Remote Mount Directories using SSH

Now that I've moved over to using Linux as my primary client OS I decided it was time to remotely mount my NSLU2 (using Unslung) using SSH instead of messing with the Samba shares. It seems that there is a package for doing that on Ubuntu called sshfs, see this post on Debian Administration for more information.

One recommendation would be to try the sshfs package instead as I didn't require the module installation as discussed in the above post. In my case the build failed at which point just install sshfs worked 1st time, no other issues.

Command Line Reference - Windows Admin Tools

Have you ever wanted to launch a Windows utility from the command line (or make a shortcut but weren't sure what the utility was called. Here is a handy reference shamelessly copied from here in the event, as always, the link becomes unavailable.

AD Domains and Trusts
domain.msc

Active Directory Management
admgmt.msc

AD Sites and Serrvices
dssite.msc

AD Users and COmputers
dsa.msc

ADSI Edit
adsiedit.msc

Authorization manager
azman.msc

Certification Authority Management
certsrv.msc

Certificate Templates
certtmpl.msc

Cluster Administrator
cluadmin.exe

Computer Management
compmgmt.msc

Component Services
comexp.msc

Configure Your Server
cys.exe

Device Manager
devmgmt.msc

DHCP Managment
dhcpmgmt.msc

Disk Defragmenter
dfrg.msc

Disk Manager
diskmgmt.msc

Distributed File System
dfsgui.msc

DNS Managment
dnsmgmt.msc

Event Viewer
eventvwr.msc

Indexing Service Management
ciadv.msc

IP Address Manage
ipaddrmgmt.msc

Licensing Manager
llsmgr.exe

Local Certificates Management
certmgr.msc

Local Group Policy Editor
gpedit.msc

Local Security Settings Manager
secpol.msc

Local Users and Groups Manager
lusrmgr.msc

Network Load balancing
nlbmgr.exe

Performance Montior
perfmon.msc

PKI Viewer
pkiview.msc

Public Key Managment
pkmgmt.msc

QoS Control Management
acssnap.msc

Remote Desktops
tsmmc.msc

Remote Storage Administration
rsadmin.msc

Removable Storage
ntmsmgr.msc

Removalbe Storage Operator Requests
ntmsoprq.msc

Routing and Remote Access Manager
rrasmgmt.msc

Resultant Set of Policy
rsop.msc

Schema management
schmmgmt.msc

Services Management
services.msc

Shared Folders
fsmgmt.msc

SID Security Migration
sidwalk.msc

Telephony Management
tapimgmt.msc

Terminal Server Configuration
tscc.msc

Terminal Server Licensing
licmgr.exe

Terminal Server Manager
tsadmin.exe

UDDI Services Managment
uddi.msc

Windows Mangement Instumentation
wmimgmt.msc

WINS Server manager
winsmgmt.msc

Remote Desktop Connection 6 - Remember/Save Domain Name

After months of dealing with an irritating behavior with RDP 6 not saving my domain I think I've got it to work correctly now. To give a brief background I have a laptop at home that is on a workgroup however I VPN into a client where I using RDP client to connection to Terminal Services running on different servers. The client has a couple different domains but the *.rdp files were not saving my domain settings. It would default to the MachineName(or IP)\MyCorporateUserAccount instead of the Domain name I had entered.

Here is an example file:

screen mode id:i:2
desktopwidth:i:1280
desktopheight:i:1024
session bpp:i:16
winposstr:s:0,1,286,0,1280,600
full address:s:192.168.1.###
compression:i:1
keyboardhook:i:1
audiomode:i:0
redirectdrives:i:0
redirectprinters:i:0
redirectcomports:i:0
redirectsmartcards:i:0
displayconnectionbar:i:1
autoreconnection enabled:i:0
username:s:MyCorporateUserAccount
alternate shell:s:
shell working directory:s:
disable wallpaper:i:1
disable full window drag:i:1
disable menu anims:i:1
disable themes:i:1
disable cursor setting:i:0
bitmapcachepersistenable:i:1
redirectclipboard:i:1
redirectposdevices:i:0
drivestoredirect:s:
authentication level:i:0
prompt for credentials:i:0
negotiate security layer:i:1
remoteapplicationmode:i:0
allow desktop composition:i:0
allow font smoothing:i:0
gatewayhostname:s:
gatewayusagemethod:i:0
gatewaycredentialssource:i:4
gatewayprofileusagemethod:i:0


Tried adding the older domain:s:MyDomainName item to the file as well as changing the username:s: item to MyDomainName\MyCorporateUserAccount and just for grins MyDomainName\MyCorporateUserAccount. All of them didn't seem to work then I stumbled across a MSDN blog entry related to Vista which gave me an idea.

How about modifying the username item to look like the following, username:s:MyCorporateUserAccount@MyDomainName. Now we're in business without having to always changing the domain from the machine name to the correct AD domain.

Just in case you haven't installed Remote Desktop Connection (Terminal Services Client 6.0) for Windows XP (KB925876), enjoy.

Fix Most Common Windows Problems

Located this handy, dandy utility when doing some other research.

Dial-a-fix is an advanced utility for 32-bit versions of Microsoft Windows written by DjLizard in Borland Delphi 7 that repairs various Windows problems, such
* Windows Update errors and problems with Automatic Updates
* SSL, HTTPS, and Cryptography service (signing/verification) issues
* COM/ActiveX object errors and missing registry entries
* and more.

Dial-a-fix (hereafter known as "DAF") is a collection of known fixes gleaned from Microsoft Knowledgebase articles, Microsoft MVPs, and other important support forums, that will assist you in repairing problems with your system. Although this tool is ordinarily meant for power users, technicians, and administrators, it is quite safe to use even without technical guidance (although guidance is recommended). Simply choose the solutions you wish to apply via checkmarks, and click GO. There are other buttons and tools present on the main dialog as well, such as the policy scanner. All tools and checkmarks identify their purpose when you mouse over them.

The full list is here.

Air Travel and Laptop Confiscation

If you do much air travel and take a laptop with you when traveling you need to keep the following information in mind. The below quote is from some of my periodic financial reading entitled What We Now Know by Casey Research with this particular item coming from the December 26, 2006 issue.

Do you own a laptop computer? Do you routinely travel with it?

If so, you might want to consider taking a few precautions, because evidence is mounting that federal officials are legally (and, so they say, “randomly”) opening a growing number of laptops owned by passengers returning to the U.S. And perusing their contents.

The vast majority of travelers don’t realize that customs agents have the legal authority to do this. Computers may also be seized and held indefinitely, without the agents having to obtain probable cause that a crime has been committed. Victims of seizures have no right to know why they’ve been targeted.

I'm not quoting the entire article because I believe you should read it yourself in the WWNK archives.

Nikola Tesla - Obscure Genius

This is semi-related to computers (electricity) but it was such an amazing discovered that I had to post it here. For background I was doing some research on electrical stuff and stumbled across information about Mr. Tesla [deceased]. The more I read the more I realize that he is probably one of the most intelligent, if not the most, men ever to live. The history books just don't give this man enough credit. Here are a few of his inventions: alternative current (AC in your house), a telephone repeater, rotating magnetic field principle, polyphase alternating-current system, induction motor, alternating-current power transmission, Tesla coil transformer, wireless communication, radio, fluorescent lights. He also holds more than 700 other patents, the list is just amazing when you put it in the perspective of what we use today.

Mr. Tesla is responsible for so many things we take for granted today: electricity distribution, electrical power plants, power generation, on and on. His goal was to bring free electricity to everyone however we all know that bringing the electricity cost to zero is not what some would like.

Here's a website to get you started but I'd encourage you to spend a night or two learning about him, I'm humbled at the man's genius.

Spyware 'Protector' that is Spyware [Spyware Sheriff]

For those of you who install and buy things without checking with some semi-computer professional let me put out this warning. When speaking with a customer that I've helped with some website work and not with his PC work be warned. Spyware Sheriff (a.k.a. Spy Sheriff) is spyware and will push you into so much fear that you'll buy the full product.

All I can say is be afraid, be very afraid and read some of the following links.
Remove Spy Sheriff
How to remove Spyware Sheriff and Antispylab

and if that isn't enough for you here are a few predefined google searches for you.
Spy Sheriff is spyware
Spyware Sheriff infected PC