Windows Server 2008: "an invalid event ID was entered"

I was busy setting up my Windows Server 2008 system and installed Hyper-V as a role. I noticed that Server Manager reported some events for Hyper-V. Investigated them and turned out that Hyper-V standard reports a warning when a system is rebooted.

Windows Server 2008 now has the option to filter events for installed roles. I had no problem filtering one event by just entering "-14100" (without the quotes), but later when I tried to filter some additional events I received the error as stated in the title "an invalid event ID was entered".



The error message suggested that I'm using incorrect syntax, but as you can see I'm using the same syntax as in the example. If I use the same syntax to filter events in Event Viewer it all works like expected. A search at Google and Microsoft gives no satisfying results, therefore created this post. Hopefully more people has seen this error with a possible solution.

Free/Busy Error Outlook/Exchange

Some users complaint that after they received owner rights on a calendar (set with Outlook) they couldn't make new appointments. They received the following message "An error occurred when setting schedule permissions. Cannot open the free/busy information. You do not have sufficient permissions to perform this operation on this object. See the folder contact or your system administrator". One user didn’t have this problems. The problem exists in both Outlook 2003 and 2007.

I reproduced the problem by giving me the same rights as the complaining group of users. And I had exactly the same error. I tried starting Outlook with the /cleanfreebusy switch, but this wasn’t a solution.
The user without the problem had one difference. She was AD owner of the mailbox and the other users are owner set within Outlook of the mailbox and calendar. Added the owner rights of the mailbox to my account. Restarted Outlook and all problems are gone.

Other mailboxes don’t have this problem. The only thing we can think of is the “&“ character in the username and display name. We are going to correct this and will try again.
I will keep you posted!

Exchange Message Tracking

Today, a customer had a strange problem. An end-user had send a message to 69 recipients with a small attachment (not important in this case). After a couple of minutes the user reported that she and a colleague received dozens of messages all send by the original sender.

She had the message only once in her send items. I checked the recipients in the message and I didn’t find any faults made by the user. The next step was checking Exchange Message Tracking. This reported that the actually has send the email. There was only one strange thing. The original message showed her Display Name and all the other messages showed her email address.

While we were searching for a solution the end user was called by multiple recipients complaining that they received the email 100+ times. So we decided to disable all outbound email. Because we are using SurfControl Email filter as a gateway I created a rule on this server for isolating all messages from that particular email address.

After I disabled all outbound email the flood of messages wouldn’t stop. The queue on the Exchange server didn’t contain any messages from the end user. The gateway’s queue also didn’t contained any messages. So I analyzed the headers of the isolated messages. The headers didn’t contain information about our servers sending the email. The server was only listed as the receiving end server. I asked a friend to take a look at the headers (thanks Jasper) because after a while I was losing all logic due to watching too long. Together we found the source of all evil: the server of one of the recipients. Called the organization and they disabled all outbound email until they will found a proper solution. After a while the flooding stopped.

The thing confused me the most was Exchange Message Tracking, because all the messages appeared in this logs just like the user has send the messages. The reason is pretty simple: if a message arrives at the server Exchange Message Tracking tracks this message in the database. If the email address of the sender is similar of to an email address from of an user, Exchange will record this message as a message send by the user ALSO in the situation that the email address is spoofed.
There’s only one simple solution. Messages send from within the network use the Display Name of the user. In my particular situation the email address was listed. So take a good look in this type of situations.

In my opinion this type of messages shouldn’t be listed in the Message Tracking Log only in a situation that the message is send by a server in his Exchange organization. Just a thing to keep in mind!

Visionapp Remote Desktop

As an Administrator you probably uses the program Remote Desktops from Microsoft to access your servers. This works perfect, but has a big disadvantage. The problem is that you can’t sort the list with servers.

A new colleague showed me today an product which you can sort and acts just like Remote Desktops. It’s called Visionapp Remote Desktop. Version vRD 1.5 has also support for Vista.
You can now organize your servers in your own specific needs (geographic, alphabetical, etc, etc.)



Special Functions:
• Credential organizer. You can make groups of servers which uses the same credentials to login. You can direct the credentials to these groups so you don’t have to supply the credentials to each server individually. NOTE: Please don’t forget the security risks when using this option. The security risk is the same when using Remote Desktop, but the difference is the time saving option to distribute the credentials to a group of servers.
• Tabs with connected servers.
• Different icon when connected. Easily see to which servers you’re connected.
• Connect and disconnect groups of servers.
• Password protected backup file of configuration. Distribute your configuration easy and secure to colleagues.
• And much more…

There’s also another big advantage, because this program is freeware.

You can download it HERE at the site of Visionapp. NOTE: you must register first to download.

Active Directory Topology Diagrammer

Microsoft Technet sended today to there Dutch subscribers a newsletters. In this newsletter they always have a small section with downloadable products. Today they advised a program called “Active Directory Topology Diagrammer”.

The description of Microsoft about this program is: “The Microsoft Active Directory Topology Diagrammer reads an Active Directory configuration using ActiveX Data Objects (ADO), and then automatically generates a Visio diagram of your Active Directory and /or your Exchange 200x Server topology. The diagramms include domains, sites, servers, administrative groups, routing groups and connectors and can be changed manually in Visio if needed.”


Downloaded and installed it immediately. This is pure gold! It’s a three step procedure.
1. Fill in some information about a Global Catalog in your organization.
a. Check or uncheck some checkboxes for more or less information (optional).
2. Hit the discover button
3. After the discovery, Hit the Draw button and sit back and relax while your Active Directory and Exchange organisation will be drawn in Visio.

Download it at Here at Microsoft.

Reinstallation of a SBS2003 with Transition Packs

For a customer we transformed a Small Business Server 2003 server with Transition Packs to a Windows Server 2003 Standard. After a successful migration of 2 networks the server loses his role as a DC and his function in the new network. We wanted to use this server in a complete different role and network.

But there’s the question what to do with the OS of this server. The server contains a lot of garbage and leftovers of the original Small Business Server installation even after a cleanup. Continuing with this server in this configuration would cause a lot of problems in the future. The Eventviewer contained a lot of errors caused by the Small Business configuration. Reinstallation was the only good option.

There’s only one problem. What is the correct reinstallation path in this situation?
1. Installing Small Business Server 2003
2. Applying Transition Packs
3. Using the transformed Windows Server 2003.

In this situation we would get the same problems before we started. Garbage and leftovers from the SBS2003 installation. Google wouldn’t help in this situation (where is Google if you really need it ). Eventually I called the License Helpdesk of Microsoft. They couldn’t helped me and advised me to call the Technical Support desk of Microsoft. Rather strange because in my opinion this is just a license issue: "Can and may I use the product key from the Transition Packs with a retail Media Kit of Microsoft Windows Server 2003?".

The answer is YES. I called the Technical Support desk of Microsoft and they haven’t received this question earlier, but his answer was that this was purely a license issue. If I installed this configuration and I get an audit by Microsoft or other organisation this won’t be a problem if I got the original Small Business Server License and the Transition Packs license present.

The only problem is of this really works. Can I use the serial number as printed on the Transition Packs case when installing Windows Server 2003 standard. The answer is also YES. Today I started the reinstallation of the system. Used a Retail Windows Server 2003 CD and the product code (serial number) of the Transition Pack and this works flawless.

The hard Part of WinForm (Visual Studio)

Logic is one part of programming, but I now realize that the hard part when creating an application is the graphic interface. I have recreated my GUI for the third time. Finally I have a design which I think is simple and easy to use. It just looks like a normal program.. ;-)

First Design:
My first steps in the design of the GUI. Looks nice and simple, but I need some more buttons and options. The style is too basic for the program.


This looks bad, very bad:
This is an example no to do it. Every button you think you need on one window. It works, but not user friendly.


Final Design, at least for now:
With a menu bar it looks more like every other program. I can hide some user controls, but most of all: it’s more user friendly. It can also show some information to the user.


I will add some extra status information, but it won’t be a fancy carnival.