daknetworks.com

Since I lose this all the time and spend too much time trying to find it again, here is a link to the Dell monitor guide:

https://www.dell.com/support/article/en-us/sln317180/identifying-dell-monitor-types-by-their-model-number?lang=en

Upgrade from Windows Server 2008 to Server 2012 R2 Fails on VMWare. There is no reason why. Then it rolls back to Windows Server 2008.

The anwser is to remove the RESERVED PARTITION. If you look at the device manager, there will be 2 partitions; 1 for the RESERVED PARTITION and 1 for WINDOWS.

1- set the main Windows parition as the boot:

Run command prompt as administrator
Type: bcdboot c:\windows /s c:
(You should get a message that states: Boot files successfully created.)
Open Disk Management, right-click on your C: drive and select Mark Partition as Active.
Reboot

2- remove the RESERVED PARTITION.
Edit the VM in WMWare to remove the RESERVED PARTITION HARD DRIVE. This will be the lowest partition size.
Reboot

That should do it!

If not, you might have to boot from a install ISO, go to REPAIR, ADVANCED, CMD and fiddle with DISKPART and BOOTREC.

Let's say you have a service installed but don't want the user to uninstall the service by accident.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\

OR

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\

Find Hostname from IP Address

Let's say you have a large internal global network and you have an IP address that is slamming your SAP server that is coming from a different network segment with a different DNS server.

How do you know what host that is?

In a large network, there might be different domains and different DNS servers. You can query your local DNS server:

nslookup 1.2.3.4

But the local DNS won't find it because the host is not registering with that Name Server.

So to make this work, find the DNS server on that network segment. Sometimes using a traceroute helps here:

tracert 10.20.30.40

This will show the network hops. Hopefully this will narrow down the DNS server for that segment and query it, like this:

nslookup 10.20.30.40 11.22.33.44

It will return the FDQN and IP address.

/WORK IN PROGRESS - DO NOT ATTEMPT/

My work with PXE boot was back in 2007 with BARTPE. A new project has come up and I need it again.

{{Languages}}

==PXE booting to ISO==

===Goal===
We want to boot ISO images via PXE (rather than through CD). This means that, as long as we have enough RAM in the local pc's, we can boot WINPE or any LIVE CD (such as KNOPPIX, PCLINUXOS, UBCD, etc).

===Assumptions===
You are a network/server administrator and know what TFTP, LIVEISO, PE and PXE -a network boot- means. You have a running SME SERVER and your SME SERVER is your DHCP server.

===Install TFTP package on your SME SERVER===
-install SMESERVER-TFTP-SERVER on your SME SERVER: http://wiki.contribs.org/Tftp_server
yum --enablerepo=smecontribs install smeserver-tftp-server

-install SMESERVER-THINCLIENT on your SME SERVER: https://wiki.contribs.org/Thinclient
yum --enablerepo=smecontribs install smeserver-thinclient

-install SMESERVER-THINCLIENT-TS on your SME SERVER: https://wiki.contribs.org/Thinclient_usage
wget http://distro.ibiblio.org/smeserver/contribs/trevorb/7.x/Thinclient/smeserver-thinclient-ts-2.2-1.noarch.rpm
Access SERVER-MANAGER > Thin-Client panel.
Click to add another Thin Client Distribution
Upload smeserver-thinclient-ts-2.2-1.noarch.rpm

You now have a /tftpboot directory on the SME-SERVER.
Inside the /tftpboot directory is another directory /tftpboot/thinclient directory. 
Inside the /tftpboot/thinclient directory are the files necessary to make the PXE happen.

===Create TFTPBOOT structure on your SME SERVER===
-we need to move the files into the proper locations.

-change to the directory
cd /tftpboot

-create a GRAPHICS, ISO, COM32 directories
mkdir graphics iso com32

-move the pxelinux.0 file and the pxelinux.cfg directory to the /tftpboot
mv ./thinstation/pxelinux.0 ./
mv ./thinstation/pxelinux.cfg ./

-finally, move the thinstation directory to the iso directory and create any other directories in iso that you want for iso distributions. For example, BARTPE and MEMDISK
mv ./thinstation ./iso
mkdir ./iso/bartpe ./iso/memdisk

You now have the following structure in the /tftpboot directory:
graphics (The graphics directory is for graphics, naturally.)
iso (The iso directory is for the iso files.)
pxelinux.cfg (The pxelinux.cfg directory is the boot menu.)
pxelinux.0 (This file is what boots the remote system.)
com32 (The com32 directory is for the menu). 

===Download Syslinux Executable===
To boot ISO images we need an executable that can handle ISO's. Lucky for us, a bunch of executables for each distribution is already available in a project called SYSLINUX. SYSLINUX actually encompasses PXELINUX, ISOLINUX and EXTLINUX.

wget: https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/boot/syslinux/6.xx/syslinux-6.03.zip
unzip syslinux-6.03.zip

Inside the "bios" directory you will find different executables for different distributions. For example, MEMDISK is a special executable (legacy) that can boot floppy images, hard disk images and some ISO.

Let's copy the file bios\memdisk\memdisk to /tftpboot/iso/memdisk anyway that you can, such as through SCP.

In addition, let's copy the following files to the root of /tftpboot:
syslinux-6.03\bios\com32\elflink\ldlinux\ldlinux.c32
syslinux-6.03\bios\com32\menu\vesamenu.c32
syslinux-6.03\bios\gpxe\gpxelinux.0 (You already have the pxelinux.0 but pgxelinux.0 provides an additional way to boot which adds a few options such as booting over ftp, http, etc)

===Create an Windows-based ISO on your local pc===

Copy or download the ISO files to the iso directory.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++(no longer supported, here for archival purposes only)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
===Create an Windows-based ISO on your local pc===

====BARTPE====
-download BARTPE on your local pc: http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

-create a BARTPE disk using WINDOWS SERVER 2003 source (i386 directory)

-or if you don't have a WINDOWS SERVER 2003 source, you can use a WINDOWS XP SP2 source (i386 dir) but you'll have to replace the following file with a newer version from the WINDOWS SERVER 2003 SP1 download (see next section):
C:\pebuilder3110a\BartPE\I386\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ramdisk.sys

-you now have a BARTPE.ISO (on your local pc)

====Obtain WINDOWS SERVER 2003 SP1 files needed====
-download the WINDOW 2003 SERVER SP1:
https://www.google.com/search?q=WindowsServer2003-KB889101-SP1-x86-ENU.exe

(You now have a file called: WindowsServer2003-KB889101-SP1-x86-ENU.exe)

-open WINRAR to open the WindowsServer2003-KB889101-SP1-x86-ENU.exe file (the W2K3 file is just a self-extracting ZIP/CAB/TAR file)

-extract only the following files from the W2K3SP1:
ntdetect.com
ramdisk.sy_
setupldr.ex_
startrom.n1_

-The underscore files are compressed. We need to decompress/expand them:
expand ramdisk.sy_
expand setupldr.ex_
expand startrom.n1_

(You only need the ramdisk.sys file if you don't have a WINDOWS 2003 SERVER source to build your BARTPE from. See above section.)

===Transfer files to SME SERVER===
-copy the following files to the SME SERVER in the "/tftpdboot/iso/bartpe" directory:
ntdetect.com
setupldr.exe
startrom.n12
bartpe.iso

===Work with files in the TFTPDBOOT dir===
-the files are case-sensitive and need to be named exactly as follows:
ntdetect.com (lower-case)
NTLDR (rename the setupldr.exe to NTLDR, all caps)
startrom.0 (rename the startrom.n12 to startrom.0) (This is a ZERO)
BARTPE.ISO (all caps)

-create a winnt.sif:
vi winnt.sif

-the contents of the winnt.sif file:
[SetupData]
BootDevice = "ramdisk(0)"
BootPath = "\i386\System32\"
OsLoadOptions = "/noguiboot /fastdetect /minint /rdexportascd /rdpath=iso/bartpe/bartpe.iso"
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 ====Create DEFAULT file====
-change to pxelinux.cfg directory and create the contents of the default file:
cd pxelinux.cfg
vi default

Each distribution iso will have a LABEL and a full-path-to-the-kernel. Currently, we have only 3; BARTPE, THINSTATION and KNOPPIX.

-the contents of the default file (note that this is case-sensitive reference the iso filename):
prompt 1
implicit 0
timeout 600
default foo

LABEL bartpe
kernel iso/bartpe/startrom.0

LABEL thinstation
kernel iso/thinstation/vmlinuz
append initrd=iso/thinstation/initrd ramdisk_blocksize=4096 root=/dev/ram0 ramdisk_size=524288 console=ttyS3 vga=791

LABEL knoppix
kernel iso/memdisk/memdisk
append initrd=iso/knoppix/knoppix.iso iso

===Summary of contents of TFTPBOOT dir===
-graphics
-iso
--iso/bartpe
---iso/bartpe/BARTPE.ISO
---iso/bartpe/ntdetect.com
---iso/bartpe/NTLDR
---iso/bartpe/startrom.0
---iso/bartpe/winnt.sif
--iso/thinstation
---iso/thinstation/vmlnuz
---iso/thinstation/initrd
---iso/thinstation/thinstation.conf.network
--iso/memdisk
---iso/memdisk/memdisk
--iso/knoppix
---iso/knoppix/knoppix.iso
-pxelinux.cfg
--pxelinux.cfg/default
-pxelinux.0
-gpxelinux.0
-ldlinux.c32
-vesamenu.c32

===Boot client PC===
-that should do it! Start your client PC and boot from the network.

-it will boot the pxelinux.0 and try to use any config files.

-at the prompt, when it asks for an image type: {bartpe | thinstation | knoppix}

-pretty cool, huh?

===Advanced Menu===
It is possible to create submenus. Just create a plain text file in tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/ directory and use the same format as the default. The file can be named tools, memorytest, recovery, etc anything you want.

===Advanced Modern OS===
The problem becomes that modern OS's renders the memdisk approach useless because if you loaded the ISO with MEMDISK, once the kernel was read from the ISO and loaded into memory, the ISO data would be gone.

PHONE: Riiiiinnnnnngggg!!!! Riiiiinnnnnngggg!!!! Riiiiinnnnnngggg!!!!

ME: Hello

THEM: Yes, in Outlook, when I go my Deleted Items and click "Recover Deleted Items from Server" it only goes back 2 weeks.

Retention

Retention is how long something can be retrieved if it is deleted. By default, this is 14 days. This can be found with the RetainDeletedItemsFor value, like this:

get-mailbox foo.user |select RetainDeletedItemsFor

Now, there is also a retention on the MailboxDatabase (EDB) that covers all mailboxes on the EDB. This setting is the DeletedItemRetention value, like this:

Get-MailboxDatabase "mailbox.database.name" |select DeletedItemRetention

Setting

Note that Mailboxes will automatically get their settings from the Mailboxdatabase. To set custom settings, you must first disable using the Mailboxdatabase defaults, like this:

set-mailbox foo.user -UseDatabaseRetentionDefaults $false

Next, setting retention is like this:

set-mailbox foo.user -RetainDeletedItemsFor 30

Note that if you run this command while using the mailboxdatabase defaults, the setting will stay at the default value of 14.

Or in one command:

set-mailbox foo.user -UseDatabaseRetentionDefaults $False -RetainDeletedItemsFor 30

Open terminal.

• lsb_release -a
• sudo apt update
• sudo apt upgrade
• sudo apt dist-upgrade
• reboot
• sudo apt install update-manager-core
• sudo vim /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades
• typ: prompt=lts
• sudo do-release-upgrade
• reboot
• lsb_release -a

First, find the DNS servers:

Ubuntu >= 15: nmcli device show | grep IP4.DNS

Ubuntu <= 14: nmcli dev list iface | grep IP4

Second, change the DNS servers using the GUI.

Third, restart the service without rebooting the system:

Ubuntu >= 15: sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager.service

Ubuntu <= 14: sudo service network-manager restart

Came across a PowerEdge 2950 with a PERC (raid controller) that needed Windows Server installed. The Windows Server ISO didn't have the PERC drivers and trying to inject the drivers into the Windows Server ISO failed.

Had to reset the DRAC:

• -CTRL+E to access the DRAC settings to reset the password.
• -ssh into the DRAC.
• -issue the following to reset the DRAC: racadm racreset hard

Had to set the BIOS:

• -allow SATA port to be turned on for the DVD.
• -allow USB to boot.
• -USB to show as HD.
• -select boot menu.
• -select USB.

Had to use the Dell Systems Build and Update Utility (SBUU) v5.5.0 for this to work. This ISO is found here:

https://dl.dell.com/sysman/OM_v5.5.0_SUU_A00.ISO

Or the Dell System Management Tools and Documentation ISO here:
https://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/04/drivers/driversdetails?driverid=p8v4x&oscode=wx64&productcode=poweredge-2950

Separate ISO's put together by running the following in command-prompt: copy /b om* OM_550_SUU_DVRPCK_A00.iso

After running through the options of the SBUU, the process looks for a DVD in the DVD drive. The process errors out if the DVD drive is unavailable and doesn't pick up the USB as the DVD. Go figure.

What makes this process difficult is because there are 54 downloads in the Dell Drivers web site for "SYSTEM-MANAGEMENT":

1. Sometimes it is referred to as the "Dell OpenManage Systems Build and Update Utility" with the "OM" in the title and ISO name.
2. Sometimes it is referred to as the "Dell DVD ISO - Dell Server Updates, v.5.5.0, A00."
3. Sometimes there are other ISO's that seem like they should work but don't. Such as the Dell Installation and Server Management (ISM) ISO aka "Dell CD ISO - Installation and Server Management v.5.2.0."
4. Sometimes the documenation refers to the Lifecycle Controller aka "Dell DVD ISO - Lifecycle Controller OS Driver Packs v.6.5.1" which doesn't work in my case.
5. Sometimes the driver download page refers to the "OS Driver Pack DVD ISO" aka "DELL LIFECYCLE CONTROLLER OS DRIVER PACK V7.0.0" which doesn't work in my case.
6. Sometimes the driver download page refers to the "Q1 Server Update Utility DVD ISO v7.2.1" which doesn't work in my case.
7. Sometimes the driver download page refers to the "Dell Systems Management Tools and Documentation DVD ISO ,V 7.3.0" which doesn't work in my case.
   
8. Sometimes the driver download page refers to the "Dell Windows OS install support pack, v6.3" or the "Dell Windows OS install support pack v7.0.0" which doesn't work in my case.
9. Sometimes the driver download page refers to the "Q1 Server Update Utility DVD ISO v7.2.1" which doesn't work in my case.

In addition, the downloads are broken up into:

• Embedded Server Management
• Secure Systems Management
• Systems Management

I'm not certain if a newer SBUU would work (or anything else for that matter):

https://www.dell.com/support/driver/us/en/04/DriversDetails?driverId=YH0GX&fileId=3406550491

Each mailbox in Exchange 2013 can have access through different ways:

1. ActiveSyncEnabled
2. OWAEnabled
3. PopEnabled
4. ImapEnabled
5. MapiEnabled
6. Exchange Web Services (EWS)

To see the options if they are set for TRUE/FALSE, use the get-casmailbox:

get-CASMailbox foo.user

To see for everyone:

get-casmailbox

To set OWA to be disabled:

set-casmailbox foo.user -OWAEnabled $false

So if you wanted to disable for everyone:

get-casmailbox | set-casmailbox -OWAEnabled $false

Likewise, if you want to do this with ActiveSync, the command is:

set-casmailbox foo.user -ActiveSyncEnabled $false

get-casmailbox | set-casmailbox -ActiveSyncEnabled $false

If you disable ACTIVESYNC, the account cannot get email on the MAIL app on iPhone. Most likely, you want to keep ACTIVESYNC turned on and OWA turned off.

In addition, you probably want to turn off EWS for the accounts. I've found that some 3rd party email apps (ie Blue Mail) use EWS to gather email rather than ACTIVESYNC. For whatever reason, this will not show in Exchange as a mobile device (ie Get-MobileDevice -Mailbox foo.user).

To disable EWS for a single account:

Set-CASMailbox foo.user -EWSEnabled $False

And to disable EWS for everyone:

get-casmailbox | set-casmailbox -EWSEnabled $false

Or it can be done on the entire Organization config:

Set-OrganizationConfig -EWSEnabled $False

Here you go:

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All
New-VM -Name MyMachine -path C:\installs\vm-machine -MemoryStartupBytes 512MB
New-VHD -Path C:\installs\vm-machine\MyMachine\mymachine.vhdx -SizeBytes 10GB -Dynamic
Add-VMHardDiskDrive -VMName MyMachine -path "C:\installs\vm-machine\MyMachine\mymachine.vhdx"
Set-VMDvdDrive -VMName MyMachine -ControllerNumber 1 -Path "C:\installs\vm-machine\MyMachine\connector-59.0.0.52.iso"

Adjust as needed.

Your Meeting Was Declined in Outlook/Exchange 2013. This resource does not accept meetings longer than 1440 minutes.

Resource rooms are set by default to 1440 minutes/24 hours/1 day.

To change, there is a different table than the one for get-mailbox, you have to use Get-CalendarProcessing | Set-CalendarProcessing.

To get the current settings:

Get-CalendarProcessing foo.resource |fl

You will see:

MaximumDurationInMinutes: 1440

To set for longer:

Set-CalendarProcessing foo.resource -MaximumDurationInMinutes 4320


NOTES:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/exchange/mailboxes/Set-CalendarProcessing?redirectedfrom=MSDN&view=exchange-ps

Dell Command is a driver update tool that comes with a Dell computer system. You can run the tool via command line. Awesome!

Note that this is in v2.3/v2.4 and not in v3.0 (Yikes!) but is re-introduced in v3.1.

SIMPLE DELL COMMAND UPDATE

cd c:\program files (x86)\Dell\CommandUpdate

dcu-cli.exe

dcu-cli.exe /scan

dcu-cli.exe /applyUpdates


dcu-cli.exe /applyUpdates -updateType=driver,bios,firmware

It will go through find the drivers, download them and install them automatically.

Because this is via command line, this can be pushed out through the entire network.

ADVANCED DELL COMMAND UPDATE

Now Dell releases all in one driver packs (aka CAB files) for their business systems (Latitude, Precision, etc). You can download the CAB file in a central location and roll out the CAB file to the system (be certain to choose the right CAB file and match the CAB file name to the model number):

dcu-cli.exe" /driverRestore \\MyServer\MyRepositoryShare\E7470-win10-A11-F4MTJ.CAB

REALLY ADVANCED DELL COMMAND UPDATE

There is a Dell Command Deploy Driver Pack

https://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/04/how14097/driver-pack-catalog?lang=en

NOTES:

DELL COMMAND UPDATE: https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/us/en/04/command-update-v2.4/dcu_ug_v2.4/command-line-interface-reference?guid=guid-92619086-5f7c-4a05-bce2-0d560c15e8ed&lang=en-us

DELL CAB FILES: https://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/04/sln312414/dell-command-deploy-driver-packs-for-enterprise-client-os-deployment?lang=en

Want to set an out of office reply for an account in Exchange 2013? Here's how:

GET

To get the current settings:

Get-MailboxAutoReplyConfiguration foo.user

SET

To set the Out of Office reply:

Set-MailboxAutoReplyConfiguration foo.user -AutoReplyState Scheduled `
-StartTime “10/14/2019” -EndTime “12/15/2019” `
-ExternalMessage “Type External automatic reply here” `
-InternalMessage “Type External automatic reply here”

EXAMPLE

It can be tough to set escpecially if you have double-quotes. The backtick when used at the end of the line is used to join to the next line. Also, the backtick is used to escape the double-quote. Example for escaping quotes:

Set-MailboxAutoReplyConfiguration foo.user –AutoReplyState Scheduled `
-StartTime “10/14/2019” -EndTime “12/15/2019” `
–ExternalMessage “<html><head><meta name=`"Generator`" content=`"Microsoft Exchange Server`"><!-- converted from text --><style><!-- .EmailQuote { margin-left: 1pt; padding-left: 4pt; border-left: #800000 2px solid; }--></style></head><body><font size=`"2`"><span style=`"font-size:10pt;`"><div class=`"PlainText`">Hello,<br><br>I'm out of office due to sudden medical leave. Please contact Other User ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or Other User2 ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) in my absence. I will have limited email access.<br> <br>Thank you.</div></span></font></body></html>” `
-InternalMessage “<html><head><meta name=`"Generator`" content=`"Microsoft Exchange Server`"><!-- converted from text --><style><!-- .EmailQuote { margin-left: 1pt; padding-left: 4pt; border-left: #800000 2px solid; }--></style></head><body><font size=`"2`"><span style=`"font-size:10pt;`"><div class=`"PlainText`">Hello,<br><br>I'm out of office due to sudden medical leave. Please contact Other User ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or Other User2 ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) in my absence. I will have limited email access.<br> <br>Thank you.</div></span></font></body></html>”


NOTES:

-https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/exchange/mailboxes/set-mailboxautoreplyconfiguration?view=exchange-ps

Setting

Once upon a time, Skype was Skype and everything was good. Then Microsoft bought them and everything became confusing; really confusing.

In another point in the time, Slack came into existence. It caught steam. All the cool kids used it, the marketing was a bit viral and the company went public company on the NYSE.

Competition

To compete, Microsoft developed Microsoft-Teams; the Microsoft version of Slack.

Microsoft added Teams to their Office365 packages so anyone with an Office365 account could use Microsoft Teams. But it still wasn't enough.

To make the offering more attractive, they offer Microsoft-Teams for free. This is up to 300 accounts on the same domain.

Convergence

At this point Skype for Business is becoming Microsoft Teams:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/faq-journey

What is interesting is that if you have a Microsoft Teams License (free), you can use Skype for Business:
https://products.office.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/free

1- Signup for free Office365 account: https://portal.office.com

Unlicensed accounts are free. You cannot do anything per se but it doesn't cost anything, so there is no harm.

2- Sync with on-site Active Directory (if needed)

If you have an onsite AD, you can setup a separate server just for the purpose of syncing with Office365 Azure Active Directory.

Download Microsoft Azure Active Directory Connect here:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=47594

 3- Assign Microsoft Teams License

You'll have to Connect to Office365/AzureAD via Powershell but once you do, you can perform 3 steps.

    3a- assign a Location:

    set-msoluser -UserPrincipalName This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it -usagelocation US

    3b- check the Office365 Licenses

    get-msoluser -UserPrincipalName This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |fl |findstr /i licen

    3c- assign a Microsoft Teams License

    set-msoluserlicense -UserPrincipalName This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it -AddLicenses "foodomain:TEAMS_COMMERCIAL_TRIAL"

4- Download Skype for Business Basic

To make matters worse, documentation will try to convince you to download the software at: https://portal.office.com/account#installs

While this is logical, this will not work if you have Office 2016/2019 installed. This is because the download is a click-to-run (c2r) application. C2R applications cannot be mixed with others.

The Skype for Business Basic Full Client (448.1 MB) is found here:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=49440

Or if you need to download in Powershell through wget:
wget 'https://download.microsoft.com/download/8/7/E/87E24B50-9C85-4B1D-A581-94AA037803F8/LyncEntry_bypass_ship_x64_en-us_exe/lyncentry.exe' -outfile 'lyncentry_x64.exe'

Typically, Skype for Business Basic needed an onsite Lync Server or an Offce365 account (Office 365 ProPlus, Office 365 Enterprise E3 or Office 365 Enterprise E4).

I guess because of the convergence of Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams, the Microsoft Teams license will work with Skype for Business Basic now.

Note that the download is called: lyncentry.exe

5- Install Skype for Business Basic

6- Login to Skype for Business Basic

That's it! It should work! Good job, well done!

Just like disabling Microsoft Telemetry, the Google Chrome Software Reporter Tool can become a pain. Let's turn it off.

In my other article about adding GPO ADMX files to control Chrome, I explain how to add the ADMX files to the GPO to control CHROME so I won't go through that again.

• -new GPO.
• -name: c-chrome-cleanup-disabled
• -settings: COMPUTER-CONFIGURATION > POLICIES > ADMINISTRATIVE-TEMPLATES > GOOGLE > GOOGLE-CHROME
• -select CONTROL-HOW-CHROME-CLEANUP-REPORTS-DATA-TO-GOOGLE
• -set: DISABLED

• -select ENABLE-CHROME-CLEANUP-ON-WINDOWS
• -set: DISABLED

Save the GPO but don't forget to turn off User-Configuration: DETAILS > USER-CONFIGURATION-SETTINGS-DISABLED.

Apply GPO where needed.

Windows Telemetry does "stuff." I don't want it to do that "stuff." In certain cases, it hogs resources sometimes it becomes out of control.

• -new GPO.
• -name: c-disable-telemetry
• -settings: COMPUTER-CONFIGURATION > POLICIES > ADMINISTRATIVE-TEMPLATES > WINDOWS-COMPONENTS > DATA-COLLECTION-AND-PREVIEW-BUILDS
• -select ALLOW-TELEMETRY
• -set: ENABLED:0 (only works on Windows Enterprise).

But wait, there's more:

• -settings: COMPUTER-CONFIGURATION > POLICIES > ADMINISTRATIVE-TEMPLATES > SYSTEM > INTERNET-COMMUNICATION-MANAGEMENT > INTERNET-COMMUNICATION-SETTINGS
• -select TURN-OFF-WINDOWS-CUSTOMER-EXPERIENCE-IMPROVEMENT-PROGRAM
• -set: ENABLED.

Save the GPO but don't forget to turn off User-Configuration: DETAILS > USER-CONFIGURATION-SETTINGS-DISABLED.

That's it! Link to all OU's necessary.

So routes in an MPLS cisco router can have the following codes; the highlighted ones are the most common I see:

Codes:

• L - local
• C - connected
• S - static
• R - RIP
• M - mobile
• B - BGP
• D - EIGRP
• EX - EIGRP external
• O - OSPF
• IA - OSPF inter area
• N1 - OSPF NSSA external type 1
• N2 - OSPF NSSA external type 2
• E1 - OSPF external type 1
• E2 - OSPF external type 2
• i - IS-IS
• su - IS-IS summary
• L1 - IS-IS level-1
• L2 - IS-IS level-2
• ia - IS-IS inter area
• * - candidate default
• U - per-user static route
• o - ODR
• P - periodic downloaded static route
• H - NHRP
• l - LISP
• + - replicated route
• % - next hop override

As elsewhere, you can see the routes by:

show ip route

Or you can search for a route by (ie search for routes to 10.116.x.x):

show ip route | incude 10.116

 To add a route to the MPLS router nodes, the route must be added as a STATIC route to the node that is LOCAL to the subnet.

For example, we add a new node to the MPLS network. That new node has the following network as a LOCAL subnet: 10.116.0.10/32.

This network would show as the following:

L        10.116.0.10/32 is directly connected, GigabitEthernet0/1

The new node also has the following network as a subnet 10.116.15.0/24. The problem is that while the subnet at the location will already know about the subnet, the other locations will not know about the subnet until it is advertised/distributed across the MPLS network routers.

If you try to traceroute a address on the new subnet from a different location, the other routers will not know what to do and bounce the packet to the default route, causing a loop/bounce.

As stated above, to resolve, the STATIC route must be added to the router where the subnet is located:

S        10.116.15.0/24 [1/0] via 10.116.1.1

To add a static route:
enable
config t
ip route 10.116.15.0 255.255.255.0 10.116.1.1
(note that CIDR doesn't work. ie: ip route 10.251.10.0/24 10.162.100.2)

Once that is added, the other routers will pickup the route as a BGP route:

B        10.116.15.0/24 [20/0] via 10.162.131.38

B routes (BGP) will pick up routes from their neighbor. You can view by:
show ip bgp

O routes (OSPF routes) will pick up routes as well. You can view by:
show ip ospf

Let's say you have a bunch of files to rename. You want to minus the first 10 characters of each file. What's the best way?

It depends.

Total Commander

My favorite for small-to-medium batches is Total Commander. It understands REGEX and it shows the before-names and after-names before committing the command.

• -highlight the files (they show as red filenames).
• -click FILE > MULTI-RENAME-TOOL (the rename box shows)
• -find RENAME-MASK (in the upper-left).
• -type: [N10-]
• -adjust according to your situation.
• -click START (at the bottom-right).

This should do it!

Powershell

For powershell, the command will be something like:

get-childitem 'c:\path\to\file\*.txt | rename-item -newname { [string]($_.name).substring(8) }

Or if you need to split at an underscore "_".

Get-ChildItem'c:\path\to\file'|Rename-Item-NewName{ $_.BaseName.Split('_')[0]+ $_.Extension}

NOTES

https://www.ghisler.ch/wiki/index.php/Multi-rename_tool

TeamViewer uninstall.

First, stop the service:

sc stop teamviewer

See if the service stopped:

sc query teamviewer

See if there is any TeamViewer process running:

powershell "ps |findstr /i team"

If there is a TeamViewer process running, taskill it:

taskkill /F /T /IM teamviewer.exe

Run the uninstall command:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\TeamViewer\uninstall.exe" /S

This information is in other articles that are posted but they can be overly complicated. This is the TLDR version.

Start Powershell

• -start POWERSHELL (as administrator).
• -type: $LiveCred = Get-Credential
• -type in your username/password.

Office365 Endpoints | O365 Endpoints | Azure Endpoints | Microsoft Online Endpoints

From here you have the option to connect to different ENDPOINTS of Office365/AzureAD. The information is the same but data is displayed differently depending on which endpoint is being used.

The ENDPOINTS I use regularly are:

1. OUTLOOK/Exchange-Online
2. AzureAD
3. MSOnline
4. Skype-for-Business/Teams
5. Microsoft Teams

Note that all modules can be found here (although look closely as the names can be unnatural to some):
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/

See Installed Modules

If you want to see the installed modules, you can view by:

Get-InstalledModule

Install Module

To connect to the endpoints, a module must be installed into Powershell. So if this is the first time, depending on the endpoint,use the following

1. Outlook/Exchange-Online: type: Install-Module ExchangeOnlineManagement
2. AzureAD: type: Install-Module AzureAD (or Install-Module AzureADPreview)
3. MSOline: type: Install-Module MSOnline
4. Skype-for-Business/Teams: Import-Module SkypeOnlineConnector
5. Teams: Install-Module MicrosoftTeams

Note that this only has to be done once. After the module is installed into Powershell, it remains.

Also note that since the AzureAd module is being actively developed, the "preview" module, or beta-version, has additional commands that the current release does not. However only one of the AzureAD modules (either AzureAD or AzureADPreview) can be installed at a time.

Connect to Endpoint

After the module is installed into Powershell, the connection is as follows:

1. OUTLOOK/Exchange-Online: type:
   Connect-ExchangeOnline -UserPrincipalName This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
   Connect-ExchangeOnline -UserPrincipalName This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it -DelegatedOrganization adatum.onmicrosoft.com
   Old-way: $Session = New-PSSession -ConfigurationName Microsoft.Exchange -ConnectionUri https://ps.outlook.com/powershell/ -Credential $LiveCred -Authentication Basic -AllowRedirection
   Import-PSSession $Session -AllowClobber
2. AzureAD: Connect-azuread -Credential $LiveCred
   Import-PSSession $Session -AllowClobber
3. MSOnline: Connect-MsolService -Credential $LiveCred
4. Skype-for-Business/Teams: type:
   $sfbSession = New-CsOnlineSession -Credential $LiveCred
   Import-PSSession $sfbSession
5. Teams: Connect-microsoftteams -Credential $LiveCred
   Import-PSSession $Session -AllowClobber

Which Endpoint Is Best

It depends on what you are trying to do.

1. OUTLOOK/Exchange-Online: for the Exchange portion of Office365. Should be easy to determine if it is needed.
2. AzureAD: new endpoint that seems to have development in the works. To me the commands are long and arduous but it has the advantage of automation or workflow.
3. MSOnline: tried and true as a legacy option that seems to work best.
4. Skype-for-Business/Teams: for the Skype-for-Business/Teams portion of Office365.
5. Teams: for the Microsoft Teams portion of Office365.

Uninstall Module

Here is how to uninstall a module:

Uninstall-Module ModuleNameHere
(ie: Uninstall-Module AzureAD)

As a refresher, get-msoluser and get-azureaduser are similar but provide information differently.

This is a case where it seems to be easier to use get-msoluser.

To see all accounts:

get-msoluser

That returns a maximum of 500 results in a command, so you can check with (20000 represents some really high number because 'unlimited' or 'all' doesn't exist):

get-msoluser -maxresults 20000


To search for a specific account:

get-msoluser -searchstr foo.user

To see if accounts are licensed:

get-msoluser -maxresults 20000 |where {$_.islicensed -eq $true}

To see if accounts are not licensed:

get-msoluser -maxresults 1000 |where {$_.islicensed -eq $false}

To see if accounts are not licensed and filter through the external contacts and healthmailboxes:

get-msoluser -maxresults 1000 |?{$_.islicensed -eq $false} |?{($_.UserPrincipalName -notlike "HealthMailbox*") -and ($_.userprincipalname -notlike "*#EXT#*")}

To see an example of the details of a licensed account for ADHOC:

get-msoluser -UserPrincipalName This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |fl |findstr /i licen
IndirectLicenseErrors                  : {}
IsLicensed                             : True
LicenseAssignmentDetails               : {Microsoft.Online.Administration.LicenseAssignmentDetail}
LicenseReconciliationNeeded            : False
Licenses                               : {foodomain:RIGHTSMANAGEMENT_ADHOC}

To see an example of the details of an unlicensed account:

get-msoluser -UserPrincipalName  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |fl |findstr /i licen
IndirectLicenseErrors                  : {}
IsLicensed                             : False
LicenseAssignmentDetails               : {}
LicenseReconciliationNeeded            : False
Licenses                               : {}

To assign a license to an account, you might think that set-msoluser has a key/value but they break it out to set-msoluserlicense (which is weird because there is no get-msoluserlicense). But before that is possible, the account must be set for USAGELOCATION (which is set-msoluser):

set-msoluser -UserPrincipalName  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it -usagelocation US

set-msoluserlicense -UserPrincipalName  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it -AddLicenses "foodomain:TEAMS_COMMERCIAL_TRIAL"

Likewise for removing the license:

set-msoluserlicense -UserPrincipalName  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it -removeLicenses "foodomain:TEAMS_COMMERCIAL_TRIAL"

What options are available for the license key?

Glad you asked. Here is how to get the options for your tenant:

Get-MsolAccountSku

If something doesn't show, it is because it has not been provisioned.

So it is easy to find out what USER is a member of what GROUP. Or vice-versa.

What is not as easily available is finding out what USER has access to another account. Or another way of putting it is; how to find mailboxes that have additional permissions than just their own?

Here's how:

Get-Mailbox | Get-MailboxPermission | where {$_.user.tostring() -ne "NT AUTHORITY\SELF" -and $_.IsInherited -eq $false} | Select Identity,User,@{Name='Access Rights';Expression={[string]::join(', ', $_.AccessRights)}}

Or if you need to create an Excel document out of it:

Get-Mailbox | Get-MailboxPermission | where {$_.user.tostring() -ne "NT AUTHORITY\SELF" -and $_.IsInherited -eq $false} | Select Identity,User,@{Name='Access Rights';Expression={[string]::join(', ', $_.AccessRights)}} | Export-Csv -NoTypeInformation mailboxpermissions-v1.csv

Notes:

This is found in the article for Remove Mailbox Permissions That Are Not Inherited but the info might be hidden there.

For whatever reason, I had an account in Azure AD that picked up the @foobar.onmicrosoft.com domain rather than the actual local domain. I suspect this happened because there was already an account manually created as a Global Admin so when the AD sync was happening, it could not create an account and defaulted to the onmicrosoft.com account.

In any regard, you can delete the account on Azure AD without affecting the Local AD. After the deletion, sync back to Azure AD from the Local AD.

These are the steps:

Connect to Office365/ExchangeOnline

Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned

$LiveCred = Get-Credential

$Session = New-PSSession -ConfigurationName Microsoft.Exchange -ConnectionUri https://ps.outlook.com/powershell/ -Credential $LiveCred -Authentication Basic -AllowRedirection

Import-PSSession $Session -AllowClobber

Connect to MSOnline

Install-Module AzureAD

Install-Module MSOnline

Connect-MsolService -Credential $LiveCred

Get the User / Delete the User

get-msoluser -searchstring foouser

get-MsolUser -ObjectId 33f85584-acde-4c23-aa00-d8ab654a258b

remove-MsolUser -ObjectId 33f85584-acde-4c23-aa00-d8ab654a258b

Connect to AzureAD & Verify the Account Does not Exist

Connect-azuread -Credential $LiveCred

get-AzureADUser

get-azureaduser -searchstring fooname

Permanently Delete

Go to Azure Acive Directory > Users > Deleted Users

Select User

Permanently Delete

Sync from Local AD

Then to sync back from the Local AD.

-connect directly to the system that has Azure AD Connect.

Check the schedule:

Get-ADSyncScheduler

Run the sync:

Start-ADSyncSyncCycle -PolicyType Delta

Notes

get-msoluser and get-azureaduser are pretty much the same in that they will provide the same basic details. They are different in that they connect to different endpoints of the service and therefore provide similar information but provide it differently.

In short, get-msoluser is the 'old way' and get-azureaduser is the 'new way.'

The problem is that the old way is easier to use and not everything is in the new way.

Of course you can use the DNS at the REGISTRAR (GoDaddy, Enom, etc) level but what if you have access to the server but not the domain?

Two files are needed:

1. index.php
2. .htaccess (don't forget the leading '.' and there are no extensions)

The contents of the index.php file to redirect to the new web site:

<?php
    header('Location: https://foo.tld');
?>

The contents of the .htacess file to redirect any phantom links to the index page:

Options +SymLinksIfOwnerMatch
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]

All this time and I never covered this... GPO, gpupdate, gpresult, rsop

GPO

You know GPO, right? The Default Domain Policy is the applied for the entire domain and should override the rest. Put the password stuff in this policy but nothing else.

GPUPDATE

The GPO's will apply automatically but if you need to do it now:

gpupdate /force

gpupdate /force /target:computer

GPRESULT

To see what is being applied, type:

gpresult /r

It shows what server the system is connecting to, what GPO's are applying, what GPO's are not applying and what security-group is being applied. All useful information.

To see more info, use verbose mode:

gpresult /v

Note that the command will only show the USER gpo's. If you want to show the COMPUTER gpo's, the command should be run AS-ADMINISTRATOR.

Or if you need to run remotely:

gpresult /r /scope:computer

GROUPS

Groups are applied on login. If the group doesn't show, logout/login.

RSOP

Since GPO's can overlap, the follow will show what GPO's are winning in case they are fighting: rsop.msc

NET ACCOUNTS

Or a quicky to show password rules: net accounts /domain

On 2 separate occasions today, I ran into problems with NVMe drives. These are SSD drives on a chip through a pcie slot rather than a SATA connection.

The drives were Toshiba KXG60ZNV512G NVM and would BSOD coming out of sleep/hibernate.

Here are 10 steps to make sure you have the best NVMe experience.

1- Update the drive firmware. Be sure to match the model number (KXG60ZNV512G). Dell's web site provided the wrong drive firmware. This firmware would not install as the drive was not found on the system. I found the correct firmware by showing all downloads for the model (Precision 7530).

2- Update the bios. The bios needs to be built to work with an NVMe drive. So if the bios doesn't work, it may need updated.

3- Write down the bios settings for the drive and reset to the default bios settings. Reboot. After reboot, manually set the settings again. There are some settings that cannot be changed manually. If there are hidden settings the default should be appropriate. But we want to make sure we have the drive settings (probably RAID/RST) because we don't want to guess after the update. Changing them incorrectly produces a BSOD on bootup. Not the end of the world as it can be fixed.

4- In the bios, turn off the C-STATE. While we are at it, turn of SPEEDSTEP... ugh.

4- Update the chipset drivers.

5- Update the NVMe drivers. There are 4 providers of NVMe drivers:

1. Microsoft built-in drivers.
2. Samsung.
3. Intel RST (iastorAC.inf).
4. OpenFabrics Alliance.

Word on the street is that the OpenFabrics drivers perform best but let's stick with the crowd and use Intel RST drivers.

6- Manually install the drivers; UPDATE-DRIVERS > BROWSE > LET-ME-PICK > HAVE-DISK > choose IASTORAC.INF > Reboot.

7- Enable the Device Manager Write Caching Options by disabling the write cache buffer; DEVICE-MANAGER > DISK-DRIVES > RIGHT-CLICK > PROPERTIES > POLICIES > CHECKMARK "turn off windows write cache buffer."

8- Disable the Link Power Management (LPM). Open the Intel Rapid Storage Technology Software > PERFORMANCE > LINK-POWER-MANAGEMENT > DISABLE.

9- Set to ultimate performance. Windows has power settings for both plugged into power and for battery. If it is plugged in, use it for maximum performance. Some settings are hidden in the Windows UI, so set it via command line:
powercfg -s e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61

While we are at it, make sure the hibernation is off:
powercfg -h off

10- Have fun! Remember, if this "feels heavy," get someone else to do it for you. Here is a benchmark:

I wrote this email for a colleague who inquired about Webroot. After I finished the message and sent it, I realized that it was appropriate for a blog post:

Webroot is very good protection.

1: INSTALLATION

The installation is very simple with msi or exe options available. Both options are simple, silent and fast install. The command line looks something like this: msiexec.exe /i "wsasme.msi" ALLUSERS=1 /qn /norestart /log output.log GUILIC=664CG8545895728446C

2: PROTECTION-AREAS

Once installed, the protection has the following areas:

1-Real time Protection

2-Rootkit Protection

3-Web Protection

4-USB Protection

5-Firewall Protection

6-Identity Protection

7-Phishing Protection

8-DNS protection is available as well as an upgrade.

3: SCANS

Scans are very fast and use little processor resources. A “deep” scan takes around 30 seconds. A “Full” scan takes around 30-60 minutes but this scan is not needed because of the central console.

4: CONSOLE

All computers report back to a central console which is located here:

https://my.webrootanywhere.com

5: MONITOR

The console is a central place to monitor systems, control systems and will show which systems are clean and which systems have problems.

6: CONTROL

The console also controls the options for Webroot and will determine the settings for the software. One policy we like is the inability to uninstall the software. So even if a person has administrator rights, they are unable to remove Webroot. Uninstall is only performed by the console.

The console also gives limited control access to the systems. You can perform manual scans, lock the computer, restart the computer or restart in safe-mode. This is good when the system is out of the office and might have little control over the system through other access.

7: THREAT RESOLUTION

In the event that Webroot finds a threat, it will automatically resolve the issue and either quarantine the file or delete the file. There is very little maintenance to perform.

8: WEBSITE BLOCKING

While the firewall blocks websites, Webroot is a second layer of protection that blocks when the system is not behind a company firewall.

9: DEFINITION-UPDATES

Definition updates are handled by the console with cloud-based threat intelligence. All systems use the same definition updates and policies.

10: UPGRADE-VERSION

Webroot will automatically update to the newest version. There is no need to manually update the software version.

BONUS: ALERTS & REPORTS

The console can generate alerts and reports. Alerts send an email or text message when any problem is found. Reports shows a list of problems for a time period; for example for the last 30 days, 60 days or 90 days.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The only other antivirus we are considering Cylance.

Trying to reset cisco password; getting "% Authorization failed" for every command. I guess there is an AAA set.

PC <-> usb-to-serial-connection <-> serial-to-ethernet <-> ethernet-to-console
plug into console
putty
select serial
type: com3
Power on router
startup sequence shows.
hit CTRL + BREAK (within 60 seconds).
type: confreg 0x2142
type: reset
Wait for reboot.
type: no
type: enable
type: show startup-config
copy the entire output to your pc and save.
type: config t
type: config-register 0x2142
type: end
type: reload
type: no
confirm the reload with enter
type: no (when ask to enter the initial config).
type: enable
type: config t
type: config-register 0x2102 (notice this is different)
type: end
type: write memory
type: reload
hit ENTER to confirm reload

We had our first interaction with Webex Room Kit recently. After hashing it out for a few days, here are a couple of tips that might help:

1- Webex Meetings and Webex Teams are 2 separate products.

Webex Meetings is traditional Webex. You can host/schedule meetings and other people can join. The meetings can be for small 1-on-1 type of meetings or they can be webinar type of meetings where one person presents and everyone else is muted. Up to 1000 people can attend.

Webex Teams is like Skype. Others ring you and you can ANSWER or DECLINE.

2- Webex Meetings and Webex Teams are 2 separate software.

Since they function differently, you will need both, if needed. My recommendation is to skip Webex Teams altogether. More on that later.

Here is the current link for Webex Meetings (Windows):
https://akamaicdn.webex.com/client/WBXclient-39.4.5-5/webexapp.msi

You can install silently by:
msiexec.exe /i "webexapp-39.4.5-5.msi" ALLUSERS=1 /qn /norestart /log output.log

3- Close Outlook when installing Webex Meetings.

When Outlook is closed, Webex Meetings buttons will install into Outlook. You can use the buttons to Start a Meeting or Schedule a Meeting directly from Outlook.

These buttons are not available for Webex Teams. This is a deal-breaker for Webex Teams.

4- Licensed Accounts are only needed for people who START/HOST/SCHEDULE meetings.

If a user is not going to START/HOST/SCHEDULE a meeting, they do not need a license.

They can still attend meetings that others START/HOST/SCHEDULE.

5- Webex Meetings (& Teams) is licensed per NAMED-USER (colloquially called PER-USER) or ACTIVE-USER (colloquially called CONCURRENT-USER).

In NAMED-USER, you will pay for every person that has an account. If they never HOST/SCHEDULE a meeting, you will still pay.

In ACTIVE-USER, you pay for the number of meetings that can happen at one-time. Like incoming/outgoing phone lines, once they are used up, someone will have to wait till a spot is free to make a call.

6- ACTIVE-USER (aka CONCURRENT-USER) starts at 40 licenses.

This is kind of a bummer for small companies. It would be awesome if a 5 license option were available for smaller companies who may want the features of Webex but don't host meetings too often.

For larger companies, with ACTIVE-LICENSE, you can install on everyone's computer (say 250 computers) and only pay for 40 licenses. Awesome option!

7- Webex Room Kits are Webex Teams by default.

In thinking about it, it makes sense. If you have a conference room of 4 people and they need to call another room, that other room will have to ANSWER for anything to happen. If not, it just rings like a phone until a NO-ANSWER message shows. It will not just show the other conference room and wait for other people to show. That would be kind of creepy.

8- Webex Room Kit TouchPanel has a Directory which is Webex Teams by default.

So if someone starts a Webex Meeting and you try to join via Webex Room Kit by calling their name from the Directory, it will not join the Meeting. It will just ring. This has been the single biggest source of frustration with the Webex Room Kit. People stomp away cursing under their breath about how the stuff doesn't work.

I'm trying to see if that can be changed.

9- Call the Personal Room.

If you start to type in someone's name, they will show twice. Once as their name and a second time as a PERSONAL-ROOM. By tapping on their name, you are calling them via Webex Teams. By tapping on their PERSONAL-ROOM, you are calling them via Webex Meetings. This is "fix" for the frustration above. Trying to communicate (educate?) people on this has proven to be difficult.

In short, call the Personal Room.

10- Adjust the Options from https://admin.webex.com

This web site can control the Webex Room Kit. Options like Whiteboard focus, so that the camera can focus on the person in the conference room along with a Whiteboard and options like Standby-Branding, so that you can display a web site on the TV while the Webex Room Kit is not being used are both options can be found by a little digging.

11 (Bonus!)- Siri/Cortana is Built Into the Webex Room Kit

OK, it is their version of Siri/Cortana but you can say, "Hey Webex, call John" and it will do your bidding. Of course, use caution on the whole Teams/Meeting Personal Room aspect.

Conclusion

In the end, Webex Room Kits along with Webex Meetings is one of the best all around options available for video conferencing and can change the entire culture of the company while providing best-in-class service to customers. Webex Meetings is great but needs a bit of class time to get the full features out of it. Webex Teams,while perhaps necessary, is very confusing to communicate and for users to pick up on their own. Having 2 options only serves to increase support times. Do yourself a favor and ditch Webex Teams going with Webex Meetings only is the way to go.

Now to see if it is possible to change that darn Directory in Webex Room Kit Touchpad to only show Personal Rooms...

Why WatchGuard instead of {insert brand name here}? Good question.

Fine Grain Control

First and foremost, WatchGuard has fine-grain control. This means that WatchGuard will inspect every incoming and outgoing traffic. This is done on a port level (0-65,535) and a portocol level. This means it can allow/deny protocols on ports that it should not be running on. This is different than lower-end systems that will allow all outgoing traffic but only port-forwards incoming ports.

Automatic Deny

WatchGuard automatically denies something that it does not recognize. This is important for security. This way, only items that need to go through are doing so through manual allowance rather than automatic allowance.

Multiple Interfaces

WatchGuard can handle multiple interfaces. This means dual WAN connections or possibly more; such as dual-WAN and MPLS connections. Or perhaps a single WAN connection and multiple internal network segments that are completely separate. Think in terms of an office suite where there might be 5 tenants or more sharing a single internet connection. The economies of scale are at work here as every tenant could share a single fiber connection rather than each getting their own WAN/ISP.

Multiple IP Addresses

WatchGuard can handle multiple public IP addresses all on the same interface. This means that we can use one ip address for our LAN and other dedicated IP addresses for servers. This helps for security but also if you have multiple servers using the same port number, say port 80 for web hosting. You can have multiple web servers behind the same WatchGuard with different public ip address but using the same WAN connection.

No Reboot Configuration Updates

WatchGuard will apply new configurations without rebooting the system. The only time a reboot is needed is when the OS is updated. This is a dream if you ever managed any other system that wants to reboot everytime a change is made.

Wireless Controller

WatchGuard has wireless controller builtin. This allows for easy deployment of several access points (AP's) at once. It will sniff out new AP's and ask if it should manage them. This can be done via internet as well. So upgrading AP firmware is done in one fell scheduled swoop in the wee hours of the morning during low/no traffic.

Business Class Ready

WatchGuard is business class ready. Stop using home quality routers at the office. With uptimes more than a year, WatchGuard is built for the offices both large and small.

Integrated Threat Detection Against Cryptolocker

WatchGuard has integrated Threat Detection client that can run on the systems. If cryptolocker is detected, WatchGuard can shut it down automatically.

VPN Options

WatchGuard handles VPN through SSL VPN (it can also do PPTP and IPSEC). With PPTP being outdated and other systems difficult to setup, WatchGuard SSL VPN works out of the box. And it works at most remote situations since it runs over https/port 443. This saves on support time for road warriors and conference travelers needing to connect back to the office.

Also WatchGuard VPN can be site to site with super easy drag and drop configuration.

Next, WatchGuard VPN can be split-tunnel for remote workers. This allows remote workers to use the local internet connection for web surfing and the VPN connection for office network shares. Helps in situations where road warriors need to print to their local network printers but still need access to the office server.

WatchGuard VPN works with OpenVPN. This allows the traffic to be forced over the VPN connection.

Centralized Management

WatchGuard can be managed centrally through WatchGuard System Manager. This means that if you have several WatchGuard firewalls (or hundreds... cough, cough), you can manage them all from a single console. This manages licenses, upgrades, wireless firmware, firewall rules. You name it and the WatchGuard System Manager can manage it.

Centralized Reporting

Likewise, WatchGuard has Centralized Reporting in the form of WatchGuard Dimension. All traffic from all clients across all WatchGuard Firewalls is recorded in a central location. If we need to run a report on web sites visited during a certain time, no problem. Here it is.

Putting All Together

Putting this all together means that we can manage many WatchGuard systems and their wireless access points and their reporting across North America without ever leaving network operations center.

Here is how to get the disk space in powershell with GB (aka human readable numbers):

get-psdrive

Here it is cleaned up a bit:

get-psdrive -PSProvider filesystem | Format-Table -Wrap -AutoSize -Property Root,@{Name='UsedGB';Expression={[math]::round($_.used/1gb,2)}}, @{Name='FreeGB';Expression={[math]::round($_.free/1gb,2)}}, @{Name='PctFree';expression={$_.free/($_.free+$_.used)*100 –as [int]}}

It has every connected drive,  drive letter, used GB, free GB and Percentage Free GB.

WatchGuard Downloads are here:

https://watchguardsupport.secure.force.com/software/

The OS upgrade option is built into the web ui and should be used to upgrade versions. The OS upgrade will also upgrade the SSL VPN client versions that are stored directly on the Firebox.

Let's say that you have limited access to a system. Let's say that you want to download a WebEx package to the system via command line/powershell. Here's how:

wget "https://akamaicdn.webex.com/client/WBXclient-39.4.5-5/webexapp.msi" -outfile "webexapp.msi"

msiexec.exe /i "webexapp.msi" ALLUSERS=1 /qn /norestart /log output.log

Remove Appx app (is that redundant?):

Get-AppxPackage -allusers -name "Microsoft.MicrosoftOfficeHub" |Remove-AppxPackage

Here is an example:

REMOVE
Get-AppxPackage -allusers -name "Microsoft.Windows.Photos" |Remove-AppxPackage

GET
Get-AppxPackage -allusers | Select Name, PackageFullName |findstr /i photo

ADD
Add-AppxPackage -register "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.Windows.Photos_2019.19071.17920.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\appxmanifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode

Click here to see how to set the Surface Pro 4 to Max Performance on the Intel HD Graphics and the Processor:

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-max-intel-hd-graphics-surface-pro-4

MacBook Pro circa 2011 running bootcamp and Windows 10. Updated to 1903. BSOD "WDF_VIOLATION."

-hold power button to shut off.
-press power button to turn on.
-do this about 3 times. After the 3rd time, the option for ADVANCED BOOT should appear.
-press F8
-select SAFE-MODE WITH COMMAND-PROMPT
-login as normal.
(a scary black screen shows)
-you will be at c:\windows\system32

-type: cd drivers
-type: dir |findstr /i machal
-it will show: MacHALDriver.sys
-this is our problem.
-type: rename MacHALDriver.sys MacHALDriver.sys.sav
-press ENTER key
-type: shutdown -r -t 3
-press ENTER key

The system will reboot and you should be able to login as normal with the BSOD. Apparently the BOOTCAMP DRIVERS V6 will fix. But I have not tried to install yet.

It is possible to setup different access to different groups.

Typically we block web site to weapons by default. Going to a web site like the following is blocked: beretta.com

But what if they are a client and we want the MARKETING group to allow access to the web site?

-this was the simple setup:
https://www.jscmgroup.com/watchguard-blog/2016/8/29/watchguard-webblocker-actions

Without any setup the log is:
2019-06-05 14:53:51 Deny 10.192.480.250 199.83.128.143 http/tcp 56564 80 0-LANLAG 0-External ProxyDeny: HTTP Request categories (Outbound-HTTP-proxy-00) proc_id="http-proxy" rc="595" msg_id="1AFF-0021" proxy_act="HTTP-Client.Standard.1" cats="Weapons" op="GET" dstname="beretta.com" arg="/favicon.ico"

-you can see that the proxy-action is: HTTP-Client.Standard.1.
-but it should be: HTTP-Client.marketing
-this is because the proxy-action is not attaching to the group. This is because I was trying on a system on a subnet with an exception for authentication:
10.192.480.0/24 (note: subnet not real for posting purposes)
-this results in NO-AUTH, NO-GROUP and NO-PROXY-ACTION.
-using different pc on: 10.192.420.0/24

-for setup, the key here is that the WatchGuard group name needs to be the same as the AD group name: MARKETING
-next, create the rule where you can create the proxy. I went the long way around.
-ultimately, I had to:
-edit-policy > Proxy-Action > HTTP Proxy Exceptions
-add: *.beretta.com

NOTES:
-going to: -edit-policy > Proxy-Action > WebBlocker
-click: EDIT > EXCEPTIONS
-click: ADD
-type: *.beretta.com/*
Did not work. I still ended up with log:
2019-06-05 15:40:06 Deny 10.192.420.100 199.83.134.143 http/tcp 61063 80 0-LANLAG 0-External ProxyDeny: HTTP Content Type match (Outbound-HTTP-Marketing-00) proc_id="http-proxy" rc="595" msg_id="1AFF-0018" proxy_act="HTTP-Client.marketing" rule_name="Default" src_user="dakruhm"

-the fix should be:
-edit-policy > Proxy-Action > HTTP-RESPONSE > CONTENT-TYPES

Here are my scribble notes so I don't have to look them up again.

Install the OpenText Enterprise Scan program.

Scanning is rather simple, just make sure you select the correct model of scanner and scan the document.

Next is sending to the Archive Server.

Setup the pipeline to the Archive server (ie 10.195.160.4).
scan config manager

Test the archive server pipeline:
scan > config-manager

Pipeline info:
localhost
Port 4023
Port 8080 (for management)
right-click & select LIST-PIPELINES

Start Enterprise Scan
Config Archive

Ops
Capture Center
Capture Center via shared
content server
doc pipe for content server
doc pipe for SAP
doc pipe for tcp
external storage

Flow
Doc pipeline SAP

Server
http
8080
check
nettcp secure
19284
local
localhttp

There is a possibility that there is a port on a firewall that needs to be opened if the archive server is offsite.

Check the profile: cmd > set
ecm conf dir = c:\ProgramData\Open Text (intentional space "Open" "space" "Text")
ecm doc pipeline base = c:\Program Files\OpenText
ecm doc pipeline conf = c:\ProgramData\OpenText (intentional nospace "OpenText")
ecm doc pipeline info = c:\ProgramData\OpenText (intentional nospace "OpenText")
ecm doc pipeline sap = c:\ProgramData\OpenText (intentional nospace "OpenText")

c:\ProgramData\OpenText\BASE Document Pipeline\config\dpconfig\dp.dpconfig
c:\ProgramData\OpenText\BASE Document Pipeline\config\dpconfig\dp.dpinfo

Error Message: Late_Archive_error | Could Not Process Document

Logs are here:
c:\ProgramData\OpenText\var\LogDir\doctods_1.log

http status code = '0', http status message = 'Couldn't resolve host name'
dsc::dscOpenDoc dsc.cxx-9776 cannot reserve a document id; the call of function dshDsReserveDocId() failed: 'HTTP error: connection was broken: host = denw08v701 (archive='ABC')'

This means the archive is not working because the local system cannot find the system that is named in the script. This happens because the server is outside the domain so simply stating the system as "denw08v701" it needs to be "denw08v701.domain.tld".

Or you can edit the HOSTS file:
c:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts

Add:
10.195.160.4 denw08v701

Find What Port Number a Mac Address Is On Cisco IOS

If you know the full Mac address, you can perform the following:

show mac address-table address 6476.7A98.1818

If you know just part of the Mac address (where 1818 is the last 4 digits of the Mac):

show mac address-table | include 1818

Change your interface, if needed:

enable

configure  terminal

interface GigabitEthernet0/1
 description MPLS
 ip address 10.162.131.54 255.255.255.248
 duplex full
 speed 100

Be sure that your link speed is set correctly. Sometimes auto speed doesn't work right.

And change your gateway/bgp-neighbor, if needed:

router bgp 65000
 no synchronization
 bgp log-neighbor-changes
 redistribute connected
 redistribute ospf 30
 neighbor 10.162.30.1 remote-as 65006
 neighbor 10.162.131.49 remote-as 1
 no auto-summary

And remember to save your running config as your startup config:

copy  running-config startup-config

You can show your routes by:

show ip route

Integration services is Microsoft's terminology for client-tools/guest-tools. Other vendors such as VMware and VirtualBox have their own terminology but the idea is the same. With the tools installed the guest VM works better, faster, etc.

To see if the Integration Services are installed:

• -go to Host system.
• -powershell (as admin).
• -type: get-vm |ft name,version

With Windows 10 Guest VM, and Server 2016 Host, the integration services are installed via Windows Update.

To see the version of Integration Services:

-type: REG QUERY "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Virtual Machine\Auto" /v IntegrationServicesVersion

Then let us see if the service on the GuestVM is running:

-type: Get-Service -Name vm*

Let's say that you have a typical Windows domain network at the headquarters. A rule of the network account policy is that the password changes every 90 days.

And let's say that you have a group of outside sales people who do not come into the office. Every once in a while they vpn into HQ.

If the password expires on their account, they can still login to their laptops because the laptop keeps a local copy of the access list. But then the VPN fails and email fails.

They call and we reset their account password.

The VPN works.

But then how does the laptop get updated?

Here's how:

Lets say you have a directory of photos. The directory is about 1TB and the hard drive is packed full. How do you delete files that are larger than a certain size?

Here's how:

cd /path/to/dir
find . -name "*.jpg" -size +1000k -delete

K is for KB.
Miss off the "-delete" if you want to run a test without deleting the files.
Adjust accordingly.

Or if you need to delete base on date (files older than 30 days):
find ./path/to/dir/ -type f -mtime +30 -delete

Find files larger than 1MB:
find ./directory-name-here -type f -size +1M

Find files older than 180 days:
find ./directory-name-here -type f -mtime +180 -exec rm -f {} \;

Here is the best source for setup of LDAPS:

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/microsoftrservertigerteam/2017/04/10/step-by-step-guide-to-setup-ldaps-on-windows-server/

For Mimecast, if you are using a self-signed certificate as the instructions above provide, set the Encryption Mode to: Relaxed

Rename user in Active Directory is a common task but putting it all in one spot

Rename User in GUI

-open Active Directory Users and Computers.
-right-click on the Name.
-select RENAME.
(rename User dialog box appears to change other common items)

Rename User in CMD

dsmove "<UserDN>" -newname "<NewUserName>"
dsmod user "<UserDN>" -upn "<NewUserUPN>" -ln "<NewUserLastName>"

Rename User in PS

rename-adobject "oldname" "newname"
or
Get-ADUser -Identity 'oldname' | Rename-ADObject -NewName 'newname'

For a full one-liner:
Get-ADUser "old.name" |Rename-ADObject -NewName “New Name” | Set-ADUser -GivenName “New” -Surname “Name” -DisplayName “New Name” -SamAccountName “newname” -UserPrincipalName " This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ”

NOTES:

All the following are different:

Name
GivenName
Surname
SamAccountName
DisplayName
OtherName
UserPrincipalName

Most can be set by: Set-ADUser

But the Name of the Object is a bit different and needs to be set by: Rename-ADObject

Check your work by using Get-ADUser.

Here is Get-ADUser:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/addsadministration/get-aduser?view=win10-ps

Here is Set-ADUser:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/addsadministration/set-aduser?view=win10-ps

Here is Rename-ADObject:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/addsadministration/rename-adobject?view=win10-ps

Watchguard VPN setup. Watchguard has a split tunnel automatically. Works for hundreds of people.

Run into a new setup where the Watchguard VPN would connect but asking for vlan resources would respond back with the local network. The desired result is the remote network.

This happens to be on an ATT home router. The laptop is hard-wired connected. Note that the wireless connection work fine. Go figure.

Here's how to diagnose on the vpn laptop:

• -click START > POWERSHELL (as admin).
• -type: get-netipinterface

Typically, out of the box, each connection will have a name (obviously) and a setting for IPV4 and IPV6. Each setting will have a METRIC.

Let's say the the connections are named: ETHERNET and VPN.

You will notice that:

ETHERNET IPV4 has a metric of 35
ETHERNET IPV6 has a metric of 35
VPN IPV4 has a metric of 35
VPN IPV6 has a metric of 35

What we need to do is set the METRIC on the hard-wired connection to a number higher than the vpn connection.

-type: netsh int ipv4 set interface interface="ETHERNET" metric=40
-type: netsh int ipv6 set interface interface="ETHERNET" metric=40

That should do it.

Note that other posts will talk about turning ipv6 off, etc. This can be done via PowerShell:
Disable-NetAdapterBinding –InterfaceAlias “Ethernet Interface Name Here” –ComponentID ms_tcpip6

Watchguard Change Opened Ports | Watchguard Change Opened Outgoing Ports

Let's say that you already have a firewall policy on your Firebox. That firewall policy has a non-standard-port open from that static internal ip-address to the rest of the www (any-external) so that it can talk to who it needs to. Note that this is not a static server internally that needs to service the rest of the www such as a web server, this is simply a piece of software that needs to reach out on a non-standard-port.

Now, at the current moment, you need to either add to the port list or change the port number.

When you click on the firewall policy there is no option to edit the port list or the port number. How you change it?

Good question. What you want to do is change what is called in Watchguard-speak, the firewall-policy-type.

Here's how:

• -click FIREWALL > FIREWALL-POLICIES.
• -click ADD-POLICY (at the top). (Yes, even if you are not adding a firewall-policy).
• -bullet CUSTOM.
• -select the policy-type (from the drop-down list).
• -click EDIT.
• -click ADD | EDIT | REMOVE as necessary.
• -click SAVE (at the bottom).
• -click CANCEL (so that it does not save a new firewall-policy).

I have yet to figure out if there is a better way to go directly to the firewall-policy-types.

Here is how to port forward if you are hosting a server of some type on your internal network that needs to be accessible outside of the office:

• -log in via web https://10.1.10.1:8080
• -click on Firewall > SNAT.
• -click ADD.
• -type name: 5802 incoming to port 5802
• -click ADD.
• -type internal address to send traffic to. (e.g., 10.1.10.5)
• -click OK.
• -click SAVE
• -click Firewall > Firewall Policies.
• -click ADD-POLICY.
• -click CUSTOM.
• -type name: 5802 incoming to port 5802
• -click ADD.
• -enter port # and click OK. (e.g., 5802)
• -click SAVE.
• -click ADD POLICY button.
• -change “FROM” box to contain only “Any-External”.
• -remove everything in “TO” box.
• -click ADD button.
• -change “Member Type” to “Static NAT”.
• -select the Policy Type you just added and click OK.
• -click SAVE.

Get All Mailboxes With Permissions Other Than Themselves. Here's how:

Get-Mailbox | Get-MailboxPermission | where {$_.user.tostring() -ne "NT AUTHORITY\SELF" -and $_.IsInherited -eq $false} | Select Identity,User,@{Name='Access Rights';Expression={[string]::join(', ', $_.AccessRights)}} | Export-Csv -NoTypeInformation mailboxpermissions-v1.csv

Learn visually? Me too. Here's the Outlook Permissions in table format with color view:

Do you have an Office365 account for your company domain (ie daknetworks.com) and email? Did you know that you can join your laptop or desktop to the Office365 domain?

Here are the links are recommended for various aspects of 365.

Portal for Office365 individual accounts:
https://portal.office.com

Portal for Office365 tenant management and the rest of your domain:
https://admin.microsoft.com

Portal for Azure:
https://portal.azure.com

Portal of Azure Active Directory (AAD):
https://aad.portal.azure.com

Portal for EndPoint Manager (InTune):
https://endpoint.microsoft.com
(for another view: AAD > DEVICES)

Add MFA-methods for individual accounts (as individual account):
https://mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info

Add MFA settings for individual accounts (as admin account):
AAD > USERS > PER-USER-MFA (at the top)

Or:
https://admin.microsoft.com > SETTINGS > ORG-SETTINGS
-click MULTIFACTOR-AUTHENTICATION

For fine-grain control of Exchange:
-click MODERN-AUTHENTICATION

Add MFA for entire account:
AAD > PROPERTIES > MANAGE-SECURITY-DEFAULTS

AZURE ACTIVE DIRECTORY

Once here, you are welcomed with so many services it is hard to keep them straight. What we are interested in is Azure-Active-Directory. Once you click on Azure-Active-Directory, you will see more options. Let's cover the basics.

USERS

Clicking on USERS will show you the users in your company. These naturally mirror the email accounts as you can't have an email account without having an Azure-Active-Directory account. But that might not be obvious if this is new to you.

GROUPS

Click on GROUPS is similar.

DEVICES

DEVICES will show all the DEVICES that is REGISTERED or JOINED. What's the difference?

REGISTERED is allowing the company to control the device. This is what happens with your iPhone (because who in their right mind would use Android). When you add your Office365 company email address to the phone, the company can control your iPhone. You might not know that. But it is nonetheless true. They can take the email account off the phone without your permission or they can wipe your entire iPhone without your permission.

The same is true for Windows 10 laptops/desktops. If you add your Office365 company email address to Outlook, the company can control your computer is some ways. Just like your iPhone, your computer is still accessible by you with the password that you setup when you brought the computer home from the store or received in the mail/ups/fedex/amazon package. But your company can control some of the items on your computer.

JOINED is what we think of in a traditional computer setup for a small company with an on-site server. When a computer is JOINED, any user in the company can login to that computer without having to setup the password locally. All the usernames/passwords are kept on a centrally located "invitation list."

JOIN COMPUTER TO AZURE ACTIVE DIRECTORY

 So how do you do that?

• -click START > SETTINGS > ACCOUNTS
• -click ACCESS-WORK-OR-SCHOOL (on the left-hand side).
• -click CONNECT.
• -click JOIN-THIS-DEVICE-TO-AZURE-ACTIVE-DIRECTORY.
• -type in your email-address.
• -click NEXT.
• -type in your email-password.
• -click SIGN-IN > JOIN > DONE.

MAGIC TO GET AROUND YOUR ORGANIZATION REQUIRES HELLO

There's a part here where if we continue, it will want to change your password to a PIN. Let's get around this.

• -click START > RUN.
• -type: gpedit.msc
• -click Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Hello for Business (on the left-hand side).
• -click Use Windows Hello for Business (in the middle).
• -click DISABLED.
• -click OK
• -restart your computer to make sure it survives reboot.

LOGIN WITH AZURE ACTIVE DIRECTORY

At the login screen,

• -click OTHER-USER (at the bottom-left).
• -type in your email-address.
• -type in your email-password.

Once you do a whole new world begins. Now you can use your email-address and email-password to access the computer. You might notice that it automatically has your name from your email address. This is some the power of JOINING to an Azure-Active-Directory.

Note that when you do this, the process creates a new user on the computer so your DESKTOP, DOCUMENTS, PHOTOS, VIDEOS will all be reset to a fresh set. Any items you might have had are still in the other username and password. This can be manually transferred from the other account if needed.

NOTES

I could go on and on about the benefits of this:

1. this computer now shows in Azure-Active-Directory > DEVICES section.
2. if you open EDGE, go to https://portal.office.com you are automatically logged in and can download and install the software.
3. if you open OUTLOOK, your account is automatically found and setup

In addition, I could go on and on about the number of misleading videos and long-winded documents I had to travel to get this far. Here are some of them:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/devices/overview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZrtCtj4rTs

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/identity-protection/hello-for-business/hello-manage-in-organization

Exchange 2013 Room Lists exist.

To get a list of all the room resources:

get-mailbox |? {$_.resourcetype -eq "room"}

Just as mailboxes can be part of a group/distribution-group, the room resources can be part of a group/distribution-group. These are groups do not show in the ECP.

To get a list of all the roomlist groups:

get-DistributionGroup |? {$_.recipienttypedetails -eq "roomlist"}

To create a new roomlist group:

New-DistributionGroup conference-rooms-foo -RoomList

To add a member to the roomlist group:

Add-DistributionGroupMember conference-rooms-foo -Member foomember1

To get a list of all the members of a roomlist group:

get-DistributionGroupMember conference-rooms-foo

For some reason, we have never done an article on SPF records. Here are some notes concerning SPF.

Here are our current records:

v=spf1 a mx ip4:216.245.219.162 include:_spf.freshbooks.com -all

A is for the A record

MX is for the MX record

ip4 is for a dedicated ip address.

include is for including an outside system. In this case Freshbooks which handles our billing for us.

Since A, MX and IP are all the same, only one is needed. We changed it to this:

v=spf1 mx a include:_spf.freshbooks.com -all

Client has a FileMaker Server installed at a datacenter. They need the certificate installed and working.

Generate a CSR

• -open FILEMAKER SERVER.
• -click DATABASE-SERVER > SECURITY.
• -click CREATE-REQUEST.
• -create a password by typing it in.
• -when you do, a CSR file (certificate request) and a PRIVATE-KEY will be generated.
• -the files are automatically kept here: C:\Program Files\FileMaker\FileMaker Server\CStore
• -the CRS is called ServerRequest.pem
• -this is just a text file. Open the file with NOTEPAD or TEXTEDIT or EDITPAD or NOTEPAD++ (not WORD).

Create a Signed Certificate

• -take the contents of the CSR and give them to your SSL provider (GoDaddy, RapidSSL, Comodo, etc).
• -once submitted, that will generate a signed certificate.
• -it will also give you an intermediary certificate or chain certificate.

Gathering All the Certificates

• -create a folder on the desktop of the FileMaker Server.
• -create a new text file in the folder.
• -copy the contents of the signed certificate from your SSL provider (GoDaddy, RapidSSL, Comodo, etc) and paste them into the text file.
• -rename the file your.filemaker.domain.tld.crt
• -create another new text file in the folder.
• -copy the contents of the SHA-1 Root certificate from your SSL provider (GoDaddy, RapidSSL, Comodo, etc) and paste them into the text file.
• -copy the contents of the intermediary certificate from your SSL provider (GoDaddy, RapidSSL, Comodo, etc) and paste them into the text file directly under the root certificate.
• -so the file should look like this:

=================

-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
root-certificate-here-blah-blah-blah
-----END CERTIFICATE-----
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
intermediary-certificate-here-blah-blah-blah
-----END CERTIFICATE-----

=================

• -rename the file chain.crt
• -copy the file C:\Program Files\FileMaker\FileMaker Server\CStore\serverKey.pem to this folder as well.
• -so the folder has 3 files:
  • 1-your.filemaker.domain.tld.crt
  • 2-chain.crt
  • 3-serverKey.pem

Install the Certificate on FileMaker Server

• -click DATABASE-SERVER > SECURITY.
• -click IMPORT CERTIFICATE.
• -for SIGNED-CERTIFICATE choose the file your.filemaker.domain.tld.crt
• -for PRIVATE-KEY choose the file serverKey.pem
• -for INTERMEDIATE-CERTIFICATE choose the file chain.crt
• -for password, type in the password create during the CRS in the first step.
• -click IMPORT.
• -restart the service (or restart the server).

That should do it! You're awesome! You now have a green lock in the FileMaker Pro clients running around the country and everyone is happy.

Test the certificate: echo GET | openssl s_client -connect yourwebnameserver.tld:5003

NOTES

What makes this difficult is the terminology and the different certificate types and extensions (crt, cer, pem, p7s, etc). Naturally, I think most people try to use CER files by mistake.

Also the Intermediate certificate is a pain since sometime it is needed but not provided. When it is provided, they expect you to know what to do with it.

Lastly, sometimes they provide 2 Intermediate certificate along with their root-certificates and they expect you to know which one to use. Hint, use SHA-1-root with FM Server v16.

Here are the intermediate certificates for RAPIDSSL:

https://knowledge.digicert.com/generalinformation/INFO1548.html#links

• -find ROOT
• -click DOWNLOAD
• -it will show the root-certficate.
• -put this at the top of the chain.crt (which has nothing other than this pasted text).
• -find INTERMEDIATE CA
• -click DOWNLOAD
• -it will show the intermediate-certficate.
• -put this in the same file but under the root certificate.
• -save the file as chain.crt

Windows Couldn't Connect To The User Profile Service Service (aka All Your User Profile Are Belong To Us)

SCENARIO

This happens after an upgrade to v1803 or to v1809 or to v1903.

RESOLUTION

Get the HOMEDRIVE:

get-aduser -filter * -searchbase "ou=<location>,ou=<users>,dc=<domain-name>,dc=com" -properties homedrive, homedirectory, scriptpath |ft name, homedrive, homedirectory

This will output:

name            homedrive homedirectory
----               ---------      -------------
Foo User     Z                \\server\users$\foo.user

You will see above the HOMEDRIVE is something like a capital letter. In this case: "Z"

This needs to be set as: "Z:"

In other words, it is missing the colon ":"

To implement, first get the usernames in the OU needing serviced:

$usernames = (get-aduser -filter * -searchbase "ou=<location>,ou=<users>,dc=<domain-name>,dc=com" -properties samaccountname |foreach { $_.samaccountname })

Now set the correct HOMEDRIVE value:
foreach ($username in $usernames) {set-aduser $username -homedrive Z:}

MORE INFO

This happens because the HOMEDRIVE value is set incorrectly for the update script.

There is some sort of script that is trying to move the profile (Desktop, Documents, Favorites, Pictures, Photos, Videos) to OneDrive. The script errors when the HOMEDRIVE doesn't have the colon.

Windows Service Update Service (WSUS) is groaned by many administrators. What should be a drop-dead-easy process is overly complicated and difficult to manage.

Everything should "just work." But it doesn't.

On 80% of the systems, the ones left on all the time, the success rate is high. The updates download and install on schedule as per the Group Policy (GPO).

On 20% of the systems, the laptops not left on all the time or away from the office, the success rate is mixed. Sometimes the downloads update, sometimes not. Sometimes the downloads install. Sometimes not.

Invariably, throughout the course of a deployment, a handful of laptops and tablets start to lag behind. They refuse to download and install the updates for whatever reason.

This necessitates the ability to force the client system to download and update.

WUAUCLT

To force them to update and install used to be:

wuauclt /detectnow
wuauclt /updatenow

Or you could use the switches together:

wuauclt /detectnow /updatenow

USOCLIENT

Now with Windows 10, wuauclt is no longer working. But the completely undocumented USOCLIENT can be used to do the same:

USOClient StartScan (Start checking for updates)
USOClient StartDownload (Start downloading updates)
USOClient StartInstall (Start installing downloaded updates)
USOclient Refreshsettings
USOclient StartInteractiveScan
USOClient RestartDevice (Restart Windows after updates are installed)
USOClient ScanInstallWait (Check for updates, download available updates and install them)
USOclient ResumeUpdate

I’ve used the following command to get remote systems to update with success:
USOclient StartScan
USOclient StartDownload
USOclient StartInstall

Few notes:

1. there is no slash.
2. there is no documentation on the command.
3. there is no output or feedback from the command.
4. this command replaces: wuauclt

PSWINDOWSUPDATE

Or you can use powershell. This is not built-in so a module will have to be installed.
(The minimum TLS version was raised on the provider lookup site - Powershell Gallery. The first line sets the machine to TLS1.2)

[Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [Net.SecurityProtocolType]::Tls12
Install-Module PSWindowsUpdate
Get-ExecutionPolicy
Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned
Import-Module PSWindowsUpdate
Get-WindowsUpdate (or Get-WindowsUpdate -Verbose)
Install-WindowsUpdate

All Commands Available in PSWindowsUpdate

get-module
get-installedmodule
get-command -module pswindowsupdate

Repo

To see the source repository of the updates (ie local intranet WSUS server or public internet Microsoft server):
Get-WUServiceManager

To set the source of the update to the public internet Microsoft Server:
Get-WindowsUpdate -MicrosoftUpdate

Extra

To search for a specific update:
Get-WindowsUpdate -KBArticleID KB982861
Get-WindowsUpdate -KBArticleID "KB5002324", "KB5002325"
Get-WindowsUpdate -KBArticleID KB982861 -Verbose

To get the current Job:
Get-WUJob

To see the installer status:
Get-WUInstallerStatus

To see the reboot status:
Get-WURebootStatus

To see the needed update status:
Get-WUInstall -verbose

To install with verbose:
Get-WUInstall -verbose -install

To get the history:
Get-WUHistory | ?{$_.Description -like "*Update*"}

Them: Can you give us a list of All Enabled Accounts on Exchange Sorted by Last Name?

Me: Sure.

The problem becomes this is trickier than it seems.

There are 3 commands that are helpful:

get-mailbox: a list of all the mailboxes, including SHARED, RESOURCE, EQUIPMENT, ROOM but not including contacts, mailuser, distributiongroup, etc. Disabled accounts are included. There is no disabled/enabled property.
Use the following to see what it shows and the number of items:

Get-Mailbox |Group-Object RecipientTypeDetails |Select name,count

get-recipient: a list of all recipients including mailboxes, contacts, mailuser, distributiongroup, etc. Basically, any type of existing Exchange Online recipient.
Use the following to see what it shows and the number of items:

Get-recipient |Group-Object RecipientTypeDetails |Select name,count

get-user: get the USER objects from Active Directory, including the users without mailboxes and disabled users.
Use the following to see what it shows and the number of items:

Get-user |Group-Object RecipientTypeDetails |Select name,count

Knowing the above, we can put together a command that lists out all the USERS from AD that is enabled:

Get-User -RecipientTypeDetails UserMailbox -sortby lastname |where {$_.UserAccountControl -notlike “*AccountDisabled*”} |Select samaccountname

Find What Groups a User In AD is a Member Of

Here is how for one person:

get-aduser foo.user -properties MemberOf |Select -ExpandProperty memberof

or use the newer command:

Get-ADPrincipalGroupMembership foo.user | select name

or use the older command-line:

net user foo.user /domain

Here is how for a group in an OU:

get-aduser -filter * -searchbase "ou=ou-name-here,dc=company-domain,dc=com" -properties MemberOf |Select -ExpandProperty memberof

or you need just the Name and MemberOf:

get-aduser -filter * -searchbase "ou=ou-name-here,dc=company-domain,dc=com" -properties MemberOf |Select samaccountname,memberof

And if you need to put the whole thing together:

get-aduser -filter * -searchbase "ou=ou-name-here,dc=company-name,dc=com" -properties Memberof |Select samaccountname,@{n="Groups";e={(Get-ADPrincipalGroupMembership $_).name}} |ft -wrap

Or if you need just the accounts that are more than the "Domain Users" group:

get-ADuser -Filter * -searchbase "ou=ou-name-here,dc=company-domain,dc=com" -properties Memberof |where memberof -ne "Domain Users" |Select samaccountname,@{n="Groups";e={(Get-ADPrincipalGroupMembership $_).name}}

But maybe miss off the Guest account:

get-ADuser -Filter * -searchbase "ou=Disabled Users,dc=foodomain,dc=tld" -properties Memberof |where {($_.memberof -ne "Domain Users") -and ($_.samaccountname -ne "Guest")} |Select samaccountname,@{n="Groups";e={(Get-ADPrincipalGroupMembership $_).name}}

And to take this one step further, if you need to remove the user from all the account's groups, then:

Get-ADUser -filter * -searchbase "ou=ou-name-here,dc=company-domain,dc=com" -Properties MemberOf |where {($_.memberof -ne "Domain Users") -and ($_.samaccountname -ne "Guest")} |ForEach-Object{$_.MemberOf |Remove-ADGroupMember -Members $_.DistinguishedName -Confirm:$false}

Windows Could Not Complete The Installation

Here's how to fix.

• -hold SHIFT and press F10.
  (a command prompt shows)
• -type: oobe
• -hit ENTER key.
• -type: msoobe
• -hit ENTER key.
• -wait for around 5 minutes.
• -restart the computer and it should work.

If not then do the following:

• -press the power button on the computer for around 5 seconds. The system will shut off.
• -press the power button on the computer the system will turn on.
• - this needs to happen 3 times until a message that says “Preparing Automatic Repair“.
• -click ADVANCED-OPTIONS.
• -click TROUBLESHOOT.
• -click RESET THIS PC.
• -click KEEP MY FILES.
• -it will ask for an ADMINISTRATOR username & password.
• -click CONTINUE.
• -wait for around 5 minutes.
  (RESET THIS PC screen will show)
• -click CANCEL.
• -click CONTINUE.

 If that doesn't work, you can download an iso/usb and repair the installation.

Blinking Back Screen After 1809 | Explorer Crashing After 1809 | Blinking Black Screen After Windows Update. Note that this is NOT a driver issue and this is NOT flickering.

This took awhile but in my case of a corporate environment, the AD Account being used had a HOMEFOLDER setup to a network share (homedrive & homedirectory). Changing this account to use the LOCALPATH instead of the NETWORKPATH seemed to have resolved this.

On the AD server:

• -open powershell
• -type: set-aduser foo.user -clear homedrive, homedirectory

On client system:

• -login with AD account.

NOTES:

• -to get the values, type: get-aduser foo.user -properties homedrive, homedirectory
• -to clear the values, type: set-aduser foo.user -clear homedrive, homedirectory
• -to set the values, type: set-aduser foo-user -homedrive Z -homedirectory \\<server-name>\users$\foo.user
  (ie: set-aduser foo-user -homedrive Z -homedirectory \\server\users$\foo.user)
• -to get the values being used on a system, start command-prompt or powershell and type: set

Recently I found out that my individual account was given FULLACCESS permission on every mailbox in Exchange. What was strange was that the permissions were INHERITED and had a DENY=TRUE on them.

How in the world did that happen? Also, how do I fix it?

I traced it back to permissions in AD on the Exchange Service:

dsacls "CN=Microsoft Exchange,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,DC=domain-name,DC=tld"

Also it was here:

dsacls "CN=COMPANY-NAME,CN=Microsoft Exchange,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,DC=domain-name,DC=tld"

So it must have happened durning an Exchange CU upgrade. More specifically during the Prepare Active Directory schema:
setup.exe /PrepareSchema
setup.exe /PrepareAD

To remove:
dsacls "CN=Microsoft Exchange,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,DC=domain-name,DC=tld" /R DOMAIN\Account

 Or you can open ADSI > CONFIGURATION > SERVICES > MICROSOFT-EXCHANGE

• -rigth-click > PROPERTIES
• -click SECURITY tab (at the top).

If needed, you can look further down:

ADSI > CONFIGURATION > SERVICES > MICROSOFT-EXCHANGE > COMPANY-NAME > ADMINISTRATIVE-GROUPS > EXCHANGE-ADMINISTRATIVE-GROUP > SERVERS > SERVER-NAME

• -right-click > PROPERTIES
• -click SECURITY tab (at the top).
• -click ADVANCED

Look for the account and it will show where the inheritance is coming from.

Turn on the debug log:

• vi /etc/asterisk/logger.conf

Uncomment or add a line for debugging:

• debug => notice,warning,error,verbose,debug
  or
  debug => debug

Start the Asterisk command line:

• asterisk -rvvvvv
  (this is showing verbose at level 5)

Set the debug level to 5:

• core set debug 5

Turn off debug for interoffice exchange (iax):

• iax2 set debug off

Reload the logger and rotate the log:

• module reload logger
• logger rotate

Perform the action such as make a call. There is going to be a ton of logs in a few minutes so use cautiously. When do with the action, turn the debug log off or set to low-level:

• asterisk -rvvvvv
• core set debug 0
• module reload logger

Look at the debug file:

• cat /var/log/asterisk/debug

Don't forget to comment out the debug in the:

• vi /etc/asterisk/logger.conf

If you need to look at all the phone sets that are connected:

Start asterisk:

• asterisk -rvvvvv
• sip show peers

Or if you need just one:

• sip show peer 04167F120093

After you make changes to the sip.conf, you can reload the changes by:

• asterisk -rvvvvv
• sip reload

If you need to debug sip, here's how:

• asterisk -rvvvvv
• sip set debug on
• sip set debug off

If you need to debug rtp, here's how:

• asterisk -rvvvvv
• rtp set debug on
• rtp set debug off

NOTES:

https://wiki.asterisk.org/wiki/display/AST/Collecting+Debug+Information

Here's how to fix:

It should be the button above the keyboard.

Or it should be the FN + F8.

But if neither of those work then try the following:

C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\TBS\TBSWireless.exe

We are on a large network with multiple subnets.

Our client device it called: COMPUTER-26

If you ping COMPUTER-26, you get: 10.162.110.4

If you NSLOOKUP COMPUTER-26, you get: 10.162.101.202

What gives?

DNS-RECORD REGISTER

Well it all starts with the dns-record. The client computer owns the dns-record, not the dns server. That is kinda strange in my thinking but so be it.

Since the client computer owns the record, the client computer need to register the dns record with the dns server. This should happen automatically in the dhcp but if you need to register the dns-record manually, you can do the following on the client-computer:

ipconfig /registerdns

NSLOOKUP

Great. Now when you NSLOOKUP a record from a second computer, it should return the correct result as per the client-computer.

nslookup computer-26

PING

When you PING a device, it goes through several steps to find the device. The steps are as follows:

1. checks if the host name is the same as the local host name.
2. searches the DNS client resolver cache.
3. sends DNS Name Query Request messages to its configured DNS servers.
4. converts the host name to a NetBIOS name and checks its local NetBIOS name cache.
5. contacts WINS servers.
6. broadcasts NetBIOS Name Query Request messages on the directly attached subnet.
7. searches the local Lmhosts file.

So if it finds the name in the local cache file, it doesn't go any further. This is why the results are different.

If you need to manually update the cache, you can:

ipconfig /flushdns

Now do an NSLOOKUP to get the newest results from DNS.

nslookup computer-26

Now when you PING, the correct result will show:

ping computer-26

REASON - SCAVENGING & REFRESH

This usually happens when the DNS records are changing on the DHCP server. The new record the client computer has might not register in the DNS server. Or if they do register, there are 2 records in the DNS server from the same computer.

This happens when the records are not being scavenged correctly. The scavenge time is longer then the DHCP lease time.

Here is a linear scenario:

• -the lease time is 1-day in DHCP.
• -the scavenge time is set for 4-days in DNS.
• -on the second day, the record is renewed with another address.
• -that new record is registered in the DNS server.
• -now the DNS server has 2 records with the same name.
• -the first record is not scavenged because the time to do so is still 3 days away.
• -when pinging the system by name, the first record returns the incorrect address.
• -this happens because the first record has not gone stale.

FIX

Follow the DNS scavenging settings here: http://www.daknetworks.com/blog/433-dns-scavenging

Here's how to fix:

DISK CLEANUP MANAGER

• -cleanmgr.exe /verylowdisk /autoclean

DISM

• -Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase

Google Chrome has removed Flash-allowed-on-specified-websites from v69.

You can still manually set to Flash-allows-on-specified-website by:

• -open Chrome.
• -type: chrome://flags/#enable-ephemeral-flash-permission
• -press ENTER key.
  (the setting shows)
• -set to: DISABLED

You should now be able to set certain web sites to allow Flash without asking.

 Across Entire Location

But what if you want to run this on several hundreds/thousands of comptuers?

Thankfully, the Google crew has Group Policy Administrative Templates that can be installed on a GP server.

• -download the Chrome ADMX files here:
  https://dl.google.com/dl/edgedl/chrome/policy/policy_templates.zip
• -unzip.
• -install on the central GPO store.
  (see http://www.daknetworks.com/blog/307-update-the-admx-templates-in-windows-server-to-apply-gpo-to-windows-10)

Now set the GPO:

• -open GROUP-POLICY-MANAGEMENT.
• -right-click to create new GPO.
• -click COMPUTER-CONFIGURATION > POLICIES > ADMINISTRATIVE-TEMPLATES > GOOGLE > GOOGLE-CHROME > CONTENT-SETTINGS
• -click "Default Flash setting"
• -click ENABLED.
• -select CLICK-TO-PLAY.
• -click OK.

Now set another GPO to allow certain web sites:

• -open GROUP-POLICY-MANAGEMENT.
• -right-click to create new GPO.
• -click COMPUTER-CONFIGURATION > POLICIES > ADMINISTRATIVE-TEMPLATES > GOOGLE > GOOGLE-CHROME > CONTENT-SETTINGS
• -click "Allow the Flash plugin on these sites"
• -click ENABLED.
• -click SHOW.
• -type: [*.]foo.tld
• -click OK.

This will force Chrome to use these settings and the user cannot change/delete/add to them.

NOTES:

• adm files are older.
• admx files are newer.
• adml files are xml translation/localization files.

Here's how to get the details of any connections to an Exchange mailbox:

Get-MobileDeviceStatistics -mailbox foo.user |select deviceuseragent,lastsuccesssync,deviceid

Data Wipe an iPhone that has an Exchange account on it:

Clear-MobileDevice foo.user

Get-MobileDevice -mailbox foo.user |Clear-MobileDevice

If you need to cancel the wipe:

Get-MobileDevice -mailbox foo.user |Clear-MobileDevice -cancel

If you need to simply remove the relationship:

Get-MobileDevice -mailbox foo.user |Remove-MobileDevice

=====

NOTES:

get-help mobile

get-help get-mobiledevice

get-help Get-MobileDeviceStatistics -full

get-help clear-mobiledevice -full

get-help remove-mobiledevice -full

PCI\VEN_1033&DEV_0194&SUBSYS_FC301179&REV_04

Windows 10 64-bit. Can't get the Renesas Electronics USB 3.0 to work on a Toshiba Satellite P755. Here's how to get it working:

• -go here: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/22775/Renesas-Electronics-USB-3-0-Firmware-Updates
• -download: 200_FRONT.ZIP
• -unzip the package.
• -click START > RUN
• -type: CMD
  (make sure you are running AS-ADMINISTRATOR)
• -cd to the zip package
  (ie cd c:\drivers\200_FRONT\x64)
• -type: Update_4.0.2.1.bat

You will see it go through an update. Afterwards, simply reboot the laptop and it should be good to go.

I had a bunch of notes, but it has been awhile and so some of it is lost I wanted to capture as much as I could.

Basically, Paypal Payflow will only speak TLS 1.2. This is a very good since the security protocol has been around for about 10 years or so.

The protocols listed here are all old:

• SSL 2.0
• SSL 3.0
• TLS 1.0
• TLS 1.1 (not shown by default)
• TLS 1.2 (not shown by default)

Of course, TLS 1.2 is the one that is new and should be used.

TLS 1.2 IIS

Now, IIS can both communicate TO something as a SERVER as you would expect. But it can also communicate FROM something as a CLIENT.

This is what happens when interfacing with PAYPAL-PAYFLOW.

Here is the REGEDIT for the security protocols BEFORE the change:

====================

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\SSL 2.0]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\SSL 2.0\Client]
"DisabledByDefault"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\SSL 2.0\Server]
"Enabled"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\SSL 3.0]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\SSL 3.0\Client]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\SSL 3.0\Server]
"Enabled"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.0]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.0\Client]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.0\Server]
"Enabled"=dword:00000001

====================

And here is the REGEDIT for the security protocol AFTER the change:

====================

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\Multi-Protocol Unified Hello]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\Multi-Protocol Unified Hello\Client]
"DisabledByDefault"=dword:00000001
"Enabled"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\Multi-Protocol Unified Hello\Server]
"DisabledByDefault"=dword:00000001
"Enabled"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\PCT 1.0]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\PCT 1.0\Client]
"DisabledByDefault"=dword:00000001
"Enabled"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\PCT 1.0\Server]
"DisabledByDefault"=dword:00000001
"Enabled"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\SSL 2.0]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\SSL 2.0\Client]
"DisabledByDefault"=dword:00000001
"Enabled"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\SSL 2.0\Server]
"DisabledByDefault"=dword:00000001
"Enabled"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\SSL 3.0]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\SSL 3.0\Client]
"DisabledByDefault"=dword:00000001
"Enabled"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\SSL 3.0\Server]
"DisabledByDefault"=dword:00000001
"Enabled"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.0]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.0\Client]
"DisabledByDefault"=dword:00000001
"Enabled"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.0\Server]
"DisabledByDefault"=dword:00000001
"Enabled"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.1]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.1\Client]
"DisabledByDefault"=dword:00000001
"Enabled"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.1\Server]
"DisabledByDefault"=dword:00000001
"Enabled"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.2]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.2\Client]
"DisabledByDefault"=dword:00000000
"Enabled"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.2\Server]
"DisabledByDefault"=dword:00000000
"Enabled"=dword:00000001

====================

As you can see, we disabled all the old protocols and only enabled TLS 1.2.

After this REGEDIT is complete, the change is immediate. Nothing is needed to be restarted except for COLDFUSION-APPLICATION-SERVICE, if you have it.

Cipher Suite Order

By default, the factory default cipher suite order will be used.

You can change the Cipher Suite Order on a Server 2008 or higher. Here's how:

-open GPEDIT.MSC
-navigate to: Computer-Configuration\Administrative-Templates\Network\SSL-Configuration-Settings
-edit: SSL-Cipher-Suite-Order
-the text in the field are the Cipher-Suites being used by the server.
-read the notes.
-edit the list in the order wanted.
-any Cipher-Suites not specified will not be used.

A recommended Cipher Suite list is published here:
https://www.grc.com/miscfiles/SChannel_Cipher_Suites.txt

But that was long ago in a brazenly unaware internet.

Nartac has the default Cipher-Suites and the best-practice Cipher-Suites listed here:
https://www.nartac.com/Products/IISCrypto/FAQ

They also have IIS Crypto software that will graphically display (get) and change (set) the protocols, Cipher-Suites and their order.

The actual location in the Registry is as follows:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Cryptography\Configuration\Local\SSL\00010002

The location of the Cipher-Suites is here:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Ciphers]

Disabling the following:
NULL
DES
RC2
RC4
3DES

This leaves the following:
AES128
AES256

RDP Cipher Suite

The default RDP Cipher-Suite is RC4. So if RC4 is disabled, you will cut your own chain and will not be able to RDP to the system.

First, let's get some info by setting up logging for the Cipher-Suite.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL]
"EventLogging"=dword:00000007

The default is a value of: 1

Set the value to: 7
This will collect more info.
No need to reboot, the changes are immediate.

Now that the logging is set, SCHANNEL events can be found in the WINDOWS-LOGS > SYSTEM.

Secondly, let's set the RDP to use TLS1.2

-open GPEDIT.MSC
-navigate to: Computer-Configuration\Administrative-Templates\Windows-Components\Remote-Desktop-Services\Remote-Desktop-Session-Host\Security
-edit: "Require use of specific security layer for remote (RDP) Connections"
-set to: NEGOTIATE

This will enforce the most secure method that is supported by the client.

There's also a bug where "TLS 1.0" can be shown even though TLS 1.2 is actually being used:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-US/troubleshoot/windows-server/remote/incorrect-tls-use-rdp-with-ssl-encryption

ColdFusion Java

ColdFusion might need JAVA to be updated. If so, the files might be here:

JAVA DEFAULT LOCATION that ships with the install:
C:\ColdFusion9\runtime\jre\bin
C:\ColdFusion9\runtime\bin\jvm.config

But this can be change to a customized location. This is specific in:
C:\ColdFusion10\cfusion\bin\jvm.config

Or to find what JAVA ColdFusion is using (java.home), look at the:
https://site.tld/CFIDE/administrator > SETTING-SUMMARY
The value of JAVA HOME will show the path.

In my case, it is in the following:
C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_171\jre

I am not a JAVA expert but the JAVA-DEVELOPMENT-KIT (JDK) contains a JAVA-RUNTIME-ENVIRONMENT (JRE).

The overall security file is:
C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_171\jre\lib\security\java.security

Open the file with a texteditor and you can read the notes in java.security where it states other security values can be added by looking at the jvm.config from above. In that file are arguments that specify how JAVA is running. The following will specify those values:
Djava.security.properties=<URL>

My additions are:
-Djava.security.manager "-Djava.security.policy=C:\\ColdFusion10\\cfusion\\lib\\coldfusion.policy" "-Djava.security.auth.policy=C:\\ColdFusion10\\cfusion\\lib\\neo_jaas.policy"

-edit java.security
-find the line: jdk.tls.disabledAlgorithms
-add TLS versions that should not be running: TLSv1, TLSv1.1, DES

Change from:
jdk.tls.disabledAlgorithms=SSLv3, RC4, MD5withRSA, DH keySize < 1024, EC keySize < 224, DES40_CBC, RC4_40, 3DES_EDE_CBC

Change to:
jdk.tls.disabledAlgorithms=SSLv3, RC4, MD5withRSA, DH keySize < 1024, EC keySize < 224, DES40_CBC, RC4_40, 3DES_EDE_CBC, TLSv1, TLSv1.1, DES

Restart ColdFusion Application service.

New error:
"Error","scheduler-0","01/24/22","05:48:46",,"javax.mail.MessagingException: Could not convert socket to TLS; nested exception is: javax.net.ssl.SSLHandshakeException: No appropriate protocol (protocol is disabled or cipher suites are inappropriate)"

Debug:
C:\ColdFusion10\cfusion\bin\jvm.config

-add the following to the arguments, at the end:
"-Djavax.net.debug=all"

-restart the ColdFusion service.
-try to send email again.
-view the log at: C:\ColdFusion10\cfusion\logs\coldfusion-out.log

Current Workaround:
-login to the 356 Exchange endpint tenant via powershell.
-run: Set-TransportConfig -AllowLegacyTLSClients $True
-change the smtp endpoint to: smtp-legacy.office365.com

NOTES:
https://www.carehart.org/blog/client/index.cfm/2021/4/26/new_java_updates_for_Java_8_and_11_as_of_Apr_2021
https://www.adobe.com/support/coldfusion/downloads.html#additionalThirdPartyInstallers

DFARS regulations are here:
https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/sp/800-171/rev-1/final

With the PDF being here:
https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.800-171r1.pdf

With the NIST SP 800-53 database here:
https://nvd.nist.gov/800-53

 The STIGS are here:
https://iase.disa.mil

DISA is here:
https://www.disa.mil/Cybersecurity

Although the use of the principles and guidelines in these SRGs/STIGs provide an environment that contributes to the security requirements of DoD systems, applicable NIST SP 800-53 cybersecurity controls need to be applied to all systems and architectures based on the Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS) Instruction (CNSSI) 1253.

Typically, questions revolve around the following:

NIST SP 800-171

FAR 52.204-21: http://farsite.hill.af.mil/reghtml/regs/far2afmcfars/fardfars/far/52_000.htm#P901_130612

DFARS 252.204-7012: http://farsite.hill.af.mil/reghtml/regs/far2afmcfars/fardfars/dfars/dfars252_000.htm#P962_54607

Depending on the industry and scoping, it is necessary that we comply with the following:
FAR 52.204-21 (federal level)
NIST SP 800-171 (national level)
NIST SP 800-53 (national level)
DFARS 252.204-7012 (defense level)
ISO/IEC 27001 (international level)
NAS 9933 (aerospace industry)
GDPR (European level)

Parallels Activate License

• -click GO > UTILITIES > TERMINAL
• -type: prlsrvctl activate-license-online

Parallels Deactivate License:

• -click GO > UTILITIES > TERMINAL
• -type: prlsrvctl deactivate-license

Discrete Graphics / Switchable Graphics

It can be confusing as there are many variables here with different definitions. By default, the Precision 7720 has both an Intel onboard graphics chip and an added graphics chip (Nvidia/AMD; aka discrete-graphics). By default, the onboard chip is on as the primary graphics. This is true when using the laptop monitor, when a docking station is used and when a monitor is plugged directly into the laptop’s DisplayPort, HDMI connectors, and Thunderbolt/MiniHDMI port.

Dell calls this switchable-graphics. Disabling this must be done in the bios. If you have switchable graphics disabled, the onboard Intel GPU is not used.

With the "Discrete graphics controller direct output mode" or “Graphics Special Mode”, the external ports (DisplayPorts, HDMI connectors and Thunderbolt/MiniHDMI port) will be driven by the GPU directly.

Click here to see:

https://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/04/sln304550/precision-7510-7710-graphics-special-mode-setting-in-the-bios?lang=en

In short:

• -enter bios
• -disable switchable-graphics.
• -enable special-graphics mode.
• -enable dock-display-port

Dell Dock

To make it more confusing, the WD15 dock with 130W adapter is not powerful enough for a Precision 7720 with discrete-graphics. A 180W adapter is needed with the WD15 or if you are using a TB16, you would need a 240W adapter.

Lastly, there are special drivers/firmware that are needed to make the USB-c supply the correct power. The following must be updated:

• -Thunderbolt Controller Driver
• -Thunderbolt 3 Firmware Update
• -ASMedia USB 3.0 Extended Host Controller Driver for Dell Thunderbolt Dock
• -RealTek USB GBE Ethernet Controller Driver for Dell Thunderbolt Dock
• -RealTek USB Audio Driver for Dell Thunderbolt Dock

Click here to see:

https://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/04/sln301075/how-to-use-and-troubleshoot-the-dell-thunderbolt-dock-tb16-?lang=en

For my own notes, there are a few steps here.

1- create scans user & add to administrators group

net user scans /add

net localgroup administrators scans /add

2- turn on older sharing protocol

dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:smb1protocol

3- create folder

mkdir c:\scans

4- share folder & grant share-permissions

net share scans=c:\scans /grant:everyone,FULL /grant:administrators,FULL

5- grant ntfs-permissions

icacls c:\scans /grant scans:f /t /grant administrators:f /t

====================

Graphically,

1- create a user called scans and give it administrator permissions

2- turn on the smb1 through the appwiz.cpl

3- create a scans folder at c:\scans

4- share the folder & grant scans user read/write

5- the ntfs permissions should be automatically set.
(youraccount, system, scans, administrators)

====================

You can check your work by seeing the users on the system:

net user

You can see the details of the scans user to see group membership:

net user scans

You can check to see the share & share-permissions:

net share scans

You can check to see the ntfs-permissions:

icacls c:\scans

Troubleshooting

Sometimes it works after I:

• -turn off smb1: dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:smb1protocol
• -turn on smb1: dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:smb1protocol
• -reboot: shutdown -r -t 3

There are many problem with Outlook 2016 not working. Here's a fix for some:

• -open Outlook
• -go to “File” > “Options” > “Search” > “Indexing Options” > “Modify”
• -uncheck “Microsoft Outlook“.
• -click “Close”
• -close OUTLOOK.
• -navigate to the folder where the OST file lives (“C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook“).
• -right-click a highlighted file
• -click “Properties“.
• -click “Advanced"
• -checkmark “Allow this file to have contents indexed in addition to file properties” option if it isn’t checked already.
• -click “OK“
• -open Outlook
• -go to “File” > “Options” > “Search” > “Indexing Options” > “Modify”
• -recheck “Microsoft Outlook“
• -click “Close”

Have a client with Windows SQL Express 2017. Every once in a while the thing goes awol, tops out the CPU and is slow to respond. This happens for a few hours then it settles down and doesn't happen for another four months or so. They are asking me why.

I'll tell you... I have no idea. They claim something is wrong with the server... I think a sql query is zombied and gone awry.

Here are my notes for the future...

Diagnostics

As for some diagnostics, this says it better than I can:

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/poojakamath/2018/05/03/where-is-my-sql-bpabest-practice-analyzer-for-sql-201420162017/

Just:

• -click FILE.
• -go to: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\140\Tools\Policies\DatabaseEngine\1033
• -select all the files.
• -click EVALUATE.

Multiple Instances

There might be multiple sql server versions running. Or instances running. We left the 2014 as a failsafe in case something went wrong with 2017, since we didn't know how it would react.

Upgrade Away from Sql 2014:

I still think there's a serious bug in 2014 that everyone's ignoring. Since sql-2016 and sql-2017 released, there's no reason to fix bug per se. As a fix, simply upgrade, kill off 2014 and move on.

You are probably fine with 2017 and are at a place where we can remove sql-2014.

Remove Any Unused Sql instance:

Or perhaps there's some type of process in the othe sql-instance that is set to run. If you are not using the other Sql instance, it is probably best to remove it so you can narrow down the number of variables.

Ram-memory:

Ram-memory is meant to be used. That's what it is for. So if it is at 100% there's no need to be alarmed. In a traditional physical system, once the ram-memory is used up, the cpu will access the hard drive as virtual-memory/swap-space.

In a virtual system, such as this system, more ram-memory is dynamically added as the system needs it. This is referred to as hot-add ram. And it will keep a 20% buffer.

While this is supported by the operating system of the database server (Windows Server 2012 Standard), what I'm finding out is that SQL-Express (and the SQL-Standard version btw) is unable to hot-add ram. As shown here (Hot add memory):
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/sql-server/editions-and-components-of-sql-server-2017?view=sql-server-2017

Also, looking at the link above, it shows that SQL-Express has a max buffer pool/buffer-cache of 1410MB, so hot-adding ram wouldn't help.

Looking into the db, this is exactly what it is using now:

1429700 kb physical_memory_in_use

This system is set to start with 4GB of ram-memory. Adding the 1410MB memory from above will put the usage around 5400MB. Adding 20% buffer will assign 6480MB. Here is the recent screenshot of memory assignment looking similar to our calculations:

All of this to say that you can double the startup Ram to 8GB. According to the datapoints, this is overkill and unnecessary but you have the memory so we might as well try it.

If those 3 items don't work then perhaps we can get away with using the Developer version of sql on the system which doesn't have the limitations.

Bad Query

Lastly, if the CPU load is at 100% then something is topping it out. A bad query is going to consume all resources available no matter how much you have. Adding more resources to compensate for a bad query is a bad idea.

NOTES:
https://logicalread.com/windows-server-hyper-v-dynamic-memory-with-sql-server/
https://www.mssqltips.com/sqlservertip/2393/determine-sql-server-memory-use-by-database-and-object/

vmware-tools are here:

https://packages.vmware.com/tools/releases/index.html

This means the Centos packages are here:

https://packages.vmware.com/tools/releases/latest/rhel6/x86_64/index.html

It seems like these packages should work. Maybe there is something that I am missing but vmware-tools can be a pain. This says it better than I can:

https://unix.stackexchange.com/a/423219

For me, here's how I did it:

-open bash shell

-type (or copy/paste):

/sbin/e-smith/db yum_repositories set epel repository \
Name 'Epel - EL6' \
BaseURL 'http://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/6/$basearch' \
MirrorList 'http://mirrors.fedoraproject.org/mirrorlist?repo=epel-6&arch=$basearch' \
EnableGroups no \
GPGCheck yes \
GPGKey http://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/RPM-GPG-KEY-EPEL \
Exclude perl-Razor-Agent \
Visible no \
status disabled

-type: signal-event yum-modify

-type: yum --enablerepo=* install open-vm-tools

-Voila! I get the following:

-don't forget to start them by typing: /etc/init.d/vmtoolsd start

NOTES:

mkdir /mnt/cdrom

/dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom

I used Disk2VHD to create a P2V. Then I started Hyper-V and created a new VM. Upon startup I got, "Missing Operating System."

Here's how to fix:

-connect Windows 10 iso (or a Windows repair disk).
-press any-key to boot via iso.
-wait for windows 10 to show (it could take a minute).
-select Windows 10.
-select your language.
-click NEXT.
-select REPAIR YOUR COMPUTER (bottom left).
-click NO (for automatic repair).
-click NEXT (at bottom right).
-click COMMAND PROMPT.
-type: bootrec /scanos.
(If it isn't already there, it should find the WINDOWS installation and ask if you want to add it.)
-type: Y

Now, at this point, if you try to do some work in bootrec (rebuildbcd), you will get a message, ""the volume does not contain a recognized file system."

-type: Diskpart
-type: LIST DISK
-type: SELECT DISK 0 (change this to the number of the disk . most likely 0)
-type: LIST PARTITION
-type: SELECT PARTITION 3 (change this to your partition number. most likely 3)
-type: DETAIL PARTITION
(it will show the details of the partition. We're trying to find the partition with the windows installation.)
-if you found it, it will probably say ACTIVE: NO
-type: ACTIVE
-type: EXIT

-type: bootrec /fixmbr (needed?)
-type: bootrec /fixboot (needed?)
-type: bootrec /rebuildbcd
-type: exit
-click RESTART

-boot from the iso one more time.
-click STARTUP-REPAIR.

It should find the Windows 10 installation and fix itself.

NOTES:

This is the same set of instructions for this article: http://www.daknetworks.com/blog/221-clone-macbook-pro-hard-drive-with-boot-camp

When a person goes to OWA and tries to customize the signature, they get a message that the signature is too big.

• -go to EMS:
• -type: Get-MailboxMessageConfiguration foo.user

You will see the SignatureHtml. Most likely, there will be inline css styles in the signature pushing the character limit.

Or the DefaultFontSize is greater than what is acceptable. The following should clear the clear the signature-text and the signature-html. Then have the account try again to set the signature:

• -type: Set-MailboxMessageConfiguration -Identity user -SignatureText $null -DefaultFontSize 7

The archive mailbox is an additional mailbox that's enabled for an account where messages older than 2 years are automatically moved (this can be customized in the retentionpolicy). This keeps the everyday mailbox at a more manageable level and allows for faster indexing and email searches.

Some power users will familiar with archiving in Outlook as they may have crossed this issue in the past. They archive the email older than 2 years into a pst file. That pst file will show as a separate set of folders on the left hand side.

In-Place Archive is very similar. However, where this different is that in-place archive is controlled by the Exchange administrator and does not require user intervention. The Exchange administrator can turn archiving on/off on the fly and control where the archive mailbox lives; this can be placed on the same edb or a different edb.

Here's how to enable archiving:

enable-mailbox foo.user -archive

Here's how to see what accounts have archive enabled:

get-mailbox -Filter {ArchiveState -Eq 'local'}

If you want to get the pertinent details of the archive such as archive database and archivename:

get-mailbox -Filter {ArchiveState -Eq 'local'} |select alias,archivestate,archivedatabase,archivename,retentionpolicy |fl

Here's how to enable unlimited archiving for the entire company:

Set-OrganizationConfig -AutoExpandingArchive

Here's how to enable unlimited archiving for a single account:

enable-mailbox foo.user -AutoExpandingArchive

Here's how to get the quota on a mailbox:

get-mailbox foo.user |Select *quota

365 Basic / 365 Standard / 365 Premium have a limit of 50GB for mailboxes. If you upgrade to an E3 or E5 license, you can upgrade the quota limits via powershell:

set-mailbox foo.user -ProhibitSendQuota 100GB -ProhibitSendReceiveQuota 100GB -IssueWarningQuota 98GB

Note that I tried this on 356-Standard and it does not work.

NOTES:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/policy-and-compliance/in-place-archiving/manage-archives

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/policy-and-compliance/mrm/apply-retention-policies-to-mailboxes

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/compliance/unlimited-archiving

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/servicedescriptions/exchange-online-archiving-service-description/exchange-online-archiving-service-description

Setup

1-First setup a trust to the Microsoft servers:

• -login to the EAC.
• -click ORGANIZATION.
• -click SHARING.
• -click ENABLE to add a Federation Trust to the Microsoft servers.
• -click CLOSE.
• -click MODIFY.
• -select the PRIMARY domain.
• -click OK.
• -it will return a TXT record.
• -create a TXT record for this domain on your public DNS server that contains the key. It will look like this:
  g1lg/IZ3MIHN0TaBsNMF+QzYbbA8Z39B/d46rQfQVmtNYbb6w0vRDQagL1b+bkbXbhstfg6PWw6JRtQqIIJ3Q==
• -create a TXT record for this domian on your Private DNS servers in your Active Directory.
• -wait. This should be around 15 minutes but can take 24 hours.

2-Second, the outside domain must do the same steps above.

3-Third setup an ORGANIZATION-SHARING using the outside domain. It will fail if the domains have not setup the trusts.

• -checkmark enable calendar free/busy information sharing.

4-Fourth setup an INDIVIDUAL-SHARING policy and set it as the default policy for everyone in the Exchange server.

Result

That should do it; you should now be able to see each others calendars as FREE/BUSY (not details).

To my dismay, this does not update users in the Global Address List (GAL) to include the outside domain. This means that, by default, looking up another person's calendar in the outsidedomain.tld is near impossible. You either have to manually type in all the outsidedomain.tld users into Exchange or use tools to do the sync for you; it is not built into Exchange. Grrrr...

Troubleshooting

As troubleshooting, you can get the URL by:

• -hold CONTROL
• -right-click the OUTLOOK icon (bottom-right).
• -click TEST-EMAIL-AUTOCONFIGURATION.
• -type in your password.
• -click TEST.
• -the AVAILABILITY-SERVICE-URL is the important URL.

Also, in the EMS, you can use the commands:

get-sharingpolicy foo-policy |fl

get-organizationrelationship |fl

get-federationinformation -DomainName outsidedomain.tld

Test-FederationTrust -useridentity mail\inside.foo.user

test-organizationrelationship -useridentity This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it -identity outsidedomain.tld

As a result of the above test-organizationrelationship troubleshooting command failing, I had to toggle two properties and had to run the following:

Get-WebServicesVirtualDirectory | Set-WebServicesVirtualDirectory -WSSecurityAuthentication $false
Get-WebServicesVirtualDirectory | Set-WebServicesVirtualDirectory -WSSecurityAuthentication $True

Get-AutodiscoverVirtualDirectory | Set-AutodiscoverVirtualDirectory -WSSecurityAuthentication $false
Get-AutodiscoverVirtualDirectory | Set-AutodiscoverVirtualDirectory -WSSecurityAuthentication $True

Setup Send Connector in Exchange 2013 With Custom Port Number

• -login to ECP.
• -click MAIL-FLOW (left-hand side).
• -click SEND-CONNECTORS (top)
• -click the "+" symbol.
• -name it anything you want. Let's say "foo-send-connector".
• -bullet CUSTOM.
• -click NEXT.
• -bullet ROUTE-THROUGH-SMART-HOSTS
• -click the "+" symbol.
• -type in the IP ADDRESS of the server you want to deliver the mail to.
• -click SAVE.
• -click NEXT.
• -bullet EXTERNALLY SECURED.
• -click NEXT.
• -click the "+" symbol.
• -type in the domain name that will be used for this sending setup.
  In other words, this setup is only going to be used with a particular domain name; contoso.com. In another way, when sending to contoso.com use the following custom smtp route instead of the normal smtp route.
• -checkmark SCOPED-SEND-CONNECTOR.
• -click the "+" symbol.
• -select the server that this will apply to.
  Small setups will probably only have 1 server.
• -click FINISH.

Now this will work. But it is setup on the default port 25. This is standard. But what if you want a non-standard port. Let's say because the SAP setup is out of your control.

-start the EMS.

-type: Get-SendConnector |fl
This will allow you to see the complete Send Connector setup in the steps above. You will notice the Port number is in the setup.

-type: Set-SendConnector -identity "foo-send-connector" -Port:587

This article says it better than I can on how to setup a Ricoh Printer with Windows 10 v1803.

Where do I start? Forgot my rant on how the world operates and has chosen WordPress over so many other better CMS's...

Have an array in an URL like this: &foo=1,2,3,4

Take that array and search for all of them.

The OPERATOR => IN, is the includes.

Basically, we are trying to get a %like% sql statement.

        if (isset($_GET['area']) && !empty($_GET['area']) && $_GET['area'] != 'all') {
            $propareaArray = explode(",", $_GET["area"]);
            $tax_query[] = array(
                'taxonomy' => 'property_area',
                'field' => 'slug',
                //'terms' => $_GET['area'],
                //'terms' => array($proparea[0],$proparea[1]),
                'terms' => array_values($propareaArray),
                'operator' => 'IN'
            );
        }

NOTES:

Don't ask me why 'EXISTS' doesn't work. I think it should. If it did, I wouldn't have to go through this.

So, I'm late to the game on this one: printmanagement.msc

Scenario

You are an administrator of an Exchange system. Through the ECP, you add yourself FULL-ACCESS to another mailbox account. The account naturally shows in your Outlook. You are finished with the account and no longer need access to it. Again, through the ECP, you remove yourself FULL-ACCESS. The account still shows in your Outlook. What gives?

 You might be tempted to remove the FULL-ACCESS through the EMS with the following:

remove-MailboxPermission foo.user -user foo.user2 -AccessRights FullAccess

But that yields:

WARNING: An inherited access control entry has been specified: [Rights: CreateChild, Delete, ReadControl, WriteDacl, WriteOwner, ControlType: Allow]  and was ignored on object "CN=where,OU=ever,OU=city,OU=Users,DC=domain,DC=tld".

Description

The mailbox is inheriting FullAccess permissions and has explicit FullAccess permissions. So when you removed the explicit FullAccess permissions, it won't have any effect unless a Deny permission is added. The problem is that Exchange doesn't tell you it is doing this.

Solution

To fix this, simply clear the Deny permission:

remove-MailboxPermission foo.user -user foo.user2 -AccessRights FullAccess -Deny

NOTES:

I've must have run into this before as I already have this post: http://www.daknetworks.com/blog/404-remove-mailbox-permissions-that-are-not-inherited

The access page for ColdFusion:
https://foo.tld/CFIDE/administrator/index.cfm

If needed, you can remove the USERNAME & PASSWORD by editing:
C:\ColdFusion10\cfusion\lib\neo-security.xml

• -find: admin.security.enabled variable tag.
• -change 'true' to 'false'
• -restart the ColdFusion application server.

Once you access the CFIDE, you can change the email settings there and test them as you save the settings.

Any undelivered emails will show in:
C:\ColdFusion10\cfusion\Mail\Undelivr

You simply drop them back into the spool directory and ColdFusion will send them:
C:\ColdFusion10\cfusion\Mail\Spool

So the IKVM/Remote-Console doesn't work with Java 8 (aka jre1.8.0_171). Apparently, this is because starting with JAVA-8 any JAR signed with an MD5 hash will no longer be considered trusted. There are instructions to workaround the new JAVA limits but why bother.

DOWNLOAD IKVM

• -download the IPMIView here: ftp://ftp.supermicro.com/utility/IPMIView/
• -install.
• -the IKVM is already a part of that package.

GET THE SERVER IKVM INFO

If you can connect to the SUPERMICRO server, when you try to launch the CONSOLE-REDIRECT, it will download a LAUNCH.JNLP file.

• -open the LAUNCH.JNLP file with NOTEPAD.
• -at the bottom, it will have all the parameters neededd.

RUN IKVM WITH PARAMETERS

• -to run, type: "C:\Program Files (x86)\SUPERMICRO\IPMIView\iKVM.jar" IP-ADDRESS USERNAME PASSWORD PORT
• (ie: "C:\Program Files (x86)\SUPERMICRO\IPMIView\iKVM.jar" 10.7.14.8 ADMIN PASSWORD null 5900 623 0 0)
• -or type: "C:\Program Files (x86)\SUPERMICRO\IPMIView\iKVM.exe" IP-ADDRESS USERNAME PASSWORD PORT

Cloning disk can be in many ways. A following is a list of some of the ways:

• -EaseUS
• -CloneDisk
• -Clonzilla
• -ddrescue

Creating a new web site in WordPress. Doing so, I create the web site at a subdomain such as: new.foowebsite.tld

After the web site is up to client standards, we change the dns at the name servers.

Now we have little squares where pictures once were. The pictures are coming from the CSS but only strange characters show.

Here's how to fix.

1- change in the sql database:

-go to myphpadmin

-use the following as a guide. Be sure to change "wp_" with the prefix of your database "fooprefix_".

UPDATE wp_options SET option_value = replace(option_value,'http://old.url.tld','https://www.newurl.tld') WHERE option_name ='home' OR option_name ='siteurl';
UPDATE wp_posts SET guid = replace(guid,'http://old.url.tld','https://www.newurl.tld');
UPDATE wp_posts SET post_content = replace(post_content,'http://old.url.tld','https://www.newurl.tld');
UPDATE wp_postmeta SET meta_value = replace(meta_value,'http://old.url.tld','https://www.newurl.tld');

This can be used to go from http to https as well. Or to go to an entirely different domain name.

2- change in the file names:

But that doesn't change the files. If you are a sysadmin, you can use grep. Also WordPress has some built in functionality if you ssh into the server.

First, test:

wp search-replace 'http://old.url.tld' 'https://www.newurl.com' --dry-run

Then run:

wp search-replace 'http://old.url.tld' 'https://www.newurl.com'

3- check the wp-config.php

Sometimes the site is hardcoded into the wp-config.php file. Check it to make sure it is correct. The hard coded line will typically be the last lines.

NOTES:

-here is the long version: https://codex.wordpress.org/Moving_WordPress

Lets say that your Exchange 2013 has multiple domains from various companies over the years:

• @company1.tld
• @company2.tld
• @company3.tld

Some mailboxes have @company1.tld email addresses but not all mailboxes have @company1.tld email addresses.

A decision has been made that everyone without an @company1.tld email address needs to have one. Or you are staging for a domain change or company merger of some type.

How do you find the mailboxes without @company1.tld and then add an @company1.tld email address without changing the current email address?

Here's how:

Get-Mailbox -Filter {EmailAddresses -notlike "*company1.tld"} |ForEach {set-mailbox $_.samaccountname -EmailAddresses @{Add=$_.samaccountname+"@company1.tld"}}

Boom.

(Of course, this is provided that your samaccountname/computer-username is the name that you want to use for your email address. Most of the time it is.)

Check your work:

Get-Mailbox -Filter {EmailAddresses -notlike "*company1.tld"} |select emailaddresses

First it is important to note that the dns record is owned by the node or individual computer. The dns record is not owned by the dns server. The dns server only keeps a record of the individual dns records. Kinda strange, right?

What often happens is that the dns record changes on the individual computer but the dns server is not updated. When a query is run against the dns server, the record is incorrect because it was not updated.

Secondly, there are 2 server roles here that work together; DNS and DHCP.

Thirdly, the lease-time should be set to double the refresh-rate.

Let's begin by starting with the DNS server:

• -right-click on the server-name.
• -click SET-AGING-SCAVENGING-FOR-ALL-ZONES.
• -checkmark "Scavenge stale resource records".
• -set both the no-refresh and the refresh interval to: 2-days
• -click OK
• -click "Apply these settings to existing..."
• -click OK

Great! You are on your way!

Let's move to the the DHCP server:

• -right-click on each dhcp zone.
• -click PROPERTIES.
• -set the dhcp-lease-time to: 4 days
• -click the DNS tab (at the top).
• -checkmark "Enable DNS Dynamic Updates..."
• -bullet "Always Dynamically Update DNS"
• -checkmark "Discard A and PTR records..."
• -checkmark "Dynamically Update DNS Records..."

Awesome! Almost finished. Now the second part on the DHCP server. This will allow the DHCP server to update the DNS server:

• -right-click on IPV4.
• -click PROPERTIES.
• -click ADVANCED tab (at the top).
• -click CREDENTIALS button
• -type in a USERNAME/DOMAIN/PASSWORD for an administrator account that can update DNS.

Finally, let's move back the DNS server:

• -right-click on the server-name.
• -click ADVANCED tab (at the top).
• -checkmark "Enabled Automatic Scavanging of Stale Records"
• -set the scavenging interval to: 1-day.

You're done!

BONUS

If you have more than one DHCP server (for example, mulitple locations):

• -open AD Users-&-Computers
• -find the built-in group, DnsUpdateProxy
• -add the DHCP servers from all locations.

You know Joel in Sales. But you don't remember Joel's last name (because you've been staring at names all week) and you don't know Joel's OU.

Here's how to find Joel:

get-aduser -filter * |select samaccountname |findstr /i joel

This will bring up all the Joel's in the domain. Hopefully you can narrow it down from here.

Now to find Joel's OU in the details of his record:

get-aduser joel.user

This will show the "distinguishedname" and allow you to narrow down the OU.

If you really want to see this properly in one line, we need to use the "canonicalname" and it would be like this:

get-aduser -filter * -Properties Canonicalname |select samaccountname,canonicalname |fl |findstr /i joel

Here's how to upgrade the bios for Dell Latitude/Precision laptop if from remote:

• -download the new bios
• -cd c:\path-to-the-download
• -click START > RUN > CMD
• -type: c:\drivers\bios\Latitude_5X80_Precision_3520_1.9.3.exe /s /r
  "/s" is silent "/r" is reboot
• "/f" is force if the battery is not present.

And if the battery is not present in the Dell Latitude/Precision laptop:

• -type: c:\drivers\bios\Latitude_5X80_Precision_3520_1.9.3.exe /forceit
  "/forceit" is force if the battery is not present.

Usually I schedule a restart with some network tools I have. But in this case, I can remotely access the system via command-line/powershell but my network tools are not working. Probably because it needs a reboot after installing some updates.

Here's how to schedule a reboot with command line/powershell (works in either):

• -click START > RUN
• -type: cmd (or type: powershell)
• -click OK
• -type: schtasks /create /sc once /tn restart /tr “shutdown -r -f “”restart””” /st 13:00 /RU system
  Where "/st" is the time in 24H clock and "/ru" is necessary to run even if the user is logged in or not.

Core i7 6500u Dell Inpiron 5559 should be a good fast processor. The laptop was dreadfully slow. Something had to be wrong.

• -hit CTRL+ALT_DEL
• -start TASK-MANAGER
• -click PERFORMANCE tab
• -click CPU (on the left-hand side)

You will notice the SPEED to around 0.39GHz. Hmmm... seems like something is throttling the CPU.

BIOS Settings

I tried to fix some Bios Settings:

• c-states = off
• intel speedstep = off
• intel turboboost = off

Same result. Hmmm.... there must be some settings not being shown in the Bios that can be adjusted.

ThrottleStop

Here's how to fix (as shown in my really edited picture below):

• -download ThrottleStop
• 1-click LIMITS (on the right-hand side)
• 2-this will show you exactly why the throttle is happening. The culprit being BD_PROCHOT.
• 3-uncheck BD_PROCHOT (on the left-hand side)
• 4-checkmark DISABLE-TURBO
• 5-do NOT turn on SPEEDSTEP
• 5-do NOT turn on SPEED-SHIFT-EPP (if on, it will have a green SST "speed shift technology".)
  (you can change the number next to SPEED-SHIFT and set it to zero, just delete the number and type over it)

You will notice the SPEED to around 2.49GHz and the speed is noticably faster.

Schedul to Auto Start

• -start TASK-SCHEDULER using the basic scheduler.
• -open the properties of the task.
• -start THROTTLESTOP on startup whether someone is logged in or not.
• -change the user to be SYSTEM.
• -since THROTTLESTOP doesn't have to stay running, you can close it automatically. Find the THROTTLESTOP.INI file in the THROTTLESTOP directory/folder, open with text editor and change "DCExitTime" to the number of seconds to remain open, say 5 seconds.

Final Thoughts

There are reasons why this is happening. In the end, buy business class hardware (Dell Latitude/Precision; Lenovo ThinkPads, etc) that have more options in the BIOS.

Intel-Adaptive-Thermal-Monitor might be the actual culprit. The issue is that there is no option to turn off in the BIOS.

NOTES:

-https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Automatically-Enable-ad9c2208

Here's how to blank out all members in a distribution group:

Update-DistributionGroupMember foo.group -Members $null

Here's how to update the members in a distribution group:

Update-DistributionGroupMember foo.group -Members foo.user1, foo.user2, foo.user3

If you need to add a member to the group:

add-DistributionGroupMember foo.group -member foo.user

If you need to remove a member from the group:

removeDistributionGroupMember foo.group -member foo.user

If you need to adjust the list, do so in Excel, Word, Notepad, etc.

Here's how to add a Dynamic Distribution Group that contains all emails of a certain Organizational Unit (OU) in Active Directory (AD):

New-DynamicDistributionGroup -Name "foo.group.dynamic" -OrganizationalUnit "Foo OU" -RecipientFilter {((RecipientTypeDetails -eq 'UserMailbox'))}

There's probably a better way to do this.

Here's how to see the members of a Dynamic Distribution Group:

$foovariable = Get-DynamicDistributionGroup foo.dynamic.group
Get-Recipient -RecipientPreviewFilter $foovariable.RecipientFilter -OrganizationalUnit $foovariable.RecipientContainer

First, find the groups you want to change and give us the group email name and the value:

[PS] Get-DistributionGroup |Where {$_.alias -like "verse*"} |select name,RequireSenderAuthenticationEnabled
(where "*" is anything. So *foo is barfoo but not food. And foo* is foobar and food but not barfoo.)

Let at the results and see if these are the groups you want changed.

Next, get the groups and change the value you want changed:

[PS] Get-DistributionGroup |Where {$_.alias -like "verse*"} |Set-DistributionGroup -RequireSenderAuthenticationEnabled $false

Here is a list of Microsoft Reseller Indirect Provider: https://partnercenter.microsoft.com/en-us/partner/find-a-provider

• AppRiver https://www.appriver.com/partners/resell-office-365/
• Arrow Electronics, Inc http://ecs.arrow.com/cloud_services/
• Crayon Software Experts LLC https://www.crayon.com/resell-azure-office-365/
• D&H Distributing Company http://www.dandh.com/
• Ingram Micro http://www.ingrammicrocloud.com/become-a-partner/
• Insight https://www.insight.com/en_US/buy/partner/microsoft/service-provider-solutions.html
• Intermedia https://www.intermedia.net/resellers
• intY Cascade https://www.inty.com/partner-program/csp-partner-program/
• Rackspace https://www.rackspace.com/partners/cloud-reseller
• SaaSplaza Inc http://saasplaza.com
• Sherweb http://www.sherweb.com/partners/resell-office-365/
• Signature Business Systems, Inc., D/B/A SBS GROUP http://www.sbsgroupusa.com/solutions/cloud/stratos-cloud
• SYNNEX Corporation http://www.synnex.com
• Tech Data http://www.techdata.com/content/tdcloud/index.html

We have relationship with AppRiver.

Three pbx/asterisk servers. MPLS is in place. Two servers can interoffice call through extension number. The third is reachable through the main number but not through extension number. It waits, then says "goodbye" and hangs up.

Looking at the logs when a call is made:

-type: asterisk -rvvvvv
-dial an extension in the other office
-returns:
======

[Apr 26 16:52:37] WARNING[5653]: app_dial.c:1523 dial_exec_full: Unable to create channel of type 'IAX2' (cause 20 - Unknown)
  == Everyone is busy/congested at this time (1:0/0/1)
    -- Executing [s@macro-remote-call:11] Goto("Local/P1220@hud-caller-answer-e107;1", "s-CHANUNAVAIL,1") in new stack
    -- Goto (macro-remote-call,s-CHANUNAVAIL,1)
    -- Executing [s-CHANUNAVAIL@macro-remote-call:1] Goto("Local/P1220@hud-caller-answer-e107;1", "s,x-dial") in new stack
    -- Goto (macro-remote-call,s,12)
    -- Executing [s@macro-remote-call:12] Dial("Local/P1220@hud-caller-answer-e107;1", "IAX2/c10325x@c16067x/1524775950.8016-1-3109-external-") in new stack
[Apr 26 16:52:37] WARNING[5653]: app_dial.c:1523 dial_exec_full: Unable to create channel of type 'IAX2' (cause 20 - Unknown)
  == Everyone is busy/congested at this time (1:0/0/1)
    -- Timeout on Local/P1220@hud-caller-answer-e107;1
  == CDR updated on Local/P1220@hud-caller-answer-e107;1
    -- Executing [t@internal:1] BackGround("Local/P1220@hud-caller-answer-e107;1", "vm-goodbye") in new stack

=====

-type: asterisk -R -x 'iax2 show peers'
Name/Username    Host                 Mask             Port          Status
c23013x          10.162.44.31    (S)  255.255.255.255  4569          OK (44 ms)
c23013i          10.162.44.31    (S)  255.255.255.255  4569          OK (44 ms)
c16067x          10.162.30.10    (S)  255.255.255.255  4569          UNREACHABLE
c16067i          10.162.30.10    (S)  255.255.255.255  4569          UNREACHABLE
4 iax2 peers [2 online, 2 offline, 0 unmonitored]

This shows that the servers are set to be reached through the local IP addresses in the MPLS. This also shows that the second server is "unreachable."

-there is a file at: /etc/asterisk/iax.conf
-iax is interoffice asterisk exchange

Perhaps what is happening here is that the UDP port binding in the MPLS is maintained by sending traffic through it. The binding expired, and there is no way for Asterisk to communicate with the IAX peer (other-Asterisk).

-go to remote asertisk server that cannot be reached.
-type: asterisk -R -x 'iax2 show peers'
Name/Username    Host                 Mask             Port          Status
c23013x          10.162.44.31    (S)  255.255.255.255  4569          UNREACHABLE
c23013i          10.162.44.31    (S)  255.255.255.255  4569          UNREACHABLE
c11025x          10.162.100.31   (S)  255.255.255.255  4569          UNREACHABLE
c11025i          10.162.100.31   (S)  255.255.255.255  4569          UNREACHABLE
4 iax2 peers [0 online, 4 offline, 0 unmonitored]

This shows that the server cannot reach either of the other two servers.

You have 2 options here.

1- Restart the iax service

asterisk -rx "module unload chan_iax2.so"
sleep 90;
asterisk -rx "module load chan_iax2.so"

2- Rebooted the server:

-type: /sbin/shutdown -r +5

-wait for reboot to finish

-type: asterisk -R -x 'iax2 show peers'
Name/Username    Host                 Mask             Port          Status
c23613x          10.162.44.31    (S)  255.255.255.255  4569          OK (40 ms)
c23613i          10.162.44.31    (S)  255.255.255.255  4569          OK (41 ms)
c11325x          10.162.100.31   (S)  255.255.255.255  4569          OK (28 ms)
c11325i          10.162.100.31   (S)  255.255.255.255  4569          OK (28 ms)

You can see the peers are reachable again.

NOTES:
http://www.cyber-cottage.co.uk/?p=994
https://www.voip-info.org/asterisk-iax-qualify

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