Windows Updates "managed by your system administrator."

Being a system administrator is tough work sometimes. It's even worse if you're in a one man IT shop! 

A colleague recently contacted me regarding a nightmare he had been battling for almost a week where new PCs/servers joined to his domain that are Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 based never receive Windows Updates. The infrastructure he was working with was inherited and documentation was slim to non-existent. The error he received was the following:

Error Code 0x80072EE2

With the notice: "You receive updates: Managed by your system administrator"

This is expected if your PC is set to receive Windows Updates via the Windows Software Update Services and not from the standard Windows Updates servers. But this computer was wiped clean and, from what he tells me, had never had a group policy set related to this as he never set up such a thing.

None of the usual Windows Update repair tools that I knew of helped him. But, after some research, I located a fix. Please DO NOT proceed with this method if your computer uses Group Policy for Windows Update:

1. Open RegEdit and navigatego to HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\ Windows\WindowsUpdate
2. Remove any and all values within this key (but don't delete the key itself). Most likely, the culprit is a faulty Windows Update source server. Sometimes this is the result of a latent or previous infection. In this case, it was set to a server that crashed long before he got there and its reference was never removed.
3. Finally, download and run this Microsoft Fixit Solution. Try the Default settings first, and if that does not work, try Aggressive.
4. Reboot the computer and check to see that Windows Update is working properly.

I've been amusing myself lately in my spare time by seeing how various Linux Operating systems work on older machines. Slackware 13.37 runs on all of them without a problem, thus far followed by Red Hat, then CentOS, and then Ubuntu. I really like Slackware because it gives you total control over your system. You don't have to install the X Window System if you don't want to and the OS still works absolutely fine with it. Though, it is not for the faint of heart. If you aren't comfortable with Linux commands yet, my recommendation is Ubuntu and CentOS until you get to that point.

I recently came across someone who lost their job due to cut backs and decided to go back and do what they always dreamed of doing. They really wanted to be in the aviation field rather than a computer technician. He was a computer technician for nearly 7 years. He was good at it, but it wasn't his passion. He did it specifically for the money aspect.

This got me thinking, "why do we settle for something instead of going for what we really want?" Many people I've come across just kind of fall into the job they have and never pick back up on their dream of what they want to do. Being in the field of technology in general has always been my passion and I'm thankful there's such a varied area in it, but for those who don't want to do what they're doing now, I have this to say:

This is your life. Do what you love and do it often. If you don't like something, change it.

Subjectivity and Objectivity

People tell me that I'm really intelligent and then I think, "no I'm not. I missed this obvious answer" or "I didn't think of that/make that obvious connection." And then I realize that they're looking at me objectively and I can only see myself subjectively. It's probably a good thing so that I don't become consciously aware of what I do to make them say that. I also think of strange things as I'm falling asleep.

Certifications! Continuing education!

If you're in the IT field, I cannot stress how vital certifications are. They could mean the difference between that interview for the perfect job you want or the DECISION between you and another candidate that was interviewed before you. Additionally, if you're seeking any kind of position in IT Management, you want to get your MBA from a reputable college.

These things are looked at as key in companies that are hiring. It can also help you to seek jobs all over the country if you're looking to relocate and/or get higher pay. I've experienced the difference first and second hand. I'm simply passing on the knowledge to those of you who may even think, "I'm never leaving this company." You may not, but don't you want to be prepared for those curve balls life likes to throw every now and again to keep you on your toes?

Photographic Memory

As someone with a photographic memory, and I'm sure some of you can relate to this, one of the many problems with it is that you'll be working, watching a movie, talking to someone, etc and everything is fine. Then, all of a sudden, you recall an item, a person, a scenario for seemingly no apparent reason. No big deal. You just dismiss it.

But it comes back. And it continues to come back until you place exactly where that memory that is originating from. Normally, this isn't a difficult task, but, more often than not, these memories are from my childhood or early teenage years and a LOT of things happened then and that makes it that much more difficult to place.

So what is one to do? Very simple. Contact your mother or father. They have a knack for remembering things you didn't even know took place and LOVE to tell you about them. Just make sure you do this on a date where you have nothing else planned because it could take a while as they recall the entire story!