Tips

Tips

• Userenv and GPE logging: A great tool for debugging Group Policy Extensions

  Userenv logs are great for troubleshooting user profile and GPO issues, but what about Group Policy Extensions? Expert Gary Olsen explains how Userenv and GPE logs can be valuable tools for debugging Group Policy.  Continue Reading

• Third-party email archiving tool helps Microsoft Outlook's AutoArchive

  If you have any experience with Microsoft Outlook's AutoArchive feature, you know that it doesn't always work as intended. Learn about a third-party email archiving software program called ArchiveAssist that alleviates Microsoft Outlook's ...  Continue Reading

• Multi-core processors: Their implication for Windows

  A Windows OS is totally unprepared to handle large numbers of processor cores. So what if Intel does indeed succeed with its plan to mass-produce a tetraflop processor by 2012?  Continue Reading

• Debugging user profile and GPO problems with Userenv logs

  Expert Gary Olsen walks through the basics of the Userenv.log file and shares some useful case studies that illustrate how to use Userenv to debug problems involving the user environment.  Continue Reading

• Diagnosing non-maskable interrupt signals

  While non-maskable interrupt (NMI) error messages are common to the Windows platform, determining what causes them can be difficult. Discover how and why NMI error messages are generated and which Windows hardware issues often cause them.  Continue Reading

• Optimizing server placement in branch offices and WANs

  Branch office networking is tricky. Here are some different approaches for establishing a WAN link between the servers in the branch office and those at corporate headquarters.  Continue Reading

• Stress test Exchange Server (32-bit and 64-bit) with Load Generator

  Once upon a time, when Exchange Server administrators needed to stress test Exchange Server to see how well it performed under the load of a given number of MAPI clients (read: Microsoft Outlook users), they used a Microsoft application called ...  Continue Reading

• File-copying utility Robocopy gets new GUI front end

  Administrators who want to learn how to better manage files should check out the RoboCopy command-line tool and its new GUI front end.  Continue Reading

• Using Netmon to analyze network traffic in Windows Server 2003

  The Network Monitor tool can be considered both a network troubleshooting tool and a packet analysis tool. But the version of Netmon that comes with Windows Server 2003 allows only the capture of frames sent to and from your local server.  Continue Reading

• Configuring IIS 6.0 for FrontPage

  The IIS 6.0 Web server uses a set of proprietary server-side DLLs, called FrontPage Extensions, to enable many content creation features. This tip explains how to install FrontPage Extensions.  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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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