Posted by Robert S.

Are you having trouble installing MySQL 5.0.51a in Vista because of the following error message?

The application has failed to start because its side-by-side configuration is incorrect. Please see the application event log for more detail.

There is a problem with the MySQLInstanceConfig.exe in this version of MySQL. If you selected the option to “configure this instance of MySQL now” at the end of the installation, you may have noticed that nothing happened. I believe this is for the same reason. You can fix this by following the steps below:

Install Resource Hacker

First, download and install Resource Hacker.

Launch Resource Hacker and Load MysqlInstanceConfig.exe

Launch the program, and from the File menu choose Open.

In the Open dialog, browse to your MySQL installation’s bin directory (Probably C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.0\bin), and select MySQLInstanceConfig.exe.

Edit the assembly manifest

In the tree that appears in the left side of the window, navigate to 24 -> 1 -> 1033.

MySQLInstanceConfig.exe in ResourceHacker

On line 6, the assembly manifest specifies that it requires the privilege “asAdministrator”. The actual name of this privilege is “requireAdministrator”.

Change asAdministrator to requireAdministrator.

Next, click the Compile Script button and then choose Save from the File menu.

Update: If you are unable to save the file, see this comment.

Exit ResourceHacker.

Launch MySQLInstanceConfig

Launch MySQLInstanceConfig.exe and the configuration wizard should now appear.

Posted by Robert S.

The University of Michigan has published the American Customer Satsifaction Index for the fourth quarter of 2007 (PDF). In a nutshell: Companies are caring less about satisfying their customers.

The fourth quarter results were lower than the first three quarters of the year, falling 0.4% to 74.9%.

Of particular interest is Progressive Auto Insurance, which surged 8% to 79%, fueled largely by website improvements. I repeat: fueled largely by website improvements.

Amazon is king in the online sector, leading with a score of 88%.

Congratulations to all companies who have taken steps in 2007 to improve customer satisfaction, particularly those who have done so by creating a more useful and usable web experience.

How do your favorite companies score?

Posted by Robert S.

I am happy to say that after months of searching (well to be honest I Googled “password manager” a few times but kept getting sidetracked), I have finally found my password manager of choice:

KeePass Password Safe is a free, open-source program for managing passwords.

KeePass Password Safe - Main Window

Password files are encrypted using AES and Twofish, and the program is packed with useful features.

My favorites:

• Double-clicking an entry in your password list loads the password into your clipboard for one-time use - after you paste it, the password is cleared from the clipboard.
• Useful, simple password generator feature
• For developers, the program is extensible through plugins
• Search box prominently featured (I have far too many passwords to scroll through a list)
• Free & open-source
• You can export your passwords to a file (I store a copy of passwords, bank details, etc in my safe deposit box)

Give it a try and please do let me know in the comments how KeePass compares to your favorite password manager.