pretty random

Timescape, the sixth-season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, is so insanely impossible on like 100 different levels, but it's just so fun to watch. It's maddening.

We deliver Microsoft certified courses. We used to get instructions on how to set them up, including OS and all required software. Now, MS sends out VirtualPC images that include everything already, so we just install the tiny VirtualPC app (just like VMware) and we're done. Almost. This is a huge improvement. Huge huge.

The almost: because these VirtualPC images are fully-functioning, tuned and patched Exchange servers, SQL servers, Sharepoint servers, etc, Microsoft requires that they be activated. Otherwise people could trade them on teh intarweb and everybody could have a SharePoint server in their kitchen. Not sure why, but whatever.

Recently, to improve the quality of the VPCs (desperately needed), MS has been increasing the number of VPCs included for each course. This means that I have to activate more than one image. Today, I am activating 27. For one course. Gah.

Process:

• Download DVD image, in 300 MB rar pieces.
• Unrar them into one 3 GB ISO.
• Access the contents of the ISO.
• Repeat this sequence 27 times.
  • Unrar VirtualPC image.
  • Add VPC image to VPC Console.
  • Add second NIC to make activation faster (otherwise I have to do it by phone and talking to a real person, and that's really nasty for this stuff)
  • Boot VPC
  • Log in
  • Agree to activating.
  • Choose to activate Over The Internet.
  • Say no to registering.
  • Type in magic 25-character code that gives me the right to activate.
  • Click OK.
  • Wait for boot to complete.
  • Shut down VPC.
  • Commit the changes to the virtual hard disk.
  • Remove second NIC.
  • Remove from VPC Console.
  • Rar the VPC back up again.
• Create new 3 GB ISO.
• Burn a copy for whoever asked originally, plus others later.

I'm on VPC number twelve. AAAAAAAAAARGH.

* Original title edited as a friend who works for Microsoft has pointed them to this post, and maybe saying I was stabby is a little aggressive. :)