Gabriel Technical Blog

Analyzing the Business Case

2009-09-19T02:22:00.000-07:00

When you start a system analysis is with a purpose to figure out what the business needs, for example, what kind of machine or software you are going to use in that system. Therefore an important step before and during the study of the business case is the importance of the preliminary investigation which typically includes:

Understand the problem
Define the project scope
Perform fact-finding (Analyze organizational chart, conduct interview, observe operations, conduct surveys)
Evaluate
Estimate the project (Cost/Time)
Present results and recommendations.

Steps in a preliminary investigation (Rosenblant, 2008)

As a part of the recommendations to improve, the project manager or the responsible committee needs to analyze not just how complex is going to be the system to improve and resolve problems, but how the human factor will accept those changes. IT departments should consider the impact of those changes in every department as well in other parts of the country and in some circumstances around the world.

According with Edward J. Szewczak (a professor and Chair of the MCIS Department at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York and hold a Ph.D. in MIS) during the business case the human factor may be overlook the following categories involved:

Work environment (physical demands, skill demands, risk demands, time demands)
Psychosocial environment (social and cultural style).
Ergonomic environment (hardware design, anthropometrics and biomechanics).
Enhancing certain desirable human values at work by enhancing safety, increasing comfort level of using technology, decreasing stress.

(Szewczak, 2002)

Last month in my job I collaborated updating a new system that will help to keep updated the LDS Church public affairs directors around the world. The system was created quickly by the ICS department but we faced some problems in collecting the information for the system. The work environment was not the perfect one. The time demanded was so much. The deadline for the project was a short time so there was not time for the article’s approvals either for another approvals procedure from different church department (for example for the use of video and pictures) Another situation to consider is that computer skill might affect user around the world searching information in the system. Another thing to resolve is the language and some articles need might not help in some countries.

As a result what I learn from this experience is that preliminary investigation has important role because it helps to realize the appropriate time to develop the system and evaluate some problems or risks then those can be avoided or resolved in appropriated time and manners. I think that system analysis design is a difficult tasks because there is not perfect system for everybody, there is so many interest involved and in some case tent to be very highly political.

Bibliography

Rosenblant, S. C. (2008). Systems Analysis and Design . Boston: Thomson.
Szewczak, E. J. (2002). Human Factors in Information Systems. Hershey PA 17033-1117: IRM Press.

Printer is printing out Coded text

2009-03-18T09:41:00.000-07:00

Summary

The printer appears to be printing out code (garbage or Junk) instead of text.

Cause

When users moved from Office 2003 to Office 2007 the printer would start to print code. MS Office 2007 dose not utilize the PCL 5e driver properly. This is particually true with HP Laserjet P2015 printers.

Solution
Go to hp.com and down load and install the either the PCL6 or PostScript driver for the printer.
Downloaded and installed the PCL6 or PostScript HP driver from HP.com

Error message: "Explorer.exe has generated errors

2009-02-03T12:09:00.000-08:00

Error message: "Explorer.exe has generated errors and will be closed by Windows. You will need to restart the program." (This refers to Internet explorer)

It my be different reason for this errors. For me the frequent one is that users upgrade the internet explorer version and there is some web applications that are not running yet on the newest version.

What the user needs to do is to restore the previews version

1. Quit all running programs.

2. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

3. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.

4. In the Currently installed programs list, click Microsoft Internet Explorer (Version x.x), and then click Change/Remove.

5. Click Restore the earlier Windows configuration, and then click OK.

6. Click Yes when you are prompted to remove Internet Explorer.

7. Click Restart Windows to restart the computer.

8. Start Windows Explorer to verify that you no longer receive the error message.

Installing Windows Server 2008

2009-01-16T13:31:00.000-08:00

There is often more than one way to do things "the right way" "the wrong way" I will like to add one more way, My own way.

Installing windows server machine from the network during the lab, last week, was painful.
Then I tried to installed at home using a DVD was a different story.

In both cases I did not have any problem with the activation or something else it was smooth

Microsoft Baseline

2008-11-15T17:36:00.000-08:00

Baseline is a set of performance indicator gathered when system performance is acceptable. This baseline has first establish to difine the normal performance. From this point the base line will have information to compare.

You can check the beavior of the memory, hard drive, the network with your PC.

The easy way to have access to this tool just click on star on the windows menu bar and type in the search field Reliability Performance Monitor and you are ready to go.

Restart the Print Spooler service

2008-11-05T09:46:00.000-08:00

To change or restart the Print Spooler service on Windows Vista

You must be logged on as an administrator to perform these steps.

Click to open Administrative Tools.
Double-click Services. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
Right-click the Print Spooler service, and then click Properties.
On the General tab, next to Startup type, make sure that Automatic is selected.
If the service is not already running, under Service status, click Start, and then click OK. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

How to import a personal address book from Outlook 2007 to another 2007 account.

2008-10-10T06:32:00.000-07:00

Microsoft Outlook 2007 an e-mail system. An user may wish to copy a personal address book from another user and import it into his own.

Open Outlook 2007
Click on the My Contacts tab.

(Click on the image to enlarge it)

3. Go to file and click on Import/Export

4. You will get the follow Import ans Eport Wizard

5. Select export to a file

6. Select Export to a file and click next.
7. Click on MS Excel 97-2003
8. Select folder to export (Look for your personal contacs or frequent contacts)
9. Select the name and place to export the file

You will get a confirmation message, click Finish to proceed.

Take the excel file to the another machine or user account and repeat step 1 trough 4 this time select Import from another program file, then complete the wizard.

Spyware: Steal information from your PC

2008-10-06T09:24:00.001-07:00

The problem with Adware is the concept of reporting your Internet surfing habits back home for data collection purposes. If this bothers you, then removing the spyware from your system might be a consideration.

Spyware is a type of software that monitors the actions of a computer user and falls into a number of categories:

Software that may be installed on purpose to help provide security or workplace monitoring
Software designed mostly for collecting marketing data
Software that is maliciously installed, either as a general violation of a person's privacy or to collect information that may allow further attacks on their computer such as "keylogging".
Windows Vista:

The Windows Vista has Windows Defender which is a tool that detec and removes spyware.
"Windows Defender is software that helps protect your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software by detecting and removing known spyware from your computer. Windows Defender features Real-Time Protection, a monitoring system that recommends actions against spyware when it's detected, minimizes interruptions, and helps you stay productive." (More information)

Here are some programs that might help you to remove those spywares.

Ad-Aware @ Lavasoft - The Original Anti-Spyware Company - Lavasoft

Providers of anti-spyware software. Flagship product Ad-Aware is a multi- component detection and removal utility.

PC Hell: Spyware and Adware Removal Help

Reviews of Popular Spyware Removal Programs, Reviews of the latest Microsoft AntiSpyware, Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE Personal, and Spybot Search & Destroy.

Password or Username is incorrect

2008-10-06T08:16:00.001-07:00

Problem

When user try to login, he gets a error message

== Password or username is incorrect==

Type the following

C:Net User Username *

Then the system will ask for the new password

Active Directory Management

2008-09-30T20:31:00.000-07:00

Managing the user accounts in Active Directory is an open challenge that every IT administrator face in day-to-day activities.

Manually configuring the user properties is extremely time consuming, tiresome, and error prone, particularly in a large, complex windows network.

Moreover, it requires an in-depth knowledge about the Active Directory to accomplish these tasks.

ADManager Plus enables you to create multiple user accounts in the Active Directory simultaneously. It allows you to create multiple templates that contain the standard user attribute values, which can be used in creating bulk users. You can import the user attributes from a CSV file while creating user accounts, which dramatically reduces your time.

ADManager Plus 4.2 (Download ADManager Plus 4.2)

http://manageengine.adventnet.com/products/ad-manager/active_directory_bulk_users_Creation.html

How to delete temporary files in Windows

2008-09-18T19:03:00.000-07:00

Deleting temp files from Windows is one of the standard troubleshooting tasks for unknown errors.

For example, after I run this program in my job I fixed problems with printers and software which were running slow.

Download the file (Click here)

Instructions:

NOTE: This procedure will completely delete the temp folder on the C:\ drive. If he or she has necessary folders, the folders should be moved.

Download the file. Click Save As.

Save the Clean.bat to the desktop. Click Save.

Note: Do not click Run. This will run the .bat file, which should not be done with applications open.

Run the file.

On the desktop, double-click Clean.bat

A black DOS window will open, and the file will be run, and the DOS window will close by it self.

Reboot the computer if is necessary.

Extended partitions

2008-09-17T09:16:00.001-07:00

Definition: Extended partitions: The partition table has room for only four partitions. For more partitions, one of these four partitions can be divided into many smaller partitions, called logical partitions. The original four are then called primary partitions. If a primary partition is subdivided in this way, it is known as an extended primary or extended partition. Typically, the first primary partition will be small ( /dev/hda1, say).

The second primary partition will fill the rest of the disk as an extended partition (/dev/hda2, say). In this case, the entries in the partition table of / dev/hda3 and /dev/hda4 will be blank. The extended partition can be subdivided repeatedly to give /dev/hda5, /dev/hda6, and so on.

More about partitions

About me

2008-09-08T08:20:00.001-07:00

My home town is Coatzacoalcos, Ver Mexico.

I have been married for almost thirteen years, so I will spend my $1,000.00 going to Disneyland to get fun with my wife and celebrate our thirteen anniversary.