List of Windows client OS versions and their Windows Server equivalents

Here’s a list of Windows versions and their Server equivalent:

Windows client version	Windows Server version
Windows XP	Windows Server 2003
Windows Vista	Server 2008
Windows 7	Server 2008 R2
Windows 8	Server 2012
Windows 8.1	Server 2012 R2

--Neno

How to hibernate Windows using command line

Use this command:

rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,SetSuspendState

Source: Microsoft KB article 555569

This works on Windows XP and higher.

--Neno

How to fix: IE keeps asking for credentials

On a computer, where you have all necessary permissions, IE presents you the credentials prompt every time you try to open a site on that machine.

You have probably already tried one of the following:

• Turned off User Account Control (UAC)
• Turned off Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration (IE ESC)
• Added the URL to Trusted Sites in Internet Options

Try this:

1. In IE, open Internet Options, Security tab, click on Sites.
2. Unselect “Automatically detect intranet network” and check all checkboxes (so that it matches the following screenshot):

How to securely erase a hard disk?

Solution:

1. Delete all files on hard disk (and clear recycle bin)
2. Download the free SDelete.exe from Sysinternals and run the following command:

sdelete.exe –z <Driverletter> (e.g. K:)

SOLVED: Cannot download from MSDN subscriber downloads. An add-on … failed to run

When trying to download from MSDN Subscriber Downloads you receive the following error message in IE:

“An add-on for this website failed to run.”

Workaround:

Manually install File Transfer Manager from here.

PS: For other issues, you might want to look here.

Syncing any folder with SkyDrive

The issue:

The SkyDrive desktop app for Windows only allows synchronizing a single directory (by default C:\Users\<Username>\SkyDrive) between your hard drive and the cloud.

The workaround:

Using NTFS junction points you can “create a symbolic link to a directory which then functions as an alias of that directory”.

The command to execute in the SkyDrive folder is:

mklink /J <name-of-alias> <path-to-existing-folder>

(e.g. mklink /J Photos D:\Skype\Photos)

More information can be found in these articles:

• Sync any folder to SkyDrive
• Sync any folder to Dropbox, Skydrive or Google Drive using Junction

Warning: Unfortunately, if you create junction points in the SkyDrive folder itself, SkyDrive will not correctly monitor for changes (see here). As a workaround you could move the original folders into the SkyDrive folder, and create junctions at the old locations to point at the same data. This way SkyDrive monitors the folders as expected.

Updates to this blog post:

• Updated (March 4th, 2013): Added warning regarding SkyDrives monitoring (see here).
• Updated (March 15th, 2013): Added workaround to to get the monitoring to work with junctions (an idea found here).

How to fix: Your current security settings do not allow this file to be downloaded (IE)

When trying to download a file in IE you receive the following error message:

“Security Alert: Your current security settings do not allow this file to be downloaded.”

Steps to fix the problem (found here):

1. Start Internet Explorer.
2. Click Tools » Options.
3. Click on the Security tab.
4. Select the Internet Zone.
5. Click on the Custom Level button and then scroll down to Downloads.
6. Make sure to set File download to Enable.
7. Click OK.

Windows reports its missing a required driver or certificate in order to use a smart card

When trying to use a smart card, you receive the error message:

A smart card was detected but is not the one required for the current operation. The smart card you are using may be missing required driver software or a required certificate.

Steps to resolve:

1. Go to the Microsoft Catalog and download the driver required for your smart card (I searched for "Gemalto" and found the Gemalto Minidriver for .NET, which worked for me).
2. Unzip the downloaded file.
3. Right-click the .INF file and click “Install”.
4. Done. You can use your smart card now. :-)

More information (thanks to Ben and Daniel for those articles):

• Smartcard Needing Drivers In Order To Be Smart
• Connecting a Smart Card to a Windows 7 virtual machine

Windows 7 Backup fails after a few seconds

If you observe the following behavior:

Windows 7 Backup fails after a few seconds with an “Insufficient Space" message and error code 0x81000033

Error Message:

“Windows Backup skipped backing up system image because one of the critical volumes is not having enough free space. Free up some space by deleting unnecessary files and try again.
Error code: 0x81000033”

Reasons:

The problem is caused by lack of free space in the hidden ‘system reserved’ partition (that Windows created).

How to fix:

Enlarge the hidden ‘system reserved’ partition (e.g. to 350 MB).

Further information:

• For a more detailed description and step-by-step instructions how to resolve this, refer to this article: http://www.pagestart.com/win7br0x8100003301.html

Windows 7 Backup: Cannot backup to network share

When using Windows 7 Backup (also available as part of Windows 8), you receive the following error message when trying to store the backup on a network location:

“The validation information class requested was invalid.”

Workaround (found in this forum post):

In the username field, specify the username as “DEVICE\username”, where DEVICE is the network device where you are trying to store the backups to.

Enjoy!

 

PS: The German version of the error message is: “Die Überprüfungsinformationsklasse war unzulässig.”

How to create a bootable USB flash drive

You need:

1. a USB stick
2. the tool "HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool"
3. a DOS boot disk. You can download a ready-to-use FreeDOS boot disk here (thanks to this blog).

See also:

• How to create a bootable USB flash drive to install Windows 8 Developer Preview

How to merge two files using the command line

Use the "copy /b" command as explained here:

copy /b "list of old files or * for all files" "newfile"

For example, to join file1.txt, file2.txt and file3.txt together to new file: file4.txt use:

copy /b file1.txt +file2.txt +file3.txt file4.txt

or:

copy /b *.txt newfile.txt

External USB hard disk drives not recognized after uninstalling Acronis True Image

Symptoms:

• External USB drives / USB sticks are not recognized.
• In the Windows event log a message similar to the following one appears:
  "The driver \Driver\tdrpman273 failed to load for the device"

Applies to:

• Acronis True Image Home 2011/2012

Solution (found in the Acronis forums):

1. Entirely remove Acronis True Image.
   (if you have trouble uninstalling it from the Control Panel, use the Cleanup utility provided by Acronis. Caution: This removes all Acronis products from your machine)
   
2. From Acronis KB 14871:

(!) After using Cleanup Utility, it is strongly recommended not to reboot the machine, go to Start -> Run -> regedit, and verify that there are no snapman*, tdrpman*, timounter strings in the following keys:

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E967-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318} -> UpperFilters and LowerFilters
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{71A27CDD-812A-11D0-BEC7-08002BE2092F} -> UpperFilters and LowerFilters

Good luck!

How to store credentials for automated logon in Windows Credential Manager via command line

Beginning with Windows Vista/Server 2008 you can add credentials to Credential Manager on the command line using Cmdkey.exe

Cmdkey /add:Servername /user:User /pass:Password

Solution: Internet Explorer detected as mobile device

Problem description:

"Internet Explorer redirects to mobile layout web site"
"Some websites are connecting to mobile version"
Why am I getting mobile sites? I'm using my desktop PC!

Solution: (as found in this thread)

1. In the Windows registry navigate to the following key:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\5.0\User Agent\Post Platform
2. Remove the entry "Creative AutoUpdate v1.40.01"
3. Close all Internet Explorer windows.

Background:
Some websites are scanning the user agent string for the word "PDA", unfortunately the word "Update", contains PDA. Thus, those websites present their mobile versions instead.

Unable to display feeds in Internet Explorer 7/8

Problem Description:
After clicking on a subscribed feed in Internet Explorer you get a message that the feed could not be downloaded.
If you run Internet Explorer as an administrator (right-click "Run as Admin") feeds are displayed as expected.
Solution:
Equipped with administrative privileges change the integrity level of your feeds folder (located under %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Feeds) to low by typing:

icacls feeds /setintegritylevel (OI)(CI)low

Related posts:

• Unable to save to favorites folder in Windows Vista (Unspecified Error in IE7)

Error message: "Invoke or BeginInvoke cannot be called on a control until the window handle has been created" when Installing SQL Server 2008

Applies to: SQL Server 2008 on Windows 7/Server 2008 R2
Error message:

Invoke or BeginInvoke cannot be called on a control until the window handle has been created.
(as described in Microsoft KB article 975055)

Workaround:

"Generally, if you just rerun it won't hit the issue again." (Source)

A computer stops responding during shutdown if BitLocker is enabled on the system drive

Symptoms

When shutting down the screen turns black and nothing happens whilst the computer fan and other devices are still running.

Assumption

You have BitLocker enabled for the system drive.

Solution

Hotfix available by Microsoft: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/975496/en-us

(Thanks to Kay Giza for this tip.)

Two and a half reasons *not* to use BitLocker

I had to disable BitLocker for two (and a half) reasons:

1. It’s not that easy anymore to create a backup image of BitLocker-protected drives.
   You can still do sectory-by-sector copies which require more space and time to create and restore.
   http://kb.acronis.com/content/1734
2. You cannot boot natively from a VHD if this VHD is placed on a BitLocker-protected drive.
   My laptop has only a single hard drive and you can can’t boot to VHD on network or removable drives.
3. If your laptop is not equipped with a TPM you need to insert a USB stick every time before you can boot your laptop.

Enable BitLocker without a TPM on Windows 7

Problem

You receive an error that BitLocker will not work if no compatible TPM hardware is present.

Workaround

Use an USB stick (that always have to be inserted before booting your machine).

Steps

1. Open group policy editor: Start » gpedit.msc
2. Navigate to:
   • Computer Configuration
   • » Administrative Templates
   • » Windows Components
   • » BitLocker Drive Encryption
   • » Operating System Drives
3. Double-click Require Additional Authentication at Startup.
4. Click Enable.
5. Done!

More information:

• BitLocker Drive Encryption - Windows 7 Drive - Turn On or Off with no TPM