gen exists but is not a source folder. Convert to a source folder or rename it

I just had this error while trying out some Java Android sample code in Eclipse.  

I found a good fix on stackoverflow while reading through some comments:

1. Right click on the project and go to “Properties”
2. Select “Java Build Path” on the left
3. Open “Source” tab
4. Click “Add Folder…”
5. Check “gen” folder and click Ok and Ok again
6. Again right click on the project and in the “Andriod Tools” click on “Fix Project Properties”

 

How to export an SSL certificate from Windows 2000

1. Log into Server using Microsoft Terminal Service
2. Click “Start” > “Run” and type “mmc”
3. A new console will open.
4. Goto “Console” > Add Remove Snap-In
5. Click “Add” > “Certificates” > “Add” > “Computer Account” > “Local Computer” > Finish
6. Expand the Console Root > Personal > Certificates
7. You will see your certificate listed there
8. Right Click on your certificate > All Task > Export
9. Export Private Key, you will have to enter a password to password protect the Private Key
10. Specify a path and file name you want to export the certificate to
11. Click Finish to complete

Caspol – Because I don’t trust you

I just had a run in with security on a Windows 2003 server.  I made the simplest little program to run in a cmd window.  It took all of 20 minutes to write and then about 2 hours to find out how to get Windows to trust it enough to run it.  Apparently they took away a tool when they moved to .NET Framework 4 that allowed you to change trust settings.

I don’t know all the details, but this post (and associated utility) really worked out well:

https://brandonpotter.wordpress.com/2010/01/23/code-access-security-policy-caspol-exe-gui-utility/

 

How to disable “Printing x of y” dialog when using the printer object

I have a new process that prints several hundred documents via a batch, but I don’t want the dialog to pop up every time it starts a new file.  This is really annoying as I might be typing in another window and the “Printing” dialog pops up as I’m hitting the spacebar and it thinks I want to cancel printing the document.

You can get around this by making a dummy print controller.

‘This was already declared earlier in the process
MyDocument = New PrintDocument()
Dim dlgPrintingDialog As New StandardPrintController
MyDocument.PrintController = dlbPrintingDialog

That’s it – now you can print and you won’t see a pop-up.

Publisher could not be verified!

I hate that message!  I have a batch file set to run via a timer and every day it stops because it wants to verify the publisher.

Here is a way to disable the message:

1. Click Start–>Run and type gpedit.msc. Click OK

2. Go to User Configuration–>Administrative Templates–>Windows Components–>Attachment Manager

3. Add “*.exe” to the “Inclusion list for moderate risk file types” setting. You can also add other file types.

This should disable the “Publisher Could Not Be Verified” messages from appearing for that file type in the future.

Good luck!

(Note, this is the second method I’ve used for this and I’m waiting to see how well it works.  I used a different method yesterday via IE to trust the directory where the batch file is located and it made absolutely no difference at all)

 

How to make Excel open each file in a separate window

http://my.opera.com/Jarrah/blog/how-to-make-excel-open-each-file-in-a-separate-window

 

An awesome post.

Vista BSOD ATAPORT.SYS hang on CRCDISK.SYS

What a nice cryptic name for a blog post!  If you found this via a search, then I’m sorry for you.  This was a really, REALLY frustrating problem.

Symptoms Prior: Browser would randomly bring up an ad filled website which is obviously a virus of some kind.

I treated the system with scans by Spybot, Microsoft Security Essentials (which was installed) and AdAware.  They said everything was fine.  I felt better.  Maybe it was just some script in Firefox?   I did find that my firewall was disabled, which was odd.  I turned it back on and shortly after, I had:

New Symptoms: a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) relating to ATAPORT.SYS.  It cycled like this for a bit and I attempted to go into safe mode.  Safe mode hangs up everytime at CRCDISK.SYS.

After a few articles – everyone is convinced the hard drive is bad.  I took the drive out and put it on a USB/SATA adapter on another machine and ran chkdsk.  The hard drive appears fine – survived all five levels of CHKDSK.

I found this article: http://forums.techarena.in/operating-systems/1127074.htm

and followed it.  Removing the files isn’t easy since Vista protects them, so you have to use advanced security to “TAKE OWNERSHIP” of each file and then you give yourself permissions and then you can delete them.  Took a while, but I had high hopes.  (note if you are doing this from XP, you have to turn on ADVANCED Security.  I’d never heard of this option until running through this procedure). 

[How to disable simple security in XP:

1. Click Start, and then click My Computer.
2. On the Tools menu, click Folder Options.
3. Click the Viewtab.
4. In the Advanced Settings section, click to clear the Use simple file sharing (Recommended)check box.
5. Click OK.
   ]

Plugged the drive back into the laptop – no difference.  Exact same lock up at CRCDISK and in non-safe mode, gets almost booted up and I get a BSOD with ATAPORT.

After more articles, I found that it isn’t CRCDISK.SYS causing the problem, it’s whatever driver is loaded AFTER CRCDISK.SYS.  I tried a boot logged bootup and found that TUNNEL.SYS comes after CRCDISK.SYS.  I actually don’t know if the log I found was the one I just created because it always locked up right there and the log I found was from a complete bootup.  In any case, I researched TUNNEL.SYS and found it it sometimes infected with a virus.  I used the USB adapter again to locate TUNNEL.SYS and replaced it with another one on the drive.  Yes, probably dangerous – but did it really matter at this point since I was facing a complete reinstall (and trying to avoid that).  I booted in SAFE mode and TA DA - no difference. 

I booted the Vista CD again and was able to get to the command prompt and ran the SFC /SCANNOW (I’ve never used this).  It took a while and said it repaired some files.  I checked the log and it turns out, it corrected TUNNEL.SYS.  Now, did it just put the same one back?  I don’t know, but I rebooted into safe mode and it made it.  Unbelievable.

I had downloaded another scanner that looks for TDSS called TDSSKILLER which I had also come across in the 50+ articles I read.  I followed the instructions and I had the TDSS virus.  UGH!  But it all made sense.  It cleared it and now the system booted up normally – not in safe mode.

I ran Spybot again and it found a few random files which it fixed. 

So TDSS is the culprit – it was not a bad drive (which I read so much about) and it wasn’t the SATA interface (which I read so much about).  Just another old virus. 

What I learned:

1. Download all the latest Virus scanners (including root kit scanners) before you need them – put them on a USB
2. Make sure you have some method of reading your drives on another machine.  I usually have no problem with IDE, but I had to buy this SATA cable which was only $29 at BestBuy (you can get them online cheaper).  (honestly – I’ve had machines that wouldn’t boot and running a CHKDSK on my drives on another machine works 90% of the time.)
3. Don’t stop reading after one article (including this one).  It’s certainly possible that your problem, while it looks JUST LIKE this one, might be different. 
4. Learn how to take ownership of files and change security. 
5. People who create viruses might be smart – but they actually suck.  The fact that SpyBot years ago used to search for about 45k issues and now it looks for 750k issues – I mean really – is this the future we were looking towards?