punctually to christmas

Happy Christmas at all 

times change

feeling remain the same

 

... and another one...

Hi,

I can't get enough so I decided to get one more exam, the Microsoft Certified IT Professional Enterprise Support Technician.
So the last weeks and month I learned for this exam and today was the final day.
Fortunately I passed this exam with 978 points and so I got the title MCITP Enterprise Support Technician.

For this week I got engough certifications, so the next time will be relaxed in the free time :-)

Good night at all

Completed the 70-642 exam - Configuring Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure

Hi guys,

for a few hours I completed my 70-642 course with the microsoft exam:
Configuring Windows Server® 2008 Network Infrastructure

I passed this exam with 976 (of 1000) points :)

Next exam will be the 70-685 - MCITP Windows 7 Support Technician

Regards

internal DNS cache of Internet Explorer

Hi people,

this weekend me and a my colleague have done a migration of a webserver.
After the new server was running we found that the internet explorer couldn't open the web interface of the server. The deletion of the Internet Explorer cache solved this problem.

But I think that this is an interesting theme. In the following link you can get some more informations about this:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/263558/en-us/

I asked me if I should write a batch script for deleting the cache automatically (e.g. after logon to the domain or with our software deployment server) for our clients, but this article describes that this is not necessary because the cache time is limited.

Have fun

Greetings

Proxycfg on Windows Server 2008

Hi,
on Windows XP and Server 2003 you can use the command "proxycfg" for displaying or editing the proxy configuration
On Windows Vista, 7 and Server 2008 this command is no longer available.
You have to use the netsh command:
netsh winhttp /?

E. g. you can use "netsh winhttp show proxy" for displaying the informations as you knew from proxycfg.

Regards

Define a global signature in Exchange 2010

Hi,

today I've done a excursion to Exchange 2010 because I was asked, how you can implement a global signature in Exchange 2010.
Go to the "Organisation Configuration", select "Hub Transport" and choose "Transport Rules"

There you can add a new transport rule:

In the Conditions-Window you can select, that this rule applies to messages which will be send to users outside your organisation.

 

In the Actions-Window select "disclaimer" and add your text

The next windows you can accept by clicking on "Next" or you can define some exceptions for this rule.

That's it

Service Pack 2 for SQL Server 2008 is available

Hi,

today microsoft released the Service Pack 2 for SQL Server 2008:
You can download it there:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=8fbfc1de-d25e-4790-88b5-7dda1f1d4e17

Regards

Calling a bluescreen in windows 7

Hi,
if you configure a client for creating a dump file and you would like to test this configuration (e. g. create no memory dump file or create a full memory dump file) you can manually call a bluescreen.
Start the registry with administrative privileges.
Then go to the following key:
HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\services\i8042prt\Parameters
There you have to create a new DWORD-Value containing this:
Name: CrashOnCtrlScroll
Value: 1
After these step you can logon to your windows computer.
By pressing the right CTRL key and the scroll-key the bluescreen will be executed.
Have a nice day
Bye

Install a new language for the MUI (Multilingual User Interface) in Windows 7

Hi at all,

in Windows 7 it's pretty easy to change the user interface to another language.
E. g. you have to support some clients in a different country with a language you don't speak.
So it would be very difficult to find the error or to give the user some tips.

Especially then it would be good if you are able to change the language to you mother tongue.

In Windows 7 Enterprise or Ultimate you can install new languages in the "Control Panel" - "Region and Languages" - then the register "Keyboards and Languages" (in this screen you see, that I have installed 2 lanuages):

There you can choose "Install/uninstall languages".

After you clicked this button you will be asked, if windows update should be launched or if you want to look on your computer or in the network for the language packs.

In my case I started windows update, choose the german language pack in the optional updates and installed this.

Finally you can choose in the region and languages windows which language should be used for your windows interface.

Note: You have to log off that this settings will be applied

Have fun

Change the save location of the offline files cache

Hi,
this is not a new special feature in windows 7 but I think sometimes it makes sense to use this, the offline files cache.

If you work with files in a network share, sometimes you have the requirement that you can edit some files at home without a network connection to your company.

In this case you can make this files offline available. This is not pretty complicated, you do a right click on the file and click on "make available offline" if this feature is activated.

Imagine that you have a small system partition with 30 GB and a second partition with 130 GB (so a 160 GB hard disk).

If you would like to move the cache of the offline files to the second partition, you have to do these steps:

1. At first please synchronize all local files with the network, because after these steps your local cache will be deleted

2. Second you have to create a batch file with following content named ResetCache.bat:
REG ADD HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\CSC\Parameters /v FormatDatabase /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

This command will delete your local cache

3. Reboot your computer

4. Open the registry and add the following entry to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\CSC\Parameters
Type: REG_SZ
Name: CacheLocation
Value: \??\NEW CACHE LOCATION PATCH, e. g. \??\D:\CSC

5. Create the folder in your defined patch and reboot your computer

6. Synchronize the offline files and you will see, that your offline files will be stored in the new location

So long

Event forwarding in Windows 7

Good evening at all,

today I will give you an introducing in a nice feature of windows 7, the event forwarding and collecting.
Every windows 7 computer in your enterprise have a own event log. So it's pretty costly if you want to monitor them to know when errors are occured.

In windows 7 you have two modes for this problem:
Mode 1:
Collector initiated
Mode 2:
Source computer initiated

I would like to show you my favourite: the source computer initiated subscription

1. Start a cmd shell with administrative privileges on a computer which should forward defined events

2. run this command and accept this with yes (type in: y for yes)
winrm qc

3. After this the computer will be configures for forwarding the events to a specific computer (a service will be started, a HTTP-Listener will be created and a firewall rule will be configured)

4. Add the collector computer account to the local group "Event Log Readers) of the
forwarding computer with this command:
net localgroup "Event Log Readers" computer$@DOMAIN.INT /add"

These are the steps for the computer which will forward the events.

Then you have to do run the winrm qc command on the collector computer on the same way as above.


Then we have to create the event subscription on the collector computer:

5. Open in the computer management console the System Tools - Event Viewer - Subscriptions

6. Right click on "Subscriptions" and click on "create Subscription"
(if there's a popup with the Event view you have to accept this with yes for configuring the necessary service)

7. Then choose "source computer initiated" and add the computer group with the clients which should send the log informations to the collector computer

8. At least you should set the events which will be forwarded from the source computers.
Maybe you only want to get error events in the system protocoll so you can configure this by clicking on “select events”.

Then you can see on the ”Runtime status” if this subscriptions works correctly.

Of course there are a lot of preferences but this would burst the frame of this post ;-).

So long and good night

Command Tool: Windows Update Stand-alone Installer

Hi,

you would like to install or uninstall updates with a command line tool?
Then you have to use this one:
wusa

This tool is included in Windows 7 and can do a lot of things for windows update, e. g. uninstall updates with a specific KB Number:
wusa /uninstall /kb:

For more parameters you can use this command:
wusa /? or wusa /help

There are a lot of more parameters which you can configure, e. g. the restart reaction after a command.
Here you can see a description of this tool too:
http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B934307&x=11&y=13

So long

Can't delete a job in the printer queue

Hi,
if you have a problem with printing a document and you can't abort this print in the queue, you can do the following steps:
At first you should restart the spool service:
net stop spooler 
net start spooler

If it's not possible to remove the document from the queue after these step, you can remove the files in the following directory:
%WinDir%/System32/Spool/Printers
There are two files for each document in the printer queue which you can delete if you want for removing them from the printer queue.

Greets

Export DNS Cache to textfile

Hi at all,

for troubleshooting in networks sometimes it's good to know the local DNS cache for name resolution.
For example if you replace a webserver in your environment through another one and you want be sure that the correct IP will be used, then you have to look at the name resolution.

To export the local dns cache of a client you have to do the following steps:
1. start a command line with administrative privileges
2. type in the following command:
ipconfig /displaydns >C:\myDNScache.txt

"C:\myDNScache.txt" is the path for your export file

Now you are able to see if the name resolution works fine and the correct IP will be provided.

Additional:
To delete the DNS Cache you can use this:
ipconfig /flushdns

To deactivate the DNS Cache:
net stop dnscache

Greets

Completion of WSUS

Hi at all,

sorry that it took so long time for the next post, but I was busy because of learning for my certification for MCTS Windows 7 Configuring, which I've completed successfully.
So there was the problem of handling the mobile wsus clients. If you have an active directory environment you can configure a group policy with a startup and a shutdown-script.

In the startup script you can set the following registry keys to your internal wsus server:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate]
"WUServer"="http://WSUS-Server-Name or instead of the Name the IP adress and Port"
"WUStatusServer"="http://WSUS-Server-Name  or instead of the Name the IP adress and Port"

And in the shutdown script you can configure these registry keys again but instead of your internal wsus server you have to set the microsoft update source in the internet (http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com).


DON'T FORGET: The wsus client don't use the proxy configuration of your internet explorer. If you have a proxy in your environment and you didn't set the winhttp proxy settings, then the wua client won't receive updates.
You can configure the winhttp proxy settings with the command "proxycfg -u". With "proxycfg -d" you delete these entries.
Type "proxycfg" and you will see your current configuration of the winhttp proxy configuration.
So maybe it will be necessary that you include theses proxy commands in your start- or shutdown-scripts.

Don't wonder if it takes some time, that the wua client will work successfully, because if you have to configure the winhttp proxy configuration, the wsus service have to be restartet and maybe this will be done after a reboot. 
To force your changes you can use following commands:
net stop wuauserv (stop the windows update service)
net start wuauserv (start the windows update service)




If you have any questions, feel free to ask.


Regards

Editing the Windows 7 hosts file

Hi people,

I'm still over the problem of handling mobile wsus clients.
In the meantime I would like to change the hosts file. In Windows 7 with the UAC (User Access Control) it's not quite simple changing the file like in Windows XP, you have to use a workaround.

At first you have to start the editor with administrator privileges. Then you can open it in this directory:
%systemroot%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts

Do the changes you want to do and save the file through file - save.

This will work

Have fun

Regards

Handling of mobile wsus clients

Hi at all,

I'm sure that some of you are now watching the football world cup in tv but I'm thinking about the handling of mobile clients with wsus because I think that's an interesting theme too ;).

It's a problem in almost every company. There are clients, e. g. laptops or home office pcs, which aren't mostly connected to the company network through vpn or something like that.
So a IT Admin has ask himself about patching those clients.

If you have a wsus server for patching your clients, including laptops etc, there's a tricky possibility of patching these clients.

In my mind I would like to start a user script with a software deployment tool during the login on the client.
So you can see on the local IP adress of the client in which network the device is.

Based on this information you can run a script which will set a registry key of wsus. So you can define if the client should use the wsus of microsoft in the internet or the server in your company lan.
Of course you should not forget, that some mobile clients don't have a broadband internet connection so you should set the bits (Background Intelligent Transfer Service) in the registry too.

I'm planning this scenario and if I'm ready I'll post my solutions and experiences in this blog.

So stay tuned to this blog if you're interested in it and have a nice evening

Manuel

Create a group policy for the wsus clients

Before you can update clients with the wsus server, you have to configure them through a group policy in your domain.

So start the mmc for Group Policy Management and create a suitable OU in your ad structure, e.g. "WSUS Laptops".
After that you can start creating the Group Policy. In conjunction with your environment you have to decide which settings you want to use.
Here you can see my settings for my test environment:

Don't forget to link the gpo with the corresponding org unit.

If you have done these steps, you can have a look at the updates. In my case I've decided to aprove all updates with the "Default Automatic Approval Rule" (you can find this in "Options" --> "Automatic Approvals").

So you can start updating your clients in conjunction with your group policy.

Of course there are more options you can configure but at this point, for me it's enough to hold the clients secure.

Regards

Installing the WSUS on Server 2008

Hi,
today I prepared my virtual server for installating WSUS. How I have installed and configured it, you can read at this link:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd939817%28WS.10%29.aspx

I had only one problem during the installation. You have to configure the SQL Server 2008 for remote access if you want to use an SQL Server as Database instead of the internal. In SQL Server 2005 there was an surface are configuration but in the newer version, you have to enable the protocols in the SQL Server Configuration Manager:

After enabling the procotols, you have to restart the SQL Server Service for taking effect.

If you have done this, the WSUS Installation Guide can access the database and can do all the required things.

The next step would be the configuration of the group policy to set the new update source for the clients you want to update through the wsus (this will be a topic from another blog entry).

That's it

If you have any questions - feel free to ask

Have a nice day

Prepare your machine template for VMWare

It doesn't make sense if you have a lot of machines, based on the same operating system, and you have to set up this manually. So usually you should use templates of virtual machines.

Before you can use a virtual machine template (in my case the server 2008) you have to prepare this  for use.
After installing a OS on a machine, there will be created a unique number, it's called SID (Security Identifier).
If you want to clone this machine, including the OS, you have to change this SID, the machine name, maybe the productcode and so on.

The advantage of the Windows Server 2008, there is a internal tool which can do all this things.
You can find this tool in following directory:
C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep

On this screenshot you can see my settings. After the system was shut down you can copy the virtual machine.
After booting this machine, there will start a small installation of windows, which will prepare the system for use.

CU

Install DNS and Active Directory services

Before I will install all the other member server I have to set up a DNS Server with Active Directory.
New in Windows Server 2008 is the role based management.
After installing the "naked" server, you have to add roles to the server, e. g. DNS or Active Directory in our case.

This you can do at Start --> All Programs --> Administrative Tools --> Server Manager

On the left side you have to click on "Roles" --> "Add Role" and choose Active Directory.

After adding the roles, you have to run dcpromo.exe

After the reboot the server is configured and you can start to add other servers or clients to the domain and beginning to create group policies etc.

Installing the MS Server 2008 functioning as a server template

Hi,

on the weekend I had time to install the first machine for my test environment.

First of all I installed a Microsoft Server 2008 R2 machine. This will be a template for my other servers, because they will base on this operating system too.

So let's start and have a look at the screenshots which I have taken through the installation:

During the installation you can choose which version of the server system you would like to install. In my case, the standard version is enough, so I choosed this one. The first step after I have installed the server, I initiated a windows update getting all the new hotfixes etc. That's all what you have to do for installing a Microsoft Server 2008 operating system. Regards

Planning to set up a test environment for Sharepoint 2010

Hi at all,

nearly I will install a test environment for Sharepoint 2010.
This installation will include following systems:

System 1: Database Server
- Windows Server 2008
- SQL Server 2008

System 2: SQL Server
- Windows Server 2008
- Sharepoint Server 2010


System 3: Development Server
- Windows Server 2008
- Visual Studio 2010

System 4: Client Workstation
- Windows 7
- Microsoft Office 2010

Currently I'm familiar with Sharepoint 2007 developing and with this test environment I would like to install the new Software Products for getting more details and tricks for administration.
Of course I will start developing with the new Visual Studio 2010, which should be more easier as before, because there are some new interesting tools in combination with Sharepoint developing which should stirs the blood of a programmer.

For all of you I will document all the installations so that you can get a view of all of my systems.

So long

Something about myself

Hi,

at first I would like to tell you something about myself.

Currently I'm 20 years old and live in a small town in bavaria, near Ingolstadt.
Last year I completed my education in "Informatikkaufmann", which took 3 years.

In my freetime I do programming in Delphi, C# or ASP with .NET.
Additionally I develop in combination with the Microsoft Sharepoint Portal Server 2007 some web applications and event handlers.
In the future I would like to get more skills and experiences in programming but I plan to get more skills in administration with Microsoft products too.

In my blog I would like to present some informations and some of my knowledge about my experiences doing this jobs.

So I hope I can help you sometimes.

Feel free to ask.

Regards

Manuel Grad