10 Myths of Telework
eWeek published an interesting and informative article last week that outlines ten myths surrounding teleworkers, aka virtual workers. It relies on a number of sources and shows how many organizations can save money, increase employee productivity and improve morale by allowing more workers to telecommute.
The article is on the eWeek website; click here to read it.
For my part, I have always advocated not only telecommuting but complete worker virtualization (at least for knowledge workers like myself). It's great to be able to be productive from virtually anywhere, be it an office, customer site, airport, Starbucks, or a trade show. With the advances in instant messaging, collaboration, telecommunications and networking, there is virtually no reason why most knowledge workers can't work from anywhere today.
In my current role at IBM, I enjoy the ability to make and receive phone calls anywhere while also having the ability to stay in constant contact via email and instant messaging with virtually anyone in the world. IBM has a great phone system that can be configured to follow you anywhere, and any IBM employee can securely instant message another either from their PCs or Blackberries. In addition to email on my Blackberry, I can also access the IBM intranet.
I encourage companies to take a hard look at increasing their employees' ability to work virtually. I believe that everyone wins when employees can be productive from virtually anywhere--so long as they know when to shut things off and switch to non-virtualized family mode!
Join Me for a Free Webinar on Cloud Security, September 7 2010
I will be a co-presenter on a Webinar produced by InfoSecurity Magazine on September 7, entitled "Cloud Security - Protecting Your Data on the very Public Internet". Joining me will be Steve Gold, Technical Editor of InfoSecurity Magazine, and Dr. Eugene Schultz, CTO of Emagined Security.
The Webcast is free and you can sign up at http://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/webinar/183/cloud-security-protecting-your-data-on-the-very-public-internet/
I hope you can join us!
General McChrystal: We Have Met the Enemy…and He Is PowerPoint
There is a very interesting article in today's New York Times outlining why General McChrystal, who is the leader of American and NATO forces in Afghanistan, strongly believes my mantra: "Power corrupts. PowerPoint corrupts absolutely!"
When you read the article, you'll see what I mean. A meaningless slide that represents a bowl of spaghetti is shown at the top of the article that reinforces another of my favorite presentation rules, which is Guy Kawasaki's 10-20-30 Rule of PowerPoint:
1. Use no more than 10 slides
2. Speak to those ten slides no longer than 20 minutes
3. Use no smaller than 30-point font
As you can tell from the article, our fine military personnel have broken all of the rules repeatedly. Seems to me they should put their PowerPoints down and get back to what really matters--getting our people out of there and back home!
Forrester: Tech Recovery has Begun
There is good news for those of us in the tech industry this morning. Forrester has released their Q1 2010 US and Global IT Market Outlook, and things are looking positive!
Key excerpts:
- Q4 2009 IT market indicators showed an end to declines, setting the stage for stronger growth in 2010
- The US IT market is set to grow by 8.4%; the global IT market in US dollars will grow by 7.7%
- Computer equipment and software will be the strongest product categories, with PCs, peripherals, and storage equipment leading the computer category and operating system software and applications setting the pace for software.
- Communications equipment purchases are looking up, especially for enterprise and small and medium-size business (SMB) buying.
- IT services will lag a bit, with systems integration project work waiting for licensed software purchases to rise.
- On an industry basis, US manufacturers, financial services firms, utilities, and healthcare will see the strongest growth in 2010. On a global basis, the US and Asia Pacific will be standout regions in local currency terms, while the stronger euro and European country debt concerns will keep Western and Central Europe expanding at the slowest rate among the regions.
Let's hope this translates into some new tech jobs very soon. I'm going to estimate that the job market will start to see a turnaround in late spring, with a strong burst coming in the August and September time frame (after the summer holiday doldrums have passed). I sure hope so!
Yale University Gets Cold Feet About Switch To Google Apps
A recent article on Fast Company described Yale's decision to hold off on a planned move from "Horde", which is a Web-based email system, to Google Apps for Education, which provides not only Webmail but document collaboration, shared calendar, etc. Many universities have already made the switch to Google with great success, and I highly recommend Google Premier to my corporate clients that wish to avoid Microsoft Exchange or other on-site email alternatives.
The Fast Company article did outline some very interesting Google data storage practices that I was unaware of:
"Google stores every piece of data in three centers randomly chosen from the many it operates worldwide in order to guard the company’s ability to recover lost information — but that also makes the data subject to the vagaries of foreign laws and governments, Fischer said. He added that Google was not willing to provide ITS with a list of countries to which the University’s data could be sent, but only a list of about 15 countries to which the data would not be sent."
(ITS, incidentally, is the Yale University IT organization)
This is really cool when you think about it. Google uses technology that automatically distributes user data to different data centers all over the world. While the article states that this is to guard its' ability to recover lost information, which certainly makes sense (think of it as a way to spread the risk--if a certain data center were lost, due to error correction and recovery technologies, Google would be able to recover the missing data without losing anything).
There is another very cool aspect to this, however, which the article fails to mention: this is also a very interesting security feature. If someone were to hack into a given Google data center, it would be very difficult, if not nearly impossible, to reconstruct any of the user data stored in that data center (since the complete data set is scattered all over the place). While Yale used this as an argument against using the service, as they believe that the data could possibly be stored in a country out of their control, I don't believe that this is a significant issue at all.
Cool Windows 7 Keyboard Tricks
I have been using Windows 7 on a daily basis now for about a month, and overall I am very pleased with it. Compared with Vista, it is much, much more stable and the user interface is just plain gorgeous.
Speaking of the UI, Microsoft built in some really cool keyboard tricks that can make your life a lot easier and amaze your friends. Check these out (all of these involve pressing the 'Windows' key on the keyboard, followed by a second key--similar to the Shift or Control keys):
Win+Left Arrow: make the current window use only the left half of the screen.
Win+Right Arrow: make the current window use only the right half of the screen. (combine the Win+Left Arrow and Win+Right Arrow to quickly put two windows side-by-side)
Win+Up Arrow: Maximize the current window
Win+Down Arrow: "Restore down" the current window (make it smaller)
Win+Shift+Right/Left Arrow: if you have multiple monitors, this moves the current window to the right / left monitor, depending on which arrow key you press. Very cool.
Win+P (this is my favorite): bring up a list of available projector and display options. For example, you can quickly choose to send the video output to a projector, or extend the desktop onto a second monitor, etc. This is a much simpler way to accomplish this task than earlier methods, which generally were manufacturer-specific (e.g. Fn+F8 on certain Dell laptops)
Win+Home: Minimize all extra windows other than the currently selected one. You can also do this by "shaking" the window (clicking on the top of the window and quickly shaking it back and forth).
Win+{1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0): automatically launches (or brings to the front if running) the first ten icons in the "quick launch" section of the task bar; for example, Win+1 automatically launches the first icon, Win+2 the second, Win+0 the tenth, etc. Note that it's possible to drag-and-drop the order of the icons in order to put the desired icons in the right places.
And, last, but certainly not least, there is now a button on the extreme right side of the taskbar that, when clicked, immediately minimizes all windows and gives you an unfettered view of the desktop.
Stay tuned for more Win 7 tips and techniques!
We Can Do This On Our Own?
A few months ago, I was doing some contract IT work for a CPA firm here in Denver. This firm had a few employees working from home completing tax documents. I received a phone call from the firm explaining to me that the employees working from home were unable to email the files they had been working on. I was then able to remote in to the office to find that the file extensions from the files sent were being blocked by Outlook. I then made a registry change to accept the extension and all was well. The time to diagnose the situation and make the repair was minimal and immediately put them back to the task at hand.
We’ve all heard that time is money. But in a small business, time can be livelihood. This is time that should be spent on meeting deadlines, making appointments, answering phones, returning emails, looking for that next big money maker. The last thing business owners should spend time on are computer issues. However, in order to cut costs, business owners may decide they can manage the company’s IT on their own. The mindset here? “The computers are up and running; everything is good to go.” Computers, unfortunately, don’t see things this way.
As smart and useful as computers are, they require continuous care from the user. A little registry clean-up here and a little delete temp files there. As with a majority of computer users, in this case, a small business, fundamental knowledge of how a computer and the network operate are slim to non-existent. In most cases, the computers and networks had been previously installed and configured in order to get the business up and running. Over time and without continuous maintenance, computers become bogged down due to improper handling and management. Once these issues become apparent it’s usually too late to erase the years of mismanagement. A problem that could have been alleviated by routine maintenance has now rendered a business ineffective. But there is a solution.
Using computers to complete daily tasks are an integral part of business and the technology associated with them is constantly expanding. IT specialists can examine an existing setup and determine exactly where the trouble spots lie and how to correct them. Recommendations of new software and hardware can be made to help a network run more effectively and efficiently. While a majority of computer maintenance can be set up to run via task scheduling, periodic monitoring should be in place to ensure things run as they should. With remote access tools such as VNC, computer issues can be diagnosed quickly with minimal downtime. With computers being such an important part in the day-to-day operations of a business, why not put them in the hands of a professional? Can you afford not to?
- Eddie Holub
Welcome Eddie Holub
I'd like to welcome Eddie Holub to the EhrTech organization. Eddie is a highly capable IT administrator and Web designer, and I am looking forward to working with him on many projects now and in the future.
Eddie will also be contributing to this blog, so stay tuned for some insightful and illuminating diatribes from our newest member.
Welcome aboard!
Mark
QuickBooks Online Mobile
Finally! A TV commercial that actually informed me of something that I actually am interested in, and will probably use on a daily basis. Refreshing.
As you may have read in my earlier post about lower barriers to entry for new businesses, I began using QuickBooks Online a couple of months ago for tracking my P&L, generating invoices, etc. It's a great service that is reasonably priced, and I highly recommend it.
Taking things one step further, Intuit recently launched the mobile version of QBO, of course accompanied by the TV ad campaign that caught my attention during the Winter Olympics. Intrigued, I checked it out (go to https://qbo.intuit.com/m from a mobile device like an iPhone or an Android device).
QBO Mobile is pretty darn cool. You can very quickly check to see who owes you money, who you owe money to, your P&L, and even create and email an invoice directly from your phone. Very handy. Of course the TV ad isn't actually going to generate any additional revenue from me, since I'm already a subscriber, but I'm all for providing additional functionality to increase the 'stickiness' of your customers--particularly in a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, where people can cancel your service any time. Bravo, Intuit!
Uninstalling Windows Applications by Brute Force
Anyone that uses Windows has probably encountered a situation where you decide to uninstall an application, and for an unknown reason, it doesn't work, leaving bits of the application lingering around on the machine with no apparent way to get rid of them. A classic example of this was a friend of mine who recently installed an anti-virus application onto their machine while another anti-virus application was already installed. The two applications did not play well with others and it became impossible to uninstall the original anti-virus application.
When situations like this occur, the only real solution is to brute-force uninstall the application. WARNING: THIS IS NOT FOR WINDOWS NEOPHYTES, and it is possible to render Windows completely unusable if you do this incorrectly. So be warned. It may involve editing the registry and manually deleting directories and files. You should also have a complete and up-to-date system backup image before proceeding.
Step One: Identify the Application EXE or Image Name
Before any uninstallation can progress, it is first necessary to determine the name of the application's Windows executable file (called an EXE file). This can be a bit tricky, as many application exe file names do not correspond directly with the actual name of the application, and so a little sleuthing may be required in order to figure this out. There are also some Web-based tricks that may help.
To begin with, you need to make sure the program is running in order to identify it. If you know that the program is already running (such as a system tool), then you don't need to do anything. If not, then you'll want to start the application in the normal way (such as by starting it from the Windows programs list off of the Start button).
The next step is to bring up the Windows Task Manager. The quickest way to get to it is to press control-alt-delete and select the 'task manager' option from the menu. The Task Manager is the Windows "traffic cop," which shows the status of all applications currently running on the system. Note: these instructions were creating using Windows 7, and although most versions of Windows are similar, your mileage may vary slightly. The Task Manager has a number of tabs at the top, including Applications and Processes. The Applications tab shows all Windows end-user programs that are currently running, such as Microsoft Word, but it does not show any of the 'background', or system, applications. That's where the Processes tab comes in. It shows all of the Windows processes that are running, which include both user and system processes.
Click on the processes tab and you see a list of all 'images,' or executable programs, running on the system. You can click on any of the headings in order to sort by the column, such as Image Name, CPU (shows the amount of CPU utilization), Memory (shows the amount of memory used), etc. Generally, you're going to look through the list of Image Names to try to locate which one is the application you're trying to remove.
The Windows Task Manager
If the name of your application isn't readily obvious, the best way to figure it out is to narrow down the list to several possibilities and use a Web search engine like Google, putting in the Image Name and searching on it. There are a number of websites that will tell you exactly what the EXE file is used for. On newer versions of Windows, you can also try right-clicking on the Image Name in the task manager, and select 'Open File Location'. The directory that the image is located in may give you a clue as to what it is (for example, the 'ituneshelper.exe' file lives in the program files\itunes directory, so it's pretty obvious that it's an iTunes application). You can also try searching the hard drive for the file name by holding the Windows key down on your keyboard, followed by the 'F' key, and then typing in the name of the file you're looking for.
Step Two: Disable Application Auto-Start
Once you have identified the name of the EXE file and where it lives, you need to determine if the application is automatically starting with Windows. Most applications of this nature, like anti-virus tools, cannot be removed until they are no longer loaded in memory.
Windows applications may be automatically started in at least one of four different places: via the Windows registry, the Windows Startup folder, via a Windows Service, and via the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. You will need to check all of them until you figure out where it's starting. It is highly uncommon for a program to be auto-starting in more than one of these, so once you find it, you're probably done. I will provide directions on each of the four areas below.
Before you begin, it is a really, really good idea to make a backup copy of your registry. To do so, start the registry editor by holding down the Windows key and pressing 'R', followed by typing 'regedit' and hitting enter. Then select the File...Export... option, select a location to save the registry backup, and make sure that 'All' is selected from the items to export choice. This will ensure that you can restore a portion of the registry if you accidentally delete something.
1. Windows Auto Run
The Windows Registry is the central place that Windows uses to store all application configuration data, including for Windows itself. Within the registry there are two main 'branches' that contain Windows startup information: HKLM (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE) and HKCU (HKEY_CURRENT_USER). To start the registry editor, hold down the Windows key and press 'R' (Run). Then type in 'regedit.exe' and press Enter.
The Windows Registry Editor
When the registry editor starts, you will see the main branches listed on the left side of the screen. To traverse the registry editor's tree, you double-click on the branch to expand it and work your way down the screen. Double-click on the HKEY_CURRENT_USER branch and navigate down through Software, then Microsoft, then Windows, then Current Version. Under Current Version, you will see the branch that we are interested in: 'Run', which contains the programs that are configured to start with Windows every time.
When you click on 'Run', look on the right side of the registry editor to see all of the programs in that branch. If you see the program that you wish to uninstall listed, right-click on the entry and select 'Delete'. WARNING: THERE IS NO UNDO IN THE REGISTRY EDITOR, SO MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT TO DO!
This is also, incidentally, a good way to remove other Windows apps that you don't want automatically starting each time.
After you have reviewed the entries in HKCU, do the same for the entries in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. Fortunately, it uses the exactly same path as above (Software...Microsoft...Windows...Current Version...Run).
If you did not find your application listed in either location above, then continue on to the steps below.
2. Windows Startup Folder
The Windows Startup Folder is another common spot for automatically starting programs. To access it, press the Start button, then select Programs...Startup and see which programs are listed inside of the folder. If you find your program listed in the folder, right-click on the icon and select 'delete'.
3. Windows Service
Many programs install themselves as a Windows service, which are generally Windows background utilities or tools like anti-virus scanners. Services are started and stopped through an administrative tool, and many automatically start with Windows. The easiest way to view the list of Windows services is to hold down the Windows key, press 'R', and then type in 'services.msc' (no quotes). You can also access the services screen through the control panel...administrative tools...services.
Windows Services
Review the list of services in the list, looking for the one you wish to disable and delete. If you find it, right-click on the entry, select Properties, and then set the startup type to 'disabled'. You can also stop the service from running right now by hitting the 'stop' button. Note that this does not remove the service but merely disables it so that it cannot run. I will provide instructions on deleting the service later on in this post.
4. AUTOEXEC.BAT
The AUTOEXEC batch file dates back all the way to the DOS days, and usually contains only very old programs that need to auto start. Nonethless, it never hurts to take a peek into the file to see if your program is in there. To view it, open the notepad program (Windows Key+R, then notepad) and open the file, which you will find in the 'C' drive root directory. Note that your version of Windows may not even have an AUTOEXEC file.
Step Three: Remove the Application Files
If you had to disable your application's ability to auto-start with Windows, it's a good idea to reboot your PC before proceeding. This will ensure that all application components are no longer loaded into RAM.
The first step in removing the application is to delete the program files. If the application is located inside of the 'Program Files' folder, you can just delete the subdirectory. Note that some applications also have portions of themselves loaded into the Windows directory (often DLL files are found in Windows\System and Windows\System32). If you can find those files, and are 100% certain that they are related to your application, you can delete them. If you are not 100% certain, it won't hurt to leave them there, so long as the program cannot start. Another tactic is to just rename the file with a different extension (e.g. from abcdef.dll to abcdef.dll.old), and then you can use your system for a few days to ensure that it's still working properly before you delete them for good.
If the program you removed was a Windows service, you can remove the service entry by starting the Registry editor and navigating to HKLM\System\Current Control Set\Services and scanning through the list of entries until you find the one you want to delete. Right-click on the entry and delete it. Again, it's a really, really good idea to have a full system backup and a registry backup before you attempt this.
You will probably also want to remove the application folder from the Windows program list. To do so, press the Start button, select Programs, and scroll down to the application folder. Then right-click on the folder and select 'Delete' to remove it.
The last step is to empty your Windows Trash to make sure that all of the files are deleted and reboot your PC. Double-check the task manager to make sure the program isn't running.
Conclusion
I hope this article has helped to provide a little more insight into how to remove those stubborn Windows programs that just won't uninstall. I'm sure that there are numerous other ways and tools that you can use for this. Please feel free to post questions, comments or alternate ways of accomplishing these steps to my blog, and thanks for reading!