ASP.NET MVC Scaffolding Template Files (T4)

The following is where you can find the T4 template files used by ASP.NET MVC Scaffolding:

Visual Studio 2015:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\Common7\IDE\Extensions\Microsoft\Web\Mvc\Scaffolding\Templates\

Visual Studio 2017:
C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\NuGetFallbackFolder\microsoft.visualstudio.web.codegenerators.mvc\

Database Drop takes a long time when deleting backup history option is selected in SQL Server

Here's a workaround to speed up database drop. When there are a long history of backup in MSDB database, dropping a database with "Delete backup history" option could take a while.

Update statistics on MSDB tables and create an index for backupset table for [database_name] column. 

/* Update statistics in [msdb] database */
   
USE msdb; 
GO
UPDATE STATISTICS backupfile; 
GO
UPDATE STATISTICS backupmediafamily; 
GO
UPDATE STATISTICS backupmediaset; 
GO
UPDATE STATISTICS backupset; 
GO
UPDATE STATISTICS restorefile; 
GO
UPDATE STATISTICS restorefilegroup; 
GO
UPDATE STATISTICS restorehistory; 
GO


/* Create an index on [backupset] table in [msdb] database for [database_name] column */

Create index IX_backupset_database_name on backupset(database_name); 
GO

AD Query still returns old user name after user name was changed at domain controller

Symptoms:

Consider the following scenario:

1. On the domain member computer, an application calls the LsaLookupSids function to translate a security identifier (SID) to a user name.
2. The user name has been changed on a domain controller.
3. In this scenario, the LsaLookupSids function may return the old user name instead of the new user name. This behavior may prevent the application from working correctly.

Cause:

The local security authority (LSA) caches the mapping between the SID and the user name in a local cache on the domain member computer. The cached user name is not synchronized with domain controllers. The LSA on the domain member computer first queries the local SID cache. If an existing mapping is already in the local SID cache, the LSA returns the cached user name information instead of querying the domain controllers. This behavior is intended to improve performance.

The cache entries do time out, however chances are that recurring queries by applications keep the existing cache entry alive for the maximum lifetime of the cache entry.


Workaround:

To work around this issue, disable the local SID cache on the domain member computer as follows.

1. In RegEdit, locate HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa
2. Create a new DWORD directly under "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa", name it LsaLookupCacheMaxSize and assign value 0.
3. Reboot may not be required.

Note The LsaLookupCacheMaxSize registry entry sets the maximum number of cached mappings that can be saved in the local SID cache. The default maximum number is 128. When the LsaLookupCacheMaxSize registry entry is set to 0, the local SID cache is disabled.


Resources:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/946358/the-lsalookupsids-function-may-return-the-old-user-name-instead-of-the
https://marclsitinfrablog.wordpress.com/2011/06/25/lsa-lookup-cache/

Steps to add VS solution to Visual Studio Team Services

Steps to add an existing Visual Studio solution to a repository on Visual Studio Team Services (or Team Foundation Server).

1. Install Git on your PC first.
2. Create a project with Git as version control on your Visual Studio Team Services website.
3. Get the URL of the new project after it is created,
   i.e., https://developer2201.visualstudio.com/WebApp1/_git/WebApp1
4. Assuming your Visual Studio solution folder is C:\Dev\VS2017_Eval\WebApp1...
5. Open command line console. Go to "C:\Dev\VS2017_Eval\WebApp1".
6. Run command: git init
7. Run command:
   git remote add origin https://developer2201.visualstudio.com/WebApp1/_git/WebApp1
8. add ".gitignore" file to the folder. You can download it from github at
   https://github.com/github/gitignore/blob/master/VisualStudio.gitignore. 
9. Run command: git add .gitignore
10. Run command: git commit -m ".gitignore file added"
11. Run command: git add *
12. Run command: git commit -m "Initial source codes"
13. Run command: git push -u origin --all

Step 13 can be done in Visual Studio by using Sync and Push in outgoing commit in Visual Studio, too.

SharePoint 2013: Include javascript and css in the MasterPage

<!--SPM:<SharePoint:CssRegistration runat="server" ID="CssRegistration1" Name="&#60;% $SPUrl:~sitecollection/Style Library/style.css %&#62;" After="corev15.css"/>-->

<!--SPM:<SharePoint:ScriptLink runat="server" ID="ScriptLink1" Language="javascript" Name="~sitecollection/Style Library/script.js"/>-->

Sample Databases (AdventureWorks)

Various SQL Server sample databases including the AdventureWorks2012 sample databases are available at this location.

https://github.com/Microsoft/sql-server-samples/releases/tag/adventureworks

WinAero - very useful to customize Windows 10 font size, etc

Since the last major Window 10 updates, the old way to customize the icon font size went away. The closest way to make the Windows 10 desktop icon's font size bigger is through using Settings --> Display --> Advanced Custom Scaling. However, this does not yield the desired result, because it could end up increasing the size of fonts as well as icon size and everything else on the screen in proportion.

 I did a quick Google Search and found a utility called WinAero (http://WinAero.com). This tool allows granular customization of specific items, such as icon font and icon font size. On a 14-inch screen laptop with 1366x768 resolution, being able to use 11-point, semi-bold Segoe UI font makes it really nice to use the laptop again.