The first public presentation that I delivered to a Microsoft community audience was the launch of Windows Server 2003 R2. As a user group leader at the time, I was sent a copy of the product, along with a lot of materials to help me to deliver the presentation in the MPR room at Microsoft’s … Continue reading Has it been that long?
Windows Server
The Secrets of The French…
The first class that I took on Microsoft Windows was with a very nice French-Canadian instructor whose name I think was Denis. He told an interesting story that I wish I had retained the details of. He told us that following The Great War (WW1), the government of France decided that codes and secrets and … Continue reading The Secrets of The French…
Errors Unknown and Unknowable
Every so often I encounter a problem that needs to be escalated. This one had a lot of us scratching our heads for a couple of weeks.It is a French server, but in simple terms: When trying to run the Hybrid Configuration Wizard to connect the Exchange Server to Exchange Online, we ran into myriad … Continue reading Errors Unknown and Unknowable
Where’s my RSAT?
A close friend and former colleague recently gave me the nickname “Mr. No GUI.” Why? I am big believer in Windows Server Core. I do not believe there should be a GUI on a Windows Server unless it is being used as a desktop. That does not mean that we all have to become command … Continue reading Where’s my RSAT?
RSAT Tools
**DISCLOSURE: While I am contracted to Microsoft Corporation, I am not an employee. The articles that I write are not meant to represent the company, nor are they meant to represent me as an employee or spokesman for the company. As has always been the case, all articles on this website represent me and nobody … Continue reading RSAT Tools
Domain Controller to the Core
**DISCLOSURE: While I am contracted to Microsoft Corporation, I am not an employee. The articles that I write are not meant to represent the company, nor are they meant to represent me as an employee or spokesman for the company. As has always been the case, all articles on this website represent me and nobody … Continue reading Domain Controller to the Core
Renaming Your Domain
**DISCLOSURE: While I am contracted to Microsoft Corporation, I am not an employee. The articles that I write are not meant to represent the company, nor are they meant to represent me as an employee or spokesman for the company. As has always been the case, all articles on this website represent me and nobody … Continue reading Renaming Your Domain
Event Viewer Tasks: Get rid of them!
A little while ago I was demonstrating some of the functionalities of the Windows Event Viewer. It has been around for so many years, and yet there are people who have not used it. One of the functions that I demonstrated was attaching a task to an event… so when a particular event happens, a … Continue reading Event Viewer Tasks: Get rid of them!
Domain Controller Ports
Recently I was asked by a client to produce a list of firewall ports that are used by Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS), specifically those for domain controllers. This is what I came up with: TCP and UDP 389 Directory, Replication, User and Computer Authentication, Group Policy, Trusts LDAP TCP 636 Directory, Replication, User … Continue reading Domain Controller Ports
Server 2016 Versions & Builds
When Microsoft introduced the Operating System as a Service with Windows 10, a lot of people got started getting confused because of the different version numbers and build numbers, all the while Microsoft was telling us it was really the same operating system. Okay, I think we have it clear now... three years later. So … Continue reading Server 2016 Versions & Builds
Delegating Control in Active Directory
I have been saying for years that a good IT department in a secure, well-managed infrastructure will give their end users the tools they need to do their job… and nothing more.If that is true for end users, shouldn’t it also be true for the IT department themselves? It is frustrating to see the number … Continue reading Delegating Control in Active Directory
What is in a Name?
Renaming servers is a snap with PowerShell!
Offline Files: Groan!
You’ve configured Folder Redirection in Group Policy, and it works as expected… as long as you are connected to the network. As soon as you disconnect, things stop working. That may be a real inconvenience if you are redirecting your Photos, but if you have redirected your Desktop folder to a network share, there is … Continue reading Offline Files: Groan!
KB4103723: DO NOT APPLY!
Hey folks, if you know what is good for you, do not apply this patch yet. KB4103723 protects against a CredSSP vulnerability that has not yet been compromised. However, it will break lots of things in your system, including RDP and Hyper-V connections. Errors will include CredSSP errors when trying to connect via RDP (or … Continue reading KB4103723: DO NOT APPLY!
Automated Virtual Machine Activation
Let's face it... Microsoft wants you to use Microsoft, so when it can, it creates technologies that make it easier for you to do so. Automatic Virtual Machine Activation (AVMA) is one of those tools. I remember when Microsoft got into the server virtualization game, it really had very little to compete with VMware, other … Continue reading Automated Virtual Machine Activation
The World According to Mitch 