Blank page in ASP.NET MVC, IIS and Windows 7

You decide to move your web application from the internal web server to IIS under Windows 7, but observe nothing but a blank page.

Seems like it’s not enough to just add IIS from within Programs And Features – Turn Windows features on or off, but some additional tricks are required.

When activating World Wide Web Services within Turn Windows features on or off, remember to include:

• HTTP Errors
• HTTP Redirection

Even if ASP.NET is already selected, the following command line must be executed. Remember to run cmd as Administrator:

1. %windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\aspnet_regiis.exe –ir   

Resources:

• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1852251/getting-an-asp-mvc2-vs2010-application-to-work-in-iis-7-5

Can’t connect MyMobiler due to a busy ActiveSync connection

I installed MyMobiler on my computer, but couldn’t connect to my HTC HD2. The exact words in the message has slipped my mind, but it said something about an ActiveSync connection being busy.

In my case, that message was both unhelpful and totally wrong. The real reason was missing drivers on my Windows 7 64-bit system:

1. Download and install the drivers.
2. Reconnect the phone, make sure to select the ActiveSync option.
3. Wait for the driver to complete the install.
4. Exit MyMobiler and start it again.

Resources:

• http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/en-us/help/synchronize/device-center-troubleshooting.mspx
• http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/confirmation.aspx?familyId=4F68EB56-7825-43B2-AC89-2030ED98ED95&hash=Rs0Q7uZgjw0B5%2bWsCNKinLxn2X8aWz6N09LARKIiSvQ1%2bIMiSv9BLDwiuvFymcCxQLfqstbpfleO8k6YFc4yLQ%3d%3d
• http://mymobiler.com/

Bulk unblock files in Windows 7

When you download files from unsafe sources like the internet, Windows will helpfully block those files to protect you.
I find that one of the most annoying and unusable feature in Windows 7.
Not because I don’t want to be safe, I do, but that feature gets in my way more often than not.
Usually, I download Visual Studio solutions with the usual libs folder, or binaries I trust. My download pattern is to let my browser open the zip file, extract all files from there, and start digging.
At this point I have all forgotten about the download, the location of the download folder, or worse, the temp folder. So when I now is prohibited by Windows to do my work, I get annoyed because there are no simple way to unblock all files in a directory tree.'
Here’s a way to make life easier:

• Download  Streams.
• Remember to unblock the zip file.
• Unzip and copy streams.exe to \Windows\System32 or any other directory in your path environment variable.

Now we are ready for the manual option:

• Hold down Shift and right-click the blocked folder.
• Select “Open command window here”
• Execute the following command “streams -s -d *.*”

For the automatic option, we need to modify the registry:

• Create a new text file and rename it to something like “unblock-files-in-here.reg”.
• Paste in the text below
• Run the file.
• Right-click a file and select “Unblock file”
• Or right-click a folder and select “Unblock files in here”

Registry script:

1. Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00  
2.  
3. [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\unblockfile]  
4. @="Unblock file"  
5.  
6. [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\unblockfile\command]  
7. @="cmd /c streams -d \"%1\""  
8.  
9. [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\unblockfilesinhere]  
10. @="Unblock files in here"  
11.  
12. [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\unblockfilesinhere\command]  
13. @="cmd /c streams.exe -d -s \"%1\""  

Resources:

• http://elijahmanor.com/webdevdotnet/post/Recursively-Unblock-Assemblies-with-Streams.aspx
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897440.aspx
• http://superuser.com/questions/110362/shell-extension-to-unblock-downloaded-files

Installing Canon Pixma MP600R on Windows 7 and getting it online

The original setup CD for MP600R is not prepared for Windows 7. Nor is the downloadable drivers / setups from Canon’s support pages, apparently.

Running the original setup greets you with a message stating there are compatibility issues.

Going to Canon’s support pages will reveal they are not very supportive.

I found the driver, apparently, a Windows 7, 64 bit version of the “Canon Network Setup and Tool”. It succeeded in installing the printer driver, but not the network tool.

Then I downloaded a zipped zipfile (!) which seemed to contain a setup for the network tool. That didn’t even run because it refused to believe I am an administrator.

Installing the software

So I gave up and run the original setup in “Windows XP sp3” compatibility mode. I went for the advanced install as I didn’t want all that crap on my computer, and selected the driver and the network tool.

The setup discovered the newer printer driver, skipped that and installed the network tool.

Running the network tool, with the printer connected via usb, I could configure the wireless network settings. However, Windows 7 reports the printer offline.

Getting the printer online

Disconnect the usb cable.

Obtain the printer’s ip address from the network tool, and type that into your web browser.

Go to the advanced setup and select Wireless LAN. Click OK in the yellow bar to “Setup the printer for use with wireless LAN”.

Windows will still believe the printer is offline, but it should work.

Slow internal web server connection on Windows 7

Apparently, I haven’t done much web development on my Windows 7 installation. I downloaded ASPNET.MVC RC2 today, upgraded, and went for a test ride.

Was Visual Studio’s internal web server this slow the last time? It certainly was not on Windows XP.

I tested on Firefox only, and the issue seems to be related to IPv6. Disabling that feature and everything is fast again.

People report that Internet Explorer doesn’t have this issue.