It is amazing the number of times I find a fundamental basic step missing from documentation.
Now there are many times where it is easy enough to figure out the missing step or you trip over it quickly, but just often enough I find myself stuck hunting for that one connecting step. Often when trying to resolve an issue, especially in an area that is new to the person trying to resolve that issue, you can quickly find out what tool you need, and instructions as to how to use the tool, but not where to find that tool and/or how to initiate that tool.
Today's example is a Windows Server activation. Until today I've been lucky and someone else took care of that level and I just had to worry about some other aspect of getting the server running. But today I get to do it all, and this newly installed server is telling me it needs activation (a reasonable enough request) without offering me that ability to DO the activation. So with some 'Googling' (even Microsoft staff say that, I have yet to hear any of them say "Bing It", not that I blame them :) I find that I need the Activation Wizard and some instructions as to use of this simple tool, but nothing as to how to start it.
This is such an odd phenomenon in our industry's documentation and even how we help each other in forums that we so consistently miss such a basic step.
So my pledge, To endeavor to detail how to start tool I point to or detail how to use. Please join me in doing the same.
So on that note, I finally manually found the Activation Wizard in the Control Panel, System (in classic view, don't get me started on that other view).
Also seen: Going to a Microsoft knowledge-base article automatically connects your browser to both Twitter and Facebook, yet more evidence that Microsoft still has a long way to go in understanding security. This info was forced on me by the default IE setting on a Windows server that every site must be in the "Trusted Sites" list.
