EXEC sp_msForEachTable @COMMAND1= 'DBCC DBREINDEX ( "?")'

Keep in mind that the DBCC DBREINDEX command will put a lock on the table while it does its thing, so you may not want to do this during peak times.  But from time to time, you may find need to reindex all of the tables in a database in one fell swoop, and this’ll do it.

(Found here)

Recently, my copy of SQL Server 2008 Management Studio began failing with this error message:

Unable to cast COM object of type 'System.__ComObject' to interface
type 'Microsoft.VisualStudio.OLE.Interop.IServiceProvider'.  This
operation failed because the QueryInterface call on the COM component
for the interface with IID '{6D5140C1-7436-11CE-8034-00AA006009FA}'
failed due to the following error: No such interface supported
(Exception from HRESULT: 0x80004002 (E_NOINTERFACE)).
(Microsoft.VisualStudio.OLE.Interop)

(told you it was geeky)

It took me hours and more than a few gray hairs to work this out.  Apparently, the issue is caused by installing SourceGear’s Vault Client (Vault is a version control tool used by programmers to manage source code).

SourceGear has a page that talks about it:  http://bit.ly/boIRRC

There are various pages online that refer to the error, but the vast majority suggest the solution is to re-register actxprxy.dll.  In my case, the trick was to re-register C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\ieproxy.dll.

The exact procedure:

1. Launch a command prompt as Administrator (best bet is to do Start, then search for “Command” to find the icon, then right click and choose “Run as Administrator” — you’ll have to click to approve it)
2. Enter the following command:
   regsvr32 “C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\ieproxy.dll”
   and press ENTER.

That’s it.  2 seconds.

Wish I had managed to find that one before I spent three hours installing every SQL Server program I could identify and then reinstalling Visual Studio 2010.  Uggh.

Cannot start Microsoft Office Outlook. Cannot open the Outlook window.

I ran Microsoft Office Diagnostics (which usually can fix these kinds of issues — it’s under Start > All Programs > Microsoft Office > Office Tools), and it found no problems and didn’t fix the issue.

A little Googling turned up this nugget, which did the trick:

Click on Start > Run, then enter “outlook.exe /resetnavpane” and click OK.

Life is good!

In true geekspeak:

HandBrake is an open-source, GPL-licensed, multiplatform, multithreaded video transcoder, available for MacOS X, Linux and Windows.

The important thing here is that it’s “open-source” and “GPL-licensed,” which is to say that it’s free.

Oh, and it works beautifully.  In no time flat I had converted all of the WMV files to MP4 files that should work flawlessly on his Android-based G1 phone.  HandBrake would do a nice job of converting Windows videos to download to your iPhone or iPod Touch, too.

The other task he gave me was to replicate a DVD that he had produced a couple of years ago (just so we’re clear, he owns the content, so this is not about making illegal copies of commercial DVDs!)

For that, I turned to my old friend ImgBurn.  This wonderful tool — also free — will read and write CD’s and DVD’s.  In this case, I was able to rip the entire DVD to an ISO file, then pop in a blank DVD and burn an exact duplicate.

There you go!  Two new toys to add to your toolbox.

1) Sequential Taillight Kit — Makes the turn signals blink in sequential fashion; very retro and wicked cool

2) Clear Turn Signal Lights – Converts the standard amber turn signals into a nicer chrome/clear deal

3) Chrome Halo Headlights – Love that BMW Halo Effect!  Downside is that I don’t think these will work on my Mustang, because I have the daytime running lights.

4) Red Caliper Covers w/ Mustang Logo – I always did like the look of red brake calipers. (Bummer!  These won’t fit my car, since I have 16″ wheels)

5) Magnetic Blackout Panel – Just like those old Mustangs in the early 70′s!

It hurt a little bit, because that MINI was a WONDERFUL car, but it was time to move on as the MINI was quickly approaching 100,000 miles, and there were major systems that were due to begin breaking any minute.

The Mustang has just 19,000 miles on it (so it’s still covered by factory warranty for a while), and is in phenomenal condition.  A very minor ding in the driver’s door and some trivial scratches on the center console are the only things that I have found that are less than perfect.  It’s a pretty basic car — with the base 4.0L V-6 engine — but is wonderfully fun to drive and remarkably comfortable.  Plenty of room for a big guy (I’m 6’6″ tall).

The best part?  I have instantly and irrevocably been elevated to the level of “Coolest Dad in the Universe” by Christopher.  Christopher is pretty sure that there is no better car on earth than the Mustang, and he’s still not sure that I really, truly bought one.  He’s already seen many years in the future, and has decided that it would be OK for this to be a hand-me-down car for him when he goes off to college.  We’ll see…

Full Story

(Passed along by Ken, originally shared on the Professional Pilot News blog.)

The last time it happened, the car was going in for service anyway (to fix a cracked coolant overflow) so I had them check it.  They wanted $400 to put a new motor in it.  Hrumph.  I said I’d live with it.  Curiously, when I got the car back, it worked fine.  They claimed it was because they disassembled and reassembled the door to check it out.

It worked fine for about six months after that until about a month ago, when once again it took some time off.  I’ve been living with it.

A couple of days ago, I ran into a friend who has a similar ’03 MINI Cooper and we were comparing notes.  He’s got 126,000 on his MINI, I’ve got 95,000.  Both cars still drive like they’re new.  He just got new brakes (or something similarly expensive), I just got a new A/C Compressor.

Then Donna mentioned that my window has been on the fritz, and Pete blew my mind:

“Oh, that’s easy.  Hold the window switch down and hit the door hard about halfway between the door handle and the speaker.  Then let go of the switch and try it.  Should work fine.  I’ve been doing that for three years.”

Yeah, right.  I said I’d try beating up my car when I got home.

Doggone if it didn’t work!  It was like getting a new car!  I don’t know why I never thought of percussive maintenance before.

Thanks, Pete.

I offer this story here so that if anybody else has a MINI Cooper with windows that periodically stop working, perhaps it will be helpful to them as well…