Apr 07

L2TP Behind Double NAT

Posted on April 7, 2021 by Managed WordPress Migration User

If you’ve ever received an error connecting to a L2TP endpoint from a Windows client, where the L2TP endpoint or Windows client is behind a NAT-T device (Or Double NAT), it is most likely due to the Windows client not supporting Internet Protocol security (IPsec) network address translation (NAT) Traversal (NAT-T) security associations to servers that are located behind a NAT device. In my specific case, I setup an L2TP connection on an Ubiquiti Edge Router ER-4 that was behind a double NAT on the WAN. On the Windows client, you would most likely receive an error similar to:

The network connection between your computer and the VPN server could net be established because the remote server is not responding. This could be because one of the network devices (e.g., firewalls, NAT, routers, etc.) between your computer and the remote server is not configured to allow VPN connections. Please contact your Administrator or your service provider to determine which devices may be causing the problem.

Sources

https://community.ui.com/questions/EdgeMax-L2TP-with-Double-NAT/e4d45aa3-bb25-4402-97ba-b3b86877499c
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-server/networking/configure-l2tp-ipsec-server-behind-nat-t-device
https://help.ui.com/hc/en-us/articles/204950294-EdgeRouter-L2TP-IPsec-VPN-Server

By default, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 don’t support Internet Protocol security (IPsec) network address translation (NAT) Traversal (NAT-T) security associations to servers that are located behind a NAT device. If the virtual private network (VPN) server is behind a NAT device, a Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008-based VPN client computer can’t make a Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP)/IPsec connection to the VPN server. This scenario includes VPN servers that are running Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2003.

Explanation

Because of the way in which NAT devices translate network traffic, you may experience unexpected results in the following scenario:

You put a server behind a NAT device.
You use an IPsec NAT-T environment.

If you must use IPsec for communication, use public IP addresses for all servers that you can connect to from the Internet. If you must put a server behind a NAT device, and then use an IPsec NAT-T environment, you can enable communication by changing a registry value on the VPN client computer and the VPN server.

Resolution

To create and configure the AssumeUDPEncapsulationContextOnSendRule registry value, follow these steps:

Log on to the Windows Vista client computer as a user who is a member of the Administrators group.
Select Start > All Programs > Accessories > Run, type regedit, and then select OK. If the User Account Control dialog box is displayed on the screen and prompts you to elevate your administrator token, select Continue.
Locate and then select the following registry
1. subkey:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\PolicyAgent
On the Edit menu, point to New, and then select DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Type AssumeUDPEncapsulationContextOnSendRule, and then press ENTER.
Right-click AssumeUDPEncapsulationContextOnSendRule, and then select Modify.
In the Value Data box, type one of the following values:
- 0It’s the default value. When it’s set to 0, Windows can’t establish security associations with servers located behind NAT devices.
- 1When it’s set to 1, Windows can establish security associations with servers that are located behind NAT devices.
- 2When it’s set to 2, Windows can establish security associations when both the server and VPN client computer (Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008-based) are behind NAT devices.
Select OK, and then exit Registry Editor.
Restart the computer.

Aug 31

Remove RDS CALs from RDS Server

Posted on August 31, 2017 by Managed WordPress Migration User

Background

There are many circumstances where you will need to remove a RDS CALs from an RDS Server, or in some cases you want to rebuild the entire RD licensing database. Microsoft allows you to remove an individual CAL license pack using powershell, or rebuild the entire database. However, if neither of those work, it’s quite easy to manually rebuild the RD licensing database. I’ve included directions for all 3 methods below, and have tested this on Windows Server 2008, 2008R2, 2012, 2012R2, and 2016.

Remove An Individual RDS CAL License Pack Using Powershell (User or Device CAL)

Open powershell elevated as an administrator
Type the following command to list the RDS Licenses and note the KeyPackID
- Alternatively, open RD Licensing Manager and note the Keypack ID

Get-WmiObject Win32_TSLicenseKeyPack

Run the below command to remove the licenses pack from your RD Server
- Replace KEYPACKID with the number you obtained above

wmic /namespace:\\root\CIMV2 PATH Win32_TSLicenseKeyPack CALL UninstallLicenseKeyPackWithId KEYPACKID

Rebuild the RD Licensing Database

Microsoft provides directions on how to do this automatically, via a web browser, or via the phone:

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd851428.aspx

Manually Rebuild the Licensing Database (Guaranteed to Work if the Previous 2 methods Fail)

Make sure you have documentation of your MS License agreement that includes Authorization number, License number, License type (User/Device CAL), and Quantity before proceeding
Stop the Remote Desktop Licensing service

Rename C:\Windows\System32\lserver\TLSLic.edb to C:\Windows\System32\lserver\TLSLic.old
Start the Remote Desktop Licensing service
All licenses will now be cleared out of RD Licensing Manager, and you’ll need to re-install the licenses you want to add back in

Oct 28

Missing Power and Search Button On Start Screen

Posted on October 28, 2016 by Managed WordPress Migration User

Missing Power and Search Button On Start Screen on Server 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1

Recently, after installing a Windows 2012 R2 Server VM, I noticed the Start screen was missing the Power and Search buttons. All of my older Server 2012 R2 Server VM’s had the Power and Search button on the start screen, I used the same ISO to install, and Windows was 100% up to date. After researching, this issue can affect Windows Server 2012 R2 as well as Windows 8.1. Here is a screenshot of my Start screen missing both the Power and Search buttons:

The Solution

The short answer is KB2919355 needs installed. HOWEVER, you need to make sure you install the following updates in this order:

Prerequisite: KB2919442
Install KB2919355 that has multiple downloads in it, which can be directly downloaded from the Microsoft Download Center
1. Windows 8.1 x86
2. Windows 8.1 x64
3. Server 2012 R2 x64
4. NOTE: Once downloaded, these updates need installed in the following order
  1. clearcompressionflag.exe
  2. KB2919355 (Reboot after installation, if fixed you can skip the rest)
  3. KB2932046
  4. KB2959977
  5. KB2937592
  6. KB2938439
  7. KB2934018

Once KB2919355 is installed and you reboot, you should now see the Power and Search buttons on the start screen as displayed below:

Final Notes

Once KB2919355 is installed, run Windows Updates and you’ll probably need to install a few hundred updates again

Sep 22

Move Off-Screen Window in Windows

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Managed WordPress Migration User

Have you ever had a window that ended up off of your screen and were unable to move it back into view? I’ve personally had this occur after disconnecting a monitor from my laptop which I had my desktop extended on. However, there’s a simple trick to move the Window back into view of your desktop.

Make the Off-Screen Window Active

Hold the Alt key down and then press Tab key until you’ve selected the Window that is off-screen

Select Move for the Active Window

Hold the Alt key down, press the Space-bar key, then press the M key

Move Your Window Back Into View

You can now move the window in the desired direction with the arrow keys

Feb 18

Mail Merge with Attachment

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Managed WordPress Migration User

There is not native way to add an attachment when doing an mail merge in Microsoft Office (Outlook/Word/Excel). However, there are 3rd party apps that allow you to add attachments when doing a mail merge, but these programs usually cost $. If you’re like me and don’t want to spend money on an application you’ll probably use once, then I came up with an alternative free solution with Powershell. This method works similar to a Microsoft Office mail merge because it will require a data source, email template, and an Outlook profile.

Step 1 – Create Data Source

I will use a users.csv as the data source of users we want to email. The users.csv file will look as follows:

FirstName	LastName	Email	Username	Password
Joseph	smith	jsmith@domain.com	jsmith	VideoGame01
Bill	Contoso	bcontoso@company.com	bcontoso	LilyFlower18
Jim	Rufus	jim.rufus@yahoo.com	jrufus	StuffedAnimal23

Step 2 – Create Outlook Profile to Send Mail Merge From

Now that you have your data source, you’ll need to make sure you have an Outlook profile. This profile should be setup with the email address you wish to send the mail merge from.

Step 3 – Create Powershell Script

In the below powershell script, you’ll need to modify the following variables:

$DataSource – Path to the data source (users.csv) file created in step 1
$AttachFile – Path to the file to attach to the email
$EmailSubject – Subject of the email

In addition to modifying the above variables, you’ll need to modify $Mail.Body, which is the body of the email. The below example is referencing data fields in users.csv for the mail merge, which you may want to modify. These correspond as follows:

$($_.FIRSTNAME) – FIRSTNAME field in users.csv

$($_.LASTNAME) – LASTNAME field in users.csv

$($_.USERNAME) – USERNAME field in users.csv

$($_.PASSWORD) – PASSWORD field in users.csv

Special Note: To add a new line in the body text use a backtick + n ( `n)

$DataSource = "C:\mailmerge\users.csv"
$AttachFile = "C:\mailmerge\Setup Email Directions.docx"
$EmailSubject = "How to Setup Email"

Import-CSV $DataSource | Foreach-Object {
	$ol = New-Object -comObject Outlook.Application  
	$Mail = $ol.CreateItem(0)
	$Mail.Recipients.Add($_.EMAIL)	
	$Mail.Attachments.Add($AttachFile)
	$Mail.Subject = $EmailSubject	
	$Mail.Body = "$($_.FIRSTNAME) $($_.LASTNAME),`n`n"
	$Mail.Body += "The attached directions will guide you through setting up your email account.  Your username and password are as follows:`n`n"
	$Mail.Body += "Username: $($_.USERNAME)"
	$Mail.Body += "Password: $($_.PASSWORD)`n`n"
	$Mail.Body += "If you have any issues installing, please contact support"
	$Mail.Send()
}

Extra Special Note: If you want to have the email body be HTML formatted instead of Plain Text, just modify $Mail.Body to $Mail.HTMLBody and add your HTML tags in the text. Using the example above:

$DataSource = "C:\mailmerge\users.csv"
$AttachFile = "C:\mailmerge\Setup Email Directions.docx"
$EmailSubject = "How to Setup Email"

Import-CSV $DataSource | Foreach-Object {
	$ol = New-Object -comObject Outlook.Application  
	$Mail = $ol.CreateItem(0)
	$Mail.Recipients.Add($_.EMAIL)	
	$Mail.Attachments.Add($AttachFile)
	$Mail.Subject = $EmailSubject	
	$Mail.HTMLBody = "<html><body>"
        $Mail.HTMLBody += "<h1>$($_.FIRSTNAME) $($_.LASTNAME),</h1>"
	$Mail.HTMLBody += "<p>The attached directions will guide you through setting up your email account.  Your username and password are as follows:</p>"
	$Mail.HTMLBody += "<p>Username: $($_.USERNAME)</p>"
	$Mail.HTMLBody += "<p>Password: $($_.PASSWORD)</p>"
	$Mail.HTMLBody += "<p>If you have any issues installing, please contact support<p></body></html>"
	$Mail.Send()
}

Step 4 – Send the Mail Merge

Open Microsoft Outlook with the profile created in step 2 (It is required for Outlook to be open in order for the powershell script to work!) Then open Powershell, and run the powershell script in step 3. You can confirm the emails are sending by looking in the “Sent Items” in Outlook.

Note: – If you’re using User Account Control (UAC), Outlook and Powershell must be running at the same security level. This simply means, if you open powershell using “Run as administrator” you must open Outlook with “Run as administrator”. Alternatively, if you open powershell normally (not elevated) you must open Outlook normally (not elevated).

Feb 11

Removing Trend Micro Client/Server Security Agent from Dell Laptops

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Managed WordPress Migration User

Trend Micro Client/Server Security Agent 3.5.1163 Removal from Dell Laptops

OVERVIEW

Some Dell laptops came bundled with “Trend Micro Client/Server Security Agent” which most people will want to uninstall. I recently had to restore a Dell Latitude E6430 to the Factory Defaults. When removing the bundled bloatware, uninstalling “Trend Micro Client/Server Security Agent” froze up and I had to kill the process. Upon rebooting, it was still partially installed. However, when I tried uninstalling again, Trend Micro was prompting me for a password to uninstall it. Lots of searching kept leading me to Trend Micro removal tools that just flat out failed. I started to notice all the removal tools were for WFBS CSA 5.0+, WFBS SA 6.0+, Titanium 2011+, Diagnostic Toolkit, etc…. I looked in Windows Programs and Features and noticed the Trend Micro Client/Server Security Agent Product Version: 3.5.1163 matched nothing I could find on Trend Micro’s website. After hours of digging, I found a sure fire way to remove this program. I’ll list some of the “common” solutions below and finish with my guaranteed procedure.

Trend Micro Client/Server Security Agent 3.5.1163

REMOVAL METHOD 1

Uninstalling the Worry-Free Business Security (WFBS) Agent using the Uninstall Tool

Download the uninstall tool direct from Trend Micro OR direct from sigkillit.com (In case they pull their copy down).
Run SA_Uninstall_1384.exe to extract the files
Locate Uninstall.bat and run
- If you have UAC enabled, right-click and select “Run as administrator”

REMOVAL METHOD 2

Open a command prompt
- If you have UAC enabled, make sure you run it as an elevated command prompt
At the command prompt change to one of the following directories depending if you have a 32-bit or 64-bit Operating System
- 32-bit: C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\Client Server Security Agent\
- 64-bit: C:\Program Files (x86)\Trend Micro\Client Server Security Agent\
Run the following command
- ntrmv -980223

REMOVAL METHOD 3

If you’re being prompted to supply a password to remove Trend Micro, the following registry edits will disable that prompt. After the prompt is disabled, you should be able to remove it through Programs and Features without having to supply the password:

Open the registry editor
- Click Start and in the search box enter: regedit
- Click regedit
Open the one of the following registry keys depending if you have a 32-bit or 64-bit Operating System
- 32-bit: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\TrendMicro\PC-cillinNTCorp\CurrentVersion\Misc
- 64-bit: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\TrendMicro\PC-cillinNTCorp\CurrentVersion\Misc
Locate the DWORD “Allow Uninstall” and change the Value from “0” to “1”
- If it does not exist, you’ll need to create it:
  - Click Edit->New->DWORD (32-bit) Value
  - Name: Allow Uninstall
  - Data: 1
Uninstall Trend Micro through Programs and Features and you should no longer get prompted for an uninstall password

REMOVAL METHOD 4 (GUARANTEED TO WORK WHEN EVERYTHING ELSE FAILS!!!)

This method uses a special uninstall tool that’s not publicly listed on Trend Micro’s website. The tool is not graceful, will throw prompts you need to dismiss, and you’ll probably need to manually close it out. With that being said, here’s what you need to do.

Download the uninstall tool direct from Trend Micro OR direct from sigkillit.com
Unzip the exe and when prompted for the password use
- Password: trend
Run WFBSS_UninstallTool_V1106.exe
- If you have UAC enabled, right-click and select “Run as administrator”
Accept the terms and click Next
Click Install
- Keep clicking Retry if prompted to continue the installation. This will occur multiple times (5 in my case), but keep going
The uninstaller will open several prompts including (Click to ignore any prompts you receive and continue)
- Multiple command prompts
- Multiple Trend Miro Uninstallation Tool progress windows
  - Wait for the progress bars to stop moving, which can take several minutes
After about 10 minutes, you should see no more progress on any of the windows
- Close all of the command prompt windows
- The “TrendMicro Uninstallation Tool – Setup” window should now show “Installation Successful”
- Reboot the computer
- Check in Programs and Features and the Trend Micro Client/Server Security Agent will be gone!

Apr 22

Run Active Directory Management Tools as Another User

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Managed WordPress Migration User

There’s quite a few situations where you may need to run Active Directory Management tools like Active Directory Users and Computers with different credentials. For example:

Computer is not joined to the domain
Need to connect to another domain/forest
Logged in as a standard domain user and need to supply different credentials
etc…

Step 1 – Install Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT)

If you are using a 2008 or 2012 WIndows member server, RSAT is a feature you must enable using the directions below:

RSAT Server 2008 or 2012

If you’re using Windows Vista, WIndows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10 you must download, install, and enable the RSAT feature. Here are the links to download RSAT:

RSAT Windows 10 (By default all features are enabled)

Once you’ve installed RSAT you need to enable the feature (Except Windows 10). Open Control Panel, click Programs and Features, and click Turn Windows features on or off. Then enable the following:

Step 2 – Make Sure You’re on the Domain Network

Make sure you’re on the same network as the Domain Controller. This simply means, connect to the LAN they’re on, or connect to a VPN if you’re remote.

Step 3 – Run As Commands for AD Management Tools

The key to running AD Management tools is the Runas command in Windows, which allows you to specify alternate credentials. However, there are a few gotcha’s with runas such as needing to specify the /netonly command when on a non-domain computer. Here are the commands you’ll need to run to successfully launch the AD Management tools, and all will work whether or not the computer is joined to a domain:

C:\Windows\System32\runas.exe – Default path to runas
/netonly – Credentials are specified for remote access, which is required for computers not joined to a domain but still works if the computer is on the domain
/user: – specify the username by the samaccountname(DOMAIN\user) or UPN(user@domain.local)
“mmc %SystemRoot%\system32\snapin.msc” – Microsoft Management Console with the path to the snapin.

C:\Windows\System32\runas.exe /netonly /user:user@domain.local "mmc %SystemRoot%\system32\adsiedit.msc"

C:\Windows\System32\runas.exe /netonly /user:user@domain.local "mmc %SystemRoot%\system32\domain.msc /server=pdc.domain.local"

Note: I’ve added an extra parameter to specify the PDC Emulator, otherwise you may receive the error “You cannot modify domain or trust information because a Primary Domain Controller (PDC) emulator cannot be contacted.”

C:\Windows\System32\runas.exe /netonly /user:user@domain.local "mmc %SystemRoot%\system32\dssite.msc /domain=domain.local"

Note: I’ve added an extra parameter to specify the domain, otherwise you may receive the error “Naming information cannot be located because: The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted.”

C:\Windows\System32\runas.exe /netonly /user:user@domain.local "mmc %SystemRoot%\system32\dsa.msc /domain=domain.local"

Step 4 – Applying Run As Commands

Option 1: Run from an Elevated Command prompt

Right-click the command prompt (cmd.exe), select Run as Administrator, and enter one of the runas commands in the previous section.

option 2: create shortcut and run as administrator

Right-click in the Windows file explorer, select New, click shortcut, for the location enter one of the runas commands from the previous section, click Next, name the shortcut appropriately, and click Finish. Whenever you launch the shortcut, right-click it and select Run as Administrator.

option 3: modify RSAT shortcuts

Under Administrative Tools on the start menu, right-click each RSAT shortcut, click Properties, and modify the target using the appropriate runas command from the previous section. Whenever you launch the shortcut, right-click it and select Run as Administrator.

Apr 04

Delivery Report in Outlook or Outlook Web App

Posted on April 4, 2014 by admin

Overview

When using Outlook or Outlook Web App (OWA) in an Office 365 or Exchange environment, you can track the message from the client side. Both Outlook and OWA allow you to view a delivery report in order to confirm a message was delivered when the recipient claims they have not received it or if it’s taking a long time to deliver. Delivery reports work for both internal and external recipients.

View a Delivery Report in Outlook

In Outlook, go to your Sent Items folder
Locate the message you want to track and open it
Click File, click Info, and click Open Delivery Report

View a Delivery Report in Outlook Web App (OWA)

If you are using any other email client than Outlook (mobile device, OWA, etc), you can use OWA to view a delivery report.

Login to OWA at https://portal.microsoftonline.com
Click the Gear Icon, then click Options
Click Organize Email then click Delivery Reports
Enter your search criteria, click Search
Select the email you want to track and click the Pencil Icon to view the delivery report

Review Delivery Report

Internal delivery reports will show Delivered upon success delivering. Also note, Office 365 Exchange only keeps message tracking data for 14 days.

External delivery reports will only show Transferred which means it successfully sent out from your mail server. However, this does not guarantee the recipient received the email because there can be issues on the recipients email server.

Mar 20

SyncToy21.vbs

Posted on March 20, 2014 by admin

'=========================================================================
' SyncToy21.vbs
' VERSION: 1.0
' AUTHOR: Brian Steinmeyer
' EMAIL: sigkill@sigkillit.com
' WEB: http://sigkillit.com
' DATE: 3/20/20114
' REQUIREMENTS: You must install SyncToy on the Workstation and manually run it to click on
' the agreement statement, otherwise this script will lock up and NEVER back up!!!
'=========================================================================
Option Explicit

' ------ SCRIPT CONFIGURATION ------
Const strContact = "backup@domain.com"
Dim syncToyExe: syncToyExe = ExpandEnv("%PROGRAMFILES%\SyncToy 2.1\SyncToy.exe")
Dim syncToyExeX86: syncToyExeX86 = ExpandEnv("%PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\SyncToy 2.1\SyncToy.exe")
Dim syncToyCmdExe: syncToyCmdExe = ExpandEnv("%PROGRAMFILES%\SyncToy 2.1\SyncToyCmd.exe")
Dim syncToyCmdExeX86: syncToyCmdExeX86 = ExpandEnv("%PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\SyncToy 2.1\SyncToyCmd.exe")
Dim blnAutoRun: blnAutoRun = True
Dim syncOperation: syncOperation = "echo"
Dim strBackupPath: strBackupPath = ExpandEnv("\\server\backups\%USERNAME%\")
Dim objFSO: Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
' ------ END CONFIGURATION ------

Call Main()

Private Sub Main()

    ' Create Objects
    Dim objFSO: Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
    Dim objShell: Set objShell = CreateObject( "WScript.Shell" )

    ' Set Folders for Backups
    Dim strDocuments: strDocuments = objShell.SpecialFolders("MyDocuments")
    Dim strMusic: strMusic = objShell.RegRead("HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders\My Music")
    Dim strPictures: strPictures = objShell.RegRead("HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders\My Pictures")
    Dim strVideos: strVideos = objShell.RegRead("HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders\My Video")

    ' Ensure Backup Path Ends with Slash
    If Right(strBackupPath,1) <> "\" Then
        strBackupPath = strBackupPath & "\"
    End If

    ' Validate Folders for Backup
    Dim strResult: strResult = ""
    If Not objFSO.FolderExists(strDocuments) Then
        strResult = strResult & "- Missing Documents Folder" & vbCrLf
    End If
    If Not objFSO.FolderExists(strMusic) Then
        strResult = strResult & "- Missing Music Folder" & vbCrLf
    End If
    If Not objFSO.FolderExists(strPictures) Then
        strResult = strResult & "- Missing Pictures Folder" & vbCrLf
    End If
    If Not objFSO.FolderExists(strBackupPath) Then
        strResult = strResult & "- Missing Backup Folder" & vbCrLf
    End If

    ' Validate SyncToy Path
    If Not objFSO.FileExists(syncToyExe) Then
        If Not objFSO.FileExists(syncToyExeX86) Then
            strResult = strResult & "- Missing SyncToy.exe" & vbCrLf
        Else
            syncToyExe = syncToyExeX86
        End If
    End If
    If Not objFSO.FileExists(syncToyCmdExe) Then
        If Not objFSO.FileExists(syncToyCmdExeX86) Then
            strResult = strResult & "- Missing SyncToyCmd.exe" & vbCrLf
        Else
            syncToyCmdExe = syncToyCmdExeX86
        End If
    End If

    ' Ensure Everything Validated
    If strResult <> "" Then
        objShell.Popup "An ERROR occurred backing up your files" & vbCrLf & _
            strResult & vbCrLf & _
            "Please contact " & strContact _
            , 30, "ERROR Backing Up Documents!", vbOkOnly + vbCritical
        Wscript.Quit
    End If

    ' Determine Which Folders To Backup and Prompt to Backup
    Dim intAnswer
    Dim blnDocuments: blnDocuments = True
    Dim blnMusic: blnMusic = False
    Dim blnPictures: blnPictures = False
    Dim blnVideos: blnVideos = False
    If InStr(1,strMusic,strDocuments,1) > 0 AND InStr(1,strPictures,strDocuments,1) > 0 AND InStr(1,strVideos,strDocuments,1) > 0 Then
        ' Backup Documents
        intAnswer = objShell.Popup("Do you want to Backup your documents now? This may take several minutes...", 30, "Backup Files?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion)
        If intAnswer = vbNo Then
            blnDocuments = False
        End If
    Elseif InStr(1,strMusic,strDocuments,1) > 0 AND InStr(1,strPictures,strDocuments,1) > 0 Then
        ' Backup Documents
        intAnswer = objShell.Popup("Do you want to Backup your documents now? This may take several minutes...", 30, "Backup Files?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion)
        If intAnswer = vbNo Then
            blnDocuments = False
        End If
        ' Backup Videos
        intAnswer = objShell.Popup("Do you want to Backup your videos now? This may take several minutes...", 30, "Backup Files?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion)
        If intAnswer = vbNo Then
            blnVideos = False
        End If
    Elseif InStr(1,strMusic,strDocuments,1) > 0 AND InStr(1,strVideos,strDocuments,1) > 0 Then
        ' Backup Documents
        intAnswer = objShell.Popup("Do you want to Backup your documents now? This may take several minutes...", 30, "Backup Files?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion)
        If intAnswer = vbNo Then
            blnDocuments = False
        End If
        ' Backup Pictures
        intAnswer = objShell.Popup("Do you want to Backup your pictures now? This may take several minutes...", 30, "Backup Files?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion)
        If intAnswer = vbNo Then
            blnPictures = False
        End If
    Elseif InStr(1,strPictures,strDocuments,1) > 0 AND InStr(1,strVideos,strDocuments,1) > 0 Then
        ' Backup Documents
        intAnswer = objShell.Popup("Do you want to Backup your documents now? This may take several minutes...", 30, "Backup Files?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion)
        If intAnswer = vbNo Then
            blnDocuments = False
        End If
        ' Backup Music
        intAnswer = objShell.Popup("Do you want to Backup your music now? This may take several minutes...", 30, "Backup Files?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion)
        If intAnswer = vbNo Then
            blnMusic = False
        End If
    Elseif InStr(1,strMusic,strDocuments,1) > 0 Then
        ' Backup Documents
        intAnswer = objShell.Popup("Do you want to Backup your documents now? This may take several minutes...", 30, "Backup Files?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion)
        If intAnswer = vbNo Then
            blnDocuments = False
        End If
        ' Backup Pictures
        intAnswer = objShell.Popup("Do you want to Backup your pictures now? This may take several minutes...", 30, "Backup Files?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion)
        If intAnswer = vbNo Then
            blnPictures = False
        End If
         Backup Videos
        intAnswer = objShell.Popup("Do you want to Backup your videos now? This may take several minutes...", 30, "Backup Files?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion)
        If intAnswer = vbNo Then
            blnVideos = False
        End If
    Elseif InStr(1,strPictures,strDocuments,1) > 0 Then
        ' Backup Documents
        intAnswer = objShell.Popup("Do you want to Backup your documents now? This may take several minutes...", 30, "Backup Files?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion)
        If intAnswer = vbNo Then
            blnDocuments = False
        End If
        ' Backup Music
        intAnswer = objShell.Popup("Do you want to Backup your music now? This may take several minutes...", 30, "Backup Files?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion)
        If intAnswer = vbNo Then
            blnMusic = False
        End If
        ' Backup Videos
        intAnswer = objShell.Popup("Do you want to Backup your videos now? This may take several minutes...", 30, "Backup Files?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion)
        If intAnswer = vbNo Then
            blnVideos = False
        End If
    Elseif InStr(1,strVideos,strDocuments,1) > 0 Then
        ' Backup Documents
        intAnswer = objShell.Popup("Do you want to Backup your documents now? This may take several minutes...", 30, "Backup Files?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion)
        If intAnswer = vbNo Then
            blnDocuments = False
        End If
        ' Backup Music
        intAnswer = objShell.Popup("Do you want to Backup your music now? This may take several minutes...", 30, "Backup Files?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion)
        If intAnswer = vbNo Then
            blnMusic = False
        End If
        ' Backup Pictures
        intAnswer = objShell.Popup("Do you want to Backup your pictures now? This may take several minutes...", 30, "Backup Files?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion)
        If intAnswer = vbNo Then
            blnPictures = False
        End If
    Else
        ' Backup Documents
        intAnswer = objShell.Popup("Do you want to Backup your documents now? This may take several minutes...", 30, "Backup Files?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion)
        If intAnswer = vbNo Then
            blnDocuments = False
        End If
        ' Backup Music
        intAnswer = objShell.Popup("Do you want to Backup your music now? This may take several minutes...", 30, "Backup Files?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion)
        If intAnswer = vbNo Then
            blnMusic = False
        End If
        ' Backup Pictures
        intAnswer = objShell.Popup("Do you want to Backup your pictures now? This may take several minutes...", 30, "Backup Files?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion)
        If intAnswer = vbNo Then
            blnPictures = False
        End If
        ' Backup Videos
        intAnswer = objShell.Popup("Do you want to Backup your videos now? This may take several minutes...", 30, "Backup Files?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion)
        If intAnswer = vbNo Then
            blnVideos = False
        End If
    End If

    'Validate Backup Folder Exists Or Try to Create Them
    strResult = ""
    If blnDocuments = True Then
        If ValidateFolder(strBackupPath & "Documents") = False Then
            strResult = strResult & "- Missing " & strBackupPath & "Documents" & vbCrLf
        End If
    End If
    If blnMusic = True Then
        If ValidateFolder(strBackupPath & "Music") = False Then
            strResult = strResult & "- Missing " & strBackupPath & "Music" & vbCrLf
        End If 
    End If
    If blnPictures = True Then
        If ValidateFolder(strBackupPath & "Pictures") = False Then
            strResult = strResult & "- Missing " & strBackupPath & "Pictures" & vbCrLf
        End If
    End If
    If blnVideos = True Then
        If ValidateFolder(strBackupPath & "Videos") = False Then
            strResult = strResult & "- Missing " & strBackupPath & "Videos" & vbCrLf
        End If
    End If

    ' Ensure Everything Validated
    If strResult <> "" Then
        objShell.Popup "An ERROR occurred backing up your files" & vbCrLf & _
            strResult & vbCrLf & _
            "Please contact " & strContact _
            , 30, "ERROR Backing Up Documents!", vbOkOnly + vbCritical
        Wscript.Quit
    End If

    ' Create Folder Pairs
    Call CreateSyncToyPairs(blnDocuments, strDocuments, blnMusic, strMusic, blnPictures, strPictures, blnVideos, strVideos)

    ' Run SyncToy Backup
    If blnDocuments = True Then
        Call RunSyncToy("Documents")
    End If
    If blnMusic = True Then
        Call RunSyncToy("Music")
    End If
    If blnPictures = True Then
        Call RunSyncToy("Pictures")
    End If
    If blnVideos = True Then
        Call RunSyncToy("Videos")
    End If

    ' Cleanup
    Set objFSO = Nothing
    Set objShell = Nothing

End Sub

Private Function ValidateFolder(ByVal strFolder)

    Dim objFSO: Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
    Dim blnResult: blnResult = True
    On Error Resume Next
    If Not objFSO.FolderExists(strFolder) Then
        objFSO.CreateFolder(strFolder)
    End If
    If Err.Number <> 0 Then
        Err.Clear
        blnResult = False
    End If
    On Error Goto 0

    ValidateFolder = blnResult

End Function

Private Sub CreateSyncToyPairs(ByVal bDoc, ByVal sDoc, ByVal bMus, ByVal sMus, ByVal bPic, ByVal sPic, ByVal bVid, ByVal sVid)

    ' Create Objects
    Dim objShell: Set objShell = CreateObject( "WScript.Shell" )

    ' Attempt to Delete Folder Pairs
    Call DeleteSyncToyPair(sDoc,"Documents")
    Call DeleteSyncToyPair(sMus,"Music")
    Call deleteSyncToyPair(sPic,"Pictures")
    Call deleteSyncToyPair(sVid,"Videos")

    ' Create Folder Pairs
    If bDoc = True Then
        objShell.Run chr(34) & syncToyExe & Chr(34) & _
        " -d(left=" & chr(34) & sDoc & chr(34) & _
        ",right=" & chr(34) & strBackupPath & "Documents" & chr(34) & _
        ",name=Documents" & _
        ",operation=" & syncOperation & _
        ",excluded=*.jpg;*.jpeg;*.gif;*.bmp;*.png;*.mp3;*.m4a;*.mid;*.mpg;*.mpeg;*.divx;*.mov" & ")", 0, true  
    End If
    If bMus = True Then
        objShell.Run chr(34) & syncToyExe & Chr(34) & _
        " -d(left=" & chr(34) & sMus & chr(34) & _
        ",right=" & chr(34) & strBackupPath & "Music" & chr(34) & _
        ",name=Music" & _
        ",operation=" & syncOperation & _
        ",excluded=*.jpg;*.jpeg;*.gif;*.bmp;*.png;*.mp3;*.m4a;*.mid;*.mpg;*.mpeg;*.divx;*.mov" & ")", 0, true
    End If
    If bPic = True Then
        objShell.Run chr(34) & syncToyExe & Chr(34) & _
        " -d(left=" & chr(34) & sPic & chr(34) & _
        ",right=" & chr(34) & strBackupPath & "Pictures" & chr(34) & _
        ",name=Pictures" & _
        ",operation=" & syncOperation & _
        ",excluded=*.jpg;*.jpeg;*.gif;*.bmp;*.png;*.mp3;*.m4a;*.mid;*.mpg;*.mpeg;*.divx;*.mov" & ")", 0, true
    End If
    If bVid = True Then
        objShell.Run chr(34) & syncToyExe & Chr(34) & _
        " -d(left=" & chr(34) & sVid & chr(34) & _
        ",right=" & chr(34) & strBackupPath & "Videos" & chr(34) & _
        ",name=Videos" & _
        ",operation=" & syncOperation & _
        ",excluded=*.jpg;*.jpeg;*.gif;*.bmp;*.png;*.mp3;*.m4a;*.mid;*.mpg;*.mpeg;*.divx;*.mov" & ")", 0, true
    End If

    Set objShell = Nothing

End Sub

Private Sub DeleteSyncToyPair(ByVal strPath, ByVal strPair)

    ' Detect if a Config File Exists in the leftFolder and try to Delete Folder Pair
    ' This will ensure all Left Folder Files Write to the Right Folder and Will Skip
    ' Duplicates.  Otherwise Files on the left will not write to the right if they are
    ' deleted from the right
    Dim objFSO: Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
    Dim objShell: Set objShell = CreateObject( "WScript.Shell" )
    Dim colFiles: Set colFiles = objFSO.GetFolder(strPath).Files
    Dim File, strErr
    For Each File in colFiles
        If InStr(1,File.Name,"SyncToy",1) > 0 AND StrComp(objFSO.GetExtensionName(File.Name),"dat",1) = 0 Then
            'SyncToy File Exists, Try to Delete Pair
            Call KillProcess("SyncToy.exe") 'Terminate SyncToy Processes Else a Delete Fails
            Call KillProcess("SyncToyCmd.exe")
            strErr = objShell.Run(chr(34) & syncToyExe & Chr(34) & " -u" & strPair, 0, false)
            'Cheap hack if it errors because the pair doesnt exist to kill the window
            Wscript.Sleep 10000
            Call KillProcess("SyncToy.exe")
            Call KillProcess("SyncToyCmd.exe")
        End If
    Next

    Set objFSO = Nothing
    Set objShell = Nothing

End Sub

Private Sub RunSyncToy(ByVal folderPair)

    ' Create Objects
    Dim objFSO: Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
    Dim objShell: Set objShell = CreateObject( "WScript.Shell" )

    ' Run SyncToy as Manual or Automated
    If blnAutoRun = False Then
        objShell.Run chr(34) & syncToyExe & chr(34)
    Else
        ' Set Path to SyncToyLog and Clear Log
        Dim syncToyLog: syncToyLog = ExpandEnv("%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\SyncToy\2.0\SyncToyLog.log")
        If InStr(1,syncToyLog,"%",1) > 0 Then
            syncToyLog = ExpandEnv("%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\SyncToy\2.0\SyncToyLog.log")
        End If
        If InStr(1,syncToyLog,"%",1) > 0 Then
            syncToyLog = "!~ERROR~!"
        End If
        If objFSO.FileExists(syncToyLog) Then
            Call Logger(syncToyLog, "", True)
        End If 

        ' Run Automated SyncToy Backup
        objShell.Run chr(34) & syncToyCmdExe & Chr(34) & " -R " & chr(34) & folderPair & chr(34), 1, true

        ' Parse SyncToyLog to Ensure It Successfully Ran
        Dim strError: strError = ""
        If objFSO.FileExists(syncToyLog) Then
            strError = ParseSyncToyLog(syncToyLog)
            If strError <> "" Then
                ' Error Detected in Sync
                objShell.Popup "An ERROR occurred backing up folder pair: " & folderPair & vbCrLf & _
                strError & vbCrLf & _
                "Please contact " & strContact _
                , 30, "ERROR Backing Up Files!", vbOkOnly + vbCritical
            End If
        Else
            ' Error Getting Log to Parse
            objShell.Popup "An ERROR occurred obtaining log file to check for errors after backing up folder pair: " & folderPair & vbCrLf & _
            "Please contact " & strContact _
            , 30, "ERROR Backing Up Files!", vbOkOnly + vbCritical
        End If

        'Copy SyncToy Log to Backup Path
        If objFSO.FIleExists(syncToyLog) Then
            objFSO.CopyFile syncToyLog, strBackupPath, True
        End If
    End If

    ' Cleanup
    Set objFSO = Nothing
    Set objShell = Nothing

End Sub

Private Function ParseSyncToyLog(ByVal strLog)

    Dim objFSO: Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
    Const ForReading = 1
    Dim objFile: Set objFile = objFSO.OpenTextFile(strLog, ForReading)
    Dim strLine
    Dim strResult: strResult = ""
    Dim blnAction: blnAction = True
    Dim blnWarning: blnWarning = False
    Dim blnError: blnError = False
    Do Until objFile.AtEndOfStream
        strLine = objFile.ReadLine
        If Len(strLine) > 0 Then
            ' Backup SyncToyLog for Archiving
            Call Logger(Replace(strLog,"SyncToyLog.log","SyncToyLog_Full.txt",1,1,1),strLine,False)

            ' Check If Actions Were Performed
            If InStr(1,strLine,"Found 0 actions to perform",1) > 0 Then
                blnAction = False
            End If

            ' Check If Warning Was Logged
            If InStr(1,strLine,"Warning:",1) > 0 Then
                blnWarning = True
                If strResult = "" Then
                    strResult = strLine
                Else
                    strResult = strResult & vbcrlf & strLine
                End If
            End If

            ' Check If Error Was Logged
            If InStr(1,strLine,"Error:",1) > 0 Then
                blnError = True
                If strResult = "" Then
                    strResult = strLine
                Else
                    strResult = strResult & vbcrlf & strLine
                End If
            End If
        End If
    Loop
    objFile.Close

    Set objFSO = Nothing

    ParseSyncToyLog = strResult

End Function

Private Sub KillProcess(ByVal strProcess)
    Dim strComputer: strComputer = "."
    Dim objWMIService: Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")
    Dim colItems: Set colItems = objWMIService.ExecQuery("Select * From Win32_Process")
    Dim objItem
    For Each objItem in colItems
        If StrComp(objItem.Name, strProcess, 1) = 0 Then
            objItem.Terminate()
        End If
    Next
End Sub

Private Function ExpandEnv(ByVal strPath)

    Dim objShell: Set objShell = CreateObject( "WScript.Shell" )
    ExpandEnv = objShell.ExpandEnvironmentStrings(strPath)
    Set objShell = Nothing

End Function

Private Sub Logger(fileName, logMessage, blnNewLog)

    Const ForReading = 1, ForWriting = 2, ForAppending = 8
    Dim objFSO: Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
    Dim scriptPath: scriptPath = Left(WScript.ScriptFullName,InstrRev(WScript.ScriptFullName,"\"))
    Dim logName
    If InStr(1,fileName,"\",1) > 0 Then
        logName = fileName
        If objFSO.DriveExists(objFSO.GetDriveName(logName)) Then
            If StrComp(objFSO.GetExtensionName(logName), "", 1) = 0 Then
                If Not objFSO.FolderExists(logName) Then
                    If objFSO.FolderExists(objFSO.GetParentFolderName(logName)) Then
                        objFSO.CreateFolder logName 'Create Folder In Current Path
                        Exit Sub
                    Else
                        Call Logger(objFSO.GetParentFolderName(logName), logMessage, blnNewLog) 'Recurse Creating Parent Folder
                        Call Logger(logName, logMessage, blnNewLog) 'Recurse Creating Current Folder
                        Exit Sub
                    End If
                End If
            Else
                If Not objFSO.FileExists(logName) Then
                    If Not objFSO.FolderExists(objFSO.GetParentFolderName(logName)) Then
                        Call Logger(objFSO.GetParentFolderName(logName), logMessage, blnNewLog)  'Recurse Creating Parent Folder
                        Call Logger(logName, logMessage, blnNewLog)  'Recurse Creating Current Folder
                    End If
                End If
            End If
        End If
    Else
        logName = scriptPath & fileName
    End If
    Dim logFile
    If blnNewLog = True Then
        Set logFile = objFSO.CreateTextFile(logName, True)
    Else
        If objFSO.FileExists(logName) Then
            Set logFile = objFSO.OpenTextFile(logName, ForAppending, True)
        Else
            Set logFile = objFSO.CreateTextFile(logName, True)
        End If
    End If
    logFile.WriteLine logMessage
    logFile.Close
    Set objFSO = Nothing

End Sub

Feb 07

Outlook unable to open your default e-mail folders

Posted on February 7, 2013 by admin

Error Messages

unable to open your default e-mail folders
Cannot open the Outlook window. The server is not available.

Resolution 1

Outlook was installed with compatibility mode.

Locate your outlook.exe,
1. Typically in C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\
  1. (Note: 14 is for office 2010, yours may vary depending on your version of Outlook).
Right-click the OUTLOOK.EXE, and select properties.
On the Compatibility tab, uncheck all of the settings as shown below

Resolution 2

Use the /resetnavpane when opening Outlook.

Click Start and enter cmd in the search/run menu to open a command prompt
In the command prompt, run the following command
1. (Note: 14 is for office 2010, yours may vary depending on your version of Outlook)

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\outlook.exe /resetnavpane

Page 1 of 212

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