Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with system and windows

Learning Management System with Active Directory Support

mrw — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:03:24 -0800

I am looking for a (preferably Opensource / free) Learning Management System that will link up with LDAP / Windows Active Directory The company I work for is looking to roll out web-based "exams" on subjects such as desktop security for a certification we are looking to hold. Ideally the software will limit a user's permissions to do many things until they pass the exam/test. I have heard of such software, but I cannot recall the name.

Currently our network setup is on a windows domain, using windows server 2008 active directory to manage user groups. I can set up a box for whatever operating system / webserver / databasing required as i have a few spares here at the moment.

In addition to the above, the software needs to generate some kind of file indicating which users have completed the test and which have yet to do so.

If you have a better idea on how to roll out such a thing, well... any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated

strange WindowsXP problem

Meatbomb — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 05:55:16 -0800

Strange thing happening on my Windows XP, don't know what to do... OK, you know down in the system tray, bottom right corner, how sometimes you get a little speech bubble pop-up, with a little popping noise, when something noteworthy has happened? For example, when a torrent has completed downloading, or a new external hard drive is detected, or whatever? Usually they stay up long enough to click on them for further information, to act on the information.

So my problem is that for the last few months I have been getting these strange little events, where a speech bubble pops but is really quick, too quick for me to see what it is talking about. It is only there for like 1/5 of a second, even when I stare intently and wait for it I cannot read it. When it starts doing this it will continue for an extended period, every minute or so, giving me the little pop / speech bubble.

How the hell do I figure out what is up?

Some further info:
-happens whether or not I am running BitTorrent or Skype
-I have updated AVG on, it tells me I am clean
-I just did a full system malware scan with a couple different tools, nothing fishy was indicated
-here is an image of my current tray, if that is of any help. It is going on right now...

I would love to make this slightly irritating thing stop. Can you nice and knowledgeable people advise me on how to proceed? Thanks in advance.

Help me learn to be the sysadmin I need to be!

Reverend John — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:34:00 -0800

What do I need to know and how should I learn it? I am the "IT" guy at my company, a small supplier of building materials, with an office staff of about 10, and a warehouse crew of about the same. Problem is I'm underqualified. Before I arrived here the network and all workstations were set up and supported by an outside consultant. When I arrived my primary responsibility was maintaining our web site, hosted elsewhere, and minor IT support when I could answer or fix immediate problems without having to call the consultant. I was A+ and Network+ certified around 4 years ago, but obviously thats not all that impressive, and really I haven't done much in depth there, haven't been building or fixing machines or doing significant network administration.

Unfortunately over the past year or so the consultant has gradually become less accessible to the point of being essentially useless, and I have recurring nightmares about something disastrous happening to our server or network and not being able to fix it, losing all of our business data, etc. I chatted with my bosses, the owners, last night and they've OK'ed me to upgrade my skills in order to make sure everything here is working well and secure.

Currently we have a single server running Windows 2000 server. The workstations are an amalgamation of Win XP pro and Win 2000 workstation. We have a 24 port switch tying it all together, and some networked printers, and a DSL connection to the internet. The server provides a shared directory, Active Directory services, DHCP, and hosts our business application server.

Given what we have my current plan is to self-study towards becoming an MCSA on Windows 2000 server. Some of the win 2k tests are discontinued, but since thats what we're running I figured I would work first on the tests which aren't discontinued yet, like 70-270 Admining Win XP, then working thru the self study books on Win 2k Server like 70-215 Adminning Win 2k server and 70-218 Managing a Win 2k Server network, as if I was going to try to take those exam. Then after I was up to speed on what we're currently running I might want to learn more on what we might want to move to in order to make sure our network is not too obsolete or insecure.

So, what I want to know from you technical mefites is, is my plan reasonable? Am I being foolish to consider studying for obsolete tests in order to fill out my knowledge of the stuff we already have? Is there a better way I should approach this?

Help! I feel overwhelmed and I live in constant fear that I'm going to come in one day and be told "nothing works, fix it" and not be able to.

What was that password again?

al_fresco — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:02:03 -0800

In Windows XP, is there a way to see the password that is stored in the system to log into a wireless network? In OS X, this is easy – one just goes to Keychain Access, looks up the entry, and by entering an administrator password one can see the given password. Is there a way to do this in XP? I'm not a Windows person, so don't know where to look.

This is for a client for whom I set up a wireless network over a year ago. She created the password and it's stored in her system, as she connects fine to the network. She now wants to get another computer onto the network. I guess I need to start saving clients' passwords.

Is data recovery possible?

FireStyle — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 23:34:18 -0800

my brother had a corrupt system file that causes windows XP media center ed. to not boot up. while in the recovery console, he accidentally clicked an option to restore the computer to factory settings. Is it possible to recover the data he lost?

Let's do the (Microsoft) time warp

phaded — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 13:21:20 -0800

Where can I buy (or otherwise acquire) a legit copy of Windows 98 SE these days? My girlfriend's PC died a while back, and for one of our next present-giving holidays, I'm planning to build her a new one. What I'd like to do, ideally, is install two hard drives: one running XP or Vista, and another running 98, because she plays a lot of games that don't run (well) on anything older than 98. However, I can't find any online retailers I've ever heard of who are selling 98...understandable, given that it's been almost a decade since that operating system was released. A Google product search turns up a bunch of websites I've never heard of, and I don't think I trust eBay for something like this. I prefer to buy a full version, but I'd be fine with buying an OEM version if that's my only option. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Why does my Media Center CPU spike?

benjh — Sat, 25 Mar 2006 09:52:11 -0800

What upgrades do I need for my Media Center PC? I just recently purchased a new Windows Media Center PC. It has an Athlon 64 3500+ processor, 1 GB memory, 256MB Shared Video Memory (Radeon Xpress 200), and a 200GB HD. I added on a PVR-500 Hauppauge TV Tuner.

The CPU usage keeps spiking, and I can't identify what is actually causing it to spike. It will just shoot the CPU up to 100%. It seems completely random. For example, when recording TV shows last night, while playing Counterstrike on the same machine, it wasn't hitting too high. But this morning, when I pulled the machine up, it was at 100% and hasn't gone down.

When I go into task manager, I get the listing of SYSTEM as what is taking 99% of my system resources.

I was considering adding memory, or maybe a new video card to eliminate the usage of shared video memory, to resolve the issue. But I'm curious if you all think this will help, or can offer other suggestions to help remedy this situation.

What are my options for installing a home security system?

DCTapeworm — Mon, 31 Oct 2005 07:43:50 -0800

What are my options for installing a home security system? Hi there,

After being a avid watcher of 'It Takes a Thief', I've been moving forward on researching my options for having a home security system installed.

I currently do best practices by locking doors and windows before leaving the house, and also have installed charley bars on the sliding doors on both the upper and lower floors.

What I'm interested in doing is either:

a) Taking the time to buy and install my own system, and finding a service in my area (Woodinville, WA) that can enable fire and police protection should the alarm be triggered... or

b) Go with a ADT or similiar system where I pay an installation and monthly fee charge for home security and fire prevention.

What I'd like to know is:

1. Are there websites online that review different security products, such as motion detectors, safes, or even reviews on ADT-like services and how well they fare?
2. If there are any forums online that are devoted to issues regarding home security and best practices?

Please post if you have any advice or suggestions, or even your own experiences. :)

Thanks in advance.