Microsoft offers a program somewhat similar to Faronics' Deep Freeze application. Microsoft's Windows SteadyState, however, is free for download after authenticating with Windows Genuine Advantage. Both of these programs essentially provide a way for system administrators to secure, manage, and reset machines to the exact state they were in before a user sat down to it. Setup … [Read more...]
CADE – Another Visio Alternative
Like Dia, another company, WERESC, offers a free alternative to Microsoft Visio with their software CADE. CADE offers all of the typical template stamps to make network diagrams, flowcharts, database schemas, maps, and more. Two cool features that CADE offers over the competition: photo-realistic equipment and publishing to the web. The photo-realistic equipment is just … [Read more...]
Mediawiki Evaluation Results
Continuing my search for a decent KB, I'm concluding my evaluation of MediaWiki. This name might be familiar to you because it is the wiki engine running Wikipedia and sister projects. I first began looking into MediaWiki despite my giving up on wikis as a whole because I had decided that the overall format and objective of wikis didn't line up with how I perceived my knowledge … [Read more...]
Creative Docs.NET – Free Vector Graphics Program
Creative Docs.NET is an alternative to Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw. It offers vector-based graphics for making drawings, posters, and more. I'm nothing of an artist, so I enjoy all the tools I can find that help me make something sharp-looking despite my left-brain failings. From 2-d & 3-d shapes to text, importing bitmap images, and offering measurement lines, you … [Read more...]
Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer
Microsoft offers a tool to check the Windows machines you administer from common security oversights and holes. You can run a quick scan on your machine, a specific remote machine, an IP range, or even a domain to find out how your machines add up. The results that you get from running this scan can tell you the general health of your machine and how it's behaving in … [Read more...]