Fault in Wininet.dll

Yesterday I had a Windows XP client computer that generated a fault in Wininet.dll each time Internet Explorer 7 was started. And since IE seems to have hooks into a whole bunch of applications, those applications would error out as well. These included, Help and Support and Simply Accounting (seems that the .NET Framework was affected).

1. My first thought was to go back to an earlier restore point, but I couldn't because it would crash each time I opened Help and Support.
2. Next I created a new user and logged on as that user. this new user didn't experience the same issue, so I knew is was related to user settings rather than system settings.
3. Restored a restore point, but the original user issue was not resolved. However, now at least I could do some research by using IE and the new user account.
4. During research, I found a few articles talking about clearing cache with this issue. They were for older versions of Windows and IE, but I figured I'd give it a shot.
5. I was unable to clear the cache by using the Internet Options in Control Panel because it errored out. I was able to delete the files manually.
6. After the cache was cleared, all was good.

Desktop Support for the Server Guy

For the last number of years, I've been mostly a server guy. Lately due to changes in workload at the office I've been doing more desktop support as well. Most server guys I know do not like working on desktops. It is not because we think the work is beneath us, or even dislike interacting with users (for most of us anyway). The main reason server guys don't like working on desktops is the variability.

A server is a controlled environment. Most servers run a limited number of applications and the applications installed are known. In addition, there is a limited range of settings that are commonly configured. On a desktop computer, all options are open, because there is no telling what a user has done with their computer. This can be challenging for sure, and sometimes even intimidating when a problem occurs. Not to mention that the solutions sometimes are just crazy.

Yesterday, I was working on a desktop computer with multiple applications erroring out. The solution ended up being to clear the cache in IE. That's just plain weird.

When in Doubt, Reinstall

I think all of us with a technical orientation have a tendency to get too fancy on occassion instead of keeping it simple. This applies at a lot of levels, including design. Usually on each project I have at least one moment where I have to smack myself and get back to basics.

Yesterday I was troubleshooting a Java application that launches from a Web page, but is a stand-alone app when it runs. It was complaining that the server could not be contacted. Here was my process:

1. Verify only one computer is affected
2. Clear the java cache - no fix
3. Install latest Java update - no fix
4. Reboot computer just to be sure - no fix
5. Start monkeying with java settings - no fix
6. Try from a different user profile on the same computer - still broken
7. Install a packet sniffer to monitor traffic - no obvious errors

What was the fix? Easy. Uninstall all Java components and then download and install the latest Java. Wish I had tried that a bit earlier.

BES Calendaring Weirdness

This has only happened with one client. So, I'm not sure how widespread it is. However, based on Googling the issue, it seems to be pretty frequent.

Some users were getting a red X when attempting to reply to meeting requests. Also, some meetings were not being synchronized properly.

To resolve this issue we had to update the cdo.dll file on the BES server. The version on the Exchange server was relatively recent. The version on the BES server was several years old. Apparently it is a best practice for BES to use the most recent cdo.dll file from any of your Exchange servers.

The steps to resolve were:

1. Copy C:\program files\exchsrvr\bin\CDO.dll from Exchange server to BES server (same path.
2. Reregister the dll (regsvr32 cdo.dll)
3. Restart BES server (probably could just restart services, but why mess around)

Problem resolved.

Props to Shaw Cable for good service

My Internet service has been flakey for about the last week. So, yesterday I finally decided to try and get to the bottom of what was happening.

1. 2pm...Try an Internet speed test - results showed same upload and download speed of about 1Mbps. Hmmm. I should have about 10 Mbps download.
2. 2:05pm...Reboot router - No change.
3. 2:10pm...E-mail Shaw - They request results from internal speedtest at speedtest.shaw.ca. Hmmm. Only 500Kbps now.
4. 3:30pm...Restart cable modem - Ooops. Internet gone and not coming back.
5. 3:35....Call Shaw tech support- they check signal strength and it's low. Appointment schedule for next day (not bad for consumer level stuff).
6. 3:45....Start to panic about what to do with no Internet, but remember that e-mail still comes in on the Blackberry. Take a deep breath.
7. 4:00pm...Take laptop to the second floor to search for unsecured wireless. Find about 8 networks, but all secured. Phooey.
8. 4:30pm...Remember that I have splitter on the cable. Remove it and Internet comes back. Whoo Hooo.

When the Shaw guy got here today I explained about the splitter. He indicated that it was likely the cause, but wanted to test signals anyway.

After about an hour of him troubleshooting. It turns out that the line into the house from the street is bad. He's recommended replacing it, but they likely won't get to it for a few months. In the meantime, he put a booster on the Internet line and all it's good.

Total turn around 24hrs.

Common Blackberry and BES Issues

We have several clients using Blackberry devices and Blackberry Enterprise Servers (BES), which allow the Blackberry devices to integrate with Exchange mailboxes. I should also note that there is a version of BES called Professional edition (or something similar to that). The Professional edition is the same as BES, but is free and limited to 25 users. Where I live (Winnipeg, Canada) you get a free Professional licence with each Blackberry device.

The two most common issues we see:

• Device suddenly unable to send or receive email. We are seeing this on newer devices and seems to be a weird hardware/OS issue in the device. The only fix we have found for it is removing and replacing the battery. This forces a full reboot (no data lost). We have not been able to determine any specific circumstances that cause the issue.
• Device able to receive new messages, but not send. This occurs when the service account for the BES server does not have the correct permissions to the mailbox of the user. The fix for this one is to give the BES service account Send As permissions to the user. Again, this seems to be a somewhat random error. It happens to individual users sometimes and we've never found a source.

Windows Server 2008 Foundation

I thought I knew all the editions of Windows Server 2008. Apparently I missed the Foundation edition. I think it's relatively new. It is also available only through OEMs.

Here is the basic rundown of the Foundation edition features that make it different from Standard edition:

• Does not include Hyper-V
• Does not include server core
• Limited to 15 simultaneous user connections
• Separate licencing from CALs (may be cheaper)
• Lower cost
• Only available through OEMs

The Foundation edition can still be used for:

• Domain Controller
• Terminal Services (need the TS CALs, limited to 15 users still)
• Remote access
• Application server
• File and Print server

Looks like an interesting option for smaller environments that need a basic server and don't want to kick out the $ for a full server or SBS. I can think of one client right now who could use this.