MOSStastic

DotNetNuke 5.x – What happen to Forums and FAQ and other Modules?

If you’re new to DNN 5.x and you’re very familiar with DNN 4.x or 3.x – you’ll notice some distinct changes, and not all of them are intuitive at all.

Take the Forums and FAQ modules. Where are they?

In DNN 5.x – Sign in as HOST.

Under Host—>(select) Extensions

Scroll this all the way down and click on Install Available Extensions

Now you’ll see the list you’re probably more familiar with – and you can select the modules you’re looking for.

NOTE: If you log into www.dotnetnuke.com and click downloads – you can also find the latest Projects for many of the modules, including much newer ones for DNN 5.x

Hope that helps another newbie to DNN 5.x.

Deleted User Login Control or Changed Login and Delete Page in DotNetNuke and cannot login

During a recent reconfiguration of a client’s site – we encountered this.

Our situation was this: We created a Sign-In page – and under Admin—>Settings – we set the login to use this page. We do this frequently when we stand up a site on a static IP that needs SSL.

At some point later, the Account Login control gets deleted – and regardless of why – it does – and our Sign-In page renders a blank login.

First thoughts are to try to navigate and force the login control using

www.mysitename.com/default.aspx?ctl=login

However, this fails because we setup the login to redirect to our custom Sign-In page.

Thank you very much to John Mitchell’s post and fix for this. NOTE: This works in DNN 4.9 – we do not know about later versions.

Hopefully this will help others out there that shoot their foot off periodically :)

Over the past several weeks, myself included, a number of people have complained about the True Singles network advertising that consumes at least 50+% of the ad space in my MSN Messenger alone.

When you get used to using MSN Messenger, it is not uncommon at all to have it open all the time; even during presentations and in Live Meetings.

Of late however, I have found myself closing Messenger simply because of these ads - they're simply not appropriate for Corporate America - no matter how much money is spent on the advertising - certainly MSFT has more couth, finesse... Or not?

A Road Less Traveled...

I have had a number of colleagues already that have approach me w/ideas for a new approach: That's right - we wipe out Messenger altogether and start new.

IMPOSSIBLE and INSANE is largely what the feedback was. Well, is it really? Come on! It's simply a messenger tool - and IM client that allows for peer-to-peer networking! Good heavens, surely no one thinks Microsoft's is a bed of any sort of rocket science? I didn't think so! :)

Just this past week, work on AMEN began - Anti-Messenger... Sorry, we were not really creative when the idea of an acronym came out of discussions - but hey, there is a decent pun there - if not a pun!

So... We will keep you posted on the success / feedback of the project. Please feel free to leave feedback for me personally here.

It's simple: NO MORE ADVERTISING - unless we opt in? That's a thought. But that's a second phase of the project. The first phase is to obviate MSN Messenger altogether.

Sorry MSFT - enough is enough - even if we do love your many other warez.

Cleaning up a Basic WSS (Windows SharePoint Services) v3 uninstall. Removing SQL Server embedded #SSEE database setup - this has proven a pain for a lot of our clients, as well as some of our developers that are not familiar with the goings on of WSS v3. and a Basic installation.

INSTALLATION

When you install WSS v3 - by default - and most of us love defaults - it blazes right through and does a BASIC installation/configuration.

BASIC

Under this installation - WSS creates NOT a well known documented and easily discernable MSDE flavor of SQL Server - in all the right places like \%PROGRAMFILES%\Microsoft SQL Server\blah blah blah...

Nope... It creates a hybrid of sorts - Microsoft Embedded SQL Server - nested under the OS folder. Neat...

FARM INSTALLATIONS / INSTALLATIONS using a separate SQL Server

The key to getting WSS to work on a remote SQL Server - major requirement in most all organizations, is to be aware that you need to do a COMPLETE installation - for a Farm - and when you run PSCONFIG after the install - you'll have the option to select a <domainName>\<instanceName>...

UNINSTALL WSS V3 - COMPLETE

Just running PSCONFIG and removing your configuration - then uninstalling WSS - does NOT solve your problem here. The real problem is that MSFT SQL Server Embedded (#SSEE) is still installed - and EVERYTIME you run the setup bits for WSS ??? It's reverting back to this database - w/no obvious way to get around it.

So, if you do not need the embedded version - and after you have uninstalled WSS V3 - do the following:

REMOTE #SSEE Embedded SQL Server

1. Start Registry Editor, and then locate the following registry key:              HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

2. Do an Edit/Find on Microsoft SQL 2005 embedded Edition

3. When you see a display name that matches the name, copy the value of the Key named “UninstallString”

4. Start-->Run-->CMD - opens a command prompt

5. Issue the following MSI - copying in your GUID and ensuring to complete the whole string.

6. - For example: MsiExec.exe /X{BDD79957-5801-4A2D-B09E-852E7FA64D01} CALLERID=OCSETUP.EXE

7. Confirm the removal - then bounce the box when you're done.

When you come back to install WSS v3 - do a Complete install - not a basic...

FAST Search for SharePoint Server 2007 / Microsoft (MSFT) Acquires FAST Search

The following links are provided to give you 1) more background on what this acquisition means, and 2) how to leverage it immediately in Microsoft SharePoint Server 2007 (MOSS).

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2008/jan08/01-08FastSearchPR.mspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/enterprisesearch/archive/2008/01/08/microsoft-announces-offer-to-acquire-fast-search-transfer.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepoint/archive/2008/06/20/announcing-sharepoint-web-parts-for-fast-esp.aspx

A firm believe that there is nothing new under the sun, this does not surprise me. I see this as a serious enhancement to an already formidable foray into this space by MSFT.

Regards...