Windows Explorer and attempts to contact MS...

[GaryK]

For awhile now I've been aware that once or twice a day explorer.exe starts up and tries to contact the same IP Address, 207.46.248.249 which belongs to Microsoft.

I know what the first question will be so let me answer it. I do not have automatic updates turned on. ;)

Does anyone know the reason why this is happening? Heck, I'd even like to see what you suspect might be the reason.

Thanks,
~gary.

[KyleMulligan]

207.46.248.249 PTR record: sa.windows.com. [TTL 3600s] [A=207.46.248.249]
207.46.248.249 PTR record: sc.windows.com. [TTL 3600s] [A=207.46.226.40, 207.46.248.249]

It's the Microsoft Search Companion. It collects anonymous usage data on your search queries when searching for items on the Internet. There used to be a privacy policy regarding it, but it has since been removed. The cache (http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:http://sa.windows.com/privacy/) is available via Google.

You can disable it by switching to classic search mode.

[GaryK]

Thanks Kyle.

Next problem...

Any thoughts on why MSDE2000A won't install via RDP? MS says it won't and the solution is to install it from the local machine, LOL.

BTW, the logs from last night didn't show any backup attempts so I clearly got rid of all of SQL Server. I've got the tools installed again and have been trying to get MSDE installed. I'm trying the version from my Office Professional 2003 CD.

~gary.

[KyleMulligan]

Originally posted by GaryK
Thanks Kyle.

Next problem...

Any thoughts on why MSDE2000A won't install via RDP? MS says it won't and the solution is to install it from the local machine, LOL.

BTW, the logs from last night didn't show any backup attempts so I clearly got rid of all of SQL Server. I've got the tools installed again and have been trying to get MSDE installed. I'm trying the version from my Office Professional 2003 CD.

~gary.
I've never run into that before. I have had it tell me that it needs me to specify an sa password upon installation, but I just give the required switches for that and it installs right away.

Of course, I always download MSDE from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=413744D1-A0BC-479F-BAFA-E4B278EB9147&displaylang=en. You'd think the version from the Office 2003 Pro CD would be the same, but you never know. Maybe it's worth trying the version on Microsoft's site.

[GaryK]

That's where I got mine too. And I also used the SAPWD switch.

You know my server as well as I do. Is it time to ask for an OS reinstall or is that too drastic?

Also, what happens at the end of the trial period for the SQL Server evaluation version? MS says it stops running after four months. I know from past experience the tools keep on working. I am hoping SQL Server reverts to an MSDE-type mode as opposed what MS said about it above.

[KyleMulligan]

I wouldn't say it's time for an OS reload. Your server seems to be functioning just fine, though I'm not certain why it wouldn't let you install MSDE via RD. That's probably something that would have to be further investigated. ie: a firewall issue perhaps?

As far as I know, the SQL Server trial will stop functioning altogether at the end of the trial period. I believe the service refuses to restart.

[GaryK]

The whole thing turned out to be a huge mess.

I went back and uninstalled everything related to SQL Server.

Then I searched the registry for SQL Server and deleted it.

Unfortunately I also wiped out the registry entry for the SQL Server ODBC driver but that was easy enough to fix.

Next I found I also had to clean the registry of all MSDE references.

At that point I decided I'd had enough of tinkering around with MSDE, a SQL Server wannabe.

I was able to take advantage of a deal offered to MS Partners that let me upgrade a development copy of SQL Server to a production version with a single processor license.

So I installed SQL Server 2000 Standard Edition and everything is running smoothly now.

Specifically my DBMP is saving properly and it's creating real files right where I told it to create them. :D

Now I'm trying to figure out why my strong encryption class won't run on my SB server even though it works fine in the same OS on my development server. :bang:

Without that class I can't enrypt cookies and passwords stored in a database.

~gary.