GTwannabe

XP SP2 if you use wireless; wireless support in 2000 is clunky at best. W2k is NT 5.0 and XP is NT 5.1; just turn off the Fischer Price desktop and switch to Windows Classic mode and you'll forget you're even using XP. XP features System Restore, which is very useful for recovering from driver installs gone bad that would permanently BSOD/hang-on-boot a W2k box. As far as SP2 causing problems, it doesn't unless: 1. Your machine is infected with Spyware/Mal-ware/Viruses 2. You don't know how to work the Windows Firewall, which is turned on by default in SP2.

You need to open the VPN ports on your server. 50-51, and 1723.

The access points need to be on different channels and use unique SSIDs. Connect to each access point once from each wireless client. Windows will add the AP's to its Preferred Wireless Networks list and automatically select the strongest signal available.

MS Windows activation is garbage... I refuse to jump through Microsofts little hoops after purchasing their product. Download an XP key changer and use that to "activate" windows with a key you own.

I'm trying to write a script to automatically add a printer to client XP machines. This script works: rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /if /b "Test Printer" /f \\XXX.XX.XXX.XX\download\4600driver\hp4600p6.inf /r "lpt1:" /m "HP Color LaserJet 4600 PCL 6" /Z But I want to change the port from "lpt1:" to an IP address. Anyone know the syntax to do this? I've tried "IP_XXX.XX.XXX.XX", but I get a "the arguments are invalid" error after Windows starts copying files and the printer does not show up in the printers folder.

There is a reason for the IP address in the path to the printer (at least for my organization) My script was written mostly for visiting scientists who use the network, but do not log onto the domain. As such, sometimes non-domain Windows clients get pissy about resolving the server's name (05ies) Mapping to the IP address\share just makes things easier in that respect.

Yes and no... I fought with this for a long time, but I got it to work. I bundled all the scripts into an EXE that can be placed in a user's Run at First/Next Logon or installed manually. This script will map a shared printer to a virtual network port: ********************************************************** @echo off NET USE LPT3: /DELETE NET USE LPT3: "\\XXX.XX.XXX.XX\PSB Color Laser Printer" PrintOnlysPassword /user:YourDomain.local\printonly /PERSISTENT:YES MKDIR "C:\documents and settings\all users\start menu\Programs\Startup" COPY mapLPT3.bat "C:\documents and settings\all users\start menu\Programs\Startup" rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /if /b "IES Color Laser Printer" /f \\XXX.XX.XXX.X\download\4600driver\hp4600p6.inf /r "lpt3:" /m "HP Color LaserJet 4600 PCL 6" /Z *********************************************************** Then the mapLPT3.bat file that restores the printer port mapping on reboot: ****************************************************** @ECHO OFF NET USE LPT3: /DELETE NET USE LPT3: "\\XXX.XX.XXX.X\PSB Color Laser Printer" PrintOnlysPassword /user:YourDomain.local\printonly /PERSISTENT:YES ****************************************************** I had to map to a share instead of an IP port, because Windows will not let you map an IP port that does not already exist on the system. Since you have to map to a share, you need to use a valid domain account to authenticate against the share. It has some problems though: 1. Unsecured domain account and pwd floating around - anyone who digs out the userID and pwd from the files will be able to log in as a user at any workstation on the domain. I packaged the files into self-extracting .EXE's so that it won't be obvious to most users. I tried for weeks to set Active Directory so that it will "Deny Interactive Logon" for the printonly account/security group/OU, but it had no effect no matter what I did. 2. Only works with English installs of Windows. 3. Not backwards compatible with 98 clients. Don't know if this will help, but it might give you some ideas.

I wrote a script to automatically install network printers on client machines. The intended clients will not be logging into the domain, so I need to specify a domain account and password to allow them to map to the printer share. I created a user "printonly", which I only need to authenticate users so they can reach the share. However, I do not want the "printonly" account to be able to interactively logon to desktops (effictively bypassing security if someone digs the username/pwd out of the install .EXE) There doesn't seem to be a simple way to do this in Windows Server 2003. 2000 had an option called "deny local logon"; this is what I want to accomplish. However, all the options I tried to restrict printonly's local logon ability have also affected its ability to access the printer share. How do I disable this account's ability to logon locally without also knocking out the printer share login?

*Duplicate Post* Ok, I'll try that.

I've set "Deny Logon Locally" in the Group Policy Object Editor. Didn't make any difference; the printonly account was still able to interactively login at a desktop. I also created an OU called "Restricted Users" and put the printonly account in there. I edited the policy for the new OU as well, but it's still not preventing printonly from logging onto desktops.

Where is "Computer Config"? I'm not seeing it. I have tried setting permissions in both "Domain Controller Security Policy" and "Domain Security Policy"; neither have any effect on printonly's ability to interactively login at a desktop machine. This one's got me puzzled...

I tried to deny all the logons except Batch for printonly, but it seems to make no difference. Sometimes active directory is sluggish about making those account updates, so I'll leave the changes and see if it kicks in later.

I'm attempting to write a script to install a networked printer remotely on XP machines. This works: rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /if /b "Test Printer" /f \\XXX.XX.XXX.XX\download\4600driver\hp4600p6.inf /r "lpt1:" /m "HP Color LaserJet 4600 PCL 6" /Z But I want to change the port from "lpt1:" to an IP address for IP printing. However, when I change it to "IP_XXX.XX.XXX.XX", I receive a "The arguments are invalid" error message after Windows copies files and no printers are added to the printers folder. Any idea what the correct syntax is to change the port to an IP address?

On one of my work computers running Win98SE, Windows Media Player corrupted itself. I try to uninstall it, but the uninstaller crashes every time (nice job Gates). Re-installation does not fix the problem. Is there any way to completely remove this program without using the uninstaller?

Some CD drives react badly to certain types of copy protection. Try the disc in another drive.

I've got a server running WinXP splitting a modem connection at home. Currently, 3 PC's near the server are plugged into a hub. Everything works fine, but I want to connect my computer to the network. Problem is that my room's at the far corner of the house. There's no easy way to run CAT5 from the den to my room. Any way to rig up an inexpensive wireless connection between my desktop and the ethernet hub?

That pattern you speak of is highly visible in the Thief series. Fugly Nvidia 16-bit color...

The company I work for has a site license for Office 2000. My department does quite a few office installs/reinstalls. The copies of office I burn don't last very long because they get scratched to all hell. I have our corporate serial number memorized, but it's a pain for the other guys to type it in every single time they install. Is there a way to make our serial key automatically fill in the fields when the installer starts up?

You need to install the official Audigy CD immediately after a fresh Windows install. Reboot, then install the Audigy update. When that's done, don't frig with it anymore! That's the only way to reliably get the Audigy drivers/software to install and actually work correctly. Also UT2003 needs an OpenAL driver installed to run correctly.

You can get spyware free editions of software like Kazaa. I'm using one such copy, but it's in German I'm a little rusty with the longer words, but I use it successfully. Running Ad-aware once a week is probably your best bet on staying spyware free.

If you've got another computer networked to yours, try moving known good compressed files back and forth. Then extract and see if they still work.

A friend of mine had problems with large downloads being corrupted; turned out to be his ethernet card going bad.

I need to run some CAT5 to network the house. Where could I buy a kit of crimp your own connector CAT5 cable? Don't need a ton of it, just a hundred feet or so.

My mom's hard drive crashed; I've recovered most of the data on the drive, including the Office 2000 install directory. I'm going to put an O/S on a good hard drive, then transfer the files over. Anything special I need to do to get her Outlook data back?

Seems to be a common problem among Maxtors. My 30 gig used to do that when I was using it as my primary hard drive. It also developed the problem of randomly hanging up w/ the hard drive dead, LED lit, while W2k was loading taskbar items. Got so bad that I bought a 120 gig WD drive and slaved in the 30 as a scratch disk. Haven't had any problems w/ the Maxtor since (which is unfortunate, since I'd like to get it replaced) I believe it might be a problem w/ the thermal calibration sensor that manifests itself when the drive is cold. I've got the 120 and the 30 stacked on top of each other now, so the Maxtor stays nice and toasty