Check out the New SMBTN Online Community! March 10, 2010
Posted by Jim Locke in Alerts, Tools.Tags: Community, SMB News
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After months of work, we officially opened up the new SMBTN Online Community on February 1, 2010. A little more than a month later, we have over 200 members on this private, SMB focused, social network. If you haven’t checked it out yet, we invite you to do so at http://Community.SMBTN.org. Each member can build a profile that establishes their expertise and optionally provides contact information so other members can partner with them. You can blog from your profile, add pictures, links, video and other content, some of which we plan to feature in upcoming issues of the SMBTN weekly newsletter. You can even link your Twitter, Facebook and Flickr accounts to your profile.
However, this is just the start. We are working on new communities and forums and content providers. Those of you that make use of the SMBTN Community Toolbar will also find many new features in it that will connect you better to the new community and make it easier for you to share content with your peers and other community members.
So check it out and let us know what you think. We need your feedback and hope that you will see this as a good start on a great improvement. Please feel free to post any comments or suggestions that you might have below.
SMBTN Releases Autotask Template November 16, 2009
Posted by Jim Locke in Benefits, Finance, IT Business, Marketing, Tools.Tags: Autotask, Benefits, Cloud Services Depot, CoreConnex, Finance, IT Business, Marketing, Pronto Marketing, TelAssistant, Tools, Virtual Administrator
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Just a little over a month after announcing that it would standardize on the Autotask platform, the SMB Technology Network has officially released its new template for the platform. This release is just a starting point for us. We are committed to making consistent improvements to this platform that integrate industry best practices and SMBTN partner offerings into a professional services automation platform that fits the needs of our membership. Currently, the SMBTN/Autotask Platform offers the following:
- A customized Autotask Template for SMBTN Business Members
- Integration with a variety of Managed Services platforms, including hosted Kaseya from Virtual Administrator, Level Platforms, N-able, Zenith Infotech and others.
- Integration with SMBTN’s Virtual Assistant partner, TelAssistant.
- Integration with SMBTN’s Outsourced helpdesk partner, Cloud Services Depot.
- Integration with SMBTN VitalSigns Financial Dashboard by CoreConnex.
- Integration with the latest release of the SMBTN Community Toolbar.
SMBTN also understands the importance of integrating its member’s websites and marketing functions into their back office operations. With this in mind, SMBTN has begun working with Pronto Marketing on Autotask forms integration which it hopes to have available for its members in the first quarter of 2010.
Finally, SMBTN will also host its own forum on the SMBTN Community for peer support, sharing best practices and gathering ideas about future improvements to its Autotask platform.
Pricing for the SMBTN/Autotask platform starts at just $99 per month for a single user (through the end of the year) and includes Autotask Pro with the SMBTN template, Outlook integration, Client Access Portal, Quickbooks integration, Corelytics Lite Financial Dashbaord and the SMBTN Community Toolbar. For more information, visit the SMBTN Community or contact SMBTN Member Services.
The Conficker Eye Chart Diagnoses Infection in a Heartbeat April 5, 2009
Posted by Jim Locke in Tools.add a comment
This is really ingenious. I only wish I had picked up on it earlier. Perhaps, this would be a good early warning system for antivirus vendors in general. Hmmm, maybe a security threat meter of some type that measures how many security sites cannot be accessed from a computer. Seems simple enough to do for the major vendors that most of us use. What do you think? Would you see any value in such a system? Post your comments…
April 1 came and went with no significant effect from Conficker, but if you’re stille worried your computer may be infected with the widespread worm, the Conficker Eye Chart can diagnose it with ease.
The site is simple but brilliant. Conficker blocks access to some 100 security web sites, and the eye chart displays images from several of those sites. If your browser loads with the right configuration of dead images, then there’s a very good chance you’re computer’s infected—meaning it’s time you rid your self of the Conficker worm.
Article
Title: The Conficker Eye Chart Diagnoses Infection in a Heartbeat [Security]
Link: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/bUFZxePY49Q/the-conficker-eye-chart-diagnoses-infection-in-a-heartbeat
Author: Adam Pash
Publication Date: 4/3/2009 4:44:48 PM
Source
Feed Title: Lifehacker
Feed URL: http://www.lifehacker.com/index.xml
First Successful Windows Vista ShadowProtect Restore! No Winload.exe Error! April 5, 2009
Posted by Jim Locke in Tools.1 comment so far
For those of us that make regular use of Storagecraft ShadowProtect, take note! I hope the guys at Storagecraft get this corrected quickly.
We have had a very disappointing series of problems with restoring any Windows Vista images made by ShadowProtect.
Many black screens later, there is finally information out there on the “why” the problem happens. The main reason has to do with the way Vista keeps track of the system’s partitioning and OS location.
Apparently the newer versions of Acronis’ imaging product compensates for this new partition management structure in Windows Vista. Unfortunately, the folks at StorageCraft are a little behind the game on this topic.
The last restore attempt we made with a client’s system failed with a WinLoad.exe error.
So, it turns out, after a lot of searching, that one needs to perform a preparatory step on the Windows Vista box before creating the ShadowProtect image:
bcdedit /set {default} device boot
bcdedit /set {default} osdevice boot
bcdedit /set {bootmgr} device boot
bcdedit /set {memdiag} device boot
Place the above series of commands into a batch file and run the batch file As Administrator on the soon to be imaged Windows Vista box.
LEFT: Before the BCDEdit commands were run.
RIGHT: After the BCDEdit commands were run.
Running the commands on the Vista box strips out the specific partition=C: settings in the BCD in three places and replaces it with boot.
By making those settings generic, we were finally able to restore a box that we were having RAID array problems with once we replaced a faulty disk in the array and recreated the array instead of allowing the rebuild to run for multiple numbers of hours.
Previous posts:
- ShadowProtect restore hiccups … no restore! Anyone?
- StorageCraft Forums: Vista x64 Recovery: 0xc000000e winload.exe error on boot.
- Solution via Wilders Security Forums: Fix Vista so a Repair is not needed after a restore or clone.
Getting this problem figured out sure took a lot of stress off our work here in the shop and out in the field as we were not confident we could provide a fallback measure with ShadowProtect for Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 which uses the same partitioning structures.
Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book
Article
Title: First Successful Windows Vista ShadowProtect Restore! No Winload.exe Error!
Link: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MpecsIncBlog/~3/ZKOXgSgRBY8/first-successful-windows-vista.html
Author: (Philip Elder SBS MVP)
Publication Date: 4/3/2009 4:45:00 PM
Source
Feed Title: MPECS Inc. Blog
Feed URL: http://feeds.feedburner.com/MpecsIncBlog
Intoducing SMBTN VitalSigns Financial Planning Solution March 5, 2009
Posted by Jim Locke in Benefits, Finance, IT Business, Tools.add a comment
In preparation for SMB Summit in May 2009, SMBTN is offering a program that its members can utilize to improve the current financial health and future sustainability of your company. This program will provide you with the structure and the tools to work on your business – not just in it. (Sounds familiar, huh?)
Sign up for the VitalSigns Program and receive
- The Corelytics™ financial dashboard
- Analysis of your company’s financial trends
- Ongoing financial performance tracking against your goals and benchmarks
- Business performance benchmarks for your company
- SMBTN Member performance trends (from survey results)
- Feedback on your chart of accounts structure
- Periodic newsletters on program progress and key learnings
- Quarterly analysis of progress toward goals and changes in business patterns
- Summary of combined learnings for 2009 SMB Summit
Goal of Program
Provide a unique experience for SMBTN members who are committed to working on their business to implement a model for improved profitability and long-term sustainability.
What’s in it for me?
Use state-of-the-art tools to get a much clearer picture of current trends and financial patterns in your business, set appropriate financial performance goals and track performance against those goals and industry benchmarks.
How does it work?
A business advisor will guide you through the following steps to start the program
- Set up Corelytics™ financial dashboard
- Review trends and identify revenue and expense patterns
- Review company-specific benchmarking
- Set 7 key financial business goals
The program process will take place over a 12 month period for each participant from the date in initial setup of your dashboard.
Does it cost anything?
There is a one-time set up fee and a monthly subscription fee for Corelytics™. Business advisor support and feedback is free with your SMBTN Membership.
How do I sign up?
Sign up is easy and fast. Email or call your SMBTN business advisor representative Bob Taylor (direct: 425.533.0773) and let him know that you are interested in the program or the financial dashboard and he will get you the information you need to sign up.
SMBTN is offering the VitalSigns program to our Members in conjunction with our trusted partner CoreConnex.
SBS Community Search Added to SMBTN Toolbar March 3, 2009
Posted by Jim Locke in SBS, SBS2003, SBS2008, Tools.Tags: Toolbar
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Tired of searching the Internet for a solution to an SBS issue that you know you saw on a favorite blog, forum or website? If so, you may want to try out the new SBS Community Search function in the SMBTN Community Toolbar. It searches over over 20 Small Business Server blogs, forums and websites for solutions to the problems that you are facing today. Just enter your search term into the search box and select “SBS Community Search” from the dropdown list of available searches and your done. No annoying ads either.
We hope you find this feature useful as we plan to add other community search options to future releases of the toolbar. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to post a comment.
Microsoft Blogger Releases “Windows Image to Virtual Hard Disk Converter” (WIM2VHD) for Windows 7 February 6, 2009
Posted by Jim Locke in Tools.add a comment
Looks like a great way to try out WIndows 7!
Microsoft MSDN Blogger, Mike Kolitz, has released his Windows Image to Virtual Hard Disk Converter (WIM2VHD) – a command-line tool that allows you to create sysprepped VHD images from any Windows 7 installation source. VHDs created by WIM2VHD will boot directly to the Out Of Box Experience, ready for your first-use customizations. You can also automate the OOBE by supplying your own unattend.xml file.
+for+Windows+7&referrer=){kind=small}
Article
Title: Microsoft Blogger Releases “Windows Image to Virtual Hard Disk Converter” (WIM2VHD) for Windows 7
Link: http://bhandler.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!70F64BC910C9F7F3!5245.entry
Author:
Publication Date: 2/6/2009 1:11:13 PM
Source
Feed Title: The Road to Know Where
Feed URL: http://bhandler.spaces.live.com/feed.rss
Download the SMBTN Community Toolbar! December 2, 2008
Posted by Jim Locke in Productivity, SMBTN, Tools.Tags: Productivity, SMBTN, Tools
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We continue to seek out new ways for SMBTN members to connect with each other, access SMBTN programs and resources, and make your work day just a little easier and more profitable. Our latest effort to this end is the new SMBTN Community Toolbar.
This toolbar is compatible with both Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers and includes:
- Quick Links to SMBTN Sites, Communities and Portals
- Google Search
- Custom searches of the SMBTN Community and key SMB websites
- Links to many SMBTN Partner Programs
- Links to Technical Tools like EventID.net, DNS Reports, and MX Toolbox, as well as, key technical knowledgebases.
- An RSS Feed Reader, prepopulated with SMB news and information
- A chat client that permits you to communicate with any other SMBTN Member who has the toolbar installed.
This is our first release of the toolbar, so I encourage you to comment on it and its features so we can make future improvements to it. In the meantime, check it out. I don’t think you will be disappointed.
