Persian, Arabic and other languages not working in Oracle Forms 6i in Windows 7 64bit

Problem:
Recently we encountered a problem while transitioning some of our clients to Windows 7. There are some line of business applications that run on Oracle Forms 6i and clients need to enter persian, arabic, hebrew and other languages. When Oracle forms are installed, the language setting is set as following in the registry:

For 32bit machines - 

Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Oracle
Value Name: NLS_LANG
Value: AMERICAN_AMERICA.WE8ISO8859P1

For 64bit machines - 

Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Oracle
Value Name: NLS_LANG
Value: AMERICAN_AMERICA.WE8ISO8859P1

this by default does not support UTF8 encoding.

Solution:
To get the languages working, change the value of NLS_LANG to

AMERICAN_AMERICA.UTF8
 
beware, this may break other forms that are not designed well and cannot take UTF8 so test before implementing it to all

The Internet Explorer 6 Goodbye Countdown

10 years ago a
browser was born.

Its name was Internet Explorer 6. Now that we’re in 2012, in an era of modern web standards, it’s time to say goodbye.

This website is dedicated to watching Internet Explorer 6 usage drop to less than 1% worldwide, so more websites can choose to drop support for Internet Explorer 6, saving hours of work for web developers.

http://www.ie6countdown.com/

PowerShell 3.0 CTP #2 is out. Excitement ahead!

 

To download: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=27548 

Windows PowerShell 3.0
Some of the new features in Windows PowerShell 3.0 include:

• Workflows
  Workflows that run long-running activities (in sequence or in parallel) to perform complex, larger management tasks, such as multi-machine application provisioning. Using the Windows Workflow Foundation at the command line, Windows PowerShell workflows are repeatable, parallelizable, interruptible, and recoverable.
• Robust Sessions
  Robust sessions that automatically recover from network failures and interruptions and allow you to disconnect from the session, shut down the computer, and reconnect from a different computer without interrupting the task.
• Scheduled Jobs
  Scheduled jobs that run regularly or in response to an event.
• Delegated Administration
  Commands that can be executed with a delegated set of credentials so users with limited permissions can run critical jobs
• Simplified Language Syntax
  Simplified language syntax that make commands and scripts look a lot less like code and a lot more like natural language.
• Cmdlet Discovery
  Improved cmdlet discovery and automatic module loading that make it easier to find and run any of the cmdlets installed on your computer.
• Show-Command
  Show-Command, a cmdlet and ISE Add-On that helps users find the right cmdlet, view its parameters in a dialog box, and run it.

KMS Activation Issue - Windows 7 on Dell OptiPlex

 

Problem

One of the Dell OptiPlex machines were not getting Windows 7 activated by KMS.

I tried running slmgr –ato with no success. Every time following error appeared

Error Code: 0xc004f035. The Software Licensing Service reported that the computer could not be activated with a Volume license product key. Volume licensed systems require upgrading from a qualified operating system. Please contact your system administrator or use a different type of key.

 

Resolution

To fix this issue, update BIOS to the latest version available on Dell support site

As Kindle Fire Faces Critics, Remedies Are Promised

 

“..The Kindle Fire, Amazon’s heavily promoted tablet, is less than a blazing success with many of its early users. The most disgruntled are packing the device up and firing it back to the retailer.

A few of their many complaints: there is no external volume control. The off switch is easy to hit by accident. Web pages take a long time to load. There is no privacy on the device; a spouse or child who picks it up will instantly know everything you have been doing. The touch screen is frequently hesitant and sometimes downright balky…”

“..“In less than two weeks, we’re rolling out an over-the-air update to Kindle Fire,” said Drew Herdener, a company spokesman.

There will be improvements in performance and multitouch navigation, and customers will have the option of editing the list of items that show what they have recently been doing…”

Source

Outlook Advanced Search Error

Issue

When you try to run Advanced Search in Microsoft Outlook following error appears

“Outlook cannot perform your search. Outlook cannot display this view”

 

Simple Search works fine but the issue only occurs when searching a shared or just one mailbox. All users that access this mailbox have same symptom.

Resolution

Since all users are getting the same issue, its not just outlook. There is some wrong with the mailbox itself. In most cases it is a custom Search Folder that is creating this issue.

there are two ways to resolve this issue.

1. Delete the Search Folder that is not working properly (Right Click –> Delete Folder)

2.

a. Create a new mapi profile for just that one mailbox and make sure that Outlook prompts you to choose a profile when opened

b. Go to Start –> Run or press Win+R keys and type outlook /cleanfinders press Enter

c. Choose the profile for the mailbox that has issue

 

Any of the above actions will clear the broken search folder, fixing the search issue.

Send a WebPage to Kindle

I have been using a kindle for a few weeks now and I find it extremely useful.

Reading on computer screen is not comfortable specially I spend more than 20 minutes reading on an LCD my eyes start to hurt so Kindle is great for that. Anyways, since Amazon is not really paying me to advertise their Kindle I will get to the point.

There are many time when I am doing some research and I come across some great articles that I want to read online. I have two ways to read it on my Kindle

1. Go to the URL on experimental browser on kindle (not a great reading experience still)

2. Use a plugin with your browser (Chrome, Firefox) or an Android app to send the page converted to Kindle readable format (This is great!)

There is a tool called Kindle it, It allows me to send an webpage I am reading to my …@free.kindle.com email which converts it and sends it to my kindle.

To get the add-on visit
http://fivefilters.org/kindle-it/

Bulk Convert Office 97/2003 Files to Office 2007 or Office 2010

 

Many organizations are now using Office 2007 or Office 2010 most documents are still in legacy format. Although there is no harm with using doc files created in previous versions. But there are limitations with formatting options and manipulation of the overall document.

Microsoft provides with a tool that can help converting many doc file and a fileshare or a multiple directories to the new docx format.

here you can download tools for the relevant version of Office

Office 2007

Office 2010

with OMPM (Office Migration Planning Manager) one can batch convert old doc file to docx format.

Instructions to Migrate Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files to the 2007 Office system can be found here

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179019%28office.12%29.aspx 

Instructions to Convert binary Office files by using the Office File Converter (OFC) and Version Extraction Tool (VET) can be found here

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179019.aspx

Video: Introducing Windows Server 8

 

Download the Developer Preview
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/server-cloud/windows-server/v8.aspx

Video Introducing Server 8
http://www.grouppolicy.biz/2011/09/video-introducing-windows-server-8/

Windows Server 8 - Built for Virtualization
http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2011/09/windows-server-8-built-for-the-cloud-built-for-virtualization.ars

Performance improvements and optimizations
http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/BUILD/BUILD2011/SAC-417T

BUILD Sessions for Windows Server 8
http://www.grouppolicy.biz/2011/09/build-sessions-list-for-windows-server-8-hyper-v/

Windows 8 Action Center

Unlike Windows 7 Action Center Windows 8 Action Center can actually perform remediation tasks for the notifications.

These small but significant changes can make Windows 8 one of the best OS.

More on Windows 8

• Rotation Support
  http://www.winrumors.com/hands-on-windows-8-rotation-support-video/ 
• Requires less system resources (Will run on old Hardware)
  http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/windows-8-will-run-on-old-atom-cpus-and-1gb-ram/14741
• Built-in antivirus protection
  http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/windows-8-will-ship-with-built-in-antivirus-protection/14757
• Ability to Reset and Sync profile settings
  http://www.winbeta.org/?q=news%2Fwindows-8-reset-pc-and-sync-settings
• Alternative authentication
  One can use a picture as password
• Features not shown yet
  http://www.istartedsomething.com/20110914/short-some-of-what-microsoft-didnt-show-of-windows-8/
• New Terminologies
  http://www.windowsitpro.com/article/windows8/windows-8-features-terminology-140559

-

Windows 8 Keyboard Shortcuts

 

Anywhere in Windows 8

WIN + Q
Find and Application

WIN + W 
Search Settings or Control Panel

WIN + I 
Open Preferences of currently running application and windows

WIN + O
Disable screen rotation (turn off the gyro reaction to the tablets)

WIN + C 
Opens MetroUI Start Menu with taskbar items like time and network connectivity

Windows Explorer Hotkeys; (Press ALT Key + the below combination)

A – to open the “special features”

C O – to copy the selected items.

C P – copy the path to the file / folder.

C F – copy the folder (use the drop-down list)

D – delete the selected.

E – edit the selected files.

H – to show the history of file versions.

M – move the files (using the drop-down list).

N – Create a new folder.

P S – insert label

P R – open properties.

P E – Open With …, select the application again using a drop-down list.

S A – select all.

S N – deselect.

S I – invert the selection.

R – rename a selected file (s).

T – cut

V – to paste.

W – to create a new document, choose the template – using the drop-down list.

Windows 8–Useful Links

Windows 8 is the hot news on every technical news portal and blog, here is a collection of links that will help you get more info on anything related to Windows 8. Watch the keynote from yesterday during BUILD Conference. If you just want to watch Windows 8 related bit in the keynote use the link below:

Everything You Need to Know About Windows 8 in Eight Minutes

Download ISO

Download Windows 8 ISOs Right Now

Feature Talks

Windows 8: classic desktop features [video]

Windows 8 requires less power than Windows 7

Windows 8: What's new on the desktop experience

Windows 8: Introducing Windows 8's tablet interface, Metro

Windows 8 app store approval policy outlined

Windows 8 Metro apps and Windows Store [video]

Hands on: Windows 8 input options and pen computing

Windows 8: A look at Internet Explorer 10

Windows Live SkyDrive Integration in Windows 8

Reviews

Welcome to Windows 8 – The Developer Preview

Windows 8 developer preview UX in pictures

Windows 8 really does change everything, it’s mind-blowing

Hands on: Windows 8 review

Microsoft blows up Windows with Windows 8

Microsoft download from The Garage: Mouse without Borders and Others

Microsoft have released a great little app for users us with multiple PCs. The addin comes from a Garage project at Microsoft which is a program designed to encourage incubations of ideas and projects.

With the application it treats all your Windows PCs as if they were one single desktop, so if you have two machines side by site (as I do at work) you can use the mouse as though they were one PC including dragging files between them. It’s a great idea and if you have a dedicated Media Center machine connected to your TV as well a laptop it would be a great way of controlling it from one place.

Source: link

Download: link

There are other applications that can be used to achieve the same and even better in some cases.

http://inputdirector.com/

http://synergy-foss.org/

Exchange 2010 SP1 - Rollup 5 is released

Microsoft has released Update Rollup 5 for Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 1 (SP1) that is dated August 23, 2011...

download from the link below

http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=27193

Why was Exchange 2010 sp1 Rollup 4 recalled?

Here are some details on why Exchange 2010 sp1 RU4 was recalled.

An Update on Exchange Server 2010 SP1 Rollup Update 4

I really hope that Microsoft makes some proper changes to avoid this in future. Having a reputation for recalling updates for something as critical as Exchange or anything for that matter is not a good sign. Industry learns and inherits standards from such companies so they have to be very diligent in their offerings.

Well I wish the Exchange Team well for future rollouts. 

Emails stuck in submissions queue–Exchange 2010 sp1

While checking the message queue on a hub transport server I found many messages stuck with status retry and last error read something like the following

 400 4.4.7 The server responded with: 550 5.6.0 CAT.InvalidContent.Exception: InvalidCharsetException, Character set name (ISO-8859-6-i) is invalid or not installed.; cannot handle content of message with InternalId….

I always like to have the mail queue clear and specially submission (local deliveries), which can be a nightmare if clogged.

Resolution

by looking at the details of these messages one could tell that they are either spam of Exchange server cannot process it because the FromAddress field is <> empty.

to get rid of these messages from the queue, I just used the following cmdlet.

Get-Message -Filter {FromAddress -eq "<>"} -Server htserver | Remove-Message

Missing Manage Send as Permissions option in Exchange Management Console

In Exchange 2010 RBAC allows you to grant permissions to Helpdesk or Administrators in a very granular manner.  There are built in groups that one can use for Helpdesk and Recipient Management that one can add User Support team to be able to manage permissions on a mailbox, create and delete mailbox, mail enable public folders, manage permissions on mailbox etc.

Issue

I used the built in groups to grant our user support team permissions that they required. All works fine but User Support was unable to see or grant send as permissions. When any of them right click a mailbox they don’t even see an option to view or change send as permissions. They do see an option for managing full mailbox permissions.

Resolution

In Toolbox of EMC go to “Role Based Access Control (RBAC) User Editor”

Double click Recipient Management Role and in the Roles add “Active Directory Permissions” click on Save.

Microsoft Says Happy Birthday to Linux

Microsoft wishes Linux kernel happy 20th Birthday!

Microsoft just want to say

Upgrade All Distribution Lists to Exchange 2010

To make use of Exchange 2010 distribution list features and make way to decommission your legacy servers upgrade you all your distribution lists to Exchange 2010 by running the following cmdlet

Get-DistributionGroup –ResultSize Unlimited | Set-DistributionGroup –ForceUpgrade

In Exchange 2010 management of distribution lists has changed a little due to exchange design. To manage permissions of who can edit membership of members of a group and who can manage groups see the following post.

http://mykbit.blogspot.com/2011/07/how-to-manage-distribution-lists-with.html