Occasionally I intend to post tools, utilities, etc. that I’ve created in past jobs.  This is one such post:

While working on one contract a while back, I unfortunately ran across a company that used Goverlan to remotely administer peoples PC’s.  The unfortunate thing about it is that goverlan has a very poor removal feature.  Also, in some instances (read: many instances) goverlan would get corrupted on a users PC and get an error message every time the user logged into their machine.  It would also get the same error message when someone tried to connect to the machine.  Using the removal function in goverlan would remove the error, until a tech tried to connect to the machine again, in which case the error would re-occur.  Apparently the uninstall wasn’t a complete uninstall.  So, I created a VB Script that, when run, would completely remove goverlan from the target system.  Upon running the script, you enter the target machine name, and the script stops the service, removes all registry entries and then deletes the files.  After a reboot, Goverlan can successfully reconnect to the machine again.

I don’t work on Macintosh Systems, but I ran across a new article in eWeek, Will Leopard Out-Vista Vista?  The article discusses much of the de-hyped claims of Microsoft Vista as well as the still-hyped claims from Steve Jobs regarding Apple’s OS, code-named Leopard.  A couple points of reference in the article are:

• What’s now promised for 2007 is a radically de-featured Windows XP upgrade
• security problems that once left Apple untouched, thanks to a completely different processor instruction set, may soon become more all-inclusive.

Basically, it has been my experience that Apple’s claim to fame in the past has been that their machines ‘don’t crash’ as often as the Windows machines.  That claim, of course, was more bolstered by their proprietary hardware then any kind of technical wizardry.  So, I’m curious now that Apple has decided to start using the intel architecture and openly competing on the same systems as Microsoft, will their reputation hold up? 

Does Apple stand much chance of competing against both the Windows and Linux operating systems that primarly dominate the Intel Architecture?   

From personal experiences, I often wonder why Apple gets much more praise and trust in the marketplace then Microsoft.  I’ve owned computers since 1981 and watched both companies grow through the years.  Neither one has exactly kept their hands clean throughout the years and I wouldn’t trust one any more then the other.  If I had to put my faith in an OS Manufacturer, I’d personally choose one of the Linux distro’s.  Of course, when it comes to getting work done, I’m content with Windows and it’s diverse and user-friendly software library.  Comments?

Welcome to the Desktop Support Blog. 

Why this site?   I have been in the Desktop Support industry on and off for the last 14 years.  During that time, i’ve stumbled across lots of news, tips and tricks, etc. that i’ve passed along to my previous and current co-workers.  A few years back I thought, what the heck, i’ll create a forum for people to discuss desktop support tips and computer issues.  I built the site, and…

No-one came. 

So much for the ‘build it and they will come’ mentality.  Well, thats not entirely true.  A lot of forum spammers managed to find my site.  As much fun as it is spending my spare time deleting the ‘viagra’ posts, it’s not how I felt like spending my spare time.  

So, a few days ago I figured I’d kill the forum idea and just make it something a little more personal.  I’ll do most of the posting since I’m used to that anyway (unless anyone else wants to join in?).  Like most IT Professionals, desktop support is not the only work i do, so my topics might vary a bit.  Anyway, let me know what you’d like to see discussed or any other suggestions you might have. 

Also, for those interested, there is free webmail for ‘desktopanalyst.com’.  Since that site redirects here, i’ll be posting a link soon at the top somewhere to check your email. 

Thanks for stopping by…  if you’re planning on coming back, sign up and post a comment letting me know.