Connect to the Console using Remote Desktop Connection

Whenever you are using Remote Desktop to manage your server, you will sooner or later run into the problem that the maximum number of connections has been reached (Windows Server 2003 allows 2 RDP connections active). Usually, you'll end up blaming your co-workers for not logging of. Fortunately, RDP allows you to connect directly to the console, instead of using another sessoin. To force RDC to connect to the console start it via the command line (start > run): mstsc /console then select the computer to connect to as normal. Note that connecting to the console session will take over the session from whoever is currently logged in.

Copy Source Code as HTML

Another great utility for .NET Developers is Colin Coller's CopySourceAsHtml Add-In. Quote

CopySourceAsHtml is an add-in for Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 that allows you to copy source code, syntax highlighting, and line numbers as HTML. CSAH uses Visual Studio's syntax highlighting and font and color settings automatically. If Visual Studio can highlight it, CSAH can copy it, and your source should look the same in your browser as it does in your editor.

RightHand DataSet Debugger Visualizer

[update]

There is a version available for both Visual Studio 2005 and Visual Studio 2008 with no expiration date. Check out the download section at this url: http://cs.rthand.com/files/folders/righthand_downloads/tags/.net/Visualizer/default.aspx

[/update]

One of the features of Visual Studio 2005 is the use of 'Debugger Visualizers'.

One of the better visualizers for DataSet is 'RightHand.DebugerVisualizer.Dataset.Visualizer'.

This great tool does not only visualize your datasets/tables (including images), but allows you to edit them, call AcceptChanges(), see rowstate & rowerror information and so on. Check the screenshot below to get an idea of its capabilities.

The tool is free, but it has an expiration date set. You should check the forums of Righthand's website to get a version that is not yet expired.

If you can't find a non-expired version, you could always use a IL editor to modify the expiration date (it's right there, if you know where to look)

 

ISO Recorder

ISO Recorder V2 is a 'power toy' for Windows XP / 2003 / Vista created by Alex Feinmann that easily allows the creation of ISO images of cd's.

The tool is a shell extention and add extra menu's to the Windows Explorer shortcut menu.

Creating an ISO Image is as simple as right-clicking on a CD drive and selecting 'Create image from CD'.

Check out the authors website for downloads and tutorials at http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm

Putting the menu bar back on top in IE7

Since a while, I've been using IE 7 in all of it's beta releases. One thing that has been bugging me, is the fact that the 'Menu Bar' is stuffed between the address bar and the tabs and that there's no way to get the bar back on top. Until now that is. If found a little registry hack at http://www.tech-recipes.com/internet_explorer_ie7_tips1375.html Create a new dword value named ITBar7Position under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar\WebBrowser and set it's value to 1.

Restart IE7 to get the menu bar on top.