Windows Server troubleshooting

This Windows Server troubleshooting topic center supplies tutorials to help the IT staff correct issues with Microsoft's server operating system. Information in this section covers the utilities and methods our experts use to fix problems with essential server features, such as Active Directory and the DNS server role.

October 09, 2019 09 Oct'19
October Patch Tuesday resolves 59 vulnerabilities

Microsoft attempts to stamp out printing issues that originated from a faulty out-of-band patch for an Internet Explorer zero-day.
April 10, 2018 10 Apr'18
Windows out-of-band patches overshadow April Patch Tuesday

Microsoft delivered out-of-band security patches to address the Total Meltdown and malware engine exploits as a precursor to its regularly scheduled April Patch Tuesday fixes.
March 13, 2018 13 Mar'18
Intel microcode updates complicate admin patching duties

March Patch Tuesday adds several more mitigations for the Spectre and Meltdown exploits, this time for 32-bit server and client operating systems.
February 13, 2018 13 Feb'18
CPU bugs add to IT stress as February Patch Tuesday drops

Administrators who rushed out fixes in January for the Meltdown and Spectre flaws then had to unwind some of those corrections after additional problems occurred.

Bring yourself up to speed with our introductory content

How to work with Azure DNS zones

Microsoft's hosting service for DNS domains is an option for organizations with a heavy Azure investment that want the benefits associated with a cloud service. Continue Reading
Active Directory

Active Directory (AD) is Microsoft's proprietary directory service. Continue Reading
Microsoft Software Assurance (SA)

Microsoft Software Assurance is a software maintenance program that helps organizations gain access to the latest software versions and releases, without incurring additional licensing costs. Continue Reading

Weigh the pros and cons of technologies, products and projects you are considering.

7 PowerShell courses to help hone skills for all levels of expertise

Online PowerShell courses, such as the seven examined here, offer systems administrators and other users basic tutorials as well as more advanced courses. Continue Reading
Hone your PowerShell text manipulation skills

Retrieving content from and modifying content in text files with PowerShell are skills many administrators need to cultivate to aid their automation efforts. Continue Reading
Microsoft software-defined networking gets baked into Windows Server

The Microsoft SDN technology that comes in the Windows Server 2016's Datacenter edition features a range of basic to nuanced virtual control options. Continue Reading

Learn to apply best practices and optimize your operations.

Remote possibilities: Out-of-band management admin options

COVID-19 puts added strain on administrators who need to compensate for lack of personnel in data centers, which leads to the need for a remote access strategy. Continue Reading
5 PowerShell tools to help simplify admin tasks and support

Learn how systems admins, software developers and engineers can use tools, such as Cimitra Software, to build better PowerShell scripts to manage and automate repetitive tasks. Continue Reading
Try these PowerShell networking commands to stay connected

Ping has its place, but PowerShell gives you a way to dive deeper into a networking issue when a server drops its connection or starts to drop packets. Continue Reading

We’ve gathered up expert advice and tips from professionals like you so that the answers you need are always available.

6 tips to master server troubleshooting

Understand, communicate, monitor, check logs, ask for support. Follow these guidelines, and make troubleshooting server problems quick and easy. Continue Reading
How to repair Windows Server using Windows SFC and DISM

Administrators can diagnose and treat a buggy server operating system by using the Windows SFC and DISM utilities for image analysis and repairs. Continue Reading
Is Windows Server troubleshooting on the way out?

When a Windows Server workload starts to falter, what's the best way to proceed before it keels over? Once upon a time, you would try to fix it, but times have changed. Continue Reading