Intel vPro Expert Center Blog

Ctrl-Alt-Delete – Archiving Low-Tech Computer Fixes

scott1.e.smith@intel.com — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:45:26 GMT

A while back I was lamenting the fact that Intel vPro technology promises to end the need (at least among businesses at the moment) for all of the creative low-tech fixes we all use when our PCs crawl onto the shoulder of the Internet and expire as if they've just ran out of electrons. I asked you for your most useful low-tech fixes and many of you responded. We also made this video that captured the secret tricks some San Franciscans use to pump life back into their under-the-weather PCs.

I asked my buddy Dave Buchholz in Intel’s internal IT group if he had any low-tech fixes. Dave’s title is IT Technology Evangelist. If his title conjures up the vision of someone perched atop an equipment cabinet with a tech manual cradled in one arm and soldering iron raised high in the other, well, that’s Dave. He’s an accomplished IT professional and something of an IT historian as well.

Dave recalls years back that there was a period when the bearings in certain hard drives were typically the first thing to go. An audible clicking noise was the giveaway to the problem. Dave says he’d put the ailing drives in a freezer where the bearings would contract slightly as they froze. Once back on a computer, the chilled drives would spin just long enough to offload the data. Dave must have been working for a appliance company at the time because his fix for a gummed-up keyboard was to run it through a dishwasher. Dave, this was a specialized IT dishwasher?

I say low-tech, but when I asked readers to document their surefire fixes for getting their failed computers running again, solutions ranged from the spiritual (“shut down and restart and pray”) to "alchemy” (interestingly from an IT pro) with some tech solutions mixed in.

In the interest of archiving the responses for businesses who may not yet have vPro or consumers interested in bettering their computer capabilities, I’ve taken a shot below at cataloging those I deem key for quick reference. I’ve placed them under appropriate tags that will make them easy to reference when the need arises.

vPro, of course, makes it possible to diagnose and fix problems even in computers that are turned off, or have toasted operating systems or hard drives, and it’s capabilities are now reaching the small-business world with Intel IT Director and even virtualized worlds. Nonetheless, not everyone has vPro.

For that reason, this undoubtedly will become a watershed resource. So, it’s important that it is complete and thoroughly thought through. If you want to propose a category to those below and add any solutions from the complete list of fixes into it or suggest fixes of your own, now is the time to append them in the comments before catastrophe strikes.

My thanks along with the appreciation of those who may eventually need this resource to all of you who contributed.

PC Fixes in Absence of Intel vPro Technology

KISS

Turn it off and on

Slightly Less Simple

Ctrl+Alt+Del, then task manager and ending a whole bunch of tasks so only a few are left. If that doesn't work, restart the computer…after two minutes.

KISS Plus

Turning it off and then turning it back on again. Then hitting it really hard and see if something gets knocked loose.

Wisdom from IT Pros (Apparently from different schools, however)

Extend the life of your computer - buy a desktop KVM and instead of chucking out the PC keep it as an internet-browsing "NetTop". Also useful for long-lasting downloads. Use the KVM to flick between your "main" PC and the NetTop

Black tape. Or sometimes a good kick will do.

Confidential – Not To Be Shared with the IT Department

Defrag, registration defrag and spyware removal

Complete Emotional Breakdown

Start crying, hit the delete button 1,000 times, and if all else fails call my sister and have her boyfriend save me from my tech catastrophe

Tears - it must be the salt or maybe the computer gods taking pity on me but it seems to work

Reboot, reboot, reboot!

Oxygen Depleted Environments

Worst comes to worst, I always just take the battery out of my laptop and let it "breathe" a bit before plugging it back in and booting it up

Try blowing air into any port - battery, power cord, usb port -- sometimes it actually works

Call In the Marines

Call my dad; he's some kind of a computer engineer

Pick the Right Man

Pawning it off on my boyfriend to fix!

Man Up and Do What Feels Right!

I've become very accustom to using hibernate and sleep modes. Why bother with a full shutdown and startup. But - IT support got a little upset…stating I was reckless, the system wasn't "made to do that", and so forth. So - back to the wasted time of shutdown and power-up

When Melt-Down (Structural or Emotional) Is Imminent

Close my eyes and hope the problem goes away

Call the geek squad – ask my children

Don’t Even Mess with It, Refresh

Accelerated upgrade cycle

Gen-Y Workers: IT’s Friend or Foe?

scott1.e.smith@intel.com — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:02:14 GMT

My son, Andrew, graduated from college in December and moved back into his room at home (or my den of four years, depending upon your point of view) while looking for a job. Andrew, Gen Y to his core, conducts much of his life through a host of electronic accessories.

Nearly as I can tell, his ear buds are permanently affixed. He’ll hush me in midsentence to respond to a text message. He devotes time each day to a social website that keeps him in touch with his former college friends. He conducted his job search completely online, even the networking with friends, friends of friends and those strangers he hoped might befriend him. In fact, he ventured out of my hope-to-be-again-some-day den only for interviews. Then nervously watched his e-mail for responses.

He regards these tools as an entitlement, much like we Baby Boomers regarded television in our younger days – “Gee, Dad, you mean you didn’t have television at all? You must have been really poor.” He wondered aloud one day why I hadn’t responded to his text message. To avoid admitting I didn’t know how, I told him he was grown up now and should send e-mail like an adult.

Paradoxically, he harbors a general disdain for the technology underlying his electronic accoutrements, no more wanting to understand the risks of viruses or personal data theft than the potential consequences of driving his car with the oil light glowing (another failed conversation). This nonchalance makes him a bit of risk at home. We have periodically lost Internet contact with the outside world when he tried to connect his computer to the cable network. We also did without telephone service for some time, victims of a rewiring mishap. He innocently accepted e-mail viruses until his computer, flickering only faintly, coasted to the side of the digital highway.

Andrew recently scored a great job, but I wonder how his Gen-Y attitude and use of technology will mesh with a corporate IT organization, which is more than likely designed and maintained by Baby Boomers. What got me thinking about this is an Intel-sponsored study that looks into how IT is coping with the influx Gen-Y workers like Andrew and his friends who are entering the workforce. We became interested in it because of work we’re doing around “dynamic virtual clients.” These are computing models that enable IT departments to centralize PC images on a server then use data streaming and virtualization to distribute them to end-users. IT gets the security and maintenance ease of centralized management, and users retain the mobility and performance that’s important to them. More on DVC can be found here.

According to the study, 82 percent of IT professionals see Gen Yer’s as a positive influence – “They understand the newest and latest tools.” Many IT organizations are taking advantage of the potential for increased productivity with these new technologies, including enabling e-mail and Internet access on personal smart phones (60 percent), allowing personal PCs access to the corporate networks (39 percent) and relaxing rules regarding participation in social media sites as a company representative (34 percent).

At the same time, 50 percent see Gen Y’ers as a security risk as well – “They share personal and company information on network sites and through email.” In fact, three out of five point to Gen Y’ers use of downloadable applications and social media tools as particularly concerning. But IT professionals also are looking at ways to protect data and their networks. Most said that network security software and hardware solutions are the standard fare. However, roughly half have also implemented application management, streaming, virtualization and chip-based solutions in an effort to keeping their computer fleets running safely and smoothly.

That’s what the poll said, but I was curious about Intel’s strategy regarding Gen Y’ers. So, I talked with my buddy Dave Buchholz. Dave is Intel’s IT technology evangelist and is our point person in evaluating the potential of new technologies. Here’s what Dave told me.

Symantec Workspace Streaming Demo with Notebook PCs and Intel vPro Technology

justin.van.buren@intel.com — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 06:40:58 GMT

In the opening keynote at the recent Symantec ManageFusion 2009, Intel Vice-President Gregory Bryant talked about joint efforts between Symantec and Intel around product offerings that help with centralizing management of applications and licensees, while still enabling end-users to have a responsive experience with rich-client desktop PCs and notebook PCs. The below demonstration by Symantec's Brian Duckering illustrates how Intel and Symantec are bringing these benefits to customers with Symantec Workspace Streaming and Intel vPro technology.

To learn more about Intel's presence at ManageFusion 2009, please go to http://www.intel.com/go/managefusion/

Microsoft & Intel: A Podcast on vPro and Application Virtualization

kelsey.e.witherow@intel.com — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:37:36 GMT

A representative of Microsoft holds a discussion with an Intel manager from Digital Office Platform Division, Mike Ferron-Jones. Find more about what Intel is doing for security, manageability, and energy efficiency with vPro and how Microsoft is helping to deploy some of the vPro solutions with its software. Listen to this clip for an insight on Wake-on-LAN, Microsoft Application Virtualization, and Virtual Desktop Infrastructures. Click the link below to listen.

Listen Here: [Microsoft/Intel Podcast|http://download.microsoft.com/download/e/b/9/eb90c169-6b47-4bae-b6f1-5c0825e1542a/ESGMicrosoftIntelPodcast.mp3]

SMB I.T Consultants and a vPro based Lab

mpecs@mpecsinc.ca — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 23:08:53 GMT

One of the things we advocate when mentoring new I.T. start ups is to take "Baby Steps" in their business building processes.

One of the critical areas that the new I.T. shop needs to build up is the lab.

A simple lab setup that has a relatively low cost, but provides excellent value is the following:

Intel DQ35JO
Intel Q6600 or Q6450 Core 2 Quad
8GB Kingston non-ECC RAM
2x 500GB Seagate Barracuda in RAID 1
Antec Sonata or Minuet.
Intel PRO/1000 PF Dual Port Server Adapter

This is our base configuration. Quad Core gives us the necessary power to run a number of virtual machines with 8GB giving us the space to run at least one or two server OSs and perhaps one or two desktop OSs at the same time.

The host OS to begin with is Windows Vista Business x64 with Virtual PC providing for the virtualization needs. Down the road either Server Core with the Hyper-V role installed or the new Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 can provide the host foundation.

RAID 1 via the on board controller is a first step. The second, once the consultancy has grown some, is to install a second pair of 500GB Barracudas to open up the I/O bottleneck a bit with RAID 0+1.

Licensing would be covered by the Microsoft Action Pack Subscription to begin with. TechNet Plus would provide the lab licensing further on.

Why vPro? Because, a business is very conscious of every dollar being spent during the startup and early phases of its existance. Active Management Technology provides a simple but effective way to faciltiate reduced expenses.

While the DQ35JO may cost a bit more than say a Classic series board out of the box, those extra dollars are returned very quickly in two ways:

Power savings by having the lab system or systems off while not in use.
The consultant can fire up that lab system when they are not in their office.

The built-in hardware support for virtualization is also a key feature.

Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 or 2008 provides an SSL secured remote access method to the internal network via the Remote Web Workplace.

The methodology is quite simple:

Log on to RWW as a domain admin.
Log onto the server via "Connect to my Server" link.
Use the Intel System Defense Utility to connect to the lab system and power it up.
Log off SBS and RWW.
Log onto RWW as the lab user
Connect to the lab system via the "Connect to my computer" link.

Once logged onto the lab system's desktop the consultant is good to go with whatever tasks they are looking to test on the lab setup.

Prior to vPro and AMT, we were leaving our lab systems online all of the time. We had to, as there was no guarantee that the lab would be needed while on-site working on a critical issue. And, if a problem arose where the lab system had locked up, there was no way to power cycle the system.

For us, vPro and AMT just make cents!

What's New in 2008 with Intel vPro technology

justin.van.buren@intel.com — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 06:59:55 GMT

The 3rd generation of Intel vPro technology that was launched yesterday, along with the recently launched Intel Centrino 2 with vPro technology, will, for the first time, enable IT to manage PCs beyond the corporate firewall even when the PC is off or the OS is unavailable. There are various use models that this new functionality enables, such as:

Fash Call for Help
Scheduled Remote Maintenance
Remote Alerts

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Steve Grobman, Intel's Director of Client Business Architecture, gives an excellent overview of the new benefits that come with support outside the corporate firewall. Watch below and also see a demo of this new functionality with the Symantec Altiris Client Management Suite.

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Also, see how this new functionality is supported with the LANDesk Management Suite.

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With Intel vPro technology now out in the marketplace for more than 2 years, hear from industry analyst Peter Kastner on the impact Intel vPro technology has had in the marketplace.

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Also, hear from Symantec and LANDesk, on how their end-customers are taking advantage of Intel vPro technology, and how they will take advantage of new 2008 features.

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Symantec with Intel vPro technology:

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LANDesk with Intel vPro technology:

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Another exciting development with Intel vPro technology has been the emergence of virtualized PC models. Hear from Citrix and VirtualLogix on these new PC models.

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Citrix with Intel vPro technology:

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Demo of Citrix software with Intel vPro technology:

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VirtualLogix with Intel vPro technology:

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We also had Infineon talk about how they are using an industry-standard TPM that is now part of Intel vPro technology to store keys in hardware. Listen to their video below.

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Citrix Software with Intel vPro Technology part 2 - the demonstration

jason.a.davidson@intel.com — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 05:33:22 GMT

I recently blogged about the interview with Citrix Software's Paul Hahn, Director of Business Development / Virtualization & Management Division, and Matt Edwards, Product Manager at: http://communities.intel.com/openport/blogs/ecmf/2008/09/22/citrix-software-with-intel-vpro-technology

For part 2 of this blog, you can view the actual demonstration of the software below. In this demonstration, you will see the solution explained in much more detail.

Citrix Software with Intel vPro Technology

jason.a.davidson@intel.com — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:21:46 GMT

Citrix and Intel have been working together to deliver a solution that builds on both companies expertise. The end-to-end solutions, application delivery, and virtualization software that Citrix provides combined with the manageability, performance, and security from vPro deliver a novel solution. The solution allow the IT OS build to go through a secure or trusted boot, where the hardware and software used to launch the OS is measured for integrity before the program executes. The OS can be streamed off a remote server, and the end-user gets the rich client side local execution experience.

In this video, Citrix Software's Paul Hahn, Director of Business Development / Virtualization & Management Division, and Matt Edwards, Product Manager, talk about how Citrix Systems is developing products for OS/App Streaming on top of Intel vPro technology. You will see that the virtualized, measured, and streamed OS is able to still render and rotate a rich CAD drawing.

Understanding vPro Chapter 7: From virtual world to virtual appliances.

stallsd@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:21:38 GMT

Virtual World - a computer based world that represents all aspects of life, as we know it. There are many fun and exciting examples of ways people have turned aspects of our world into a virtual world, and often these are found in massively multiplayer online games. However, one virtual representation I have been learning about lately is one called virtual appliances. Virtual appliances represent complex software stacks in a virtual environment. However, with a virtual appliance we are taking something that is often very complex and have high maintenance costs and representing it as single application. The virtual appliances I have been learning about lately are not representing real life in a fun environment, but solving real problems by interfacing with the vPro features.

Recently Nicole Trent wrote a blog on Microsoft SCE. It is one of the many examples (you can find an abundance of appliances on the vPro Expert Center) of virtual appliances that can be used to interact with the features in vPro. These appliances are useful when you perform inventory and maintenance to vPro clients as they bundle the software you use to manage the clients into one location. Then you can use this to control your clients from your server by using the remote capabilities.

If you have a whole lot of clients in your business that need to be updated over night because it's critical for these to be in service for the day, you would can use a virtual appliance that contains the IT software needed to make up that script so IT wouldn't have to be there over night. These scripts can execute and maintain your machine while you're away from your desk, sleeping or having a fun weekend. Best of all, the IT people that make these scripts are allowed to have their nights and weekends as well, as the scripts can execute fully automated.

This is convenient for the "green" factor. We are able to send applications with aid of AMT without wasting anybody's time that would go desk side and put the application on each computer or if the computer itself needs help because it's in trouble. They would just apply it at one time not wasting time, money, and packaging (my past blogs emphasizing these features). When the alternative is having an IT person going from one site to another, this helps lower gas consumption.

This is just another tool to our future of virtual computing. The more comes out the more it helps aid in situations that only a few years ago that is changing the way our businesses are operating. Now that it's here we should be able to use it to it's full extent it's up to us to use push the limits.

P.S. This week most of us (yes vPro lovers, Mr. Josh Hilliker will be gracing us with his presence!) will be at IDF there will be a lot of good stuff coming out of the vPro Expert Center. If you cannot be there check, out the vPro site there will be blogs and radio shows (which by the way Blog Talk is on iTunes for free download- search Intel Open Port Radio) who know maybe you will hear me!! Stay tuned

Understanding vPro Chapter 6: It’s virtual world.

stallsd@gmail.com — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 22:46:16 GMT

Ah...I love talking about virtualization. Virtualization feels like some non-reality spectrum. It is as if you can manipulate it to do anything with it. The topic just seems endless; technology is starting to run with the idea of that. With vPro, virtualization will be able to go farther. Remote manageability aids in the virtualization area. The thought of two different versions of a program being on the same client and the computer not being able to have them up is a thing of the past. They wouldn't even know that each other were there.

With the real world in mind, big companies with many different offices could stream private information to each other with vPro. This would prevent sensitive information from leaking out to the wrong hands. Hospitals would benefit from this because when their patients' files are in their data base they can just stream the whole data from their server to the client computer where the doctor is, again security would help aid against any tampering of sensitive documents.

Besides sending out vital and sensitive information, there are also necessary items that people would need that they could stream. School is a great area for that. They are implementing it in a few schools(St. Agnes Prep School Use emerge Compute Models With video). I know there are plenty of times where I have to carry three books and my back felt as if it was going to break. Also, I hated switching the books around depending on what day it was. I could have all my information on the laptop that I was carrying anyways would do me a lot more good.

With vPro, the universities will be able to have a few servers that will check on the laptops that are given out to the students. If there are any problems with the software (it wouldn't have to be just with the books, it could be with software that the university has rights to) that was being streamed the server computer can detect it and fix them remotely. As a college student, I would love to have all my information just through my computer. I wouldn't have to worry about trucking all my stuff everywhere and it's all centrally located in one area. For a company, it ensures that all information needed is gathered in one area that can be obtained by the employees and it can be relayed back and forth.

How many times have you gone to the ATM and it says that it's out of service? For the financial intuitions, how about all of those remote ATM that is difficult to go out and service the computer? With vPro the sever will be anywhere and it can service the client away from the machine, saving the financial institutes plenty because the service guy does not have to go out at all hours. They can check if there is anything wrong with it's software or hardware away from the computers within minutes.

vPro is able to extend the possibilities of virtualization. It has helped to be able communicate two (or more) computers together and talk to each other. knowing that we could go farther and farther with the technology of vPro and having Centrino2 coming out, it's only going to be even more endless. The excuse that the dog ate my homework will not work anymore. (I think I am going to try to find a virtual dog!)

Understanding vPro- Chapter 5: Enhanced Maintenance (I just want to wrap a big hug around AMT!!)

Understanding vPro: Chapter 4 vPro: What is with this trusted environment?

Understanding vPro: Chapter 3- Proactive Security- did Intel put a tiny guard dog in my computer???

“The Intern’s” Understanding vPro: Chapter 2-What is it used for/ why should I use it?

The Intern's vPro's hand's on experience (Finally!!)

stallsd@gmail.com — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:47:12 GMT

I got to enjoy a hand's on experience with vPro this morning, I got tired of just reading everything. Another intern, Nick Molina showed me some capabilities that I have only read in whitepapers and postings from vPro experts. I am not sure on how you like to learn, but one of the best ways for me to learn is to see the product in action. Plus I didn't really understand it until it was put in front of me.

Nick was able to show me different remote capabilities, how the server is able to power on and off the client computers, and how to read the hardware from the client computer through the server. He also showed me how you can apply filters to the network interface that would cut out any outside source (e.g. through the WLAN) that would put the client and/or server in harm.

To be able to see this better you should see this YouTube video which shows the same thing as what I was learning from Nick. It's a bit shorter than what I have experienced, but it gives you the same idea. Watching this, and after reading my blogs of course, it gives you a better understanding of what vPro can do.

Intel vPro Technology integration w/Symantec Backup&Restore

Chapter 4 should be coming soon. It will be on trusted environments. Stay tuned!!

Understanding vPro: Chapter 1- What is it?

Understanding vPro: Chapter 2-What is it used for/ why should I use it

Understanding vPro: Chapter 3- Proactive Security- Does it have a tiny guard dog???