Windows 7 Home Group September 14, 2011
Posted by Premier Knowledge Solutions in Jamell Mixon, Microsoft Windows 7.Tags: HomeGroup, Microsoft Windows 7, Windows 7 Premium Edition
add a comment
Contributed by Mr. Jamell Mixon, Windows 7 instructor at Premier Knowledge Solutions
Welcome to the world of sharing in Windows 7. Have you ever wondered “how can I easily share my files, music, printers, etc.?” Well your answer is here and it’s called HomeGroup. This new feature takes the sting out of sharing between multiple computers in your home network.
HomeGroup’s can be created using at least the Microsoft Windows 7 Premium Eedition and can be joined by any Microsoft Windows 7 System edition. If your computer is a member of domain then you are not able to create a HomeGroup but you can still join one. All of the options are wizard based and password protected to add some security to your sharing setup.
It is up to you to select which content you would like to be available or not through your HomeGroup and the settings can be changed at your discretion. Whether you are creating or joining you get to make these choices. Individual items that you may want to exclude can be selected and turned off, set to read, or read/write.
Things to remember:
- Make sure your network location is set to home
- If you would like to network with multiple versions of Windows place them in the same Workgroup
- In any version of Windows, you can right-click a file or folder, click Share, and then select the people or groups you want to share with.
Want to learn more about Microsoft Windows 7 and what it has to offer? Consider attending one of our upcoming Microsoft Windows 7 Courses!
A Programmer on Programming September 7, 2011
Posted by Premier Knowledge Solutions in Jeff Cook, Microsoft Programming, Microsoft SharePoint 2010.Tags: DBA, how to get started with programming, Jeff Cook, Microsoft Programming, PKS, Premier Knowledge Solutions, programming, Web Design
add a comment
Contributed by Mr. Jeff Cook, Programming Guru at Premier Knowledge Solutions
Follow him on Twitter: @Jeffreydennis80
So you think programming might be kind of fun but you’re not sure if you have what it takes? First let’s identify what I call programming. When I think of programming it may be a bit extended beyond what is conventionally seen as being part of that field of information technology. Creating programs…sure. Web page design and implementation are there also. I add database design and good old fashioned query writing too. Of course we have to put Microsoft SharePoint development in there. This is what I think of when I talk about “programming.” Now, back to the original thought: do you have what it takes to be a programmer?
I learned my original programming skills from a fellow instructor here at PKS, Mark Russell. At the time Mark held every certification known to Microsoft. Networking, database administration and security; he covered them all. Mark likes to tell stories about my first programming experience. As difficult of a time as I was having he maintains that from the very start he could tell I would be good at this, something about having a glimmer in the eye as he calls it. I really don’t know about that but I knew I enjoyed it, so over the years I’ve tried to define what characteristics might make one a good programmer.
The joke answer of what it takes to be a programmer goes something like this: Do you enjoy beating your head against a wall until it breaks? When it does break are you ready to beat it against the next wall? Then the next? So on and so on. In some ways there is a lot of truth to that. There is always another challenge waiting in the wings.
My real answer deals with jigsaw puzzles because that is what programming reminds me of the most. Lots of little pieces that are already there and they fit into patterns. The trick is to find the patterns and put the pieces together to make something even bigger and better. You see, there is really very little original code out there. Whatever it is that you need the odds are that someone, somewhere has had to deal with at another time. Find that code and figure out how it applies to your situation and implement it. Often in a programming class we take little bits and pieces and treat them as individual lessons. Due to time constraints it’s rare that an actual application of any real sophistication can be developed in the class. What you get are a bunch of tools to put in your programming toolbox and then one day you realize that you have seen this before.
So what does it take to be progammer? Problem solving skills, pattern recognition, perseverance, all come together in programming. Does that sound like you? If you’re a programmer, what kind of skills or characteristics do you recommend having before you get started?
One more thing….I think it is the most fun you can in the IT world have this side of Photoshop. We’ll save that for another blog entry.
Microsoft Office 2010 Ribbon Customization (Part Two) August 31, 2011
Posted by Premier Knowledge Solutions in Microsoft Office, Ron Jones.Tags: customization, Microsoft Office 2010, Ribbon Customization
add a comment
Missed Part One? View it here.
Remove Checkmarks from the right pane to hide tabs:
Ribbon with Hidden tabs (Mailings and Review are not showing):
Reset all customizations back to the original settings by clicking Restore:
To delete all customizations, Click on the Reset Button:
Click OK to Capture the change and then view your restored ribbon:
Microsoft Office 2010: Customizing the Ribbon (Part One) August 24, 2011
Posted by Premier Knowledge Solutions in Microsoft Office, Ron Jones.Tags: Office 2010, Ribbon Customization
add a comment
Contributed by Mr. Ron Jones, Office 2010 Instructor with Premier Knowledge Solutions
One of the new features available in Office 2010 is the ability to customize the Ribbon to reflect your needs in any of the programs in the Office Suite. Some of the features include adding new tabs and groups along with user associated commands and galleries. In order to begin the process, simply click the File Button and click on the Options Button.
Step One
To customize the Ribbon Go to the File tab –>Options –>Customize Ribbon
Step Two
To create a new tab: Click New Tab
Click Rename to name the New Tab
Click Rename to Name the New Group in the Rename Dialog Box:
Add items from the commands pane to the New Group by selecting the command and clicking Add.
Change descriptors of individual commands as well as icons. Simply click on the command and Rename and make your selections.
Click OK to approve and now view your newly created tab:
Applying Cumulative Updates to SharePoint Servers August 18, 2011
Posted by Premier Knowledge Solutions in Mark Russell, Microsoft SharePoint 2010.add a comment
Contributed by Mr. Mark Russell
Follow Mark for more on Twitter: @MarkCRussell
Check these before running the installers:
In Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, you first apply the same patch for its free version before running the server version. If you’re installing the April 2011 Cumulative Update for MOSS 2007, you must first install the April 2011 CU for WSS v3 in your farm before running the MOSS 2007 CU. This is not an issue with SharePoint 2010, the patches for SharePoint Foundation 2010 are included by default in the Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 CUs and do not need to be applied separately.
If you have language packs installed in your farm, you must apply the CU updates for those language packs after installing the free version’s updates but before installing the server version’s updates.
Applying Cumulative Updates
READ THE DOCUMENTATION FOR THE UPDATES CAREFULLY. The info they provide about how to execute the installs is very important. This is not simple! Also read http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/office/sharepointserver/bb735839.aspx and http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc263467%28office.12%29.aspx). You’ll be glad you did.
Of course it goes without saying that you will back up your farm first. If something goes wrong, you’ll have to rebuild the farm from that backup because you can’t uninstall a cumulative update.
Troubleshooting
If you get an error during the installation of a cumulative update, hot fix, patch, or service pack, you need to closely look at both the event log of the server it happened on AND the upgrade log file that will be created when you run the installer. Resolve the blocking issue in those log messages, then re-run the SharePoint Configuration Wizard to see if you’ve resolved the error. Sometimes you’ll need to run the Wizard from the command line with the FORCE option to get that to work (psconfig -cmd upgrade -inplace b2b -wait -force).
Happy updating!
Passing the CompTIA Security + Exam August 11, 2011
Posted by Premier Knowledge Solutions in CompTIA, Terry Harger.Tags: Passing CompTIA Sec+, passing the Security + exam, Security + Exam, SY0-201, SY0-301
add a comment
Contributed by Mr. Terry Harger, CompTIA Security + Test Prep Boot Camp Instructor
As the days wear on, so do ever changing versions of CompTIA’s certification exams. As I promised in an earlier blog here are some more tips and knowledge for passing the CompTIA Security+ test.
- PGP – Pretty Good Privacy not just used for email anymore. This type of encryption has uses in Whole Disk Encryption as well as helping to maintain the integrity of the message by using RSA for the digital signatures.
- Know the differences of Bluetooth attacks.
- Blue jacking happens when a Bluetooth enabled device is sent unsolicited messages or if you will guerrilla marketing.
- Bluesnarfing happens when information is stolen, i.e. contacts, pictures, videos, etc., and the phone is paired with another device.
- Know your different types of malware.
- Worms can self-replicate without any human interaction.
- Viruses are capable of replicating itself.
- Trojans will not replicate and will usually hide behind a “good” application.
- Rootkits are particularly nasty since they will essentially become part of the OS and the best to clean the infected machine is to do a clean install.
- Logic Bombs are virtually untraceable until a particular time or event triggers the bomb.
- Since penetration testing is extremely invasive, make sure you have written permission before conducting the test.
- Vulnerability scanners inspects for exploits on a machine or machines. They are not as invasive as a penetration test but they could cause instability in the system. Sometimes the only way to see if a machine has an exploit is to actively test for that exploit.
Feel free to let us know in the comments of any questions you have about Security+ testing and we’ll be sure to address them.
BLOB Caching August 3, 2011
Posted by Premier Knowledge Solutions in Mark Russell.Tags: BLOBs, Caching, Microsoft SharePoint 2010, MOSS
add a comment
Contributed by Mr. Mark Russell, MCT with Premier Knowledge Solutions
Follow Mark on Twitter @MarkCRussell
Okay, bear with me for a while. Let’s say your organization makes significant use of BLOBs (Binary Large Objects)—media, graphics, etc. Further, let’s say that these BLOBs don’t change very often, and you make them available through Microsoft SharePoint (or want to)—either MOSS or 2010. Still with me?
We all know that BLOBs are a pain. They bloat, and therefore slow down, databases (more about that in another post), and they inhale bandwidth while being downloaded, both of which contribute to user complaints and support calls.
If you are nodding your head with a knowing smile consider configuring BLOB caching. You configure BLOB caching in the web.config file of the site collection. There are four attributes of the cache that you can set: location, path (specifying the filename extensions of the files to be cached), maxSize (denominated in megabytes–BLOBs larger than which won’t be cached) and max-age (denominated in seconds).
The following element instructs the WFE to cache .gif and .jpg BLOBs of no more than 5 megabytes locally in D:\BlobCache for 12 hours:
<BlobCache location=”D:\BlobCache” path=”\.(gif|jpg)$” maxSize=”5” max-age=”43200” enabled=”true” />
As with so many things, the default location of the BLOB cache is the browser’s temporary file folder which, by default is on the system drive—usually C:. Performance will improve if you specify another physical drive, but you have to be sure that all the WFEs have the specified drive. In addition, cached BLOBs will not be requested again until they expire (the max-age attribute) so changes to a BLOB will not be immediately visible unless the cache is flushed.
BLOB caching is not appropriate in all circumstances. If your BLOBs change a lot, BLOB caching may not be for you. However, if it seems like a good fit BLOB caching will reduce the load on your WFE and database servers and improve users’ experience at the same time. How often can you do THAT?
What is your experience with BLOB caching: the good, the bad, the ugly?
Quick & Easy: Linking Excel Calculated Fields to Word July 27, 2011
Posted by Premier Knowledge Solutions in Microsoft Office, Ron Jones.Tags: Excel, Excel 2010, Microsoft, Microsoft Word, Tips and Tricks for Microsoft Office, Word 2010
add a comment
Contributed by Mr. Ron Jones, Office Specialist Instructor with Premier Knowledge Solutions
Have you ever wanted to include complex computations into Microsoft Word, only to discover that Microsoft Word cannot do the job Microsoft Excel does so easily? Consider letting an Microsoft Excel spreadsheet do the work as usual; then paste and link the calculated cells needed into Word. Should a change be made in the linked calculated cell, the new figure will automatically update in the Microsoft Word document.
Just follow these simple steps:
1) First open an Excel Spreadsheet and prepare your calculated fields.
2) Second, open Microsoft Word and click on the area of the document where you wish to insert the calculated field. Simply paste the data into the space.
|
100 |
89 |
113 |
126 |
428 |
North South East West Grand Total
3) Lastly, Click on the “Paste Options” popup that appears next to the inserted data (it looks like a clipboard icon) and select “Keep Source Formatting and Link to Excel.” Any changes that are made to the calculations in the Excel file will now change the pasted value automatically in Word.
That’s all there is to it! Looking for more productivity suggestions, hints and tips? Check out our upcoming class schedule or ask any question pertaining to Microsoft Office here in the comments or via Twitter (@PremierKS_STL).
On SharePoint Governance June 20, 2011
Posted by Premier Knowledge Solutions in Mark Russell, Microsoft SharePoint 2010.Tags: Governance, Microsoft SharePoint, planning SharePoint Deployments, SharePoint
add a comment
Contributed by Mark Russell, resident Microsoft SharePoint Instructor
Follow Mark on Twitter!
I have been teaching Microsoft SharePoint since 2003, and am a huge fan. It is one of the most productive pieces of software I have ever seen, and I am far from the only one who thinks so. On the other hand, one of the most interesting things about being an instructor is getting to hear so many horror stories and I have heard more of them about SharePoint than any other product I have ever taught. For years I wondered how the same product could be one IT organization’s wildest dream and another one’s worst nightmare. For a while I thought it was a matter of inadequate (or an absence of) planning. Certainly a successful Microsoft SharePoint deployment requires much more planning than any other product I know of—indeed, there’s a five day class (a good one, too) focused on planning Microsoft SharePoint deployments—but I have come to realize that planning is only one part of a larger issue: governance.
Most IT organizations recognize the need for governance even if some don’t do much about it. (One student told me about “roving bands of feral administrators” in his company.) Failure of governance in a Microsoft SharePoint deployment, however, is an invitation to disaster. I couldn’t count the number of times I’ve heard about terabytes of storage disappearing without a clue as to where they went.
The idea of governance is quite simple: who should be able to and responsible for doing what, where, when, under what circumstances, using what process? There are two aspects to Microsoft SharePoint governance, pre-deployment and operational. While most IT organizations do an acceptable job of operational governance—certainly no feral administrators—many fail at the point of pre-deployment governance. IT is usually divided into development and administration. Developers gather requirements and build systems to meet the requirements—at least that’s the idea—while administrators calculate capacities, provision servers and operate the system. The trouble with Microsoft SharePoint is that there is usually no development in the traditional sense of planning and writing code so many IT shops make the mistake of simply standing up the servers, and that is a huge mistake.
Successfully deploying Microsoft SharePoint requires planning that is very similar to the planning required for system development. First, the business goals have to be determined and quantified and tests need to be devised to determine if the goals have been met. Then the functional and nonfunctional technical requirements have to be quantified, and appropriate tests designed. The impact of governance has to do with who is going to be responsible for these activities. Business decisions makers will have to be involved and a champion will have to prevent scope creep.
Interested in more on Microsoft SharePoint Governance or Microsoft SharePoint Courses available? Take a look at the classes Premier Knowledge Solutions offers and stay tuned as Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Governance course is coming soon!
Passing the CompTIA Security + Exam June 13, 2011
Posted by Premier Knowledge Solutions in CompTIA, Terry Harger.Tags: CompTIA, Passing exams, Security + Exam, SY0-201, SY0-301
add a comment
Contributed by Terry Harger, CompTIA Test Prep Instructor for Premier Knowledge Solutions
As many of you know CompTIA’s certifications are no longer for life anymore, but have a three year expiration. For anyone certified on or after January 1, 2011, the certifications can be kept current by passing the most current exam before your expiration date or enrolling in CompTIA’s new Continuing Education (CE) program. This program is supposed to help keep skills and certifications current through a variety of different activities. If you need more information, contact your Premier Knowledge Solutions Learning Advisor.
Now let’s talk a little about what to know for the exam of Security +. In the coming weeks, there will be a few pointers and suggestions for the main three certifications, A+, Sec+, and Net+.
Five things to know for passing CompTIA Security +Exam:
- Hashing Algorithm is a one-way encryption that is used primarily to verify data integrity. The two most popular right now are MD5 and SHA
- Know your basic port numbers; 53 DNS, 443 – HTTPS, 88 – Kerberos, etc.
- Symmetric Encryption is when the same key is used to both encrypt and decrypt, some of the more popular algorithms are DES, 3DES, AES, etc.
- Asymmetric Encryption process is when one key encrypts the data and another key decrypts. The encryption will always use a public key of the recipient and the recipient’s private key will do the decrypting. RSA, Diffie-Hellman, El Gamal, and Elliptic Curve Cryptography. The ECC is one of the hardest encryptions to break because of the advanced math involved.
- Key Escrow is when a third party holds the private key of a CA signed public key for safekeeping.
