InkyTek

DHCP Admin Group in Server 2012

2015-03-25T19:01:00.000-07:00

DHCP Admin Group in Server 2012

The DHCP admin group is a Windows security group used to provide DHCP admin access to users who need to perform DHCP admin function in their work role(s). The sister group, DHCP Users provides read only membership to see DHCP information.

In Server 2012, Microsoft disabled the DHCP users group and hid it from view. This can be a bit frustrating if you need to use this group! The reason I believe was that Microsoft considered this to be a more secure arrangement.

Re establishing the DHCP Admin and DHCP user groups is rather simple. On the Server, open an administrative command prompt and enter: netsh dhcp add securitygroups then press enter. This will add both groups to your group management console (you may need to refresh to see them)

This article can also be found on our sister site Dizzyit.com at: http://dizzyit.com/2015/03/26/dhcp-admin-group-in-server-2012/


: Adding DHCP Admin and User Groups

Windows Error 651

2015-03-09T17:17:00.000-07:00

Windows Error 651

: Windows Error 651

Windows Error 651 occurs across most modern versions of Windows, relating primarily to WAN connections. there are a few ways to resolve this as follows:

The first thing to check is go to Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network Connections and right click on broadband connections [WAN Miniport(PPPOE)] and un-check set as default. If necessary reboot to check.

If the above fails, then here is a list of things to check and run through to get this issue resolved:

Reset your TCP/IP Settings in Windows.
If you are using a Laptop, make sure the wireless switch or button is turned on (this is such a common issue!).
Replace the RAS PPPoE driver in Windows:
1. Open a Command Prompt as Administrator (right click -> run as administrator).
2. Select all the code below, then right click it and click Copy:
3. TAKEOWN /F "C:\Windows\system32\drivers\raspppoe.sys"
4. ICACLS "C:\Windows\system32\drivers\raspppoe.sys" /grant administrators:F
5. Right click in the Command Prompt window and click Paste.
6. Press Enter.
7. Once it has finished, close the Command Prompt.
8. Go to the following folder:
  C:\Windows\system32\drivers
9. Rename the raspppoe.sys file to raspppoe2.sys
10. Right click on the following file and click Save Target As / Save link as:
  Vista RAS PPPoE Driver.
11. Save it in the C:\Windows\system32\drivers folder.
12. Restart the computer.
If using a Modem, obtain the latest driver.
Reset your router.
Re-install your network card drivers.

This article can also be found on our sister site http://Dizzyit.com at http://dizzyit.com/2015/03/10/windows-error-651/

Source: Microsoft Technet

Grant Sudo Access in Ubuntu

2015-03-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

Grant Sudo Access in Ubuntu

To make changes in Ubuntu, you need to be a member of the "Super Users" or Sudo group. Membership of this group acts like the administrator group on a windows system, allowing users to make changes to the operating system. Ubuntu will prompt you for the sudo password (which is recommended to be different to your normal user password for security reasons) when you attempt to make changes to the OS.

To grant a user sudo access:

log in with your own sudo level access account
enter the command sudo adduser sudo

: Grant Sudo In Ubuntu

This Article can also be found on our sister site www.dizzyit.com at: http://dizzyit.com/2015/03/09/grant-sudo-access-ubuntu/

Clear Cached Credentials in Windows

2014-07-08T17:06:00.000-07:00

Clear Cached Credentials in Windows

Cached credentials in windows can cause issues, especially when users change passwords and aren't able to access network resources. There are a few ways you can manage this, and even script it into your environment if this is causing you issues.

Credential Manager:

Credential Manager is a Windows control panel item that shows all the cached credentials on your system. to access this go to control panel -> cached credentials and locate the credentials that you wish to remove. This can also be accessed by opening the run command and entering control keymgr.dll

: Windows Credential Manager

The DOS / script method

If dos is more your flavour or you would like to script this then there are 2 commands that you can use. Firstly, if there is a server specifically that you would like to clear the credentials from then you can use the command net use \\ /del where is the name of the serve that you wish to clear the credentials for and you may also need to use an FQDN depending on your network / DNS set up.

: Delete windows credentials in DOS / script

Alternatively you can also use net use * /del to clear all cached credentials.

: Delete Cached Windows Credentials

Please note that these commands are run on the client server not on the server resource.

This post can also be found on our sister site DizzyIT.com at http://dizzyit.com/2014/06/13/clear-cached-credentials-windows/

How Set a Static IP Address in Apple Mac OS X

2014-07-08T16:59:00.005-07:00

How Set a Static IP Address in Apple Mac OS X

For those new to OS X from the Windows world (like I was), finding your way around can be a little frustrating in a world sans right mouse click! One task thats quite common (and one I came across this week) is wanting to set a static IP address in OS X. Here's how it's done!

1. Open System Preferences with this icon:

: Mac OS X System Preferences Icon

2. Under the Internet and Wireless menu choose Network

: Mac OS X Network Icon

3. Select Ethernet Network

: Apple Mac OS X Ethernet Icon

4. Select the Configure IPv4 Drop down list and select Manually

: Apple Mac OS X Configure IPv4

5. Enter the Static IP, Subnet Mask, Router (Gateway) , DNS Server and Search Domain followed by Apply

: Apple Mac OS X Static IP Address

6. And your done! To reset back to DHCP - just reset the Manually setting to DHCP

This guide can also be found on our sister site Dizzyit.com at http://dizzyit.com/2014/07/06/set-static-ip-address-apple-mac-os-x/

Use Powershell to Uninstall or Install Windows Roles and Features

2014-04-08T18:09:00.001-07:00

Use Powershell to Uninstall or Install Windows Roles and Features

You can use Powershell or uninstall or install Windows Roles and Features instead of using the GUI. This is especially useful in two scenarios : Server Core installations and also for scripting (new server installs, remote installs etc).

Firstly, you will need to identify the name of the Windows Feature that you wish to add / remove. Open an Administrative powershell prompt and type: get-windowsfeature

: Get-Windowsfeature

Once you have identified the roles and feature that you wish to remove (in this case we are going to remove the gui shell) tye the command uninstall-windowsfeature . If you want to force a reboot at the end of the process then use the -reboot switch.

: Uninstall-windowsfeature

If you wanted to re install this feature, or install any other feature then again open an administrative powershell prompt and type install-windowsfeature

: Install-WindowsFeature

Again, if you wanted to force the reboot (especially useful when scripting this then add the -reboot switch.

This article can also be found on our sister site DizzyIT.com at : http://dizzyit.com/2014/04/07/use-powershell-uninstall-install-windows-roles-and-features/

How To Fix Windows Update Error 80070005.

2014-04-08T18:06:00.000-07:00

How To Fix Windows Update Error 80070005.

Windows Update Error 80070005 is usually caused by something going awry in your user permissions to the point where Windows Updates cannot install as it no longer has permissions. The fastest way I am aware of to get around Windows Update Error 80070005 is as follows:

Log off the current user and log in with the administrator Account
attempt to install updates from Microsoft updates ( or local WSUS server if applicable)
after updates have been re installed reboot the computer and log in as the original user.
The user should now be able to install updates

I'm not sure why this works, but it does! I would hazzard a guess that logging in as local admin allows the computer account to reset the ACL permissions that it needs.

The other things to check in troubleshooting Windows Update Error 80070005 are:

Make sure that the firewall is not blocking windows updates. to verify this disable your firewall and try
is the user profile generally corrupt? if so try and old out the profile (details on how to do so here: http://dizzyit.com/2011/10/29/how-do-i-old-out-a-windows-7-user-profile/)
run the windows update repair tool and see if this fixes your issue (details here: http://dizzyit.com/2013/06/07/fix-windows-update-issues/)

This article can also be found on our sister site DizzyIT .com at : http://dizzyit.com/2014/04/07/fix-windows-update-error-80070005/

Auto Accept or Decline Meeting Requests in Outlook

2014-03-18T22:30:00.005-07:00

Auto Accept or Decline Meeting Requests in Outlook

The process to auto accept of decline meeting requestsin outlook is pretty straight forward. this functionality is useful for some managers, or for resource booking of rooms or resources. Alternatively, sometimes you want this to be turned off so that you can have more granular control over which meetings you choose to accept or decline.

To auto accept or decline meeting requests in outlook:

Open Outlook and select File -> Options

: Auto Accept or Decline Meeting Requests in Outlook

2. Select Calendar then scroll to Auto Accept or Decline. From here you can configure outlook to auto accept or auto decline meeting requests

: Auto Accept or Decline Meeting Requests in Outlook

Your outlook calendar will not be configured to accept or deny meeting requests automatically.

This article can also be found on our sister site dizzyit.com at: http://dizzyit.com/2014/03/19/auto-accept-decline-meeting-requests-outlook/

ITunes Error 126 in Windows 7, 8, 8.1

2014-03-16T16:23:00.001-07:00

ITunes Error 126 in Windows 7, 8, 8.1

Error 126 occurs in Itunes when you are either trying to open, install or re install itunes on a Windows platform. The error seems to be related to .Net Framework 4, as well as perhaps some DIVX incompatibility.

: ITunes Error 126

in order to resolve the issue:

un-install any apple products on your system (start -> control panel -> programs and features). What you are looking for here is anything that says "Apple Inc." in the Publisher Column. Dont forget things like Quicktime, Bonjour and ICloud. Also note that you DO NOT have to delete your ITunes Music for this.

: Apple Inc files in Programs and Features for fixing Error 126

2. Make Sure that the following files \ folders have been removed have been removed (if you had a custom install location please refer to that location)

C:\Program Files\Bonjour
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple
C:\Program Files\iTunes
C:\Program Files\iPod
C:\Program Files\QuickTime
C:\Windows\System32\QuickTime
C:\Windows\System32\QuickTimeVR

3. Update your Windows .Net Framework 4 ( you can also do this at the start if you like). the best way to do this is via windows update. You may also want to update your DIVX installation at this time as well.

4. Begin re installing Apple software, starting with Apple Quicktime. Once that is installed, start with ITunes and the other apple products that you need.

Did this solve your Apple ITunes 126 Error? please let us know on our facebook if you have any questions or comments!

This post can also be found on our sister website DizzyIT.com at: http://dizzyit.com/2014/03/17/itunes-error-126-windows-7-8-8-1/

This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please contact your system administrator.

2014-02-25T19:20:00.000-08:00

This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please contact your system administrator.

This error message "This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please contact your system administrator " occurs when certain programs such as One Note, Outlook and Office 365 are not happy about Internet Explorer being the default web browser.

There are a fewways you can address this issue:

1. Upgrade your internet Explorer to the latest version

Not the most exciting or elegant solution, and perhaps is another version of "shut up and reboot" but its worth a try and I have seen it fix this issue. for security and functionality reasons, unless you have a good reason to its normally recommended to be on the latest version of IE.

2. Set the default browser to IE

This is pretty straight forward

Windows 8:

go to the start screen and type in default programs and then choose this item

: Default programs Windows 8

choose set your default programs from the menu

: Control Panel, Default Programs Windows 8

select Internet Explorer then choose set this program as default

: Windows 8 Internet Explorer then choose set this program as default

3. Reset Internet Explorer Settings

Sometimes due to policies etc, or registry keys that have been influenced by other programs. these can be reset by setting Internet Explorer back to its default configuration.

to do this its advisable to close any microsoft programs you have open such as Word and Outlook and then,

open Internet Explorer
choose the Gear Icon for settings then choose Internet Options

: Internet Explorer Settings Gear

: choose the advanced tab, and then select reset internet explorer

choose the advanced tab, and then select reset internet explorer

: Reset Internet Options

close internet explorer and try again

This post can also be found at our sister site www.Dizzyit.com at: http://wp.me/p1Zlmi-7r

Bulk Reset User Passwords with Powershell.

2014-02-25T19:06:00.000-08:00

Bulk Reset User Passwords with Powershell.

On occasion, you need to bulk reset user passwords for an ou or group of users. This can easily be accomplished using Powershell and the following script.

Get-ADUser -Filter * -SearchScope Subtree -SearchBase "OU=Department,OU=Users,DC=corp,DC=company,DC=com" | Set-ADAccountPassword -Reset -NewPassword (ConvertTo-SecureString -AsPlainText "New Password Here" -Force)

: Bulk Reset AD Passwords

Change the OU path to what you need it to be, and before you proceed you probably want to check the affected users with this script to ensure that you dont overwite something like the CEO or an admins password:

Get-ADUser -Filter * -SearchScope Subtree -SearchBase "OU=Department,OU=Users,DC=corp,DC=company,DC=com" | Ft Name

: Check OU Membership With Powershell

Again, just change the OU structure to what you need.

As a point of note, you run this, depending on what you ahve installed you may need to import the Active Directory Module for Powershell with Import-Module ActiveDirectory

: Import-Module ActiveDirectory

This article can be viewed on our sister site www.dizzyit.com at: http://wp.me/p1Zlmi-7k

Manual Sync ADFS with Powershell.

2014-02-25T19:00:00.001-08:00

Manual Sync ADFS with Powershell.

Occasionally you cant wait three hours for your ADFS to synchronise your local Active Directory with the Azure copy. No matter, as you can force a directory sync with the following powershell command:

Start-onlinecoexistencesync

: start-onlinecoexistencesync www.dizzyit.com

This command will sync your on premises Active Directory with the Azure online copy. This is especially useful in situations such as Office 365 implementations where you have changes such as email addresses or group membership changes that need to be updated into the online directory.

This post can be viewed on our sister site www.dizzyit.com at: http://wp.me/p1Zlmi-7e

Remove Protected mode is turned off for the internet and restricted sites zones message in Internet Explorer

2014-01-09T16:29:00.004-08:00

Remove Protected mode is turned off for the internet and restricted sites zones message in Internet Explorer

In Internet explorer 10 and 11, when you disable protected mode you will get a warning stating that Protected mode is turned off for the internet Zone or perhaps Protected Mode is turned off for the internet and restricted sites zones. As Protected Mode seems to have some issues of its own, Due to this it's common to want to remove this warning in SOE images where applicable.

: Protected mode is turned off for the Internet zone in IE

: Protected mode is turned off for the Internet and restricted sites zone in Internet Explorer

This feature of Internet Explorer is set in the registry at HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main. scroll till you see the dword key NoProtectedModeBanner and this should be set to 1 to disable, or 0 to enable the message should you wish.

: Registry Key for Protected mode is turned off for the Internet zone

This can then be applied via Group Policy if you like by opening the GPO editor (start -> run -> regedit) and navigating Computer Configuration -> Preferences -> Registry -> Right Click on Registry and choose New -> Registry Wizard. From here you can navigate to the NoProtectedModeBanner key and assign to the policy as required.

: Set Group Policy for Protected Mode message in Internet Explorer

The above article discusses how to remove the protected mode is turned off warning message as seen in Internet Explorer. this article can also be found at our sister site DizzyIT.com at : http://dizzyit.com/2014/01/10/remove-protected-mode-turned-internet-restricted-sites-zones-message-internet-explorer/

Installing and Upgrading to Microsoft Server 2012 - Considerations

2013-11-26T15:56:00.001-08:00

Installing and Upgrading to Microsoft Server - Considerations

There are several considerations to take into account when upgrading to Server 2012. This article is not so much a how to on how to perform an upgrade, but more a guide on some tips and strategies that can be used to make the move easier for you and your organisation.

Upgrade or Fresh Install?

Server 2012 is the first Microsoft Windows Server that allows you to perform an upgrade instead of needing to perform a fresh install. To be eligible for this feature, the existing operating system needs to be Server 2008 or 2008 R2, both 64 bit.

Also for consideration is if the hosted services and applications on that server are capable of handling an upgrade. For this its best to contact the provider or manufacturer directly. In some cases, it may be possible to test this, especially if you have a relevant test environment. Serious consideration needs to be given to Active Directory and also Microsoft SQL server implementations.Other services that need intense considerations include Federated Services and MS Clustering. Microsoft produces several guidelines that can be obtained on their website and are updated regularly.

These reports an be exported as a Word doc and then provided to relevant managers or seniors for approval.

Planning an Implementation

There are several considerations when planning a Server 2012 deployment as follows:

Practice Makes Perfect

Be sure to test the installation in a VM and be familiar with the processes and what you need. There are several free / cheap hypervisors availiable today including VMWare Workstation as well as Microsoft Hyper V Server. a trial copy of Windows Server 2012 can be downloaded from the Microsoft Website

Preparing for installation

Microsoft Produces the MAP toolkit as a means to verify (in some detail) whether existing systems are a good candidate for upgrade, and if not why not. This is a free downloaded from Microsoft and can be accessed from here : http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb977556.aspx

Beyond the MAP toolkit you will want to be sure that the hardware proposed at least meets the minimum requirements for handling Server 2012. Ideally you will have hardware that exceeds these requirements and also satisfies the requirements for the applications that are to be hosted on the server. A the time of writing the min requirements are:

CPU - 1.4 GHz 64 Bit
RAM - 512 MB
Disk Space - 32 GB

Timing is everything - if you are performing an upgrade make sure that you are doing so in a time that is acceptable to business (perhaps a dedicated maintenance window). taking a system off line in production is not going to make a lot of people happy. Also make sure that you have an up to date and verified backup of any systems that you are tinkering with.

Mass Storage (and other) Drivers

Server 2012 requires digitally signed drivers, and non signed drivers can cause issues in setup. To aleviate this, you can disable this requirement by: Pressing F8 at Startup -> Advanced Boot Options -> Disable Driver Signature Enforcement -> load windows and install driver

F6 is pressed during installation to enable installation of mass storage drivers during install. these may be needed for RAID and other associated disk devices.

Who is Hosting my Domain Email?

2013-07-14T18:22:00.002-07:00

Who is Hosting my Domain Email?

To find out who is hosting your domain email is pretty easy. Here's how you do it:

Open a command prompt (shortcut to do this is hold down Windows Key and the R Key, then type CMD in the Run window)
In the command prompt window type in

NSlookup

set qtype=mx

(please note that this is entered without the www)

This will query your DNS and present you with the mail server for your domain - pretty easy!

How To Fix Windows Update Issues in Windows 8, 7, Vista, Server

2013-06-06T20:50:00.000-07:00

How To Fix Windows Update Issues

Windows update can cause several issues, often leaving you with a cryptic error message such as 0x8024402c, 80070643, 8024800A or many others. Alternatively, you may also get an error like "Windows update cannot check for updates because the service is not running" . This article will go through how to troubleshoot Windows Update issues as a whole.Instructions for various specific issues such as those shown above can also be found on this site (just use the search feature to locate them).

Before making any changes to your system, please create a restore point or make a backup of any important work such as photos or documents. If you are unsure on how to create a restore point, please consult this Microsoft article: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-au/windows7/create-a-restore-point

Windows Update Fix It Tool

This tool is a great starting point for troubleshooting Windows Update and is highly successful in resolving a variety of issues. The Tool can be downloaded here: http://support.microsoft.com/mats/windows_update/ . At the time of writing there was no Windows 8 64 Bit version of this tool, hopefully Microsoft will make a version available in the near future.

Also available is The System Update Readiness tool, located here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-au/windows7/what-is-the-system-update-readiness-tool . This tool will troubleshoot your system and solve any problems. The program is not very verbose, in that it doesn't really tell you what its doing, however it is effective in rectifying common Windows Update Issues.

Windows Update Log

For Those who wish to do further troubleshooting or if the above tools do not solve your issue, the Windows Update Log is a great place to start looking for clues as to what is going on. to access the log open a Run Command and type (or just copy from this blog) %Windir%\windowsupdate.log and press Enter. I have included a snippet from a log below:.

In this case, the log is displaying that error 0x800f0902 has occurred where Windows was unable to download updates. This is a fantastic starting point for further troubleshooting of issues that are occurring.

Windows Services

There are three main services involved with Windows Update, the Windows Update Service, Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS ) and the Workstation Service. If any of these are not started and running, Windows will be unable to apply updates.

To access the Windows Services open a Run Windows (Windows Key + R) and enter services.msc . This will open a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) showing Running Services.

For each of the above services check the following:

Scroll down till you find the service (in this case Background Intelligent Update Service). as seen in the picture, the status should be Running and the Startup Type should be :

Automatic (Delayed Start) for the BITS service
Automatic for the Workstation Service
Manual (Trigger Start) for the Windows Update Service - (note that on some Windows 7 Systems it may also be set to Automatic Start)

If the services are shut down, or not set to the appropriate start up type:

Double Click on the Service. This will open the Properties Window for the service
Change the Startup Type to the correct mode and /or click start to start the service

If the service will not start, then a good thing to do is run the above Fix It Tool or System Update Readiness Tool and see the results. failing that, consult the Windows Update log as also shown above.

Deleting Windows Update File Locations

If you have an update that will not successfully install (e.g. it repeatedly tries to install but fails when shutting down) or further investigation has suggested, it may be necessary to manually delete the files and folders containing Windows Update data and database. Please ensure that you have backed up any data or created a restore point before deleting any files

Note that before doing this you may need to stop with Windows Update Service. - see above for instructions on how to locate the service. once found double click the service to expose the properties window and choose stop. After you can either reboot to start the service or double click and choose start

The Windows Update download location can be found at C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download . This is the repository where windows stores downloaded updates.

Its normally OK to delete these files as they are just the installers, not the actual applied updates. To delete these , click on the window, and press Control and A . This will highlight all the items in the screen. Right Click and choose Delete. answer YES to any verifcation prompts.

The Windows Update Download location is found at C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\datastore .

This is the actual location of the Windows Update Database. if this database is corrupted then it may be easiest to delete it. Windows should create a new database automatically. To delete the database, open the location above click on the window, and press Control and A . This will highlight all the items in the screen. Right Click and choose Delete. answer YES to any verification prompts.

Uninstall Windows Updates

Occasionally you will installa n update that may not play nice with your system due to incompatibility with other installed programs, a failed install or occasionally an update that is not functioning as Microsoft intended. to remove these updates:

Open Control Panel

In Windows 7 / Vista / 2008 go to Start -> Control Panel
In Windows 8, or Server 2012 go to the Start Screen and type Control Panel. this will bing up the control Panel Icon. Choose this Icon

Select to view by Small Icons (Optional) then choose Programs and Features
in the left hand corner, select View Installed Updates

From this location you can uninstall any updates that you are having problems with. The trick here is to know which update you are looking for that is causing you a problem. This may be identified by either the Windows Update Log (see above), Windows Event Viewer, personal observation or other knowledge base searches.

This article has discussed various ways of troubleshooting Windows Update problems and how to resolve them.

How To Shut Down or Restart Windows 8

2013-06-05T19:08:00.001-07:00

How To Shut Down or Restart Windows 8

Shutting down or restarting Windows 8 has proven to be a little tricky for users used to the old tried and true method of going to Start then -> Shut down as has been done in previous versions of Windows. In this article we will show you 3 Different ways to shut down and restart Windows 8.

Method 1: The Windows 8 Power Icon

Hover your icon / mouse over the right hand lower corner to expose the Charms Bar as shown on the right:
The bottom Icon is labeled Settings. Tap / Select this to open the Settings Window
In the lowest half of the Settings window, choose Power
You will now have the options to Sleep, Shut Down or Restart your Windows 8 Computer

Method 2: Create a Windows 8 Shut Down and Restart Tile

Go to the Desktop (Press WindowsKey-D or go the Start Menu and choose Desktop)
Right click on a blank area and choose New, Shortcut
In the location field / box type shutdown /p and press next
Enter a name for the Shortcut such as Shutdown and choose Finish
(optional) To create a restart icon, follow steps 1 - 4 but enter shutdown /r /t 0 in the location field
To attach this short Cut to your Start Menu, right click and choose Pin to Start

Method 3: Use the Power Button to restart Windows 8

Go to the Start Screen and start typing Control Panel . This will show Control Panel in a list of results.
Select (click) the Control Panel Icon.
Locate the Search box (normally located in the top right hand corner) and type Power . This will show the computers Power Options.
Select Change What Power Options Do
The Setting for When I press the Power Button is defaulted to Sleep. change this to Shut Down. On a Laptop you may need to set this for both On Battery and Plugged In
Choose Save Changed to save these settings

And that's it! 3 Different ways to easily Shut Down and Restart Windows 8.

This Article can also be located on our sister site DizzyIT.com at:

Windows Update Error 0x8024402C in Windows 7, 8, 2012, 2008 R2, Vista

2013-05-27T19:24:00.000-07:00

Windows Update Error 0x8024402C in Windows 7, 8, 2012, 2008 R2, Vista

Windows Update Error 0x8024402C occurs when running windows update and you try to connect to the Windows or Microsoft Update Website.

Please see this post for an overview of how to troubleshoot Windows Updates: How to Troubleshoot Windows Update Issues

if you view the logs located at: %windir%\windowsupdate.log you may also see this error present like this:

FATAL: SelfUpdate check failed, err = 0x8024402C

2013-05-11 11:41:27:095 1208 2344 Agent * WARNING: Skipping scan, self-update check returned 0x8024402C

2013-05-11 11:41:27:095 1208 2344 Agent * WARNING: Exit code = 0x8024402C

This issue is commonly caused by Firewall Settings not being correctly set within Internet Explorer. There are 3 ways in which you can attempt to correct this error:

Method 1:

Download and run the Microsoft Windows Update Readiness Tool located at: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947821 . If this fails to solve the issue then please try one of the other methods.

Method 2:

This Method is for if you ar ein a corporation or campus that uses a Proxy Server.

Open Internet Explorer and go to Tools -> Internet Options
Click on the Connections Tab, select LAN Settings and choose OK
Choose the Advanced Button
Clear any entries under the exceptions window and choose OK
Open a command prompt:

In Windows 7, Vista, 2008 either:

Go to start chose run and type in cmd and press OK . Or:
Type command prompt into the search bar in the start menu

In Windows 8

Go to the Start Screen and type command prompt. This will open a search screen where you can then select command prompt from the right hand side

in the command prompt window, enter the following pressing Enter After each command

netsh winhttp reset proxy
net stop wuauserv
net start wuauserv

restart the computer and try and install updates again

Method 3:

Open Internet Explorer
Go to Tools -> Internet Options
Click on Connections -> LAN Settings
Select Automatically Detect Settings
Choose OK
close and re open Internet Explorer and try installing updates again.

Delegate Authority in AD to add and remove computers

2013-05-23T01:28:00.000-07:00

Delegate Authority in AD to add and remove computers

Delegation of Authority in AD is a good idea to manage the level of access given to technicians. Normally, authenticated users within the AD environment (i.e users) can add up to 10 machines to a domain. after this, the privilege is revoked.

When configuring these settings, it is advisable to set only on the OU's that you wish to delegate the authority on. Many times, its too easy to just want to save time and effort and set this at the top level of the domain, however this will come back to bite you big time if your help desk lackey deletes your domain controllers......

In order to configure the delegate authority to add and remove AD computers do the following:

Open up AD users and computers and navigate to the OU that contains the workstations / servers that you wish to delegate.
Right click on the OU and select Delegate Control
click Next past the welcome screen
select the group you wish to delegate access too, e.g. a group named helpdesk or level1_techs etc.
choose create a custom task to delegate and choose Next
select only the following objects in the folder and then select Computer Objects as well as the tick boxes Create selected objects in this folder and Delete Selected objects in this folder. Choose Next
In the Permissions window, select:

Create all Child Objects
Delete all Child Objects
Read All Properties
Write All Properties
Change Password
Reset Password
Validated Write to DNS Host Name
Validated Write to Service Principal

Note that several other sub settings will be enabled after choosing the above settings. Leave these as they are and choose Next
Choose Finish to finalize the settings.

And that's it! As always, you should now thoroughly test these settings prior to distributing to them the required users to ensure that they have the required level of permissions (ie not too many and not too few). an easy way to test this would be to get the user to add or re add a workstation to the domain.

of course there are several other things you can do with delegation of authority including assigning permissions for user creation many other settings.

The above article discusses how to delegate authority in a Windows Active Directory domain for adding and removing workstations or computers.

This article can also be located on our sister site DizzyIT.com at http://dizzyit.com/2013/05/23/delegate-authority-ad-add-remove-computers/

Allow Remote Desktop or Remote Assistance Connections through Windows Firewall

2013-05-14T04:11:00.003-07:00

Allow Remote Desktop or Remote Assistance Connections through Windows Firewall

To Connect to a remote session, the receiving computer must be able to communicate with your computer. In order to do this, you or the administrator may need to open a port in the firewall to allow this connection to happen. This is a common pain point and something that many administrators forget to do from time to time! When you choose to Enable a remote desktop Connection, the system may do this for you, however this is not always the case. Luckily, its quite simple to allow a remote desktop connection through the Windows Firewall:

Open Control Panel and Choose Windows Firewall
In the top left hand corner choose Allow a program or Feature through Windows Firewall
you are now presented with a list of programs. Scroll down to R where you will see 3 options pertaining to Remote Desktop / Assistance:

Remote Desktop - Choose this to allow remote Desktop Services
Remote Assistance - Choose this to allow shared screen remote assistance to your machine
Remote Desktop - Remote FX - this is a Windows 7 Service Pack 1 / Server 2008 R2 and later feature that provides a rich desktop experience for features like sound and graphics.

Choose the options pertaining to you by ticking the box in the connections you will allow this for ( Domain, Home / Work, Public)
Choose OK
you have now allowed remote desktop and / or remote assistance connections to your computer. to disable this, just un tick the boxes you have ticked in the firewall.

To Connect to a Remote Desktop Computer

2013-05-14T04:11:00.000-07:00

To Connect to a Remote Desktop Computer

To open a remote desktop connection, either:

go to Start then Run and enter mstsc and press OK
go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, Remote Desktop Connection
In the Computer field, enter the Computer Name or IP Address of the computer you wish to connect to. If you are unsure of what this is, a few simple ways to find out are (these are done on the remote computer)

ask your administrator / help desk / remote desktop provider for the address needed
Open a Run Command (go to Start and Run or Windows Key + r), enter ipconfig and look for the IPAddress field. you may need to scroll up to see this. you may also, depending on the configuration have a couple to choose from.
open a Run Command (start and Run or Windows Key + r) and when presented with the black DOS screen, enter hostname. This is the name of the computer.

You can chose the Options button to set parameters such as connection profile, display properties, whether to run specified programs, connection bandwidth and more, however this is optional
choosing Connect will initiate the connection.
you may be prompted for the log in credentials of a user on the remote machine that is allowed connection, enter these details here.
You should now have established a remote desktop connection to another computer

Enable a Remote Desktop Connection

2013-05-14T04:10:00.000-07:00

Enable a Remote Desktop Connection

Remote Desktop allows you to connect to a computer over a network and utilize it as if you were sitting in front of it at the terminal. This is different to Remote Assistance which is a shared interactive experience used primarily for support purposes. In most versions of windows clients, only a single user may connect at a given time to a computer. This is different in Server installations, where a maximum of 2 remote connections are Nativity supported, and Terminal Servers where hundreds to thousands of remote clients can be supported. To enable Remote Desktop in a Windows Client:

Open Control Panel, then navigate to System choose Advanced System Settings and choose the Remote tab
In the second half of the page, you see Remote Desktop and have 3 options, choose the 1 most relevant to you. Choosing option 2 will be the most "user friendly" solution. If in doubt, consult your organisations security policy.

Dont Allow Connections to This Computer - This prevents all users from establishing a remote desktop connection with your computer. This is the most secure setting.
Allow connections from computers running any version of remote desktop - This setting is the most generic, and most commonly used. It allows almost all Windows based remote desktop clients to Connect
Allow connections only from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication - This setting means that only computer that have Network Level Authentication enabled will be able to connect. This setting is most common in well structured corporate environments

Choose Select Users. Here you enter the users that you want to have access to your computer. The user currently logged in is normally automatically added, as are Domain Administrators in a network Environment. Choose the user / group that you would like to have access and choose OK and OK again to exit
you have now enabled remote desktop on your computer. please note that you may need to open a firewall rule in order to access the desktop remotely.

Enable a Remote Assistance Connection

2013-05-14T04:09:00.000-07:00

Enable a Remote Assistance Connection

Remote Assistance will allow select individuals (those that you or your organisation allows) to connect to your computer to collaborate or solve issues that you may be experiencing. This is an interactive experience in contrast to Remote Desktop, which forms a remote terminal style connection with an individual user having sole control of the desktop environment. To Enable Remote Assistance you:

Open Control Panel, then navigate to System choose Advanced System Settings and choose the Remote tab
At the top of the page, you will see Remote Assistance. Tick the box Allow Remote Assistance Connections to this computer then click apply.
Choose the Advanced Button.
If you want to allow your computer to be able to be controlled remotely then tick the box Allow this computer to be controlled remotely
The Invitations box allows you to choose the amount of time a remote assistance request remains valid. For Security reasons, its better to keep this number shorter than longer.
Choose OK
you have now enabled remote assistance on your desktop. Please note that you may also need to open a port in your firewall to allow these connections through.

Set up Remote Desktop Connection in Windows

2013-05-14T03:57:00.000-07:00

Set up Remote Desktop Connection in Windows

Remote Desktop Connections allow you to connect to a computer from another, and interact with the desktop and installed software as if you were sitting in front of the remote computer. This article will show you a few ways to enable this in both Windows 7 and Windows 8

Enable a Remote Assistance Connection

Open Control Panel, then navigate to System choose Advanced System Settings and choose the Remote tab
At the top of the page, you will see Remote Assistance. Tick the box Allow Remote Assistance Connections to this computer then click apply.
Choose the Advanced Button.
If you want to allow your computer to be able to be controlled remotely then tick the box Allow this computer to be controlled remotely
The Invitations box allows you to choose the amount of time a remote assistance request remains valid. For Security reasons, its better to keep this number shorter than longer.
Choose OK
you have now enabled remote assistance on your desktop. Please note that you may also need to open a port in your firewall to allow these connections through. For information on how to do so, click here:

Enable a Remote Desktop Connection

Open Control Panel, then navigate to System choose Advanced System Settings and choose the Remote tab
In the second half of the page, you see Remote Desktop and have 3 options, choose the 1 most relevant to you. Choosing option 2 will be the most "user friendly" solution. If in doubt, consult your organisations security policy.

Dont Allow Connections to This Computer - This prevents all users from establishing a remote desktop connection with your computer. This is the most secure setting.
Allow connections from computers running any version of remote desktop - This setting is the most generic, and most commonly used. It allows almost all Windows based remote desktop clients to Connect
Allow connections only from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication - This setting means that only computer that have Network Level Authentication enabled will be able to connect. This setting is most common in well structured corporate environments

Choose Select Users. Here you enter the users that you want to have access to your computer. The user currently logged in is normally automatically added, as are Domain Administrators in a network Environment. Choose the user / group that you would like to have access and choose OK and OK again to exit
you have now enabled remote desktop on your computer. please note that you may need to open a firewall rule in order to access the desktop remotely. for information on how to do so, click here:

To Connect to a Remote Desktop Computer

To open a remote desktop connection, either:

go to Start then Run and enter mstsc and press OK
go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, Remote Desktop Connection
In the Computer field, enter the Computer Name or IP Address of the computer you wish to connect to. If you are unsure of what this is, a few simple ways to find out are (these are done on the remote computer)

ask your administrator / help desk / remote desktop provider for the address needed
Open a Run Command (go to Start and Run or Windows Key + r), enter ipconfig and look for the IPAddress field. you may need to scroll up to see this. you may also, depending on the configuration have a couple to choose from.
open a Run Command (start and Run or Windows Key + r) and when presented with the black DOS screen, enter hostname. This is the name of the computer.

You can chose the Options button to set parameters such as connection profile, display properties, whether to run specified programs, connection bandwidth and more, however this is optional
choosing Connect will initiate the connection.
you may be prompted for the log in credentials of a user on the remote machine that is allowed connection, enter these details here.
You should now have established a remote desktop connection to another computer

Allow Remote Desktop or Remote Assistance Connections through Windows Firewall

Open Control Panel and Choose Windows Firewall
In the top left hand corner choose Allow a program or Feature through Windows Firewall
you are now presented with a list of programs. Scroll down to R where you will see 3 options pertaining to Remote Desktop / Assistance:

Remote Desktop - Choose this to allow remote Desktop Services
Remote Assistance - Choose this to allow shared screen remote assistance to your machine
Remote Desktop - Remote FX - this is a Windows 7 Service Pack 1 / Server 2008 R2 and later feature that provides a rich desktop experience for features like sound and graphics.

Choose the options pertaining to you by ticking the box in the connections you will allow this for ( Domain, Home / Work, Public)
Choose OK
you have now allowed remote desktop and / or remote assistance connections to your computer. to disable this, just un tick the boxes you have ticked in the firewall.

Enable Fast Startup in Windows 8

2013-05-10T20:25:00.002-07:00

Enable Fast Startup in Windows 8

Fast Startup is a Windows 8 feature that allows you to boot your PC / Laptop much faster than was available in Windows 7. This is accomplished by utilizing the hibernation file as a boot source,instead of the system needing to initialize and load drivers, services etc which take considerable more time. The below graphic illustrates this:

As with any new feature in operating system, some people are reporting that there is some system instability associated with this feature such as hung start ups and BSOD. This is especially true in dual boot set ups. If this is your case then i would recommend that you disable this feature and see if this settles down the behavior. If the problem goes away, then its also possible to re enable in the future and see if the problem re emerges.

Enabling Fast Startup using Microsoft Windows System Settings

Log into Windows using an Administrator Account
Open The Control Panel and choose Power Options
On the left hand side menu is a link labeled Choose what the power buttons do. Choose this link.
towards the top of the screen, select/click change settings that are currently unavailable. You may receive a UAC prompt here, if so choose "Yes"
Towards the bottom of the page is a heading called Shutdown settings. under this is the option Turn on for fast startup. Select (tick) this check box to enable Fast Startup on the machine.
Choose Save Changes to finalize these Settings.

NOTE: the Fast Startup settings may not appear of hibernate has been disabled. Enabling Hibernate will make the Fast Startup option