During installation, you can set the SQL Server Database Engine to accept either Windows Authentication mode or SQL Server and Windows Authentication mode. AS a rule of thumb, people will normally use Windows Authentication mode. However, if you need to connect remotely or need to use a different user (other than the authenticated Windows user) you will run into trouble.

In this entry I discuss how to change the authentication method for a SQL Server.If you choose Windows Authentication mode during installation, then the sa login will be disabled. If you later wnat to change authentication mode to SQL Server and Windows Authentication mode, the sa login will remain disabled. In order to change the sa login states, you should follow these steps:

1.    Open the SQL Server Management Studio and authenticate using the Windows Authentication mode;
2.    Under the Object Explorer, right-click and choose Properties from the dropdown menu;
3.    Under Select a page you must select Security;
4.    Under the Server Authentication group you must choose SQL Server and Windows Authentication mode;
5.    Click OK to finish.

Notice that you are required to restart the server. If you have any other service running alongside your SQL Server, you will also need to restart the service.

Finally, you will still need to enable the sa account. In order to sort that out, follow these steps:

In Office 2007, Microsoft introduced what is widely known as the "Office Button". This is a button that functions in the same way as the old "File" menu, which gives you tools to work with the file such as Save As, Print, etc.

Have you ever wondered why the Microsoft Office Button flashes? Or how to make it flash again?

The first thing to know is that the Button flashes for discoverability reasons, that is, it flashes with the implicit and silent message: "Hey, I am here! Click me!". Once you have "discovered" the Office Button, it will stop flashing in all of the Office applications.

Here's a cool trick to get the Office Button to flash again by tweaking the Windows Registry. Have fun!

When I first put this blog up I found that putting Google’s Adsense for Search a real head-scratcher. 

If you are reading this, you know that Google AdSense for Search does not work on an aspx page. The problem is that an aspx page can only have one form tag placed on it… this is when the head scratching starts.

After spending a few fruitless hours trying some crazy ideas in DreamWeaver, I opened an HTM file which was linked to my now-defunct FrontPage application. Lo and behold that this triggered the idea to use an iframe to place the page containing the code. This works in a similar way as the “include virtual/file” instruction in classic ASP. 

So, here are the steps to carry that out: 

1.    Create an HTM page and remove all the html code in it. Paste the Google AdSense for Search code into this page;
2.    Save the htm page as “googlesearch.htm”;
3.    Open your aspx MasterPage and locate the area where the search box will be placed;
4.    Paste the code below in this location 

<iframe src=" googlesearch.htm" mce_src=" googlesearch.htm" width="100%" height="50pc" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>

I set the width 100% so that I cover the width of my blog’s MasterPage. I set the height as 50pc so that the iframe does not take too much space; otherwise, you are left with lots of blank on the page. 

Another important point is to set the scrolling attribute to “no”. Finally, save both pages (the htm and aspx MasterPage). Place the MasterPage back into its folder and place the HTM page on your web root (or wherever it is relative to the document that will load it). You are now a happy with you Google Adsense for Search on an aspx page!