Edward Manning

Java – The updater that won’t die…

April 24, 2010 in Windows | Tags: java, windows vista 32bit | Comments closed

Well, I’ve been having problems with Java the last couple of weeks.

No, I don’t want to install every point release.

When I say “Do not update”, I really mean it.

Seems Java’s hard of hearing. Despite unchecking the “Check for Updates Automatically” check box, it was still checking for updates and trying to install them.

Turns out that Java’s Control Panel will only accept changes made by Administrators, so any changes you make will be quietly ignored.

Solution (for Vista 32bit):

Click “Start”.

Copy “C:\Program Files\Java\” into the search area at the bottom.

Open the bin folder inside the highest JRE release number (jre1.6.0_07\bin in my case).

Right click “javacpl.exe” and select “Run As Administrator”.

Unselect “Check for Updates Automatically” and click OK. You’re done. No more Java updates. You can still update manually from the Java Control Panel whenever you want.

Accessing SQL Server 2005 on Vista

February 1, 2010 in SQL Server | Tags: SQL Server | Comments closed

Windows Admins are not automatically SQL Server 2005 Admins. There’s a provisioning tool that runs at the end of the service pack setup that fixes this. If you skip past it or SQL Server isn’t running then you need to run the tool separately.

You can do this by running the “SQL Server Surface Area Configuration” tool and clicking “Add New Administrator”.

Batch File Comments

September 13, 2009 in Windows | Tags: Batch File, Windows | Comments closed

Recently I needed to add a comment in a batch file and I couldn’t remember how to do it. Google proved somewhat elusive in providing adequate results and so the search took longer than it should have done.

For posterity, you can add a comment to a windows batch file by adding “REM” to the start of the line.

REM This is a comment

REM This is also a comment

I was using the batch file to automate the encryption of the system.identity element for multiple sites on a web server. I’ll cover the syntax for that in a separate post.

The best advice I’ve ever seen…

June 11, 2009 in Life Lessons | Comments closed

‘Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention
of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body,
but rather to skid in sideways -
Chardonnay in one hand – chocolate in the other -
body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and
screaming ‘WOO HOO, What a Ride’

Thou didst thy best. That is success.

March 30, 2009 in Personal Development | Tags: Personal Development, Self Help, TED Talks | Comments closed

I was watching John Wooden on Ted Talks when he made the following quote:

At God’s footstool, to confess,
A poor soul knelt and bowed his head.
“I failed,” he cried. The master said,
“Thou didst thy best. That is success.”

And I have to say, I was rather moved.

“Thou didst thy best. That is success.”

All too often, we look around and compare ourselves against what we see. We rate our achievements against those of other people, when the true test of accomplishment is against our personal best, not someone else’s.

In the past, I have not done my best. Worse – I have not even tried to do my best. I have coasted along, doing just enough to get by. Just enough to pay the bills. Just enough to get through school. I feel I have wasted those years. I have whittled away at time, till all that was left is the shavings of my life scattered on the floor.

No more.

It changes. Now. Today. Right this second.

No matter how poor at something I turn out to be, I want to be able to look at my progress and say “I did my best. That is success.” That is the promise to myself.

See you on the far side of better.