When you download an application you should be given the full disclosure about what is being installed on your equipment and given some options/choices.

If you download the latest version of iTunes for Windows what you are really installing is:-

iTunes
Quicktime
Apple Mobile Device Support
Apple Software Update
Bonjour

If you decide to uninstall you are faced with 5 separate uninstall’s from the control panel add/remove programs.

Nice touch for a user who changes their mind. A unified uninstaller would be welcome.

To cap this off the Apple Software Updater then suggests the additional download of the Apple Web Browser Safari 3.1.

The motive behind the web browser install is ad revenue. Apple have an inroad to 100m windows PC’s. How very opportunistic of them!

Where do Apple draw the line on this issue?

You may think why does this matter?  I look after hundreds of PC’s and I care what gets installed right under my nose.

Take Bonjour for example. This is Apples networking protocol that makes connecting devices easier (PC’s and Mac’s)  It operates on UDP Port 5353. Now as a network admin what if someone were to design an exploit that does something bad with Bonjour for Windows.

Do I now have to wait on Apple to fix it or run around frantically getting it uninstalled. I hope I don’t have to find out.

Dealing with Microsoft security is bad enough. Do I really need to worry about drive by installs from Apple, a company that really should know better.

For those who like a conspiracy theory why is Bonjour in this software bundle in the first place?  Why now?  I suspect we will find out in 10 months time at the Macworld 2009 keynote. But it doesn’t take a genius to see it has to do with networking PC’s and Macs.

I had a client with a really old Fox Pro database application.

On modern fast computers it would fail to run with ironically an insufficient memory error message.

The ironic part is modern computers have so much memory Fox Pro doesn’t know how to address it.

The solutions is to trick the application into thinking there is less system memory.

Here is how you do that.

1) Start > Run > Type in MSconfig.

2) Click on the Boot.ini Tab> Advanced Options

3) Tick the /Maxmem= and type in a value less than the system value. The actual number could depend on a various factors like Fox Pro Version etc. start at 256mb upwards and see how you get on.

See Picture above.

Caveat: This will get you around your Fox Pro problem but the full amount of system memory being utilised will be compromised. On Windows XP you can run reasonably well with a low amount of memory. For my client having Fox Pro working was more important.

The client I was working with had another much larger tech company (50+ support staff) look into their Fox Pro issue and they spend two hours trying to, but failing to resolve it. I implemented this simple work around in about 20 minuets.

Oh the joy of old software.

A common problem you have when your PC’s hard disk is filling up is trying to locate where all the large files are on the computers file system.

For the last few years I have used a free simple utility called TreeSize from Jam Software.

What TreeSize V2.1 does is show you visually where the large files and folders are located.

When you run TreeSize it can take a few moments to figure it all out, especially on large hard disks.

Tip: If you are planning on doing some file management remember to backup important files first.

Check out TreeSize on the link below.

Link: http://www.jam-software.com/freeware/index.shtml

Moving web host is something you really need to plan out carefully especially if  you need to minimise disruption for a business customer.

Here are some tips.

1) Open up the new account with the new web host and familiarise yourself with how it works (control panels, web interfaces) etc.

2) Take a backup of the existing site.

3) Identify any possible compatibility issues prior to moving. 

4) Document how the current e-mail is configured. Mailboxes, aliases, catch alls etc.

5) Give the new web host’s technical support department a call. Figure out who you should speak to. Talk through the transfer with them.

6) Looks for ways to minimise disruption while the new DNS propagates by mirroring the existing DNS and time to live settings on the new host.

7) Upload the new site and test as best you can.

Send a fax to the old ISP asking them to initiate the move (change the IPS tag) and ask for confirmation of receipt of the fax. Give them as much notice as you can like 48 hours.

9) Go Live, the best time is about 5pm on a weekday so the mirrored DNS can be changed and should be up and running in moments (not days). Most business users shouldn’t even notice.

10) Send an e-mail to all the users and ask for a reply to ensure the mail system has been re-created successfully, completely.

If you need to move your business web hosting, check out my web host www.1steasy.com (01260-295-222).

I have managed several moves to them and their technical support department is excellent at working with you to ensure everything goes smoothly.

If you have other tips about moving business web host please share then in the comments.

I had another Windows Vista SP1 issue, it was sort of my fault, I removed a USB device without using the safely remove hardware icon  in the taskbar.

Windows 2000 used to gracefully give you a message when you removed USB devices but my  Windows Vista ultimate SP1 laptop just blue screened and rebooted.

Boot times are painfully slow and this is on a machine with a Core 2 Duo 2.0Ghz, 7200 RPM hard disk and 2gig of ram and only core applications like Office and Anti-Virus installed.

A couple of positive things.

1) Microsoft are offering free technical support to customers with SP1 issues. the number in the US is toll-free and is (866)-234-6020, I will try and locate the UK equivalent.

2) Windows Vista SP1 has made some changes to Remote Desktop that are nice. Nice for anyone who uses Remote Desktop/Terminal Services as much as I do.

When I get a spare couple of hours I am going to install Windows Vista on another machine in a clean install, as I don’t seem to be any more stable now that I was pre SP1.