Revelations of a Confused Mind : Windows XP

Connecting Your PC to the Internet Using Your Windows Mobile Phone is Easier Than You Think!

shawnt — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:58:46 GMT

I spent a couple of weeks a while back trying to figure out how to tether my AT&T Tilt to my Windows Vista PC. I wanted to use the relatively fast unlimited data plan on my Windows Mobile Phone to access the internet from my PC. Well, being an IT Pro, I assumed I would need to use ActiveSync, install new drivers, update software and use Internet Connection Sharing. Alas, that was not the case. In the end, it turned out to be surprisingly, almost unbelievably easy. All I had to do was find the right application in my Windows directory on my phone, click connect, and plug it into my PC. That's it.

So, here are the four simple steps I took to tether my Windows Mobile 6 AT&T Tilt (it might work for other versions of Windows Mobile or other devices in nearly the same way, but I can only speak to my experience):

Open File Explorer (on your phone), browse to ‘My Device\Windows’
Look for an application called ‘Internet Sharing’ (If the application is not there, you might need to contact your service provider for help.)
Open the application and click Connect.
Connect your phone to your PC with a standard USB cable. The necessary drivers will be automatically detected and installed by Windows Vista/XP/2008 and you should be online at this point. Simply open your browser to check connectivity.

Note: You must perform these steps in the order listed above. If you connect your Mobile Device to your PC prior to clicking "Connect" in the 'Internet Sharing' App, Windows Vista will attempt to sync, rather than connect to the internet. If this happens, just disconnect your device, and start over at step 1 above.

Note: You may need to tell your phone company that you are tethering and pay any necessary charges (usually $5 or so per month). Also, I recommend an unlimited data plan, otherwise costs could skyrocket.

Any questions, comments, or personal experiences with your device? Feel free to post them below...

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit - Your First Stop for Deployment

shawnt — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 03:41:09 GMT

The Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2008 was released a couple of months ago with little fanfare. But, I believe this rather mundane sounding solution accelerator is actually a diamond that deserves being put on display, at least a little bit. Although being described on the Microsoft download page as simply "the fourth generation deployment accelerator," it is actually a pretty exciting tool that can give IT Pros of small and medium businesses everywhere a HUGE leg up on their deployment process. In fact, if you are stressed about an upcoming refresh cycle, downloading the MDT 2008 Update 1 may just make you want to stand up and cheer. Let me explain...

You see, what we've done with the MDT is to finally capture and combine all of our knowledge of deploying Windows clients AND servers into one, free, easy to use download. So, you can get pretty much everything you need to know on deployment in one place, rather than digging around for days or weeks trying to find it. And, if the MDT doesn't have it, you can be darn sure that the MDT links to it. Essentially, we've made it so that if you are an IT Pro tasked with deploying Windows, the MDT is the first thing you should grab. In it you'll find whitepapers, sample surveys, timelines, compatibility assistance, and a whole gob of additional documentation Microsoft has amassed over years of working with customers and OEMs. We know how to build Windows images and we know the process to deploy them, and now you will too.

And before you say it won't work for your deployments because you're still working on the previous OS, let me politely stop you, and say the MDT works for Windows XP SP2 or higher and Windows Server 2003 R2 and higher, as well as, of course, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. Not only that, but it explains how to do Zero Touch Installs (aka ZTI - essentially, no administrator input required on the target machine), as well as the familiar Lite Touch Installs (LTI) from the old BDD 2.0.

Again, in short, what the MDT does is put everything regarding deployment in one place. It's that "in one place" thing that we don't see nearly often enough as IT Pros, and it makes me want to smile a quirky little comforting smile whenever it does. So, get it now and save yourself a whole lot of headaches later.

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2008 Update 1

New "Wormable" Exploit Discovered Affecting Windows OS's...

shawnt — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 21:51:50 GMT

There was a new critical vulnerability announced today that could lead to remote code execution against Windows Operating Systems. (Specifically, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2008.) And, unless you are running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008*, this exploit even works for non-authenticated users - remotely!

In short, this means that this exploit could be turned into a new Internet Worm. In fact, consistent exploit code has already been discovered in limited, targeted attacks, which is precisely why this update is a "zero day" update. It needs to be patched now, folks. Don't delay. Again, the vulnerability can be exploited consistently, remotely, and without authentication. These three factors are not good in combination.

Needless to say, this kind of exploit is potentially very damaging, and the wise administrators among us will reduce their exposure immediately - either by applying the update, or, if updating is not an option due to a lengthy testing and deployment process, then by disabling the computer and server browser services temporarily. Check out this bulletin for more details on how to perform these actions.

For more information and to download the update (Select your OS version): http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS08-067.mspx

To get the Update directly from Microsoft Update (US Site): http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us

* If you are running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008, the update severity is mitigated by the likelihood that the exploit will only work for authenticated users, even with UAC turned off. Plus, improvements like ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization) further reduce the ease of exploit. It's nice to see the security investment we made in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 paying off in situations like this.