Microsoft protection

For the last week I went on with no up-to-date "Microsoft protection". MS Antispyware expired end of last month. Now although I can still do scans with it by changing my system clock to some time last month, I should really be updating to Windows Defender.

So off I went to the MS site, downloaded GenuineCheck.exe because I don't want to install another ActiveX and downloaded the msi. The msi won't install saying I'm missing an update. There was no message except for a link to the requirements page. I checked the systems requirement and sure enough I have what it claims on the page. I did a search in google (as usual when I get any problems) and found hacks all over the place on how to bypass genuine advantage. I must make clear that I do have a legitimate version of XP so I don't need those. Someone suggested that I go to Windows Update and bingo it made me install

• Update for Windows XP (KB898461)
• Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool (KB892130)

According to the KB article, the XP update should only be required for downloads from Windows update or if I use automatic update. I do neither. I apply my patches manually because I like to know what get installed on my computer and only choose the ones I need - the more that gets installed, the greater the chances that something else goes wrong. GenuineCheck should have taken care of WGA and the fact that I can download the msi proves that. Having ran out of options I sheepishly clicked the next button and followed the bouncing ball. Voila Windows Defender was installed in flash.

This proves to me that once again, anything other than the "default" way of doing things would not work smoothly. Ok I can accept more overhead on my part because I choose to have more control over my system. But with no error messages or indications of what is really wrong, I am forced to conform to the default, even though the extra steps required aren't documented requirements.

Buses (shakes head)

I was an hour late for work today. After waiting for 40 minutes for the all stop bus which is meant to come every 10 minutes, I finally got on a bus just after 9am. I missed the last express because of that so there was no point getting off the all stop bus. I ended up at work at 9:30am, which meant I was late for a meeting as well. Public transport (sigh).

Back to work

After a nice 10-day break it's back to work tomorrow. The first few days of the break was like forever, then the rest of the week just flew past. I can't believe I used to have 3 whole months off while I was at uni. What did I do with my time then!! I guess like many things, I don't appreciate it until I don't have it anymore :(

My wireless router has been acting up, just when I decide to use its wireless feature after having that turned off for a few months. I have tried everything - rebooting, changing the channels, changing the security settings (including disabling wireless security. That's naughty I know but I have to prove that the router is stuffed) and turning off the zero wireless config service in SP2. DHCP just won't work and the network disappears after a random period of time. The wired network is fine and I've had no problems for the last 10 months. The only thing that has been changed was that the laptop was upgraded to SP2. Now wasn't that supposed to provide better wireless functionality? Good thing though is that I am not the only one experiencing these problems. There are stacks of ppl having the same problem with that router. I should send it back to the vendor to get it fixed (when I get around to it). Errr I should've read the forums before buying the router...

500 Internal Server Error

Don't you just hate it when things chuck an error that says nothing more but that an error has occurred?

That happened today with our Biztalk test app. It drove me nuts.

500 Internal Server Error was all I got. I've looked everywhere - application event logs, security event logs, system event logs, web server logs, SQL Server logs and turned on all things that I can possibly log but nothing, NOTHING tells me what is going wrong.

Obviously the developer says it works on his machine so he's not changing his orchestration.

I can see myself doing some serious googling on Monday. And with 2 people being away on Monday, it's gonna be a hell of a day.