- Blind-sysadmins - lists.hodgsonfamily.org

What happened to the VMWare Player?
by Steve Matzura 08 Dec '14

08 Dec '14

Unbelievable but true, it's no longer on offer from vmware.com. The Website says it's currently in redevelopment, which could mean anything. Suitable replacement recommendations, or location of old downloadable versions, greatly appreciated.

3 3

Windows 8.1 notifications and JAWS
by Anatoliy Shudrya 05 Dec '14

05 Dec '14

Is there a way JAWS can enounce/read windows 8.1 notifications? I already have 16 version and it is still seems to be not supported. Am I missing something, maybe there is a way to enable it some ware in JAWS settings? Anatoliy

2 2

Virtual XP
by Steve Matzura 29 Nov '14

29 Nov '14

Anyone tried building a virtual XP installation on a Windows 7 system? I have an old piece of software that absolutely will not run in 7's compatibility mode, so I thought I'd build a virtual XP. For my next trick, I want to use this virtual XP on multiple hardware platforms, and I suspect this part will not be possible because of driver requirement differences. I'd like to hear from anyone who's tried virtualizing XP on Windows 7, and which virtual environment manager (VMWare, etc.) they prefer, and of course, why.

2 6

window-eyes 9 beta1
by Josh k 25 Nov '14

25 Nov '14

hey window eyes9 beta1 is now out go get it at www.gwmicro.com/beta or google search it.

1 0

Remotely installing applications onto Windows Servers and career advice.
by Barry Toner 24 Nov '14

24 Nov '14

Hi all, I've a potential cracking, in fact life changing job coming up for a company. It's an FT100. Couldn't' come at a better time as my current 2yr contract is coming to a close. I've passed my interview. I scored the highest out of everyone they interviewed. I have been explicitly been told this by HR. I spent 1hr:20mins on the phone with two Senior Tech Managers two weeks ago. They wanted to gage my current experience for themselves. I'm trying my best to keep the positive, upbeat attitude going. I want this job right? I don't want to allow it to enter my head, OK guys I'm open, I'm honest, let's go! There's a couple of things going on now. No one for these entry level infrastructure roles have been hired yet, as far as I am aware. I keep being told there are 4 roles coming up. They interviewed a second time for this area, and there's a queue I'd imagine forming behind me! One person let slip that they are waiting for paperwork to be completed that is on a desk of someone who has been out of the office. I had a phone call today from HR saying, there's one problem. The parent company refuses to allow a Screen Reader to be installed on their servers. And asked how would I install an application on a server with no screen reader. These are Windows Servers. 2008R2 and 2012. I've asked someone off list and they gave some suggestions, but also had concerns about no SR on a server. I'm getting tempted to say, after I go back to HR with ways I can do this, OK, I appreciate your position, let's take me on for a year, see what we can do and after that it it's not working out I can walk away and you don't' have a permanent member of staff if with all the red tape. However, give me the chance to prove to you I can work around barriers. I'll find a way to keep it positive and not begging. It's so frustrating because I'm walking a thin line here. I appreciate they want to make sure things are going to work, but they can't even tell me what the specifics of the roles are going to be, let alone what application they are talking about installing and if it's just installing. I'm talking to someone in HR who doesn't know tech, acg! OK, can people please offer suggestions how I can install a program onto a remote server from a workstation? I've already heard PowerShell, and Group Policy. I'm not sure how I'd do this, as I don't' have a working knowledge of either of these technologies. I suspect at the level I'm going in at neither will the other candidates. I appreciate sometimes we need to be the best of the best and any skills I'll acquire by learning how to do this while more arduous than someone pointing and clicking on an RDP connection, but I need to start from somewhere. I'd also appreciate any advice on how to tread carefully here, I don't' want to blow my chances but equally I don't' want to be taken for a ride. Or despite passing their recruitment process be ton a old based ona hypothetical, we can't consider you! Cheers guys, Barry.

4 8

JFW downgrade to standard
by Andrew Hodgson 23 Nov '14

23 Nov '14

Hi, Just wondering if anyone on here is looking at downgrading the JFW license to standard for their personal machines? I am in two minds about it as I may need to use it for a work job at some point in the future - nothing planned but want to keep my options open. What are others doing here? Andrew.

3 2

RAID Controller recommendations
by Steve Matzura 23 Nov '14

23 Nov '14

I have two NAS boxes, both at least five years old, that need replacement. They're slow, only 100mb ethernet nd USB 2.0, each one holds four drives, currently using 1TB drives in each box. Total capacity across both boxes is 5.4TB. I have already replaced two drives due to hardware failure, so I know the things are aging, and not gracefully. Both arrays are used for constant online access via secure FTP and other secure file transfer protocols, so they're constantly getting beaten up on. I want to replace both these units with a single RAID 5 array of four 3TB drives, giving me approximatley 9TB of storage. I won't use anything larger than a 3TB drive because I don't yet trust the new drive technology that squeezes more platters, closer together, in the same physical cabinet with a 3.5-inch form factor. The higher you go in storage capacity, the more platters, or the more cylinders and tracks, you know the drill. OK. I just looked into four-port RAID controllers and found exactly none. Quite surprising really. I thought even the Vantek 622 would be a good choice, but it has two internal and two external connectors, and in this big case I have five bays available, four of which will hold my 3TB drives with possible expansion to a final fifth drive in the RAID array. So, what do folks like in RAID controllers, or am I barking up the wrong tree and should do this outboard?

2 5

JFW downgrade to standard
by Andrew Hodgson 22 Nov '14

22 Nov '14

Hi, Just wondering if anyone on here is looking at downgrading the JFW license to standard for their personal machines? I am in two minds about it as I may need to use it for a work job at some point in the future - nothing planned but want to keep my options open. What are others doing here? Andrew.

1 0

Windows Certificate Services
by Ryan Shugart 21 Nov '14

21 Nov '14

Hi: I was recently handed our existing certificate infrastructure and told that I now manage it. The guy who used to manage it has left the company and didn’t really leave any documentation behind so I have no clue how things are set up beyond knowing we have three cert servers in the environment and what they do (on paper.) Anyone out there have some good resources for getting started with the Windows Cert environment and learning how Microsoft organized their UI? It seems simple and all MMC-based, so in theory shouldn’t be a big deal, but I’m seeing some odd things, like only 40 issued certificates when I should be seeing over 500, etc. This is all Windows 2012 BTW. Thanks. Ryan

9 30

Remotely installing applications onto Windows Servers and career advice.
by Barry Toner 21 Nov '14

21 Nov '14

Hi all, I've a potential cracking, in fact life changing job coming up for a company. It's an FT100. Couldn't' come at a better time as my current 2yr contract is coming to a close. I've passed my interview. I scored the highest out of everyone they interviewed. I have been explicitly been told this by HR. I spent 1hr:20mins on the phone with two Senior Tech Managers two weeks ago. They wanted to gage my current experience for themselves. I'm trying my best to keep the positive, upbeat attitude going. I want this job right? I don't want to allow it to enter my head, OK guys I'm open, I'm honest, let's go! There's a couple of things going on now. No one for these entry level infrastructure roles have been hired yet, as far as I am aware. I keep being told there are 4 roles coming up. They interviewed a second time for this area, and there's a queue I'd imagine forming behind me! One person let slip that they are waiting for paperwork to be completed that is on a desk of someone who has been out of the office. I had a phone call today from HR saying, there's one problem. The parent company refuses to allow a Screen Reader to be installed on their servers. And asked how would I install an application on a server with no screen reader. These are Windows Servers. 2008R2 and 2012. I've asked someone off list and they gave some suggestions, but also had concerns about no SR on a server. I'm getting tempted to say, after I go back to HR with ways I can do this, OK, I appreciate your position, let's take me on for a year, see what we can do and after that it it's not working out I can walk away and you don't' have a permanent member of staff if with all the red tape. However, give me the chance to prove to you I can work around barriers. I'll find a way to keep it positive and not begging. It's so frustrating because I'm walking a thin line here. I appreciate they want to make sure things are going to work, but they can't even tell me what the specifics of the roles are going to be, let alone what application they are talking about installing and if it's just installing. I'm talking to someone in HR who doesn't know tech, acg! OK, can people please offer suggestions how I can install a program onto a remote server from a workstation? I've already heard PowerShell, and Group Policy. I'm not sure how I'd do this, as I don't' have a working knowledge of either of these technologies. I suspect at the level I'm going in at neither will the other candidates. I appreciate sometimes we need to be the best of the best and any skills I'll acquire by learning how to do this while more arduous than someone pointing and clicking on an RDP connection, but I need to start from somewhere. I'd also appreciate any advice on how to tread carefully here, I don't' want to blow my chances but equally I don't' want to be taken for a ride. Or despite passing their recruitment process be ton a old based ona hypothetical, we can't consider you! Cheers guys, Barry.

1 0