Rename a SharePoint Server machine name

Follow below procedure to rename the existing MOSS server

• Change each alternate access mapping for your MOSS/WSS deployment in Central Administration: Browse to Central Admin > Operation > Alternate Access Mappings and change each link to new server name
• Use following STSADM command to rename server

stsadm -o renameserver -newservername -oldservername

• Now rename the machine / server on which you hosted SharePoint by right click on My Computer > Properties > Computer Name > Change
• Then reboot the server
• After reboot, open command prompt and run following command

stsadm -o updatefarmcredentials -userlogin -password -iisreset /noforce

• Check all application pool identities in IIS and update if old machine name is still there.
• If you already have a search index drops this, and rebuild it.
• That’s it, Your server is now renamed.               

Your client does not support opening this list with Windows Explorer.

Environment:

Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0

Scenario:

• When you try to open a document library in Explorer View, the folder does not open and gives you following error

Your client does not support opening this list with Windows Explorer.

• Specifically, this problem occurs when you connect to a document library in a Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Web site by using Microsoft Internet Explorer.
• You browse a folder in the document library, and then you click Open with Windows Explorer on the Actions menu and then nothing happens or just received above message.

Cause:

• You are using Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.

Or

• The path of the folder contains more than 100 characters.

Workaround:

To get rid of this try following

• Apply hot fix 325355 for Internet Explorer 6.

Or

• Use Windows Internet Explorer 7. For more information about Windows Internet Explorer 7, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
• http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.mspx

Additionally there might be other causes and resolutions as well J

Restrictions and Recommendations on File Name, Length, Size and Invalid Character

New Blocked File Types
If you were familiar with the WSS 2.0 list, there are some new Blocked File Types: .asmx, .rem, .resx, .soap, or .ashx.  If they existed before upgrade they are no longer visible or cannot be opened after upgrade.  These file extensions have been added to the list of blocked file extensions.


You now have the ability to make differences between farm wide blocked file types and web application blocked file types.  If you want to un block it, it needs to be removed at both farm and application levels, but you can add specific blocked files for a single web application.  The farm level block list for example will override anything removed at the web application level.

Site Names

• In WSS Site Names may not contain the following characters: \ / : * ? " < > | # { } % & " ~ +
• You cannot start a site name, sub site name, or a site group name with an underscore (_) character or with the period character (I recommend avoiding the (_) underscore in site names)
• You cannot use the period character consecutively in the middle of a site name
• You cannot use the period character at the end of a site name 

File Names

• Invalid characters: " # % & * : < > ? \ / { | } ~
• Cannot be longer than 128 characters
• You cannot use the period character consecutively in the middle of a file name
• You cannot use the period character at the end of a file name
• You cannot start a file name with the period character

Folder Names

• You cannot use the following characters anywhere in a folder name or a server name:  ~ # % & * { } \ : < > ? / | "
• Cannot be longer than 128 characters
• You cannot use the period character consecutively in the middle of a folder name
• You cannot use the period character at the end of a folder name
• You cannot start a folder name with the period character
• Max File Upload/Download Sizes
• The default max single file upload size is 50 MB by default for a web application. 
• Microsoft IT limits their environment at 100 MB, and the maximum that the product itself can handle or support is 2GB which is essentially a SQL limit.  By setting the limit to blank will essentially support what SQL will support.

Increase the maximum upload size

• Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click SharePoint Central Administration.
• Under Virtual Server Configuration, click Configure virtual server settings.
• On the Virtual Server List page, click the virtual server you want to change.
• On the Virtual Server Settings page, under Virtual Server Management, click Virtual server general settings.
• Under Maximum upload size, type the maximum file size (in MB) that you want to allow to be uploaded.
• Click OK.

Get into the SharePoint Central Administration Site

• Select "Application Management"
• Under the "SharePoint Web Application Management" section select "Web Application General Settings"
• Change the "Maximum Upload Size" 

If IIS is timing out when you upload large files, you can configure the Connection timeout setting in IIS to allow more than the default 120 seconds (2 minutes).

Tune the IIS connection timeout

• Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
• Right-click the virtual server you want to configure, and then click Properties.
• Click the Web Site tab.
• In the Connections section, in the Connection timeout box, type the number of seconds you want IIS to wait before timing out.
• Click OK.

Reference: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/joelo/archive/2007/06/27/file-name-length-size-and-invalid-character-restrictions-and-recommendations.aspx

Master Pages in SharePoint 2010

The master pages available in SharePoint 2010 are described here.

Primary master page - v4.master

• Used for content and administration pages. Provides the interface and layout for SharePoint 2010.
• It generally used on Team Site home page, list and library pages, and site settings page.

Minimal master page - minimal.master

• Contains minimal SharePoint content, used for full-screen functionality or embedded applications.
• This master page used to create home and search results pages on a Search Center, pages that host Word or Excel web applications.

Publishing master page - nightandday.master

• Used for pages on a SharePoint Server publishing-enabled site.
• The home page, about us, or press release page on a publishing intranet, extranet, or Internet-facing site.

2007 default master page - default.master

• Used to support legacy SharePoint sites, which haven’t been visually upgraded to SharePoint 2010.
• Home page, site pages, and list pages on a SharePoint 2007 site before visual upgrade.        

There is one more master page, simplev4.master, which is used for SharePoint-specific screens, like Login.aspx, Error.aspx, and Confirmation.aspx. This master page, however, is located on the server and cannot be customized in SharePoint Designer 2010.

In addition to these master pages, you can download the Starter Master Page from MSDN. This master page contains the minimum required components, scripts, and placeholders to render a page in SharePoint. You might use this master page to create a whole new design from scratch. The page serves a similar purpose as the “minimal.master” page that was available in SharePoint 2007.