The Bit Cruncher

Some usefull SCOM 2007 & 2012 links

2012-01-26T14:16:00.000-05:00

Kevin Holman's System Center Blog | OpsManJam | Stefan Stranger's Weblog

Bye Steve

2011-10-14T19:21:00.004-04:00

A collection of Internet Information about crash debugging

2011-09-04T12:45:00.002-04:00

Download is here.

Certify on Memory Dump Analysis

2011-08-29T09:49:00.008-04:00

Memory Dump Analysis Services has announced the development of the first Memory Dump Analysis Cert and is looking for volunteers to participate in its beta program. Visit this site for further details.

More coding with Codecademy

2011-08-19T06:50:00.003-04:00

http://www.codecademy.com/#!/exercise/0

PowerShell learning made easy

2011-06-21T07:39:00.002-04:00

What about this interactive PowerShell tutorial created with PowerShell using WPF and PowerBoots?

Unattended Linux VM Configuration Tool for Hyper-V

2011-06-06T07:54:00.003-04:00

What you can do with “Set-LinuxVM”:
1) Unattended IP, Hostname and DNS configuration for Linux VMs.
2) Automatic Linux integration components installation.
3) Support for Debian, Ubuntu, Centos, Fedora, Redhat and Suse.
4) Automatic CPanel installation for Redhat and Centos.
5) Linux VM Template support (Use Skip for EnableLIC switch).
6) Hyper-V support! You don’t need SCVMM to use this script.
7) Multiple Hyper-V and SCVMM host support.
8) Automatic Emulated NIC to Synthetic NIC support.
9) Don't need internet connection (SSH etc.) or additional VM changes.
10) Custom Answer File support. You can execute your own scripts.

Download is here, instructions on installation you find here.

How to pimp up your Windbg Workspace

2011-06-01T05:20:00.021-04:00

This is how my debugging environment looks like now:

In case you wonder how to do this, go here. Thanks to Tess.

OIS - Integration Pack for PowerShell Script Execution

2011-05-16T09:43:00.005-04:00

The Integration Pack for PowerShell Script Execution provides extended PowerShell Scripting capability for Opalis and PowerShell by adding the Execute PS Script and Execute PS Script – Global objects to the Opalis Integration Server. More information and download here.

PowerGUI for your PowerShell scripting

2011-05-08T07:07:00.002-04:00

Automated check for SCOM alerts

2011-03-25T11:47:00.002-04:00

Schedule this script in the SCOM RMS server.
PS: a SCOM group is required to include all servers in the scope (in this case, all production servers from the particular domain).

Return detailed user and machine information from a specified collection

2011-03-25T09:31:00.008-04:00

Replace {CollectionName} with the name of the collection to query.

Select SD.Name0 'Machine Name', 
SD.Resource_Domain_OR_Workgr0 
'Resource Domain', 
SD.User_Name0 'Login ID', 
SD.User_Domain0 'Account 
Domain', USR.Full_User_Name0 
'Full Name', PCB.SerialNumber0 
'Serial Number', CS.Manufacturer0 
Manufacturer, CS.Model0 Model, 
SAS.SMS_Assigned_Sites0 
'Assigned Site Code' 
From v_R_System SD Join v_FullCollectionMembership
FCM on SD.ResourceID = FCM.ResourceID 
Join v_Collection COL on 
FCM.CollectionID = COL.CollectionID 
Join v_R_User USR on SD.User_Name0 = 
USR.User_Name0 Join v_GS_PC_BIOS PCB 
on SD.ResourceID = PCB.ResourceID 
Join v_GS_COMPUTER_SYSTEM CS on 
SD.ResourceID = CS.ResourceID 
Join v_RA_System_SMSAssignedSites 
SAS on SD.ResourceID = SAS.ResourceID 
Where COL.Name = '{CollectionName}'

Locate rogue printers

2011-03-25T09:28:00.003-04:00

SELECT Distinct 
SYS.Netbios_Name0, 
PRT.Name0, PRT.ShareName0, 
PRT.DriverName0, PRT.DeviceID0, 
PRT.PortName0 FROM v_R_System 
SYS JOIN v_GS_PRINTER_DEVICE PRT
on SYS.ResourceID = PRT.ResourceID
WHERE PRT.PortName0 like 'ip%' or 
PRT.PortName0 like 'com%' or 
PRT.PortName0 like 'lpt%' or 
PRT.PortName0 like 'usb%' ORDER 
BY SYS.Netbios_Name0

Greg Laswell - Sweet Dream

2011-03-16T12:43:00.001-04:00

How to Install PowerShell on Windows Server 2003

2011-03-12T08:37:00.000-05:00

Dan Stolts posted an article that teaches you how to add PowerShell v2 and enable Remote PowerShell Management on Windows Server 2003. You can read it here.

Don's 18.8-minute PowerShell Crash Course

2011-03-08T20:38:00.002-05:00

Want to learn PowerShell? Don Jones created a crash course that will help you on your way. PS Dir -recurse!

Zero Touch Implementation with Configuration Manager 2007 R3

2011-03-06T14:17:00.002-05:00

One of the most important challenges that an organization can face is deploying or migrating operating systems to a bunch of computers.
In SCCM this process is known as Zero Touch Implementation (ZTI).
This multi-part article shows you how to build & implement Windows 7 using ZTI.
1: Installing and configuring SCCM R3 for ZTI.
2: Setting the required configuration for ZTI, MDT.
3: Building and capturing a reference image to be used for production deployment.
This post will be updated when new parts are published.

Creating an Opalis Policy

2011-03-05T21:29:00.006-05:00

Rodney Buike aka The Lazy Admin posted a screenshot session that shows how you can create an Opalis policy.

Extending the Windows Computer Class using the SCSM Authoring Tool

2011-03-05T15:22:00.001-05:00

MCP Virtual Business Card

2011-03-05T09:17:00.002-05:00

Don't have one yet? Follow this link to create yours.

Monitor single Website

2011-03-04T13:35:00.003-05:00

$webClient = new-object System.Net.WebClient
$webClient.Headers.Add("user-agent", "PowerShell Script")
while (1 -eq 1) {
   $output = ""
   $startTime = get-date
   $output = $webClient.DownloadString("your website")
   $endTime = get-date
   if ($output -like "*your website*") {
      "Success`t`t" + $startTime.DateTime + "`t`t" + ($endTime - $startTime).TotalSeconds + " seconds"
   } else {
      "Fail`t`t" + $startTime.DateTime + "`t`t" + ($endTime - $startTime).TotalSeconds + " seconds"
   }
   sleep(300)
}

Query for services configured to run as Administrator

2011-03-04T07:46:00.010-05:00

Sometimes admins get lazy and configure service accounts to run as Administrator. It's simple, easy and guaranteed to work. This poses all kinds of issues. So here's a script that will query AD for any computer systems and then query them for services running as Administrator.

Find groups whith 'managedby' attribute set to disabled

2011-02-28T17:24:00.008-05:00

Get-QADGroup -SizeLimit 0 -ManagedBy * | Where-Object { (Get-QADUser $_.ManagedBy).AccountIsDisabled }

System Center Certification Paths

2011-02-28T15:32:00.003-05:00

You can download the PDF here.

PowerShell Code Repository

2011-02-27T17:19:00.003-05:00

Need a PowerShell script for a task? Check out the Script Repository at Microsoft Script Center and PoshCode.

Globus - Mighty Rivers Run

2011-02-27T15:47:00.009-05:00

Custom Error Codes for Configuration Manager 2007

2011-02-26T21:29:00.005-05:00

List of the most common errors in ConfMgr. 2007. Saved me many headaches ;).

ITIL V3

2011-02-26T20:02:00.005-05:00

If you know something about IT operations and your IQ is in triple figures then passing the ITIL V3 Foundation exam should not be a problem.

Microsoft Operations Framework 4.0

2011-02-26T19:31:00.011-05:00

Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) 4.0 provides relevant, practical, and accessible guidance for today’s IT pros.
It strives to seamlessly blend business & IT goals while establishing and implementing reliable, cost-effective IT services. Read more online.

Opalis Integration Server 6.3 - Installation Video Tutorial

2011-02-26T16:54:00.009-05:00

Finally migrated to the new Blogger

2011-02-25T10:35:00.001-05:00

Fresh template, cleaned up outdated posts, added new blog links (most about my baby System Center) and had a jolly good time :).

Kerrie Meyler discusses OpsMgr 2007 R2 Unleashed

2011-02-25T09:06:00.006-05:00

CSS coding

2011-02-25T05:59:00.023-05:00

div.navbar { opacity:0.0; display:none; }
body { margin-top:0px; position: relative; top: -5px; }
#Attribution1 {display: none;}
.blog-feeds {display: none !important;}

PRINCE2 in the USA?

2011-02-12T15:34:00.009-05:00

Seriously... Ever sent your resume to an employer in the United States? For a job as Project Manager? Well, your PRINCE2 won't be any good. Instead, the PMI and its certification, the PMP, are highly dominant here.
So, that is going to be the last on my list for this year.

BackTrack 4 Pre-Final Guides

2010-02-23T08:44:00.001-05:00

Offensive Security has a host of guides and videos showing you how to install, tweak and properly use the leading security distro BackTrack 4.

RCF+ Sidebar Gadget

2009-12-23T19:44:00.005-05:00

This utility queries for objects in AD, displays the results and allows you to connect to the machines using Offer Remote Assistance or Remote Desktop with a simple mouse click.
Additionally, RCF+ provides utilities that allow you to display information and manage functions of a remote computer or an AD user object.
You can now unlock AD user accounts, change and reset passwords, edit names and contact information and more! Get it here.

Windows PowerShell Pack

2009-12-23T19:36:00.002-05:00

Windows PowerShell Pack contains 10 modules to help supercharge your Windows PowerShell scripting. It lets you write user interfaces in PowerShell script, manage RSS feeds, schedule OS tasks, and much more. Download is here.
(PS, The PowerShell Pack is also available as part of the Windows 7 Resource Kit.)

Samurai Web Testing Framework

2009-12-17T19:23:00.002-05:00

One of the best security distros out there and part of my standard tools.

VHD Attach

2009-11-18T18:37:00.003-05:00

VHD Attach simply adds a right-click "Attach" and "Detach" entry when you pull up the context menu on a VHD file. VHD Attach is freeware and works only on Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2. Download is here.

My Ubuntu 9.10 Desktop

2009-11-14T07:24:00.002-05:00

Jumped into the deep and installed Ubuntu Karmic Koala with tweaked Remix theme on my Dell XPS M1730:

Microsoft Security Essentials

2009-11-10T09:53:00.005-05:00

Microsoft Security Essentials provides real-time protection for your PC that guards against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software.
Security Essentials is simple to install, easy to use and always kept up to date. It’s easy to tell if your PC is secure - when you’re green, you’re good. It’s that simple.
Download is here.

Windows Sysinternals Disk2vhd

2009-11-06T18:28:00.003-05:00

Disk2vhd is a utility that creates VHD versions of physical disks for use in Microsoft Virtual PC or Microsoft Hyper-V virtual machines.
The big difference between Disk2vhd and other physical-to-virtual tools is that it also can run on a system that’s online.
More information and download here.

Cristina

2009-11-06T07:07:00.000-05:00

Building a Windows Server 2008 2-Node Core Failover Cluster

2009-11-05T12:52:00.002-05:00

Here you go. Rodney Burke (The Lazy Admin) made a walk-through.

Naked Pictures of Anna Kournikova

2009-10-31T17:05:00.000-04:00

Free Windows PowerShell eBooks

2009-10-28T04:15:00.001-04:00

Frank Koch, 2 books, available in German and English. Keith Hill, 1 book called Effective Windows PowerShell.

Microsoft Press offers Windows 7 eBook

2009-10-25T12:20:00.000-04:00

Download it here for free.

Syncing DSRM & Domain Administrator Passwords

2009-09-03T05:36:00.013-04:00

Setting the password for DSRM is done during setup of AD.
Under W2K3 this was complicated and required you to use NTDS. This has been addressed in W2K8. Download this hotfix and after installation, run the following command to sync the passwords.

ntdsutil "set dsrm password" "sync from domain account <DomainAdminAccountName>" q q

Windows 7 – Upgrade RC to RTM

2009-08-03T10:15:00.000-04:00

Burn the ISO and then copy the image to a location you wish to run the upgrade from (a bootable flash drive, a directory on any partition on the machine running the pre-release build).

Browse to the sources directory.
Open the file cversion.ini in a text editor like Notepad.
Modify the MinClient build number to a value lower than the down-level build. For example, change 7100 to 7000 (pictured below).
Save the file in place with the same name.

Run setup like you would normally from this modified copy of the image and the version check will be bypassed.

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 are finished

2009-07-23T07:30:00.006-04:00

Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 went RTM yesterday. Read the announcements on the official blogs:
http://blogs.technet.com/windowsserver/archive/2009/07/22/windows-server-2008-r2-rtm.aspx
http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windows7/archive/2009/07/22/win-dows-7-has-been-released-to-manufacturing.aspx
The products will be available soon, depending on which channels:

MSDN/Technet: W7 Aug 6, R2 Aug 14
Partner Network: W7 Aug 16, R2 Aug 19
Action Pack: Aug 23 (W7 & R2)
Volume Licensing (SA): W7 Aug 7, R2 Aug 19

Exchange Server Remote Connectivity Analyzer

2009-07-21T18:22:00.003-04:00

The Exchange Server Remote Connectivity Analyzer is a nifty website to validate and diagnose end-to-end scenarios.
The site simulates multiple Exchange client access and inbound service related scenarios from outside your infrastructure and reports whether the test was successful. If the test fails, the tools tells you where it failed and provides troubleshooting tips on resolving the issue.

Master-PowerShell | With Dr. Tobias Weltner

2009-07-21T11:20:00.002-04:00

Download the free e-book here. Be aware, this is for PS v1.0.

PolicyMaker Preferences migration tool

2009-07-06T08:43:00.002-04:00

Migrating from PolicyMaker to Group Policy Preferences with GPPMIG.

Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcut List

2009-07-05T13:25:00.002-04:00

Get it here.

Criteria for becoming MVP

2009-07-04T17:53:00.007-04:00

If you have more computers than rooms in your house…
you might be MVP
If your family members learn about your life from your blog…
you might be MVP
If you’ve ever synchronized your smartphone in a bathroom…
you might be MVP
If you’ve ever been introduced at a party by your online name…
you might be MVP
If you plan your day around wireless hotspots…
you might be MVP
If your wardrobe features computer industry logo's…
you might be MVP
If your spouse gets jealous of your laptop…
you might be MVP
If you spent more money on hardware than the car you drive…
you might be MVP

How to recover deleted AD objects in Windows Server 2008 R2

2009-07-03T17:58:00.029-04:00

You have deleted a user. Oh my f......! All that work to get him back. Or, are you running R2 with the AD Recycle Bin enabled? Then just run this PowerShell command:
GET-ADOBJECT –filter {name –like “the user*”} –includedeletedobjects RESTORE-ADOBJECT

Windows 7 AppLocker

2009-07-03T17:47:00.013-04:00

Windows 7 introduces a feature called AppLocker. Type gpedit.msc into your search bar and press enter. Then go to:

Computer Configuration
Windows Settings
Security Settings
Application Control Policies
AppLocker

You can define policies based on Executables, Windows Installers, and scripts and select witch groups the rule will apply to.
Also you can choose to create rules based on a publisher (the program needs to be signed), program path, or file hash (usually a good choice if the program isn’t signed).
Go ahead and play with it. And let me know if you like it. I do.

Recognize this?

2009-07-03T17:11:00.000-04:00

Restore the Start Menu Search button in Vista SP1

2008-06-16T01:45:00.003-04:00

Windows Vista SP1 Microsoft removed the option for the Search button on the right side of the start panel. To bring it back you'll have to replace the Help and Support button.
Just download the attached registry files and import.
Replace Help and Support with Search button: Enable – Disable.
Source: Steve Sinchak.

Server Core Installation of Windows Server 2008 Step-By-Step Guide

2008-04-01T02:06:00.002-04:00

If you want to know all those useful little commands to manage Server Core installations of Windows Server 2008, this is the place to go - the Windows Server 2008 step-by-step guides.

RSAT Tools for Vista SP1 are RTM

2008-03-26T04:06:00.000-04:00

Microsoft Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) enables IT administrators to remotely manage roles and features in Windows Server 2008 from a computer running Windows Vista SP1. It includes support for remote management of computers running either a Server Core or full installation option of Windows Server 2008. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer.

Downloads: Windows Vista SP1 x86 - Windows Vista SP1 x64. If you would like to read more, just go here.

Hyper-V Management Tools for Vista SP1 are RTM

2008-03-26T02:49:00.000-04:00

Thx Ben for sharing this. The Hyper-V management tools (MMC snap-in and associated UI) are now available for download:
x86: Update for Windows Vista (KB949758);

x64: Update for Windows Vista x64 Edition (KB949758).
These tools allow you to manage and interact with an installation of Hyper-V from your Vista computer in exactly the same manner that you do on a full installation of Windows Server 2008. Note that you need to have SP1 installed on Vista in order for this to work. Need to know more, here's the link to Ben's blog.

Vista Recovery Disc

2008-03-25T10:04:00.003-04:00

The creation of a Windows Vista recovery disc used to be available in the beta, but some 'wiseguy' decided to remove it in RTM.
Nevertheless, here you go for the ISO.

New Group Policy preferences in Windows Server 2008

2008-03-11T09:59:00.000-04:00

This article discusses the Group Policy preferences that are new in Windows Server 2008 and how to enable down-level computers to process these new items. Group Policy preferences are made up of more than 20 new Group Policy client-side extensions (CSEs) that expand the range of configurable settings in a Group Policy object (GPO). These new preferences are included in the Group Policy Management Editor window of the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC). The rest of the article is here.

Microsoft IPSec Diagnostic Tool

2008-03-11T09:57:00.000-04:00

Info and download are here.

USMT GUI Interface

2008-01-16T02:32:00.000-05:00

Dan Cunningham has written a GUI wrapper for the User State Migration Tool (USMT).The tool is to be released soon but you can already check some screenshots here.

PowerShell v2 CTP Help File

2007-11-13T03:49:00.000-05:00

The mighty PowerShell team has made a new CHM help file available for PowerShell v2 CTP. You can download it from here.

Enable support for 4GB of RAM in Vista (32-bit)

2007-10-03T02:20:00.000-04:00

On a computer that has 4 GB of RAM, the System Properties dialog box and the System Information dialog box report less memory than you would expect. This problem occurs because the address space is limited to 4 GB in a 32-bit hardware environment. Memory may be relocated to make room for addresses that the basic input/output system (BIOS) reserves for hardware. However, because of this limitation, Windows Vista cannot access memory that is relocated above the 4 GB boundary.

Solution: Open an elevated Command Prompt, type BCDEdit /set pae ForceEnable and press Enter.

Protect Objects from accidential deletion

2007-09-25T03:55:00.000-04:00

Avalialbe in the GUI of Windows Server 2008, but also possible in any version of Active Directory, you are able to protect any object from accidental deletion. I had to recover a couple productive ADs over the past couple years, and everytime it was because of a accidental deletion. Also I've seen that OUs have been accidentally moved - this happened propably to everyone with files/folders in Windows Explorer - you accidentally got stuck on the mouse-key while hovering over a folder and drop it accidentally on another folder.
So how do you protect objects from accidental deletion in Windows Server 2008? That's easy - first switch on the Advanced View, then go into the properties of the object in question. Here - on the "Object"-Tab - you'll find the new checkbox "Protect Object from accidental deletion". Read more here.

Microsoft Group Policy Diagnostic Best Practice Analyzer

2007-09-19T03:03:00.000-04:00

Microsoft Group Policy Diagnostic Best Practice Analyzer is a stand-alone program that an administrator can run from a Windows Server 2003-based system or from a Windows XP-based system. You can use the tool to do the following:
- Perform a proactive health check on the Group Policy environment to detect common configuration errors that frequently generate support incidents.
- Collect diagnostic information and initial data from an environment, and then automate some analysis of that data.
- Obtain a snapshot of the Group Policy configuration for archiving. This data may be a useful reference if a future problem occurs.

More info and downloads for Windows XP and Server 2003 are available here.

Free Microsoft SoftGrid Client Setup Kit Released

2007-08-21T15:21:00.002-04:00

The brilliant minds at Login Consultants just released a free tool that allows you to create a custom VBS script to remotely install the Microsoft SoftGrid client.
With this SoftGrid Client Setup Kit (SGCSK) you can easily configure an universal installation VB Script for deploying the SoftGrid Client to Windows Desktops. Every SoftGrid client tends to a bit different so there is a need for some additional intelligence during installation, not to mention there are some settings that are needed but just not possible to configure through the native SoftGrid Client. This is where the SoftGrid Client Setup Kit comes to the rescue. The full article and download are here.

Microsoft SoftGrid Client Policy Template

2007-08-16T03:00:00.002-04:00

SoftGrid expert, Ruben Spruijt, released a Microsoft SoftGrid Client Group Policy object (GPO) administrative template (ADM). The template is designed for environments where Microsoft SoftGrid on Desktops, Laptops or Terminal Servers is used. The template will support all the relevant settings and parameters that are stored in the registry. Download is here.

Microsoft SoftGrid Virtual Lab

2007-08-10T09:45:00.002-04:00

In this lab, you will walk-through performing a Virtual File System (VFS) installation of an application as well as a sequencing of a web-based plug-in. Before working on this lab, you should be familiar with the basic concepts of the SoftGrid environment.

Vista User Friendly?

2007-08-08T17:20:00.000-04:00

Tweak the Vista UAC prompt

2007-08-03T08:21:00.003-04:00

Sean McHugh recently found a utility that provides a pretty slick solution to UAC prompting in Vista. It's called TweakUAC and can be found here. It's a small executable program (no install required) that allows you to quickly toggle UAC on or off, but the really cool thing is that it offers a UAC "quiet mode" that leaves UAC on and protecting your system, but supresses the elevation prompts that you see so much of when tweaking local system settings.

Administrative Templates for Windows PowerShell

2007-07-31T03:30:00.002-04:00

Windows PowerShell supports a Group Policy setting ("Turn on script execution") that sets the execution policy for Windows PowerShell. This setting can prevent users from running scripts that are downloaded from the Internet or from sources other than trusted publishers. It can also prevent users from running any scripts; however, it allows users to run interactive commands.
From this page, you can download a Microsoft Windows Installer that contains the PowerShell Execution Policy.adm, Administrative template files populate user interface settings in the Group Policy Object Editor, enabling administrators to manage policy settings.

PowerShell IsManageable

2007-07-30T17:47:00.002-04:00

One issue that always seems to come up when using WMI to manage remote machines is being able to communicate with WMI on the remote machine. This is especially an issue when the remote server sits behind a firewall or across a WAN. Pinging the computer is not a valid test as sometimes network devices are configured to block that traffic. Or, just because a computer does respond to a ping, doesn’t mean you can just use WMI. Remember, ping uses ICMP and WMI uses RPC. Two totally different protocols. What Jeffery Hicks came up with, is a PowerShell function called IsManageable. Read the full post on the SAPIEN blog.

Installing the SoftGrid Client on a non-domain machine

2007-07-30T17:13:00.002-04:00

The company I am working now, plans to use SoftGrid. Now there is one problem. They have lots of machines which are not part of the domain security boundary. Yuk, how we are going to solve this? Luckily I didn't have to reinvent the wheel. Zarb and Bennett already did.

Microsoft Cluster Configuration Validation Wizard

2007-06-21T13:20:00.000-04:00

Clusprep can be used to test the configuration before configuring for clustering. The tool can be installed on either node or another computer altogether. It should be installed on a 32 bit server, however, even then it can still inventory and test the configuration of both 32 bit and 64 bit systems. Clusprep tests the hardware configuration and evaluates the OS, patches, and hot fixes. Download is here.

AD Infrastructure Management with PowerShell

2007-05-18T02:26:00.007-04:00

Adam Bell is doing some very cool series about AD and PowerShell on his blog. Just follow this link.

How to sign PowerShell Scripts

2007-05-16T04:19:00.003-04:00

Execution Policies: PowerShell supports a concept called "execution policies" in order to help deliver a more secure command line administration experience. Execution policies define the restrictions under which PowerShell loads files for execution and configuration. PowerShell is configured to run in its most secure mode by default. This mode is the "Restricted" execution policy, in which PowerShell operates as an interactive shell only.

The four execution policies are:

- Restricted (default execution policy, does not run scripts, interactive only).

- AllSigned (runs scripts; all scripts and configuration files must be signed by a publisher that you trust; opens you to the risk of running signed (but malicious) scripts, after confirming that you trust the publisher).

- RemoteSigned (runs scripts; all scripts and configuration files downloaded from communication applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Internet Explorer, Outlook Express and Windows Messenger must be signed by a publisher that you trust; opens you to the risk of running malicious scripts not downloaded from these applications, without prompting).

- Unrestricted (runs scripts; all scripts and configuration files downloaded from communication applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Internet Explorer, Outlook Express and Windows Messenger run after confirming that you understand the file originated from the Internet; no digital signature is required; opens you to the risk of running unsigned, malicious scripts downloaded from these applications).
Changing Execution Policy: Run the following from a PowerShell prompt (AllSigned is an example): Set-ExecutionPolicy AllSigned. This command requires administrator privileges. Changes to the execution policy are recognized immediately.

Microsoft PerfWiz

2007-05-14T08:47:00.000-04:00

The Performance Monitor Wizard simplifies the process of gathering performance monitor logs. It configures the correct counters to collect, sample intervals and log file sizes. This wizard can create logs for troubleshooting operating system or Exchange server performance issues. Download is here.

BitLocker Drive Preparation Tool

2007-05-09T07:35:00.002-04:00

If you have considered running Bitlocker, Microsoft's drive encryption tool, but didn't want to bother with what it would take to setup your drives properly to support it, then you are now in luck if you are running Windows Vista Ultimate edition or Enterprise edition. Microsoft has made a tool just for you. The Bitlocker Drive Preparation Tool is designed to help convert your existing install of Windows Vista into a setup that supports Bitlocker drive encryption. Read more here.

Credits: WindowsConnected.

Fake WEI Score

2007-05-08T03:35:00.006-04:00

Well, as I have mentioned a couple times on this site, your WEI is going to be used by software companies to determine whether or not you can run some software.
I am unsure how 'strict' they will be, but if they ever give you any hassles, you can just fake it.
Go to /Windows/Performance/WinSAT/DataStore.
Find the most recent .SAT file and edit it using an administrator access enabled tool. It's just an XML file, so it should be fairly obvious how to edit it.
This will obviously not make your computer faster in any way, but it may allow you to run software that may otherwise stop you from being able to run (probably slowly though).

Credits: SpeedyVista.

Vista's Slmgr.vbs script

2007-03-02T16:09:00.004-05:00

Vista keeps track of licensing details using a service called Software Licensing. Slmgr.vbs, a VBScript file included with all Vista editions, allows you to query the current installation and see details about your installation and your licensing status. To run the script, open a Command Prompt window (click Start, type cmd in the Start Search box, and press Enter). There are two things that you can do with this script.

1. Sort out product IDs.
If you have two or more computers running the same edition of Vista, you might lose track of which product key you used for each machine. The solution? Open a Command Prompt window on each machine and type the command slmgr -dli. The -dli switch stands for “display license information” and shows the last five characters of your license ID. Assuming you have the product keys written down, you can use these details to see which key is in use on each machine. If you want more information, use the -dlv (”display license, verbose”) switch instead.
If you choose not to enter a product ID when you install Windows Vista, the Setup program automatically supplies a default key. In that case, the information displayed by slmgr -dli or slmgr -dlv will be one of the following default keys, which cannot be activated:
Business - MRW4W
BusinessN - QXX44
HomeBasic - 3V4VD
HomeBasicN - GFJBT
HomePremium - 76PKF
Ultimate - RP8F7

2. Check your activation status.
From a command prompt, type slmgr -xpr and press Enter to see whether your installation is activated or not. The details appear in a separate information box, not in the Command Prompt window. The information you see will tell you whether your copy is activated. If it’s not, you’ll see the deadline when you’re required to activate.

Windows Vista Group Policy Settings

2007-02-12T16:07:00.000-05:00

Available here.

Converting Dynamic Disks Back to Basic Disks

2007-01-18T04:35:00.000-05:00

Windows 2000, XP and 2003 provide a feature called Dynamic Disks. A dynamic disk can contain simple volumes, spanned volumes, striped volumes, mirrored volumes, and RAID-5 volumes. When using dynamic storage, you can perform disk and volume management without the need to restart the computer. Once the change has been made to Dynamic Disks, they cannot be changed back to Basic Disks without deleting the partitions and rebuilding the disk. This can be troublesome, thankfully there is a way to hack it back to a Basic Disk. Caution: Make sure you have a full, verified backup of all your data before you proceed. If you make an error during this procedure the disk will become corrupt and data loss can occur. Read more at Rods Blog.

DNS Conditional Forwarders - AD integrated

2006-12-13T02:09:00.000-05:00

OK - lets resume what conditional forwarders are. Usually when a DNS-Server is receiving a request from a client or himself [1], he's first checking if the request is for a name he's holding a zone for [2], then he's checking the cache, and if he's still unsucessfull he's forwarding the request to the IP-Adresses configured in the Forwarders-Tab of the Server Properties in the DNS-Managementconsole or dnsmgmt.msc. Therefore it was always quite tricky if you hold disjointed namespaces in your company (e.g. unix.example.com and windows.mycompany.org) but have not (enough) control over the parent namespaces. You usually had to resolve this by forwarders and secondary zones, or secondaries on both sides a.s.o. Read more at Ulfs Blog.

Windows Defender Group Policy

2006-12-06T02:02:00.005-05:00

You can use the Windowsdefender.adm Group Policy template file to control the policy settings for Windows Defender when Windows Defender is installed on a computer that is running Microsoft Windows XP or a later operating system.
By default, the installation location of Windows Defender is in the C:\Program Files\Windows Defender folder and the administrative template file is put in the Windows Defender folder when you install Windows Defender.
For more information, see for MS KB927367, entitled Description of the Windows Defender Group Policy administrative template settings.

Credits: Donna

Microsoft Standard User Analyzer

2006-12-06T01:58:00.000-05:00

The Standard User Analyzer helps developers and IT professionals diagnose issues that would prevent a program from running properly without administrator privileges. On Windows Vista, even administrators run most programs with standard user privileges by default, so it is important to ensure that your application does not have administrator access as a dependency. Download is here.

ADMX Migrator

2006-12-06T01:23:00.000-05:00

The ADMX Migrator is a snap-in for the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) that simplifies the process of converting your existing Group Policy ADM Templates to the new ADMX format and provides a graphical user interface for creating and editing Administrative Templates. You can download it here.

Group Policy Fails For One User

2006-12-06T01:21:00.002-05:00

Recently I started noticing a very strange problem. user Group Policy was not applying for a single user. All other users got GPO just fine, but for one user GPO failed to apply. This manifested itself in a couple of interesting ways:
When you run gpresult under this user's account you get an error that this user does not have RSOP data.
If you use folder redirection via GPO, as I was, suddenly this user does not get folder redirection applied. The user's "My Documents" folder all of sudden is a local copy from %userprofile%, and it has nothing in it. If the user goes directly to the network-based documents folder the original documents are of course all there. Read more here.

Step-by-Step Guide to Active Directory Bulk Import and Export

2006-10-03T15:51:00.002-04:00

This guide introduces batch administration of the Active Directory® service, using both the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) Data Interchange Format (LDIF) utility and several sample programs written using the Microsoft Visual Basic® Scripting Edition (VBScript) development system.

Active Directory Backup? Don't rush ...

2006-10-03T15:45:00.000-04:00

If you need to restore your domain controller, or you need to make an authoritative restore of Active Directory, you need a backup which is younger than 60 days (by default). The reason here fore is that every object in Active Directory which gets deleted will remain as a tombstone, to make sure that the information to delete this object is replicated to every DC before physically deleting it from the store. The Tombstone is the object with limited attributes, such as the GUID, Name and SID of the object, and the mark that it's deleted. The garbage collection of Active Directory takes care to finally delete tombstones which are older than the tombstone-lifetime.
So that's the reason why you are not allowed to use a backup which is older than the tombstone lifetime - you would reintroduce objects which were already deleted and may run into unexpected behaviors. Read more here.

DC User Authentication

2006-09-23T06:43:00.003-04:00

Want to know at which Domain Controller you logged in? Just open a command prompt and type "set logonserver".

Can I block applications with a Group Policy?

2006-09-21T17:18:00.039-04:00

First create a new Domain Policy.

Then give it a name and edit.

Now go to Computer Configuration.

Now go to Windows Settings.

Then go to Security Settings.

Pick the Software Restriction Policies.

Now we add all the programs *.exe files and stop them from executing for everyone or for specified Groups (you will have to create those in the AD).

This will work on W2K2 workstations and above. You can optionally follow the creation of a Software Restriction Policy here and here.

The Server and Domain Isolation Using IPsec and Group Policy Guide

2006-09-20T04:08:00.000-04:00

This guide provides business-oriented justification as well as technical guidance for logically isolating servers and domains from certain types of network traffic through the use of IPsec filters and Group Policy.

Find the FSMO Role Holders

2006-09-20T04:01:00.003-04:00

Install the Support Tools and type: netdom query fsmo.

WSUSMon, Real Time Monitoring for Microsoft WSUS

2006-09-18T12:27:00.000-04:00

WSUSMon is a simple, FREE utility made by Paul Culmsee that allows you to monitor Microsoft Windows Software Update Services version 2 (WSUS) in real time. Download is here.

Managing WSUS Client Features with Group Policy

2006-09-17T13:31:00.000-04:00

Bobby Harder, Program Manager at Microsoft has written a guide that you can find here.