technology/software/products/database/oracle11g/112010_win32soft.html

Descompress the .zip file and run the Setup file.

Then run the XenApp setup and you will see the Oracle option is available.

Windows 8 Consumer Preview released!

This is the new face of Windows: Windows 8 and Metro GUI. Download (and install!) Windows 8 from http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/download



This is an screen shot of Build 8250. Pretty amazing!

MS: Determine which version of Office installed

How to determine which version of an Office 2010 product is installed
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2121559

How to determine which version of a 2007 Office product is installed
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928116

How to check the version of Office 2003 products
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/821549

How to check the version of Office XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/291331

How to determine the version of your Office 2000 program
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/255275

MS: Hyper-v R2 VM failed to start - Unable to allocate Ram: insufficient system resources - Error 0x800705AA

The Problem:

I have been running lot of VMs on the same Windows 2008 R2 server with Hyper-V role installed since November 2010. I updated server to SP1 a long time ago and keep server updated. No antivirus installed, because this is standalone training server. No Active Directory. Intel Core i7 with 6GB RAM.

On Thursday, I tried to start 4 VMs (usuallyI ran 5 to 7 simultaneous VMs) and when I tried VM #3 I got the following error:

MachineName failed to start
Unable to allocate xxx MB of Ram: insufficient system resources exist to complete the request service (0x800705AA)




So I spent last 4 days going through different tests:

• Remove video card driver.
• Disabled all software running on the server (this software was running before)
• Uninstall all software I can.
• Check online for similar issues.
• Modified the cached physical memory reservation (using the registry key), to increase free physical memory.
• Change memory assignment on VM to dynamic.
• Applied few hotfixes (KB983289 and KB979149)
• Check the event viewer for more info
• Verify I have enough space on all disk partitions
• Reinstall Hyper-V

Usually I ran for VMs ( 2 x 512MB of RAM + 2 x 768 RAM) and again I was doing this since November 2010.As you can see below there are plenty of memory available.

Solution:

After 4 days and running out of ideas I posted this issue on the Hyper-V forum and minutes later, Bob Comer a Microsoft MVP Virtual Machine posted that issue was caused by a Google application called GooglecrashHandler.exe

* Open Task Manager and found two process called GooglecrashHandler, killed them and using Autoruns I found they in Task Scheduler. Remove all entries.

* Delete directory D:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Update

* Delete the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\gupdate registry key

* Delete the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\gupdatem registry key

After that I was able to start all VMs. Thanks Bob!

Final Questions:

• So the first question is how a 64k crap process created by Google can cause a problem like this?
• Why this crap is installed on my system when I never installed any Google application?
• And why the damn applications is not show in the Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel?
• Why developers at Google are so BAD creating programs?
• And finally: this issue was caused because Google developers are really f****** i***** or this is intentional?
• Why this process is not considered a spyware or virus for antivirus companies?

MS: Script Get List .NET Framework version for list of computers

One of my colleague in the WIndows Operations team asked me to create a VBscript to get all .NET Framework Version installed on a list of servers (provided in a .txt file). I created the script using blocks so the team can reuse it for multiples tasks.

To use the script: Cscript NetFramework.vbs , where is the text file with a list of servers or machines.

'--- script start here--
On Error Resume Next

Const HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE = &H80000002
RegistryRoot= HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Dim NetF(10)
Dim Version(10)

NetF(1) = "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v1.1.4322"
Version(1) = "1.1"
NetF(2) = "Software\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v2.0.50727"
Version(2) = "2.0"
NetF(3) = "Software\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v3.0"
Version(3) = "3.0"
NetF(4) = "Software\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v3.5"
Version(4) = "3.5"
NetF(5) = "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v4\Client"
Version(5) = "4.0"
NetCount = 5

Set objArgs = WScript.Arguments
if objArgs.Count = 0 then
WScript.Echo "Command line parameters not specified"
WScript.Echo "Usage: Cscript NetFramework.vbs "
WScript.quit
end if
ServerList = trim(objArgs(0))
OutputFile = "NetF-Report.csv"

'Create Header
Header="ServerName"
For I=1 to NetCount
Header=Header & "," & Version(I)
Next

'Record loop for servers
Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set objInFile = objFSO.OpenTextFile(ServerList, 1)
Info=Header & vbcrlf & CSVLine
Do Until objInFile.AtEndOfStream
strLine = objInFile.ReadLine
strComputer = strLine
wscript.echo "Checking machine " & Ucase(strComputer)
Info = Info & GetServerInfo(strComputer) & vbcrlf & CSVLine
Loop

'delete existing report file
objFSO.DeleteFile(OutputFile)

'create new report file
Set objFile = objFSO.CreateTextFile(OutputFile)
objFile.Write Info
objFile.Close

'*********************
'** Get Server Info **
'*********************
function GetServerInfo(ServerName)
Result=ServerName
if Ping(ServerName)=True then
For I=1 to NetCount
if ReadReg(ServerName, RegistryRoot, NetF(I), "Install")=True then
SPVersion=ReadRegValue(ServerName, RegistryRoot, NetF(I), "SP")
if SPVersion>0 then
Result=Result & ",SP" & SPVersion
else
Result=Result & ",NO SP"
end if
else
Result=Result & ",No"
end if
Next
else
Result = Result & ",N/A"
end if
GetServerInfo = Result
end function

'*******************
'** Read Registry **
'*******************
Function ReadReg(strComputer, RegistryRoot, strKeyPath, strValueName)
Set objRegistry = GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & strComputer & "\root\default:StdRegProv")
objRegistry.GetDWordValue RegistryRoot,strKeyPath,strValueName,strValue
If IsNull(strValue) Then
ReadReg = False
Else
ReadReg = True
End If
End Function

'*************************
'** Read Registry Value **
'*************************
Function ReadRegValue(strComputer, RegistryRoot, strKeyPath, strValueName)
Set objRegistry = GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & strComputer & "\root\default:StdRegProv")
objRegistry.GetDWordValue RegistryRoot,strKeyPath,strValueName,strValue
ReadRegValue = strValue
End Function

'******************
'** Ping Machine **
'******************
Function Ping(strHost)
Dim objPing, objRetStatus
Set objPing = GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}").ExecQuery _
("select * from Win32_PingStatus where address = '" & strHost & "'")

for each objRetStatus in objPing
if IsNull(objRetStatus.StatusCode) or objRetStatus.StatusCode<>0 then
Ping = False
else
Ping = True
end if
next
End Function