Tips

Tips

• AGDLP reduces account management, permissions management headaches

  AGDLP is a practice that can greatly reduce your administrative headaches related to account management and permissions management.  Continue Reading

• Reset Internet Explorer settings

  A somewhat undocumented feature of IE7 is a function that allows you to reset Internet Explorer to the state you'd have on a clean install.  Continue Reading

• Replacing motherboard's RAID controller with add-on card poses problems

  Many motherboards now ship with an on-board controller that performs hardware RAID. Such controllers may not offer some features that an add-on card offers. And if you're planning on replacing the functionality of an on-board RAID controller with an...  Continue Reading

• Crimping RJ-45 connectors onto CAT6 cable

  Crimping RJ-45 connectors onto CAT-6 cable can be particularly frustrating, because CAT-6 is quite a bit thicker than CAT-5 cable. Here are some techniques to make the process of installing RJ-45 connectors easier.  Continue Reading

• SecureZip improves encryption for Microsoft Outlook

  Discover SecureZip, a third-party tool that improves encryption for file-based applications such as Microsoft Outlook.  Continue Reading

• Six steps to Windows IT service management

  Managing a Windows IT service management structure encompasses everything, from developing a plan to monitoring and reporting service quality. Expert Harris Kern explains how to harness the complicated world of Windows IT service management and ...  Continue Reading

• Restoring NTBACKUP files to Windows Vista

  There is a way of restoring NTBACKUP files to Windows Vista, thanks to the Windows NT Backup-Restore Utility, which you can download from the Microsoft Web site. First, you'll have to enable Removable Storage Management.  Continue Reading

• Findpart utility locates lost partitions on disk

  The site PartitionSupport.com is a repository for information related to disk partition issues. From the site you can download a set of utilities for partition work, the best of which is Findpart, which scans a disk and attempts to locate lost ...  Continue Reading

• Reverse DNS mismatches mark Exchange email as spam

  Many Internet service providers and email providers, such as AOL and Hotmail, attempt to block spam by using reverse DNS lookups on incoming email. This can cause problems for Exchange Server organizations in which the DNS server's PTR records are ...  Continue Reading

• Windows Server 2008: A look inside the new features for Active Directory

  With the release of beta 3 for Windows Server 2008, code-named Longhorn, interest in Microsoft's new server OS has grown within the Active Directory community. Gary Olsen details some of Windows Server 2008's most important new features for Active ...  Continue Reading

• IIS 6 file corruption flaw impairs OWA

  Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0 running on Windows Server 2003 (pre-SP1) can throw errors when attempting to load Outlook Web Access (OWA) because of file corruption in the compressed files directory. Learn a workaround for this problem.  Continue Reading

• Hiding network shares

  Learn how to hide irrelevant network shares that the average user shouldn't have access to, in this user-submitted network managment tip.  Continue Reading

• Remote Desktop Protocol as an alternative to a KVM switch

  KVM cables can only be so long. Wireless KVM is expensive. In certain situations, Remote Desktop Protocol is a viable alternative to a KVM switch.  Continue Reading

• Keeping your Windows servers clean

  If your shop doesn't use a professional cleaning service, these tips will help you keep your servers clean and your server room as dust-free as possible.  Continue Reading

• Daisy-chaining SCSI devices

  With SCSI, you can daisy-chain (physically wire) multiple devices together. However, if you're considering daisy-chaining multiple SCSI devices together, you should know the SCSI bus will only support a certain number of devices.  Continue Reading

• Output wrangling with PowerShell

  Let's make it easier to browse WMI classes without cheating by filtering the content. It's pretty simple: all it takes is a new cmdlet and working with variables.  Continue Reading

• NTBACKUP, it was nice knowing you. I'll miss you not being in Vista

  When Backup Exec failed to back up and delete the Microsoft Exchange log files, a systems administrator turned to the NTBACKUP tool to back up his Exchange database.  Continue Reading

• Use DelinvFile utility to delete invalid files and folders

  Systems administrators sometimes have difficulty deleting invalid files and folders. The creators of the PurgeIEtool have developed the DelinvFile utility, which removes offending files or folders from the system.  Continue Reading

• Deciphering an 0xc103798a Exchange Server setup error code

  If you get a Setup failed while installing sub-component miscellaneous Atom with error code 0xc103798a error message during Exchange Server setup, the likely cause is a damaged COM+ catalog. Learn how to fix the issue.  Continue Reading

• When authentication fails: Troubleshooting Windows time services

  Authentication issues caused by time services can result in a lot of problems concerning Active Directory security. Fortunately, they can be easy to fix if you have the right tools.  Continue Reading

• You can run Windows XP from an external USB hard drive

  Although Microsoft says it's not possible to run Windows XP from an external (USB) hard drive, Ngine Software has created a guide to building an installation of Windows XP that can be booted from an external USB hard drive.  Continue Reading

• Use System Information reporting tool to view all Windows Vista system settings at once

  Once you've deployed Vista, you'll undoubtedly start installing printers, drivers and applications. While many admins currently have to deal with multiple Control Panel windows when locating these devices, Windows Vista's System Information program...  Continue Reading

• Built-in Administrator account is disabled, hidden in Windows Vista

  In versions of Windows prior to Vista, the Administrator account was enabled and created with a blank password during setup. This left the system vulnerable not only during a Windows installation but after as well. To better protect Vista, Microsoft...  Continue Reading

• Process Monitor tool gets around shortcomings of Microsoft Windows

  The Windows operating system does not provide a troubleshooting tool that allows you to clean up a system infected with malware, see how your files have changed or monitor registry processes and threads. Microsoft's new Process Monitor tool does ...  Continue Reading

• Perform bare metal restore of Windows Server 2003 using NTBACKUP

  NTBACKUP is not an ideal tool for performing a bare metal install. However, if your backups were made using NTBACKUP, you don't have much choice in terms of using Automated System Recovery backup.  Continue Reading

• fLogviewer freeware helps admins keep up with huge log files

  Dealing with constantly-updating log files can be a Windows administrator's worst nightmare. However, the fLogViewer freeware tool can monitor plaintext log files in real time, handle IIS quirks and even automatically store concluded logs to a .ZIP ...  Continue Reading

• Time services: A closer look at Windows authentication

  Proper Windows authentication is crucial to maintaining a secure environment. Active Directory expert Gary Olsen explains the important role that time services plays in Kerberos functionality.  Continue Reading

• Turn Microsoft Outlook into a knowledge base via Exchange public folders

  Most IT environments need a central information repository where common problems and solutions can be looked up quickly and added to over time. Learn about a free third-party knowledge-base system that installs in Microsoft Outlook and runs via ...  Continue Reading

• Fatal error when using Sysprep utility to clone Windows Vista machine

  Systems administrators who are using the Sysprep utility to prepare a Windows Vista system (typically for cloning) may gets a fatal error message. Microsoft says the problem is more the fault of Vista than Sysprep. Right now the only solution ...  Continue Reading

• Group Policy management: Disabling CMD

  You can disable CMD in Group Policy in two steps according to Wes Noonan, our Windows-based network infrastructure security design expert. In this tip, he'll tell you how to prevent your network users from enabling CMD.  Continue Reading

• Reduce confusion of registry editing due to Registry reflection

  Registry redirection is not the only way in which WOW64 interacts with the registry. In order to support 32-bit applications, WOW64 also relies on a technology called Registry reflection.  Continue Reading

• Create and manage hardware profiles

  Hardware profiles, which are set by a systems administrator, describe which pieces of hardware are enabled or disabled when a system is booted under a given profile. They eliminate the process of Windows having to redetect hardware. This tip will ...  Continue Reading

• A disciplined approach to the Windows change management process

  Change management is a simple concept, but the process can be complex. Expert Harris Kern highlights the IT staff's roles in the Windows change management process.  Continue Reading

• Use ASR to restore cluster disk signatures

  Sometimes a cluster disk signature gets overwritten and the cluster can no longer identify shared disks or read volume information. If this happens, an administrator can restore cluster disk signatures using Automated System Recovery (ASR).  Continue Reading

• Free up disk space on your C: drive

  Do you have a Windows PC with a system disk that is nearing capacity? Or do you just want to reclaim some disk space? These tips may help you to free up space.  Continue Reading

• A five-step approach to server consolidation for IT administrators

  Here is a five-step approach that can help you reduce the total number of servers or server locations in your organization.  Continue Reading

• ECC memory: A must for servers, not for desktop PCs

  Most servers should have error correcting code (ECC) memory, as should high-end workstations. But it's hard to cost-justify adding ECC memory to a commodity desktop PC. What matters more in a desktop PC is that the motherboard, power supply and ...  Continue Reading

• How CPU caching speeds processor performance

  CPU caching keeps recently (or frequently) requested data in a place where it is easily accessible. This avoids the delay associated with reading data from RAM.  Continue Reading

• Running Exchange Server and other server apps on the same hardware

  Learn why it's never a good idea to run Exchange Server and other server applications -- SQL Server, for instance -- on the same machine hardware.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft Office 2007's native security and antiphishing tools

  Microsoft Office 2007 has a number of relevant security tools. Take a closer look at the Office 2007 antiphishing filter and other security features.  Continue Reading

• Free third-party POP3 connector for Exchange Server

  Exchange Server isn't really supposed to connect to an external POP3 mailbox and aggregate email from it, but enough people do it that most Exchange Server administrators have to support it. If you have no choice but to use a POP3 configuration in ...  Continue Reading

• Creating your own Windows digital certificates: The risks and benefits

  Perhaps you've considered generating your own digital certificates for your Windows system, but you weren't sure how safe that would be. This tip outlines the risks and benefits involved in creating your own certificates.  Continue Reading

• Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange crashes IIS

  If a third-party program malfunctions, it can manifest in any number of ways, not the least of which is the malfunction or failure of a Windows or Exchange Server subsystem. A recent and unfortunately common example is an issue with Symantec Mail ...  Continue Reading

• Process, compress and block Microsoft Outlook email attachments

  Everyone uses email as a quick-and-dirty way to send and share files. While convenient to end users, this behavior raises email storage, security and performance concerns for messaging administrators. Learn about a third-party add-on that can ...  Continue Reading

• Kerberos protocol: What every admin should know about Windows authentication

  Kerberos can be a difficult protocol to understand for some Active Directory admins, so it's best to start at the beginning. Expert Gary Olsen describes the basics of how Kerberos authentication and authorization works for Windows.  Continue Reading

• Backing up and restoring server cluster nodes

  To back up and restore an entire server cluster or just a single cluster node, an administrator must first understand how to troubleshoot, back up and restore a stand-alone server running Windows Server 2003. The process of backing up cluster nodes ...  Continue Reading

• External USB drives may have 'silent' CRC error failures

  External USB hard drive enclosures may be indispensable, but they have their problems. During the process of copying 50GB of data from an external drive to an internal one, the drive started throwing CRC errors. The author is trying to figure out if...  Continue Reading

• Change System Restore volume size in Windows Vista

  In Windows Vista, the System Restore tab (now called System Protection) doesn't let you configure the amount of disk space used by System Restore (or Shadow Storage). You can either leave it on for a given drive or turn it off entirely. But while ...  Continue Reading

• Adding nodes to a server cluster

  Here's a step-by-step guide for adding the first node to your Windows server cluster, as well as additional nodes.  Continue Reading

• Disaster recovery planning: The execution methodology

  There are certain methods to creating a solid disaster recovery plan that every IT manager should follow. Expert Russell Olsen breaks down the key steps to proper disaster recovery planning.  Continue Reading

• Use Access-based Enumeration in WS03 to increase file-sharing security

  Here's how Windows administrators can use the Access-based Enumeration feature in Windows Server 2003 (WS03) Service Pack 1 to increase file-sharing security.  Continue Reading

• How to obtain Exchange 2007's commercial version, self-extracting version and .ISO version

  There are three different media editions of Exchange Server 2007 -- the commercial version, self-extracting version and .ISO version. Learn how to obtain each version and discover a couple of hardware caveats you should be aware of before ...  Continue Reading

• Changing the Exchange Server local delivery queue directory

  By default, Microsoft Exchange Server creates a queue directory in \Program Files\Exchange that it uses to process SMTP email bound for local delivery. Because this queue folder is created on the same drive as Exchange Server and the operating ...  Continue Reading

• Case Study: Troubleshooting a logon script problem using Userenv and GPE logging

  Understanding the value of Userenv and GPE logs is only half the battle. Software engineer and author Gary Olsen shares a case study to demonstrate how the logs can be used in a real-life situation.  Continue Reading

• File verification freeware generates MD5 manifest for files

  If you need to burn a few dozen gigabytes to DVD for archiving, and want to generate MD5 checksums for all the files on the disk as a way to double-check that everything's written correctly, there's a piece of freeware called DVDsig to do this. In ...  Continue Reading

• MoonEdit text editing freeware lets 15 users collaborate on file

  MoonEdit is an intriguing text editing program on the order of Notepad, but with a key difference: It works collaboratively. MoonEdit lets up to 15 people edit a text file together in real-time.  Continue Reading

• Naming workstations on a Windows network

  There's no such thing as a perfect naming scheme for every computer on a Windows network. Here are some thoughts on naming network hosts.  Continue Reading

• Resolve VPN connection issues on Windows Vista machines

  If some of your users are having trouble with the VPN connection from a workstation running Microsoft Windows Vista, you may have to manually configure the DNS suffix for TCP/IPv4.  Continue Reading

• PC running Windows XP won't go into hibernation

  Since most computers come up out of hibernation much faster than they can reboot, I prefer to hibernate my desktop PC rather than shut it down completely. But sometimes the PC won't go into hibernation. Instead of the hibernation screen, I get ...  Continue Reading

• Windows capacity planning: Juggling user demand with system resources

  Major upgrades such as Windows Vista and Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 can be especially taxing on a system, so it's important to do the proper capacity planning ahead of time. IT management expert Harris Kern offers nine steps to creating a ...  Continue Reading

• Exchange Admin 101: Server roles in Exchange Server 2007

  Exchange Server 2007 introduces a role-based architecture that simplifies deployment and improves email performance and security. In this tip, you'll get a basic overview of the five server roles in Exchange Server 2007: the Client Access Server ...  Continue Reading

• Manage servers and SANs better by understanding SCSI

  Most servers and SANs use SCSI drives, which typically perform better than the IDE hard drives prevalent in workstations and consumer-grade computers. In short, it's almost impossible for an administrator to allocate storage in a SAN, build a ...  Continue Reading

• ReadyBoost disk caching feature speeds Windows Vista performance

  The ReadyBoost disk caching feature in Windows Vista can dramatically improve the performance of systems running Windows Vista. Furthermore, all of the data that ReadyBoost writes to the flash drive is encrypted, so that the information cannot be ...  Continue Reading

• SpamMover: Exchange Server folder integration with third-party antispam products

  Many third-party antispam software products for Microsoft Exchange Server pre-classify email by adding an X-header or subject line modification that either marks it as spam or legitimate email. Learn about a Microsoft Exchange Server add-on called ...  Continue Reading

• Remote control of Windows PCs simpler through PsExec than Remote Desktop

  The Remote Desktop feature is the most common way to control a Windows box remotely, but sometimes you need something simpler than Remote Desktop. The command-line utility PsExec from Mark Russinovich lets you run a remotely executed command instead...  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting a corrupt Microsoft Outlook profile after a Windows Vista upgrade

  After a Windows Vista upgrade, you may experience a corrupt Microsoft Outlook profile that requires troubleshooting. Here are step-by-step instructions that will resolve the problem.  Continue Reading

• Designing a strategic Windows security plan: A 12-step program

  If you're planning a major Vista upgrade, now is a good time to review your organization's Windows strategic security plan. IT management guru Harris Kern lays out a twelve step program for designing a strategic security plan in the pre-Vista era.  Continue Reading

• 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

• Improve your Windows server's performance: 10 tips in 10 minutes

  There are a number of simple things you can do to help increase your server's performance. None of these things -- with the possible exception of moving the pagefile to a dedicated disk -- will do much by itself, but collectively these techniques ...  Continue Reading

• Moving your server network: Watch out for surprises

  Moving your server network is not an easy task, and it may involve tasks you hadn't thought of, such as investing in cabling and uninterruptible power supplies.  Continue Reading

• svchost.exe hogs CPU use, causes PC to lock up

  Is your PC locking up randomly? Have you checked Task Manager and found that svchost.exe is utilizing the CPU 100%? The problem could be related to Microsoft Office and Windows Installer updates.  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

• 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

• What to expect in Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1

  Slated for release sometime in the second half of 2007, Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 promises to greatly extend Exchange 2007's capabilities, while also making it easier to manage. In this tip, SearchExchange.com contributor Brien Posey ...  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

• 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

• Checklist for creating a cluster in Windows Server 2003

  To create and manage clusters in Windows Server 2003, admins can use either the GUI-based Cluster Administrator or the command-line utility Cluster.exe. Here's a pre-installation checklist for creating clusters with either tool.  Continue Reading

• In Windows Vista, drive mappings not preserved across admin, regular-user apps

  Admins will often create a drive mapping to a deeply-nested directory in current use through the SUBST command. In Vista, when the user tries to elevate privileges on a process and then access the material in the folder through the share, they can't...  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

• Configure a backup device for Remote Storage

  The Remote Storage file migration service requires a backup device to migrate the data from the managed volume. Here are the steps for enabling a backup device.  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

• Fixes for quirky disk quotas

  Disk quotas can help administrators manage a server's disk storage resources. However, disk quotas can be quirky; applying a quota doesn't always have the anticipated effect. Here's what to do when things go wrong.  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

• Hardware considerations for new servers

  How many processors? How much memory? Windows compatibility. Recommended hardware specs. These are some of the hardware-related factors to consider when purchasing a new server.  Continue Reading

• MAPILab Toolbox: 18 Microsoft Outlook add-ins in one

  SearchExchange.com contributor Serdar Yegulalp shares one of his favorite new finds -- a collection of 18 Microsoft Outlook add-ins wrapped up in a single bundle called the MAPILab Toolbox.  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

• 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

• DriveImage XML disk imaging tool restores partitions

  Backing up and restoring partitions for disk drives can be complicated. Disk imaging tools such as Runtime Software's DriveImage XML can help admins do the job.  Continue Reading

• Using 'functions' in batch files

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

• Leveraging DFS in Windows Server 2003 R2

  Microsoft knew it had to make some major changes to the File Replication Service in Windows Server 2003. Enter the new Distributed File System (DFS). Expert Gary Olsen explores the new features of R2 DFS and shows how simple it is to migrate from a ...  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

• TCP/IP no longer supported over Firewire/IEEE 1394 in Vista

  In Vista, Microsoft has discontinued support for TCP/IP over IEEE 1394. So much for Firewire networking. But there are a few consolations.  Continue Reading

• Vista upgrade slows down keyboard input

  After an upgrade to Vista, keyboard input may be extremely sluggish. The culprit is a setting in the i8042 driver. Here's how to fix the problem.  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

• Freeware 'greylisting' for Exchange Server

  Between blacklisting and whitelisting is a sort of interim spam-fighting strategy called 'greylisting.' In this tip, SearchExchange.com contributor Serdar Yegulalp explains how greylisting works and points to a freeware greylisting application ...  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

• 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