Category: Windows Admin
Sometime back in 2011 when I first started using PowerShell, I developed some standard functions to handle the creating and management of log files for my PowerShell scripts. These functions were stored in a file called Logging_Functions.ps1 and I would simply dot source them into my script to be able to use them.
I posted them on 9to5IT PowerShell: How to easily create log files for your scripts and since then, to my surprise, they have been well received by many people, and hence the post has become quite a popular one. Recently one of the users emailed me and made a suggestion to convert them into a PowerShell Module.
That got me thinking…. so I have made a number of improvements to the PowerShell logging functions and have now made them available as a PowerShell Logging module. Available right here, below….
So Windows 10 is a pretty awesome operating system and generally (so far at least) well received by the majority of users. There is one thing that might not be so awesome… by default Windows 10 is stealing your internet bandwidth.
Why? Because Windows Update are now peer-to-peer shared. In other words, the updates you download are automatically “seeded” so that others can download them directly from you, instead of the Microsoft web servers. It works in the same as torrents do; you download and at the same time seed the file for others to download.
You maybe thinking, who cares? But the problem is that it is using your internet bandwidth without you knowing, and therefore slowing your internet speeds. Also, if your uploads are counted towards your download limit (like in Australia) then they are eating away at your download limit as well!!
So how do you stop Windows 10 from stealing your internet? Easy… follow the steps in the article below.
I recently ran into a problem were virtual machines running Windows 8 and Server 2012 don’t ever come back from a reboot, but rather get stuck on the Windows boot splash screen. The only work around to get the machine to boot is to manually power it off and then power it on again.
Good news is, there is a solution to this crazy weirdness; and it is documented below…
A while back I wrote an article about all of the different Active Directory FSMO roles available, why they are important and on which Domain Controller they should be place in a Windows forest and/or Windows domain.
However, even if you have placed all FSMO roles on the correct DCs, sometimes it is necessary to move them to another server for one reason or another. This article documents how to move Active Directory FSMO roles from one Domain Controller to another.
By default, all domain-joined servers and workstations synchronise their time with the PDC Emulator Domain Controller. However how do you configure Windows Time synchronisation for the PDC Emulator and for non-domain joined machines?
This article explains how to configure Windows Time to synchronise an external time source (NTP server), whether that be internal to your network or an internet NTP server.
Carrying on the theme from the Active Directory FSMO roles article, I thought I would put a little information around another really important AD component – the Global Catalog server.
The following article covers what is the Active Directory Global Catalog server, why it is important and the best practises around its placement…
Every new Active Directory forest/domain requires certain FSMO roles to be available in order for it to function successfully. The good news is that these roles are automatically installed by default. Although they are installed automatically, it is still important to understand the purpose of each FSMO role and where best to place them within your environment.
The following article outlines the function of each of the Active Directory FSMO roles, their purpose and more importantly some considerations around their placement.
Have your tried to ping your computer or server and it fails even though you know that it is online and connected to the network? One of the reasons why this fails could be because ping is disabled in the Windows Firewall. This article discusses how to resolve this and allow ping through the Windows Firewall.