Index maintenance depends on your level of activity (insert, update delete). The more it happens, the more often you run this. I've typically run this weekly.

defrag - Do you mean...

If this is SQL 2000, Outlook 2000 should work as well.

Thanks for the note. I've had this happen many times to me and usually just fix users (auto_fix) as the first step.

They will be separate jobs anyway, so I put them into one plan.

I do separate system from user dbs. Usually 2 plans per server unless I have special cases for...

Do you mean restore multiple databases from backup or restore a single database that has multiple filegroups? Or restore a single database and break it up into multiple file groups?

Multiple...

On shrinking, it should only be in the event something got out of hand, as you mentioned. don't run it if you have fragmentation, only if you run some transactions...

I think you're nicely messed up here. I haven't seen this, but I'd suggest uninstalling, removing the folders (save your dbs elsewhere), delete the registry keys and then start again.

The article must have been pulled. We get links about 4-8 days before they run and list them. The article title from the other site is what we use on...

Glad you enjoyed it and PASS is a good place to start.

Now come the conference and I'll buy you a beer

If these are truly ad hoc, I've seen it done like you mention. With 2 child tables added to the main table. One would be a lookup for the "type"...

I'm slightly confused. Where are you connecting from? Are you on the same network as the SQL Server and trying to get out the firewall and back to the server?...

Thanks for the comments and I agree that the conferences are expensive. Lots of people go every other year and still others rarely get to go. However they are a...

Wow, didn't think my grammar was that bad. I ran this through Word and didn't see anything, but admittedly, I didn't get a copy editor through it.

I appreciate the criticism...

I've learned the editorials I really like and think people will respond do don't.

Oh well.

I think it's good that they're doing this, but...

That's what I'd like, Cowboys tickets