Tips

Tips

• When to use Active Directory containers

  Active Directory offers five basic containers: forest, tree, domain, site and OU. Find out how they work and what their differences are.  Continue Reading

• Single forest vs. multi-forest Active Directory design

  Learn how single forest compares to multi-forest Active Directory (AD) design when it comes to security.  Continue Reading

• Mirror to increase capacity and more

  Advantages of mirroring, a form of Web caching.  Continue Reading

• Simple VPN authentication choices

  Pros and cons of different authentication protocols.  Continue Reading

• Perimeter security explored: Firewalls

  The foundation of your perimeter security should be firewalls.  Continue Reading

• Domains vs. organizational units in Active Directory

  Learn the key differences between Microsoft Active Directory OUs and doamin, plus exactly why you should care.  Continue Reading

• Shortcut to Offer Remote Assistance

  Here's a shortcut to the Offer Remote Assistance feature of the Windows XP Help and Support Center.  Continue Reading

• Locking a workstation vs. logging off

  Why locking a workstation is better, and what to do if you cannot.  Continue Reading

• Use Outlook tasks for help desk operations

  Tricks for using Outlook as a task scheduler for help desk operations.  Continue Reading

• Setting a default DIR command (using an environment variable)

  The environment variable DIRCMD can be used to set default "dir" command options.  Continue Reading

• Stripe and cluster your RAID

  How to set stripe and cluster size in a Win2K RAID.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting slow connections to SQL Server

  If your attempts to connect to a SQL Server 7.0 or SQL Server 2000 take an extreme amount of time, try this workaround.  Continue Reading

• Manually changing MAC addresses

  How to do it, if your email adapter is programmable.  Continue Reading

• HTTP basic authentication

  Pros and cons of this widely used authentication method.  Continue Reading

• Windows 2000 and cached credentials

  Cached credentials in Win2k can be a security hazard. Learn more in this Tech Tip.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting tools for common Active Directory problems

  Check out these helpful tools and utitlities for when things go awry with Active Directory.  Continue Reading

• A more elegant way to wait for InstallShield to terminate

  Use the -SMS command line when using InstallShield.  Continue Reading

• Change OS system drive letter

  Change the letter of your system drive.  Continue Reading

• View the Exchange service account name

  Use the registry to see this account name, in case Exchange has stopped running.  Continue Reading

• Use SIGVERIF.EXE to ID unsigned drivers

  How to find drivers that are not on the Microsoft HQL list.  Continue Reading

• Using the Microsoft Management Console: The basics

  Just what exactly is the Microsoft Management Console? Find the basic details here, with info on how to use it to accomplish certain Windows management tasks.  Continue Reading

• Top 10 ways to improve desktop management

  Following some common-sense principles can make desktop management easier for all parties involved.  Continue Reading

• Be careful with SNMP

  Look out when you install the SNMP service. It can cause a host of security problems.  Continue Reading

• Use "alternate recipient," not rules

  Why and how to use the alternate recipient feature of Exchange.  Continue Reading

• Change default ACL for Active Directory objects

  It is possible to modify the default ACL that is created upon creation of a new Active Directory object. Here is the step-by-step process.  Continue Reading

• Script for remote synchronization of workstation's time with PDC

  Here's a small batch file that allows the administrator to remotely synchronize a workstation's time with the PDC.  Continue Reading

• CHKDSK reports "insufficient memory" -- What now?

  What to do with one of the most perplexing of error messages -- the "insufficient memory" message from the Microsoft CHKDSK utility.  Continue Reading

• Best swap file locations

  Some advice for gaining better swap file performance.  Continue Reading

• Append date to log file names

  Here's a simple script for a batch file to append the current date to log files.  Continue Reading

• Configure backup static routes

  How and why to configure backup static routes.  Continue Reading

• Permanent processor affinity

  How to link a particular third-party program with a particular processor.  Continue Reading

• Windows Explorer shortcut to root drive with folders view

  Learn step-by-step how to create a Windows Explorer shortcut on your task bar that opens directly to the root drive.  Continue Reading

• Manage scheduled tasks remotely

  How to manage scheduled tasks on a computer that isn't at your location.  Continue Reading

• Test your systems with a manual blue screen and memory dump

  Wanna see if systems can survive a bluescreen?  Continue Reading

• Change your company's default screensaver and wallpaper

  Learn how to change your company's default wallpaper or screensaver to be installed on all machines and enabled by default.  Continue Reading

• Stop repeating e-mail messages

  How to stop e-mail messages from looping on the Exchange server.  Continue Reading

• Assigning group policies to groups in Active Directory

  Here is a great trick for making Microsoft Active Directory assign group policies where it doesn't want to.  Continue Reading

• Throttle network adapters

  How to limit the bandwidth used by a system, or a specific adapter.  Continue Reading

• Customize remote installation services

  How you can make up custom installation scripts for installation across a Windows 2000 network.  Continue Reading

• Quick Tips: Install Active Directory without a network card or network cable

  You probably think you can't install AD if you've got a disconnected network card/cabe, but you can. Here's how.  Continue Reading

• Disabling MIME format

  Why you might want to, and how to, disable MIME format in your users' e-mails.  Continue Reading

• Performance monitoring methodology

  Discussion of some basic information about performance monitoring for Windows based computers.  Continue Reading

• Installing Office 2000 on Terminal Server

  Installing Office on Terminal Server isn't as simple as it might seem. Follow these directions to make sure you do it right.  Continue Reading

• Moving shares from one drive to another

  Time-saving procedure for moving Windows NT shares from one drive to another drive in the same computer.  Continue Reading

• How to create and copy roaming user profiles

  This tip shows how to copy a defined user profile to several users or to a group of users.  Continue Reading

• Securing the mobile PC - Windows 2000 style

  Some tips on how to try to plug the security hole represented by mobile workstations.  Continue Reading

• Making HP JetDirect print servers secure on the network

  Here are tips for securing an HP JetDirect print server on a network.  Continue Reading

• Stop users creating accounts

  How to disable the ability of non-administrator users from creating accounts in Windows 2000 Professional  Continue Reading

• How to reset the 90 temporary license with Terminal Server/Win2k

  A workaround to for the 90 day temporary license that allows you to connect to Win2k server.  Continue Reading

• Speed up network browsing

  When you view shared files in a Win2k LAN, you can experience up to a 30 second delay. Find out how one user speeds it up.  Continue Reading

• Test if relay is enabled

  SearchWin2000 member Robert Muncy walks through a simple, step-by-step way to test if relay is enabled in Exchange.  Continue Reading

• Defragmenting the Active Directory object database

  All Active Directory objects are stored in a database that you should periodically defragment; here's how.  Continue Reading

• Get into someone else's mailbox

  How to set up the server and client to allow Exchange clients to access others' mailboxes.  Continue Reading

• Use caution when disabling the Windows Server service on your workstation

  Use caution when disabling the Windows Server service on your workstation, says this searchWin2000 member.  Continue Reading

• List all your network printers to a file

  Do you want to get a list of all your network printers and send them to a file? Find out how this user does it.  Continue Reading

• Add Notepad.exe to your Send To menu

  One member finds it quite useful to add Notepade.exe to his Send To folder so he can view the raw content of any file.  Continue Reading

• Add a program to the right click menu

  SearchWin2000 member Rick Ziminski shares a handy tip for adding any program to your right click menu.  Continue Reading

• What seems to be the problem? Slow server

  Sooner or later, it happens to everyone. Slow server? Read on...  Continue Reading

• Auto logon for NT 4.0

  Auto logon can easily be setup on any NT machine by adding two strings to the registry and modifying two others. Here's how.  Continue Reading

• Firewall terminology

  Learn the terms you need to know to talk firewalls.  Continue Reading

• The Message Transfer Agent

  The MTA can require some particular types of maintenance according to this tip from Adesh Rampat.  Continue Reading

• Take advantage of the Infrared File Transfer program

  SearchWin2000 member Parthasarathy Mandayam explains some uses for an infrared port and how it works.  Continue Reading

• Disable unnecessary services in Windows 2000 for better performance

  Boost your system's performance by disabling system services with this step-by-step guide from user Parthasarathy Mandayam.  Continue Reading

• Using caching-only DNS servers

  SearchWin2000 member Parthasarathy Mandayam explains the benefits of using a caching-only server.  Continue Reading

• Creating new Active Directory users with dial-in permission

  Two parameters are needed for new user dial-in access. This Active Directory tip helps you cover all the bases.  Continue Reading

• Convert HTML to XML

  You can use HTML and ASP coding to convert your HTML form entries to XML.  Continue Reading

• Force Windows 2000 to use a specific .inf file

  A simple tip for using specific .inf files for particular reasons.  Continue Reading

• Special access permissions

  Instructions to assign permissions other than standard Full Control, Read and Write and how to assign advanced restrictions.  Continue Reading

• Msconfig works in Windows 2000 too

  User submitted tip: Msocnfig works in Windows 2000 too  Continue Reading

• Take control of system folders using the CLSID

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• Using access control inheritance in Active Directory

  Admins can increase productivity by using Active Directory to manage how objects inherit access control entities.  Continue Reading

• Create .MSC files to save time in MMC

  Learn a better way to access Microsoft Management Console tools in Windows.  Continue Reading

• Publishing a folder in Active Directory

  Step-by-step look at how to create and publish a shared folder in Microsoft Active Directory.  Continue Reading

• Rebooting the Exchange Server

  Exchange Tip: Rebooting the Exchange Server  Continue Reading

• The ethics of programming

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• Performing firewall maintenance

  Adesh Rampat discusses firewall maintenance in this edition of Tech Tips.  Continue Reading

• Exchange transaction logs

  When handling the storage of transaction logs, it is best to have separate mirrored disks that are dedicated to their storage.  Continue Reading

• Visual Basic add-ins

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• Setting NTFS security via group policies

  User-submitted shortcut that uses plug-ins to help you increase security on system drives and the registry.  Continue Reading

• Turn off roaming profile caching

  If you use roaming profiles on your network, the hard drive will become cluttered with cached copies.  Continue Reading

• Secedit to force GPO changes

  Use this command line to trigger group policy application for a local computer or currently logged on user.  Continue Reading

• Print services for Unix

  Learn about the two components in Windows 2000 that provide print services for Unix.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting a corrupted Exchange database

  The steps to take when you need to troubleshoot a corrupted Exchange database.  Continue Reading

• Back up the registry with batch files

  Find out how you can use a simple DOS batch file system to back up your registry with this member tip.  Continue Reading

• How to estimate number of anonymous users on a Web site

  This tip shows you how to determine, for an IIS site, approximately how many anonymous users are active on a server.  Continue Reading

• Securing the administrator account

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• Use command-prompt properties to increase screen buffer

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• Setting permissions for Terminal Services applications

  Permission issues you should consider when enabling Applications Sharing mode in Terminal Services.  Continue Reading

• Get Set to Let Users Log on Locally

  Administrator tip  Continue Reading

• Common Registry entries for COM/COM+ classes

  Developer Tip: Common Registry entries for COM/COM+ classes  Continue Reading

• Software Installation and Maintenance Tips and Tricks

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• Switch from uniprocessor to multiprocessor support

  Administrator Tip: Switch from uniprocessor to multiprocessor support  Continue Reading

• System Administrator's Checklist

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• The Structure of an MFC Application

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• Fourteen points for Software Development

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• Is e-commerce for real and is it right for small business?

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• Creating ActiveX controls with Delphi

  Developer Tip: Creating ActiveX controls with Delphi  Continue Reading

• Recovering a lost Windows NT Administrator password

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• Major Features of Active Directory

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• Optimizing Disk I/O Performance

  Tips for optimizing disk I/O performance  Continue Reading