Configuring Itunes to sync with the right Outlook PST file after Office 365 Set-up

A client called me to alert me of the issue he had ever since Office 365 was set-up. The Outlook PST file that was synced to the Iphone is now wrong, with 0 calendar and some weird contacts. As such, I have re-configured the default PST file to sync for Itunes with the steps outlined below:


(taken from my post i submitted here)
Background Info:

• I am using the latest version of Itunes, 11.0.3, and Outlook 2010.
• Iphone 4s using iOS 6.1.3
• I have been using 2 POP accounts and 1 IMAP Account.
• Recently, I have migrated my IMAP account to Office 365.
• To avoid having to re-do all the customization, I decided to simply 'add' an exchange-office 365 profile into my current DEFAULT OUTLOOK PROFILE where all my POP and IMAP accounts are found.

Situation:
 
All is well, until I realized, my default Outlook data file is now switched to the Exchange 2013/2010 OST file side where Office 365 account resides. Now I don't have any calendar or Contacts in that OST file. Therefore when Itunes launched and perform a sync, all my contacts and calendar items were..zapped.


Solution:

1. Untick the sync in Itunes for Outlook. All my contacts and calendar on the phones will be deleted. Better that way since i don't want to end up with duplicates.Just proceed to REMOVE.
2. Note that you need to manually record any new items you've just created on the phone ever since you realized that your contacts and calendars were missing on the phone.
3. Do a sync and check the phone to see that all info are 'GONE'.
4. Closed both outlook 2010 and itunes.
5. Go to Control Panel > Mailbox (32-bit) > Click Show Profile
6. I only had 1 profile, so choose the default profile (usually named OUTLOOK)
7. Click Properties
8. Click Data Files
9. Make sure that the old PST file is ticked. Note that it should currently be the Exchange Office 365 OST file. When I choose my old PST file, it gave me a warning which i noted, and proceed.
10. Note that emails for office 365 will still be delivered to the Office 365 OST file because in Accounts List, the default mail delivery folder (Properties > Accounts > Email Accounts > select the Office 365 acc > you'll see that the New messages will be delivered to the OST file.
11. Proceed to apply, then close everything.
12. IMPT: OPEN OUTLOOK FIRST, this will set the Outlook Data File configuration right with the PST file being the default instead of the Office 365 OST.
13. After Outlook is opened, verify that Calendar and Contacts are there and well.
14. Proceed to open Itunes right after that. It doesn't matter whether Outlook is opened or closed.
15. Go to the Iphone - Info tab, then tick the sync with Outlook for both Calendar and Contacts...

Now you can breathe and relax.

Converting a local old Machine to a Virtual Box compatible VM (VHD)

Client told me that they need to change PC, but has an old Accpac 4.0 that need to run only on XP. Plus without a valid maintenance contract, the vendor wants to charge them about 100bucks just to install the application. How? Need to change PC but don't want to spend too much money.

This is a step-by-step guide in how to virtualize a Windows XP or Windows 7 into a virtual machine so that users can run the Windows Virtual machine in Virtual Box. The steps are very important or you might possibly run into problems.

Tools needed:

1) USB Ext Disk 500GB

2) Disk2VHD (latest edition), i think v 1.4

3) Virtual Box 4.22

4) plenty of time

Phase 1 - virtualize the current machine

a) just run the disk2vhd

b) virtualize to a USB disk instead of local disk or D drive. it's safer and better

c) ensure that no running processes are in the system. close all running programs

d) ensure that all windows xp and 7 patches are installed and system is just restarted before the program is run.

e) proceed with the virtualizing to VHD format

 

Phase 2 - install virtualbox onto the new system

a) proceed with default installation and follow all steps

b) no special configuration is needed for virtual box

Phase 3 - Setup VHD and Virtualbox

this is complicated, pls follow carefully:

a) make network card to be bridged onto the physical network adapter

b) configure VM name carefully with the Upper cap and lower cap accordingly when creating a new VM.

c) set ram size to 512mb, and leave everything as default

d) create shortcut of the VM to the desktop for ease of access

e) when closing the VM, set to save the state

f) if there's a problem with auto-restarts all the time, do note to delete this file in c:\windows\system32\drivers\intelppm.sys, just delete that file in SAFE MODE of the VM, and restart. should solve the problem. happened to me several times when setting up the Windows XP VM on different machines, especially when I transfer the VM from 1 machine to another.

g) configure PC name to be (host pc name)-xp or (host pc name)-vm. Eg, mcsfin-pc01-xp

h) install the virtual box add-on tool VM add-on. you must configure the ISO image to be mounted. this is important for the sync of video and mouse

I think this is it! Everything should work as per norm. Will update again if there's things to add.

Internet Explorer 10 and issues with Singapore Government Related Sites

Recently, Microsoft started distributing Microsoft Internet Explorer 10 to Windows 7 systems through Windows Updates. There’s an increase of calls related to issues with Internet Explorer 10.  Most of the law firms clients that we service uses access eLigation, EFS, and the websites does not support IE 10 yet. I really wonder why our legal services staff are well paid, yet the infrastructure is not built-or-upgraded accordingly. 

There are other clients using Windows 7 has problems with IE 10 also. I encountered that IE10 was not being able to download any files, only uninstalling Internet Explorer 10 resolves the problem. Users that logs-in to Electronic Filing System (EFS) are able to log-in, use the system, but when doing the unpacking of the document, there seems to be a script block of some sort which has no work-around as of this posting.

We will be disabling IE 10 updating in the Windows 7 implementations at the moment. 

The IE 10 blocker can be downloaded from the link below. 

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36512

which means, no law-firms in Singapore that requires EFS, can run on Windows 8 at the moment... Sad!

Setting up a new SCV-Starhub Cable Modem for a Client

A client called, and the residence in which the boss use to stay is now changed to the new boss. Hmm, what a nice thing to have... the boss get to stay in a 'residence'.. :)

Anyway, the new boss need an internet connection and there's no fiber. Therefore we had to use an old spare SCV Cable Modem (Motorola). The issue is, internet simply wouldn't start even though the router (connected to the cable modem) is issued a WAN IP address.

After calling Starhub, we found out that we can't simply change the cable modem! The support staff simply refused to help! Darn! We decided to clarify with the organization admin personnel and finalized that the ex-boss is not using that cable modem anymore and we can simply terminate that modem.

Called Starhub the second time, found out from another support staff that they can assist in changing the connection. Wow! 

So the procedure is simply report to Starhub the HFC Mac Address ID on the Cable Modem so that the account is now registered with the new cable modem.

That's it!

The problem with Android Mobile Mail with old IMAP mail servers

Another client reported weird problems to me today.

Jessica: my emails went missing again!!! I received it on my Samsung Phone, but I don't get to see it on my Outlook. Why is this happening?

Me: Well, let me check...
(Proceed to check....)

1. Verify that email communication from external email party works from my outlook to her mail server, and that she is able to receive my email in outlook. - Checked!

2. Check the webmail if the emails were stuck in webmail... - Checked!

3. Verify if there are any other devices downloading emails apart from her Outlook on the notebook... - Checked!

Hmmm.. So what seems to be the problem? None of these seems to be an issue...

Aha! Lets change the password to the mail account.. The rogue email client on an unknown device should be able to prompt for an alert!

While doing so, the tablet started making noise... "Wrong email password!"

Root of problem found...
Tablet was configured with email - IMAP using the default mail app.
But why is it that the mail server couldn't handle the access?

Started to check the settings, found out a weird bug with email server - Qmail on Plesk 8.3 (yea, I know its old..) to be problematic when a device (outlook) downloads using pop mail connection while the other mobile devices utilize IMAP or even POP!!

Seems like when I have read an email on my devices, the message cannot be downloaded by Outlook thinking that it has been 'read'. Especially so if Outlook is configured to leave a copy behind and delete after a number of days.

Solution on Android??
- use K9 mail application!!
Somehow this is a far more stable configuration and settings. While I didn't dare to try using the IMAP configuration, I used POP mail download settings and everything worked marvelously...

K9 mail is free on the playstore.. Go try it out!

Oh one more thing... iPhone mail app doesn't have this issue though.... Ha! I shall not comment further...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Cisco AnyConnect VPN Connection

A client of mine called me just a minute ago and mentioned that she needs a VPN access using Cisco AnyVPN connect. 

Upon google-ing, found out that Cisco requires people to pay for the client download and access! Yikes!

It requires a partner or an admin subscription to access the download location.

As such, after searching hi-and-lo, I manage to locate the file to be downloaded and place them in my personal storage for future references.

The link to download for both English (32bit and 64bit) is here!

Enjoy!

Windows 7 unable to access a Windows 2003 Standard - Networking Issue

I encountered a really weird problem today. I have a client running Windows 7 and had no problems accessing any other servers in the network - Windows 2008 R2. However, when trying to access my Windows 2003 domain controller, 192.168.1.9/255.255.248.0 I couldn't even PING it! 

Yes I have internet access, I can access other servers, I have verified that there's no firewall block on either side (both PC and Server).

Other computers in the network can access all the servers including this Windows 2003 domain controller.

I thought it was a network port, and viola! My Laptop was able to ping and connect to the DC with the same port.

Not the server, not the switch, not the port, not the cable, not firewall.... hmmm.... Then I checked the IP address and found the workstation being assigned 192.168.1.255/255.255.248.0

I set the IP address for workstation to another.... and VIOLA! Resolved!
Set the DHCP reservations on the DC to not-assign .255 address, and problem was resolved!
Set Dynamic IP again for the PC. :)