Windows 8 and .NET Framework 3.5

 I had an interesting problem - brand new Windows 8.1 with .NET framework 4.5 installed was not able to connect o windows update to download Framework 3.5. Reason for old framework - SQL Server 2014 requires it.
 After lots of googling, and experimenting, I've finally found option to do silent install, meant for situations where you don't have internet connection, and that worked:



LimitAccess switch is the key to signal Windows to use local dvd (or local ISO in my case) and not connect to internet for that.

DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:NetFx3 /All /LimitAccess /Source:d:\sources\sxs

Notepad++ and xml

 Notepad++ is a veritable well of usefulness. Everyday I am finding new nice features.
 Today, it's ability to collapse all nodes in xml document via keyboard shortcut.

 To collapse all nodes:
 ALT-0
 To expand all nodes:
 ALT-SHIFT-0
 To expand certain level only:
 ALT-SHIFT-2 (for level 2)
 To collapse on certain level only:
 ALT-1

 Of course, you do need to install XML plugin to manipulate XML documents, then you can format it and validate and do all kinds of useful things with it.

Visual Studio search broken after BizTalk installation

 I am not sure who exactly broke my Visual Studio 2013,  either BizTalk ESB Toolkit or PowerTools for TFS broke Visual Studio search.
 Find in Files for a word would return summary only, without actual list of files to go and see - pretty useless.

 Solution is to fix default value for registry key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\
Wow6432Node\
CLSID\
{73B7DC00-F498-4ABD-AB79-D07AFD52F395}\
InProcServer32

to:
  
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\MSEnv\TextMgrP.dll

It was blank, I've entered the value and it worked without even restarting VS. 

Unable to connect to proxy server error

  This error is very annoying because culprit is IE update.
   Regardless of what browser you are using, IE changes the settings for the proxy internally, blocking every browser.
 Solution is to go to Internet Options, then to Connections, LAN and then uncheck proxy option there.
  One of those issues that underlies why Microsoft was sued for antitrust violations. I almost never use IE (except for testing) and yet, this silent update blocks everything else.

 

AppPool identity

 To be able to give App Pool identity permission on the folder, you need to search for:

  IIS AppPool\DefaultAppPool

 Otherwise you will not find it.
 

Sql server database(s) size

 When you have many databases on the server, this is the fastest way to get their size in Mb:

 exec sp_helpdb;

I wish it does break it down by data and transaction log like Disk Usage Report, it just gives the summary.

Programming is difficult business. It should never be undertaken in ignorance - so true!

From Douglas Crockford book, "JavaScript, The Good Parts":

The amazing thing about JavaScript is that it is possible to get work done with it
without knowing much about the language, or even knowing much about programming. It is a language with enormous expressive power. It is even better when you
know what you’re doing. Programming is difficult business. It should never be
undertaken in ignorance."

Isn't this the truth?!