Use your domain with a dynamic DNS service

Interested how to use *your* domain with a dynamic dns service? It's so easy. Create a new CNAME that points to the dynamic dns name.

Change the icon for PcHelpWare, et al

Looking to customize PCHelpWare for yourself?

There's documentation online, but the change of icon doesn't exactly work in Vista/Windows 7. There's a program that can help, though: IcoFX. Just grab PcHelpWare.sfx, and briefly change it to PcHelpWare.exe, then in IcoFX, go to Tools, Resource Editor, and open the newly named PcHelpWare.exe (open folder icon). Highlight the yellow Uvnc icon, then click the Change icon button and point it to the icon of choice. Click save, then close. Rename the PcHelpWare.exe to PcHelpWare.sfx and now your PcHelpWare app will be branded with your new icon.

IPSEC prevents Windows Server 2003 to connect network

Problem: Network connection fails completely on Windows Small Business Server SBS 2003. Can't ping. Can't browse the Internet.
Reason: IPSEC service doesn't start. (Usually after SP2 install)

Problem: IPSEC service doesn't start because of some "only one" error on "port"
Solution:
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Reserved Ports
add:
4500-4500
to the list
restart DNS.
start IPSEC.
You should have network connection.

Better Windows 98 video driver for VirtualBox

It's 2011, and ... you don't care. All you want to know is how not to be stuck at 640x480 and 16 colors on Windows 98 guest on VirtualBox and guest additions won't ever be made on Windows 98 or 95.

How easy is it? go to http://bearwindows.zcm.com.au/vbe9x.htm and download, for instance, 2010.06.01 (click one of the ? on the right).


Now you have a .zip. Extract it.
Make a .iso from that folder with your favorite program.
You now can mount that on your Windows 98 image.
Update the driver from Device manager and point it to the VBE9X\UNI folder and let it install. Reboot and you have color!

YRMV, don't blame me if it doesn't work, etc. All I can say is it worked well for me.

I suppose you're also looking for AMD PCnet drivers at the same time. Stop. Don't panic yourself about it, but stop the vm, go to network, advanced, and change the nic to the one above it -- NOT the FAST one. (have your Windows 98 CD available, and ... it is installed.)

2015: updated to a different domain.

Silly, mindboggling obvious virtualbox/clonezilla error

Chalk this up to a bit of overthinking, or ... something.

See, I have this USB external 2TB hard drive, and on it, I have clonezilla images. Since that's ample size, I decided that I'd conserve space and make VirtualBox VDIs from the images and store them on the same drive... yes, if you're playing along, you'll understand what happened.

It appears that VirtualBox removes the Host mounted drive and attaches it to the guest image. All of a sudden, I can't do anything to the VB VDI /dev/sda because ... it doesn't exist anymore, because the usb 2TB drive is mounted to the guest, removing the .vdi.

(In case you didn't catch this: Let's say the 2TB drive is mounted on Windows as L:, and the drive for the virtual machine is in L:\drive.vdi When VirtualBox runs, L: disappears as the 2TB drive is mounted for clonezilla recovery. Boom. L:\drive.vdi gone.)

Temp solution: put the .vdi on another drive until the images are converted, then move them back.

Using PayPal with GnuCash

If you use a credit card/merchant account or PayPal and are trying to figure out how to make the payments reconcile in GnuCash, I took a hint from this link: http://www.intragenesis.com/techtips/articles/how_to%20set_up_and_use_paypal_in_quickbooks and applied it as follows:

Assuming you've installed GnuCash (What is it? It's a free accounting program, like QuickBooks, but not as fancy. It gets the job done, though.)

And you've set up the basic "Business" account Chart of Accounts (or if you haven't, don't panic, it's ok...)

BACK UP your data. Nothing here is destructive, but it's a good idea to back up.

In Assets, Current Assets, create a new Account:
Account name: PayPal
Account code: can leave blank if you wish
Description: PayPal
Account Type: Bank
Parent Account: Current Assets (or, the parent of your Checking Account)
You'll want to include any particular Opening Balance and include today's date. If you miss this, you can always add an adjustment later.
Click [OK]

In Expenses, create a new Account:
Account name: PayPal Fees
Description: PayPal Fees
Account Type: Expense
Parent Account: Expenses (or if it makes sense elsewhere, include it there).

Now, all you'll do is process payment:
Business, Customer, Process Payment
Customer, Select
Invoice, select
Enter the full amount (if the full amount is paid). For instance, if the invoice is $100, and the customer submitted $100 to PayPal, enter 100.00 in the amount.
Post To: Assets:Accounts Receivable (probably, or what you've already chosen as the Receivable account for the invoice.)
Transfer Account: PayPal

Next, open the PayPal Account and Enter a transaction:
Description: "PayFees" or something.
Transfer: Expenses: PayPal Fees
Withdrawal: the amount of transaction fees deducted from the PayPal deposit

When you're ready to transfer PayPal to your Checking Account,
Open the "Checking Account" account and click Transfer:
The amount will be what you're transferring from PayPal.
Transfer From: PayPal (under Current Assets)
Transfer To: "Checking Account"
Click OK.