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Small Business Server 2003 and 2008 both do a very nice job of managing your incoming and outgoing faxes. All you need to do it to install a FAX modem in the Server, connect the fax line to the modem, and then a quick setup will allow you to receive faxes and route them to a folder, an e-mail address, and/or a printer. Additionally, outgoing faxes can then be sent from users desktops, with notifications of the results being printed or e-mailed to an address you can specify.
This same possibility is also in Windows Server 2008R2. With FAX becoming somewhat obsolete it is a noce way to handle FAXes in a PC environment.
Many of our clients will tell you that we have always recommended Cablevision as preferred Internet Service Provider. Comcast is OK if you cannot get Cablevision, but Cablevision’s customer service makes it second to none. In our opinion Verizon has lost the concept of customer service (except for their wireless phone group) so we recomend them when nothing else is available.
So it is with great pleasure we announce that we are not a Cablevision Partner eligible to resell all of Cablevision’s Business services; Internet, Voice, and Media (TV).
If you want a comparison, or just to kick ideas around, contact us and we will be happy to help you.
Sample Pricing as of Jan 2012
Office needs internet and has 3 voice phone lines and a dedicate fax line Pricing for Optonline Business services would be:
Internet (Optonline) $49.95/mo
4 Optimum Voice lines @ 29.95/month
Total monthly cost $169.95
Installation charge $46.95
Currently the first year pricing would be $20.00/ month less as you would have the double play (Optimum Online + Optimum Voice) which reduces the internet portion to $29.95/ mo for the first 12 months.
While Outlook Express is no longer included in Window 7, We have several small clients and home users running Windows XP that use this program. Last week we encountered 2 different users that could no longer delete items. The problem was that their Deleted items folder had gotten to 2GB, and 2GB is the maximum size allowed for any of the folders in Outlook Express.
Even after emptying the Deleted items and compressing the box, th user could still not delete items.
The solution is to close outlook, and find the deleted.dbx folder (Documents and settings/username/Local settings/application data/identities/abcdefgh1234/ where Username is the user logged into the computer, and the abcdefgh1234 represent an identity on the machine) and delete the file deleted.dbx. When outlook restarts, it will create a new file and users can continue to delete items
Recently installed a new Windows 2008 R2 server that was to be used primarily as a Remote Desktop Server (New term formerly known as Terminal Server). All was good except users could not print remotely. Microsoft has done a good job with the printer redirection function and all of the remote printers appeared without adding the drivers on the W2008 machine. The problem was that if you printed to the redirected printer, nothing got send to the remote printer.
After digging a bit I found this post from Microsoft that describes and resolves the issue:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968605/en-us
Symptoms are:
When you use a RDP client or Terminal Service client from a Windows XP SP2 or later version, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, or Windows Server 2008 using RDP 6.0 or 6.1 clients into a Windows Server 2008 Terminal Server running in Application Mode. The XPS file is being sent back over to the client. You might see it spool on the server then disappear or the job never gets back to the client.the XPS file is being sent back over to the client. You might see it spool on the server then disappear or the job never gets back to the client.
The cause is listed as:
Besides having the role of Terminal Services in Application Mode installed, you also installed the role of a Domain Controller (DC)
When a DC is being configured as a TS server, there is a standard warning message which states:
“Installing Terminal Services on a Domain Controller is not recommended. Do you want to continue?”
Yes not recomended, ut in this case users primarly (and only domain controller was a SBS2003 server and client may switch everything to the new server at some point. For redundancy we installed the second Domain Controller on the W2008R2 machine.
Solution:
1. Click Start, search for cmd.exe
2. Right click on cmd.exe
3. Click on ‘Run as Administrator’
4. Type “C:\” w/o the quotation marks and then Press Enter.
5. Type CD\Windows\System32\Spool and then Press Enter.
6. Type Cacls.exe PRINTERS /e /g users:C and then Press Enter.
7. Restart the computer
When the users log back in everything works.
We have recently began using Microsoft CRM to see gain some experience with it, and also to see how it may help our customers. On Installing it, the Ribbon bar on our Outlook 2010 dissappeared. It appears this is a common occurance. The resolution is:
- Run Regedit.exe
- Locate the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\{2DF8D04C-5BFA-101B-BDE5-00AA0044DE52} key
- Delete the 2.4 key that’s found under it. It’s not needed anymore, there should only be 2.5
As always, run regit at your own risk. A mistake in using it can make your machine unusable.
PDF files were developed by Adobe to be documents that can be used across different platforms (windows, MAC, Unix, etc). The PDF stands for Portable Document Format, and the format has become a standard format on numerous platforms. We occasionally get questions on “How can I edit a PDF” or “How can I create my own PDF”. This will hopefully take some of the mystery of PDF files away and show you ways you can create your own PDF files, and how it is possible to edit the files.
Adobe makes two primary versions of the Acrobat program, the Acrobat Reader that it gives away freely, but it also make an Adobe Acrobat Standard version that allows you not only to create PDF files, but also make editable forms from those files. The earlier versions (Version 5 and before) were called Acrobat Writer, but since Version 6 they have been know as Adobe Acrobat Standard and Adobe Acrobat Pro. The Pro versions have a few more features than the “Standard” versions. Adobe has just released its newest version of Adobe Acrobat, the Acrobat X Pro and Acrobat X Standard. The X is a take off from the 10th release of the Adobe Acrobat Product.
With the Pro or Standard you can create PDF files from your existing applications by printing to an Acrobat Printer, but you can open PDF documents and if they are text oriented, you can make them so that you create fields to be filled in by the end users and then printed. Users who have only the reader can still fill in the fields in the acrobat document, but you cannot save the data in the form unless you have the Acrobat Pro or Standard editions.
There are other PDF programs available from third parties that are generally less expensive than the Acrobat Versions. The Acrobat Standard retails for $299 and the Pro is $449, while most of the third party PDF creators are between $100 and $200.
If you objective is to create PDF files from your Word or Excel documents, you can do that if you have Office 2010, or if you have Office 2007, you can download a free add-on from Microsoft. Then when you save your Office document you can save it in a PDF format. These converters will not allow you to create custom forms or edit exiting PDF files, but it is a big step to be able to create PDF files from within your existing MS Office applications.
Finally there are people that want to create PDF files, but do not have Microsoft Office 2007 or later. For them we can recommend downloading and installing the “Cute PDF Writer”. You can download Cute PDF Writer. When you run the program it will install a PDF Printer on your computer. Then when you want to create a PDF file, simple print to that PDF Printer and it will ask you the name and where you want to save it, and the file will be saved as a PDF file.
If you wnat to get a more powerful PDF creator porgram you can also buy one of the third party programs such as PDF Converter Professional:
For under $100, it will not only create PDF files, but also allow you to create fill in forms, combine PDF files and a number of other features.
If you purchase Microsoft Office 2007 between March 5, 2010 and September 30, 2010, you are eligible for a free upgrade to an equal Office 2010 version. To take advantage of Microsoft Office 2010 Technology Guarantee, you will need to:
- Install and activate your qualifying Office 2007 product by September 30, 2010.
- Provide your Product ID-it is required to redeem your Technology Guarantee Office 2010 upgrade.
- Retain your activated Office 2007 25-character Product Key.
You have to log into the Microsoft site and put in your product code for the Office 2007 version you received. You will then get a link to be able to download the Office 2010 version plus you will get the new product key in your e-mail. While the purchase/ install/ activate date has to be on or before Sept 30, 2010, you have until Oct 31 to submit your claim.
Here is a table showing you what version of 2010 you will get for your 2007 version. Note: Small Business versions get upgraded to Professional
Office 2007 Qualifying Product
|
Office 2010 Upgrade Product
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| Office Ultimate 2007 |
Office Professional 2010 |
| Office Professional 2007 |
Office Professional 2010 |
| Office Small Business 2007 |
Office Professional 2010 |
| Office Standard 2007 |
Office Home and Business 2010 |
| Office Home and Student 2007 |
Office Home and Student 2010 |
SyncToy is a free Microsoft program that will allow you to sync files between two computer or two drives. It is a great program for people with laptops who will do work remotely and then want to “sync” the changed files to their office computer. There are other ways this can be done such as offline folders, but SyncToy makes it easy to synchronize files without connecting to a network and has some features that Offline Folders do not..
SyncToy is available here
Once you have download SyncToy, run the install program and then start the program.
If this is the first time you have run the program it will start and ask you to setup a Sync Pair. If you have already setup a sync pair It will show you the pairs.
 - Opening Screen
To create a new folder pair to synchronize, click the Create New Folder Pair button at the bottom. A Pair creating screen will open:
 Create Folder Pair Click on the Browse button on each both sides to select the folders in the two locations you want to synchronize. Generally the left folder should be the primary location and the right folder the Laptop or secondary location. (Note this makes no difference when you do a full synchronization).
 Synchronize If you select Full Synchronization it will update both sides of the “SYNC” with the newer information. Beware. If you have done work on say a spreadsheet on your laptop, and on the desktop open and resave the same worksheet. The desktop will be the newer file and will overwrite the file on the laptop even though that is the one you have modified and really want. You can also select Echo or Contribute. (See the explanation of the actions on the right side.) When you click Next and you will be asked to name the Sync Pair:
 Name That will complete the setup. All you have to do is to decide if you want to synchronize all of your Sync Pairs, or just one Folder Pair. To Synchronize ALL of the pairs, click the All Folder Pairs on the left side, and click the Run All Pairs button at the bottom.
 Run All To run just a specific pair, select the pair on the left side and then click on the Run button at the bottom right.
 Run One Pair In either case you can preview the results by clicking on the Preview button at the bottom right.
In early Windows versions there was a simple word processor called Write. It disappeared around the same time that Windows 98 came onto the scene. I recently had a client replace their old Windows 98 machines, with Windows 7. They also jumped from Office 97 to Office 2007, so they really got updated. One problem we faced is that they use an older real estate program that saved files in a .wri (Windows Write format). When we tried to open the older document in Windows 7, Word Pad would open, and the document would be corrupt at the top and bottom. After looking into it, the Write program (write.exe) is simply a stub that then launches WordPad. In order to make it function the way they need it to, we copied the old Write program from one of the old computers and after making a copy of the Write.exe program (in the Windows directory), we replaced it. I was a little surprised that it seems to be working just fine and all of their old documents are now readable.
In summary, in Windows 7 (and probably most recent versions of Windows) Write is simply starting WordPad.exe. If you need to older Write Program, simply replace the Write.exe file in the Windows directory with the older version.
We recently had a client that had a small scanner he used to scan documents. The scanner was new and had been working without issues until suddenly one day the computer reported that the USB devices were overpowered. There is a limit to how much power you can draw, but only 3 devices were installed (the keyboard, mouse, and the scanner). The keyboard and mouse should be very low power, but the Scanner was utilizing the USB connection to provide both the communication and the power to the unit.
USB devices are limited to a maximum of 500mA of current draw. Because of this, if it was drawing too much, then best solution is to put in a second powered USB hub (a powered USB hub has a power connection as well as a USB connection to the computer). After adding the external USB hub, we again plugged the USB Scanner in, and got the same overpowered message. After repeating it several times, we wanted to narrow it down to the scanner, or the USB cable, so we replaced the USB cable. Suddenly there were no problems.
Part of the moral of the story is to always test the simple things first.
As far as USB ports and HUBs, most USB hubs (and your USB ports on a computer are basically one powered hub) can provide a maximum of 500mA. There are two types of port replicators; one is powered only by the port it is connected to, the other has a separate power connection with a transformer. The non-powered units are simply splitting up the existing 500mA of power that is available. The powered USB Hubs are the preferred type. If you have a lot of USB devices, or have devices that rely on the USB port to provide all of the power, the powered USB hub is the only way to go.
If you want to see how much current you are drawing, simply go to the device manager, right click on one of the USB Hubs listed and go to Properties. On the properties dialog box, click on the Power tab, and you will see the power available as well as the power in use.
 Windows 7 Device Manager On the properties dialog box, click on the Power tab, and you will see the power available as well as the power in use. The USB Composite device is a wireless mouse transmitter, the G4050 is an HP Scanner in idle mode, and the Mass Storage Device is a Relay thumb drive (512Mb, older Staples model). It is a bit surprising it take 200mA.
 USB Properties
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