Most of the solutions to questions that are put about SharePoint v3 and allied products can be found in documentation somewhere.

The problem is where is that somewhere is.

Microsoft don't make things easy by having seemingly competing groups providing information so you never know for instance whether the information you are looking for is in a Knowledge Base article; in TechNet or in MSDN.

Whereas the Knowledge Base articles mostly (I shudder when I remember those KB Articles that tell you about web casts especially when they are updated several months after the event has taken place, which clearly shows that some people don't actually read what they are updating) come after the Microsoft Customer Support Services people have had many reports of problems with X or just simply many questions about Y and so tend to be about solving problems or answering common questions, the split between what's in TechNet and MSDN never seems to be clear.

Sometimes in fact I wonder if they know themselves. The only clear line I have been able to draw is that MSDN information is in the form of papers (some as Word documents; some as web pages) which can therefore include screen prints and other images and TechNet is in the form of words only.

The other difference is that TechNet often seems to subscribe to the Russian doll syndrome so that you click on something and it says the answer to that is in the following two pages; so you click on one of those links and it says the answer to that is in the following three pages; and you click on one of those and sometimes the answer is one line of text! This, guys, is taking re-use too far!

OK. Back to the reason for this particular blog.

One of the common questions for Search Server 2008 Express installed on top of WSS 3.0 is "why can I search my own WSS 3.0 sites and get results but when I try to search WSS 3.0 sites on another server, I get nothing?".

So when I, while trying (and failing) to find a "Newly published content for Search Server 2008" page, came across the standard TechNet Search Server 2008 starter page here http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb871550.aspx I had a look to see if I could find anything on this issue.

It wasn't easy. There's no link there in the left-hand-column with the words "Look here for searching non-local WSS 3.0 sites" in bright red and flashing, but finally I found one (at the *third* level below that top page - not much for a Russian doll perhaps but enough for me) that said the following.

"identify the authentication method that is used by the server that hosts the content that you are crawling. By default, Search Server 2008 uses NTLM authentication"

which is something that a reply in a Search server 2008 forum said without though saying whether he was talking about the server on which Search Server 2008 is installed or the (other) server that you are trying to search.

Now, therefore it's clear that if you are (as you probably are) using default values on the WSS 3.0 / Search Server 2008 Express server you will need to make sure that the WSS 3.0 server you are trying to search is set to use NTLM authentication.

The other thing that seems to be necessary (I have no idea - I do know it's linked to from the page that said you need NTLM authentication) is to change the default content access account on the WSS 3.0 / Search Server 2008 Express server which was on a page on the *fourth level*

"Change the default content access account

"

Hopefully this still works when WSS 3.0 is not in a domain otherwise there's yet another reason for searching other servers not to work.

But for now I'm blogging this to make sure the necessity for NTLM authentication is out there. The content access account stuff is something to be tried if that doesn't work.

I suspect I'll find new bits of information on this throughout that entire TechNet section. I'm certainly going to look.

But, wouldn't it be great if they could combine with the MSDN guys and write a *single* paper (with screen shots) on how to set-up Search Server 2008 Express so that it can search non-local WSS 3.0 sites instead of making us search throughout all those short bits and make us piece together (probably wrongly) the full story.

One of the ways I keep in touch with the latest books (to add them to my Books page) is to search Amazon.com / Books with "SharePoint" and then specify "By Publication Date"

This is good way to quickly become aware of books that aren't published yet and also to see which books have been delayed.

What rarely happens is that the date of a book moves up. I submitted mine before the original deadline for submission and a few weeks later this was reflected in the Availability date that Amazon US was quoting (up from November 7th to October 20th).

Another book that I see today has been moved up (easy to see because the original date was later than that of my book) was one of the two Workflow books that are due out in the Fall.

The thing though that struck me was that the new date of that book (Professional SharePoint Workflow Programming (Wiley - Shahram Khosravi)) is now identical to that of the other book (Professional Workflow Design Patterns for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 (Wrox - John Holliday)) due on October the 6th.

Coincidence ? Somehow I doubt it!

Note: All of the addresses of the KB / Articles - 2007 Products / MS / Non-MS Articles below were valid at the time I added them to the WSS FAQ
site and to this file. I can't guarantee that they still are.

(This is also posted to the WSS newsgroup at microsoft.public.sharepoint.windowsservices - web access via http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/newsgroups/server/sharepoint.mspx)

(Items are added to the WSS FAQ throughout the week so you will find new items more quickly by checking at wss.collutions.com or www.wssfaq.com daily.)

From 18th - 24th May 2008

NOTE: Amendment to KB articles: Microsoft are not not amending the date of a KB article if the change made is marked as a version point change (so from 2.2 to 2.3 for instance).
This ought to mean that the amendment made is cosmetic rather than important as important text changes ought to result in a major version change (such as from 2.2 to 3.0).
Because of this change and to avoid unnecessary effort I will in future not amend the listings in the WSS FAQ sites if only a minor version change has taken place.
I will continue to amend both the date and version numbers of major version changes and of course will continue to add all relevant new KB articles that my RSS feeds and other sources give me.

I.1 2007 KB Articles    (*now only one section for WSS and MOSS*)

New

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;952292

Description of the Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 hotfix package: May 12, 2008

19th May 2008

Modified

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/952167/en-us

Folders may have to be excluded from antivirus scanning when you use a file-level antivirus program in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or in SharePoint Server 2007 (ver 2.0)

19th May 2008

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;942390

Description of the SharePoint Server 2007 issues that are fixed by the 2007 Microsoft Office servers Service Pack 1 (ver 4.1)

4th April 2008

I.b Forefront KB Articles

New

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950547/en-us

How to manually update the antivirus scan engines in Microsoft Forefront server security products and how to redistribute antivirus engine updates from a computer that does not have Forefront server security installed (ver 1.1)

5th May 2008

Modified

None

I.c InfoPath 2007 KB Articles

New or Modified

None

II. Articles - 2007 Products  (no longer with all links to articles for other Office 2007 and other 2007 Products)

New

A. Office 2007 Server Products

http://sharepointsolutions.blogspot.com/2008/05/powershell-for-flexible-iterative.html

PowerShell for Flexible Iterative SharePoint-based Development (Blog - Tony Bierman, SharePoint Solutions)

20th May 2008

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc510330.aspx

Decentralizing Site Administration (TechNet Mag June 2008, Pav Cherny)

19th May 2008 (date added)

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc287790.aspx

Plan for software boundaries (Windows SharePoint Services)

18th May 2008 (date added)

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc262787.aspx

Plan for software boundaries (Office SharePoint Server)

18th May 2008 (date added)

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc287757.aspx

Plan for backup and recovery (Windows SharePoint Services)

18th May 2008 (date added)

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc288019.aspx

Administering backup and recovery for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 technology

18th May 2008 (date added)

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc262287.aspx

Governance features in Office SharePoint Server 2007

18th May 2008 (date added)

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc263356.aspx

What is governance?

18th May 2008 (date added)

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc262883.aspx

Establishing and governing a SharePoint service

18th May 2008 (date added)

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc262900.aspx

Implementing and governing information architecture

18th May 2008 (date added)

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc512725.aspx

Move all databases (Office SharePoint Server)

18th May 2008 (date added)

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc512096.aspx

Back up and restore single sign-on

18th May 2008 (date added)

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc512095.aspx

Back up and restore Shared Services Providers

18th May 2008 (date added)

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc262412.aspx

Administering backup and recovery for Office SharePoint Server 2007

18th May 2008 (date added)

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc261687.aspx

Plan for backup and recovery (Office SharePoint Server)

18th May 2008 (date added)

B. Other Office 2007 products (selected few only since 1.1.2007)

None

C. Other New 2006/2007/2008 Products  (selected few only since 1.1.2007)

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/products/cc149003.aspx

Visual Studio 2008 Product Comparison (ver 1.08)

18th May 2008 (date added)
 

Modified

None

III WebCasts (+ PodCasts, On-Line courses) for 2007 Products

**** Section for Labs ****

https://www.microsoft.com/resources/virtuallabs/step3-technet.aspx?LabId=c8a0b19b-e557-40ac-b469-48d57fadb706&BToken=reg

TechNet Labcast On-Demand: Administering Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 (180 mins)

20th May 2008 (date added)

https://www.microsoft.com/resources/virtuallabs/step1-technet.aspx?LabId=046cc968-160b-4f3d-b7a5-c5225954f8ac&BToken=reg

TechNet Labcast On-Demand: Deploying Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007

20th May 2008 (date added)

https://www.microsoft.com/resources/virtuallabs/step1-technet.aspx?LabId=7efc1053-cf4b-4c1d-961f-162cfef38f78&BToken=reg

TechNet Virtual Lab: What's New in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007

20th May 2008 (date added)

https://www.microsoft.com/resources/virtuallabs/step1-technet.aspx?LabId=38b11cac-4525-487d-8aaf-347b684f8a8b&BToken=reg

TechNet Virtual Lab: Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Records Management Deployment and Configuration

20th May 2008 (date added)

https://www.microsoft.com/resources/virtuallabs/step1-technet.aspx?LabId=bba8edd2-0a43-43c1-98f7-d89a2f1b271e&BToken=reg

TechNet Virtual Lab: Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Installation and Configuration

20th May 2008 (date added)

https://www.microsoft.com/resources/virtuallabs/step1-technet.aspx?LabId=7fd2352c-12e6-4140-abd6-c3e584b5a7ae&BToken=reg

TechNet Virtual Lab: Getting Started with the Business Data Catalog in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 (90 mins)

20th May 2008 (date added)

**** End of Labs section ****

https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/Register.aspx?culture=en-US&EventID=1032377109&CountryCode=US&IsRedirect=false

TechNet Webcast: Managing Exchange Server and SharePoint Protection with Forefront Server Security Management Console (Level 300) (Darryl Tenzie)

22nd May 2008

https://msevents.microsoft.com/cui/Register.aspx?culture=en-US&EventID=1032378036&CountryCode=US&IsRedirect=false

Best Practices for Managing and Securing SharePoint 2007 (Rand Morimoto, Convergent Computing)

21st May 2008

https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/Register.aspx?culture=en-US&EventID=1032374287&CountryCode=US&IsRedirect=false

Momentum Webcast: Enterprise Content Management and Workflows in SharePoint Server 2007 (Level 100) (Bob Clancy)

21st May 2008

https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/Register.aspx?culture=en-US&EventID=1032378827&CountryCode=US&IsRedirect=false

MSDN Webcast: Introduction to SharePoint for .NET Developers: Web Parts (Level 100) (Robert L. Bogue, Thor Projects LLC)

20th May 2008

https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/Register.aspx?culture=en-US&EventID=1032377097&CountryCode=US&IsRedirect=false

TechNet Webcast: Forefront Security for SharePoint Content Filtering Drill-Down (Level 300) (Noelle Mendez-Villamil)

19th May 2008

http://tinyurl.com/6a3vrr

Momentum Webcast: The Enterprise Search Platform in SharePoint Server 2007 (Level 100) (Justin Chandoo)

15th May 2008

http://tinyurl.com/6ckxv3

TechNet Webcast: Securing SharePoint End-to-End with Microsoft Forefront (Level 300) (Noelle Mendez-Villamil, Senior Product Manager, Uri Lichtenfeld)

14th May 2008

IV WSS v3 FAQ

New

http://wss.asaris.de/sites/walsh/Lists/WSSv3%20FAQ/EditForm.aspx?ID=1380

III.103 What do I need to do to get Kerberos to work when a SharePoint v3 product is installed on Windows Server 2008?

http://wss.asaris.de/sites/walsh/Lists/WSSv3%20FAQ/EditForm.aspx?ID=1381

V.120 Effective Knowledge Management with Microsoft SharePoint Content Types (Wrox Blox - Henry Ong) *released*

Modified

http://wss.asaris.de/sites/walsh/Lists/WSSv3%20FAQ/DispForm.aspx?ID=971

I.31.01 What issues are fixed in the hot fixes to WSS 3.0?

http://wss.asaris.de/sites/walsh/Lists/WSSv3%20FAQ/DispForm.aspx?ID=1364

V.114 Seamless Teamwork: Using Microsoft SharePoint Technologies to Collaborate, Innovate, and Drive Business in New Ways (MS Press - Michael Sampson)

http://wss.asaris.de/sites/walsh/Lists/WSSv3%20FAQ/DispForm.aspx?ID=1378

X.122 SharePoint config store (free - codeplex, Chris O'Brien)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

V WSSv2 KB Articles (plus SPS 2003 Hot fixes)

New

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;952903

Description of the Windows SharePoint Services 2.0 hotfix package: May 12, 2008

20th May 2008

Modified

None

VI WSSv2 FAQ

New or Modified

None

It was a really good idea to set up VMs for myself in the HP workstation and leave all the main OS and its apps to my wife.

Not only can she never again blame me for causing problems to *her* system by me adding codecs and odd apps (even though she mostly was right!) but I also get the chance to really experience virtualization as a full-time way of working rather than to use it only in addition to the host computer for the occasional test systems.

So far I have set up a VM with Vista and I've just completed setting up a VM with Windows Server 2008 (Full); Applications Server and (what else?!) WSS 3.0. I've even tried accessing that WSS 3.0 from the Vista VM and it works like a dream.

For now the only snag (and it's a minor one) is that I first need to boot my wife's XPPro before I can start VM Workstation and boot my Vista. I.e. it's a time problem. But oh, the joys of having only my own stuff there and everything where I left it.

If you have enough memory and a fast enough processor (and disk space) it's definately better than all other methods of dividing your machine (imo).

 

OK, "havoc" is a big word which isn't really justified.

I'm at present working through the Admin Studio Evaluation Guide (don't ask what this has to do with SharePoint [because the answer is "nothing at all"]!) which means I have installed the trial version of Admin Studio (a product that includes InstallShield) and which used to come from MacroVision (although I'm fairly sure it didn't start there) but now since the 1st of April comes from some other (new?) oddly-named company (begins with an "A" - accerta or something, nothing I've ever heard of). That change of ownership is so new that all the sites point to MacroVision pages and the documents still come from MacroVision.

All was going well. I set up (for a change) a VM using VM Fusion (roughly the Mac equivalent of VM Workstation) that had Windows 2003 Server installed and then installed the trial version of Admin Studio and was working through the examples in the Evaluation Guide.

I was about halfway through so I suspended the machine with Admin Studio open and at the page I was going to continue at this morning.

I restarted it this morning and started reading my e-mail on my work machine (I was using Admin Studio on my own Mac while waiting for a better work machine capable of running VM systems).

So, on the MacBook in that VM, the automatic upgrade of security fixes went into action and so I had to re-open my Admin Studio and find my place in the Evaluation Guide again.

Not too much of a problem you might think except that now there was a built-in "Start; wait a couple of seconds; delete" process going on caused it seemed later to be by DEP no longer liking that app.

So I tried getting rid of the two security fixes added today and re-booted. Now without me even trying to run Admin Studio, I was getting messages saying that Admin Studio wasn't being allowed to start !

I seem to have fixed it by re-running the Admin Studio installation; writing over the files but then saying Repair, but I've removed that Automatic Upgrades function (that I *never* use on my PCs so why did I set it in this VM?) and will try to remember to take at least a snapshot before adding any more security fixes to this VM. (I had of course taken a copy of the VM but that was before Admin Studio was installed with only the OS and security fixes [but not the yesterday ones!!].)

 

 

I knew that the HP workstation didn't come with a graphics card not even an imbedded (useless) one.

That made sense - if you pay that kind of money you are likely to want to pay several hundred dollars for a graphics card too so why (as Apple do with the MacPro) supply you with a good but not great graphics card that you might then throw out.

So that wasn't the negative.

Nor at the time did it seem that it not being supplied with a keyboard would be a problem as the usual junk ones just get dumped virtually immediately. (Although the same logic could apply to a mouse and they included one of those).

But as it happened this *was* a problem thanks to the very first (actually second) step in their long and almost automatic software installation routine.

Typically the problem was caused by the completely pointless "Are you Sure?" step !

What happens when you first switch on the machine (after installing the graphics card of course - which went smoothly enough, once I'd worked out how to take the "lid" off the slots at the side of the machine for the metal edge of the card to be able to fit it) is that it first (for this Nordic model) asks you to select which language version you want (use mouse to go down to English which isn't default which is very odd) and then the next screen is the infamous "are you sure" step.

To say that you are sure, you need to press F10. Now most keys (Enter say) would have given me no problem, but my keyboard is a Microsoft keyboard with Fingerprint reader where the F10 key has two uses (Search or something is the other one) and as of course the special driver for that keyboard hadn't been loaded so early in the procedure so although the keyboard basically worked, pressing F10 simply had no effect at all.

My alternative keyboard is a Microsoft wireless keyboard so that no doubt wouldn't even be recognized as a keyboard until much later in the startup process.

So within seconds of switching on the machine I was competely stuck and all because the HP setup guys had insisted on confirmation via a(n) F key.   (Yes the dual meaning WAS intentional!) 

I do have a simple keyboard but that is at work because it's better than the rubbish keyboard that came with the office portable. So I either had to go to work (20 mins drive away) or wait until the next day OR ring the next door neighbour's bell.

So that's what I did and luckily she was in and wasn't using her computer and could lend me her keyboard right away (a keyboard that I would hate to use normally but with single role F keys) and I could get past that man-made stumbling block and install the OS using the built-in routine.

Anyway that was one of the two temporary negatives.

The other was that this is the first computer that came without a power cord. Luckily I had a couple that I had saved in my computer storage location (=dump) but I remember thinking at the time that I hardly needed to keep them because if I buy a new computer it will come with one. Well this one didn't (and of course I needed to have both the old and the new computer on at the same time in order to see which software to install on the new one; which parameters etc. - I had dual video and ethernet cables handy of course).

So no keyboard; no power cord; no graphics card and actually no metal protector thing opposite the x16 slot that I was going to be using to install the graphics card into. No how much do they save by not including that ? 0.001 cents ??

Enough of that. On to the three permanent positives. All were unexpected.

The detailed documentation on the web made it clear that although there was a firewire outlet at the front of the machine, it was only active if a Firewire card (part number supplied) was installed in the first PCI slot and connected to this outlet.

The inference was that the card wasn't installed and you'd have to buy it and install it yourself. I only didn't order the card because I had a Firewire card somewhere in my store.

But, as you'll have guessed by now, that card was already installed so firewire worked both from the front (1) and the back (2).

The second thing that wasn't mentioned as being included was a multi media reader card. Again, HP had a suitable one and they included assembly instructions for it but again there was no mention of one being included as standard.

It was, and it also oddly included a single USB port - not that there was a shortage of them with several on the front already and a few more at the back.

So that's two of the permanent positives.

The third was that the box includes not just a sound card but also loudspeaker(s) so there is no longer any need for any speakers taking up useful space on the desk.

OK it's not stereo and the quality probably could be improved with some decent (desk) speakers, but it's sound that's not terrible to listen to and it works, so for now I'm moving my speakers (and woofer which is even bigger) off the desk and going for the Nordic uncluttered (sterile?) look. [At some time to be replaced no doubt by piles of SharePoint books]

As I wrote, the positives are permenant positives and the negatives very much short term, but why, oh why, did those HP guys insist on F10 being pressed before you could install the software? Do they all have those really awful standard HP keyboards I wouldn't be seen dead with (except that is when I'm looking for a(n) F key that works!)?

Well it's arrived and it's much more solid (and heavier) than the Fujitsu-Siemens virtually home user model it replaces.

More on how it opens when I've opened it. (I got it home at about 8:30 PM yesterday and I've learned by experience to add graphics cards and the like when I'm not already tired).

The information on it on the HP site looks pretty good although there a few pointless PDF files (Accessibility.pdf was a single paper which consisted of about two lines which said in effect "this workstation model follows standard accessibilty principles" or some such rubbish. I didn't actually bother to read it properly when I saw what roughly it was saying) and there's a later (?) driver to my graphics card just proving which it was a good idea to switch that to one that model of desktop officially supported. (There are other relevant drivers too)

But that wasn't the "interesting thing".

No the interesting thing is that the model I got is supplied with Vista Business DVDs BUT H-P have actually installed XPPro on it.

Yes, it's one of the "pay for a Vista license and then use that license to be allowed to install XPPro" models that I've read about earlier than HP and Dell both have "in response to customer demand".

Hence the Vista DVDs (Nordic languages + English) as that's what you've paid for. But when you on startup create a Recovery disk, it's going to be a recovery disk of XPPro. Probably I'd guess with SP2 although SP3 shouldn't (as this isn't an AMD processor) cause Blue Screens at least.

As I already have a portable running Vista Ultimate and as this is anyway my wife's PC (and this time I'll be putting my assorted junk in a VM to keep it away from messing with her applications in any way), it's probably a good idea to leave it at XPPro anyway.

The only real question is Office 2007 or Office 2003 ?

For the book I wrote it was very useful to have Office 2007 on one machine and Office 2003 on another so if Office 2007 gets put on this one I have a good argument for keeping the old one ...

(Actually not so good once the "VM for my junk" idea gets known)

P.S. My wife decided on Office 2007. (Her main argument for that seemed to be the fact that we had O'Reilly "Missing Manuals" for all the Office 2007 products). So now I'm going to have to set up a VM with Office 2003 for test purposes. I suppose it will be logical to have that as XPPro-based....

Note: All of the addresses of the KB / Articles - 2007 Products / MS / Non-MS Articles below were valid at the time I added them to the WSS FAQ
site and to this file. I can't guarantee that they still are.

(This is also posted to the WSS newsgroup at microsoft.public.sharepoint.windowsservices - web access via http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/newsgroups/server/sharepoint.mspx)

(Items are added to the WSS FAQ throughout the week so you will find new items more quickly by checking at wss.collutions.com or www.wssfaq.com daily.)

From 11th - 17th May 2008

NOTE: Amendment to KB articles: Microsoft are not not amending the date of a KB article if the change made is marked as a version point change (so from 2.2 to 2.3 for instance).
This ought to mean that the amendment made is cosmetic rather than important as important text changes ought to result in a major version change (such as from 2.2 to 3.0).
Because of this change and to avoid unnecessary effort I will in future not amend the listings in the WSS FAQ sites if only a minor version change has taken place.
I will continue to amend both the date and version numbers of major version changes and of course will continue to add all relevant new KB articles that my RSS feeds and other sources give me.

I.1 2007 KB Articles    (*now only one section for WSS and MOSS*)

New

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/952167/en-us

Folders may have to be excluded from antivirus scanning when you use a file-level antivirus program in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or in SharePoint Server 2007

15th May 2008

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/951655/en-us

The slide content type is unavailable in standard enumeration in SharePoint Server 2007

9th May 2008

Modified

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;928744

Error message when you try to update Excel 2007 workbook data from an external data source in SharePoint Server 2007: "Data Refresh Failed" (ver 2.0)

13th May 2008

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;944267

How to troubleshoot common errors that occur when you run the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard on a computer that is running Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or SharePoint Server 2007 (ver 3.0)

13th May 2008

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;946484

Search results are incomplete when you use a CAML query that uses the SPSiteDataQuery class to search content on a SharePoint Server site or on a Windows SharePoint Services site (ver 2.0)

1st February 2008

I.b Forefront KB Articles

New or Modified

None

I.c InfoPath 2007 KB Articles

New or Modified

None

II. Articles - 2007 Products  (no longer with all links to articles for other Office 2007 and other 2007 Products)

New

A. Office 2007 Server Products

*** Special Section with WSS 3.0 / Visual Studio 2005 VPC image and appropriate Virtual PC and Virtual Server downloads ***
(all have been added dated the 15th of May to keep them all together)

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=1beeac6f-2ea1-4769-9948-74a74bd604fa&displaylang=en&tm

Windows SharePoint Services Developer Evaluation VPC Image

15th May 2008

http://wss.asaris.de/sites/walsh/Lists/Articles%20for%202007%20Products/EditForm.aspx?ID=3547&Source=http%3A%2F%2Fwss%2Easaris%2Ede%2Fsites%2Fwalsh%2FLists%2FArticles%2520for%25202007%2520Products%2FLatest%252020%2Easpx

Virtual PC 2007 (ver 1.0 of 19th Feb 2007)

15th May 2008

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=28c97d22-6eb8-4a09-a7f7-f6c7a1f000b5&displaylang=en&tm

Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 SP1 (version 6.0.192.0)

15th May 2008

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=9f3d3eb5-5e03-4712-999c-e96f91bdf128&displaylang=en&tm

Virtual PC 2007 SP1 Release Notes

15th May 2008

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=6dba2278-b022-4f56-af96-7b95975db13b&DisplayLang=en

Virtual Server 2005 R2 - Enterprise Edition (ver 1.0 from the 3rd Apr 2006)

15th May 2008

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=bc49c7c8-4840-4e67-8dc4-1e6e218acce4&DisplayLang=en

Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 Update - Enterprise Edition (ver 1)

15th May 2008

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/virtualserver/evaluation/virtualizationfaq.mspx

Virtual Server 2005 Frequently Asked Questions (updated 14th May 2008)

15th May 2008

*** End of special section ***

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=6f3440e8-1ad1-4063-8f14-2d633c12cd21&displaylang=en&tm

IT Showcase: Creating Effective Enterprise Portals by Using SharePoint Server 2007 (ver 1.2)

13th May 2008

http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/sharepoint/Documents/STSADM%20Posters/Stsadm_Cmd-Line_WSS_3.vsd

Stsadm parameters poster for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0

12th May 2008 (date added)

http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/sharepoint/Documents/STSADM%20Posters/Stsadm_Cmd-Line_MOSS_2007.vsd

Stsadm parameters poster for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007

12th May 2008 (date added)

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=0e396ac2-f4b8-4013-bc04-3eb0a97ec2e7&displaylang=en&tm

SharePoint Deployment Planning Services Datasheet

12th May 2008

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=a8a4e775-074d-4451-be39-459921f79787&displaylang=en&tm

Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Tools: Visual Studio 2005 Extensions User Guide, Version 1.1

12th May 2008

http://www.aspose.com/documentation/file-format-components/aspose.words-for-.net-and-java/add-doc-to-pdf-and-other-conversions-to-microsoft-office-sharepoint-server-2007-with-aspose-components.html

Add DOC to PDF and Other Conversions to Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 with Aspose Components (Aspose)

11th May 2008

http://blogs.msdn.com/ecm/archive/2008/05/09/building-a-news-workbench-on-moss-2007-part-5.aspx

Building a news workbench on MOSS 2007 -- Part 5 (MS TeamBlog)

9th May 2008

B. Other Office 2007 products (selected few only since 1.1.2007)

None

C. Other New 2006/2007 Products  (selected few only since 1.1.2007)

None

 

Modified

None

III WebCasts (+ PodCasts, On-Line courses) for 2007 Products

None

IV WSS v3 FAQ

New

None

Modified

None

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

V WSSv2 KB Articles (plus SPS 2003 Hot fixes)

New

None

Modified

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;823287

You receive a "Cannot connect to the configuration database" error message when you connect to your Windows SharePoint Services Web site (ver 3.0)

13th May 2008

VI WSSv2 FAQ

New or Modified

None

Microsoft have just made available a time-limited vhd version of "WSS 3.0 with Visual Studio 2005" at

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=1beeac6f-2ea1-4769-9948-74a74bd604fa&displaylang=en&tm 

There are a couple of things with this.

Firstly, why on earth don't they tell us on the download page how many days/months/years this time-limited version works for. I would have thought that was pretty important information. Is anyone for instance going to bother trying to develop for SharePoint using Visual Studio if they are only given 30 days to do so ?

Note: I have no idea if it is 30 days or not, because the web page doesn't tell me either. See P.P.S. I now know

The other thing of course is why bother at all. WSS 3.0 is a free download anyway (actually two because there's a copy of the original WSS 3.0 and also a copy that includes SP1), and that is time-unlimited, so why bother with a time-limited version at all?

The answer to that obviously lies in the addition of Visual Studio in that vhd so you can develop (or rather try out development) using the Visual Studio WSS additions which can only be installed on the same server as WSS 3.0 itself.

But in order for that sort of testing to be worthwhile the time period needs to be at least 3 months. is It ?

Another question they don't bother answering on that download page is whether this is the WSS 3.0 version with or without SP1.

Sighs. Sometimes you get the impression that the people who are responsible for these download pages just can't be bothered to put themselves in the mindset of the people who will be using them.

P.S. The other method (if you just want WSS 3.0) is to install the Windows Server 2003 VHD from here

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=77F24C9D-B4B8-4F73-99E3-C66F80E415B6&displaylang=en

and then to download the normal WSS 3.0 (incl SP1 version); follow the usual pre-requisites on the server and then install 'WSS 3.0+SP1'.

Of course they don't tell you on *that* download how long the trial period is either. Sighs again.

P.P.S. You'll now see that the download page does say that this is the version of WSS 3.0 that includes SP1. (It also includes the "3.0" that it didn't before).

There must be a policy against saying how time-limited a download is because that part doesn't seem to have changed on the download page. What I can probably say without dire consequences (for me) is that what "time-limited" means here is not the number of days used but a fixed date at which this expires.

*** I should learn to look through the whole article. The fact that it's valid to 30th Sept. 2008  has been added as an "Additional Information" section so low down I didn't see it. Thanks to the guy who let me know that he'd added it there in response to my comments (yes, really) ... ***

I encourage you to start using this vhd as soon as possible if you want to try out SharePoint development using it as you will then get the maximum amount of usage time possible.

In the blog a few days ago I reported that the desktop "workstations" from Dell and HP were far too expensive and so I had gone for a "business" PC instead.

The PC was available immediately but as it only had built-in graphics I ordered a graphics card too so as I only ever want to do the pick-up run once (it being all of 10 miles away ...) the order was waiting for the graphics card to arrive as well.

Then, and I have no idea how I got to that page on their site, I noticed that they had a HP "workstation" tower with a Intel 4-core processor chip no less that was selling for a mere 400 Euros more than the box I had on order. Not only that but it already included 3 years next day warranty and 4GB of memory (which on the business model I was paying extra for in both cases) so the price difference sunk to just over 300 (yes, I was lying about the 400, it was more like 470 ...). So I switched the order to that (they have a good delete order policy).

So I ordered the graphics card they recommended for this model and started waiting. Once again the computer was ready but the graphics card would take a few days (and this time I couldn't use the computer without it as there was no (useless) graphics card included at all.

So I checked out the HP site to see if there was another graphics card recommended for this model that maybe had a shorter delivery time and found that the one they (the sales company not HP) had recommended wasn't on the list at HP for this model of workstation.

So back to the Internet. None of the lower price-level cards specified by HP for this model were at my seller's site but they were at another seller's site in Finland. So HP Finland have them and can deliver them.

Back therefore to my supplier. Can I change - surely you can get hold of these cards too? Yes, they could; yes they would change the order; yes, I'm still waiting for the graphics card to arrive.

But at least - and this seems important given that this seems to be a well-supported machine rather than just a box you can shove any graphics card you like into (although no doubt you could and it would work) - I now have the complete package that is HP-supported.

Leaves the Hard disk. That workstation has built-in RAID and it seems a pity not to use it for RAID-1 so I need a second 500GB drive. Do I pay 70+ for a Seagate with 5 years guarantee or 130+ for possibly the same drive with an HP label and 1 years guarantee. As I can insert the drive by screwing in the four guiding screws HP provide in the (workstation) box and slotting the drive in, the only question is where the holes for the screws are in the drives and does it matter. I think not so I'll buy the Seagate and swap it later if it doesn't fit (which seems very unlikely).

Finally. Of course the better processor; better model has put the price up by a bit but nowhere near the MacPro level and that is to a large extent (but not only) caused by the 3-year warranty extension for the MacPro costing an extra 350 Euros rather than nothing. In effect I'll get my HP workstation MacPro equivalent for 1400 instead of 2400.

Interestingly the HP Finland site is still showing the typical street price for the box I bought at from 1700+ and that was for a more normal dual core chip too. That of course was the sort of price level I rejected earlier when doing my first sweep as then I *would* have been up to MacPro levels for the similar kind of thing (but without several MacPro benefits like *four* front-accessible hard drive locations and eight memory slots not four (and each memory slot capable of 8GB not 2).

Time will tell if I got a bargain or not. But saving money wasn't the aim. Getting a solid machine with solid support at a reasonable rather than cheap price was.

These days with the world it seems having moved to portables it's becoming more and more difficult to find desktops from standard manufacturers.

The problem is compounded if you want to buy a desktop with a build quality that means it will last more than a year or so as the trend seems to be towards cheaply made units that cram in all the latest fast processor chips; big disks and latest graphic cards into boxes/Power supplies etc. that ca nothing has been spent on.

There's a price point for people who just want a low-level box (ca 500 Euros) and a price point for game players who presumably don't care about long life as they will be replacing the box in a year's time to get an even faster box (ca 1000 Euros).

The problem was that I was looking for a replacement machine for my wife whose main usage is doing all kinds of photo overlays (so she needs a reasonably fast processor and lots of disk space) and she had been warned by her neighbour about the quality these days of one of those 1000 Euros boxes. (From Fujitsu-Siemens as it happens) So that solution was out.

Instead I needed to try to find something that was better built than those even at the cost of less pure performance.

At first I didn't think this would be a problem. Money wasn't particularly the problem as I could add a few hundred Euros (to the 1000) and get a better-built box surely.

A few looks at the "workstation" models of Dell (always crazily expensive in Finland compared to anywhere else in the known world) and H-P disabused me of that idea. If you move to what hopefully are boxes that aren't built down to a price you double the price. So you're talking roughly 2000 Euros which was a bit much to replace an early 64-bit box that didn't cost much more than 1000 almost four years ago.

However at 2000 Euros there was also the Mac alternative. The MacPro.

First I had a look in a Mac magazine at "buying a Mac" and they recommended buying an iMac rather than a MacPro (as being enough performance even if not quite as much)) and I must admit I was tempted by the idea of an iMac with a built-in 24-inch screen. However that idea was shot down in flames when I suggested it because we already have a (professional level) 20-inch HP screen and "that's too big on that desk already". (Why is it we men don't think in such practical terms :) ?)

So the Mac Pro then. Well for me there would have been probably no contest and for a while I was seriously attracted to the idea until I started seeing some of the snags - which turned out in the end to mean serious amounts of money.

The first problem is that the standard MacPro model (and supposedly the cheapest model you can buy in the shops) costs 2500 Euros and although it has dual 4 core processors still only has 2GB memory so you need to add memory to that (and probably a hard disk because it comes with a 320 GB one). Now you can add non-Apple memory and disks so the price isn't the excessive Apple one, but ever little adds on and you're maybe up to at least 2800 anyway.

At that price you need more than 1 year's warranty. I've had a Dell portable at that price level crash and burn after less than 3 years careful (portable within the house only) usage. So an extension to 3 years which Apple kindly (?) provide for ca 330 Euros.

So now we're at more than 3100 Euros. It's getting a bit much. (Especially when you think that one of the attractions was 8 memory slots and four accessible disk drive locations, so 3100 wasn't where it would all end).

The next try is the Apple Shop. There you can configure your machine so for just over 2000 you can get a model with only 1 processor not two and for an extra 40 you can get a 500GB disk not a 320GB one. But you still have to buy more memory (and not from Apple) and at over 2000 there's still a case to be made for that 330 Euros extension to 3 years support. But do you have to ship it back to them yourself to get the support? Certainly there doesn't seem to be any pickup support even at that price point.

So buy a cheap and nasty but fast model anyway ?

For me maybe, but my wife wants things to work hassle-free so it's time for another look around.

What I in the end bought was a HP business model which has a reasonably fast Intel dual core processor; a 500GB disk and 2GB memory and the typical (for business models) really useless graphics (non-)card.

As it's not a commercial model it doesn't have as much of the junk installed on it (that I would need to remove) at birth and it has Vista Business which I might leave on it.

I'm also hoping that the build quality is at least somewhat better than the equivalently priced "gamer" models.

I've of course then also spent money on

- extending the warranty to 3 years (oddly, most business models - with slower processors - did include three years warranty, ought I to wonder about this model?) which cost less than 70 Euros and so was worth having, especially because I have good experience of HP support for hardware when under a next-day pickup warranty.

- adding 2GB to make 4. I think my wife will be happier with a 32-bit OS so there wasn't much point in adding more.

- adding a reasonable graphics card

- adding a second hard disk to double capactity

and as it turned out having to find a Firewire card I have kept somewhere from an earlier PC because as it's a business model it has *eight* USB ports but no Firewire port. What on earth do business users want 8 USB ports for ?

The main question it turned out that I got after announcing that I had ordered one of these things had nothing to do with processor speed; disk space; or the graphics card but "does it have a multi-reader for my digital camera cards?". It did. Why a business model needs one of those I don't know. But there it is and that it seems is the key selling point for this "customer".