thetreacys.co.uk

Well,

Every once in a while I find myself relying on a guide from someone else which ends up being written ass backwards and I end up trying to do it the wrong way with steps missing for ages until I realise that I already understand the premise of what I’m being asked to do……

So for future reference, and with a disclaimer that this is for use on your own servers or environments only, here is how to reset the Active Directory Domain Administrator Password.

You will need:

Local Admin password for the server (any domain controller server in the domain)

Physical Access to the Domain Controller

SRVANY and INSTSRV from the Microsoft Resource Kit

So you boot the server, pressing F8 to boot into the Directory Services Restore Mode.

Once on the server create a folder on either the root of the C:drive, or on the root of any other drive on the server, called TEMP and copy the SRVANY and INSTSRV files into the TEMP folder, and then copy cmd.exe from C:\Windows\system32 to the TEMP folder.

Then open up a command prompt and type: instsrv PassRecovery “x:\temp\srvany.exe” [replace x with the drive letter of the drive the temp folder exists on]

next open up regedit and navigate to [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\PassRecovery].  Create a new Subkey called Parameters.

Create two new string values called Application (with the value: x:\temp\cmd.exe [again replace x with drive letter] ) and AppParameters (with the value: /k net user administrator {insert new password here} /domain).  Remember that the password may have to conform with complexity standards and this will NOT work unless it meets the complex password policy if there is one.

Go into Services and look for the PassRecovery service.  Make sure its set to AUTOMATIC and then check the Log on tabe and check the box marked “Allow service to interact with the Desktop”.

Reboot the server.  The server will restart and essentially run the NET USER command in the background changing the password to that which you specified.

Once you have done the necessary password change from the one you used to get access (because it’s better for security….!), stop the service with the command: NET STOP PassRecovery

Then remove the service with: sc delete PassRecovery

Everyone (except perhaps the domain administrator) goes away happy.

Next time don’t be sloppy and have proper documentation……. which reminds me……….

For those of you who do not know me, I’m a bit (read a lot) of a geek. I liketo be on the bleeding edge in most things I do.

With that in mind I plumped for a HTC HD 7 on a contract with O2.

To be honest I don’t think the phone is that bad. There is just a few OS problems with Windows Phone 7 that I have experienced which have caused me to reject the handset.

When watching a video the handset has started to reboot on it’s own. It repeatedly goes into a glitched out version of the home screen which subsequently fixes itself then refuses to let you go into anything other than the phone dialer and messaging.

It’s going back.

We’ll just have to see how the store manager feels about giving me an alternative like the iPhone 4 or Samsung Galaxy S.

I used an excellent template for rejecting goods which I found on the “Which?” website. Will check in soon once I know more about what they are willing to do.

UPDATE:

So I returned to the store to hand the manager the letter and he was “in a meeting”…… whatever. Hide in your office mate. You have 7 days to get hold of me or it’s going to court. As a side note I did ring the O2 customer services number and they had me speak to the repairs and returns department who were extremely helpful and did offer me a refurb Samsung Galaxy S. However I feel as the phone I had was a new handset I should get a new handset to replace it.

Going back again this afternoon to see the manager. Last chance, hope they don’t screw me about.

Update 2 (7/3/11)

So after having had a chat with the O2 store manager the long and short was he wanted to make an attempt at getting the handset repaired (despite there being no hardware fault), since this would strengthen my position with regards the rejection of the handset I let him have a crack on the understanding that if there were “no fault found” with the handset he’d back my assertion.

So I get a call last Friday (4th March) to say the handset was back from repair (4 days – not too bad) and they had “updated the software”. Ladies and Gents, a bit of advice, Paulie is no slouch or mug and if taken for one is likely to be a little bit more than pissed off. Besides I had made a record of the running software version before the handset was handed in. ;-p (7.0.7004.0 – in case you wondered)

So I return to the store and pick up the “repaired” handset and proceed to turn the phone on and get it through it’s setup routine so I can have a glance at the software revision. Assistant Manager was trying to get me to sign the reciept to say the handset was repaired, which I declined to do, and after the brief wait for the setup to finish I get to the menu to see the Software Revsion of… (drum roll please)… 7.0.7004.0.

Well, You could say things got a bit heated and I refused to sign for the handset because they hadn’t done anything to fix it. SHe asked how I could tell without using it and I said the software was the same so how could it be fixed.

Basically they are trying to dick me about and to be honest I am not having it. It’s one thing lying when the customer is a numpty, quite another when the customer KNOWS how to check the handset. Will leave it with them to sort out or they can keep it.

FINAL UPDATE!!!!

After a lot of messing me about and taking three weeks to get back to me, which in truth could have been a hell of a lot longer if I had not returned to store, I have managed to get the contract cancelled….. Two months after taking it out.

I attended the store to find out what was going on and was dealt with by the same assistant manager who had attempted to get me to sign for the faulty, non-repaired handset. Anyway she tried to tell me that the repair was ongoing and was taking so long because they could not get the new software as O2 had not ratified it as fit for purpose, a statement which she rapidly retracted. Apparently it was all my own fault for not taking the “repaired” handset back and she would get the store manager to call me…… I had heard enough and interjected but she became more concerned with the volume of my voice, eventually telling me that I would have to leave the store if I continued. I ended up going of my own volition, however I did make it my business that all customers knew what they were getting themselves into.

I went home and spoke to customer services. HA. That should be classed as false advertising. They said a new handset was delivered to store about a week before I went in. I was confused to the point of frustration not least because customer services said I had to deal with the store, not them, no matter what the store said I couldn’t raise it on the phone.

In the end I thought sod this. I wrote to the CEO of O2, Ronan Dunne, and the customer complaints investigation email address. I got a call from the store manager the next day, “Mr Treacy, we now have authority to cancel the contract.”. Quelle surprise. Not.

It STILL wasn’t finished though. The store manager didn’t process the cancellation and I ended up ringing again to get someone to process the cancellation. It wasn’t until someone at the investigations department got back to me that the cancel was put through.

Utter shite.

Never with O2……. Ever again.

Not even if I was given a free iPhone 5. And £500……. Well ok maybe then.

Hi there,

You probably never noticed we were gone for a while but the Treacy’s are back, and hopefully with a few new idea’s for the site.

Keep ‘em peeled…..

Paul