Setting permissions for home folders on Windows Server

There are certain permissions you need to set for the parent folder of user home folders. The essential part is setting authenticated users to "this folder only" on the parent folder - but here is a page that talks about setting those permissions:

http://blogs.technet.com/b/askds/archive/2008/06/30/automatic-creation-of-user-folders-for-home-roaming-profile-and-redirected-folders.aspx

analyzing BSOD mini-dumps

This Dell page talks about troubleshooting of BSODs and gives a link near the end to the Windows Debugger and a tutorial on the Windows Debugger to analyze mini-dumps to determine the cause of blue screens of death.

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kcs/document?c=us&l=en&s=bsdr&docid=DSN_356576&isLegacy=true

connecting Outlook 2003 to an Exchange 2010 server

Using its default settings, Outlook 2003 won't connect to an Exchange 2010 server (nor will Outlook 2007 that has been upgraded from Outlook 2003). Exchange 2010 requires encryption between clients and itself when doing MAPI connections. As such, you need to make that change from the default settings on Outlook 2003. Just check the box for "encrypt data between Microsoft Office Outlook and Microsoft Exchange Server" on the security tab after clicking on the more settings button when setting up an Exchange account.

installing Office 2007 on a terminal server

I found this page on how to install Office 2007 on a terminal server. I've used it twice successfully to install Office 2007 Pro Plus (must be open license) on Windows 2008 (you should already have installed the terminal server role before installing Office 2007):

http://blogs.technet.com/b/odsupport/archive/2009/06/10/office-2007-customized-install-walkthrough.aspx

Here are my recommended setting changes:

Under Modify User Settings:

Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 -> Tools Options -> Other -> AutoArchive Settings -> Enabled (and then uncheck turn on autoarchive)

Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 -> Tools Account Settings -> RSS Feeds -> Turn Off RSS Feature -> Enabled

Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 -> Tools Options -> Preferences -> Search Options -> Prevent installation prompts when Windows Desktop Search Component is not present -> Enabled

Microsoft Office 2007 -> Privacy -> Trust Center -> Disable opt-in wizard on first run -> Enabled

Microsoft Office 2007 -> Privacy -> Trust Center -> Enable Customer Experience Improvement Program -> Disabled

Under Set Feature Installation States:

Set all items to Run All from My Computer

Under Outlook:

Outlook profile -> Modify Profile -> Define changes to make to the existing profile. If a default profile does not exist . . .

Specify Exchange server settings -> Make changes here as appropriate for your network (using %username% as the user name (but I do not configure cached Exchange if the terminal server will be on same LAN as the Exchange server)

That's it as far as customizations made to the OCT file. I add the installation key to the config.xml file (as specified here).

I save the OCT as c:\oct.msp

Of note - I have had trouble with the setup not finding the MSP file when it's not in the root, so I just put it in the root.

Then I run (in terminal server installation mode by running "change user /install" in an administrative command prompt):

z:\office2007\setup /adminfile c:\oct.msp

(alter path as needed)

Attempt to configure Terminal Server failed with error code 0x80004005. Error HRESULT E_FAIL has been returned from a call to a COM component

I've gotten this error twice when installing the terminal services role on a Windows 2008 machine connected to a domain:

Attempt to configure Terminal Server failed with error code 0x80004005. Error HRESULT E_FAIL has been returned from a call to a COM component.

The error appears after the reboot to install the role and looks like this:

As per this page:

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winserverTS/thread/91b1c97c-2efe-446e-b2f8-9d329ed3ffbe/

there are properties in the OU that the server belongs to that create a problem with terminal services. It seems as though the terminal services role has been installed correctly, but here's what I do:

remove the terminal services role from the terminal server

create a new OU on the domain controller named "terminal servers":

Then open Group Policy Management and and tell your new OU to "block inheritance" so that it doesn't inherit the other problematic policies that create the problem.

move the server to the new OU

if you reboot here, after removing the inherited group policies, you'll likely be unable to use remote desktop to connect to the future terminal server since remote desktop was enabled by the group policies you just removed.

reinstall the terminal services role on the terminal server.

You'll see that the the terminal services role installs with no problems.