•    This document Applies to Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate x86 and x64
•    This document contains information with regards to Point and Print Environments
•    The User Account which is going to make the following changes needs to be a member of the Domain Administrators group. 

If you have any questions or concerns with the following document please contact Microsoft Support.

1. Informational Overview:
Consider the following scenario:
•    You have a computer running Windows 7 which is connected to a Windows Server 2003 Domain.
•    You log onto the computer with a domain user account as a Standard user.
•    You connect to a Print Server to install a printer either by Point and Print or UNC path (i.e. \\Servername\ShareName).
•    The printer can be using an in-box or a vendor specific printer driver.

After the initial download of the driver you will be prompted with a User Account Control (UAC) dialog requesting administrative credentials as seen in the below image. 

 

In this scenario, the user will not be able to install the printer unless the administrative credentials has been entered.

The same issue will occur if you assign a domain policy on the Windows 2003 Domain Controller and disable the Point and Print Restrictions to the User.

This is the default behavior for Windows 7 Point and Print Restrictions and is the expected behavior to display the User Account Control (UAC) dialog prompting for administrative credentials. This is NOT isolated to a specific printer or vendor, and will occur even if the printer is using in-box printer drivers.

We will walk through some of the group policy information related to Point and print Restrictions. We will review the default Point and Print Restrictions on a Windows Server 2003 Domain Controller as well as walk through the process to allow a Standard Domain user to install a network printer on a Windows 7 client without being prompted for credentials.

2. Windows Server 2003 Group Policy:
To begin, we need log onto the Windows Server 2003 Domain Controller and open Active Directory Users and Computers from Control Panel > Administrative Tools. We then right-clicked on the domain (as in our example the domain is KDSCN.COM) and choose New Organizational Unit (OU) and called it “Windows 7 Point and Print”.

 

To create a Point and Print Restrictions policy on the Windows Server 2003 Domain Controller, we need to right-clicked on the OU and choose Properties and selected the Group Policy Tab. From there we click the “New” button which creates a default policy. We called this policy “Windows 2003 and XP” as you can see in the below image.

 

Selecting the policy and clicking Edit we can then expand both the Computer Configuration and User Configuration. You will note that there is NO “Point and Print Restrictions” listed under Computer Configuration.

“Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Printers”
 

Under User Configuration you will see the “Point and Print Restrictions” policy which is by default set to “Not configured” 

“User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Printers”
 

Opening the Properties for the “Point and Print Restrictions” will allow us to choose either Not Configured (which is the default), Enabled, or Disabled

 

Below is an explanation of Windows Server 2003 and XP “Point and Print Restrictions” Policy
This policy setting restricts the servers that a client can connect to for point and print. The policy setting applies only to non-Print Administrators clients, and only to machines that are members of a domain.

When the policy setting is enabled, the client can be restricted to only point and print to a server within its own forest, and/or to a list of explicitly trusted servers.

When the policy setting is not-configured, it defaults to allowing point and print only within the client’s forest.

When the policy setting is disabled, client machines can point and print to any server.

Even though you modify the policy and set it to Disabled. And then assign the policy to a domain User. The user will still be prompted from administrative credentials when installing a network printer on a computer running Windows 7.

3. Network Printer Install Standard User with Default Domain Policy:
In the below example we had logged onto the Windows 7 client with a standard user account. We then connected to the print server using a UNC path \\PS to view the available shares from which we have two printers listed.

 

To install the printer we can just double-click on the printer which will then start to search for the printer driver from the Windows 2003 Print Server. For testing purpose we are using the Xerox Global Post Script Printer Driver.

 

Once we have established a connection to the Print Server for the specific printer, we will receive a security dialog that will provide an option to allow us to install the driver.

 

After clicking on the Install Driver button, the drivers will start to be downloaded and then you will receive the UAC prompt requesting administrative e credentials.

 

As mentioned this is the expected behavior using the default policy configurations. To proceed with the install in this manner you will need to supply administrative credentials. In our case we do not want to be prompted when installing the network printer. In order to do this, please cancel all dialogs and proceed with the following steps.

Below are a few external articles with information on User Account Control (UAC)
What is User Account Control?
https://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/What-is-User-Account-Control

Inside Windows 7 User Account Control
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/2009.07.uac.aspx

4. Preparation and Configuration for Windows 7 “Point and Print Restrictions” Policy:
Now we will walk through the necessary steps to allow the ability for a Standard User to install a network printer on a Windows 7 client without being prompted for administrative credentials.
First we will need to download and install the “Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7” on a computer running Windows 7 logged on as a Domain Administrator

The Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7 is a free download. Below you will find some information about the tool and the Microsoft external download link to obtain the tool.

About Remote Server Administration Tools
You can install the Administration Tools pack on computers that are running the Windows 7 operating system, and use the Administration Tools pack to manage specific technologies on computers that are running either Windows Server® 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, or, in some cases, Windows Server 2003.
The Administration Tools pack includes support for remote management of computers that are running the Server Core installation option of either Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2008. However, Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7 cannot be installed on any versions of the Windows Server operating system.
Administration Tools are secure by default. The default Administration Tools configuration opens only those ports and enables only those services and firewall exceptions required for remote management to work.

System requirements
Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7 can be installed on computers that are running the Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate editions of Windows 7.
Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7 runs on both x86- and x64-based editions of Windows 7, and can be used to manage roles and features that are running on either the Server Core or full installation options of the x64-based Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system.
Remote management is also supported for some roles and features that run on Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2003.
Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7 should not be installed on a computer that is running the Windows Server 2003 Administration Tools Pack or Windows 2000 Server® Administration Tools Pack. Remove all versions of Administration Tools Pack or Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows Vista SP1 from the computer before you install Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7.

Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 (SP1)
https://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=7887

Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows® 7 with SP1 enables IT administrators to manage roles and features that are installed on computers that are running Windows Server® 2008 R2, Windows Server® 2008, or Windows Server® 2003, from a remote computer that is running Windows 7 or Windows 7 with SP1.

 

5. Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7 Installation:
Download the respective file for the operating system platform and then double-click on the file to install the RSA tools. When prompted with the install of KB958830 click “Yes”.

 

Description of Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/958830

Once the patch update completes, the Remote Server Administration help menu will display providing additional installation procedures for the Remote Server Administration Tools (RSA) Tools as noted in the below image.

 

6. Adding the Group Policy Management Feature:
Open Programs and Features from the Control Panel and click the “Turn Windows Features on or off” Action item.

In our example we are only going to install only the “Group Policy Management Tools” feature. From Windows Features expand Remote Server Administration Tools > Feature Administration Tools > and select Group Policy Management Tools. And then click OK

 

Once this completes you will notice a new MMC Snap-in listed under Administrative Tools labeled “Group Policy Management”

 

7. Creating the Windows 7 “Point and Print Restrictions” Policy:
Double-click on the Group Policy Management snap-in to open the MMC. In our example below after expanding Forest > Domains > KDSCN.COM you will see the OU that was created labeled Windows 7 Point and Print

 

Right-click on the OU and select “Create a GPO in this domain, and link it here…”

 

In our example we named the GPO “Windows 7”

 

Right-click on the GPO “Windows 7” and select Edit. This will allow us to modify the current policy settings. We will be modifying the Point and Print Restrictions. You will now notice that we have Point and Print Restrictions listed under both Computer Configuration and User Configuration

"Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates: …\Printers"
 

“User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates: …\Control Panel\Printers”
 

The default setting for both are set to Not Configured.

 

Below is an explanation of the Windows 7 “Point and Print Restrictions” Policy
This policy setting controls the client Point and Print behavior, including the security prompts for Windows Vista computers. The policy setting applies only to non-Print Administrator clients, and only to computers that are members of a domain.

When the policy setting is enabled:
-Windows XP and later clients will only download print driver components from a list of explicitly named servers. If a compatible print driver is available on the client, a printer connection will be made. If a compatible print driver is not available on the client, no connection will be made.
-You can configure Windows Vista clients so that security warnings and elevated command prompts do not appear when users Point and Print, or when printer connection drivers need to be updated.

When the policy setting is not configured:
-Windows Vista client computers can point and print to any server.
-Windows Vista computers will show a warning and an elevated command prompt when users create a printer connection to any server using Point and Print.
-Windows Vista computers will show a warning and an elevated command prompt when an existing printer connection driver needs to be updated.
-Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP client computers can create a printer connection to any server in their forest using Point and Print.

When the policy setting is disabled:
-Windows Vista client computers can create a printer connection to any server using Point and Print.
-Windows Vista computers will not show a warning or an elevated command prompt when users create a printer connection to any server using Point and Print.
-Windows Vista computers will not show a warning or an elevated command prompt when an existing printer connection driver needs to be updated.
-Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP client computers can create a printer connection to any server using Point and Print.
-The "Users can only point and print to computers in their forest" setting applies only to Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP SP1 (and later service packs).

8. Disabling the Windows 7 “Point and Print Restrictions” Policy:
First we will expand to and select "Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates: …\Printers", double-click on Point and Print Restrictions in the right hand pane and set it to Disabled. Click OK to save the changes

 

Next expand to and select “User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates: …\Control Panel\Printers”, double-click on Point and Print Restrictions in the right hand pane and set it to Disabled. Click OK to save the changes

 

We have completed the necessary changes for the Windows 7 “Point and Print Restrictions” policy go ahead and close the Group Policy Management snap-in.

 

9. Assigning a User or Computer to the “Windows 7 Point and Print” OU
Now log onto the Windows Server 2003 domain controller, expand KDSCN.COM and the right-click on the OU labeled “Windows 7 Point and Print” and choose Properties

 

Click on the Group Policy Tab and you will see the policy “Windows 7” that we had just created.

 

Click the cancel button to close the OU Properties to return to the Active Directory Users and Computers MMC.

 

Next will will need to select the User or Computer that we would like to move into the “Windows 7 Point and Print” OU. In our example we are going to move a computer from the Computers OU. To Move the computer we will need to select and right-click on the computer and then select Move. In our example we are moving the computer PC71.

 

You will then have a dialog that will allow you to select which container to move the computer into. In our example we selected the container “Windows 7 Point and Print” and then click Ok.

 

The computer “PC71” will then be moved into the “Windows 7 Point and Print” OU as you can see in the below image.

 

10. Applying the “Point and Print Restriction” Policy to the Computer
In order for the group policy to take effect you will need to restart the client computer. Once the system has been restarted be sure to log onto the system using the Domain User account. In our example we are using the account KDSUser71 which is a Standard User (Non-Administrator).

11. Standard user Network Printer Install
In the image below we opened a UNC path to the Windows 2003 Print Server i.e. \\PS we see that both printers (LexmarkE and XeronGlo) are listed. To proceed we double-click on the printer XeroxGlo to install the network printer. We do not receive any driver install or UAC prompt for the printer driver and the driver and printer begins to install.

 

Once the printer driver installation completes the printer queue will be displayed.

 

This completes the procedures for allowing a Standard user to install a network printer without being prompted for administrative credentials.

Note: If the domain controller is Windows Server 2008 you can create the Point and Print Restriction Policy directly from within Group Policy Management MMC on the domain controller. Also the policy that was created from the RSA Tool will carry over if the Windows Server 2003 domain is upgraded to Windows Server 2008.

Below you will find some additional information with regards to Remote Server Administration Tools, Group Policy Management, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 Service pack, Printer Security, and Point and Print.

Additional Information:
Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee449475(WS.10).aspx

958830    Description of Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7
https://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;958830

976932    Information about Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 and for Windows Server 2008 R2
https://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-US;976932

Control Printer Driver Installation Security
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753269.aspx

Point and Print Security on Windows Vista
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/gg463359.aspx

982728    "Windows cannot connect to printer" error message when you try to create a Point and Print connection to a remote printer from a Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2-based client computer
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/982728

2307161 The Point and Print User configuration policy is ignored by Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 and Service Pack 2 release of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008.
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/2307161

816100    How to prevent domain Group Policies from applying to certain user or computer accounts
https://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;816100

946225    You are prompted to install a new printer driver in Windows Vista when you try to print to a Windows Server 2008-based print server or to a Windows Server 2003-based print server
https://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;946225

319939    Description of the Point and Print Restrictions policy setting in Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP
https://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;319939

2408903 An MS-DOS-based program that uses the MS-DOS protected mode interface crashes on a computer that is running Windows 7

https://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-US;2408903

On Windows 7 64 bit edition, the NTVDM is not available. If you have an older DOS application which you still need to use on your Windows 7 client. You can install your DOS application within the Windows XP Mode virtual machine.

We will be focusing specifically on enabling printing from an older DOS application within your Windows XP Mode virtual machine. If you have not already download and installed the Windows XP Mode virtual machine on you Windows 7 client system. Please walk through the steps listed in the below external web page.

Download Windows XP Mode

https://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx

Before we start on the configuration of the Windows XP Mode virtual machine, we will need to be sure that the Windows 7 client system is configured correctly for the DOS application to print to the local printer.

First we will need to open System from the control panel and then click on “Advanced System Setting” to confirm that the Windows 7 computer name conforms to DOS 8.3 naming convention.

Naming Files, Paths, and Namespaces

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa365247(VS.85).aspx

Click on the Computer Name tab and verify that the computer name is no more than 8 characters long with no spaces or special characters. If the computer is not within a domain environment make a note of the Workgroup name. In our example we are using WIN7-PC1 as the computer name and using the name WORKGROUP for the workgroup name.

If you made any changes to the System properties you will be required to reboot the computer for the changes to take effect.

With most locally attached printers they are installed automatically via Plug-n-Play, or you may have utilized the installation disk to install your printer. We will need to be sure the printer has been shared out correctly, to do this click on Devices and Printers from the Start Menu.

Once this open you can Add a printer if one has not been installed as of yet or modify the printer which is going to be used for the DOS application. In our example, we have installed the Lexmark E352DN printer. This printer is using the Lexmark’s Universal printer driver.

Open the properties of the printer and then click on the Sharing tab. Place a check in the box next to Share this printer, as well as enter a Share Name for the printer. Be sure to verify that the share name is no more than 8 characters long with no spaces or special characters. In our example we are using LEXE352 as the share name.

Once you have successfully shared out the printer. Open a command prompt from the Start menu by clicking on All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt.

Within the command prompt type the command NET SHARE, this will display all available shares from this computer. In our example you will see all of the hidden admin shares as well as the Lexmark printer which we have just shared out.

Net share

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb490712.aspx

Now at this point the Windows 7 client has been configured correctly and the printer is available for the DOS application to use. Now start the Windows XP Mode virtual machine by clicking Windows XP Mode from Start > All Programs > Windows Virtual PC

Once the XP Mode virtual machine has started and you have logged onto the system. Open System from the control panel and then click on the Computer Name tab and verify that the computer is connected to the same Domain environment or Workgroup.

In our example we are using XPMODE-VM for the computer name and using the name WORKGROUP for the workgroup name.

If you made any changes to the System properties you will be required to reboot the computer for the changes to take effect.

From the Start menu of the XP Mode virtual machine click Printers and Faxes to display any installed printers. You will notice that in our example we do not have any printers installed.

From the File drop-menu click on Server Properties and then click on the Drivers tab. From here we will need to install the same printer driver as that which we are going to be using for the DOS application to print to which is installed on the Windows 7 client. In our example, we have installed the Lexmark’s (32-bit) Universal Printer driver.

Once this has completed please restart the XP Mode virtual machine then re-open Printers and Faxes from the start menu. You may now notice a printer has been installed. This is the re-directed RDP printer which is created by default if a compatible printer driver is available. We will not be able to use this printer for the DOS application to print to.

We will need to create a re-direction of the local LPTx port to the shared network printer on the Windows 7 client. Open a command prompt from the Start menu by clicking on All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt.

Within the command prompt type the command NET USE, this will display all available connects used by this computer. In our example you will see three redirected connections to the drives (Floppy A, Local C, and CD ROM D) on the Windows 7 client.

How to Use the Net User Command

https://support.microsoft.com/kb/251394

314499 How to print to a network printer from an MS-DOS-based program in Windows XP

https://support.microsoft.com/kb/314499

We will need to enter a NET USE command which will redirect the shared printer on the Windows 7 client to LPT1. To do this type the following command;

net use lptx \\printserver\sharename /persistent:yes

In our example we had entered the following command which will redirect the Lexmark shared printer to the local printer port LPT1

net use lpt1 \\win7-pc1\lexe352 /persistent:yes

You may be prompted for a valid User Name and Password of a local user account on the Windows 7 client system. Once you have entered the proper credentials you will receive a reply stating the command completed successfully.

At this point everything has been setup correctly and a persistent connection of Lpt1 which will redirect to the network share on the Windows 7 client computer. Please note that when printing from DOS applications, it may take some time for the document to be printed. This is due to the multiple spooler redirections for the document from the Windows XP Mode LPT1 local port to the shared network printer on the Windows 7 client.

Windows debugger is a powerful tool for diagnosing and examining drivers and applications in Windows. There is support for developers to create their own extensions within the debugger to assist them with common or even highly detailed analysis. The purpose of this blog is to show you how to get started and manage these extensions within Windows. The Windows debugger help file is your main resource but the three commands below are your starting point and should cover the majority of your needs.

.load DLLName

.chain

.unload DLLName

.Chain is the first command you will want to use. The command displays all the active extensions in the order that they will be searched. I use this when I know several extensions have overlapping features. So if I want to make sure the extension I want will be searched first as there is a known overlap or you want your custom extension to be the first extension the debugger sees then there are several ways to handle this. The way I like to handle this for a one time occurrence is to use the next command.

.Unload allows you to unload a debugger extension. Maybe you have an updated extension, you have overlapping features and you want to make sure your custom extension is hit. Use the .Unload command to unload the first extension that overlaps and run your command. You can also unload your extension and reload it thereby placing it at the top of the list

.Load allows you to load either your own custom or a third party extension. Extensions can do many tasks but they all have one main purpose and that is to make it easier to debug an issue. There is the .Loadby command but I prefer .Load as you can specify a specific path to the DLLName. From experience, I save my old extensions when replacing them with new ones. Sometimes, items are removed or changed in their behavior and it may be necessary to load an older extension and .load can do that for you.

To use the extensions you always have to start with a bang (!).

You can either pass or omit the debug extension name before the command you want to run (passing the name means you don't have to worry about the load order shown from .chain) Best practice is to put the debugger extensions in the extensions path (I usually put them in the \winext folder underneath the debugger install folder).

A gotcha - If you use .load and specify a path, then that path becomes the name the debugger uses for the extension. So if you later want to run !<extensionname>.command you have to use the same name you used originally. If you don't use a path it makes this much simpler.

Here is an example of loading an extension DLL by full path:

0: kd> .load c:\exts\myext.dll

Notice how .chain shows the name of the DLL includes the full path while the other ones do not.

0: kd> .chain

Extension DLL search Path:

    C:\Program Files (x86)\Debugging Tools for Windows (x86)\WINXP;C:\Program Files (x86)\Debugging Tools for Windows (x86)\winext;C:\Program Files (x86)\Debugging Tools for Windows (x86)\winext\arcade;C:\Program Files (x86)\Debugging Tools for Windows (x86)\pri;C:\Program Files (x86)\Debugging Tools for Windows (x86);C:\Program Files (x86)\Debugging Tools for Windows;C:\Windows\system32;C:\Windows;C:\Windows\System32\Wbem;C:\Windows\idmu\common;C:\Program Files (x86)\Debugging Tools for Windows (x86)\

Extension DLL chain:

    c:\exts\myext.dll: image 1, 0, 0, 1, API 1.0.0, built Wed Jan 08 09:38:33 2010

        [path: c:\exts\myext.dll]

    dbghelp: image 6.11.0002.408, API 6.1.6, built Thu Apr 02 11:52:22 2010

        [path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Debugging Tools for Windows (x86)\dbghelp.dll]

    ext: image 6.11.0002.408, API 1.0.0, built Thu Apr 02 11:52:22 2010

        [path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Debugging Tools for Windows (x86)\winext\ext.dll]

    exts: image 6.11.0002.408, API 1.0.0, built Thu Apr 02 11:52:16 2010

        [path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Debugging Tools for Windows (x86)\WINXP\exts.dll]

    kext: image 6.11.0002.408, API 1.0.0, built Thu Apr 02 11:52:16 2010

        [path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Debugging Tools for Windows (x86)\winext\kext.dll]

    kdexts: image 6.1.7015.0, API 1.0.0, built Thu Apr 02 11:51:49 2010

        [path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Debugging Tools for Windows (x86)\WINXP\kdexts.dll]

Now, if I try to run a command from my extension, you will see the different results.

First, running with no extension name means it will run the first extension dll in the chain which has that command

0: kd> !help

This is the help for my debugger extension

Next, trying to run !myext.help fails since that is not the name loaded.

0: kd> !myext.help

The call to LoadLibrary(labor) failed, Win32 error 0n2    "The system cannot find the file specified."

Please check your debugger configuration and/or network access.

If you use the full path, it works

0: kd> !c:\exts\myext.help

This is the help for my debugger extension.

Hope this introduction to extensions helps. The Windows debugger help file is a great resource for learning more about these features. You can also find more from MSDN website at https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff540551.aspx

You can select which OS you'd like to boot, or you can hit F8 for the normal recovery options you'd expect to see. You can also now hit F10 which will take you to Edit Boot Parameters; this will let you edit the one time boot options. For a more permanent method you'd still want to use msconfig, or in previous Windows versions modify the boot.ini. This would be a quick way of turning on debug mode or verifying it after the fact: [ /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN /DEBUGPORT=1394 /CHANNEL=3321 ].

This can also be used when booting to a Vista or greater setup disc. Right after the system prompts you to "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD". Hit the space bar two or three times. You should get the Windows Boot Manager again and the list should show Windows Setup [EMS Enabled]. You can now hit F8 or F10 in the same way.

If you are troubleshooting a hardware issue you maybe able to use WinPE as the platform to debug.  Note: WinPE 2.x is based off Windows Vista and Windows 2008 and WinPE 3.x is based off Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2.

Once in WinRE, we chose System Image Recovery and let it select the latest available system image which had been backed up to his F: drive on one of the hard disks.  To be thorough, we then chose the option to "Format and repartition disks" and then clicked on the "Exclude disks…" option.  This is where things became interesting as we were presented with the following possible disks to exclude:

ST3500418AS (Disk 0)    465.76 GB
ST3500418AS (Disk 1)    465.76 GB
ST3500418AS (Disk 2)    465.76 GB

Disk 3 was already excluded as it contained the system image to be restored.  As the customer wanted to restore the image to the same drive that previously had Windows on it, he wanted to know which disk he should select to repartition and format.  He did not want to touch his other 2 drives as they had a bunch of data on it.  Based on KB937251 (https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=937251), we knew that we could not trust Disk 0 being the same disk that previously had Windows on it and was connected to SATA 0 on the motherboard.  Thus, we needed a workaround to ensure that we did not format and repartition the wrong disk.

The solution was to use Diskpart.exe while still in the WinRE to dump out the details of each disk to find the one we wanted to use.  We used SHIFT+F10 to open a command window, ran Diskpart.exe and followed the steps below:

Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600
Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation.
On computer: MININT-CM30U4C

DISKPART> LIST DISK

Disk ###  Status         Size     Free     Dyn  Gpt
--------  -------------  -------  -------  ---  ---
Disk 0    Online          465 GB      0 B        
Disk 1    Online          465 GB  1024 KB        
Disk 2    Online          465 GB  1024 KB        
Disk 3    Online          465 GB  1024 KB        

DISKPART> SELECT DISK 0

Disk 0 is now the selected disk.

DISKPART> DETAIL DISK

Disk ID: 27A4D86D
Type   : SATA
Status : Online
Path   : 0
Target : 0
LUN ID : 0
Location Path : PCIROOT(0)#PCI(1F02)#ATA(C00T00L00)
Current Read-only State : No
Read-only  : No
Boot Disk  : No
Pagefile Disk  : No
Hibernation File Disk  : No
Crashdump Disk  : No
Clustered Disk  : No

Volume ###  Ltr  Label        Fs     Type        Size     Status     Info
----------  ---  -----------  -----  ----------  -------  ---------  --------
Volume 1     C   System Rese  NTFS   Partition    100 MB  Healthy            
Volume 2     G   OS           NTFS   Partition    465 GB  Healthy           

Using the DETAIL DISK command in Diskpart.exe we were able to see the volume label as well as partition information which allowed us to choose the correct disk to format and repartition before restoring our image.

System Center Escalation Engineer

Want to debug the most difficult problems against the largest, most complex piece of software ever written? Are you proficient with ‘Managed Code’ and System Center Products: Configuration Manager, Operations Manager, Data Protection Manager, Virtual Machine Manager or Opalis Integration Server? Are you fluent with debugging & programming? Can you represent Microsoft in critical, time sensitive solution delivery? Writing code is easy, finding bugs in someone else’s code you’ve never seen before is a real challenge. Want to hear more?

https://blogs.msdn.com/jobsblog/archive/2007/01/26/jobcast-life-as-an-escalation-engineer.aspx

https://blogs.msdn.com/jobsblog/archive/2007/11/21/life-as-an-escalation-engineer-part-ii.aspx

The ideal candidate will have a four year degree in C.S. or E.E. and a minimum of four years product support experience or the equivalent in work experience. Prior knowledge of System Center and other networking products and/or networking operating systems, is required. Candidates must also have strong customer service, accurate and logical problem solving, and communication skills, and the ability to work in a team environment. Programming and debugging skills are required, as well as the ability to read and analyze network traces. This description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this position. The actual duties, responsibilities, and qualifications may vary based on assignment or group.

Applicants that possess the experience and desire will be considered, and are encouraged to apply using the below link.

https://careers.microsoft.com/JobDetails.aspx?ss=&pg=0&so=&rw=2&jid=17992&jlang=EN

Windows Server Escalation Engineer

Want to debug the most difficult problems against the largest, most complex piece of software ever written? Are you fluent in C and assembly? Do you carry a spare debugger cable in your bag? Can you represent Microsoft in critical, time sensitive solution delivery? Writing code is easy, finding bugs in someone else’s code you’ve never seen before is a real challenge. Want to hear more?

https://blogs.msdn.com/jobsblog/archive/2007/01/26/jobcast-life-as-an-escalation-engineer.aspx

https://blogs.msdn.com/jobsblog/archive/2007/11/21/life-as-an-escalation-engineer-part-ii.aspx

Candidate must be a strong critical thinker, and enjoy solving very difficult problems (often involving code level analysis). Escalation Engineers within Platforms Global Escalation Services are frequently involved with the highest profile issues, and therefore must be able to handle both pressure and complex situations. Candidates must also have strong customer service, accurate logical problem solving and communication skills, and the ability to work in a team environment. Programming and debugging skills are required, preferably in C or C++. Also, the ability to read and analyze network traces and solid protocol analysis is a plus. The ideal candidate may have a four year degree in C.S. or Engineering and a minimum of four years product support experience or the equivalent in work experience. Prior knowledge of Windows Server and other networking products, and/or networking operating systems is required. If you enjoy being the problem-solver in the spotlight of critical problems, then this position will excite and challenge you.

Applicants that possess the experience and desire will be considered, and are encouraged to apply using the below link.

https://careers.microsoft.com/JobDetails.aspx?ss=&pg=0&so=&rw=1&jid=18002&jlang=EN

* 1394OHCI.sys is now the default Windows 7 2008/r2 driver.

** Requires 1394A PHY or 1394b cards.

** Offers Gap Count Optimization which provides a big improvement in performance.

As the legacy drivers are included you can use Device Manager to switch between Legacy and default driver. To swap go into Device Manager and uninstall the 1394OHCI and manually add the legacy driver and restart. To know if Windows 7 user has loaded the legacy stack you can look in Device Manger which identifies the currently loaded driver(s) and version numbers.

** New driver does not support 1394-1995 PHY. These older cards would cause the driver to bang out on startup. Legacy driver maybe required to resolve this.

Resource links:

More details about the new Windows 7 1394 stack can be found in the "1394 Bus Driver in Windows 7" whitepaper available for download from https://www.microsoft.com/whdc/connect/1394_Windows7.mspx .

You will need access to the folder structure on the WDS server.

If you need to enable boot debugging, modify RemoteInstall\boot\{arch}\default.bcd.  Here is an example:

“bcdedit /store c:\RemoteInstall\boot\x64\default.bcd /set {bootmgr} bootdebug on”

If you need to enable kernel debugging, modify RemoteInstall\boot\{arch}\Images\{WIM}.bcd.  Here is an example:

REM to get the {GUID} look at “bcdedit /store c:\remoteinstall\boot\x64\images\boot.wim.bcd /enum all”

“bcdedit /store c:\remoteinstall\boot\x64\images\boot.wim.bcd /set {GUID} debug on”

You will need to set up inheritance of  {dbgsettings}:

“ bcdedit /store c:\remoteinstall\boot\x64\images\boot.wim.bcd /set {GUID}  inherit {dbgsettings}”

After modifying the BCD files, tell the WDS server to refresh the generated BCD files in the RemoteInstall\Tmp directory:

[from CMD prompt] “sc control wdsserver 129”

Optional:

WDS defaults to debug settings of: Serial Com1 115200, if you’re planning on using 1394 or need to modify settings you would use something like the following:

“bcdedit /store c:\RemoteInstall\boot\x64\default.bcd /set {dbgsettings} debugtype 1394”
“bcdedit /store c:\RemoteInstall\boot\x64\default.bcd /set {dbgsettings} Channel 1342”  (1342 is an arbitrary number and can be replaced with a number of your choice)  

Then I usually clean up the no longer needed values by using:

“bcdedit /store c:\RemoteInstall\boot\x64\default.bcd /deletvalue {dbgsettings} baudrate”
“bcdedit /store c:\RemoteInstall\boot\x64\default.bcd /deletvalue {dbgsettings} debugport”

The issue is encountered when a user sets their system date to a year past 2038 (actually it seems the date has to be past January 19, 2038) weird things happen as a result of the date calculation that is performed by the OS. You see, most Unix-like computers calculate system time as the number of seconds since the very beginning of January 1, 1970 (excluding leap years). Since a lot of applications were written in “C” or other variations of it, the date data was stored as a 32 bit signed integer. At one point in time (the year 2038), the number will overflow the 32 bit space assigned to it and will start calculating as a negative number, which when translated back to friendly time format, it looks like the year 2039 is actually the year 1939, and so on. Where there are system date dependencies, as the application encounters a date too far in the past it may fail to function. OS may suffer in terms of activation, validation, Service Packs, Hot Fixes, etc.

Most of these problems were detected and ironed out by the use of KBs or service packs in the past dozen years, but anything that has not been fixed and is still using C/C++ time in 32 bit format will basically break in the year 2038.

You can review the following links for more information:

https://blogs.msdn.com/mthree/archive/2008/04/21/year-2038-042108.aspx

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_2038_problem

You can also search for “KB 2038” in MSDN (or follow the link below)

https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Search/en-US?query=KB%202038&ac=8

After you install it, launch Compatibility Administrator from the All Programs area.

1. In the Customer Databases, select New Database
2. Click Fix on the toolbar
3. Type the name of the program to fix: Works8.5
4. Type the vendor name: Microsoft
5. Browse to location of executable: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Works\lnchtour.exe"
6. Select Next
7. At this point I have already determined that Vista SP2 compatibility mode will work for this program. So since it is not listed, select None
8. In the right list box, scroll down and check “VistaSP2”
9. Click Next
10. Some fixes are already selected based on your choice above. Don’t choose any more. Click Next
11. Several Matching Information files have been selected already. If you need to add more, you can do so. Otherwise click Finish.
12. Make sure the name you created in step 3 is selected in the left pane of Compatibility Administrator, and click on Save in the toolbar.
13. Give it a path. Save it on your desktop for now.
14. A small database of shim is created on your desktop with the same name you gave it in step 3 and the extension of .sdb . Let’s assume it is called Works8.5.sdb
15. Open an elevated command prompt and navigate to your desktop.
16. Run the following command: sdbinst works8.5.sdb
17. The shims that were created are now installed for the executable in the path you provided.

The .sdb (works8.5.sdb) on your desktop (Shim Database) could be sent to your customer to create an MSI and sent to their end users, or to run it in other automated fashion as part of a run once script on a newly OOBE’d system.