When I initially started working on OrcaMDF I had just one goal, to gain a deeper knowledge of MDF file internals than I could through most books available.

I love presenting, especially so when it’s possible for me to do so alongside Powerpoints presenters view. Unfortunately I’m an even bigger fan of ZoomIt and I use it extensively when presenting. Why is that an issue? To use ZoomIt effectively, not just in demos but when showing slides as well, I need to duplicate my screen rather than extending it. Duplicating the screen means presenters view is not an option :(

Having analyzed the process dump in part 1, let’s take a look at the code we suspect of causing the issue, in particular how race condition bugs can be avoided.

This is the story of how a simple oversight resulted in a tough to catch bug. As is often the case, it worked on my machine and only manifested itself in production on a live site. In this series we will look at analyzing 100% CPU usage using Windbg.

Testing mail functionality in code using external mail servers has always been a hassle. If the mail manages to dodge antispam and various other mischievous services, it’ll probably take several minutes to receive. On our Exchange servers it’ll typically take 10-15 minutes before a locally sent mail actually arrives back in my inbox. We can do better!

So, tell me, do you notice anything unusual in the picture below?

Ever since IE7 came out developers have had the problem of whether they should upgrade or not. If they chose to upgrade, they wouldn’t be able to test their sites in IE6 any longer as installing IE7 would uninstall IE6. There are 3rd party hacks that allow both versions to be installed at the same time, but they will not simulate a true IE6 / IE7 environment.

As a developer I strive to increase my productivity. In contrast to most people I know, I’m able to multitask at an unusual level. I often sit at my desktop, working on several projects at the same time (literally), I may also watch multiple movies/tv-series at the same time and so forth.

As a programmer we strive to make our everyday lives easier. The very engine behind all innovation is lazyness, after all, if it weren’t for us being lazy, why would we use - and by that, have a need - for things like automobiles, computers and so forth?