Problem solve

Problem solve

Get help with specific problems with your technologies, process and projects.

• How to set up a Deleted Items Retention policy for Microsoft Outlook

  Exchange Server supports a Deleted Items Retention policy that lets you recover messages even after they've been emptied or purged from the Deleted Items folder in Microsoft Outlook. In this tip, SearchExchange.com expert Brad Dinerman explains how ... Continue Reading

• Volume Shadow Copy Service lets users restore, recover files

  Admin dream: Users restoring their own files. And if you have some disk space to spare, you can enable this capability directly in Windows Server 2003 through the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS). Continue Reading

• Using 'functions' in batch files

  Learn how to use 'functions' in batch files in this user-submitted tip. Continue Reading

• Fix USB audio problems like sputtering or glitching

  USB audio often suffers from sputtering or glitching— playback riddled with clicks and pops. The bitstream is being interrupted, and the cause is hardware-related. Continue Reading

• Memory leaks: Determine an application's CPU consumption

  The same symptoms for a memory leak can be caused by a poorly written application that consumes an excessive amount of CPU time. Here's how to determine how much CPU time an individual application is using. Continue Reading

• Erasing hard disk drive data: How many passes are needed?

  Our desktop management expert confronts the "digital legend" that you must erase a piece of data on a hard disk drive many times to guarantee its destruction.Continue Reading

• Password authentication works for OWA but fails for Microsoft Outlook

  You can access your mailbox via Outlook Web Access, but not through Microsoft Outlook. SearchExchange.com expert Brad Dinerman explains how to determine whether this is a user account, desktop profile or workstation issue.Continue Reading

• HTTP File Server allows quick-and-dirty file sharing over the Web

  The tool HTTP File Server allows simple file sharing across a local network via the Web.Continue Reading

• Best practices for DNS structure design

  The dream of having an efficient Active Directory can live or die with how well DNS is designed. Expert Gary Olsen runs through the basic principles to be aware of when designing the DNS structure.Continue Reading

• Switch between Remote Admin, App Server modes in Terminal Services

  Here are some simple steps that will allow admins to switch between Remote Administration and Application Server modes in Terminal Services.Continue Reading

• How to configure attachment blocking in Outlook Web Access

  SearchExchange.com contributor Serdar Yegulalp explains how to edit the registry to customize what email attachment file extensions are automatically blocked by Outlook Web Access.Continue Reading

• Performance Logs and Alerts: A guide to the Windows Server 2003 utility

  Performance Logs and Alerts is one of performance monitoring tools in Windows Server 2003. This tip discusses the tool's two types of logs: counter logs and trace logs.Continue Reading

• Use System Monitor to find bottlenecks in Windows Server 2003

  Windows Server 2003 comes with two performance monitoring tools: System Monitor, and Performance Logs and Alerts. These tools provide information that administrators can use to find bottlenecks and for troubleshooting Windows. This tip tells you ...Continue Reading

• Defragment Microsoft Outlook .PST files for better performance

  Learn how you can use the Sysinternals Contig tool to defragment Microsoft Outlook .PST files and improve their performance.Continue Reading

• Finding memory leaks using Performance Monitor

  Locating a memory leak in Microsoft Windows often involves watching Performance Monitor counters and interpreting the results.Continue Reading

• Microsoft Outlook error: 'One or more rules could not be uploaded to Exchange Server'

  SearchExchange.com expert Brad Dinerman helps troubleshoot the Microsoft Outlook error "One or more rules could not be uploaded to Exchange Server."Continue Reading

• Managing Daylight Saving Time (DST) changes in Exchange Server and Microsoft Outlook

  Find out how Daylight Saving Time (DST) changes in 2007 will affect Exchange Server and Microsoft Outlook, and learn what you need to do to prepare your Exchange servers and clients.Continue Reading

• Memory leaks: Finding a memory leak in Microsoft Windows

  Applications with memory leaks can kill server performance and even render a server unstable. But memory leaks are not always obvious. Here's how to know if you've got one.Continue Reading

• Forwarding email from Exchange Server to an external email address

  Get step-by-step instructions for forwarding all Exchange Server email to an external email address.Continue Reading

• Installing additional language support for Outlook Web Access

  Exchange Server only installs support for English and common European languages by default. But it's simple to add support to Exchange Server and Outlook Web Access for foreign dialects, including Arabic, Hebrew and Asian languages. This tip ...Continue Reading

• DNS best practices: Making AD rock-solid

  Some consider DNS to be the heart of Active Directory, and like any heart, it is important to keep it healthy. Expert Gary Olsen offers his set of best practices for maintaining a secure and properly configured DNS.Continue Reading

• Fixing corrupt Microsoft Outlook calendar entries

  Microsoft Outlook 2003 and Outlook 2007 can occasionally suffer from corrupt calendar entries. When this happens, certain appointment reminders repeatedly pop up no matter how many times you dismiss them. Exchange MVP Brien Posey explains how to fix...Continue Reading

• Setting up OWA in Exchange Server 2003

  SearchExchange.com expert Brad Dinerman provides instruction on how to set up and access Outlook Web Access via the Web in Exchange Server 2003.Continue Reading

• Cannot reply or forward in Outlook Web Access

  If you can't reply or forward in Outlook Web Access (OWA), you may need to add your Exchange Server URL to Internet Explorer's Trusted Sites list.Continue Reading

• How can I track which users have connected to a terminal server?

  Expert Christa Anderson offers some ideas for monitoring who is connecting to a terminal server, and when they are connecting.Continue Reading

• Why do remote users find that all printers have disappeared from their sessions?

  Expert Christa Anderson offers advice for dealing with a crashing spooler service.Continue Reading

• Use FSRM to create file screens, enforce storage restrictions

  Use the File Server Resource Manager utility in Windows Server 2003 R2 to create file screens, which disallow your users from saving certain file types.Continue Reading

• SpamBayes: Open-source antispam tool for Microsoft Outlook

  If you don't have an Exchange server, only individual Microsoft Outlook desktop installations, the open-source antispam tool SpamBayes is a handy way to manage spam without dropping a lot of money.Continue Reading

• Simple WMI tricks for AD administrators

  Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) can be a great asset for Active Directory admins. Expert Gary Olsen offers useful WMI tips and tricks for locating and gathering information from objects in an enterprise.Continue Reading

• Server consolidation: Calculating CPU utilization

  If you're doing a server consolidation through virtualization, you'll need to calculate how much CPU you'll need to have available on your host system for each guest. Here's the best way to determine this.Continue Reading

• Microsoft's daylight-saving time (DST) patch -- Does it matter to AD?

  Who would've thought that expanding the dates of daylight-saving time would cause so many problems for IT administrators? Expert Gary Olsen analyzes what the changes mean to Active Directory regarding domain operations.Continue Reading

• Switch between Remote Desktop windows

  Admins who rely on Remote Desktop will often have multiple connections simultaneously. With each one in a separate window, switching between them on the fly can get pretty unwieldy. Now there's a freeware tool to allay this problem.Continue Reading

• Recreating IIS virtual directories for OWA, OMA and Exchange ActiveSync

  Exchange Server 2003 uses virtual directories in Internet Information Services (IIS) for a number of Microsoft Exchange services -- mainly, Outlook Web Access (OWA), Outlook Mobile Access (OMA) and Exchange ActiveSync. Learn three different ways you...Continue Reading

• Diskpart utility scans for newly added disks

  Use the Windows Diskpart utility to scan for newly added disks, instead of Windows' Disk Administrator tool.Continue Reading

• OWA 'Loading' problems with Internet Explorer security zones

  Making changes to the definitions of Internet Explorer security zones can cause OWA to malfunction, particularly if it's done by a user who isn't well- versed in OWA's security zone setting requirements.Continue Reading

• Control users' Internet access

  Here's a method of controlling users' Internet access in an Active Directory environment.Continue Reading

• Remote Desktop Connection tool resolves Vista and XP snafu

  When you attempt to connect to Windows XP via Remote Desktop from a Vista machine, you get a warning message. To address the problem, Microsoft just released Remote Desktop Connection 6.0 client tools for Windows Server 2003 and XP.Continue Reading

• Should you use NTFS compression on Exchange Server files?

  Some Exchange Server administrators have debated the use of NTFS file compression to improve Exchange Server disk performance and increase the hard drive capacity. Generally, this is not a good idea. Find out why and learn about one exception for ...Continue Reading

• Beware of bare linefeeds in Exchange Server email

  A bare linefeed is a single linefeed character that isn't preceded by an ASCII carriage return. In some instances, virus scanners or security appliances will insert bare linefeeds into an Exchange Server email and cause delivery failures.Continue Reading

• When Active Directory replication fails: Debugging Event ID 1311

  Perhaps the most infamous Active Directory replication error is Event ID 1311. But how do you resolve it? Expert Gary Olsen breaks down all of the factors you must consider when troubleshooting the error.Continue Reading

• Configuring DNS server properties

  When followed correctly, DNS is fairly simple to use in Active Directory. However, it's even easier when you understand certain configurations. Expert Gary Olsen breaks down the DNS complexities that every admin should know about.Continue Reading

• Recovering files from a corrupted cache for offline files

  With the number of users who are using offline file synchronization to take work on the road with them, the offline files cache often becomes corrupted.Continue Reading