February 25, 2010
CONFIDENTIAL FOLDERS IN SMALL BUSINESS NETWORKS
Here’s a procedure for people working in a very small business that don’t want to call me for every routine task.
Very small businesses frequently have a single folder for all company or firm files. It’s almost always mapped to a drive letter, so everyone stores all work files in the “N:\” drive or the “P:\” drive. Everyone has full permission to add, edit, and delete files and folders in the COMPANY or FIRMDOCS folder. There are subfolders for each client or project, so things get a little cluttered and messy after a while, but it works well […] continued
January 4, 2010
OUR PASSWORD-PROTECTED LIVES
There is more frustration with passwords than almost any other part of our interactions with computers. Part of the frustration is the difficulty of remembering them, of course, but there is also no consistency to help you understand when a password is required or what it’s for.
Passwords will be a fact of life for a long time. They are crucial to our security as we move forward into an era when our data is stored online or is accessible online. Frequently it is only a password that protects you against identify theft or financial loss. I’ve written […] continued
September 7, 2009
WINDOWS FOUNDATION SERVER 2008
Trying to help a very small business decide on technology that will last for 5-10 years has always been an interesting challenge, and the choices are completely different now than they were just a few years ago. Small Business Server 2003 was an obvious choice for a long time but Small Business Server 2008 is only one of many possibilities now, and I’m frequently recommending alternatives, especially for businesses with 4-10 computers where SBS 2008 might be overkill.
Microsoft has quietly released an interesting product, Windows Foundation Server 2008, and I’m not sure yet where it fits in. It […] continued
July 6, 2009
WEB HOSTING
At some point on Tuesday, the web host for bruceb.com will change from XO Communications to GoDaddy. In theory it’s going to go smoothly and you won’t notice. If bruceb.com disappears for a while, rest assured that I’m going nuts trying to fix it.
I can’t unravel the mysteries of domain registration and web hosting in a few paragraphs. It’s a vast landscape filled with mysteries. I have found it surprisingly difficult to get information on which companies provide good service for reasonable prices.
At one time XO Communications was a major player in web hosting as well as […] continued
December 8, 2008
SBS 2008 – ONECARE POSTSCRIPT
One glitch in the SBS 2008 migration nagged at me – it didn’t make sense that the computers with the individual version of Windows Live OneCare were not reporting in to the SBS 2008 console, which tracks the security status of all the workstations on the network.
This is a sample of the new console for managing workstations in SBS 2008.
A handful of the computers running OneCare were able to get through and the server reported they were secure. I looked in vain for firewall exceptions for ports or services that were different on those.
It […] continued
December 5, 2008
SBS 2008 – MIGRATION GLITCHES
Let me leave a few notes behind about some of the glitches during the migration from SBS 2003 to SBS 2008. I don’t have many answers but perhaps it will help someone to know that I’m able to commiserate with them. (Loyal clients – this is not aimed at you and it won’t help you get your work done. I’ll be back to general interest topics next week!)
As background: I was migrating an SBS 2003 server with a very basic configuration – no ISA, no use of Sharepoint, a single NIC and external firewall, and no particular pre-existing issues. […] continued
December 3, 2008
SBS 2008 – SSL CERTIFICATES
Let me give you a quick overview of the kind of issue that makes it fun to be a consultant.
When you go to a web site where any personal information is going to be exchanged, you’re likely to see the web site address change from http:// to https://. The data is encrypted (has a “Secure Sockets Layer” or SSL) and is reasonably well protected against eavesdroppers. You’ll see it at banking sites or almost anything involving money or payment, as well as on web sites for access to company networks and other places where data should be confidential.
When […] continued
October 22, 2008
WINDOWS LIVE ONECARE FOR SERVER
Microsoft Small Business Server 2008 will be released on November 12. Veterans of SBS 2003 are finding many things to like in the new version; I’ll have more to say about it in the next few weeks. Here’s an early look at the features and changes in SBS 2008.
At about the same time, Windows Live OneCare will be upgraded to version 3. If you already use OneCare, the new version will presumably be sent to you automatically, it will restart your computer, and it will cause enough glitches that I’ll be busy on the phone for a […] continued
May 23, 2008
GOOGLE WEB HOSTING
If you’re looking for a quick way to get something online, take a look at what Google is doing.
There’s no shortage of ways to get started online with a web site, a blog, a place for collaboration, a shared calendar, a shared photo gallery, or any of a hundred other things. In fact, for many people that’s the problem – it’s not easy to articulate what their goals are for an online site, and there’s no way to make an informed choice and be confident that a service will match their technical skills, meet their needs, and still be […] continued
April 10, 2008
VISTA ULTIMATE UPGRADE
Microsoft has a special price of $99 for an upgrade to Vista Ultimate on PCs purchased from Best Buy, Staples, Circuit City, and Amazon through June, according to Paul Thurrott, normally a well-informed source. (I can’t find any reference to it on the Microsoft web site. Maybe there’s a coupon in the box or something.)
That seemed like a bit of a yawn until an extra piece fell into place, courtesy of Susan Bradley. PCs purchased from one of those stores will undoubtedly have Vista Home Premium installed – and Vista Home Premium cannot be used effectively […] continued