Eileen Brown's WebLog

MOM 2005 Free Seminbar in London

Ian alerted me to an event that he's delivering on MOM thats running in London that sounds really interesting.  Here are the details:

The Pygmalion Group invites you to learn how to save time and money enhancing IT service management at the “Using MOM 2005 & ITIL to improve IT operational efficiency” FREE seminar - 15th June – 0915 – 12:00, City of London 

Microsoft and Pygmalion IT Solutions experts will share their experience about operational efficiencies, such as reducing the amount of time spent identifying and resolving IT incidents and problems and how organisations like yours, can gain using MOM 2005 & ITIL best practice.

AGENDA:
  Using MOM 2005 to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs
  Using MOM 2005 to improve ITIL service management processes
  Live product demonstration of Microsoft Operations Manager 2005™

Location: City of London
Date:     15th June 2006
Time:     09:15 – 12:00
Speakers: Ian Blyth 
                Steve Wheeler
                Anthony Small
                David Jones

To register just Click on ‘BOOK ME’

Word 2007 and blogging

I was having a play with this new Word feature which allows me to publish this post to my blog. All you do is click on the Office logo in the corner, Publish and then blog. Voila! Now that’s impressive. Nino won’t be able to send me mails complaining on my dreadful spelling when I post. I type at about 45 Words per minute and sometimes juxtapose my letters, and sometimes even the keyboard misses my letters out – honest!

So it’s easy to do this. I can prepare posts offline, when I think of them, I can wax lyrical whilst on the train, or jot down random thoughts.

Kevin has a little demo showing how this is done. Easy isn’t it?

Disaster recovery for Exchange

Wang Jijin had a bit of a problem after a catastrophic power failiure at his company:

After a site power failure (Both DC and Exchange server are affected), the Exchange server which has been up for nearly 2 months is down. The exchangeIS together with its exchangeSA service can not start. eseutil told me the database state is dirty shutdown.
There were weekly normal backups and daily incremental backup for both the Exchange Storage Group and the whole file system. However, the best db file (priv1.edb priv1.stm) I can find out from the file system backup is dated on 17th. Feb. (OH MY GOD!!!) It's the last time the server restarts. I first tried to restore from the online Exchange Storage Backup and failed. I cleaned everything in MDBDATA folder and tried to start exchangeSA. Failed! I installed another clean exchange server, it still can not start the exchangeSA service. I guess there's nothing to do with the DB, the problem is in the Active Directory.
After making up my mind to reinstall both DC and the Exchagne Server (which is nearly unacceptable), I tried to restore from the offline exchange backup (extracted from the file system backup). Yet, another problem, eseutil asks for log 0xA3 to recover the database, however I only have 0xA4 and after (dated from 17th. FEB, don't know if they are still OK). The 0xA3 is probably an empty log which was generated and stored in a test backup, later thrown away by me. Am I doomed?
Can I by any means setup a viable Exchange Server without reinstalling the whole AD?
Can I recover most of the DB?
Can I fake an empty log for 0xA3?
Failure Events from exchangeSA: 
Source: MSExchangeSA
Event ID: 9152
Microsoft Exchange System Attendant reported an error in its DS monitor thread "0xc1034a70".
Source: MSExchangeSA
Event ID: 1005
Description:
Unexpected error: the specified user does not exists. Device: Win32 ID : c0070525 Microsoft Exchange System Attendant.
Source: MSExchangeSA
Event ID: 9317
Description:
Failed to register SPN for exchangeMDB. Error code: c10379bc。
Source: MSExchangeSA
Event ID: 9317
Description:
Failed to register SPN for exchangeRFR. Error code: c10379bc.

Well, What to advise?  There seemed to be so much happening here, that it was difficult to know where to start.  But there is one tool that you can use at the start.  The Disaster Recovery Analyser Tool (DRAT).  This tool programmatically collects configuration data and header information from databases and transaction log files. The tool analyses all headers and creates a detailed list of instructions explaining what the problem is, and how to resolve it.
Run this, and follow the step by step instructions on how to recover your database and logs.

So what happened?  After a week or so Wang Jijin sent me another mail

Thanks for your kindly help.
I've finanlly managed to restore the Exchange Server by restore the AD.
The DRAT (Disaster Recovery Analyzer Tool) told me that I only need the log files from FB to 10E. Then I just restore both the DC and the Exchange back to Just before the power failure and then rejoined the Exchange server to the domain. After my exchangeIS was running, I just followed the instructions offered by DRAT to recover my database off-place.

He also used this article to recover from his broken log set:
How to recover an Exchange 2000 Server database after error -1216.

Webcast for Introverts

I've included this webcast this month as it really struck a chord with me.  I work with a lot of introverts who do an amazing job.  However, in other parts of Microsoft, we tend to favour hiring extroverts (I sat through a recruitment day yesterday to decide who to hire for next years set of graduates.  I was the only part of the business group who wanted to hire introverts - perfect Developer Evangelists).  So I wondered, if you are an introvert, maybe you feel that you can't succeed as much as your fellow colleague who is an extrovert.  Well watch this webcast...

Microsoft Webcast: How Introverts Can Be Themselves and Also Succeed
Wednesday, June 07, 2006 - 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Pacific Time
Diane Darling, Author, Speaker, & CEO, Effective Networking, Inc.
Introverts have valuable knowledge to share, but they are often overlooked and undervalued. Intended for introverts and those who manage them, this webcast offers insights that can help introverts gain confidence, increase participation, and improve effectiveness. Learn techniques to help introverts feel more included and recommend ways to empower and encourage them without overwhelming them. This session also includes a special demonstration that provides tips on how introverts can give better software demonstrations using Microsoft Office Live Meeting. Understand why introverts are often overlooked, under-promoted, and misunderstood, and discover how you can empower them without forcing them to compromise their natural style.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032296783&Culture=en-US

RTC Webcasts for June

Microsoft Office System Webcast: Tips and Tricks for Microsoft Office Communicator 2005 (Level 100)
Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Pacific Time
Evan Archilla, Consultant, Projectline Services
Microsoft Office Communicator 2005 is an integrated communications client that enables information workers to communicate in real time. As the recommended client for Microsoft Office Live Communications Server 2005, Communicator 2005 integrates with Microsoft Office System applications and enterprise telephony infrastructure. Join us for this informative webcast to learn how you can communicate easily and efficiently in real time with Communicator 2005.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032290728&Culture=en-US

Microsoft Office System Webcast: Supercharge Your Live Meetings with Insider Tips and Tricks (Level 100)
Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Pacific Time
Evan Archilla, Consultant, Projectline Services
You and your employees can participate in interactive meetings from locations around the world with remote teams, prospects, customers, partners, colleagues, and global audiences—in real time and at a moments notice—thanks to the Microsoft Office Live Meeting Web conferencing service. With everyone participating from their desktops, teams can swap ideas, share information, mark up files, collaborate with whiteboards, or negotiate deals, all at a fraction of the cost of travel. Join us for this informative webcast and learn how you can help shorten sales cycles, increase productivity and improve the bottom line with Live Meeting.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032278910&Culture=en-US

Mobility Webcasts for June

MSDN Webcast: Mobile Web Development with ASP.NET 2.0: Data Access and Security (Part 3 of 5) (Level 200)
Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Pacific Time
Glen Gordon, MSDN Developer Community Champion, Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0 makes it easy to create Web applications that target hundreds of types of devices. You can deliver Web content to Windows Mobile powered Pocket PCs, smartphones, and pagers, all from a single code base. In this third webcast in a five-part series, we show you how to manage data in a mobile Web application using data-bound controls and other features of Microsoft ADO.NET 2.0. We also look at ways to implement authentication and authorization in a mobile Web application.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032298289&Culture=en-US

MSDN Webcast: Mobile Web Development with ASP.NET 2.0: Extensibility (Part 5 of 5) (Level 200)
Friday, June 23, 2006 - 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Pacific Time
Glen Gordon, MSDN Developer Community Champion, Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0 makes it easy to create Web applications that target hundreds of types of devices. You can deliver Web content to Windows Mobile powered Pocket PCs, smartphones, and pagers, all from a single code base. In this fifth webcast in a five-part series, we look at ways you can extend functionality by building custom mobile controls and mobile user controls. Learn how to derive new controls from existing controls, create composite controls, and build controls from scratch. We also show you how to implement your own control designers and device adapters.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032298258&Culture=en-US

Sharepoint webcasts for June

TechNet Webcast: Integrating SharePoint Portal Server 2003, Outlook, and Exchange (Level 300)
Wednesday, June 07, 2006 - 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Pacific Time
Scott Jamison, Information Worker Architect, Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003 and Microsoft Office Outlook provide key integration points such as contacts and calendars. However, many users want additional integration. This webcast explains how to better integrate SharePoint Portal Server 2003, Outlook, and Microsoft Exchange Server using custom Web parts, Single Sign-On (SSO), search in SharePoint Portal Server, and Microsoft Visual Studio 2005.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032298065&Culture=en-US

TechNet Webcast: Windows SharePoint Services: Overview and What's New (Level 200)
Monday, June 12, 2006 - 10:30 AM - 11:45 AM Pacific Time
Mike Fitzmaurice, Senior Product Manager - Portals, Microsoft Corporation
This webcast covers the technical fundamentals of Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services, the next generation of Web workspace technology from Microsoft. Find out what is new with Windows SharePoint Services, what has changed, how it works, and why you should use it to develop and deploy information sharing solutions. We recommend that you view this session before viewing the "Office SharePoint Server 2007: Overview and What's New" webcast.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032298070&Culture=en-US

TechNet Webcast: Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007: Overview and What's New (Level 200)
Tuesday, June 13, 2006 - 7:15 AM - 8:30 AM Pacific Time
Mike Fitzmaurice, Senior Product Manager - Portals, Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 is much more than an upgrade from Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003 and Microsoft Content Management Server 2002. This webcast provides an overview of the features in SharePoint Server 2007, and covers technical fundamentals, new sets of server functionality, and other factors developers and IT professionals must consider. Since Office SharePoint Server 2007 is built on Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, it is recommended that you attend the "Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 - Overview and What's New" webcast first.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032298079&Culture=en-US

MSDN Webcast: Enterprise Search Technical Drilldown on SharePoint Server 2007 (Level 300)
Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 5:00 AM - 6:15 AM Pacific Time
Bill English, Instructor and Owner, Mindsharp
This webcast explains how to work with the new search technology in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007. We demonstrate how to crawl different types of content sources and view the Gatherer Log for troubleshooting purposes. We also recommend best practices for developing a search strategy and illustrate how to implement a search strategy using different farm scenarios.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032298160&Culture=en-US

Microsoft Office System Webcast: Tips and Tricks for Simple Security with Office System 2003 and Windows SharePoint Services (Level 200)
Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Pacific Time
Andy Reed, Senior Training Specialist, Pacific Technical Consulting (PTC)
Find out how to implement features in Microsoft Office System 2003 to improve the privacy, security, and reliability of the information you create and share. This webcast shows you how to take advantage of the security and privacy features built into  Office System products, including the 2003 version of Microsoft Office Excel, Word, PowerPoint, along with Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services. Learn how to limit macro susceptibility, protect whole documents or just parts of them, audit content history, and limit access to spreadsheets, presentations, and documents. We demonstrate these techniques using a fictitious organization as our example and show some typical interactions between team members.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032293874&Culture=en-US

Messaging Webcasts for June

TechNet Webcast: Security Matters: Secure Messaging (Level 200)
Tuesday, June 06, 2006 - 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Pacific Time
Ryan McGee, Senior Product Manager, Security Product Market, Microsoft Corporation
This webcast outlines the Microsoft approach to securing a messaging infrastructure. Learn about the comprehensive, multi-layered Microsoft messaging solution comprised of on-premise software and hosted services that complement Microsoft Exchange Server. These products and technologies help prevent server outages, improve employee productivity, and enable secure remote access to Exchange Server. The customer's ability to choose how they want to deploy and manage their messaging infrastructure is given particular focus in this session.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032298106&Culture=en-US

TechNet Webcast: Integrating SharePoint Portal Server 2003, Outlook, and Exchange (Level 300)
Wednesday, June 07, 2006 - 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Pacific Time
Scott Jamison, Information Worker Architect, Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003 and Microsoft Office Outlook provide key integration points such as contacts and calendars. However, many users want additional integration. This webcast explains how to better integrate SharePoint Portal Server 2003, Outlook, and Microsoft Exchange Server using custom Web parts, Single Sign-On (SSO), search in SharePoint Portal Server, and Microsoft Visual Studio 2005.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032298065&Culture=en-US

TechNet Webcast: Protecting Your Exchange Server 2007 Network from Viruses and Spam (Level 300)
Thursday, June 08, 2006 - 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Pacific Time
Mihai Costea, Program Manager, Microsoft Corporation
Join this webcast to learn about the agent-based messaging hygiene features in the next version of Microsoft Exchange Server, code-named Exchange Server 2007. Out of the box, Exchange Server 2007 provides you with a competitive antispam solution that is composed of multiple filters with frequent updates and a built-in IP reputation system. Of interest to independent software vendors (ISVs) is antivirus technology such as store scanning and mechanisms for reliable and efficient transport scanning.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032294728&Culture=en-US

TechNet Webcast: Microsoft Exchange Server 2007: The Next Generation of Exchange (Level 200)
Monday, June 12, 2006 - 10:30 AM - 11:45 AM Pacific Time
Terry Myerson, General Manager of Exchange, Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, the next major version of Exchange Server, represents a leap forward. Information workers can now access larger mailboxes, and e-mail administrators have a more manageable and secure e-mail infrastructure than in the past. In this webcast, we provide an overview of the Exchange Server product direction and look at some of the new features that are included in the product.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032298073&Culture=en-US

TechNet Webcast: Getting Started with Exchange Server 2007: Simple Installation, Setup, and Administration Scenarios (Level 200)
Tuesday, June 13, 2006 - 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM Pacific Time
Alexander MacLeod, Software Development Engineer Test Lead, Microsoft Corporation
Charlie Chung, Program Manager, Microsoft Corporation
Built on a standard Microsoft installer so that you can take advantage of patching services such as the Software Update Service. New server roles so that you can flexibly deploy the topologies you require. The power to automate installation. These are just some of the new advancements in the Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 setup experience. This is a must-see webcast if you are looking for an overview and walk-through of how to deploy Exchange Server 2007.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032298081&Culture=en-US

TechNet Webcast: Mail That Speaks to You: Unified Messaging in Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 (Level 200)
Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 12:45 PM - 2:00 PM Pacific Time
David Howell, Group Program Manager, Microsoft Corporation
Unified Messaging is being integrated into Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. Attend this webcast to learn about the features and benefits of Exchange Unified Messaging. Exchange Unified Messaging supports speech recognition, so this demonstration is one you aren't going to want to miss! See how Exchange can take voice mail and fax messages and how you can call in over any phone to access your voice mail, e-mail, calendar, or contacts. Exchange Unified Messaging also supports a speech-enabled corporate directory service (an automated attendant) right out of the box, so that you can customize a highly professional telephone presence for your company.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032298092&Culture=en-US

Microsoft Office System Webcast: Tips and Tricks for More Secure Communication with Outlook 2003 (Level 100)
Thursday, June 29, 2006 - 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Pacific Time
Andy Reed, Senior Training Specialist, Pacific Technical Consulting (PTC)
Learn the fundamentals of security, auditing, privacy, and protection in Microsoft Office Outlook 2003. Find out how to choose secure passwords, create profiles, limit exposure to viruses and junk e-mail, create more secure attachments, and incorporate encryption and digital signatures into your e-mail. This webcast on connected productivity shows how you can reduce vulnerabilities and enhance reliable communication inside and outside your organization by implementing Outlook 2003 with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. This webcast illustrates these techniques through demonstrations that represent typical interactions between team members.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032293876&Culture=en-US

Momentum Webcast: Increase E-Mail Security and Availability Using Active Directory (Level 100)
Thursday, June 01, 2006 - 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Pacific Time
Tim Armstrong, Technology presenter, Microsoft Corporation
Maintaining the security and availability of e-mail is a daily responsibility for IT professionals. Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 was developed with this challenge in mind. Exchange Server 2003 builds on the strengths of the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory directory service to provide your organization with a secure and powerful e-mail infrastructure. Attend this webcast to learn how Exchange and Active Directory work together to increase the security and availability of your e-mail system, while opening new ways for users to access their information.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032297350&Culture=en-US

TechNet Webcast: Using Microsoft Antigen 9.0 to Secure E-Mail Servers (Level 200)
Tuesday, June 27, 2006 - 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Pacific Time
Peter Eicher, Senior Product Manager, Microsoft Corporation
Attend this webcast to learn about the latest versions of Microsoft Antigen for Exchange, Antigen for SMTP Gateways, and Antigen Spam Manager. Discover how these products can help protect your business from viruses, worms, spam, and inappropriate content. Find out how Antigen manages multiple antivirus engines to help improve overall virus detection, integrates multiple anti-spam technologies for maximum protection against unsolicited e-mail, and prevents undesirable language or inappropriate content from entering or leaving your organization’s e-mail system. This session includes a live demonstration of Antigen for Exchange, in addition to a discussion of new features like integration of the new Microsoft antivirus engine, improved cluster support, and an enhanced signature update process.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032298137&Culture=en-US

Office Webcasts for June

TechNet Webcast: Benefits of Deploying the 2007 Version of the Microsoft Office System (Level 100)
Thursday, June 01, 2006 - 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Pacific Time
Mark Mueller-Eberstein, Director, Office Deployment, Microsoft Corporation
This webcast explains how the 2007 version of the Microsoft Office System can help you address the challenges of information management within your organization. Find out how to use the 2007 version of the Office System to increase personal productivity, manage enterprise content, collaborate, discover knowledge, and gain insight. We also cover information worker solutions and fundamentals. In addition to the webcast content, free e-learning resources, including hands-on labs, will be made available to attendees.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032298453&Culture=en-US

TechNet Webcast: The 2007 Microsoft Office System Clients Applications: Overview and What's New (Level 200)
Monday, June 12, 2006 - 7:45 AM - 9:00 AM Pacific Time
Mark Alexieff, Senior Product Manager - Office, Microsoft Corporation
The innovations in the 2007 version of the Microsoft Office System client applications are significant and range across every aspect of the programs. This webcast provides an intensive tour of these enhancements, including demonstrations of the most important new capabilities in each of the client applications; insights into migration and coexistence with the new Microsoft Office Open XML file formats; examples of client integration with the new Office SharePoint Server 2007; and a fast-paced overview of the new, streamlined Office UI. In addition, learn about important advances in making the Office desktop applications easier to deploy and manage. This webcast concludes with a Tech•Ed road map to help you identify the product-specific technical sessions, detailed hands-on labs, and other content on the 2007 Microsoft Office client applications.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032298067&Culture=en-US

TechNet Webcast: Overview of Server Components in the 2007 Version of the Microsoft Office System (Level 200)
Tuesday, June 20, 2006 - 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM Pacific Time
Mike Fitzmaurice, Senior Product Manager, Microsoft Corporation
This webcast introduces you to the various server components in the 2007 version of the Microsoft Office System. Learn about innovations in both the client program and the server architecture. In addition to the webcast content, free e-learning resources, including hands-on labs, will be made available to attendees.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032298360&Culture=en-US

TechNet Webcast: Deploying the 2007 Version of the Microsoft Office System Client (Level 200)
Tuesday, June 27, 2006 - 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Pacific Time
Mark Mueller-Eberstein, Director, Office Deployment, Microsoft Corporation
This webcast provides guidance on how to deploy the 2007 version of the Microsoft Office System client. Find out what the deployment scenarios look like, and get connected with more learning resources. We cover topics such as planning for deployment, migrating from previous versions of Office, setup architecture, the new file format for the 2007 version of the Office System, and customizing and implementing the client. In addition to the webcast content, free e-learning, including hands on labs, will be made available to attendees.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032298455&Culture=en-US

MSDN Webcast: Creating and Deploying Custom Document Information Panels for the 2007 Release of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (Level 300)
Friday, June 09, 2006 - 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Pacific Time
Alnur Ali, Program Manager, Microsoft Corporation
This webcast shows how to create and deploy custom Document Information Panels to be hosted in the 2007 release of Microsoft Office Word documents, Excel workbooks, and PowerPoint presentations. Learn how to present and collect Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services library properties through custom Document Information Panels. We also show how to use the Document Information Panel to deploy a custom solution with connectivity to other server and network systems.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032298251&Culture=en-US

MSDN Webcast: Microsoft Office Open XML Formats (Level 300)
Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 2:30 PM - 3:45 PM Pacific Time
Brian Jones, Senior Program Manager, Microsoft Corporation
Learn about the huge change that will affect the role that Office documents can play in business processes and solutions. Previously, binary formats meant that Office documents were treated like a "black box," but now the open XML formats allow documents to serve as a first-class source of data as they travel through workflow and other business processes and solutions. Document content can now be integrated directly with systems old and new. Generating documents based on business data for up-to-date, accurate, and rich content is now possible throughout your own solutions. This webcast delves into schemas, solution code, and numerous examples.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032297834&Culture=en-US

Microsoft Office System Webcast: Tips for Improving Sales Productivity Results Using Outlook with the Mission Control System (Level 100)
Tuesday, June 06, 2006 - 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Pacific Time
Brian Stuhlmuller, Executive Vice President, Mission Control
Are you ready to blow the lid off your quota? Discover the award-winning Mission Control approach to productivity that can help you produce a dramatic increase in sales results in your organization. This webcast introduces you to an entirely new way of thinking about, organizing, and managing your sales activities in Microsoft Office Outlook 2003. Learn to build new work habits that can give you more confidence with prospects, become more focused in your sales activities, and most importantly, be more effective at hitting and exceeding your sales targets.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032293878&Culture=en-US

Microsoft Office System Webcast: A First Look at Microsoft Office "12" (Level 100)
Thursday, June 08, 2006 - 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Pacific Time
Evan Archilla, Senior Training Specialist, Projectline Services
The demands facing organizations and individuals in today's always-on, always-connected digital work environment are more complex than ever. The next release of Microsoft Office, code-named Office “12”, delivers tools that enable individual workers to make a stronger impact with their daily tasks, manage their communications and collaboration in a unified environment, and more readily visualize and extract valuable insights from large volumes of incoming information. In this webcast, see how Office "12" can help improve productivity through a new results-oriented user interface, powerful graphics and diagramming engines, and advanced task and information management tools. In addition, learn about new solutions to help control content, streamline business processes, collaborate across organizational boundaries, and make more informed decisions.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032290359&Culture=en-US

Microsoft Office System Webcast: Top 10 Tips to Save Time in Excel (Level 100)
Tuesday, June 13, 2006 - 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Pacific Time
Andy Reed, Senior Training Specialist, Pacific Technical Consulting (PTC)
Find out how you can use Microsoft Office Excel 2003 to improve the way you turn data into information and analyze, communicate, and share your results. Excel 2003 not only offers a wide range of useful built-in technologies and features, but also improves upon existing and familiar tools. Join us to learn some of our favorite tips and tricks for getting the most out of Excel 2003. Discover how to use the powerful tools of Excel 2003 to facilitate effective and efficient collaboration and information sharing in your organization.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032293872&Culture=en-US

Microsoft Office System Webcast: Creating Effective Organizational Charts with Help from Work Essentials (Level 100)
Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Pacific Time
Annette Marquis, Partner, TRIAD Consulting
Gini Courter, Partner, TRIAD Consulting
Whether you work at a small company or a multinational corporation, you need to know how to monitor and communicate organizational changes. This webcast shows how you can create simple, attractive, and functional organizational charts using the Microsoft Office Online Work Essentials solution, ‘Tracking and reporting organizational changes’. Learn how to create automatic charts in Microsoft Office Visio 2003 from data in Microsoft Office Excel 2003, and publish them to the Web. We also show you how to develop simple organizational charts using Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003 and Microsoft Office Word 2003. This webcast is presented in association with the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), the world’s largest association for administrative support staff.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032290672&Culture=en-US

Microsoft Office System Webcast: Tips and Tricks for Office "12": What You Can Do with the New XML File Formats (Level 300)
Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Pacific Time
Stephanie Krieger, Author and Document Production Expert, (not applicable)
Heard about the new file formats in Microsoft Office "12", but not sure what they will mean for you? Are you curious about XML but not convinced that it is relevant to the work you do? Join this webcast for a look inside the new XML file formats found in Office "12" applications—Word, Excel, and PowerPoint—and see how they make it easier to access, edit, and manage your documents. XML gives your documents many new capabilities and makes it even easier to use the Office programs together for creating truly great documents in less time. In this webcast, learn the basics of working with the new file formats and harness the power of XML to get the most out of the time you spend in Office every day.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032290512&Culture=en-US

Microsoft Office System Webcast: Tips and Tricks for Fast and Fabulous Excel 2003 Charts (Level 300)
Tuesday, June 20, 2006 - 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM Pacific Time
Stephanie Krieger, Author and Document Production Expert, .
If there is logic to it, Microsoft Office Excel 2003 can do it, especially when it comes to charting. Tune in to learn quick and simple ways to customize charts and make effective statements. Discover tips and techniques for the things you might not know Excel 2003 charts can do, from fine-tuning data labels to combining chart types. This webcast provides you with a full bag of tips and tricks for getting the perfect Excel 2003 chart in less time than you ever imagined. Learn a fast and easy technique for getting that Excel chart into your Word document flawlessly—no trial and error required.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032293880&Culture=en-US

Microsoft Office System Webcast: Tips and Tricks for Using OneNote and Groove in the 2007 Version of Office Enterprise (Level 100)
Tuesday, June 27, 2006 - 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Pacific Time
Scott Rockfeld, Group Product Manager, Microsoft Corporation
See how Microsoft Office Groove 2007 and Microsoft Office OneNote 2007 add capabilities beyond those of  the 2007 version of Microsoft Office Professional Plus to create a solution that helps you collaborate and work efficiently in the “New World of Work.” Groove 2007 helps teams collaborate whether they are online or offline, and OneNote 2007 enables unstructured information to become part of the corporate record. You won’t want to miss this webcast, where you can learn what’s next and see how the tools in the 2007 version of Office Enterprise  help information workers to meet their business objectives more effectively.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032293882&Culture=en-US

Small Business Webcast: Sneak Preview of the 2007 Release of Microsoft Office (Level 100)
Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM Pacific Time
Greg Randall, Business Development Manager, Microsoft Corporation
The 2007 release of Microsoft Office (formerly code-named Office "12") is coming. Are you ready for it? Join this free 30-minute webcast for a sneak preview of the 2007 release of Office, and be among the first to learn what's new in the next generation of the Office family of products!
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032297554&Culture=en-US

Momentum Webcast: Discovering the Hidden Gems of Office Pro 2003: InfoPath, XML, and IRM (Level 100)
Thursday, June 01, 2006 - 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Pacific Time
Rick Hererra, IW Partner Tech Specialist, Microsoft Corporation
Companies often collect a huge amount of potentially useful data, but without effective tools and processes, it can be difficult to capitalize on the information buried deep within documents and databases. In this webcast, we explore the information management tools built into Microsoft Office 2003, including Microsoft Office InfoPath, XML, and information rights management (IRM). Tune in to find out how these tools and technologies can help improve the way your organization gathers, organizes, reuses, and protects its critical business information.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032293678&Culture=en-US

Momentum Webcast: Five Ways to Get Top Value from Microsoft Office - Why Upgrade Now (Level 100)
Tuesday, June 06, 2006 - 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Pacific Time
Travis Swank, Solution Specialist, Microsoft Corporation
This webcast counts down five ways to get maximum value from Microsoft Office, and explains why now is a great time to upgrade your edition of Microsoft Office. Join us to hear about the advantages to choosing Microsoft Office Professional Enterprise Edition 2003, including better tools for information management, more effective methods for spam control, and an incentive for purchasing or upgrading now.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032293680&Culture=en-US

MOM and SMS Webcasts June 06

The death of the iPod?

Not yet...but certainly something to think about...

I was scanning through the news links this morning and noticed this article saying that within 5 years, then most of us would not be carrying portable MP3 players around at all, but instead would be listening to music on our cellphones.  Until I got my new device, I'd not really considered this as a possibility, but now with the option of a 1GB storage card in the phone, not only can I listen to music, I can also watch DVD's and things like that.  Listening to music on your phone is fairly common now. Melvilles wife is a teacher at a school where cellphones are banned in class.  She often catches kids in the classroom listening to music on their phones instead of  focusing on the lesson.  It's really easy to jam the phone signals with a neat little device that could make your train journeys blissfully silent (not that I'd "recommend" that at all of course...Hee hee!).  Now it would be great to jam that annoying tinny music sound that rattles out of MP3's at top volume into peoples ears... Now there's a thought..

But the thing that I noticed about the Techweb story was not the content, but the DHTML in the top right hand corner of the page.  My IE7 beta 2 pop up blocker completrely ignored it as it's technically not a pop up.  It certainly brings a new aspect to ads, op-ups and pop unders doesn't it?...

Software using Full Mailbox Access permission in Exchange

I knew that as soon as I highlighted something "important" that you needed to do on yor Exchange systems, I'd get something wrong, or miss something out.. Nick sent me a mail mentioning possible issues with MS-019...

I have been alerted to a possible issue you may want to stick on your blog.
The security update you mention includes an Exchange store fix for the “send as” permission.  Any software that uses the “Full Mailbox Access” permission such as RIM’s Blackberry or Goodlink or stuff like that can stop working.
A permissions check needs to be made against the “correct” way of setting it up as per this article - if done right there is no problem, otherwise the permissions are changed, the relevant BB or GL accounts don’t get access to the mailboxes correctly and the servers / services will stop.
Symptoms are kind of obvious: third party services stop working.
I was alerted to this at the start of the week but forgot to email you on it. This may now be out of date as the security update was updated 2 days after release but I thought you ought to know as the Exchange Blog Queen.
 

So, something to chack if you're using BlackBerrys.  Install the updated patch...

And Blog Queen?  No - that's the enigmatic and magical Betsy... 

Check that your Exchange system is up to date

We released a security bulletin about Exchange the other day, (MS06-019) with a critical severity rating.  It's  a good idea to check that your systems are up to date.  To find out whether your system needt this patch, then use the Baseline Security Analyser:

This is the first security bulletin for Exchange 2003 this year so I thought it was important that I brought it to your attntion.   

Phone wizard

Well after months and months of dithering and prevarication, I've finally got my hands on a nice new phone.  The Windows mobile team sent me one of these to evangelise.  Certainly!

Very impressive - the Wizard 100 has lots of features.  It won't fit in my little phone pocket in my handbag which means lots of fumbling around when it's ringing.  I haven't activated any voice tags yet - so I can't call anyone when I'm out on the road.  But it has bluetooth, and Wifi and GPRS, and push email, and the ability to find a contact from the GAL and encryption and lots of other things. 

But the handbag thing bothers me.  How girly.  Wonder how long I'll use this as my primary device then?..

MSN Messenger 8.0 beta

Well it's not really MSN messenger 8.0 any more, it's called Windows Live Messenger. And you can download it now as it's gone to a beta program where enyone can try it out.  Just go here to see all of the different beta programs you can be a part of and download the new interface.  It's got VOIP support too along with a really nice look and feel to the interface.  There have been lots of announcements about the  ability to send messages when the other person is offline and the shared folders feature too.

But the bit I like the best is the icon just under my user name (which looks like a calendar and clock) which takes me to Windows Live today.  Hotmail, MSN and news in a tabbed window.  Nice integration. 

Download it from http://ideas.live.com and start chatting...