Monday, 22 March 2010

UrlRewriting.Net Module + IIS7 Equals Page.User == null:

I've used the UrlRewriting.Net module for a couple years now without any problems in Windows XP. I just recently upgraded my home PC to Windows 7 and started developing a new website.

The plan was to rewrite the URLs to something more meaningful using the UrlRewriting.Net module. Everything worked flawlessly in VS 2008, but when I tried running it through IIS7 it was a different story.

When I was accessing a page via its rewritten URL I could no longer access Page.User; it kept returning null. If I hit the page using it's .aspx extension, Page.User was correctly populated. I should also mention that I have a LoginView controller in my Master Page and it suffered from the same symptoms: When accessing via the rewritten url the AnonyousTemplate was always shown; When using .aspx extension it properly shows the LoggedInTemplate.

The solution was to add the below to web.config:

<modules runAllManagedModulesForAllRequests="true">

I found this solution thanks to Scott G who talks about using runAllManagedModulesForAllRequests for this purpose.

http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2007/02/26/tip-trick-url-rewriting-with-asp-net.aspx

Saturday, 13 March 2010

How To: Enable Windows 7 integration in Firefox 3.6:

This is a tutorial on how to enable Windows 7 integration in Mozilla Firefox 3.6. You can enable features such as tab previews in the preview pane and Aero Peek tab navigation. This is a great way to enhance the experience using Firefox under Windows 7.

1) Open Firefox 3.6.

2) In the address bar type: "about:config" (without quotes) and hit 'enter'.

3) If a warning message is displayed, click "I'll be careful, I promise!".

Warning:
Changing the advanced settings can be harmful to the stability, security and performance of Firefox. You should only continue if you are sure of what you are doing.

4) In the 'Filter' bar type: "browser.allTabs.previews" (without quotes).

5) Below the Filter bar the "browser.allTabs.previews" entry should be displayed. Right click the "browser.allTabs.previews" entry and click "Toggle". The "browser.allTabs.previews" value should now be set to "true".

6) In the 'Filter' bar now type: "browser.taskbar.previews.enable" (without quotes).

7) Below the Filter bar the "browser.taskbar.previews.enable" entry should be displayed. Right click the "browser.taskbar.previews.enable" entry and click "Toggle". The "browser.taskbar.previews.enable" value should now be set to "true".

8) In the 'Filter' bar now type: "browser.ctrlTab.previews" (without quotes).

9) Below the Filter bar the "browser.ctrlTab.previews" entry should be displayed. Right click the "browser.ctrlTab.previews" entry and click "Toggle". The "browser.ctrlTab.previews" value should now be set to "true".

10) Restart Firefox for the changes to take effect.

Mozilla Firefox 3.6 should now integrate nicely with Windows 7. It is a certainty that Mozilla will enable these features by default in future versions of Firefox, so if you don't feel comfortable making the changes, just wait for Mozilla to make them for you! :)

Sunday, 21 February 2010

IIS AspNetHostingPermission exception in Windows 7:

Problem
When loading any ASP.net site, you receive the following error:

Request for the permission of type 'System.Web.AspNetHostingPermission, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089' failed.

Solution
In IIS set the Application Pool setting, Load User Profile to "True".

In IIS, click Application Pools:

Under the Actions side menu, click Set Application Pool Defaults...:

In Application Pool Defaults, set Local User Profile to "True" and click OK

Sunday, 24 January 2010

Assassin's Creed II - Collectables:

If you’ve been playing Assassins Creed II for a while, you couldn’t have failed to have noticed the sheer amount of stuff there is on offer for us obsessive collector/completionist types to collect. More importantly 65G in Gamerscore is available as a direct result of collecting Feathers, Glyphs and Statuettes (no G for collecting Treasure I’m afraid), which my calculator tells me is roughly 0.5G per item (thanks technology!).

Now, this thankless task, which involves hunting down 488 individual items would probably take a lifetime, has been made a hell of a lot easier thanks to the guys over at Games Radar, who have most definitely earned their hidden blades, with the walkthrough guides they have created.

So, for posterity and as a thank you to Games Radar I’ve linked all the guides I used in my quest for Assassins Creed II greatness. I should also thank my wing woman, Jenna who has shared her thoughts on the matter here.

Statuettes:
Statuettes are unique to Monteriggioni, finding them will net you 2,000 florins for every pair you can reunite on their pedestals, which are positioned around the grounds of the villa. Grab all eight, and the Myth Maker Achievement (5G) is yours.
Statuette Locations

Glyphs:
Glyphs, 20 semi-hidden signs left plastered on certain landmarks, which were hacked into the Animus by the mysterious Subject 16. Once you’ve found them – which can be tough considering the size of some of the marked buildings – you’ll then be tasked with solving a brief series of puzzles before you can crack the increasingly horrifying conspiracy story within. You’ll also bag yourself the Vitruvian Man Achievement (20G).
Glyphs Locations

Feathers:
Collecting the 100 floating Eagle Feathers, which replace the flags from the first game, allows you to unlock two Achievements. The first, In Memory of Petruccio (30G), is given for collecting all the Feathers and the second, Show your Colors (10G) is given for wearing the Auditore cape in each city (including the Appenine Mountains) which you unlock after placing all the Feathers in Maria’s chest in the Villa Auditore in Monteriggioni.
FLORENCE (San Giovanni, San Marco, Santa Maria Novella)
MONTERIGGIONI
TUSCANY/SAN GIMIGNANO
ROMAGNA/FORLI
VENICE (San Polo, San Marco, Dorsoduro, Castello, Cannaregio)

Treasure:
Collecting the 360 pieces of Treasure won’t provide any Gamerscore (boo!) but is essential if you are looking to achieve 100% completion.
FLORENCE
MONTERIGGIONI
TUSCANY/SAN GIMIGNANO
APPENINE MOUNTAINS
ROMAGNA/FORLI
VENICE