Dutton Designs

Making computers friendly again

Old SQL Database

Years ago, Microsoft came out with a free SQL database server called MSDE. I recently encountered a program that uses this database and the user had locked themselves out (somehow locking out other users as well). Luckily, we were able to find an admin user that still knew their password to log in and reset the other user’s password.

Now, I’m thinking to myself “If everyone got locked out and there was no default login, they would have been up the creek without a paddle.”

No, MSDE is an MSSQL database, NOT MySQL, and I don’t know how to access MSSQL databases. If you know, please tell!

I was having a hard time finding any free software that would give me any sort of interface with the MSSQL database that wasn’t strictly command line.

Lo-and behold, there is an alternative if you have Microsoft Access! You can create an ODCB connection to the MSSQL database (under Administrative tools) which in turn can be opened with Microsoft Access.

If you would like help doing this, drop me a line!

No comments

Free Useful Programs

There are tons of free programs out there that are very useful and great alternatives to some of the high cost competitors.  You would be amazed at the wide variety of software people are putting out for one of 2 reasons.  1) to get their company or personal name out there as a developer or 2) simply to provide an alternative to high priced programs

So, are you wondering what these programs are and how to get them?  Let’s take a look! …Read more

2 comments

A New Demension of Spyware

If you take a look at the link below,  you will see that the people who have nothing but time on their hands have come up with creative/appalling new way of spreading spyware.

http://isc.sans.org/diary.html?storyid=5797

If you’re not very tech savvy, some of the article will not make sense to you but the jist of it is this: …Read more

No comments

Spam / Malware

Spam and Malware can slow down your computer like crazy and just leaves you wondering why it’s so slow! These are programs that are running in the background, taking up your computer’s resources.

How did I get this stuff on my computer?
Simply by browsing the internet. You don’t even realize it but by going to websites that you use to keep tabs on sporting events, look up information, catch up on television shows…these sites will have pop-ups …Read more

No comments

Next Page »