Get started

Get started

Bring yourself up to speed with our introductory content.

• What is System Center Essentials?

  System Center Essentials is Microsoft's server monitoring solution designed to bring customized IT management capabilities to midsized organizations. Continue Reading

• File Extension Quiz

  How well do you know file extensions? Take this 10 question quiz to test your knowledge of file extension names and suffixes. Continue Reading

• Exchange ActiveSync explained

  Exchange ActiveSync brings control and security to mobile environments, while providing ease of use to employees. The numerous benefits of EAS are discussed in the first installment of our "Exchange explained" series. Continue Reading

• Exchange Server 2010 retention tag creation basics

  Creating retention tags and policies in Exchange 2010 is an elaborate undertaking. Luckily it's also a logical process. This tip outlines the EMS commands you must use, along with how to add tags to retention policies. Continue Reading

• FAQ: Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2

  The differences between the OS and standalone versions of Microsoft's virtualization technology can be confusing. Here you'll find the basics of how Hyper-V Server measures up. Continue Reading

• Definitions to Get Started

  • Microsoft Windows Azure Active Directory (Windows Azure AD)
  • Microsoft Software Assurance (SA)
  • Active Directory forest (AD forest)
  • wbadmin

  • ISA (Industry Standard Architecture)
  • PowerShell
  • Microsoft Windows PowerShell DSC (Desired State Configuration)
  • Microsoft Windows PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE)

  View All Definitions

• USB 3.0 (SuperSpeed USB)

  USB 3.0, also known as SuperSpeed USB, is the next major revision of the Universal Serial Bus (USB).Continue Reading

• Quiz: Understanding Microsoft Hyper-V

  Take this quiz to find out how much you know about the basics of server virtualization with Microsoft Hyper-V, including what's new with the company's latest release -- Hyper-V R2.Continue Reading

• EMS commands -- beyond the basics

  These five Exchange Management Shell commands let you run Exchange from the command line to create distribution groups, HTML reports and .csv files.Continue Reading

• Exchange Server 2007 clustering explained

  Read this tip to learn about cluster continuous replication (CCR), standby continuous replication (SCR), local continuous replication (LCR) and other clustering methods in Exchange Server 2007.Continue Reading

• Windows Server 2008 R2 Learning Guide

  Want to learn more about Microsoft's latest server OS? This guide has you covered. Here you'll find tips, videos and expert advice on all things Windows Server 2008 R2.Continue Reading

• social computing

  Social computing is the collaborative and interactive nature of online behavior. Since the 1990s, computing has increasingly been assumed to be online; simultaneously, online behavior has become increasingly social.Continue Reading

• MinWin

  MinWin is the lowest level of the Windows operating system. It runs the kernel, the TCP/IP stack and basic system services; it is self-contained and has no understanding of, or dependence upon, the rest of the Windows operating system.Continue Reading

• How to configure backups and perform restores in Windows Server 2008

  Discover tips on backing up your Windows Server 2008 operating system and data as well as info on performing restores in this chapter excerpt from "Windows Server 2008 How-To".Continue Reading

• Windows Server Security Guide

  Take an in-depth look at Windows server security. This guide features information on common network vulnerabilities, server hardening best practices, security improvements with Windows Server 2008 and more.Continue Reading

• Forcing the removal of a Windows Server 2008 domain controller

  Need solutions for Microsoft Active Directory 2008? This excerpt from "Active Directory Domain Services 2008 How-To" explains how to force the removal of a Windows Server 2008 Domain Controller and how to perform a metadata cleanup.Continue Reading

• Performing a staged installation of an RODC in Windows Server 2008

  Need solutions for Microsoft Active Directory 2008? This excerpt from "Active Directory Domain Services 2008 How-To" provides tips for those looking to perform a staged installation of a read-only domain controller.Continue Reading

• Microsoft Hyper-V version 1.0

  Hyper-V is Microsoft's server virtualization software for Microsoft Server 2008. (Continued...)Continue Reading

• Microsoft Exchange Server email archiving tutorial

  Take a closer look at email archiving in Microsoft Exchange Server. Find out how journaling and archiving work in concert, read FAQs and tutorials on journaling, storage management and managed folders and get the information you need to ensure that ...Continue Reading

• Windows Distributed File System (DFS) Namespace primer

  This excerpt from "The Complete Guide to Windows Server 2008" goes over the basics of Distributed File System Namespace (DFSN). Learn the applications, components and mechanics of DFSN, as well as what's new with Windows Server 2008.Continue Reading

• Enabling Unified Messaging mailboxes and users

  When Unified Messaging is deployed in an Exchange 2007 environment, the Exchange Recipient Administrator can configure UM mailbox-enabled users and begin to allow email, voicemail and faxes to be delivered to their Inboxes. In this excerpt from "...Continue Reading

• Defining Exchange Unified Messaging architecture

  In this excerpt from "Microsoft Exchange Server 2007: The Complete Reference," you'll get an introduction to the Unified Messaging for Exchange 2007 architecture and learn about its three major components: the Unified Messaging Service, Unified ...Continue Reading

• Configuring a Unified Messaging IP gateway

  Creating and configuring a Unified Messaging (UM) IP gateway requires associating it with an existing UM dial plan. Get the steps on how to accomplish it here.Continue Reading

• Creating a Unified Messaging Dial Plan

  Unified Messaging (UM) Dial Plans store the information necessary to work with the telephony system in Active Directory (AD). In this excerpt from "Microsoft Exchange Server 2007: The Complete Reference," discover how to create an UM Dial Plan in ...Continue Reading

• Dialing rules and restrictions for Unified Messaging users

  Unified Messaging-enabled users are able to call only users configured with the same UM dial plan. In this excerpt from "Microsoft Exchange Server 2007: The Complete Reference," find out how to set up outdialing and dialing rule entries for both ...Continue Reading

• Creating and assigning a Unified Messaging hunt group

  A Unified Messaging hunt group is created to link an inbound call number to a certain UM dial plan. In this excerpt from "Microsoft Exchange Server 2007: The Complete Reference," learn how a hunt group works with a UM server and an IP gateway, along...Continue Reading

• Mailbox policy configuration for Unified Messaging

  In this excerpt from "Microsoft Exchange Server 2007: The Complete Reference," discover how to create a mailbox policy, along with the best settings and configurations on a Unified Messaging server in Exchange Server 2007.Continue Reading

• Windows Server 2008 Learning Guide

  This guide provides resources on every aspect of your Windows Server 2008 migration, with info on developing a migration strategy and in-depth overviews of all of the operating system's most important new features.Continue Reading

• cold/warm/hot server

  In the backup and recovery of a computer server, a cold server is a backup server whose purpose is solely to be there in case the main server is lost.Continue Reading

• NTFS (NT file system; sometimes New Technology File System)

  NTFS (NT file system; sometimes New Technology File System) is the file system that the Windows NT operating system uses for storing and retrieving files on a hard disk.Continue Reading

• Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)

  Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), also called Windows Update Services (WUS), is a free add-on for managing patches and updates to the Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Server 2000, and Windows Server 2003 operating systems... (Continued)Continue Reading

• Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS)

  Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) is the full version of a portal-based platform for collaboratively creating, managing and sharing documents and Web services. MOSS enables users to create "Sharepoint Portals" that include shared workspaces,...Continue Reading

• Microsoft Group Policy Tutorial

  This guide introduces you to Group Policy. From the basics of using GP to run your environment to the changes you can expect after migrating to Windows Vista, we've got all the tips, article and how-to's administrators need to know.Continue Reading

• Active Directory FAQs

  Browse this Microsoft Active Directory FAQ to find answers to common questions concerning Active Directory replication, DNS, security and more.Continue Reading

• problem management

  Problem management, in information technology, is a process aimed at resolving incidents and problems caused by end-user errors or IT infrastructure issues, and preventing recurrence of such incidents.Continue Reading

• Downloading and Installing Windows PowerShell

  In this excerpt from "Essential PowerShell" you'll learn the steps and procedures for downloading and installing Windows PowerShell. You'll also go over the process of taking WPS for a test run in interactive mode and script mode.Continue Reading

• Microsoft System Center

  Microsoft System Center is a suite of individually sold systems management products... (Continued)Continue Reading

• Developing a solid Windows Server 2008 backup and recovery strategy

  No organization can survive without a quality backup and recovery plan. This excerpt from "Windows Server 2008: The Complete Reference" provides tips for creating a sound backup and restore strategy for those running Microsoft's latest server ...Continue Reading

• Microsoft Exchange Server and Outlook email archiving FAQs

  Get email-archiving advice for Exchange Server, Outlook and OWA. Plus, learn about email-archiving tools and methods to achieve effective data retention.Continue Reading

• Backing up management packs in System Center Operations Manager 2007

  This excerpt from "System Center Operations Manager 2007 Unleashed" guides you through the process of backing up management packs as separate objects in SCOM 2007, which allows you to restore a specific management pack rather than the entire ...Continue Reading

• Tutorial: SAN storage for Microsoft Exchange Server

  Learn the pros and cons of implementing a storage area network (SAN) for Microsoft Exchange Server and how SAN storage technology works.Continue Reading

• Database grooming for System Center Operations Manager 2007

  This excerpt from "System Center Operations Manager 2007 Unleashed" takes you through the process of grooming your operational, data warehouse and ACS databases in SCOM 2007Continue Reading

• Roles of key System Center Operations Manager files and databases

  This excerpt from "System Center Operations Manager 2007 Unleashed" takes a look at the different databases and files that should be a part of your backup strategy for SCOM 2007.Continue Reading

• How to test Exchange Management Shell commands

  Understand how to use the Exchange Management Shell parameters WhatIf and ValidateOnly in Exchange 2007 to preview and test EMS commands before executing them.Continue Reading

• Control query results with Exchange Management Shell's Format command

  Get details on how to use Exchange Management Shell's Format command and Pipe symbol to perform complex queries in Exchange Server 2007.Continue Reading

• How to use Exchange Management Shell's Filter command

  Learn how to use the Filter command and operators in Exchange Server 2007's Exchange Management Shell to obtain more granular search results.Continue Reading

• C

  C is a structured, procedural programming language that has been widely used both for operating systems and applications and that has had a wide following in the academic community.Continue Reading

• How to use the Exchange Management Shell command syntax

  Learn the basic syntax of Exchange Management Shell commands in Exchange Server 2007 and how to use the Get-Mailbox command to retrieve a list of mailboxes.Continue Reading

• Microsoft Outlook .PST file FAQs

  Troubleshoot Outlook .PST file issues -- from importing and exporting data to .PST file repair and recovery -- with this collection of Outlook .PST FAQs.Continue Reading

• windows, icons, mouse, and pull-down menus (WIMP)

  WIMP is an acronym describing the desktop user interface familiar to Windows and Mac computer users, significant features of which are windows, icons, a mouse, and pull-down menus.Continue Reading

• Domain Name System (DNS) Guide

  Active Directory relies heavily on DNS to function. This guide breaks down the basics of DNS, and provides some helpful tips on how to assess, manage and protect your environment.Continue Reading

• A look at Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007

  This excerpt from "Microsoft Office Project Server 2007: The Complete Reference" breaks down some of the new features that have been added to Office Professional 2007.Continue Reading

• Hungarian notation

  In programming, Hungarian notation is a set of conventions for naming data objects in which a programmer adds a meaningful prefix of one or several characters to the object's name to identify what type of object it is.Continue Reading

• A basic primer on iSCSI storage architecture

  Discover the basic mechanics of iSCSI storage technology and how typical iSCSI standards and components operate, including targets, initiators and LUNs.Continue Reading

• Exchange Global Address List FAQs

  Get help troubleshooting your Exchange Global Address List (GAL) with this compilation of expert answers to frequently asked questions.Continue Reading

• Network security assessment for network infrastructure

  In this excerpt from "Hacking for Dummies," read about the consequences of improper network security assessment and why you should test your network infrastructure vulnerabilities.Continue Reading

• An introduction to Microsoft Exchange System Attendant

  Find out how the Microsoft Exchange System Attendant and its subcomponents work to proxy AD requests and to regulate Exchange's internal functions.Continue Reading

• Microsoft network security testing for ARP spoofing

  Learn how to defend your network against address resolution protocol (ARP) spoofing attacks in this excerpt from Hacking for Dummies, 2nd edition.Continue Reading

• CNAME

  A CNAME specifies an alias or nickname for a canonical name record in a domain name system (DNS) database. (Continued...)Continue Reading

• canonical name

  A canonical name is the properly denoted host name of a computer or network server... (Continued)Continue Reading

• Microsoft certification exam layout and design

  Check out this excerpt from MCSA/MCSE 70-290 Exam Cram: Managing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment by Dan Balter and Patrick Regan, to find info on the types of question formats you'll come across when taking a Microsoft ...Continue Reading

• Exchange public folder restore and recovery FAQs

  Uh oh. You've lost Exchange public folder data. Now what? Refer to this collection of frequently asked questions (FAQs) for some quick technical advice. Whether you need to recover deleted public folder data or subfolders or restore public folders ...Continue Reading

• defragmentation

  Defragmentation is the process of locating the noncontiguous fragments of data into which a computer file may be divided as it is stored on a hard disk, and rearranging the fragments and restoring them into fewer fragments or into the whole file.Continue Reading

• Open Document Format (ODF)

  The Open Document Format (ODF) is an XML-based open source file format for saving and exchanging text, spreadsheets, charts, and presentations...Continue Reading

• Active Directory Tutorial

  This guide helps Active Directory administrators better understand the basics of the Active Directory infrastructure, including design strategies, DNS, replication and security.Continue Reading

• Active Directory Replication Guide

  This guide provides tips and resources on Active Directory replication, including info on replication basics, topology design and troubleshooting replication issues.Continue Reading

• Windows Remote Management (WinRM)

  Windows Remote Management (WinRM) is a feature of Windows Vista that allows administrators to remotely run management scripts... (Continued)Continue Reading

• Hacking for Dummies: Test your firewall rules

  Before someone else hacks your firewall, test your firewall rules during the self-hacking process to test your network's security. Learn about the tools involved in this excerpt from Chapter 9, "Network Infrastructure," from, Hacking for Dummies,...Continue Reading

• relative identifier (RID)

  In Windows 2000, the relative identifier (RID) is the part of a security ID (SID) that uniquely identifies an account or group within a domain.Continue Reading

• OOXML (Office Open Extended Markup Language)

  OOXML (Office Open Extended Markup Language), also called Open XML, is a file format for documents, spreadsheets and presentations that is intended for use with the 2007 and later versions of the Microsoft Office suite... (Continued)Continue Reading

• ASPI driver (Advanced SCSI Programming Interface driver)

  In a personal computer, an ASPI driver is a software driver or program that uses the Advanced SCSI Programming Interface (ASPI) protocol to interface with the Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) bus.Continue Reading

• ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface)

  ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) is an industry specification for the efficient handling of power consumption in desktop and mobile computers.Continue Reading

• binder

  In file management, a binder is a software utility that combines two or more files into a single file.Continue Reading

• import

  In a personal computer application, to import is to open a file that is in a format different from the format the application creates on its own.Continue Reading

• fatal exception

  In a computer error message, a fatal exception indicates an exceptional situation requiring that the program responsible for the situation be closed.Continue Reading

• batch file

  A batch file is a text file that contains a sequence of commands for a computer operating system.Continue Reading

• floating point unit (FPU)

  A floating point unit (FPU), also known as a math coprocessor or numeric coprocessor, is a specialized coprocessor that manipulates numbers more quickly than the basic microprocessor circuitry. The FPU does this by means of instructions that focus ...Continue Reading

• dynamic link library (DLL)

  A dynamic link library (DLL) is a collection of small programs that can be loaded when needed by larger programs and used at the same time.Continue Reading

• autoexec.bat

  AUTOEXEC.BAT is a file containing Disk Operating System commands that are executable when the computer is booted (started).Continue Reading

• AMIBIOS (AMI BIOS)

  AMIBIOS is one of the original brands of basic input/output system (BIOS) chip and is probably the most commonly installed BIOS chip in today's personal computers.Continue Reading

• Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD)

  An MCSD (Microsoft Certified Solution Developer) is someone who has passed exams that test their ability to design and develop custom business applications with Microsoft development tools, technologies, and platform.Continue Reading

• wizard

  A wizard is a computer utility designed to simplify the execution of lengthy or complicated tasks... (Continued)Continue Reading

• Exchange Server and DNS

  From configuring and deploying a DNS server to diagnosing and troubleshooting DNS difficulties, this collection of tips, tutorials and tools explains how DNS works and shows how to configure it for optimal Exchange Server availability and ...Continue Reading

• master file table (MFT)

  The master file table (MFT) is a database in which information about every file and directory on an NT File System (NTFS) volume is stored... (Continued)Continue Reading

• catastrophic failure

  Catastrophic failure is a complete, sudden, often unexpected breakdown in a machine, electronic system, computer or network. This may occur as a result of a hardware event such as a disk drive crash, memory chip failure or surge on the power line......Continue Reading

• Exchange Server information store issues FAQs

  From fixing configuration and performance problems to copying and recovering data, learn something new about the information store from this assortment of expert adviceContinue Reading

• Exchange Server and Active Directory FAQs

  From creating Exchange Server mailboxes and modifying SMTP addresses to bulk-importing data and configuring user permissions, this collection of frequently asked questions will teach you how to manage and manipulate Active Directory for easier ...Continue Reading

• offline folder file

  An offline folder file is the location for offline folders (OST files) in Microsoft Outlook.Continue Reading

• Windows CE

  Windows CE is based on the Microsoft Windows operating system but is designed for including or embedding in mobile and other space-constrained devices.Continue Reading

• Part 4: Using NAS for Exchange Server storage

  Crash Course: Exchange Server 2003 storage management options -- part 4 of 6.Continue Reading

• virtual desktop manager

  A virtual desktop manager is a program that allows a computer user to have more than one user interface available simultaneously on a single computer.Continue Reading

• virtual device driver

  In certain Microsoft operating systems, a virtual device driver is a program that handles software interrupts from the operating system (rather than hardware interrupts) for each of the computer's main hardware devices, including the hard disk drive...Continue Reading

• Exchange Server non-delivery report (NDR) FAQs

  Get tips on enabling and disabling Exchange Server non-delivery reports (NDRs), and learn how to decipher and troubleshoot NDR messages in this collection of expert advice.Continue Reading

• Windows Me (Millenium Edition)

  Windows Me (Millenium Edition) is an operating system from Microsoft released commercially September 14, 2000. Windows Me was developed specifically for the home user, whereas Windows 2000 was developed specifically for business use.Continue Reading

• Active Directory Security Guide

  This guide offers plenty of must-know tips on maintaining a secure Active Directory environment, starting with the basics and moving on to more advanced practices.Continue Reading

• x86

  x86 is a generic name for the series of Intel microprocessor families that began with the 80286 microprocessor.Continue Reading

• boot

  To boot (as a verb; also "to boot up") a computer is to load an operating system into the computer's main memory or random access memory (RAM).Continue Reading

• Exchange Server and POP3 FAQs

  POP3 can be a convenience for end users, and sometimes it's a necessity for small businesses that rely on a hosted e-mail service. But Exchange administrators are the ones who have to deal with the inevitable hassles it introduces to an Exchange ...Continue Reading

• Dolly (Digital Dolly)

  Dolly, also called Digital Dolly, is a program that can quickly clone (copy) drives to drives, drives to files, files to drives, or files to files. Dolly can clone entire disk partitions in block-wise fashion. Dolly can be used to clone the ...Continue Reading

• Deploying security templates

  This excerpt from Microsoft Windows Group Policy Guide covers the four options for deploying security templates: Importing security templates into GPOs, using the Security Configuration and Analysis tool, using the Secedit.exe command-line ...Continue Reading

• Understanding security templates

  Security templates can help you organize, configure and manage security throughout your Windows-based enterprise. This excerpt from Microsoft Windows Group Policy Guide explains how to access, create and modify security templates, and how to ...Continue Reading