Robocopy is included in Windows 7 and features a new multi-threaded copy option. To perform a multi-threaded copy, you use the new /MT[:n] switch, where n indicates the number of threads to be used. By default, n is 8 when you use the /MT option, and can be any value from 1 to 128.
Note that the multi-threaded option is not compatible with the /IPG and /EFSRAW options.
Multithreaded File Copies with Robocopy in Windows 7
System Crash: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
“The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.”
This error can be triggered by many different things, but in general they’re all related to something to do with power management.
I just went through three motherboards, different VGA cards and harddisks, basically changing out everything except for the CPU, only to eventually find that the computer crashes were triggered by Windows 7 trying to manage the power state on my Intel Core i5 750 CPU. As soon as I disabled all C-States, it stopped crashing.
I found out about this workaround from the Technet forum threads “Periodic server core BSOD/Reboot, need help with bugcheck report” and “Iam having Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power crashes“.
The problem with this workaround, is that the new CPUs are supposed to save you energy by enabling the latest operating systems such as Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 to manage them more effeciently. By disabling all of the C-States, you’re basically forcing the CPU to run at full steam. This is most severe if you’ve invested in the latest Xeon processors mainly because of these features, as mentioned somewhere further down in the first forum thread I linked to.
If this is a fault with the new Windows core, I really hope Microsoft comes out with a hotfix soon. It cost me a lot of time and frustration to find the source of – and workaround to – the problem.
Make Your Own TRIM for SSDs in RAID Mode
A driver that finally enables TRIM support for Intel SDDs in RAID mode?
Sadly, the news were too good to be true. The latest Intel driver was incorrectly reported (techPowerUp!) to enable TRIM for SSDs in all RAID modes except for RAID5. However, this was bogus information from Intel. The correction came shortly thereafter, that support is ONLY for single disks and not while in RAID arrays.
Intel X25-V SSD - no TRIM for you!
The truth is that the new driver allows single disks that are connected while running the storage controller in RAID mode to receive the TRIM command.
It seems passing the TRIM command to SSDs in a RAID array is not a simple case with current chipsets and drivers.
The recommended workaround:
Yes, there’s actually a workaround! Just leave some 15-20% free, unformatted, unallocated space when formatting your RAID array of SSDs, seen as a single disk during OS install. The SSD controller will use this as “scratch space”. Also, do note that the much talked about performance loss over time that occurs with SSDs – is much less of an issue when in a RAID.
But what if I already formatted and used my drives?
No worries! You can still perform a Secure Erase (ata.wiki.kernel.org) to bring them back to basics. The same procedure can also be performed every 1-2 years if you experience noticeable loss of performance. But by then, maybe they will have conjured up some magical new drivers? Only time will tell …
Oh, almost forgot; for those “I run my single disk SSDs while in RAID mode” kind of guys:
Click here to get the latest Intel® Rapid Storage Technology Driver for Intel Desktop Boards.
Select your OS, then “Driver”.
Woobius Eye Visual Collaboration App
This instant visual doodling application allows you to describe things visually with ease.
Just open the Woobius Eye website, hit “invite” for a link that you send to your friend(s) via instant message or e-mail.
You can upload images from your computer or an image search on the web, then draw on it while discussing options.
Another great thing about Woobius Eye is that it’s free to use and does not require you to register for an account.
Check out the video demo from YouTube, below:
Useful DNS commands for Windows
Changing the name of a server inside of a domain? Finding computers whose names don’t match with their IPs? You may need to do some DNS “magic”.
App-V 4.6 Released
Looking into App-V but not yet made the leap?
Now might be the time. App-V now supports 64-bit!
Check out the App-V 4.6 Release Q & A (Springboard series blog).
Another recommended reading is the Lazy Admin blog post about real world experiences with App-V.