virtual pc 2007 sp1 dvd limitations

The dvd drive presented by virtual pc 2007 does not have a drive region. This can result in encrypted dvds not playing correctly in linux. The issue is the dvd decrypting library needs the region code to actually decode the dvd.

guides for slimming down xp

guides for slimming down windows space:

http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=80511

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=192199

http://www.windowsbbs.com/windows-xp/54287-no-room-defrag.html

Cleaning up old device drivers

In a cmd window:
SET DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1
devmgmt.msc

then set
View -> Show Hidden Devices

Watch out because not all hidden devices are actually not present.


From:
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/remove-old-drivers-after-upgrading-to-new-hardware/

perl read from standard in

$var = 

or
@vars = 
foreach (@vars) {
}


from http://www.linuxtopia.org/Perl_Programming/pickingUpPerl_Input2.html

clean up old installers

Use MsiZap from ms visual studio with the G option to clean up orphaned installer patches.

From comments on http://blogs.msdn.com/heaths/archive/2007/01/17/the-patch-cache-and-freeing-space.aspx

smbpasswd failing with NT_STATUS_LOGON_FAILURE

when smbpasswd fails with "Could not connect to machine 127.0.0.1: NT_STATUS_LOGON_FAILURE" the issue is that the old password you are using is incorrect.

smbpasswd
Old SMB password:
New SMB password:
Retype new SMB password:
Could not connect to machine 127.0.0.1: NT_STATUS_LOGON_FAILURE
Failed to change password for

The old password being used is incorrect resulting in a failure to log into the machine to change your password.

Find which patches are installed on a solaris machine

This is the solaris command to display all the installed patches.

showrev -p