Windows 8: Disable Remote Desktop Wallpaper

To disable desktop wallpaper in a Remote Desktop session to a Windows 8 Pro machine:

Open gpedit.msc
Expand Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components
Expand Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Remote Session Environment
Set Enforce Removal of Remote Desktop Wallpaper to enabled.

Avaya IP Office: Clear/Reset Avaya 1600 Series Handset

MUTE 25327# (CLEAR)

This feature clears all settings from the phone. In essence this is a total default of the phone to the most basic configuration. The system will confirm and verify the procedure before proceeding.
The phone will reboot and return in the same state as a new out of the box phone.

MUTE 73738# (RESET)

This feature is much like the above CLEAR. This option can either reboot the phone saving all programmed values, or reset all locally administered variables. The action is confirmed prior to proceeding. The phone will reboot, and return with all the variables if Reset Phone was selected.
If Reset Values was selected, the phone will reboot without an Extension or Password, IP Settings, or any other locally administered values.

To clear a handset while logged in as a user:

Press MUTE followed by 25327 followed by #
Clear all values? Press # to confirm
Are you sure? Press # to confirm
The phone will now reboot and begin startup
Enter the users extension when prompted and press # to confirm
Enter the users password when prompted and press # to confirm

To clear a handset during startup:

After powering on the handset, press * to program when prompted
Press # to proceed and accept current values at each stage
At the Enter Command prompt, press MUTE followed by 25327 followed by #
At the Clear all values? prompt, press # to confirm
At the Are you sure? prompt, press # to confirm
The phone will now reboot and begin startup
Enter the users extension when prompted and press # to confirm
Enter the users password when prompted and press # to confirm

Lenovo ThinkPad X220: Degraded Performance Without Battery

Lenovo ThinkPad X220 CPU-Z with battery removed:



Lenovo ThinkPad X220 CPU-Z with battery installed:

Note the Core Speed difference.

VMware ESXi 4.1: Startup & Shutdown Syslog File Entries

The first syslog file entry on boot is: vmklogger: Successfully daemonized.
The last syslog file entry on shutdown is: syslogd exiting

Windows: Terminate Tasks By Process Or Image Name

To terminate tasks from the command line open a command prompt and enter

taskkill /im cmd.exe
taskkill /pid 4048

/im specifies the image name
/pid specifies the process ID

VMware Workstation: Connect YubiKey

To connect a YubiKey to a VMware Workstation virtual machine:

Shutdown the virtual machine.
Edit the virtual machine .vmx file to include the following line: usb.generic.allowHID = "TRUE"
Start the virtual machine and connect the YubiKey.

iTunes: iTunes Has Stopped Working

iTunes 12 on Windows 7 crashes when synchronising applications with the error message:

iTunes has stopped working.

The following event is logged:

Faulting application name: iTunes.exe, version: 12.0.1.26, time stamp: 0x543e558b
Faulting module name: MSVCR100.dll, version: 10.0.40219.1, time stamp: 0x4d5f0c22
Exception code: 0xc0000417
Fault offset: 0x0008af3e
Faulting process id: 0x11ec
Faulting application start time: 0x01d01ad09d71f8f7
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunes.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\system32\MSVCR100.dll
Report Id: dadd4987-86c4-11e4-b0af-c44619e1242a

The issue can be caused by a UNC path being used instead of a drive letter.

\\fileserver\users\username\music\itunes\itunes media\mobile applications

The solution is to move the iTunes library to local or USB storage or open from a drive letter:

eg: Z:\username\music\itunes\itunes library.itl

Hold down shift when launching iTunes to choose a new library.

Check the file path of the applications by right clicking the application and selecting the File tab.

If a UNC path is still in use then delete the applications from within iTunes and then drag back into iTunes from the new file path.

Infor Query & Analysis (Q&A): Install Excel Add-in

To install for a user with administrative rights:

Start > All Programs > Infor Query & Analysis > Maintenance > OK > Configure Microsoft Office

To install for a standard user without admin rights:

Browse to C:\Program Files (x86)\Infor\Query and Analysis
Run ExcelAddinRemoveAdd.exe
Tick Microsoft Excel and then Apply


It may also be necessary to trust the ribbon.

Open an administrative command prompt and enter:

cd C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727

CasPol.exe -ag 1 -url "file://C:\Program Files (x86)\Infor\Query and Analysis\Infor.QAA.Ribbon.dll" FullTrust

Veeam 8.0: Reverse Incremental Job Error

Processing VM Error: The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.
Failed to open file [D:\xxx.vbk] in readonly mode. Agent failed to process method {Stg.IsObjectExist}.

To resolve, enable Parallel Processing in Options > I/O Control

http://helpcenter.veeam.com/backup/80/vsphere/options_parallel_processing.html

Robocopy: Mirror Two Directories

Robocopy command to mirror two directories:

robocopy "X:\Dir" "Y:\Dir" /B /E /COPYALL /DCOPY:T /R:1 /MIR /TEE /LOG:C:\Robocopy.log /NP

/B : Copy files in Backup mode.
/E : Copy subfolders, including empty subfolders.
/COPYALL : Copy all attributes.
/DCOPY:T : Copy directory timestamps.
/R:n : Number of retries.
/MIR : Mirror a directory tree (equivalent to /PURGE plus all subfolders /E) and updates directory security.
/TEE : Output to console window, as well as the log file.
/LOG : Output to log file.
/NP : No Progress - suppress % copied.