3. Otherwise Start > Run (or for Vista/Windows 7 or 2008 Type in the search box) > services msc {enter}.
4. First make sure the following three services are present and have started,
Windows Update
Background Intelligent Transfer Service
Cryptographic Services
If any are not running right click > Start. If they are all present and running then > Locate the “Windows Update” service> Right click it > Stop.
5. Open Windows Explorer and navigate to C:Windows > Locate the SoftwareDistribution folder> Rename it to UpdateOLD.
6. Go back to the service “Windows Update” service you stopped in step 4 and restart it > Then retry Windows Update.
7. If your still not working, then manually reset the Windows Update components using the BITS repair tool, or doing it manually, for instructions CLCK HERE.
Back when I did the website in Dreamweaver, this was a simple task, there was an ‘insert anchor’ button*. If you have a long webpages and you want your readers to be able to ‘navigate’ around it using hyperlinks, then ‘anchors’ are for you.
*In WordPress there is still a GUI option, on the insert menu, so you can still ‘insert anchor’ (see below).
What’s an anchor? Its simply a piece of code in a webpage that lets you ‘jump to / hyperlink’ to it, so you can get there from within the same web page, or straight to a specific part of a page, from another webpage. (like this)
Solution: Insert Anchor
Here I’m simply placing the anchor and nothing will be visible. If you are linking to a specific price of text you can use that as the anchor also;
Examples;
[box]Anchor with no text: <a id=”{anchor-name}”></a>
From the ‘insert menu’ choose ‘Anchor’ and supply a name.
How To Hyperlink to an ‘Anchor’
Normally when writing web pages/articles you will hyperlink to the URL of a web page, when linking to an anchor, the procedure is the same, but you supply the anchor on the ‘end’ of the URL and you specify it with a ‘#’ symbol. e.g. http://domain/page#anchor, but in WordPress you simply need to enter the anchor name and WordPress will understand that the link is within the same page.
like so;
Note: If the anchor is in ‘another’ web page, you will need to enter the full URL including the anchor text.
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Chrome is my browser of choice, so I don’t look at my website with IE often. (Yes I know that’s bad practice for a webmaster). So I was surprised when I opened my home page and saw this.
If you have a lot of them this is quite time consuming, but you can add the attribute of border and set it to zero within the IMG section of your hyperlink like so;
Option 2: Edit your CSS
This would be the preferred option, because you make one change and it will effect all your images. Simply add the following commands to your CSS.
Fixed!
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A very strange problem today? I was attempting to change the product key of a Windows 2008 R2 Server, I copied and pasted the code in, and this happened;
I assumed I’d done something stupid, or there was some formatting in the text I had copied (from One Note). So I typed it in manually, every time I tried to enter the letter ‘n’ this happened? And when I copy pasted the code in it had removed all the N’s and did it again.
Solution
1. Thankfully I’ve done a lot of deployments, so I know how to change the product key and then activate the machine form command line. Run the following command to change the key;
In part two we built our reference machine and took an image of it using WDS. Now to automate the deployments we need to create some unattended answer files, these will answer all the questions that the Windows 8 machines will ask while they are building. We will take those files and import them into the WDS server we configured in part one. Finally to make sure everything is working we will deploy Windows 8.
Solution
Download and Install the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit for Windows 8
1. We used to have the WAIK for Windows 7, now this has been replaced with the ADK. (download link).
2. It’s a MASSIVE download, it will take a long time.
Create a WDS Distribution Share
1. On a drive that has some room (Approx 5GB should be fine,) create a folder.
2. Launch the System Image Manager.
3. In the top left section > Right click ‘Select a Distribution Share’ > Select ‘Create Distribution Share..’
4. Navigate to the folder you created earlier.
5. Now you don’t need to do this next part, but I copy the full contents of the Windows 8 DVD into this folder as well.
6. Like so.
7. Then in the bottom left section > Right click > ‘Select Windows Image..’.
8. Navigate to the Windows 8 Media > Sources Directory > Select ‘install.wim’.
Note: The install.wim MUST match the version you are going to deploy, it’s no good pointing to a Windows 8 Pro image if you are going to deploy Windows 8 Enterprise.
9. Select the version you are going to deploy > OK.
10. This is normal, select yes to create a catalog file. It will take a while, it has to mount the image, interrogate it and create all the components. Now would be a good time to put the kettle on.
Create the Unattended file for WDS (WDSUnattended.xml)
This unattended file will be just for the WDS settings, it will not be applied to the image you are going to deploy. It sets the keyboard and language settings for WDS to use, then it gives the credentials to connect to WDS, and wipes all the partitions from the target machines hard drive. It then repartitions it ready for deployment.
WARNING: As reiterated below, the disk configuration settings below will wipe the target machines drive of ALL partitions, even manufacturers rescue partitions. If you are imaging machines anyway this should not be a problem, but don’t email me to complain of you lose the recovery files for a laptop/PC while you were practicing!
1. Create a new answer file.
2. The components may not start amd64 (if you are deploying x86 images) and some of the numbers might be different on yours. But the main titles of the components will be the same. Locate Microsoft-Windows-Internationa-Core-WinPE.
3. Add it to Pass 1. If you are unfamiliar with SIM, you add a component (or a sub component) to one of the ‘Passes’ in the center, then you can select that component (or sub component) and set the values for its settings in the top right hand section. The SIM builds an XML file in the background which will become the unattended answer file.
4. You will now see this component under pass 1, select it and set the following settings. (These are for my local English Great Britain settings, you may need to change your settings according to your locale).
Wiping the Targets Hard Drive and Partitions with WDS
6. Locate the Microsoft-Windows-Setup component > Disk Configuration sub component.
7. Add to Pass 1.
8. Right click > Insert New Disk.
9. Expand > Disk > Create Partitions > Right click > ‘Insert New CreatePartition’.
10. Select the DISK.
Disk ID = 0 WillWipeDisk = true
11. Select the Partition.
Extend = true Order = 1 Type = Primary
12. Right click ModifyPartition > Insert New ModifyPartition.
13. With the new ModifyPartition selected.
Action = AddlistItem Active = true Extend = false Format = NTFS Label = SYSTEM Letter = C Order = 1 PartitionID = 1
Select Partition to install Image to
1. Locate the WindowsDeploymentService sub component, (also in Microsoft-Windows-Setup).
2. Add to Pass 1.
3. Expand Image Selection > Install To.
Disk ID = 0 PartitionID = 1
4. Expand Login > Credentials.
Domain = {Your domain name i.e. petenetlive.com would be PETENETLIVE). Password = {Of a user with administrative rights – IT WILL GET OBFUSCATED*). Username = {Of a user with administrative rights).
*I used to say ‘encrypted‘, but thats NOT the case, they are simply Base64 encoded.
Attach the Answerfile to the WDS Server
1. Save the file you have just created.
2. Place it in your Remoteinstall folder in the WdsClientUnattend sub folder.
3. Launch the Windows Deployment Services management console > Expand Servers > Right click your server > Properties.
4. Client tab > Tick to enable unattended installation > I’m deploying x64 bit images so next to that option > Browse.
5. Navigate to and select the file you have just created > Open > Apply > OK.
Create the Unattended file for Your Image (OOBEUnattend.xml)
1. Create a new answer file.
2. Locate the Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup component.
3. Add to Pass 4.
4. With the component selected.
ComputerName = * CopyProfile = true (Unless you don’t want to copy the profiles from your source image). ProductKey = Your 25 character Windows 8 unlock code Note: Only put in a code of you are deploying with MAK keys or Retail Keys, if you are planning on using KMS leave this option blankRegisteredOrganization = Your business name. RegisteredOwner = Your owners name. ShowWindowsLive = false {now depreciated for Windows 8} TimeZone = GMT Standard Time Note: For other time zones see here
Automatically Join the Domain
1. Locate the Microsoft-Windows-UnattendedJoin component
2. Add to Pass 4.
3. With Identification selected.
JoinDomain = {Your domain name i.e. petenetlive.com would be PETENETLIVE). UnsecureJoin = true
Set the Image Language and Keyboard Settings
4. Locate the Microsoft-Windows-International-Core component.
Set the Local Administrator Password and Add a Local Administrator
Note: The local admin account is disabled by default, so here I’m setting the local admin’s password, and then creating a new local admin user called Sysadmin.
1. Locate the Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup component > UserAccounts sub component
2. Add to Pass 7.
3. With AdmnistratorPassword selected set the password value.
4. Right click LocalAccounts > Insert New LoacalAccount.
5. With LocalAccount selected.
Action = AddListItem Description = Sysadmin DisplayName = Sysadmin Group = Administrators Name = Sysadmin
6. Then set the password value.
7. Save the answer file.
8. Save the file as OOBEUnattand.xml
Attach the Answer file to the Windows 8 Image
1. Launch the Windows Deployment Services Management console.
2. Locate the Windows 8 Image you are attaching the answer file to > Right click > Properties.
3. Tick the option ‘Allow image to install in unattended mode’ > Select File > Browse.
4. Select the OOBEUnattend.xml file you created earlier.
5. Note: It makes a copy of the file and stores it elsewhere calling it ImageUnattend.xml (watch out for this if you need to edit the answer file and nothing changes!)
Deploy Your Windows 8 Image.
1. Boot your target machine to the network via pXe > Press F12 to boot from the WDS.
2. Install an Image.
3. Select the image you want to deploy.
4. After the install, the machine should reboot and present you with a domain logon.
5. And your programs and settings will be pre-configured.
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Some versions of Windows 8 (Windows 8 Pro for example) ask for the unlock code as soon as you install them, I installed Windows 8 Enterprise on my PC at home today, and I couldn’t even change my user photo, because Windows hadn’t activated. When I tried, this is what happened.
Solution
As I had not yet installed a Windows unlock code, it’s safe to assume it had it’s in built KMS code, so I would need to change it to my own Windows code.
1. Press Windows Key+X to bring up the Advanced Context Menu >Select ‘Command Prompt (Admin)’.
2. Run the following command (where 12345-ABCDE-12345-ABCDE-12345 is YOUR Windows code);
You can still right click the networking icon in your task tray and manually join a wireless network, but with the new UI there is a much more user friendly way.
Solution
1. Bring up the Settings menu (Press Windows Key+I, or swipe in form the left on a tablet/tablet) > Select the available networks icon.
2. Select the wireless network you want to connect to.
3. If you want to always connect to this network tick the box and select ‘Connect’.
4. If your router has a PIN number for access (check its documentation) then you can enter that here, and follow the instructions. The PIN number is usually shown on the router/access point on a sticker. However if you use a WEP or WPA password, then select ‘Connect using security key instead’.
Note: The system for joining a wireless netork using a PIN number, is very insecure! just to a Google search for “hacking wireless with reaver”, I suggest you disable this feature if you can.
5. Type in your WEP/WPA Key > Next.
6. All being well, you should now be connected.
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Fired up one of my test machines this morning, and opened Outlook to see,
Error: Microsoft Outlook (Product Activation Failed)
Though if you open other applications you will get the same;
Error: Microsoft Word (Product Activation Failed)
Error: Microsoft Excel (Product Activation Failed)
etc.
Solution
I’m not sure why this happened, (perhaps I entered the wrong key when I installed it). But it’s simple to fix.
1. In this Example I’m using Outlook but select > File > Help > Change Product Key.
2. Enter a valid Office 2010 key > Continue > Follow the on-screen prompts.
3. When finished, restart Outlook and it will prompt you to activate, again follow the instructions.
4. When complete it should say “Thank You. You copy of Microsoft Office {version} is activated” > Restart your Office applications to remove the red warning bar.
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Both ‘box product’ or retail versions of Office require you to add the key and activate them at install time. But volume licensed or MAK versions do not. This makes it easy for you to forget. If you use KMS that’s not a problem, by default they will licence themselves from there. However if you need to put in a MAK key this has to be done manually or office will start complaining.
Solution
1. Launch an Office application, in this example I will use Word.
2. File > Account > change product key > Paste in your unlock code > Continue.
3. Close and re-open your Office application(s).
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