Recent Posts

4126

Living Room / Re: Force USB Drives to use Drive Letter X

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 21, 2011, 02:06 PM »

If you are still concerned someone forgets a USB hard drive, you can specify the right one volume label as criteria.

; "Big Backup" drive on X
[DriveLetters10]
VolumeLabel=Big Backup
Letters=X

-scrolllock (May 21, 2011, 12:46 PM)

Hm... Okay, I'm weakening...But I gotta mull this over a bit. I'm still hoping I can figure out what I did last time.

Thanks

4127

Living Room / Re: Force USB Drives to use Drive Letter X

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 21, 2011, 12:42 PM »

I realize my next suggestion is not ideal either, but...

Are there better backup solutions than Symantec's?
I know your company paid good money for it and the support, but this if this is as critical as "one slip and it's bye-bye data" then maybe something else needs to be done.

I know, more straws to grasp at...

-Edvard (May 21, 2011, 11:57 AM)

(Much as I hate to throw the baby out with the bath water...At this point I'm half tempted to set the "baby" on fire, shoot it in the head, and then throw it under a train.)

Let's say it's crossed my mind (more than once). The question is what else will handle the Exchange logs commit operation? And it has to be able to play nice with AD & MSSQL also.

4128

Living Room / Re: Force USB Drives to use Drive Letter X

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 21, 2011, 09:20 AM »

Can drive letter assignment be scripted, and can you therefore put an autorun script in the root of the drives?
That way, they would auto-assign themselves as they were plugged in.

-Edvard (May 21, 2011, 01:31 AM)

Autorun is disabled and requires a user to be logged in, which is not really guarantee-able on a headless server.

All internet searches keep pointing to USBDLM as THE solution, so I'm grabbing at straws...

-Edvard (May 21, 2011, 01:31 AM)

That's what I keep running into also. I have access to the archive server I set this up on originally, and I've been trying to revers engineer what I did to it...But I'll be damned if I can find it.

There are no scheduled tasks, so it isn't firing a script repeatedly.
USBDLM is not installed or running.
There is no autorun scripts in the root of the drive.
The backup drive shows it's natively drive Z: in the DMC, so it hasn't been subst'es (confirmed by running subst to see nothing listed)

Wait, this may be something: http://forums.techar...rver-help/690830.htm
or this: http://www.2brightsp...on=kb&article=12

-Edvard (May 21, 2011, 01:31 AM)

The first one is interesting, but is a reactive run it a loop and look for X script. I'm looking for a proactive do it once done solution. The 2nd one is for the DMC which (doesn't work for this) I'm already intimately familiar with.

While the USBDLM thing is tempting just to get out from under this project ... Using it would mean that if anyone inserted and/or left a ThumbDrive in the server it would be a coin toss as to which one the backup software would toast. e.g. Either the backup would fail (target not found) or it would "succeed" in destroying the contents of the ThumbDrive as the backup was sent to it. (Oh yeah) or both.

...I really don't want to go there...I much prefer my catastrophes one at a time.

Only other Quick-N-Dirty option is/would be to move the CD-ROM out of the way so the external USB backup drives could just grab the then freed up D: Which is not my favorite solution as it's just a variation on the above boo-boo in waiting. Not to mention that drive F: is the network wide DFS root share drive for everything (One of the joys I inherited from my predecessor). So if the backup tried to run to that...We get a snake eating its tail kind of effect. (Not. A. Pretty. Picture.)

4129

Living Room / Re: Man vs. Mississippi

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 20, 2011, 09:24 PM »

And that guy is a pussy in comparison to the guy who built the levee there!

-Renegade (May 20, 2011, 08:26 PM)

I wonder if he drove a Chevy to it...?

4130

Living Room / Re: What's your experience with 3rd party color inkjet ink replacement?

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 20, 2011, 09:21 PM »

So... you wouldn't be handy in a paper jam?

I always hated jam. Prefer jelly.

-MilesAhead (May 20, 2011, 08:31 PM)

I actually haven't a clue what the difference is.

However as the last two lines bear no resemblance to a pun ... We have now successfully managed to pull our tangent off-point.
 

 

4131

Living Room / Re: What's your experience with 3rd party color inkjet ink replacement?

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 20, 2011, 08:13 PM »

Impact you are...

I never was a fan of folded paper.

-MilesAhead (May 20, 2011, 08:05 PM)

So... you wouldn't be handy in a paper jam?

4132

Living Room / Re: So Apple really is a religious thing...

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 20, 2011, 07:17 PM »

^Same goes for most musical instruments and equipment.

-40hz (May 20, 2011, 06:40 PM)

...And my almost 25 year old Harley Davidson, which is probably worth more now than it sold for new back in 1987.

4133

Living Room / Re: What's your experience with 3rd party color inkjet ink replacement?

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 20, 2011, 07:09 PM »

I'll be cyan for an hour after that.

Life is never just black and white... it leaves me in a bad huemor.

Then starts the moanochroming.

I think I'm trapped in the dot Matrix!!

-MilesAhead (May 20, 2011, 06:54 PM)

Impact you are...

4134

Living Room / Re: Force USB Drives to use Drive Letter X

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 20, 2011, 07:01 PM »

Not quite ... But I like the way you're thinking.

Here's the thing:
The built-in Server 2008 backup software is absolutely brilliantly simple to setup and use ...(I fell in love with it imediatly)... Unfortunately (budget constraints) we're using a 2003 server because of the x64 hardware requirements for the new(er) versions of Exchange.

The primary PITA is Symantec's Backup Exec which is to stupid to pole for which mounted (to a folder) device is active within a specific backup media set. They're "working on it". This makes the only option to target a specific drive letter for all backups, and then swap the targets. Hence the requirement to have a set of 5 drives all claim to be Target X.

[rant]Symantec charges a friggin kings ransom for Backup Exec which is pathetic considering the flat-out broken half implemented features like this silly shit. How god damn hard is it to check the size of a freaking folder for christ sake?!? Ooh Size=0, next! Found a live one, start the backup. It really is just that fucking simple...but this randy bunch of greedy jack-offs can't quite seem to pull it off.

Count to 5 to get the active target for the nightly backup - Nope, can't do it - It is just too damn hard. But they can sure as hell count to $20,000 in a flash when they ring up you license fees for that busted ass piece of shit.[/rant]

(Hay Renegade, It works ... I feel much better now )

While subst would work - kind of... - It would require that there be 5 different daily scripts to drop and reassign the drive letter to that day's target (folder mounted) drive. And (here's the bad part), would also assume that the correct drive for that day is/was connected at the time the script ran. Eek!

4135

Living Room / Re: What's your experience with 3rd party color inkjet ink replacement?

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 20, 2011, 05:54 PM »

You magentlemen always produce colorful remarks.

-MilesAhead (May 20, 2011, 04:30 PM)

Life is never just black and white... it leaves me in a bad huemor.

-cranioscopical (May 20, 2011, 05:32 PM)

Then starts the moanochroming.

4136

Living Room / Re: What's your experience with 3rd party color inkjet ink replacement?

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 20, 2011, 05:09 PM »

[revenge] manchmal denke ich, dass die ein andere Sprache sprechen, da drüben - oder ist es nur mich? [/with apologies to native speakers for any errors :p]

-tomos (May 20, 2011, 04:26 PM)

Please swear at me in english.

Thank you,
 

4137

Living Room / Re: What's your experience with 3rd party color inkjet ink replacement?

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 20, 2011, 05:08 PM »

A very level-headed response…

-cranioscopical (May 20, 2011, 12:19 PM)

Tanks for that.

-Stoic Joker (May 20, 2011, 02:40 PM)

I'm sure you could ink in a reservoir of knowledge... or perhaps write an ess eh?

-cranioscopical (May 20, 2011, 04:10 PM)

You magentlemen always produce colorful remarks. A pixilated bunch for sure!

-MilesAhead (May 20, 2011, 04:30 PM)

I'll be cyan for an hour after that.

4138

Living Room / Re: Force USB Drives to use Drive Letter X

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 20, 2011, 05:04 PM »

 

Okay, let me clarify... This is for a Headless production Domain Controller ... Shenanigan software is not an acceptable solution.

"Safe Removal" is irrelevant as caching is disabled on these drives (e.g. Hot-Plugging is O-Tay)
.
There is a correct way of doing this, which involves a registry edit...Which I've used before...I just can't remember the damn thing. And was hoping somebody here did.

4139

Living Room / Re: So Apple really is a religious thing...

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 20, 2011, 04:57 PM »

I spend money on the right tools in my garage. Unlike an electronic gadget, however, if the tool is well built and well designed, I never have to buy that tool again in my life.

-zridling (May 20, 2011, 04:30 PM)

Damn Straight! I was a mechanic years ago, and I still have tools that I bought in my teens that are still just as good as they were the day I bought them! 

4140

Living Room / Re: What's your experience with 3rd party color inkjet ink replacement?

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 20, 2011, 03:27 PM »

Not very relevant but definitely worth sharing: a decade old story involving printers, ink, running out of ink, and the users of said commodities. It got a laugh out of me.

-worstje (May 20, 2011, 02:52 PM)

The managers quickly figured out that if they simply bought the same type of printer that was at the office, they could simply "borrow” an inkjet cartridge from the supply room instead of spending an arm and a leg at CompUSA to buy one. It wasn't long after that when the bean counters realized that the department was spending over $1,000 a month in ink cartridges for an office staff of twenty.

 

4141

Living Room / Re: What's your experience with 3rd party color inkjet ink replacement?

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 20, 2011, 02:40 PM »

Just thought I'd toss that in.

-Stoic Joker (May 20, 2011, 06:50 AM)

A very level-headed response…

-cranioscopical (May 20, 2011, 12:19 PM)

Tanks for that.

4142

Living Room / Force USB Drives to use Drive Letter X

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 20, 2011, 02:13 PM »

Okay - 5 minute job...that's been going on for a few weeks now.

The tape drive died (they do that), and it was cheaper to buy 5 500GB USB drives than it would be to replace the tape drive. So... I got these 5 USB drives...And I need them to all be drive Z: when they're plugged in (one at a time of course) so that the backup software can find them consistantly...Without needing constant fiddling with.

Now here's the funny part. I've done this before. So I know it will work. I just can't remember how the I did it.

The obvious answer of using the disk management console, doesn't work. When the drives are swapped, the drive letter assignment goes missing. Now. IIRC...(Ha!)...There was a registry hack - may have been cmd or vbs scripted - that resulted in all drives happily using the same drive letter (when~attached~one~at~a~time...). I just can't bloody find the friggin thing (again), and apparently I forgot to save it back when.

All I can find now is a constant stream of TS drones regurgitating the (wrong) use DMC answer.


Ring any bells anybody?

4143

DC Gamer Club / Re: Cool place for your game console

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 20, 2011, 01:51 PM »

Hm... The wife will be gone for a few days end of this month...I wonder...

4144

Living Room / Re: favourite hardware hacking resources

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 20, 2011, 11:51 AM »

Coat Hanger Uses I've Seen:
Radio Antenna
Attach License Plate
Tie up Exhaust to frame (so it don't drag on the ground)
Replace missing bolts (obviously not for blind holes)
Hose Clamp (Twist tight carefully)
Attach front grill to radiator (major rust issue)
Welding rod
Replace missing/broken Door Latch
Replace missing/broken door, tool or lunch box handle
Get keys out of locked car
Jump start motorcycle or lawn mower (I've done this one - Vehicles touching = ground)


...And that's just off the top of my head ... Welcome to the South... 

4145

Living Room / Re: Man vs. Mississippi

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 20, 2011, 11:33 AM »

Now that's American ingenuity at its finest.

John Wayne; tell that damn river it'll just have to go around me.

4146

Living Room / Re: So Apple really is a religious thing...

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 20, 2011, 11:25 AM »

I have to ask...Was it Apple who predicted the end of the world to occur tomorrow?

-Josh (May 20, 2011, 07:47 AM)

I don't think so. But there's probably an app for it anyway.   

-----------
Update:  Figures. They do have an app for it!

End Of The World Facts 1.0
Device: iOS iPhone
Category: Lifestyle
Price: Free, Version: 1.0 (iTunes)

Description:

Select the end of the world prediction to display countdown to that date.Features interesting facts about what will happen by then based on current statistics.

Simple and fun.

Fun?

-40hz (May 20, 2011, 08:08 AM)

Sure! World ends tomorrow - Screw the Bills - It's Party Time!!! <-Common sense is not a factor...)

Hay, maybe I could sue Apple ... Count down to the end of the world clock was my idea!

4147

Living Room / Re: What's your experience with 3rd party color inkjet ink replacement?

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 20, 2011, 06:50 AM »

I've been thinking (scary - I know...) ... And the most truly common cause of death for inkjets (all brands) that I've seen is people not carrying them level.

The cleaning/purge station where the print head is cleaned and "parks" never dries. So if the printer is (not very new and) tipped a bit in transport the ink will dump out of the purge tank and all over inside the printer.

Properly cleaning up this mess (which I've had to do several times), generally costs (in labor) about twice what the printer is worth.

*Shrug* Just thought I'd toss that in.

4148

Living Room / Re: favourite hardware hacking resources

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 20, 2011, 06:31 AM »

You're not from the south are you ... It's supposed to be Duct Tape and a Coat Hanger.

a.k.a. Standard Redneck muffler/exhaust repair kit.

4149

Living Room / Re: Apple to support reps: "Do not attempt to remove malware"

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 19, 2011, 10:18 PM »

Wow! Deny everything to the bitter end. That's cold...

@Josh - Love the new Apple logo! 

4150

Living Room / Re: So Apple really is a religious thing...

« Last post by Stoic Joker on May 19, 2011, 08:31 PM »

And, and, I've recently experienced the totally sucks balls nature of OS file storage. I tried out a few mp3 player apps in an attempt to avoid itunes - none of these mp3 players is aware that there are mp3 files already on the machine, they are also blind to each others mp3 files - how. dumb. is. that. It's beyond moronic - totally utter crap.

-nudone (May 19, 2011, 04:53 PM)

You have no idea just how bad it is... It's worse...

To access a media file in iOS, you need to get it using a special method with a special protocol, e.g. "ugly://path.to.files/83456/sfdsd/39yheghbihgeirhefhhvduvghr.mp3" And they are that ugly. On top of that, you have no access to the file at all, the same way that you'd do it by trying to hot link an MP3 from another web site on your own web site. Actually, on a web site you'd have some control, but with Apple, the tools available area all crippled.

Then each application has private storage...

Idiotic? Well, I can see some reason in there, but yeah... it's pretty dumb.

-Renegade (May 19, 2011, 07:42 PM)

Yes.  That's the fundamental, core difference between Windows and iOS.  It's the main characteristic that allows Apple to be Apple, and Windows to be Windows.

-superboyac (May 19, 2011, 08:19 PM)

Close, it allows Apple to be Apple, and every other OS on the planet to not suck...