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256 (8bit) colour mode missing when using Remote Desktop (RDP) in Windows 7

June 3rd, 2010

Windows 7 comes with a new version of Remote Desktop which we have noticed no longer allows you to create connections with 256 (8bit)screen resolution.

If you need to create a connection using 256 (8bit) colour mode, follow the instructions below:

  1. Open the Remote Desktop icon
  2. Create the connection with the required details, computer Name, Username etc
  3. Click the options button so you can see the Save option
  4. Click the Save as option and Save this to your desktop
  5. Open Notepad and then drag and drop the RDP icon onto the newly opened notepad
  6. You will now see loads of text, search through untill you see “session bpp:i:16” (the end number could say 8, 24 or 32)
  7. Finally edit this so it says “session bpp:i:8” and save
  8. now if you double click the saved RDP icon it will connect in 256 (8bit) colour mode!!

Required firewall ports to open for Small Business Server 2003 & 2008

May 17th, 2010

Installing Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 or 2008, want to know which ports to open on your router…..

Well here you go!

Small Business Server 2003

  • Post 25 – SMTP
  • Port 80 – HTTP
  • Port 443 – HTTPS
  • Port 444 – CompanyWeb,
  • Port 4125 – Remote Web Workplace, Remote desktop from RWW
  • Port 1723 – VPN

Small Business Server 2008

  • Port 25 – SMTP
  • Port 80 – HTTP
  • Port 443 – HTTPS
  • Port 987 – CompanyWeb
  • Port 1723 – VPN

Weird Vista Issue – Cannot rename or move a file or folder in Windows Vista

May 15th, 2010

Have you ever been working on a Windows Vista PC trying to rename or move a file or folder and got a weird error saying “The file or Folder does not exist”

This is caused by a little known issue in Vista where a certain key in the registry becomes corrupted, normally by a 3rd party registry cleaning program.

Anyway, don’t despair, the fix is below:

If your PC is part of a domain and has offline files setup follow Parts 1 & 2, if not head straight to Part 2.

Part 1 – Disable Offline Files:

  1. Open the control panel
  2. Click on the offline files icon
  3. Click “disable offline files” (if it says “enable offline file” click this the click apply then click “disable offline files”)
  4. If you get any UAC prompts click continue then click “OK”
  5. Finally restart you PC

Part 2 – Amending the Registry

  1. Determine your Vista version, 32 or 64bit – Click start, right click Computer, selected properties and check system type on the right
  2. Download the “VistaFolderGlitch32.rar” or “VistaFolderGlitch64.rar ” file (depending Vista version)
  3. Extract the contents of the RAR archive (use WinRar from www.rarlabs.com) to your desktop
  4. Finally run the file, OK the security warning and any UAC messages.
  5. Finally reboot the computer and all should be fine

Windows XP Mode on Windows 7

April 20th, 2010

Application support and compatibility has always been a major obstacle for end users when considering Operating System upgrades. This has always been the case with Microsoft Windows. However with the advent of Windows 7, Microsoft have taken the extra initiative and put some real thought into the problem.

Backwards compatibility prevented many companies from deploying Windows XP upon it’s release in 2002 as the NT Kernel changes meant that many applications were no longer compatible with the mainstream Operating Systems at the time.

By utilizing Virtualisation, Microsoft are have pretty much guaranteed that a correctly spec’d Windows 7 PC will still run your “Legacy” applications from Windows XP.

The Windows 7 “XP Mode” runs a Windows XP Virtual Machine on your Windows 7 desktop using Microsoft’s Virtual PC technology. When up and running, you can install your legacy applications inside your Windows XP knowing they will work. Once installed on your XP VM, you will find them conveniently located in your Windows 7 start menu and able to be run on your usual desktop.

Windows XP Mode Applications available from your Windows 7 Start Menu

I must also warn, that NOT ALL applications will be able to be run from your Windows 7 start menu, but they can still be operated from within your Windows XP Mode VM.

So, what’s required to be able to run the Windows XP Mode?

Hardware wise you need at least 2GB or RAM in your computer, and a Processor that supports Chip-Level Virtualisation. Does your CPU support Virtualisation? Use “Securable” to find out.

Additionally you will need to install the Windows XP Mode updates for your Windows 7 PC from Microsoft. There is a link for that here. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx

So, with a little forward planning and testing, deploying Windows 7 across your organisation need not be the headache usually associated with OS Upgrades. I would also suggest speaking with your IT Support company/department to ensure your network will accept Windows 7 clients before pushing to test it.

Please Note:- The XP Virtual Machine WILL require security to prevent the same threats as your desktop PC. i.e. Antivirus.

About our Blog

April 7th, 2010

It’s been 24 months since its inception but the site is finally here and with the new site comes a new feature, our blog!

So we thought it was about time we started blogging to share our opinions and views of the industry. We have a group of people willing to talk to anyone that will listen and these members of the Ancar B team are going to put time into the blog in order to make it a success. Among these people will be Andrew Barnes (Managing Director), Rob Jennings (Services team manager), John Rider (Help Desk team manager) and myself Martin Riley, a technical consultant.

We’re hoping that you’ll appreciate our posts and that they will be of use to you. On our blog we’ll be mentioning company news, but we’ll be driving the blog as a discussion point for industry news as well as a little bit of a technical reference for customers. I can’t guarantee that some of us won’t get carried away and have the occasional debate about football. After all, some of our staff can get rather chatty when it comes to sport!