April 11, 2009

unable to install printer operation could not complete

Filed under: Printers — Tags: , , — lpopejoy @ 8:58 pm

So while trying to install a printer this week, I was getting this error message on SBS 2003:  “Unable to install printer.  Operation could not complete.”

The printer was an HP OfficeJet 8000 (not my idea).  I stay away from HP printers due to their total incompetence to make good drivers for their lower end printers.  I’ve spent to much time fixing their problems.

I had all the latest print drivers, and I was installing it using a TCP/IP port (network printer).

I tried several times…  Deleted drivers, etc each time.  The fix?  Restart the print spooler and try again.  Go to services.msc, find the print spooler, and right click and hit “restart.”  Did the trick for me!

Windows SharePoint Services 3 Search Error

Filed under: Server 2008 — lpopejoy @ 8:06 pm

Ok, I’m still on my kick of eliminating ANY errors from my SBS 2008 server. Here’s another one, and it’s fix:

Log: Application

Type: Warning

Event: 2442

Agent Time: 11:30:18 pm 8-Apr-09

Event Time: 3:30:18 am 9-Apr-09 UTC

Source: Windows SharePoint Services 3 Search

Category: Gatherer

Username: N/A

Computer: ICS-S01.ics.local

Description: The index was paused.

Context: Application 'Search', Catalog 'index file on the search server Search'

The fix: Read on at

http://msmvps.com/blogs/cgross/archive/2009/03/29/sharepoint-search-amp-event-id-2436-errors-in-sbs-2008.aspx

April 6, 2009

Performance Counter Errors

Filed under: Server 2008 — Tags: — lpopejoy @ 7:13 pm

Ok, so I’m getting this error in my event logs now (on my SBS 2008 Server):

Log: Application

Type: Warning

Event: 2003

Agent Time: 3:17:42 am 6-Apr-09

Event Time: 7:17:42 am 6-Apr-09 UTC

Source: Microsoft-Windows-Perflib

Category: None

Username: N/A

Computer: ICS-S01.ics.local

Description: The configuration information of the performance library “C:\Windows\system32\sqlctr90.dll” for the “MSSQL$ICSAPPS” service does not match the trusted performance library information stored in the registry. The functions in this library will not be treated as trusted.

 

The fix?  Following the solution as suggested in this KB:  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928384

 

This should be run from an elevated command prompt (right click on command prompt and click “Run as administrator”).

 

Here is what mine looked like:

 

C:\Windows\system32>unlodctr MSSQL$ICSAPPS

Removing counter names and explain text for MSSQL$ICSAPPS

Updating text for language 009
C:\Windows\system32>lodctr “C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.2\MSSQL\Binn\perf-ICSAPPSsqlctr.ini”


April 5, 2009

SBS Server 2008 Failure Audit / Event ID 4625

Filed under: Exchange Server, Operating Systems, Server 2008 — lpopejoy @ 8:11 am

I was getting this error message on my SBS 2008 Server:

Log: Security
Type: Failure Audit
Event: 4625
Agent Time: 11:26:36 am 4-Apr-09
Event Time: 3:26:36 pm 4-Apr-09 UTC
Source: Microsoft Windows security auditing.
Category: Logon
Username: N/A
Computer: ICS-S01.ics.local
Description: An account failed to log on.
Subject:
 Security ID: S-1-5-18
 Account Name: ICS-S01$
 Account Domain: ICS
 Logon ID: 0x3e7
Logon Type: 3
Account For Which Logon Failed:
 Security ID: S-1-0-0
 Account Name: ICS-S01$
 Account Domain:
Failure Information:
 Failure Reason: Unknown user name or bad password.
 Status: 0xc000006d
 Sub Status: 0xc0000064
Process Information:
 Caller Process ID:  0xc88
 Caller Process Name: C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\Bin\Microsoft.Exchange.Search.ExSearch.exe
Network Information:
 Workstation Name: ICS-S01
 Source Network Address: -
 Source Port:  -
Detailed Authentication Information:
 Logon Process: Advapi
 Authentication Package: Negotiate
 Transited Services: -
 Package Name (NTLM only): -
 Key Length: 0
This event is generated when a logon request fails. It is generated on the computer where access was attempted.
The Subject fields indicate the account on the local system which requested the logon. This is most commonly a service such as the Server service, or a local process such as Winlogon.exe or Services.exe.
The Logon Type field indicates the kind of logon that was requested. The most common types are 2 (interactive) and 3 (network).
The Process Information fields indicate which account and process on the system requested the logon.
The Network Information fields indicate where a remote logon request originated. Workstation name is not always available and may be left blank in some cases.
The authentication information fields provide detailed information about this specific logon request.
 - Transited services indicate which intermediate services have participated in this logon request.
 - Package name indicates which sub-protocol was used among the NTLM protocols.
 - Key length indicates the length of the generated session key. This will be 0 if no session key was requested.

The fix?  Install Exchange Update Rollup 7 for Exchange 2007  (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=086A2A13-A1DE-4B1D-BD12-B148BFD2DAFA&displaylang=en)

You will probably have to download this and run it from an elevated command prompt - otherwise you will get errors.

 


March 29, 2009

Vista locks up on bootup / Superfetch problems

Filed under: Operating Systems, vista — Tags: , — lpopejoy @ 2:30 am

Today I had a gentleman leave his computer with me.  He was running Vista, and it would lock up within 2 minutes of starting the computer.  If you left it sitting at the login screen, it would lockup there, if you left it long enough.  If you logged in immediately, it would lockup at whatever you were doing  at the moment.  You could still move the mouse, but you could not interact with any applications or open anything.

After much troubleshooting, I narrowed the problem down to the “Superfetch” service.  To confirm this, you can safely set that service to “Disabled” (in services.msc)and reboot the computer (or just stop the service).  After rebooting, or stopping the service, you can confirm that your machine does not lockup.

If indeed you find that your machine runs as it should with the “Superfetch” service disabled, then the fix is simple.

On your keyboard, hold the Windows Key and “R” at the same time.  That should bring up the “run” dialog box.  Type “prefetch” and hit “Ok.”  Now you should see a folder with a bunch of files.  Confirm that your address bar does indeed show that your are displaying the “prefetch” folder and then delete everything that you see.


captureBe careful!  Don’t delete anything other than the contents of the Prefetch folder or your problems may be worse than what you started with!  :)

Now start the “Superfetch” service again and you should be cool!

All the best,

Luke

March 7, 2009

User logs in, no desktop, no icons, no explorer.exe

Filed under: Uncategorized — lpopejoy @ 1:57 am

This problem has several symptoms but basically what is happening is that when a user logs in, they get no desktop icons, no start menu, and no task bar.  If you do a CTRL+ALT+DEL, you will see that explorer.exe is not running, but you can do a File->New Task and start it.  Once started, everything is normal.

You may login and the computer just logs you out immediately without a chance to do the CTRL+ALT+DEL and task manager thing.

In either case, the solution is the same.  The problem is due to a missing userinit.exe file.  This file should be located in C:\Windows\System32 (if you are in XP).  You can restore it from your operating system CD by either starting explorer and browsing your i386 folder on the disk or, if your computer is logging you out before you can do that, you will have to boot from the CD and use the recovery console.

All the best!

Luke

March 5, 2009

You WHAT?

Filed under: Uncategorized — lpopejoy @ 2:29 am

Well, while trying to start an IPSec service today, I got this error:

IPSec Error

IPSec Error


Error 10107:  A system call that should never fail has failed.

Almost made me laugh…  anyway, I definitely agree about the “should never fail” part.  Most of my time I spend fixing or troubleshooting things that “shouldn’t have broken!”

Ok, the problem and the fix?

The problem is corrupted Winsock.  The fix is here:  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/811259 or you can use this little tool to do it for you:  http://www.snapfiles.com/get/winsockxpfix.html (which is what I did)

Anyway, let’s go see what else shouldn’t be doing what it is doing.

February 6, 2009

MMC cannot open the file - c:\windows\system32\compmgmt.msc

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , — lpopejoy @ 3:30 am

After a virus removal today, I started getting the above error message. The fix is to click start, run and run the following command:

regsvr32 C:\Windows\system32\msxml3.dll

February 5, 2009

SM Bus Controller for HP m7350n

Filed under: Uncategorized — lpopejoy @ 4:50 am

To save someone else the trouble, if you need the above driver….  Try here:  http://downloadmirror.intel.com/16023/a08/infinst_autol.exe

January 21, 2009

\SystemRoot\System32\RDPDD.dll failed to load on Dell Optiplex

Filed under: Dell — Tags: , — lpopejoy @ 1:27 am

I had an Optiplex 330 that logged this error message under the “System” Event log.  When you tried to connect to it via remote desktop, it would attempt to connect for about a half second and then the “connect” botton would be available again.

The fix?  Going here:  Display Properties –> Settings –> Advanced –> Troubleshoot, and turning off “Hardware acceleration”.

Don’t ask me…  Some conflict with rdp.dll and the ATI video driver I suppose.  I am also testing updating the video card driver as well.