Yamaha CVP-8: Some disassembly photos

 

Windows VPN gives a connection to the remote computer could not be established error.

...and then a helpful "You might need to change the network settings" suggestion.   No other details are provided by the message. 

Of course, you don't need to change the network settings.   The fix for me was the delightfully simple solution 1 on this page:

https://thegeekpage.com/fix-vpn-error-a-connection-to-the-remote-computer-could-not-be-established-in-windows-10/

Basically, delete the miniports in Device Manager then do a scan for hardware changes.  Next connection attempt worked flawlessly.

 

Dynamics 365 CRM "Workflow Expansion" task

 You might see it fleetingly in the System Jobs, or less fleetingly if you end up with a "WorkflowExpansion" Failed job in the logs.

The best explanation for what this task is, even 12 years later, seems to be here:

https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/dynamics365/no-audience/2009/06/24/microsoft-dynamics-crm-4-0-iworkflowcontext-interface/

To paraphrase:  It's the plug-in that's registered on an entity when you've got one or more asynchronous workflows that are triggered on changes to that entity, and it queries to find out which workflows should actually be run and runs them.

(I'm only looking because we've got some failed entries in the logs.  I guess that means that any workflows that should have been run for the related entity based on that update.... haven't been.)

SSRS with Dynamics 365 / CRM and multi value parameters not setting their defaults correctly

Scenario:

(Search keywords:  SSRS multi-value-parameter hard-coded values default value FetchXML CRM)

I've created a multi value parameter and manually entered lots of labels/values.

I've gone to the default tab and picked on one of the values.

Copied the changed report up to the CRM using the XRMToolbox ReportSync tool.

Run the report - the default(s) aren't as wished (or in my case didn't seem to have worked at all) so I changed them, re-pushed, and they still don't work.

Issue:  A little exploratory testing seemed to indicate that the CRM isn't paying any attention to changes in the default value(s) when I push the new version of the report up.  (Note that I'm not doing a publish all because there are other users on the system - not sure if that would have made a difference.)

Solution:  Or one, and easy in my case because I'm trying to get the parameter defaults sorted before I've actually used it anywhere:  Change the parameter name and re-push.  (Then change it back again if you want.)  

[There might be other solutions like changing some of the values - not sure.]

Gen2 2007 Prius Front Right ABS Sensor

So I've bought what I hope is an aftermarket Gen2 2007 Prius Front Right ABS Sensor (wheel speed) off Ebay.

I reckon the correct Toyota part number for this (right-hand-drive) car is 8954247020 or 89542-47020.
This part is made by Herth+Buss and according to the web has part number J5912045 or EAN 4029416234959, but the only number I can see printed on it is on the lead where it says
Herth+Buss 2973600-1019 - a number unknown to Google!

I just stuck a multimeter across the plug's contacts and that gave me an ohm resistance reading of 1.57 ohms.    (I saw a youtube video where the bloke was replacing one - might have been on the Gen3 - and his new one had a resistance similar to mine;  the one he took off measured 2-point-something, I think.)

I'll be getting the garage to fit this soon (when they replace a caliper that appears to be binding and causing some unnecessary heat and some very unnecessary intermittent wheel-squeaking) so I don't know if this is going to fix the problem yet.  (That goes for the caliper too :-(  )
However, the garage told me the wheel teeth are okay, and this part cost me about £40 instead of the genuine Toyota part's £200+, so I figure it's worth a shot.


UPDATE:  Replacement part now fitted and I got the garage to give me the old sensor back.  It registers 1.64 ohms and varies (just a little bit, somewhere less than 0.1 ohms?) when I flash my keys or something else metal across it.   
That doesn't inspire much hope that we've fixed the problem therefore, but what might give me a little bit of hope is that the end of the little metal pin on the sensor does appear to have a little gouge / scratch across it - like it's come into contact with something on its travels.
I'll have to wait till I've taken the car on the motorway to see if it's worked.
(The garage reported that the old caliper was definitely binding, but that pads and disc are still currently okay - so good news on that front.)

FURTHER UPDATE:  I had two problems with the old sensor: the car would shudder coming to a low-speed stop as the ABS decided it needed to kick in and out a bit, even with a gentle slow down (come to think of it, the ABS has always been a little eager to kick in when stopping since I first got the car);  the ABS warning lights would come and and stay on when I got to (let's say around) 70 mph.)   The new sensor has definitely fixed the low speed stopping issue;  however, when I get to (let's say a fast) 70mph the ABS light has still come on.  (It almost always automatically resets after a restart or two, whereas it used to hand around longer than that before.)   My conclusion:  Yep, the old sensor was a bit dodgy, but I suspect there's a small bit of damage to the toothed wheel too - probably should have got the garage to replace that at the same time, regardless of the garage's assurances.  [Mind you - I haven't checked the price of one!]

Rank / Execution Order of synchronous / real-time workflows in Dynamics 365

There's a "rank" field in the sdkmessageprocessingstep entity.  (You can see the entity through Advanced Find but you don't seem to be able to access that field, which has a display name of Execution Order.)


I'm using online Dynamics 365 / CRM / Customer Engagement,
Version 1710 (9.1.0.5424) online

XrmToolBox has an "Synchronous events execution order" plug-in that (as of XrmToolBox version 1.2019.2.32 with Synchronous events execution order editor v 1.2016.8.23) lets you connect and set the rank on synchronous workflows (note that they only appear registered on the create event of the entity) but FAILS TO READ the existing rank out of the CRM correctly.

You can confirm the rank has been set by creating a solution, adding your workflow, then exporting.
Customizations.Xml contains (e.g.)
<StateCode>1</StateCode>
<StatusCode>2</StatusCode>
<Rank>50</Rank>
<RunAs>1</RunAs>
<IsTransacted>1</IsTransacted>



[Maybe see also...
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/customer-engagement/developer/entities/sdkmessageprocessingstep#BKMK_Rank
and the one sensible answer on
https://community.dynamics.com/crm/f/117/t/154063 ]

Virtualbox Copy and Paste not working - it's Excel?!

Just thought I'd post here since I've found no other hits:

I've used Virtualbox (on Windows) for years and copying and pasting (of text, anyway) always seems to have gone through phases of working consistently well or not working at all.

Anyway, I'm now running a Windows 7 VM on a Windows 10 host and 've noticed that the thing that breaks copy and paste appears to be using Excel on the guest machine.

After breaking it, killing and restarting vboxtray appears to work for about one copy and paste (but maybe only in the host->guest direction).   
Rebooting (just) the guest doesn't seem to fix it - I think I need to reboot the host as well (which I tend to do infrequently).

I'm still running with the obvious solution at the moment: avoid using Excel on the guest.