Quick Fix Blog

You are viewing the archive, containing all posts older than 30 day(s). To return to the front page, click here.

Installing PHP 5 on IIS

Sunday 23rd March 2008 12:59 PM

This was frustrating to say the least, setting up a web server for an experimental site; I wanted to use Windows Server and IIS and also needed PHP.

The Windows Server is pretty much straight forward stuff, point, shoot, work.

When I went to download PHP I found that I had a choice, either download PHP in a ZIP file and do it all manually or download a wondefull installer.

Now I'm not really a lazy person by nature but at 39 years old and some would say a little bit slower at tying things together than I use to be I figured what the heck, give me a nice installer any day.

The installer does a great job, integrates in to IIS, registers in all the right places but wait a minute, my PHP doesn't work on my web page....

No errors, no nothing, just 404 page not found... how annoying.

The fix... simple but even more annoying than the problem was....

Windows filenames and that darn habit of replacing long filenames with abcdef~1.dll

In this case, if you go in to IIS manager and right-click your website - go to properties and then the Home Directory Tab, select Configuration and under the Application extensions you should see that the installer did a great job of putting you a .php extension with the Executable Path stripped to C:\PROGRA~1\PHP\PHP5IS~1.DLL

Now for some reason this doesn't work, so replace it with the full naming enclosed in speech marks i.e. "C:\Program Files\PHP\php5isapi.dll" and whoala... all working.

Don't forget to stop and start your web site before testing.

The rule, the PHP installer does do a great job, and it is free of charge, but don't always rely on installers to give you an easy ride.

diggslashdotredditnetscapetechnoratinewsvinemixxfacebookdeliciousstumbleuponfurlsquidoomagnoliayahoomywebgooglebookmarkswindowsliverss

Posted 12:59 PM | 1 Comments | Permalink

Removing Software

Friday 7th March 2008 7:54 PM

Removing Software: What You Should Know To Get Rid of It For Good

Do you know when you install a software on your computer, it adds information in many more places than just the Program Files folder. For instance, it adds:

  • Several Registry entries
  • Desktop and Start menu program shortcuts
  • Uninstall files
  • And, many other related folders, such as program templates, clipart, etc.

This is the reason why, when you choose to uninstall a software from your computer, you must uninstall it using legitimate methods. Because if you don't, your system will fill up with orphaned information that will not only clutter your disk but will also generate incorrect uninstall errors on your computer.

In order to help you completely get rid of the software you are removing, discussed below are some of the common methods that you can use.

Method #1: Add or Remove Programs

Almost all programs installed on your computer make an entry in the Add or Remove Programs, which is a Windows utility that enables you to perform several tasks such as uninstall, repair, and add components to currently installed programs on your computer. To use the Add or Remove Programs utility, perform the following steps:

  • Open Start menu, select Run, type appwiz.cpl, and then press Enter or open Control Panel and then select Add or Remove Programs link.
  • Next, scroll down the Currently installed programs list and then select the program you want to uninstall.
  • Select the Change/Remove or the Remove button to start the uninstallation process.
  • Once the uninstallation process is complete, restart your computer.

This helps in ensuring that all registry entries and system files related to the program are deleted.

Method #2: Program Uninstaller

There a few applications, such as Winzip that do not make an entry in the Add or Remove Programs list. These programs come with their own uninstaller that exists in their program folders. The shortcut to this uninstall file is usually created in the program's submenu in the Start menu. So, if you do not find an entry for a program in the Start menu, search for its uninstall option in the Start menu, or browse to its Program Files folder to locate the Uninstall Program_Name. Click on the Start menu shortcut or double-click on the file to start and complete the uninstallation of the selected program.

Method #3: Third-Party Uninstaller Programs

Many software manufacturers such as Norton, Microsoft, and McAfee develop uninstaller programs that help in assuring complete removal of their products. These tools come in handy because many products developed by these firms add hundreds of registry entries and several system files that the Add or Remove Programs tool is just not able to remove completely.

So, next time you want to uninstall Microsoft Office 2007 or uninstall Norton Security Center, first search for their specific removal tool. Download and use these removal tools to ensure complete removal of the program.

Many third-party program uninstaller tools are also developed to help you get rid of pesky and stubborn software such as Mirar toolbar and other spyware programs. These third-party uninstallers are developed to scan your entire system for any information added by various software programs installed on your computer, and then help you ensure complete removal of programs you want to get rid of.

Whichever method you follow to uninstall a program, it is recommended that you follow it with a thorough registry scan and repair. By doing this, it will help you weed out any orphan keys left behind by the uninstalled programs. In case you are trying to get rid of a stubborn, obstructive spyware program, then in addition to registry scan, you must also run a thorough full system scan using your antispyware tool to ensure that no remnants of these pesky programs stay behind on your system.

diggslashdotredditnetscapetechnoratinewsvinemixxfacebookdeliciousstumbleuponfurlsquidoomagnoliayahoomywebgooglebookmarkswindowsliverss

Posted 7:54 PM | 0 Comments | Permalink

DLL Errors Explained and Defined

Tuesday 26th February 2008 9:20 PM

DLL Errors Explained and Defined
Causes of DLL Errors
A Windows computer contains hundreds of Dynamic Link Library (DLL) files. Many of these files are essential for your Windows computer, and are shipped along with the operating system. Several of them come later when you install additional tools and software programs on the system.
DLL errors can be caused due to many different reasons. Some of the most commons causes are:
  • Missing, incompatible, or outdated DLLs
  • Malfunctioning hardware or device drivers
  • Virus/spyware infections
  • Corrupt registry entries
If you start encountering frequent DLL errors on your system, then it is said to be in DLL Hell.

How To Fix Dll Errors
DLL errors are fixed depending on what actually caused the error.
If the DLL errors follow a software install, it is quite likely that the new software has overwritten currently existing DLLs with incompatible or older DLL versions. If this happens, then the first thing you need to do is to search on the Website of the software manufacturer to see if any update for the product is available. If you find one, download and install it on your computer. If you are lucky, doing this will resolve your problem.
If no update is available, try to search for the required DLL files on the Internet or another computer with similar configuration as yours. If you find the required DLL files, download and copy them to their location on the computer. If required, register the files using the RegSvr32 command. If nothing works, you may have to use the System Restore utility to rollback your system files back to the time when your system was running properly.
If the DLL errors follow a program uninstall, it is quite likely that one or more required shared DLL files were deleted when the programs were uninstalled. If this happens, reinstall the program, and then uninstall it again. But, this time make sure that when your system prompts you whether to keep or delete shared DLL files, choose to retain them on the system.
If DLL errors start generating soon after you add a new hardware device or install a driver update, they might be the culprit. Try to disconnect the hardware to see if the error disappears. If it does, get your hardware checked to ensure that it is working without any problems. If the errors appear after you install a new driver update, then this driver update may be faulty. You can resolve this problem by rolling back the update using the Device Manager tool. To do this, perform the following steps:
  1. At Start > Run, type sysdm.cpl, and then press Enter.
  2. On the Hardware tab, select Device Manager.
  3. Double-click on the hardware for which you install the faulty update.
  4. On the Driver tab, select Rollback driver.
Note: In case the error occurs due to problems with the currently installed driver, on theDrivertab, selectUninstallto remove the currently installed driver and then perform a fresh driver install after restarting your system.
To prevent Windows XP DLL errors caused due to malware infections and registry errors, it is important for you to regularly scan your system and the registry. To scan, remove and prevent malware infections, you must use reliable antivirus and antispyware tools. And to scan, repair, and maintain the registry, you must use an efficient and compatible registry cleaner and repair tool.

diggslashdotredditnetscapetechnoratinewsvinemixxfacebookdeliciousstumbleuponfurlsquidoomagnoliayahoomywebgooglebookmarkswindowsliverss

Posted 9:20 PM | 0 Comments | Permalink

Spam and those NDR's that say I sent an email....

Friday 15th February 2008 10:20 AM

We've all had emails in our inbox saying we tried to email someone we've never heard of and that the email couldn't be delivered, what are they? Well, simply put, they are the result of spammers trying to send junk to people who don't exist.

One of the major characteristics of the emails which spammers' send out is the fact that they spoof the original email senders address.

If that spam then can't be delivered it's natural for the Internet to send a Non Delivery Report ( NDR ) to who it thinks the sender was... you....

The fact that you get the NDR in no way means that you sent the original email, just that your email address was chosen as a spoof.

The address that is chosen to spoof from is usually taken at random from the list of email addresses that the spammer is sending his junk out to, so it's not uncommon for you to get several or several 10's or even several 100's per day saying you sent the original email. Usually the spoofed address will change at random and often, but if your address is used just for 10 minutes it could be responsible for 1000s of spam messages going out.

The process of spoofing your senders address is really quite easy to do but the ISP's and the people who manage the servers which accept emails for delivery to the Internet have put in place safeguards to stop people 'spoofing'.

Simply put, a rule has been accepted amongst the Internet that whoever supplies your connection to the Internet also supplies an SMTP server for you to post out your email messages, the ISP can then check if you are a spammer and take action to stop you.

Sometimes you 'roam' around the country or globe with a laptop and your connection method to the interenet changes, it would be unreasonable to expect you to change your Outlook settings every time you visit a new hotel, business or Interenet Cafe, with that in mind, you can purchase the use of an SMTP relay, usually for between £10(GB) and £20 per year, when you send emails via that server you 'authenticate' with a username and password in your email program.

This is where the plan falls apart, some people have SMTP servers which are known to be 'open relay' - no username and password are needed to use it, and no rules are on the server to say it has restricted use, until they are ALL secured the likelihood of spam will continue and the likelihood of random NDRs will be the natural off spin of the failed spams.

diggslashdotredditnetscapetechnoratinewsvinemixxfacebookdeliciousstumbleuponfurlsquidoomagnoliayahoomywebgooglebookmarkswindowsliverss

Posted 10:20 AM | 0 Comments | Permalink

DLink DSL-504 Series II and DSL-500 reset

Thursday 14th February 2008 11:36 AM

So you have one of the old faithfull DLink DSL-504 Series II or a DSL-500 router and you have lost the Username and Password, simple, reset the box and set it up again.... wrong, there's no reset button on these units.

Instead, follow these instructions to get the unit to give up it's username and password.

You must use an RS-232 serial cable using terminal emulation software such as Microsoft HyperTerminal.

Connect the cable from your computer to the console port on the DSL-500 or DSL-504.

Step 1 Go to Start>Programs>Accessories>Communications>Hyperterminal.

Step 2 Enter a name for your connection and choose the default icon selected.



Step 3 Select a COM port (usually 1 or 2) and click OK.



Step 4 The terminal parameters will need to be set to as follows:



Step 5 At the command prompt type isfs cat inituser and press enter. You will now see the username and password.

diggslashdotredditnetscapetechnoratinewsvinemixxfacebookdeliciousstumbleuponfurlsquidoomagnoliayahoomywebgooglebookmarkswindowsliverss

Posted 11:36 AM | 0 Comments | Permalink

[Front Page] | Archive Page: [1] [2] [3]

| Subscribe to this page's news feed | What's this?