Peder Borg Borup

Just a quick note to let you guys out there know, that there are some problems installing the latest version (5.0.01.0600) on Windows Vista non-english versions.

The problem, as described in the error-box by cisco is:

Error 1609. An error occurred while applying security settings. Users is not a valid user or group.

It seems, that Cisco want a local Users group. However, it seems to be a somewhat common problem: http://www.google.dk/search?sourceid=navclient&hl=en-GB&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLJ_en-GBDK232DK232&q=Error+1609%2e+An+error+occurred+while+applying+security+settings%2e+Users+is+not+a+valid+user+or+group%2e

Cisco has however released a MST-file that should enable installation on localized version of Windows Vista. If you’re unable of getting that, this fix should be able to get you up and running: http://ciscoforum.dk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=148&PN=1

It seems, that a new version of the Cisco VPN Client has been released. The version is now 5.0.0.0340.

Copy from the readme.txt:

Revisions:
Release 5.0.00.0340.

Files:
vpnclient-win-msi-5.0.00.0340-k9.exe – Windows 2000, XP and Vista – 32bit only.
vpnclient-win-is-5.0.00.0340-k9.exe – Windows 2000 and XP – 32bit only.
update-5.0.00.0340-major-k9.zip – 32bit only.

Advisory:
The Cisco VPN Client for Windows Vista does NOT support the following:

* System upgraded from Windows XP to Vista (clean OS installation required).
* Start Before Logon
* SmartCard Authentication
* Integrated Firewall
* InstallShield
* 64bit support
* AutoUpdate
* Translated Online Help – Provided only in English

I have tested this version. Just remember to download and install the MSI-version for Windows Vista (since the .exe does’nt work). When I’m connected through one ISP/LAN it actually works. However if I switch to another ISP (which is actually connected through two routers) it fails. Don’t know if the reason is the routers, or I have to look into my VPN 3005 Conentrator. Anyone seen anything alike?

However, I just read along in the readme (I must admit, that i seldom read these readme-files):

Workarounds for Vista:
Error 412: The remote peer is no longer responding
Upgrade local NAT device’s firmware
If this is not possible, switch to TCP
If this is not possible, use the following keyword in connection profile (*.pcf):UseLegacyIKEPort=1

CAVEAT: If you are using Domain Isolation customer will not be able to use the UseLegacyIKEPort
keyword as this conflicts with Microsoft’s domain isolation.

In the readme, there is also:

Error 442: Failed to enable virtual adapter
Open Network and Sharing Center
Open Network Connection Manager
Enable the virtual adapter (“Cisco VPN Adapter”)
Right-click on it and select “Diagnose”
Select “Fix…”

If this doesn’t work
Run the following from ‘cmd’:
reg add HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters /v ArpRetryCount /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
Reboot

NOTE: If customer has UAC enabled, s/he must run ‘cmd’ as administrator.

Error 1721 (At install time.)
Client does not support 64bit.

It seems, that Cisco has released a new version of there VPN-client, which should be able to run on Windows Vista.

I have however, not had the best of luck with the beta version of this version. It seems, that sometimes it’s actually able to connect, but at other times it does’nt really get a connection to my VPN Concentrator. I find this a bit strange.

I don’t really know, if it’s “legal” to post the new client as a free download – and, it’s actually available from the Cisco download site, which I think just requires you to download. If you have trouble getting the new beta version – don’t hesitate to contact me.

But, I’ll be testing this new RC version soon.

The new beta-version is: beta-rc-5.0.00.0320

As many before has written, Hamad Darwish has released some great photes which could have made it into Windows Vista.

The photos can be seen and downloaded at this address: http://www.hamaddarwish.com/

If you wan’t some of the Vista wallpapers, they can be downloaded here: http://labnol.blogspot.com/2006/11/download-windows-vista-wallpapers.html

It’s great to have a default search-provider in my Internet Explorer 7 – which in my case is Google.

However – I’ve been irritated that it primarily searches using Google UK and for sites in english – I wanted it to use the Google Denmark and to search for sites in danish.

The way to change it is:

1. Open your registry editor (make sure you have a working backup)
2. Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\
3. In this key you have different ID-keys for each search provider, and you just have to change the one specific to your requests.

My google searcher now looks like:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{B9B98F56-AB44-4C03-87E8-078BAB8ABA16}]
“DisplayName”=”Google”
“URL”=http://www.google.dk/search?hl=da&q={searchTerms}&meta=

I must admit, that I’m not that good at actually doing real backups. I never do a ghost of my laptop because I know, that just to hours after my ghost, I’ll either do an update, or install some software.

The solution for me has been Mirror.exe from Dominik Jain.

Mirror makes exact copies of directories (or entire directory structures) with minimal operations, which is ideal for backing up data on DVD-RWs or over a network, for example. It will overwrite existing files only if necessary and delete files in the destination that are no longer present in the source (unidirectional synchronization). Mirror can ignore files that match regular expressions or file masks.

Snip from the homepage of Dominik Jain, which can be found here.

I have then made a small bat-file, whick contains:

mirror “C:\Users\My Real Username\Documents” “F:\My Real Username\Backup Vista\Documents”
mirror “C:\Users\My Real Username\Desktop” “F:\My Real Username\Backup Vista\Desktop”
mirror “C:\Users\My Real Username\Favorites” “F:\My Real Username\Backup Vista\Favorites”

Each line represents a folder-to-folder sync. Mirror is extremely fast and accurate. I know, that it’s not a backup, and that I can’t go back and find deleted files. But what I really basically need is to have my files in an external location, if my main disk fails.

I know, that Microsoft has a similar tool called SyncToy. Been there, done that, don’t  like it. Slow, not that easy to setup – but, gets the job done.

Having run my tech.pederborgpoulsen.dk blog for a while, I’m always curius to know, if someone (if any) visits my site, and what they actually look at, if the visit.

So, kind of by chance, i stumbled on wp-slimstat. It’s a simple word-press plugin, which you just upload to the plugin folder, activate in the plugin-editor, and you have statistics.

You could of course analyze the logfiles yourself – but, this is very very easy.

Last night, a new version of wordpress was available. And, as always – it’s always without pain to upgrade.

Delete the old files (however I did’nt delete the wp-content directory, as I have uploaded some images, and the wp-config.php), uploaded the new files, and ran the upgrade-script. And ready to go.

So, following this fine guide, I was able to quit easily set up Apache, MySQL and PHP on my Windows 2003 R2 box. However – getting the Apache to work with module rewrite was however quite difficult.

But, digging a little into the Internet gave me a little to edit in httpd.conf:

1. Remove "#" from the line that says "#LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so"
2. Change "None" to "All" where it says: "AllowOverride None", in "<Directory "D:/where_your_files_are">"

And it now works like a charm…

Much to my regret, I have reinstalled Windows XP on my laptop. I actually really liked Windows Vista. It had some great improvements over Windows XP.

However I was faced with:

• An archive-search-system for news stories that could’nt run
• Not being able to sync my Sony-Ericsson mobile
• When opening e.g. a word-document from a Windows Sharepoint Services 3.0 site in Word 2007, I was asked to log on 3 (three) times before the document opened – and I was’nt able to create new documents. Anyone else had this problem? Actually this was my main problem and actually why i decided to move back to XP.

So I therefore decided to move back. But, I really miss some of the great small features in Vista:

• The sidebar
• The ability to “Copy as path”
• The search function
• The look
• The sounds
• The mediecenter
• The aero

So if anyone know of a solution to the Sharepoint issue – please don’t hesitate to let me know.