Making Virtual Machines Smaller

Coding Horror: Creating Smaller Virtual Machines

Scott Hanselman’s Computer Zen – Invirtus Virtual Machine Optimizer

When *not* to use Invirtus VM Optimizer (Hint: with differencing disks!) + different space-saver way – ISerializable – Roy Osherove’s Blog

Diskpart

DiskPart

A Description of the Diskpart Command-Line Utility

DiskPart Command-Line Options

How to automatically assign a drive letter by using the Diskpart.exe command on a Windows Server 2003-based computer or on a Windows XP-based computer

How to extend a data volume in Windows Server 2003, in Windows XP, in Windows 2000, and in Windows Server 2008

Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console for advanced users

Antivirus Exclusions on Servers

Virus scanning recommendations for computers that are running Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Vista

Overview of Exchange Server 2003 and antivirus software

FAQs – What exclusions should I use for Antivirus…

NOD32 Best Practice installation – [H]ard|Forum

What Anti-Virus scanning exclusions should be considered for system and servers? – Shaun Cassells at MyITForum.com

Improving Performance – AntiVirus Exclusions on Virtual Server

Virtual PC Guy’s WebLog : Antivirus and Hyper-V (or: Why can’t I start my virtual machine?)

Computer Deployment with ImageX

ImageX Technical Reference

Windows Imaging Format – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WindowsDevCenter.com: PC Deployment with ImageX

Svrops.com – Deploying Vista with Sysprep and Imagex

Imagex As Backup Tool – The CD Forum

You cannot use the ImageX.exe tool as a backup tool on a Windows Vista-based computer

Network Diagrams

The Art of Network Diagrams – Visio 2007 « Virtualization, Windows, Infrastructure and all that “stuff” in-between

VisioCafe

Virtualization, Virtualisation, Whatever!

Using Virtual PC as a Test and Learning Platform

Recipes for working with Microsoft Virtual PC – Be Logical – writings by Johan Hedberg

Best practices for Virtual Server

Code, Code, Code Everywhere: Move VirtualPC Base & Differencing Disks

HOWTO: Use Virtual PC’s Differencing Disks to your Advantage

HOWTO: Squeeze Every Last Drop of Performance Out of Your Virtual PCs

Creating a Custom and Quiet Virtualization Rig with Microsoft’s Hyper-V

20 things you should know about virtualization, from TechRepublic – Downloads – TechRepublic

Virtual PC Guy’s WebLog

The Soul of a Virtual Machine

Basic things to do when creating a Microsoft Server Gold Build for use on a VMware ESX Template. | TechHead.co.uk

TechHead – VMware, Virtualization, HP & Microsoft Related IT Blog

Virtualization, Windows, Infrastructure and all that “stuff” in-between

Sysprep, XP and Vista Rollout Links

Ask The Admin » Blog Archive » How to Roll Out Desktops Using Disk Imaging

How-To: Image Windows XP with Ghost and Sysprep | Hisham’s Blog

Vernalex.com Guides: SysPrep Guide

Vernalex.com Tools: SysPrep Driver Scanner

Build a Windows Vista Master PC Image « Virtualization, Windows, Infrastructure and all that “stuff” in-between

Security Sites

VirusInfo

Alliance of Security Analysis Professionals

Vista Network Issues

Windows Vista cannot obtain an IP address from certain routers or from certain non-Microsoft DHCP servers

You may experience connectivity issues or performance issues when you connect a mobile PC that is running Windows Vista to a wireless access point

XP SP3 Sysprep Changes

Windows XP Service Pack 3 Deployment Tools

http://thebackroomtech.com/2008/05/21/updated-sysprepexe-now-available-for-windows-xp-sp3/

http://remyservices.wordpress.com/2008/05/15/sysprep-updates-to-sp3/

http://remyservices.wordpress.com/2007/09/28/sysprep-in-depth-part-5-customizing-sysprepinf/

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/302577

Just Spent Half My Life As An Adult

So why don’t i feel more mature?

Happy Birthday to me!

Online free file storage sites to test for business use

Box.net

IDrive

Mozy

Xdrive Just realised that this is part of AOL!

Information on other options options can be found at:

The Smorgasbord | Free Online Storage Review

28 Free File Storage Hosting Websites – Something you need to Bookmark!

Public NTP Time Server

0.ie.pool.ntp.org

See http://www.pool.ntp.org/

Metallica Death Magnetic

GET IT NOW!

It’s been 20 years since Metallica last released an album this good, “…And Justice For All” for those of you who have to think back!  Things were never the same…until now!

“Metallica” (aka The Black Album) was good (not great) but feels like it was designed to bring about commercial success.  “Load” and “ReLoad” were OK with some good songs, some forgettable, and “St. Anger” was complete and utter shite!  There is only one song on that album that I would listen to again, “Sweet Amber”.  “St. Anger” might have served as a necessary group therapy/crisis meeting but should never have been released.  Ever!  Never ever!

Now that Bob (Pop Music) Rock has finally and thankfully been ditched, in favour of the producer they maybe should always have used, Rick Rubin, it’s back to what they do best.  Metallica finally sounds like Metallica again.

“Death Magnetic” is the spiritual successor to “…And Justice For All” and long may they continue if all future releases are as good as this.

I spent the whole day painting yesterday and had the album on repeat and there was not one song that I tired of listening to…all day long…not one!  Even the instrumental!  Yes the instrumentals are back too.  Like I said, they are back to doing what they do best!

GET IT NOW!

Glad I’m not the only one who won’t touch Vista

I’ve been using Vista Ultimate Edition on my work laptop for the past few months even though I disliked it even back then. The only reason it is still on the laptop is that I don’t have the time to wipe and reinstall the laptop with XP Pro.  Hopefully that day will come soon.

I really tried to get to like Vista.  I thought that if I became more familiar with it I might get a change of heart and grow to accept it.  I now know that will never happen.  In fact I’ve come to the completely hate Vista with a passion.  I can’t pick certain features that I individually hate about Vista, it’s the OS as a whole that I detest.  Windows ME 2?

According to a leaked internal memo, Intel are never going to use Vista.  See the article on the Inquirer here (Via).

Nice to know I’m in good company!

Default Password List

http://www.phenoelit-us.org/dpl/dpl.html (Via)

This list should come in handy at some point for anyone working in IT.  I’d be surprised if it didn’t.  It has already helped me out big time!

Links for 2008-02-22

How to download anything | Dew Knight

RipIt4Me Review & Download Link | freewaregenius.com

Shrink DVDs down to size with Amok DVD Shrinker Review & Download Link | freewaregenius.com

Links for 2008-02-14

Happy Valentines Day…and all the commercial crap that goes with it!  Romance my arse, it’s a rip-off!

Anyway, here’s a nice romantic letter to warm the cockles of Intels heart:

A Valentine’s Day Letter to AMD – ExtremeTech

Use Gmail to filter spam from ISP email

I was advised to do this in the past by Donncha but never got around to doing it. Must do it soon to see if I can make do without POPFile on my PC.

How to eliminate all spam mail for free | Life in Student Ministry (Via)

Here’s a pre-defined Google search to find more info on this.

Some other links which may be useful:

Gmail Help – Configuring other mail clients

How to Access Gmail with Mozilla Thunderbird – About Email

Update
Works a charm! I have Gmail getting my email from my ISP, Eircon (misspelling intentional!), filtering the spam, and then Thunderbird is collecting what is left after all the multitudes of spam has been removed. I am not sending my outgoing email through Gmail SMTP server though as the “From” field on emails sent through Gmail contains “????????@gmail.com on behalf of ????????@eircom.net”, so still sending outgoing email through the Smart Telecom SMTP server. Not one spam message has got through yet!

Links for 02-Oct-2007

Adam Pierce » wget and apt-get through a proxy

Links for 01-Oct-2007

HDAT2/CBL Hard Disk Repair Utility

Creating a Sysprep Image Library for Virtual PC

Mausau’s audio plugins for Nero Burning ROM

FLAC – Free Lossless Audio Codec

QeD – The Ultimate Liveset Cuesheet Editor | TUTORIAL

Links for 27-Sep-2007

Free Hard Disk and Partition Imaging and Backup Software

Links for 17-Sep-2007

bit-tech.net | PC Audio 101 – Introduction

Links for 06-Sep-2007

SoftwareFor.org: Home of Software for Starving Students (Via)

Links for 04-Sep-2007

Four Must-Have Vista Updates – ExtremeTech

Windows: What to Install After Re-Formatting? – Lifehacker
Might give me some ideas to add to my Recommended Windows Software page.

Links for 31-Aug-2007

Windows Vista: 10 Things You Need to Know about Deploying Windows Vista — TechNet Magazine, November 2006
Much as I dislike Windows Vista I’m going to have to learn it sooner rather than later from a work perspective. Windows XP works, why can’t the same be said for Vista?

Links for 08-Aug-2007

Clucking With Penguins: A Beginner’s Guide to Linux – HardwareLogic
Page 4 contains a list of some nice open-source games to install.

7 Free Replacements For Everyday Applications – Tom’s Hardware

List of free first-person shooters – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

List of commercial games released as freeware – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Links for 01-Aug-2007

How to zap the crap on a new Windows PC – Computerworld

Hands on: Ubuntu Linux – Kubuntu and Xubuntu – Personal Computer World

Hands on: Ubuntu 7.04 – Personal Computer World

Turn Off Unnecessary Windows XP Services | JasonN.com (Via)

Microsoft Office 2007 Viewers

Access 2007 Download: Access Runtime

PowerPoint Viewer 2007

Visio 2007 Viewer

How to view Word 2007 and Excel 2007 files by using Word Viewer 2003 and Excel Viewer 2003

Excel Viewer 2003

Word Viewer 2003

Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats

Links for 27-Jul-2007

ChrisMyden.com – How To Burn CDs from MP3s Without Gaps Between Tracks