Windows 2000 Magazine UPDATE, February 1, 2000 [2/3]
Konstantin Gusev
Windows NT 4.0 coexistence and mentioned that I had to stop and restart
my NT 4.0 DNS servers every time I booted a Win2K server. (This problem
didn't occur on Win2K systems I configured as domain controllers.) If
you're testing a mixed environment, the symptoms of this problem
include a blank domain name field in the top portion of the
Ipconfig/all display and an error from Nslookup stating that the DNS
server is unknown. An enterprising reader in Saudi Arabia passed on
Microsoft's solution for eliminating the NT 4.0 DNS stop-and-restart
step.
When you set up standalone Win2K servers as members of an NT 4.0
domain, you must manually enter the primary DNS suffix for the server.
You can define the DNS suffix (e.g., win2000mag.com) during
installation or any time after you get the server running (as long as
you haven't also installed and configured Certificate Authority--CA--in
standalone or enterprise mode). Open My Computer, Properties, Network
Identification, Properties, More, and enter the DNS suffix information.
Reboot the server. Run Ipconfig and verify that the DNS name appears as
you entered it, then try Nslookup again. On my systems, this adjustment
made NT 4.0 DNS work properly. I only wonder why Win2K doesn't
automatically enter the DNS name when you install a standalone server--
the OS does enter the DNS suffix field when you install a Win2K domain
controller running Active Directory (AD).
* RDISK SECURITY FIX
On January 2, Microsoft released an update for the emergency repair
utility Rdisk that eliminates a vulnerability that occurs when Rdisk
terminates abnormally. If Rdisk fails when you're updating Registry
information (e.g., creating repair files), the utility leaves behind a
temporary disk file containing all the Registry hives with their
current settings. The temporary file permissions are wide open, so
anyone can read from or write to the file. The Rdisk vulnerability
exists in Windows NT 4.0, Terminal Server Edition (WTS) and NT 4.0. You
must call Microsoft Support to get the update.
In the unlikely event that Rdisk fails before you install the
updated version of rdisk.exe, you can eliminate the security hole by
deleting the temporary file after you restart the system. See Microsoft
Support Online article Q249108
(http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q249/1/08.asp)
for details.
* BATCH JOB ACCESS VIOLATION
Do you run batch jobs that contain a for/f construct? If so, your batch
job might terminate with either an access violation or an access denied
error message. The errors result from the way the console program
reuses memory. In some cases, memory locations return to the console
program without zeroing first, which causes your batch job to encounter
unexpected data. According to Microsoft Support Online article Q250998
(http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q250/9/98.asp),
the algorithm that cmd.exe uses to extract tokens that pass as
parameters in the for/f command is vulnerable to reused memory-- poor
programming, to say the least. Microsoft released a new version of
cmd.exe on January 25, and you must call Microsoft Support to get the
update.
* KNOWLEDGE BASE NOT UPDATED
I like to check the text version of the Windows NT Knowledge Base at
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/winnt/kb each week for new entries.
Sadly, Microsoft hasn't updated the text version in a timely fashion
for a couple of months. The text database is the only one that includes
a cumulative index, and there are no new entries since January 21. I
reviewed the daily updates to the Windows NT Knowledge Base and found
more articles regurgitating old information dating back to 1998 than
new articles, so it's not clear what's really going on. The
alternative, examining daily postings, is arduous and time-consuming
compared to downloading a current index file and selected articles. If
Microsoft plans to retire the text version, it should let us know where
we can obtain the equivalent information, specifically a daily or a
weekly index of what has changed and a downloadable text version of the
articles.
WEB-EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES: The following items are posted on the Windows
2000 Magazine Web site. For the complete story, go to
http://www.win2000mag.com/Articles/Content/8067_01.html.
* TROUBLESHOOTING USER PROFILE PROBLEMS
One task you face when reorganizing your NT 4.0 networks is moving user
profiles from one server to another. When you test the new environment,
you log on as a user with mandatory or roaming profiles, and you'll
often experience profile-load problems. Go to the Web site for details
about troubleshooting these user profile problems.
* SAM SIZING GUIDELINES
Do you ever wonder how big your SAM database would be with 3000 or
60,000 users? Stop wondering and find out at the Web site.
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5. ========== NEW AND IMPROVED ==========
(contributed by Carolyn Mascarenas, prod...@win2000mag.com)
* SECURE DESKTOP AND NOTEBOOK SYSTEMS
IBM announced new desktop and notebook systems to keep data secure. The
PCs include security features such as identity verification and
authentication, and encryption capabilities that complement Windows
2000 (Win2K) and come preloaded with the new OS. The new models include
the ThinkPad 600X notebook, PC 300 desktop series, and Intellistation
Professional Workstation series. IBM also offers the Smart Card
Security Kit and an embedded security chip. The Smart Card Security Kit
and security chip support Win2K, accompany any PC or mobile system, and
prevent unauthorized users from accessing sensitive data. For pricing
on the new desktop and notebook systems, contact IBM, 800-772-2227.
http://www.ibm.com/Windows2000
* WINDOWS NT-BASED RENDERING SYSTEM
BOXX Technologies released RenderBOXX 4000 series, a Windows NT-based
rendering system with single or dual Intel 800MHz Pentium III
Coppermine processors. RenderBOXX meets the production needs of High-
Definition Television (HDTV), film and video, digital content creation,
and game development. RenderBOXX 4000 is a 3.5" rack mount system
available in one-node to hundred-node configurations. The rendering
system offers four optional hot-swappable drive bays and doesn't
require special rendering material libraries or plugins to reduce
rendering times or enhance rendering performance. RenderBOXX is
available in tower configurations with space for as many as 40 CPUs per
6-foot cabinet.
Pricing for RenderBOXX starts at $2365 for a single-unit system.
Contact BOXX Technologies, 877-877-2699.
http://www.boxxtech.com
* WEB MASTER SHAREWARE
Paessler Software released IPCheck and WebStress, shareware for Web
masters to analyze and monitor their sites. IPCheck monitors and
analyzes servers and alerts the Web master if the Web service is down,
if Common Gateway Interface (CGI) scripts return errors, or if the Web
server is unable to reach the SQL Server database. IPCheck also
monitors servers by connecting through a Ping command or through a
specific port (e.g., HTTP=80, SMTP=25). WebStress lets the
administrator test the ability of a server to handle various loads and
capacities by simulating Web traffic. WebStress performs benchmarks on
Active Server Pages (ASPs) and CGIs, and calculates request times.
WebStress handles proxies, passwords, user agents, cookies, and ASP-
session IDs.
IPCheck runs on Windows NT and Windows 9x systems. The shareware fee
for IPCheck is $50. WebStress runs on NT and Win9x systems. The
shareware fee for WebStress is $30. Contact Paessler Software,
to...@paessler.com.
http://www.paessler.com/tools
* MONITOR CLIPBOARD ACTIVITY
Rose City Software released ClipCache Plus 2.6, clipboard enhancement
software that monitors all clipboard activity. You can save all copied
information (e.g., number, URL, email address, sentence, paragraph, an
entire document) in a folder or group. You can also store images in the
folder of your choice. Then pull up the window from the system tray on
your taskbar and double-click the item you want to paste. The software
lets you edit text on the spot using any of the cleanup functions
available, such as removal of the ">>>>>" from email messages, removal of
large gaps and white space from email messages or Web tables, and the
removal of line breaks. ClipCache Plus includes a new keyboard macro
utility that lets you assign a hot-key combination to any text clip.
The hot-key command brings up a new window to manage all clip hot keys
in a central place.
ClipCache Plus 2.6 run on Windows NT and Windows 9x systems. For
pricing, contact Rose City Software, sa...@infinisource.com.
http://www.rosecitysoftware.com
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7. ========== PICKS OF THE WEEK ==========
* BOOK HIGHLIGHT: OBJECT-ORIENTED PROGRAMMING WITH WINDOWS 95 AND NT
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