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.

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

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.

‘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’

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.

General

http://www.codeproject.com/
http://www.csharp-station.com/
http://www.dotnetspider.com/tutorials/
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx
http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/
http://www.functionx.com/csharp/index.htm
http://visualstudiomagazine.com
http://en.csharp-online.net/Main()
http://www.searchdotnet.com/
http://www.jpboodhoo.com/blog/
http://code.professor-mustard.org/index.htm
http://www.jaggersoft.com/csharp.html

OO

http://www.dofactory.com/Patterns/Patterns.aspx
http://www.atomicobject.com/pages/OO+Programming
http://xunitpatterns.com/index.html

SQL

http://www.techonthenet.com/
http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2008/03/26/stored-procedure-mapping.aspx
http://www.oracle.com/pls/db102/portal.portal_db?selected=3

Interview Preparation

10 Do’s of Interviews
Top 25 Interview Questions
Great Answers to Tough Interiew Questions (Preview book on Google Books)
Practice Interview Questions

Personal Branding

Lesley Everett
Drop Dead Brilliant (book)
Branding Yourself: How to Look, Sound and Behave Your Way to Success (book)