SharePoint Search service is in Starting or Stopping state ?

If  is unable to do a search in my MOSS website and when tried search, you got an error: “The search request was unable to connect to the search service.”  when you tried to do a full crawl, then it hangs there with “Starting” stage, Then you tried to stop and start the Office SharePoint search in Central Admin, but you cannot stop it. It’s status shows “stopping”.

Here are the things you can try go get this issue solved:

stsadm -o osearch -action stop

stsadm -o osearch -action start

Or you can try:

net stop oSearch

net start oSearch

If you still run into the same issue, then try the following:

psconfig -cmd services -install

This will configure SharePoint search again.

Skype Connector for Dynamics CRM 2011

Skype Connector for Dynamics CRM 2011 enables you to integrate inbound Skype calls with Dynamics CRM. You can think of it as Dynamics CRM CTI with Skype.

Projects consists of two components: agent tray application & solution for CRM 2011 (unmanaged or managed).

Tray application connects to agents Skype and when the call is received it checks in CRM if there is a user with given Skype username. If not found it searches by name and it that fails as well than it offers to create a new contact. IM messages exchanged in a call are also being recorded.

This solution should work on all deployments (on premise, IFD, Online).

http://crmskype.codeplex.com/

Windows PowerShell for SharePoint Server 2010

Windows PowerShell is a command-line scripting tool that provides an administrator full access to applicable application programming interfaces (APIs).

Administrators can use Windows PowerShell to interact directly with SharePoint-based web applications, site collections, sites, lists, and much more.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/ff603532

SESSION_STATE_PASCAL_CASED is not configured properly

InfoPath Forms Services has detected a mismatch between the user’s data in the browser and on the server. This may indicate the SESSION_STATE_PASCAL_CASED is not configured properly on a multiple front end farm or that a malicious user is trying to tamper with client data. (User: MYDOMAIN\username123, Form Name: ABCForm, IP: , Request: http://myserverXYZ/_layouts/Postback.FormServer.aspx, Form ID: urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:infopath:ABCForm:-myXSD-2005-10-21T21-12-27)

This is a common SharePoint issue that your SharePoint admin would be able to help. This error also happens when the shared service in SharePoint central admin is not configured properly. After creating a new shared service, that error went away.

You may also try the following. Clear browser’s cache and try again and if that doesn’t solve the problem then run the following command: 

stsadm -o reconvertallformtemplates

Convert PDF to Word Online for Free

Convert any PDF files into Microsoft Word document with this free tool.

http://www.convertpdftoword.net/

You need simply to upload your file and click on converter button.

Enjoy!

Configure a Microsoft Dynamics CRM organization for database mirroring

Note

The previously mentioned computers (MSCRM_Primary, MSCRM_Mirror, and MSCRM_Witness) must all have a network connection and must be running an edition of SQL Server that supports database mirroring.

To mirror the organization database, follow these steps:

1. On the instance of SQL Server that stores the primary database (MSCRM_Primary), start Reporting Services.
2. Expand Databases, right-click OrganizationName_MSCRM, where OrganizationName is the name of your organization, and then click Properties. Verify that the Microsoft Dynamics CRM organization database recovery model is set to Full. This is required for a database that will be mirrored.
   1. To verify the recovery model, on the Database Properties window under Select a page, click Options. The recovery model appears in the Recovery model list. Select Full.
   2. Click OK to close the Database Properties window.
3. Make a full backup of the organization database. For more information about how to do this, see the Reporting Services Help.
4. Restore the full backup of the primary (MSCRM_Primary) to the mirror instance (MSCRM_Mirror) by using the RESTORE WITH NORECOVERY option, which is required for database mirroring. For more information about how to do this, see the Reporting Services Help.
5. Configure database mirroring. To do this, start Reporting Services, connect to the instance of SQL Server where the primary database (MSCRM_Primary) is located, and then follow these steps:
   1. Expand Databases, right-click the Microsoft Dynamics CRM organization database that you want to mirror, point to Tasks, and then click Mirror.
   2. Click Configure Security, and then, on the new window, click Next.
   3. On the Include Witness Server window, select Yes, and then click Next.
   4. On the Choose Servers to Configure window, select Witness server instance, and then click Next.
   5. On the Principle Server Instance window, in the Principal server instance list, select the instance of SQL Server (MSCRM_Primary) where the Microsoft Dynamics CRM organization database is located. In addition, you can change the default settings for the listener port, encryption, and endpoint name. Click Next.
   6. On the Mirror Server Instance window, in the Mirror server instance list, select the instance of SQL Server (MSCRM_Mirror) where you restored the Microsoft Dynamics CRM organization database in the previous step. You can change the default settings for the listener port, encryption, and endpoint name, if it is necessary. Click Next.
   7. On the Witness Server Instance window, in the Witness server instance list, select the computer that you want to designate as the Witness (MSCRM_Witness). At this point, you can change the default settings for the listener port, encryption, and endpoint name. Click Next.If you are connecting to an instance of SQL Server that is running SQL Server 2005 Express Edition, verify that remote connections are supported. To do this, on the computer where SQL Server 2005 Express Edition is installed start SQL Server 2005 Surface Area Configuration and make sure that the remote-connections feature is enabled. If you receive an error message about a time-out, when you try to connect to the Witness server, click Options and extend the execution time-out period to a larger value, such as 45 seconds. By default, the value is 15 seconds.
   8. On the Service Accounts window, enter the Active Directory service account for each instance. We recommend that you specify the same service account for all three partners in the mirroring session. Click Next.
   9. Click Finish. The wizard runs through a list of verification checks. Upon completion, click Start Mirroring.
6. Update the SQL Server connection string in the registry. To do this, follow these steps.WarningSerious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require you to reinstall the operating system and Microsoft Dynamics CRM. We cannot guarantee that these problems can be resolved. Modify the registry at your own risk.
   1. On the computer that is running Internet Information Services (IIS), where the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Web application is installed, start Registry Editor and locate the following registry subkey:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSCRM\
   2. Right-click configdb, and then click Modify. Insert Failover Partner=MSCRM_Mirror; into the connection string, after the DataSource value. The complete connection string will appear similar to the following example, where MSCRM_Primary is the primary SQL Server\instance name and MSCRM_Mirror is the mirrored SQL Server\instance name:Data Source=MSCRM_Primary\SQL1;Failover Partner=MSCRM_Mirror\SQL2;Initial Catalog= MSCRM_CONFIG;Integrated Security=SSPI
   3. Click OK, and then close Registry Editor.
7. Create the SQL logins for the Microsoft Dynamics CRM security groups on the Mirror server (MSCRM_Mirror). To do this, follow these steps.
   1. On the SQL Server (MSCRM_Primary) start Reporting Services, and connect to the Primary database.
   2. Expand Databases, expand the OrganizationName_MSCRM database where OrganizationName is the name of your organization, expand Security, and then click Users.
   3. Copy and paste the names, including the domain name and the GUIDs, (the GUIDs are located at the end of the name) for the following groups:
      • PrivReportingGroup
      • ReportingGroup
      • SQLAccessGroup

      To do this, right-click the SQL user name, click Properties, in the User name box, right-click the whole value, and then click Copy. Then, in a text editor such as Notepad, paste the contents. Repeat these steps for each group until you have the contents for all three groups.

   4. In Reporting Services, connect to the SQL Server Mirror instance (MSCRM_Mirror).
   5. Expand Databases, expand Security, right-click Logins, and then click New Login.
   6. Switch to the text editor in which the SQL users were previously pasted, and copy the contents of one of the groups.
   7. Switch to the Login –New form that was opened in step e. In the Login name box, paste the contents into the box, and then click OK. The SQL user contents should resemble the following example.DomainName\SQLAccessGroup {859409f6-c4a5-4cb6-86f2-af264520ea10}
   8. Repeat steps e-g to create SQL logins for the remaining groups.
8. Update the configuration database to specify the mirror. To do this, follow these steps.ImportantBack up the Microsoft Dynamics CRM configuration database (MSCRM_CONFIG) before you run these update statements.
   1. Run the following update statement against the configuration (MSCRM_CONFIG) database.

   Update Organization set ConnectionString = ‘Provider=SQLOLEDB;Data Source=MSCRM_Primary\SQL1;Failover Partner=MSCRM_Mirror\SQL2;Initial Catalog=Organization_MSCRM;Integrated Security=SSPI’ where DatabaseName = ‘Organization_MSCRM’

   • Replace MSCRM_Primary\SQL1 with the name of the Primary instance of SQL Server. If you are using the default instance, do not designate the instance such as \SQL1.
   • Replace MSCRM_Mirror\SQL2 with the name of the Mirrored instance SQL Server. If you are using the default instance, do not designate the instance such as \SQL2.
   • Replace Organization_MSCRM with the name of the organization database.
   1. Run the following update statement against the configuration (MSCRM_CONFIG) database.

   Update Organization set MirroredSQLServerName = ‘MSCRM_Mirror\SQL2’ where DatabaseName = ‘Organization_MSCRM’

   • Replace MSCRM_Mirror\SQL2 with the name of the Mirrored instance of SQL Server. If you are using the default instance, do not designate the instance such as \SQL2.
   • Replace Organization_MSCRM with the name of the organization database.
9. After you make these changes, reset IIS on the computer that is running Microsoft Dynamics CRM. To do this, click Start, and then click Run. In the Open box, type iisreset, and then click OK.

Source: Microsoft Corporation

SmartSerialMail Free v 1.0 – Creation and Sending of Personalized Serial Mails and Newsletters

The fast and easy way to send a newsletter for free!

With SmartSerialMail Free you have the opportunity to create and send newsletters in a quick and easy way without any costs.

Similar to a serial letter you will be able to individualize your newsletter for each recipient by simply using templates, e.g. to address your customers personally with their first and last name.

Send out up to 400 personalized emails per day* with our completely free software and inform your network, your customers, club members or your relatives about latest news, new products or special offers.

The creation of serial mails by using the integrated and comprehensive HTML editor will be a child’s play. Furthermore, already existing serial letter templates can be easily taken over, as SmartSerialMail supports an import from MS Word, text or HTML files.

Your recipient’s personal data, which will be collected by SmartSerialMail in an email list with up to 200 addresses*, remain completely under your own control at any time. Unlike Internet-based solutions, work with SmartSerialMail is thus completely in accordance with most data protection regulations, as no sensitive data needs to be passed on to e.g. a third party.

Please note, that you will not be able to send email attachments with SmartSerialMail Free. Depending on your individual needs, e.g. in terms of sophisticated newsletter using personalized attachments for each recipient or for more complex marketing campaigns, SmartSerialMail is also available as a SmallBusiness and Enterprise Edition.

With our comparison list, you will get a quick overview about which version of SmartSerialMail fits best to your individual needs.

* This limitation refers only to the free version of SmartSerialMail

TreeSize Free v 2.6 – Quickly Scan Directory Sizes and Find Space Hogs

Every hard disk is too small if you just wait long enough. TreeSize Free tells you where precious space has gone to.

TreeSize Free can be started from the context menu of a folder or drive and shows you the size of this folder, including its subfolders. You can expand this folder in Explorer-like style and you will see the size of every subfolder. All results can also be drilled down to the file level. Scanning is done in a thread, so you can already see results while TreeSize Free is working. The Explorer context menu is supported within TreeSize, as well as the usual drag & drop operations.

The disk space tool now also includes the main feature of our discontinued freeware NTFSRatio: TreeSize Free can display the NTFS compression rate and apply the NTFS compression on directory branches. 

Take a look at the advanced analysis and management functions of TreeSize Professional.

TreeSize Free is freeware for Windows XP/Vista/7/2003/2008 (32 or 64 Bit).
Users of Windows 2000 can download the last compatible version TreeSize Free V2.4.
Users of Windows 9x/ME can download the last compatible version TreeSize Free V2.1.