Sync RoboForm Data using Live Mesh

I have a paid version of Roboform and I wanted to sync my data between my home and work PCs. I was able to accomplish this (fairly) easily using Live Mesh. I’d have to imagine this would work equally well for Keepass Password Safe (which is free for those of you who don’t want to purchase RoboForm).

Live Mesh is Microsoft’s, ummmm… well that’s tough. I would’ve called it a cloud computing platform but that may end up being something else. For now Mesh gives you a cloud desktop, remote access to devices and folder sync. Eventually I believe they will have applications that run on the cloud desktop and your various devices. Sign up for Mesh at http://mesh.com.

I already have a Live Mesh folder that syncs between my home PC and work PC. Creating a Mesh folder is easy. Sign up and install Live Mesh. Then create a folder or use an existing one, right click on the folder, and click Add Folder to Live Mesh. The sync options can be setup here as well.

Make sure the Live Mesh folder you want to use does not reside on your Desktop and the synced folder on the other PC is also not on the desktop. See the problems at the end of this post.

At home, I pointed my home Roboform to save all my data in the Live Mesh folder that is shared between my home and work PCs. This can be easily done in RoboForm’s options under User Data by clicking on Set Folder….

At this point Live Mesh will sync that data to my work computer. So now I needed to setup RoboForm at work.

At work I installed RoboForm, activated it, and then pointed RoboForm to the same location in that Live Mesh folder. So I opened RoboForm’s options, highlighted User Data, clicked on Set Folder…., and browsed to …\%LiveMeshFolder%\My RoboForm Data\Default Profile\.

TaDa, all my data, passcards and such appeared. If a change is made on either side you will have to wait for Live Mesh to sync the change before it will appear. Also if you’ve had the PC up for a while and thus RoboForm on for an extended period then you will need to Refresh RoboForm to see new data. That’s done in RoboForm under Profiles.

I did have some problems however. Live Mesh by default will sync to your Desktop. For some reason RoboForm balks at using a Live Mesh folder on your Desktop to save data to (see error below). So I had to make sure the folder on my home PC wasn’t in my desktop (it is in my Documents folder) and that the folder synced to a location other than my desktop on my work PC (I just synced it to the c:\).

Links:

• https://www.mesh.com/
• http://keepass.info/
• http://www.roboform.com/

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Technorati Tags: keepass, live mesh, roboform, syncing

The Wipe and Reload

For my own reference as much as anything here is a list of things I do when I have to wipe and reload a client’s PC.

1. Make sure the client understands what it means to reload the Operating System. All their documents will be saved (and possibly their entire profile) but all programs will have to be reinstalled (some customers no longer have disks).
2. • I also make sure they know the advantages such as the PC will run like it did on day one out of the box.
3. I get all the disks they have or anything they want reinstalled (OS or manufacturer install disks, programs, etc).
4. I make a list of all the storage places for stuff that is important to the client.
5. I make a full image backup of the entire hard drive including any malware it may have. Just in case there is something I missed or they didn’t tell me about.
6. • I use DriveXML to create the image.
7. Separate from the hard drive image, I make copies of all the important data they told me about earlier (My Documents, iTunes stuff, pictures, movies, etc).
8. • If I’m not dealing with malware then I’ll use Transwiz (User Profile Transfer Wizard) to transfer the client’s entire Windows profile(s). Although I’ve had problems with Transwiz.
9. I backup all the drivers using DriverBackup! 2. I only use those drivers if I can’t find an up to date drivers online.
10. I take screen shots of all the programs they have installed on their system for future reference. Now I use Belarc Advisor to get a complete snapshot of the entire system.
11. I use Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder to get all the Microsoft products key codes and save those to a file.
12. Then I reinstall the OS, install any missing drivers, put back their files and programs, and return the machine to them.

Ta Da, generally they have a machine that is running better than it has in years plus any malware is long gone. Of course I can’t save them from themselves if they try to download those free ring tones.

Technorati : os, vista, wipe and reload, xp
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Problems opening files in Outlook 2000.

If you are having problems opening files in Outlook make sure to delete the Outlook Secure Temporary Files.  They can be a pain to find however.  The directory that holds them in Outlook 2000 & 2003 is:

C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLK”followed by numbers”

The OLK will be followed by a series of numbers.  The only problem is you might not see the OLK directory and searching for it doesn’t work.  Revealing Hidden files won’t work either.  In that case the only way to get to it is to find out what the exact OLK directory name is and type it in manually.

For instance the one I worked on today was just …\OLK5.  I found it by opening the users email and finding a file they had previously been able to open.  In this case an Excel file.  Once opened I went to File | Save as and took a look at the folder it was being saved to.  Anyone know of an easier way to do that?  See update below.

Outlook 2007 keeps the same files here:

C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Outlook\”some string of characters”

And Vista moves them to:

C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\

Update: There is an easier way to find out where the Outlook Secure Temp Folder is stored (\OLK*).  Run regedit, click Edit | Find, and search for:  OutlookSecureTempFolder.  The entry in that key will be the path to the OLK* folder.  Just copy it and paste it in Explorer.

Technorati Tags: olk, opening files outlook, outlook, outlook secure temp folder, OutlookSecureTempFolder

Ordering Microsoft Replacement Disks

This is just a quick note for reference.  Often I have to have client call Microsoft to get replacement disks for a variety of Microsoft software.  From Microsoft’s site:

Also, to obtain a replacement disk, telephone the Microsoft Order Desk at (800) 360-7561, and request a replacement for your damaged disk. If you are outside the United States, contact the Microsoft subsidiary for your area.

Supposedly this costs between $10 - $25 depending on what you need.  Also ownership has to be proven so make sure you register that software.

Technorati Tags: microsoft order desk, replacement disks

Segate’s MaxBlast

Update:  Turns out MaxBlast only works for Seagate or Maxtor drives.  So if you have one of those then get your free copy of Acronis True Image.

So Seagate offers a drive image tool called MaxBlast 5 for free.  The really great thing is it’s powered by Acronis.  Acronis has some great Drive Imagining software but you have to pay for it.  With MaxBlast I get almost everything I could ever want for individual use and it’s completely free.  I would need something more robust for Enterprise usage.

Get MaxBlast here:  http://www.seagate.com/ww/v/index.jsp?locale=en-US&name=MaxBlast_5&vgnextoid=7add8b9c4a8ff010VgnVCM100000dd04090aRCRD

Technorati Tags: acronis, backup, drive backup, drive imaging, max blast, seagate

Auto Authenticating Firefox with iPrism

The iPrism instructional videos explain how to do this but for a quick reference just follow these instructions:

1. Open Firefox.
2. Type about:config in the URL bar.
3. In the Filter box type:  uris
4. There will be three entries.
5. Double click the first entry.
6. In the pop up box, enter the hostname or IP address of the iPrism.
7. Repeat step 5 & 6 for each of the entries.

Technorati Tags: firefox, firefox settings for iprism, iprism

Install problems because of pendingfilenameoperation.

Ok I don’t have the specifics because they were  lost, however I had a problem loading ADP’s Payroll application on my XP Pro machine.  It would fail.  I was talking to ADP’s tech help and they remoted in and removed an entry in my registry.

The entry was called pendingfilenameoperation and in the value of the key there were some questions marks.  Something like “\\??\foldername\filename.”  Once that key was deleted the install went just fine.  ADP tech support said he has seen that on multiple machines for multiple applications, most of the enterprise related.

Sorry I don’t have specifics because I can’t recreate the issue.  However just search for pendingfilenameoperation in the registry and delete it if there are ?? in there.  Make a backup of the registry first of course.  I’ve also heard the same issue may apply for a key called pendingfilerenameoperation.

Technorati Tags: adp payroll, installation problems, pendingfilenameoperation, registry

Problems with Windows Updates and XP SP3

I started having problems with Windows Updates after installing XP Service Pack 3.  The install of the updates would fail.  After it failed Windows would ask me to install them during shutdown but that didn’t work either.

I installed SP3 right after it came out.  Soon there after Microsoft pulled it and released it again later.  I think my problems stem from using that earlier release.  That’s what I get for being an early adopter.

Either way registering some dlls solved the problem.  The that solution here:

http://www.markwilson.co.uk/blog/2008/07/microsoft-update-failure.htm

Microsoft’s answer:

http://www.update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/showarticle.aspx?articleid=38&ln=en&IsMu=True

Technorati Tags: sp3, updates, windows, xp

Creating a domain default user profile.

Because its been so long I forgot.

http://windowsitpro.com/article/articleid/47534/how-can-i-set-the-default-domain-user-profile.html

Technorati Tags: Knowledge Base

Keyboard Pattern Theory to Password Management.

I’m starting to think that passwords are more effective in patterns.  What I mean is it’s better to have a pattern to develop passwords than to use the same one for everything or some program to track passwords.  I have a lot of passwords on the web and I think I’ve finally figured out a system for managing them all.

Years ago I learned about keyboard pattern passwords because I had to change my work password every three months.  To make a keyboard pattern just pick a pattern on the keyboard and that becomes the password.  For instance, check out the pattern xsw2cde3.  The password itself is fairly complex but when typed out on a standard qwerty keyboard it becomes a simple pattern to remember.

With a keyboard pattern like xsw2cde3 it became easy for me to change my password every three months.  I would just move the pattern over one to the left or right.  So my next password would be cde3vfr4.  Of course this can be made more complicated if one so desired.  Try these out: 2w3ehnjm or zaq1XSW@ or 1q2wHNJM or even 1q2w#E$RHNJM.  There is one downside to the keyboard pattern password theory.  How does one use it on a Mobile phone?

So for years I had a password that changed easily but that did not help much for websites because I would just use one keyboard pattern for all my logins.  Supposedly this is not a good security practice (although lets face it for most websites we could care less if somebody got into them).  Then I read the “one rule set” theory on LifeHacker.com.  A very similar theory to keyboard pattern theory (ok almost exactly) except Gina Trapani added the idea of incorporating the URL.  So now I have my own rule set.  I use a keyboard pattern combined with the first 3 letters of a URL.

Example: if my keyboard pattern was xsw2cde3 and I’m creating one for my Google Account then my final password would be xsw2cde3gmi.  Lets tackle Chase.com:  my final password would be xsw2cde3cha. 

Now if I decided to change my passwords I could move one row over on the keyboard.  So chase.com would become cde3vfr4cha.

I’ve found that a keyboard pattern consisting of 8 characters including numbers works well.  The final password is 11 characters with numbers and works on most websites.  There are exceptions however, like mycheckfree.com.  Mycheckfree.com passwords can only be 8 characters long and have to have a number.  I seriously think they’re should be a web standard in place for passwords.  Something like 6-32 characters and it must contain at least 1 number.  That should be secure enough and long enough to come up with clever passwords.

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