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Tips & Info Category

CISCO VPN CLIENT & WINDOWS 8 (32BIT & 64BIT) – REASON 442: FAILED

FAILED TO ENABLE VIRTUAL ADAPTOR –

HOW TO FIX IT

The Cisco VPN client is one of the most popular Cisco tools used by administrators, engineers and end-users to connect to their remote networks and access resources.

With the introduction of Windows 8, Cisco VPN users are faced with a problem – the Cisco VPN software installs correctly but fails to connect to any remote VPN network.

When trying to connect to a VPN network through a Windows 8 operating system (32 or 64 bit), the Cisco VPN client will fail to connect. As soon as the user double-clicks on the selected Connection Entry, the VPN client will begin its negotiation and request the username and password.

As soon as the credentials are provided, the VPN client shows the well-known “Securing communications channel” at the bottom of the windows application:

cisco-vpn-client-windows8-fix-

After a couple of seconds the Cisco VPN client will timeout, fail and eventually the connection is terminated. The user is then greeted by a pop up window explaining that the VPN failed with a Reason 442: Failed to enable Virtual Adaptor error:cisco-vpn-client-windows8-fix

INTRODUCING THE FIX – WORKAROUND

Thankfully the fix to this problem is simple and can be performed even by users with somewhat limited experience.

Here are 4 easy-to-follow steps to the solution:

1. Open your Windows Registry Editor by typing regedit in the Run prompt.

2. Browse to the Registry Key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\CVirtA

3. From the window on the right, select and right-click on DisplayName and choose Modify from the menu. Alternatively, double-click onDisplayName:

cisco-vpn-client-windows8-fix

4. For Windows 8 32bit (x86) operating systems, change the value data from @oem8.inf,%CVirtA_Desc%;Cisco Systems VPN Adapter to Cisco Systems VPN Adapter.

For Windows 8 64bit (x64) operating systems, change the value data from @oem8.inf,%CVirtA_Desc%;Cisco Systems VPN Adapter for 64-bit Windows to Cisco Systems VPN Adapter for 64-bit Windows (shown below):cisco-vpn-client-windows8-fix

When done editing the Value data, click on OK and close the Registry Editor.

You can now run the Cisco VPN Client and connect to your VPN network.  Changes performed do not require a system restart.

Have questions?

Get help from IT Experts/Microsofts Cloud Solutions Partner
Call us at: 856-745-9990 or visit: https://southjerseytechies.net/

South Jersey Techies, LLC is a full Managed Web and Technology Services Company providing IT Services, Website Design Services, Server Support, Network Consulting, Internet Phones, Cloud Solutions Provider and much more. Contact for More Information.

To read this article in its entirety click here.

Windows 10 & network share access denied – Solution

Network Share access denial is another issue that users are facing with Windows 10.

Recent upgrade to Windows 10 all of a sudden makes network share no longer accessible on Windows machines you may have in your environment.

Here is the tutorial that solves the issue.

Problem

This is what you see when you try to go to any \\something network share:

\\something is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access permissions. The account is not authorized to log in from this station.

open folder

There’s some changes in the Windows 10 internals which results in the access denial. The new build does not allow anonymous (guest) access to shares by default, as a security measure.It can be resolved by creating a new registry key in the right hive and rebooting.

Solution

Fire up the registry editor (regedit). Navigate to:

Registry editor

Here, you will need to create a new parameter (32-bit DWORD). Right-click:

Parameter

Then, name it AllowInsecureGuestAuth and assign it a value of 1.

DWORD

The hive should look thusly:

Registry Editor

And you’re done. Reboot, and enjoy your network access.

Have questions?

Get answers from Microsofts Cloud Solutions Partner!
Call us at: 856-745-9990 or visit: https://southjerseytechies.net/

South Jersey Techies, LLC is a full Managed Web and Technology Services Company providing IT Services, Website Design Services, Server Support, Network Consulting, Internet Phones, Cloud Solutions Provider and much more. Contact for More Information.

To read this article in its entirety click here.

End of Support for Microsoft Windows Server 2003

end windows server 2003

 

A large number of businesses still run Microsoft MSFT -1.71% Windows Server 2003 and it’s unlikely they all will upgrade before Microsoft Corp. ends support on July 14, 2015, say analysts. Companies that don’t upgrade increase their cyber security risks because the company will no longer issue security updates and these systems will be more vulnerable to hackers.

Businesses worldwide run an estimated 23.8 million physical and virtual instances of Windows Server 2003, according to data released by Microsoft in July 2014. Analysts say the technology is more prevalent in industries such as health care, utilities and government. Yet it’s also still used in about 7% of retail point of sale systems, according to a report Thursday by Trend Micro Inc.4704.TO -1.11%

“Microsoft does not plan to extend support for Windows Server 2003 and encourages customers who currently run Windows Server 2003 and have not yet begun migration planning to do so immediately,” said Vivecka Budden, a Microsoft spokesperson, in an email.

South Jersey Techies offers various migration options to include Windows Server 2012 R2, Microsoft Azure, hosting partners and Office 365.

“It is going to be difficult to get this done in time,” said David Mayer, practice director of Microsoft Solutions at Insight Enterprises Inc.NSIT -1.12%, a provider of IT hardware, software and services.

Many of these same industries were impacted by the end of service for the Windows XP operating system on April 8.  Microsoft broadcasts these sorts of moves years in advance, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. But, the product was stable and for many companies there simply wasn’t incentive to update.

“In general, everyone has been slow to migrate, especially those with servers that are running applications,” said Rob Helm, vice president of research at Directions on Microsoft consulting firm.

The problem in industries such as health care and utilities is that companies run legacy apps written by vendors who still require Windows Server 2003. For example, there are smaller vendors in health care that have not kept up with development and application modernization, said a health-care CIO who asked not to be identified. A hospital may have an inventory of 100 to 500 different applications and many applications will still require Windows Server 2003, he added.

Electric utilities, for example, widely use Windows Server 2003. There hasn’t been much movement to upgrade those systems, said Patrick C. Miller, founder of the nonprofit Energy Sector Security Consortium and a managing partner at The Anfield Group, a security consulting firm. Instead, utilities are working to better secure and isolate those systems.

“I’m concerned about directory services such as application authentication and user permissions,” said Mr. Miller. “If you compromise an Active Directory server, you get access to everything.”

For now, analysts are recommending that companies work out their risk of exposure and make plans to first migrate those applications that will be most difficult. Companies should make plans to harden servers that can’t be updated. That might entail putting those systems on an isolated network, where they’d be less prone to outside attack, said Mr. Helm.

To protect and upgrade your home or business

 please contact us 856-745-9990 or click here.

 

5 Disaster Recovery Tools

11971488181629439895barretr_Lifesaver.svg.hiTakeaway:  Five useful tools that are satisfactory for Disaster Recovery.

Quick Disaster Recovery

Quick Disaster Recovery can restrict applications from opening at Startup and re-enabling Windows Administrator tools such as Task Manager and Registry Editor. (Free)

Clonezilla

Clonezilla is compatible with Windows, Mac OS and Linux.  Clonezilla has the capability to perform disk imaging/cloning.

There are two versions available:

  1. Clonezilla live – Backup and restore on a single computer.  (Free)
  2. Clonezilla SE – Backup and restore on 40+ computers simultaneously.  (Free)

Macrium Reflect

Macrium Reflect is compatible with Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8.  Macrium Reflect has the capability to perform disk imaging/cloning, schedule backups, supports RAID and GPT and has a Linux Rescue CD.

There are three versions available:

  1. Home-use Desktop Version (Free)
  2. Pro Desktop Version ($58.99)
  3. Pro Server Version ($199.99)

DriveImageXML

DriveImageXML has the capability to perform disk imaging/cloning, browse and restore images.  Browsing images allows you to restore files, folders or the entire disk image.

There are three options available:

  1. Home-use license (Free)
  2. 5 user license ($100.00)
  3. 100 user licenses ($500.00)

System Rescue CD

System Rescue CD is a Linux rescue disk compatible with Linux and Windows.  This rescue disk can recover data, manage partitions and edit configuration files. 

The System Rescue CD can be modified to your specific needs by adding specific tools or scripts.  (Free)

For disaster tips for your office or home, click here.

RingCentral Mobile Users Without A Digital Line

Ring Central allows your employees to communicate anywhere, anytime on any device. In the past, Ring Central has not been enforcing licenses for employees that are using the system on mobile devices without a digital line. That is about to change. 

 

RingCentral Mobile Users FAQ

 

Why are you now charging for Mobile Users without a digital line?
Mobile Users without a digital line can make and receive calls and have access to many of the same capabilities as users with digital lines. These include RingCentral Glip, RingCentral Meetings, integrations and more. With this advanced functionality, these users have begun using the product the same way they would a digital line.

Consequently, Mobile Users using the system without a digital line will now be considered part of the total licensed users and will be charged based on their account’s current cost per digital line.

Will I be charged for using the Mobile App?
No. Mobile Users with a digital line are not affected, and can continue to use the Mobile App for no additional charge. This change only affects Mobile Only Users without a digital line.

When does this take effect?
Please refer to the email notification for the timing of this change for your account.

What will be the cost?
The cost for each Mobile User without a digital line will be the same as users who have a digital line. If you want to add digital lines for your Mobile Users at no additional cost (excluding taxes and fees), please contact your RingCentral account manager.

What are the benefits to Mobile Users of adding a digital line?
By adding a digital line, the Mobile User will get full access to RingCentral’s softphone (inbound and outbound) and the ability to use a desk phone if needed. If you are interested, please contact your account manager by calling  800-591-7973.

How do I know which Mobile Users without a digital line will be billed at any given time?
System administrators can log into their RingCentral account and see this information under the billing tab. See more details here. If a mobile user without a digital line is inactive or is only used for internal company calls, within a given month, there will be no charge.

 

New Features for RingCentral

RCLogo_taglineSM

RingCentral is a company that specializes in providing business VoIP services, fax services and mobile communication solutions.  RingCentral continues to offer more features to boost efficiency. 

Intercom:

intercomIntercom allows you to call an individual extension that will automatically pick up on speaker.  This is a “one-to-one” feature, not a “page-all” feature.

Intercom is available for:

  • Cisco – 303 / 502G / 504G / 508G / 509G / 525G / 525G2 
  • Polycom – 321 / 331 / 335 / 450 / 550 / 560 / 650 / 670 / VVX500

Softphone and Polycom 6000 conference phones can only initiate Intercom using the touch tone command.

polycom_vvx500

Polycom VVX-500

The new color touchscreen IP phone with 12 touch keys that display Presence Status, speakerphone, integrated PoE, Gigabit Ethernet… etc.

sms

Business SMS:

Business SMS easily integrates with iPhone(s) and Android(s) to allows you to use your business RingCentral number to send and receive text messages from customers, colleagues and company departments.

  • Unlimited texting
  • Ability to text from multiple devices using RingCentral smartphone App

conferencing2Audio Conference Bridge:

Audio Conference Bridge allows you to setup and/or join unlimited conference calls anytime and anywhere. 

  • Dedicated conference bridge dial in number
  • Free unlimited conference calling
  • Host & Participant access codes for each RingCentral User

callrecording3Call Recording:

Call Recording can be used on your Softphone, IP phone or cell phone and allows you to record conversations on for RingCentral phone number.

  • On-demand recording
  • Recordings stored in the cloud
  • Anytime access for playback or download

callparkCall Park:

Call Park allows you to park a call (put on hold) in two ways:

  • Public Call Park – allows anyone to pick up the call
  • Directed Call Park – only allows the owner of the extension to retrieve.

For more information regarding RingCentral,

please contact us at 856-745-9990 or click here.

How to Resolve Microsoft Office 365 Activation Hassles

Imagine you are a customer of Microsoft’s Office 365 service, including a subscription to the Office desktop applications like Word, Excel and Outlook.

One day you click on the shortcut for Word, but instead of opening, it just shows a “Starting” splash screen which never progresses.

Being smart, you try to start Word in safe mode by holding down the Ctrl key, but the exact same thing happens.

Annoying, when you want to do your work. What is going on?

We took a look at a case like this. Two things you should do (after the usual reboot):

1. Look in the event viewer. Here, we found a clue that the issue is related to software activation, specifically Event 2011 “Office Subscription Licensing exception”:

2. For all things related to Office licensing, open a command prompt, go to (for example) C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16, and type:

cscript ospp.vbs /dstatus

In this case we got the following:

This told us that Windows thinks TWO product keys for Office are installed. One has expired, the other is fine.

The guilty party may (or may not) be the trial version of Office typically pre-installed with a new PC. Or it could be a consequence of changing your Office 365 subscription. Neither would be the fault of the user, who is fully licensed and has done nothing other than follow Microsoft’s normal procedures for installing Office 365.

Solution: we reinstalled Office from the Office 365 portal, and attempted to remove the dud product key with:

cscript ospp.vbs /unpkey:<Last five characters of product key>

as explained here. All is well for the moment.

Activation and subscription license checking is for the benefit of the vendor, not the user, and should never get in the way like this.

Further, cannot Microsoft find some way of informing the user when this happens, and not have Word simply hang on starting? How difficult is it to check for licensing and activation issues, and throw up a message?

American Red Cross – Mobile Apps

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September is National Preparedness Month sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the US Department of Homeland Security.  American Red Cross now offers Mobile Apps that include a Volunteer App, First Aid App, Shelter Finder App and multiple natural disaster Apps.  Prepare your company and family for emergency situations using ‘Make a Plan’ feature in each App.

vaVolunteer App

Team Red Cross wants you! Join Team Red Cross to help provide care and comfort to your local community when the unthinkable occurs. Team Red Cross is looking for people with various backgrounds, talents, and skill levels. Make a difference, support your community and join Team Red Cross!

taTornado App

Get your family and home ready for a tornado with the official Tornado App from the American Red Cross. The Tornado app puts everything you need to know prepare for a tornado – and all that comes with it – in the palm of your hand.

haHurricane App 

Monitor conditions in your area or throughout the storm track, prepare your family and home, find help and let others know you are safe even if the power is out – a must have for anyone who lives in an area where a hurricane may strike or has loved ones who do. 

sfaShelter Finder App 

The Red Cross Shelter Finder is available in the iTunes store and works on iOS devices. The Shelter Finder displays open Red Cross shelters and their current population on an easy to use map interface.

faaFirst Aid App

The official American Red Cross First Aid app puts expert advice for everyday emergencies in your hand. The official American Red Cross First Aid app offers videos, interactive quizzes and simple step-by-step advice it’s never been easier to know first aid. 

eaEarthquake App 

Be ready for an earthquake with Earthquake by American Red Cross. Get notified when an earthquake occurs, prepare your family and home, find help and let others know you are safe even if the power is out – a must have for anyone who lives in an earthquake-prone area or has loved ones who do.

wfaWildfire App 

Be ready for wildfires with the official Red Cross wildfire app. Blaze Warnings, Blaze Alerts” and Blaze Path Tracker are tools included with the Wildfire App. You can also let loved ones know that you are safe even if the power is out and learn what steps you should take to prepare your family, home and pets – all from the palm of your hand.

Download these Apps:  Android and Apple

Microsoft hints at September release of Windows 10’s next feature upgrade

Based on the current progress for Windows 10 version 1903, due to arrive next spring, it now looks like the fall update for the OS will arrive around Sept. 10 or Sept. 24.

Microsoft last week released the first preview of what will become Windows 10 version 1903, the opening feature upgrade of next year, slated to ship in the spring.

The debut of what Microsoft calls the “Skip Ahead” build for Windows 10 1903 also hints that the release of this fall’s upgrade, aka 1809, will take place in September. If so, it would be the first time since late-2015 that the actual delivery date matched the numerical label.

On July 25, Microsoft forked the 1809 preview of Windows 10 – as it’s done before when a feature upgrade approaches – so developers could continue to deliver betas for that build while also beginning to work on the next-in-line, 1903. (Microsoft uses a yymm labeling system to mark its Windows 10 feature upgrades; 1809 should indicate a September 2018 release, while 1903 would be a March 2019 release.)

When it forks preview code, Microsoft provides the even-further-in-the-future build, in this case, 1903, to Windows Insider participants who earlier volunteered for Skip Ahead. As the current feature upgrade gets close to release, Microsoft switches Skip Ahead users to the following upgrade, so that engineers can start collecting feedback on that version even as they keep polishing the one set to launch soon. The bulk of Insiders remain on the latter.

Think of the Skip Ahead debut as a warning bell, like the one rung at track meets when racers start the final lap: When Microsoft begins to ship Skip Ahead code, it’s close to wrapping up the impending feature upgrade.

In 2017, as Windows 10 1709 (aka “Fall Creators Update”) neared completion, Microsoft first forked the preview code and distributed a different build to Skip Aheaders on Aug. 31. Windows 10 1709 began its release cycle on Oct. 17, or 47 days later. With this year’s version 1803, Skip Ahead debuted Feb. 14, or 75 days before the April 30 release of that upgrade.

(Windows 10 1803’s original launch date, reportedly April 10 – which was one of two dates Computerworld had forecast in February – was postponed by 20 days after a deal-breaking bug was uncovered at nearly the last minute.)

For one estimate of the release date for Windows 10 1809, Computerworld added 47 days to July 25, arriving at Sept. 10. A second estimate was generated by adding 61 days – the average of the two previous Skip Ahead triggers – to July 25, resulting in a Sept. 24 rollout.

Because the last three feature upgrades launched on either a Monday or Tuesday – April 11, 2017 for version 1703; Oct. 17, 2017 for 1709; April 30, 2018 for 1803 – Sept. 10 or 11 would be the most likely release dates for 1809, absent a show-stopping problem like the bug before 1803’s launch. Computerworld’s alternate forecast would be September 24 or 25, also a Monday/Tuesday combination, because it would match the previous upgrades’ average time-between-Skip-Ahead-and-release.

If Microsoft does release Windows 10 1809 in September, it would be the first time since November 2015 that the company has matched delivery date and the upgrade’s label. Version 1511 debuted Nov. 10, 2015. The four subsequent upgrades, 1607, 1703, 1709 and 1803, all missed their release months by between 2 and 30 days. (Version 1607 came the nearest, releasing Aug. 2, 2016.)

Although Microsoft has never expressly tied itself to March and September release months – in a support document, it gives itself wiggle room by stating that feature upgrades will be released “twice per year, around March and September [emphasis added]” – the disconnect between release and numerical designation has always seemed odd.

Issuing feature upgrades during the appointed months would be a sign that Microsoft has gotten a better handle on the rapid development tempo it has at times struggled with executing. It would also be a step toward a more predictable schedule, which was the point of the pledge it made over a year ago to issue a pair of feature upgrades annually.

Chrome is marking all HTTP sites as ‘not secure’

Google sends a nudge toward the unencrypted web

Starting in July, Google Chrome marked all HTTP sites as “not secure,” according to a blog post published today by Chrome security product manager Emily Schechter. Chrome currently displays a neutral information icon, but starting with version 68, the browser is warning users with an extra notification in the address bar. Chrome currently marks HTTPS-encrypted sites with a green lock icon and “Secure” sign.

Google has been nudging users away from unencrypted sites for years, but this is the most forceful nudge yet. Google search began down-ranking unencrypted sites in 2015, and the following year, the Chrome team instituted a similar warning for unencrypted password fields.

The Chrome team said the announcement was mostly brought on by increased HTTPS adoption. Eighty-one of the top 100 sites on the web default to HTTPS, and a strong majority of Chrome traffic is already encrypted. “Based on the awesome rate that sites have been migrating to HTTPS and the strong trajectory through this year,” Schechter said, “we think that in July the balance was tipped enough so that we can mark all HTTP sites.”

HTTPS encryption protects the channel between your browser and the website you’re visiting, ensuring no one in the middle can tamper with the traffic or spy on what you’re doing. Without that encryption, someone with access to your router or ISP could intercept information sent to websites or inject malware into otherwise legitimate pages.

HTTPS has also become much easier to implement through automated services like Let’s Encrypt, giving sites even less of an excuse not to adopt it. As part of the same post, Google pointed to its own Lighthouse tool, which includes tools for migrating a website to HTTPS.

 

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