Monthly Archives: January 2007

I’m so out of the loop. Good thing Susan pointed this out. I love Jon Stewart trying to trick Gates into divulging his password. “Did you have any pets when you were a kid?”

SQL Server 2005 Maintenance Plan problems – and some solutions

January 30, 2007ToolsJulie

I have SS2005 on my development machine. Normally, I don’t need to back up test data, but now that I have started using SourceGear Vault, the source gets stored in the database and therefore I definitely need to do the backups.

I’ve set up backup maintenance plans before for a client, so even though I’m not a DBA, I felt okay doing this.

A week later, I looked at the folder for the backups and was dismayed to see that there was nothing but my initial tests from the week before. I checked to make sure SQL Agent was running, as I remembered that was a problem for me in the past.

I played further with the maintenance plan and today realize that I must have gotten distracted because I didn’t address en error message that is blatant and the reason my backups weren’t happening.

The error is “GUID should contain 32 digits with 4 dashes (xxxx….”. Clearly something internal.

So this time, before I got distracted by an email or a phone call, I googled the error and quickly found that this is a known issue. Here’s a forum thread about the problem which shows a few workarounds and has a pointer to a KB article. Apparently, the SP fix should have meant that I have to install some other tool and not Integration Services, but I don’t see what that is, so I just installed Integration Services anyway, which was quick and easy.

The maintenance plan requires the Integration Services to be installed. If you install them retroactively, as I have done, note that you may need to clear out the jobs and delete and recreate your maintenance plan(s).

Dell Tech Support makes me crazy again

January 30, 2007Just RamblingJulie

I’m really starting to think they are just playing “You’re on candid camera” (or candid microphone) with me.

I have an itty bitty SX280 Ultra that came with a 40gb drive. I want more storage and was hoping that, even with the tiny footprint, I could add a 2nd drive in there. Dell’s site makes it super easy to get support for your particular system. You just log in while you are on that computer and it identifies the computer and the service tag and gives you links to everything about your computer. So rather than shut the p.c. down and open the chassis, I thought I’d just ping the online chat and ask if I could fit another drive in there or not. Stupid me.

Here are a few highlights of the conversation. Note the times.

01/30/2007 08:57:16AM Agent (): “Thank you for contacting Dell Technical Support. My name is xxx and my rep ID number is xxxxxx. How may I assist you today?”

01/30/2007 08:58:04AM Julia Lerman: “I didn’t want to take my computer apart to answer this question – it’s an SX280 ultra. Is there room INSIDE for a 2nd hard drive?”

01/30/2007 08:58:31AM Agent (): “Thank you for the information. I’ll be glad to assist you. Please give me 2 to 3 minutes to pull up your account information.”

01/30/2007 08:58:41AM Agent (): “I would also request you not to hit F5 key or refresh the screen anytime during the chat as that will disconnect you from me.”

01/30/2007 08:58:44AM Agent (): “Also, may I have your telephone number, along with the area code to update our records?”

01/30/2007 09:01:14AM Agent (): “May, I also have your alternate number in case we are not able to get you over the main number?”

01/30/2007 09:01:27AM Julia Lerman: “use the number I gave you”

01/30/2007 09:01:29AM Julia Lerman: “thanks”

01/30/2007 09:01:32AM Julia Lerman: “it will work”

01/30/2007 09:02:14AM Agent (): “If I understand the issue you need information if you can install a second hard drive on the system you are using?”

So it’s been 5 minutes of bullshit and now he’s getting to my question.

Then after another 1 1/2 minutes….

01/30/2007 09:03:31AM Agent (): “I apologize for the inconvenience; you have reached Dell Hardware Technical Support for Desktop systems and your query is regarding a Optiplex.”

01/30/2007 09:03:55AM Julia Lerman: “this is a desktop system”

01/30/2007 09:04:09AM Julia Lerman: “and this is the support that I was pointed to for this particular system”

01/30/2007 09:07:20AM Agent (): “You will need to call at 1-800-822-8965 for the support with the system model you are using.”

01/30/2007 09:07:28AM Agent (): “I apologize for the inconvenience caused.”

01/30/2007 09:07:59AM Julia Lerman: “Okay – but please be aware that I logged into the website, it identified my system and the service tag, it gave me a link to support which sent me to you.”

and so on and so forth

here’s where the conversation ended, with my question still unanswered.

01/30/2007 01/30/2007 09:17:30AM Julia Lerman: “bye” Julia Lerman: “bye”

Twenty freakin’ wasted minutes. This was not the fault of the agent, but of Dell’s support system.

So I disconnected and in 2 minutes I had my computer shut down, the chassis off and saw that no, there is no room for another hard drive.

VS2005 SP1 installation: less than 45 minutes?

January 28, 2007Just RamblingJulie

I finally upgraded the first of my boxes with VS2005 on it today. After all the worry about how long it would take based on so much feedback, I was shocked when it finished up very quickly! Read more….

[A DevLife post]

Check out these HIGH PAYING .NET, C++ & SQL jobs in Vermont

January 27, 2007JobsJulie

I hear a lot of whining that the software jobs in Vermont don’t pay well.

I was just poking around Technical Connection’s website and saw a .NET Developer job for $100,000, a C++ job advertised as “highly competitive for Vermont” and a SQL Server DBA job for $80K+.

When I first moved to Vermont 6 years ago, during the dot com BOOM, I had to get a mortgage and the mortgage broker said I had to get a full time w-2 job. I had a hard time, with my 20 years of experience, finding a job over $50,000.

So seeing these jobs in the $80-$100K range is awesome.

The most perfect snow for skiing today!

January 27, 2007VermontJulie

Rich and I had a great ski today. There were about 3 inches of fresh snow this morning and it was about 15 degrees, so when we went out after lunch, the snow was dry and fluffy. The kind of snow where you can actually see the crystal shapes. On top of the base that we have been working on in trails in our woods, the new snow made for PERFECT ski conditions. I’m not exaggerating. For the entire time we were out, we couldn’t get over how optimal it was. And I was so happy to finally get out my real back country skis instead of my rock skis. They are light and they glide so beautifully. We went up through our woods and then crossed over to trails that lead up towards the Long Trail in the Green Mountains. Even the first few hours that we were basically climbing up hill were sweet. Then coming back down the trails was heavenly and just didn’t last long enough. Does it ever?

Having the cold weather makes a huge difference. Otherwise the snow is sticky and you have to really finagle with the wax.

Perfect perfect perfect!

Two of Vermont’s most prominent business leaders will speak at VTSDA in February

January 27, 2007VTdotNetFeedJulie

The resumes that these two men sent me to place onto the VTSDA website were astounding. Unfortunately, I had to use only a segment of each, as they were so long. They have each served on the boards of many of Vermont’s biggest charitable organizations. They have both started hugely successful I.T. companies in Vermont. They are both incredibly smart, well-versed in matters of politics, economics and busines and both equally generous. I’m very excited that we have them coming to speak at VTSDA!