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By Scott, August 15, 2006 12:39 PM

I just resolved an issue that started the other day where using OWA to access the public folders through a font-end server would result in a poorly-formatted toolbar and the word Loading… in the leaf pane.  Access to mailboxes was just fine, and it would work when using the Basic client; only the Premium client would exhibit the behavior.  Accessing the public folders directly via the back-end server worked just fine.

Because it wasn’t a content issue (mailboxes displayed fine) I could ignore permissions being the problem.  Knowing that everything except the content comes from the front-end server (stylesheets, scripts, controls) I started focusing on file version mismatches between the front-end and back-end.  Any patch that affects the rendering of OWA needs to be applied to the front-end first, and then to the back-ends.

I checked for hotfixes on both servers and they showed the same number of patches installed (based on KB article numbers).  The cause started to show itself when looking at directory structures.  The front-end server’s highest numeric directory in /exchweb was 6.5.7651.9, but the back-end server’s highest directory was 6.5.7651.25.  Researching what hotfix has a build number of 7651 yielded KB 911829.  This hotfix was released in April, but was rereleased in May as v2.

I patched the front-end server some time ago, but the back-end servers were only patched recently with this hotfix.  I used Microsoft Update to install the patch on these systems.  So what happened is that Microsoft rereleased the hotfix with newer files and a newer build number, but kept the article number under which it is published the same.  Microsoft Update doesn’t detect that a newer hotfix is available when the article number remains the same.  Downloading the v2 hotfix and running it on the front-end server created the 6.5.7651.25 directory and resolved the issue.

So this issue was caused by Microsoft not using good enough detection methods in Microsoft Update, and by me for not installing the hotfix on all the servers at the same time.  The latter is easy enough to correct, but I doubt that the former will be fixed anytime soon.

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By Scott, August 14, 2006 4:35 PM

My mother sent me this chain letter in June. Whether it was because it reminded her of what my brother and I were like as youngsters, or that she is warning me about my own sons, I don’t know. It is still humorous to read, especially if you have boys and can relate to even one item in the list.

• For those who have grown children – this is hysterical
• For those who have children past this age, this is hilarious
• For those who have children this age, this is not funny
• For those who have children nearing this age, this is a warning
• For those who have not yet had children, this is birth control

Things I’ve Learned From My Boys

1. A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq. ft. house 4 inches deep.
2. If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they can ignite.
3. A 3-year old boy’s voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant.
4. If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42-pound boy wearing Batman underwear and a Superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can, to spread paint on all four walls of a 20×20 ft. room.
5. You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on. When using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way.
6. A double-paned glass window doesn’t stop a baseball hit by a ceiling fan.
7. When you hear the toilet flush, followed by the words "uh oh," it’s already too late.
8. Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke, and lots of it.
9. A six-year old boy can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 36-year old man says they can only do it in the movies.
10. Certain Legos will pass through the digestive tract of a 4-year old boy.
11. "Playdough" and "microwave" should not be used in the same sentence.
12. Super glue is forever.
13. No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool you still can’t walk on water.
14. Pool filters do not like Jell-O.
15. VCRs do not eject PB&J sandwiches even though TV commercials show they do.
16. Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.
17. Marbles in gas tanks make a lot of noise when driving.
18. You probably DO NOT want to know what that odor is.
19. Always look in the oven before you turn it on; plastic toys do not like ovens.
20. The fire department in Austin, TX, has a 5-minute response time.
21. The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy.
22. It will, however, make cats dizzy.
23. Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.
24. 80% of women will pass this on to almost all of their friends, with or without kids.
25. 80% of men who read this will try mixing the Clorox and brake fluid.