System time synchronization in xp using w32tm commands

Due to hardware problem, every day system date and time settings were getting lost.
Solution :Specify external time server & other few settings in registry and then run the w32tm command.

Registry settings:
HKLM \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Services \ W32Time \ ParametersHere set following subkeys:1) Type = NTP2) Ntpserver = 1.asia.pool.ntp.org

HKLM \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Services \ W32Time \ Config
MaxPosPhaseCorrection : ffffffff { Earlier it was 3600 (decimal) = 1 hour, I have changed this value to all ffffffff (hex) to have maximum offset i.e. even if time difference is large. }

MaxNegPhaseCorrection : ffffffff { Same as above }
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After this run the command

w32tm /resync /rediscover

I have written above command in a batch file and the put that batch file in windows startup. So everytime after PC start it will synchronize with external time source & we get correct time.

Batch file commands :
@ECHO OFF
w32tm /resync /rediscover

Email profile configuration using mail icon from control panel gives error

When creating a new profile from control panel - "There was an error locating one of items needed to complete this operation. It might have been deleted."
Also when starting outlook 2003 it gives error - "Unable to open your default e-mail folders"
Solution :
1. Delete file: Mapisvc.inf in \windows\system32 folder.
2. Delete file: Mapisvc.inf in \Program Files\Common Files\System\MSMAPI\1033 folder.
3. Create new email profile from control panel.

RAID Array controller (smart array 6i) on HP server giving "Array Accelerator Battery Charge Low" errors

Following error is logged in event viewer on windows server running on HP server having Smarty Array 6i RAID controller.

"1794-Drive Array - Array Accelerator Battery Charge Low... ...Array Accelerator is temporarily disabled. Array Accelerator will be re-enabled when battery reaches full charge. Audible Beeps: None Possible Cause: The battery charge is below 75 percent. Posted writes are disabled. Action: Replace the array accelerator board if the batteries do not recharge within 36 powered-on hours."

The function of this battery is to provide supply to "write cache" on controller card and is used in case when power supply abruptly fails and it retains the pending writes in "write cache". The same data is written back to RAID array when power comes back.

As suggested by HP I upgraded RAID firmware & the error message is gone. Further if still remains then there could be genuiene fault with battery one needs to replace battery on controller.

Blackberry mails send / receive problem

This is regarding mails send/receive problem faced sometimes on your blackberry handset. One source of the problem is switching between different carriers when a user is travelling, this can happen. Pls. follow the below given procedures to solve the issue.

Solution 1:

1. On your blackberry handset press blackberry key. This will bring full menu on screen.
2. Scroll down to bottom and select Options. Further go to -> Advanced Options -> Host Routing Table
3. Press blackberry key and select “Register Now”. It will send a registration SMS. When you do a "Register Now" it basically reaches out to what ever carrier that you're attached to at the moment and requests that their system checks their settings compared to yours to make sure that everything is connected properly.
4. Then switch off BB handset, remove battery and again re-insert after a minute.

Solution 2:

1. On your blackberry handset press blackberry key. This will bring full menu on screen.
2. Scroll down to bottom and select “Manage Connections”.
3. Inside “Manage Connections” menu, click on Mobile Network Options.
4. Here “network selection mode” is set to “automatic” by default. Scroll to “Automatic”, press scroll button and change this mode to “Manual”.
5. This will scan and show the available networks. Select one of the network and check for send / receive. If it doesn’t work check with another network.

Office 2003 SP3 installation - SKU011.CAB error

While installing Office 2003 SP3, it asked for original CD/source for office 2003. I had cancelled it as i didn't had CD ready with me. Next time when starting excel it gave me following error.
"Installation error : File not found" - A required installation file SKU011.CAB could not be found.

Solution : Registry edit -
hkey local machine/software/microsoft/office/11.0/delivery/
and change the value "CDcache" from 2 to 0. This solved my problem.
In fact after restarting when I re-applied office 2003 SP3 it didn't asked for office 2003 source files and update completed successfully.

specify i386 sourcepath in windows registry

Many times when we add/remove windows components, i386 source files are required. To avoid searching for CD and reading it, we can copy i386 files to hard disk.
Copy /i386 to your hard drive. (d:\source\i386). Now use regedit, and set sourcepath. HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\SourcePath to d:\source\i386\.

runas admin in windows xp

Many a times we are required to run /install some applications on windows xp with administrative rights when already logged as normal user wirh limited rights. In that scenario we can use runas command as given below.

runas /user:computername\admin cmd

in this example the local machine name is "computername" and the local admistrator account is "admin"

You will then be asked to enter the admin (member of administrators group on local computer) password.

This will open up a new Command window running with local administrator priveleges - check the title bar of the command window.
To run Computer Management, for example to modify user rights, in this window type: compmgmt.msc

To run control panel, for example when you need to modify network adapter settings, type: control.exe

blackberry address book sync problem

Recently i have faced the problem of bb address book synchronization. Wireless sync hangs while it is synchronizing address book. From web i found some help and it suggested as below.
"Options / Advanced Options / Service Books Select the entry "Desktop [SYNC]" Push the Menu button Select Delete Answer "yes" to the "are you sure question?" Without turning off the blackberry, remove the battery Leave the battery out for a minute or so Put the battery back in After the blackberry boots up, select Options / Advanced Options / Service Books Push the Menu button Select Undelete"
Then again synchronize.
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Another way I did is: I had earlier backup of bb into .ipd file.
I had a new (or erased) bb handset. Restored only address book from .ipd file. Then carried out wired activation.

"Out of office Assistant" in outlook gives error

When you select 'Out Of Office Assistant' from the Tools drop down menu of Outlook 2003, it gives an error message "'the command is not available. See the program documentation about how to use this extension".

To resolve the problem.

Click on help menu and then click on "About Microsoft Outlook".

Click on the Disabled Items entry. You will see a Disabled Items window open, with the following information within it:
The items below were disabled because they prevented Outlook from functioning correctly.
Please note that you may have to restart Outlook for these changes to take place.
Select the ones you wish to re-enable.
If you see "Addin: outex.dll (outex.dll)" listed, click on it to highlight it and then click on the Enable button. Then click on the Close button. Then click on the OK button to close the About Microsoft Office Outlook window.

Windows desktop not appearing after login

After initial login desktop doesn't comes up and looks like a hang state.
Due to some virus or any malicious code or some other problem if desktop doesn't comes up but at the same time you can check system is not hang by Num Lock / Caps lock.
In this case to bring desktop - Press Ctrl+Alt+Del, select Task manager.
On the applications tab click on "New Task"
In "Create New Task" box type Explorer and say Ok. This shall bring your windows desktop.

scheduled autobackup to USB hard drive for windows

Below batch file is an example of taking backup to .bkf file on a USB backup drive.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ntbackup backup k: p: /L:s /F "f:\serverback.bkf"
> f:
> ren serverback.bkfserverback-%date:~4,2%-%date:~7,2%-%date:~10,4%_@_%time:~0,2%h%time:~3,2%m.bkf
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Above batch file will rename serverback.bkf file with current date and time.bkf file on f: drive.
In the practical scenario lets say we have 10 GB data to be backed up on daily basis. We can use 250 GB USB HDD (2 nos.) as backup drive. Each can be used every alternate day. This will allow us to retain backup upto 25 working days.

Office Picture Manager very slow to open

My Office Picture Manager become very slow to open.
All file paths that are open are stored in this file OIScatalog.cag, so Network paths and other paths may not longer exist, this may cause a Delay when opening Picture Manager, now what to do:
Windows, Windows XP
1. Go to File OIScatalog.cag that is in your LOCAL Profile %\Documents and Settings\\LocalSettings\Application Data\Microsoft\OIS%
2. Look for "MRU PATH" and Delete all paths that your are sure no longer exist.
Windows Vista Procedures
1. Go to File OIScatalog.cag that is in your LOCAL Profile %\Users\\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OIS%
2. Look for "MRU PATH" and Delete all paths that your are sure no longer exist.

Reset to default xp zip for compression

Windows XP comes with built in support for uncompressing zip'd files. If you prefer to continue using a dedicated utility like pkzip or winzip which has more functionality, you probably need to disable the limited capability of XP to prevent interactions and problems, run the following command:
regsvr32 /u %windir%\system32\zipfldr.dll
Want to re-enable the built in zip capability, run the following command:
regsvr32 %windir%\system32\zipfldr.dll