I have long disliked Sharepoint. There have been many reasons, yet I always felt compelled to give it a second chance.
Our organization, LANRM Technologies, through natural growth needed a way to better collaborate and share information. Microsoft seems more and more certain that Public Folders in Exchange will be going away. These combined almost forced me into evaluating Sharepoint once again.
And you know what? This time, I’m on board. It still has all the shortcomings it previously had, but the different site templates and collaboration features far outweigh the shortcomings.
So what is different? When we were just a very small company, Sharepoint offered features we really didn’t need. We didn’t care about the majority of what it had to offer. When your company grows and you start to realize that you too need a better way to communicate and organize information within your company, Sharepoint can make a perfect fit.
We now use Sharepoint for a host of functions. From our employee benefits, to the tools we use daily, to calendars, tasks, and more. Sharepoint is becoming very much a necessary monster in our business.
Even the free version from comes with current versions of Windows Server is capable of most features that most small companies need. As the company and needs become more complex, the full version should be investigated.
It’s copied here in case his blog ever goes away. Thanks Tim!
While experimenting with the Microsoft App-V 4.5 Release Candidate (more on that soon), I decided to go for a full-blown installation on Windows 2008 x64. Since this is only on my home network, I don’t run a dedicated SQL server so I went for the natural choice of installing SQL Server 2005 Express Edition SP2 on my freshly installed Windows 2008 x64 App-V server.
This turned out to be less trivial than I thought. The short answer is: if you want to have a painless install of SQL Server 2005 Express Edition, take the download that includes the “Advanced Services†and simply don’t install them. The “smaller†download package does not include some necessary files for a successful x64 installation.
If you want to go the hard way and patch the setup for easier automated deployment (or just to be ‘1337 and be able to say that you fixed Microsoft’s SQL Server installer for 64-bit systems…), then follow these steps:
First of all, you should know that SP2 is the first Vista/Windows 2008 certified edition (think UAC, think session zero hardening, think enhanced security). Secondly, SQL Server 2005 Express Edition SP2 is supported to run under WOW64. That is very comforting to know, and I hadn’t expected a true 64-bit edition for free. So why does it complain about installing a 32-bit version on a 64-bit machine then?
“The installation package has a missing file, or you are running a 32-bit only Setup program on a 64-bit computer”
Of course, what you don’t see is that SQL is first installing the SQL Native Client in the background (as a prerequisite) and the error message conveniently forgets to mention that this is in fact the installation that is not succeeding. The error message was indeed accurate, but the error was not that I was trying to run a 32-bit installer on a 64-bit machine, but that the 64-bit installer for the SQL Native Client is not included in the package! What’s even worse, some other essential x64 packages are also not included in the smallest SQL Express 2005 SP2 download.
So you have to include the missing files manually:
Run both the SQL Express installers with the /X switch to extract the setup files (to different directories):
sqlexpr.exe /x sqlexpr_adv.exe /x
Next, locate the 64-bit SQL Native Client (sqlncli_x64.msi) and 64-bit SQL VSS Writer (SqlWriter_x64.msi) from the Advanced Services setup and copy them to the “Setup” directory of the regular SQL Express installation.
Did you know that follow-up is one of the most important aspects of a computer services business?
It is, without question, the one thing that will be remembered and appreciated more than anything else you do. A cheap price comes and goes. Following-up properly will always be remembered.
If you don’t follow-up, your customer will feel like they are in the dark. Like they are not up-to-date on the status of a project or your work. The reality is that in a computer services business you work for them so make them number one. Keep them in the loop at all times.
Customers are always impressed by extra effort. Follow-up is both expected and appreciated. And, since most people don’t follow-up, they will be impressed as well.
It’s such an easy thing to do and it is also the easiest thing to forget to do.
Take advantage of the new features in this release. If you are already a customer, download the latest version today. If not, consider purchasing this product!
New Features:
Allow custom email subject
If status of service is unknown, send an email and inform user to verify that the service account is a network administrative account
Allow multiple SMTP servers
Service sorting
Modified editability of grid
Allow for verbose or basic monitoring
Allow setting and auto-truncate logs (default: 30 days)
Our customers love this product. It’s so simple and so effective. It can literally save your job!
A lot of computer service professionals eventually seem to get a little egotistical. They start to think that the customer needs them more than they need the customer. They believe they are the only person in the world who can service that client. There is nothing further from the truth.
There are a million of YOU.
Don’t forget it. You customer, while they may value the service you are providing, is keenly aware that just as they once found you, they can find another you.
It may take them a little time and have some associated hard / soft costs, but you are replaceable. Do you know anyone who isn’t?
Keep this in mind the next time you start having crazy thoughts about who is working for who.
I was talking to my fiance last night and she asked why there are new cars every year. She meant what is the same car re-released every year as basically the same car with a new year in front of it.
If you think about it, this is really quite amazing. The entire automotive industry is based around what year a car was produced.
Then I starting give this more thought and I wonder why computers aren’t the same way. A computer lasts, or should last, roughly as long as most people keep a car. That’s 3 to 5 years, give or take.
The customers that I have which adopted the 3 to 5 year rotation enjoy the least computer problems. They are taking proactive measures to ensure that their business is always running smoothly and the rewards are massive.
It is, sometimes, very difficult for businesses to put a price on loss of productivity. They don’t know what an hour of downtime costs them. Or what an hour of downtime of just one person or a single department costs them. However, they should spend the time and figure this out. For most, the cost of a new computer every few years is one of the smallest expenses one could think of. But costs are costs and it just isn’t viewed this way…yet.
So, to all the major computer manufacturers out there, here is my suggestion. Start dating computers just like cars. Right in the title. Not only will you enjoy the same genius marketing benefits that automotive manufacturers have, but you will help solidify all aspects of the computer industry.
Beta testing is complete and I am now releasing my Service Monitor software.
Since you are a reader of my blog, I want to offer you a special introductory price. Here are the details:
Read about this software here on the blog
Don’t order using the order link on the right, your price is only $35 until the end of Monday. A 65% discount!
You can send the $35 to PayPal@ComputerServiceDude.com
This offer expires at Midnight at the end of Monday.
As it is a weekend, please allow 24 hours to receive the download link.
Thank you for your support. If you were a beta tester, you are welcome to simply continue using the beta version of Services Monitor or you can download the latest version. Beta testers do not need to pay to retain a license to use Services Monitor.
The newest version of the Services Monitor software is in the hands of Beta testers. As soon as I have the reports, I will release it with a 24 hour special. If you want to be notified of the release, signup in the top right corner of this page and you will receive an email when the software is released.
Hint hint, I expect the 24 hour special to happen within the next 24 hours.
