How to clear recycle bin from command prompt

rd /s %systemdrive%\$Recycle.bin

Macro for connecting Visual Studio to windows service for debugging

Got this through today from my old colleague Kevin McConaghy,…
 
1.  Hack for service OnStart event, essentially to stall the service for long enough for the VS Extension to connect after starting it, only in debug mode and only if you send a special argument.

        protected override void OnStart(string[] args)

        {

#if DEBUG

            // If the "WaitForDebugger" argument is passed, wait for 15 seconds for a debugger to become attached.

            if (args.OfType<string>().Contains("WaitForDebugger"))

            {

                for (var i = 1; i <= 15; i++)

                {

                    if (Debugger.IsAttached)

                    {

                        break;

                    }

                    Thread.Sleep(1000);

                }

                // If no debugger is attached, abort attempt to start service.

                if (!Debugger.IsAttached)

                {

                    Stop();

                    return;

                }

            }

#endif

2. The vCmd script, this automates the starting of the service if it is not started, and then the connection of the debugger to the process.
using EnvDTE;
using EnvDTE80;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Management;
using System.ServiceProcess;
public class C : VisualCommanderExt.ICommand
{
    public void Run(EnvDTE80.DTE2 DTE, Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Package package)
    {
        var serviceName = "MessagingService";
        using(var serviceController = new ServiceController(serviceName))
        using(var serviceManagement = new ManagementObject("Win32_Service.Name='"+serviceName+"'"))
        {
            // Start service with "WaitForDebugger" parameter, if the service is stopped.
            if (serviceController.Status == ServiceControllerStatus.Stopped)
            {
                serviceController.Start(new []{"WaitForDebugger"});
            }
            // Attach debugger to process.
            var servicePath = serviceManagement.Properties["PathName"].Value.ToString().Trim('\"');
            try
            {
                var serviceProcess = DTE.Debugger.LocalProcesses.OfType<Process>().Single(x => x.Name == servicePath);
                serviceProcess.Attach();
                return;
            }
            catch(Exception ex)
            {
                System.Windows.MessageBox.Show(string.Format("Could not find process: {0}, {1}.", servicePath, ex.Message));
            }
        }
    }
}
3. The script requires the following references, added via the button.
System.Core
System.Linq
System.ServiceProcess
System.Management

Setting up the task board in TFS

First ensure that you have set up the backlog iteration, to be one above the iteration path for your sprint items, and then check the items for your sprint iteration here

http://tfs.com:8080/tfs/DefaultCollection/TeamProjectName/_admin/_iterations

Then use this link to get to the task board

http://tfs.com:8080/tfs/DefaultCollection/TeamProjectName/_backlogs/TaskBoard/#_a=requirements

Unshelving from one branch to another in TFS

 

This works fine…

tfpt unshelve /migrate /source:$/MyProject/Fb3.9.8 /target:$/MyProject/Main

But put quotes round and it does NOT work

tfpt unshelve /migrate /source:"$/MyProject/Fb3.9.8" /target:"$/MyProject/Main"

Further information can be found here…

http://geekswithblogs.net/TarunArora/archive/2011/06/06/unshelve-shelveset-created-from-one-branch-to-another.aspx

JetBrains dotMemory not attaching = reload .NET perf counters

If you get an issue using dotMemory where it wont connect to the profiler, then run the following two commands from a .net command prompt…
unlodctr .NETFramework
lodctr C:\Windows\Inf\.NETFramework\corperfmonsymbols.ini

Displaying slide show on same monitor with PowerPoint 2013

1. Click the Slide show ribbon bar
2. Select the Window presentation option
3. Hit F5

TFS file date and time

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/15230328/timestamp-when-getting-latest-from-tfs-and-does-it-matter

Amazon online chat location

Finding the contact us link on amazon is like trying to find a needle in a haystack these days.

Finally located it properly, rather than googling “amazon online chat” as I have done in the past…

Extract job titles from AD using powershell

For a given list of userids in a file called users.txt use the following powershell command in the same directory


Get-Content users.txt | foreach {Get-ADUser -Identity $PSItem -Properties mail,title | select -Property mail, title} |Export-Csv users.csv

Or use this to find new starters in the organisation...

$lastWeek = (get-date).AddDays(-31);

Get-ADUser -Filter "Description -like 'London'"  -Properties Name, Title, Manager, whenCreated, DistinguishedName, LastLogonDate | ? whenCreated  -gt $lastWeek | select Name, Title, Manager, whenCreated, DistinguishedName, LastLogonDate | fl

Note: For windows 7 desktop users you’ll need to install the active directory modules for powershell by following the installation steps here
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=7887
For all active directory attributes / propery names, see this link here
http://www.kouti.com/tables/userattributes.htm
Another way to have done it would have been usng SQL via a linked server
https://www.mssqltips.com/sqlservertip/2580/querying-active-directory-data-from-sql-server/
e.g.
SELECT     *
FROM OPENQUERY( ADSI,
    'SELECT samaccountname, mail, title, sn
     FROM ''LDAP://dc=companyname,dc=com''
     WHERE objectCategory = ''Person'' AND objectClass= ''user''
     AND userprincipalname = ''*'' AND mail = ''*'' AND SN = ''*''
         ORDER BY useraccountcontrol
      ')
      Where
      samaccountname= ‘myaccountloginname’

Powershell cruise control build output parser

<#
.Synopsis
   Write-XmlPathOutput processes all files in a directory for a given XPath expression and puts the results to .txt files of the same name
.EXAMPLE
   Write-XmlPathOutput -DirectoryPath DirectoryPath -XPath //*/project
.INPUTS
   DirectoryPath - the path to the directory
   XPath - the xpath you wish to use
.OUTPUTS
   .txt text files in the same directory
#>
function Write-XmlPathOutput
{
    [CmdletBinding(DefaultParameterSetName='Parameter Set 1',
                  SupportsShouldProcess=$false,
                  PositionalBinding=$false,
                  HelpUri = 'http://merrickchaffer.blogspot.com/',
                  ConfirmImpact='Medium')]
    [OutputType([String])]
    Param
    (
        # Param1 help description
        [Parameter(Mandatory=$true,
                   ValueFromPipeline=$true,
                   ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName=$true,
                   ValueFromRemainingArguments=$false,
                   Position=0,
                   ParameterSetName='Parameter Set 1')]
        [ValidateNotNull()]
        [Alias("p")]
        [String]
        $DirectoryPath = (Get-Location).Path,

        # xpath help description
        [Parameter(Mandatory=$false, ParameterSetName='Parameter Set 1', Position=1,
                    ValueFromPipeline=$true,
                   ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName=$true,
                   ValueFromRemainingArguments=$false )]
        [Alias("x")]
        [String]
        $XPath = "//*/project/@file"

    )

    Begin
    {
    }
    Process
    {
        if ($pscmdlet.ShouldProcess("Target", "Operation"))
        {
            $files = Get-ChildItem (Get-ChildItem $DirectoryPath\*.xml)
            if ($files -ne $null -and $files.Length -gt 0) {
               
                ForEach ($file in $files) {
                 
                  $OutFile = [string]::Concat($file.FullName, ".txt")
                 
                  Select-Xml -Path $file.FullName -XPath $XPath | Select -ExpandProperty Node | Out-File $OutFile

                }
            }

        }
    }
    End
    {
    }
}

Write-XmlPathOutput -DirectoryPath C:\temp -XPath "//*/project/@file"

Great electrician

Spoke with these guys yesterday on their day off
http://www.checkatrade.com/RKBuilders/

and they still gave me great advice which helped me with some light fitting that I had spent the morning struggling with.
Can thoroughly recommend their services. Father and son team, and I spoke to the son, who really knew his stuff when it came to GU10 halogen downlight bayonet fitting.