NetApp - Disk Replace Command

When trying to run the disk replace command on our NetApp Filer, we received the following error:


raid.rg.diskcopy.failed:ALERT]: /aggr0/plex0/rg1: unable to start disk copy from 0a.00.10 to 2c.26: Disk is from the wrong spare pool

Although we do not use SyncMirror, we have disks in both Pool 0 and Pool 1.  Best practice is to have one Pool if you do not use SyncMirror.  To allow the disk replace to continue you need to run the command as follows:

 
disk replace start [-f] [-m]
 
This command uses Rapid RAID Recovery to copy data from the specified file system disk to the specified spare disk. At the end of that process, roles of disks are reversed. The spare disk will replace the file system disk in the RAID group and the file system disk will become a spare. The option -f can be used to skip the confirmation. The option -m allows mixing disks with different characteristics. It allows using the target disk with rotational speed that does not match that of the majority of disks in the aggregate. It also allows using the target disk from the opposite spare pool.

Source: NetApp Library

Clear all COM Ports in use

Start > Run > regedit

Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\COM Name Arbiter

Right click on ComDB and choose Modify

Select all data and press Delete (All 0000 will remain)

Close registry

Source: Superuser

VMware Tools may not install on a Windows guest OS

1) KB 1012693

2) KB 1009167

3) KB 1001354

My personal experience was on a Server 2003 VM (Terminal Server).  Trying to automatically update VMware Tools caused the uninstall to run but the new version never installed.  Manually running setup from the CD drive caused the installer to "hang" on "configuring VMware Tools" and then timing out after about 30 minutes claiming the Windows Installer is no longer responding.  

After speaking to VMware support, we connected to the ESXi shell and saw nothing wrong with the ISO mounting during the tools install.  There were also no issue in the VMware Tools log on the VM itself.  It just simply was not running the install all the way through.

After cancelling that and rebooting we check that there were no VMware Tools services or any Registry Keys (KB 1001354, referenced above).  I then initiated another VMware Tools install and opened a command prompt and ran setup /r.  This threw an error stating there were no VMware Tools on the system.
I then ran setup /r.  This Worked.  

A Previous installation of VMware Tools has been detected

When trying to install VMware Tools on Debian Linux, I received the error that a previous installation was detected.  The solution is to remove the locations file which can be found at /etc/vmware-tools/ and then try reinstalling.

VMware Knowledge Base 1013159

Windows 7 UAC Prompts and Network Printers

If you deploy or install network printers to Windows 7 workstations, and there is a change in the driver on the server, standard user(s) accounts will not be able print or update the print driver, and will be presented with a UAC prompt.

The solution is to create a GPO in your environment called Point and Print Restrictions.  It can be found under: Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Printers : Point and Print Restrictions

DO NOT USE THE ONE UNDER USER CONFIGURATION as it will be ignored on Windows 7.

You need to specify which servers users can print to and whether to present them with a warning or UAC Prompt.

Full instructions can be found here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2307161

Fix logging onto computer with temporary profile

1) Log onto machine with local admin/domain admin account

2) start > run > regedit

3) HKLM>SOFTWARE>Microsoft>Windows NT>CurrentVersion>ProfileList

4) Under ProfileList, delete any subkey that has a .bak exension (folder with .bak)

5) reboot

Error opening attachments - cleaning out the Temporary Outlook Files folder

When trying to open an attachment in Microsoft Outlook, you receive the following error:

Cannot create file: FAX.TIF. Right-click the folder you want to create the file in, and then click Properties on the shortcut menu to check your permissions for the folder.

In my case, it was a TIF file;  the actual error will reflect the type of file you are trying to open.

The solution is to empty the Outlook Secure Temp Folder:

Source 1: Microsoft Answers

Source 2: How-To Outlook