Tag Archives: Windows - Page 2

Real Player Smacked (/me points and laughs)

Posted by on February 1, 2008 No comments

http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=845

Real Player got a slap in the mouth from stopbadware.org. I can’t think of a mainstream program that deserves it more! I’ve had many an issue with the application acting like it owns MY computer in the past. I love to see bad/annoying programs punished. :)

Long ago I found Real Alternative and I’ve never once looked back or found a single real media file I couldn’t play. If you dread the Real headaches, check out the alternative.

There’s a QuickTime alternative as well, I use it on any Windows machine that has no need for iTunes. Both of the alternatives are great projects and those of you who detest overbearing software owe it to yourself to give them a look. That said, you’ll be responsible for keeping them up to date. There’s no automatic update programs for these solutions (gotta take the good with the bad).

The Borked WSUS GPO Mystery

Posted by on August 3, 2007 2 comments

So here’s a story, a crappy story. There’s no real explanation (at this time anyway) but the issue is resolved..

I was @ work yesterday, updating some software on some client machines. I started noticing that Windows Update wasn’t enabled on these boxes and I was damn sure that I had a GPO set up for turning it on. As a matter of fact, it was a fairly new policy (about a month old?) that was pointing the machines to a WSUS server on campus. I know little about WSUS and what it does in the background, I just know it’s a handy way to report on and approve updates for machines and not have to install whatever MS says you have to install. We have a very capable gentleman keeping his eyes on the updates and the vulnerability notices. Glad to have him dealing with this for us.

Anyway.. My machines just weren’t picking up the policy that enables Automatic Updates and points the client to the WSUS server. Whats funny is that when it was initially set up, it was working fine! I have no idea when it decided to jump the track, I just know that it did. I did everything I could think of, forcing group policy updates, googling, talking to other admins on campus, all of us stumped. We finally decided that somebody would come down and be a second pair of eyes on the clients in my area the next day. I still continued poking and prodding my boxes for the remainder of the afternoon.

Eventually the day ended, I was p*ssed about this problem and late leaving the office. I HATE knowing something is wrong and being unable to fix it. So I stomped about and sulked all night, wondering what other steps I could perform. I ended up just going to bed really early and hoping that some sleep would help. Riiiiiiiight.

So there I was, 3:45 in the morning, working out and cursing the millipedes trying to invade my house (another story). Still CRaZy angry and annoyed.. I just couldn’t figure out WTF was wrong.. I finished the workout, got ready and headed into work bright and early. I attempted all of the things I had done before, and got the same result.

I finally just decided to unlink the GPO, create a new one, mirror the settings and then force an update on the client machine. All the while my toes were crossed (fingers were busy).

Wouldn’t ya know it. It worked. No idea why, it just did. There aren’t any glaring diffs between the policies. One works, the other doesn’t. pffft. Hate crap like that.. I wouldn’t have minded (as much) if there was some freaking reason for problem..

So, it’s Friday, I don’t have to spend the weekend worrying about this and I’m leaving at noon (just over an hour from now). At least it ended well.

Ahhh, let the weekend begin.