Fix: Volume Shadow Copy Errors When Running Backup Software

Symptoms:
Backup software uses a Microsoft service called Volume Shadow copy Service to enable disk images to be created and files to be backed up when in use.
When VSS fails it can sometimes mean that you are unable to create a disk image or backup open files.
The Bakup software will usually gives errors accessing the file or the VSS service.
The Application or System Event logs will list some error events related to VSS:
Events 12301:
Volume Shadow Copy Service error: Writer MSDEWriter did not respond to a GatherWriterStatus call.Event 12302:
Volume Shadow Copy Service error: An internal inconsistency was detected in trying to contact shadow copy service writers. Please check to see that the Event Service and Volume Shadow Copy Service are operating properly.


Solution:
1. Make sure you run all Windows updates for your system (especially for Server 2003 there are some updates packages for VSS)
2. Download and run the following fix-tools according to your system type 32/64 bit:
 
VSSfix for 32bit
VSSfix for 64bit
 
* the tools are provided by Macrium Reflect backup software company, as a fix for their customers. but it can be used by everyone because it fixes a failed system component of Windows.
 
Read more at source

Fix: Reset Permissions on File System & Registry in Win7/Vista

Use the following tool to reset the file-system and registry permissions back to default. it is very useful after some malware or virus attack that made a mess in your Windows.

Download Here. 

Read more over here.

more about it in Hebrew:

איפוס הרשאות לקבצים וערכי רג'יסטרי

מצרף אוסף כלים המיועדים לאפס את הרשאות המערכת על קבצים וערכי רג'יסטרי.

כידוע במערכות הפעלה חדישות ישנן הרשאות (או ACL = Access Control List) שקיימות על כל אובייקט במסד הנתונים של המערכת.

ניהול וגישה להרשאות הללו נעשה בעזרת לשונית אבטחה (Security) במאפיינים.

במערכת קבצים מסוג NTFS יש הרשאות לקבצים, תיקיות וכוננים שלמים. ברג'יסטרי יש הרשאות לערכים ומפתחות. בשרתים יש הרשאות על אובייקטים כמו חשבון משתמש, חשבון מחשב או קבוצת ניהול (OU).

במקרה של וירוסים ושלל זבלי-רשת הערכים הללו משובשים. זה גורם לשלל תופעות משונות כמו מניעת גישה לתיקיות/כוננים מסויימים. תהליכים שנכשלים בעלייה ומשאירים שגיאות רבות ביומנים האירועים וגם

המון תקלות הקשורות בהתקנות של תוכנות. לעיתים השגיאות בהתקנה לא קשורות לתקלה עצמה. למשל, שיבוש הרשאות על ערכים ברג'יסטרי שמונעים ממנגנון ההתקנה לכתוב לאזור מסויים. תוכנית ההתקנה תכשל

ותזרוק הודעות משונות ולא קשורות. הסרה מלאה והתקנה מחדש לא יסייעו ותרגישו שעשיתם הכל אבל עדיין תקועים... ייתכן מאד שיש בעיית הרשאות- בייחוד אם המחשב נגוע או היה נגוע במזיקים.

אוסף הכלים הללו מאפס את הגדרות ההרשאות לברירת המחדל כך שלמנהלים ולחשבון ה- SYSTEM (שבעזרתו המערכת מנהלת את עצמה) יהיה הרשאות מלאות.

להפעלה נוחה שיניתי את שמות הקבצים עם תחילית ממוספרת כדי לזכור את סדר ההפעלה:

1.      כלי שייצור נקודת שחזור ליתר ביטחון

2.      כלי עזר שיותקן ויסייע בתהליך איפוס ההרשאות.

3.      סקריפט שיאפס הרשאות בכל קבצי המערכת והרג'יסטרי.

4.      סקריפט שיאפס הגדרות אבטחה כלליות במערכת ההפעלה בחזרה להגדרות היצרן כמו לאחר התקנה מחדש.

הכלים הללו מתאימים לשימוש לחלונות ויסטה ו-7

להורדה מכאן

מומלץ בחום לשימוש. מי שמעוניין בחומר קריאה נוסף ניתן לגלוש לכאן.

בהצלחה!

ירון מאור

Fix: Event ID: 11 - Source: CAPI2

Event ID: 11 - Source: CAPI2

The Automatic Root Certificates Update component is designed to automatically check the list of trusted authorities on the Microsoft Windows Update Web site.  The following steps will resolve this error message:

1. Delete the folder: C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData\LocalLow\Microsoft\CryptnetUrlCache\Content
   
2. Delete the folder: C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData\LocalLow\Microsoft\CryptnetUrlCache\MetaData
   
3. Delete the registry keys found below HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\AuthRoot\Certificates
   
4. Reboot.

Credit goes to SmartNetAdmin.com

Fix: Outlook Hang & Crash

Microsoft Outlook could get crash from lots of reasons.
in most cases the problem can be resolved easily by following these steps:

1. Try reseting the data-settings files:
go to the "application data" folder in the user's profile
In Windows XP: 
C:\Documents and Settings\%UserProfile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook 
In Windows Vista/7: 
C:\Users\%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook
rename the extensions of these files to *.old:
outcmd.dat
outlook.srs
outlook.xml
another file called OutlPrnt. is related to printing problems in outlook. you can try rename it to
.old also in cases where Outlook crash after trying to print an item (email, tasks etc.).
Try running Outlook and see if it is fixed. if no- proceed to step 2.

2. Try running ScanPst.exe to fix data errors in Oulook Personal Folders.
ScanPst.exe is a tool provided inside Microsoft Office folder. it is used to scan and fix
data errors inside Outlook data files.


You can find it here:
Office 2003: c:\program files\common files\system\msmapi\1033\
Office 2007/2010: c:\program files\microsoft office\14.0\
after running the tool, browse and select the pst file to scan and run a repair.
afterwards- try running Outlook again.

if it doesn't help try step 3,4,5.

3. Create a new Outlook Profile
4. Try repairing Office's installation.
5. Try uninstalling & re-installing Microsoft Office.

Guide: Recommended Steps for Fixing a PC

Following are the quickest ways to restore any PC running Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7:

Software-Related Methods

• Using F8 - Last Known Good Configuration
  
• From within Windows, System Restore
  
• From the OS Disc, System Restore (Windows Vista and Windows 7 Only)
  
• From the OS Disc, Repair Installation or StartUp Repair
  
• In Normal Mode or Safe Mode, Install Ccleaner. Run Ccleaner. Install Malwarebytes. Update Malwarebytes. Run Malwarebytes.
  
• Using Administrative Tools - Event Viewer, take note of any Events related to disk or memory-related issues. The Windows Kernel frequently records the exact event that is effecting the stability of the computer. You can then lookup the Event Codes using Microsoft Events and Error Message Center or EventID.net.

Hardware-Related Methods

With the Power Off and the Computer Unplugged:

• Check the temperature of the computer. It is possible that the CPU Fan and/or the Power Supply Fan may need to be replaced. If the computer does not include a Power Supply with a Fan, a new Power Supply with a Fan may need to be installed. You may also need to vacuum the computer case to clear any obstruction from the fans.
  
• Try moving the RAM to another RAM Slot. The RAM Slot may be bad.
  
• Try replacing the RAM with other RAM. The RAM may be bad. You can also confirm that the problem is bad RAM by usingMemTest86.
  
• Using Crucial.com, lookup the RAM Type to insure that it is in fact compatible with the motherboard.

With the Power On:

• Try resetting the BIOS to Factory Defaults. The RAM Timing Settings within the BIOS may have been set to an incorrect setting.

Windows 7 also includes a functionality called System Image which is a form of Ghosting. You can actually setup a backup that will image the PC on a scheduled basis. If there is a failure, you can then restore from the System Image that you made in your backup using the OS Repair Disc.

How to Unlock Gmail Account for POP3 Access

My client isn't accepting my username and password

We suggest making some adjustments in your mail client's settings so you aren't always prompted to enter your username and password. Please check the following settings in your mail client:

• Make sure that you've entered your full email address (e.g. username@gmail.com)
• Re-enter your password to ensure that it's correct. Keep in mind that passwords are case-sensitive.
• Make sure your mail client isn't set to check for new mail too often. If your mail client checks for new messages more than once every 10 minutes, your client might repeatedly request your username and password.

For Regular Gmail Users-  please follow the steps below to resolve the problem:

1. Open your web browser and sign in to Gmail at http://mail.google.com/mail. If you see a word verification request, type the letters in the distorted picture and finish signing in.
2. Close your browser and try accessing your messages in your email client again.
3. If you're still having problems, disable all mail clients you're using to read Gmail messages. (If you use one at work and one at home, please disable both.)
4. From the computer on which your logins are failing, visit http://www.google.com/accounts/DisplayUnlockCaptcha
5. Enter your Gmail username and password, and the letters in the distorted picture.
6. Once you have successfully logged in, restart your mail client and try to download your mail.

If you're using a Google Apps email address, please instead follow the steps below:

1. Open your web browser and sign in to Google Apps at http://mail.google.com/mail/a/[yourdomain]. If you see a word verification request, type the letters in the distorted picture and finish signing in.
2. Close your browser and try accessing your messages in your email client again.
3. Disable all mail clients you're using to read mail. (If you use one at work and one at home, please disable both.)
4. From the computer on which your logins are failing, visit https://www.google.com/a/[your domain].com/UnlockCaptcha. Be sure to fill in your domain name in the URL.
5. Enter your email username and password, and the letters in the distorted picture.
6. Once you have successfully logged in, restart your mail client and try to download your mail.

BSOD Fix: STOP: c000021a The Windows Logon Process system process terminated unexpectedly with a status

you get a BSOD like this when you boot your Windows XP:
STOP: c000021a {Fatal System Error}



The Windows Logon Process system process terminated unexpectedly with a status of 0xc0000034 (0x00000000 0x0000000)


The system has been shutdown.
 
Microsoft suggest this article with step-by-step instructions:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/156669/en-us
 
I've found it easier to fix by booting using ERD Commander 2007 and using the System File Repair Wizard.
it will scan your Windows folder and will repair the corrupted files. the process takes less than 5 minutes and you're up and running again.
 
it is advised to run a disk scan like Chkdsk, to make sure the problem didn't raised because of a HD problem. in most cases the cause is unsuccessful updates/installations.
 
Good Luck,
Yaron

Fix: Windows XP/Vista Connection Limit (Event id 4226)

After years of struggle with Tcp/Ip patches, Microsoft finally remove the half-open connection limit.
Since Windows XP SP2 Microsoft limited the maximum half-open connections to 10 only. this limitation have caused many file-sharing applications to slow-down their download rate, and Event-id 4226 has flooded the system event log.

In Vista SP2 this limitation is finally gone! you can read more about it in this KB969710 Article
Windows 7 is no longer limited by default.


How to Remove TCP/IP Limitation in WinXP SP2-SP3 and Vista RTM-SP1
Those of you who still works on older versions of Windows (Vista/SP1, XP-SP2/SP3) can use 
the following recommended utilities. These tools are also referred as:
Event ID 4226 Patcher, EvID4226 fix, TCP/IP Patch, TCP Half Open Connection Limit Patch


1. Lvllord Event ID 4226 Patcher (4226 fix)
2. TCP-Z Patcher
3. Universal Tcpip.sys Patch
4. Half-open limit fix (patch) for Windows


Please note the instructions on each utility. Some of them includes different versions for 32bit and 64bit Operating system environment.