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Archive for Windows – Page 10

Upgrading to Office 2013

by KW · Comments (0)
Aug 17 2013

I’d like to think I’m the type of person who likes to be using the latest technology (hardware or software). The truth of the matter is that I don’t seem to have the time or desire to always jump on the newest thing.

Case in point is Office 2013. It was released for general availability at the end of January 2013. However, here it is in August and I’m just now getting around to installing it on my Windows 7 desktop computer, where I have been using Office 2010.

This upgrade was very simple and painless. So let’s get to it.

Step 1 – Uninstall Office 2010

  1. As always, if you have not already done so, stop and make a full image backup of your workstation before proceeding.
  2. Now the reality is that, except for Outlook, you can indeed run Office 2010 and 2013 side by side on the same computer. But not Outlook. Only one version of Outlook will function on a workstation.
  3. As I was not interested in running both versions, I proceeded to uninstall Office 2010 completely..
  4. Here’s the good news: when you uninstall Office 2010, it leaves intact all your settings, including Outlook.
  5. After uninstalling Microsoft Office, you will be required to reboot your computer.
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  6. Please note: there may be several Office-related programs that you may want to uninstall, such as Microsoft Outlook Connector or Microsoft Publisher.

Step 2 – Install Office 2013

  1. After your system has rebooted, insert your Office 2013 DVD and start up your installation.
  2. After accepting the License Terms, take a close look at the next screen where you will select the installation you want.
    – If the top button says ‘Install Now’, go ahead and click it.
    – However, if the top button says ‘Upgrade Now’, you still have some matching Office 2010 programs that need to be uninstalled. If so, cancel out of this installation, and uninstall any remaining Office 2010 related programs. Then repeat this section.
    image   image
  3. Installation will take about 15 minutes, and you will be required to reboot your computer.

Step 3 – Activate your Product

  1. This section will vary depending on how you purchased or obtained your copy of Microsoft Office 2013.
  2. By default, they will expect you to enter an email address associated with a Microsoft Live account that was used to order Office 2013.
  3. However, in my case, I was installing a copy from my Microsoft Action Pack, so I clicked on the “enter a product key instead’ option, and typed in my 25 character product key.
    image

That’s it!

Open up Outlook, and there’s nothing you need to do (generally speaking). All of your email accounts – whether Exchange, POP3 or IMAP – will show up automatically. All of your settings, such as your signature file, will load immediately.

By default, any add-ins that are not compatible with Office 2013 will be automatically disabled. You will be informaed as to which add-in modules are causing issues. Here’s an example:

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Categories : Office 2013, Office 365, Windows
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WHS 2011 and UEFI support

by KW · Comments (0)
Aug 12 2013

Microsoft released a hotfix (KB 2781272) earlier this year to add backup support for UEFI-based client computers that contain a GUID partition table (GPT) formatted disk. The hotfix addresses four issues that are defined in the KB post.

Please note that prior to installing this hot fix, it is necessary to remove those client computers that contain GPT-formatted disk from the WHS 2011 dashboard, and select ‘Do not archive backup’.

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Categories : Backup, Servers, WHS, Windows
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Cleanup Log Files (Batch vs PowerShell)

by KW · Comments (0)
Aug 06 2013

Back in Nov 2006 I wrote a blog post on creating a batch command file that could be used to cleanup old IIS log files. Then, in Dec 2007, I wrote an updated blog post with another solution. I thought I would update those posts for 2013 using PowerShell.

OLD SCHOOL (Batch command file)

Both of the above solutions were written in the SBS 2003 era, but will work with SBS 2008/2011. Both versions will let you identify the number of days to keep (I suggest 30 days), and will scan sub-folders under the specified folder.

As a quick review, here’s how to implement my Dec 2007 solution:

  1. Download the zip file from my web site which contains three files: .vbs, .bat, and .log files.
    image
  2. Extract and copy those three files to your desired directory. I normally use c:\scripts.
  3. Edit the .bat file to point to the appropriate parent folder of the log files to be cleaned up, and the number of days of log files to retain.
    For Windows 2008 R2, my .bat file looks like this:
    image
  4. NOTE: If running this for the first time, you may wish to test drive the script, without actually deleting any files. To do this, edit the deloldfiles.vbs file and comment out the ‘file.delete’ line in the script by adding a single quote (‘) to the start of the line. If all works, go back and remove the single quote.
  5. After testing the script manually, all that is left is  to schedule the script to run on a weekly or monthly basis, as desired.

NEW SCHOOL (PowerShell)

While batch files are still supported in the Windows 2008 R2/Windows 2012 era, we need to start getting comfortable with using PowerShell scripts. I found a handy PowerShell script that does this from the Microsoft forum.

This script used the “start-transcript / stop-transcript” command to create a history log of files deleted.

  1. Download the PowerShell script file (deloldfiles.ps1) from my web site.
  2. Edit the script, as necessary, to point to the appropriate parent folder and the number of days to retain, and save.
  3. NOTE: the script includes a “–whatif” option that allows us to run the script without actually deleting anything. If the script appears to work as expected, then simply remove the –whatif option from the script. Be sure to leave the trailing brace } in the script.
    image
  4. To run, right click on the .ps1 file and click ‘Run with PowerShell’
  5. After testing the script manually, don’t forget to schedule it to run on a weekly or mothly basis.

Finally, from the FWIW department: you should know that from a security point of view,
deleting IIS log files or other similar system log files, is not generally recommended.

Comments (0)
Categories : SBS, Servers, Tools, Windows
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Not Enough Disk Space SBS 2008 Backup

by KW · Comments (0)
Aug 05 2013

My normal experience is that the built in backup for SBS 2008 generally just works … that is, until now. I returned from vacation to find backup errors on an SBS 2008 customer’s server. The error message was: “Failed – There is not enough space on the disk”

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So, I hunted around for a solution to get things running, and here’s what I found that worked for me. What we will be doing is to manually delete the oldest shadow partition(s) from the USB drive, thus making room for newer backups. Here’s the process we will follow:

  1. Temporarily assign a drive letter to your USB drive being used for backup
  2. Use the DiskShadow utility to delete the oldest shadow partition(s) to free up enough disk space
  3. Remove the temporary drive letter assignment
  4. Rerun the backup

So, let’s get started:

  1. Open up Disk Management (Start –> Run –> DiskMgmt.msc)
  2. Right click on the USB Drive being used for backups, then click Change Drive Letter and Paths

    Remember: by default, the USB drive being used for SBS Backups is generally hidden.
    We can, however, assign a drive letter temporarily to make room on the drive.
  3. I mounted my USB drive to X:
    image

    Keep the disk Management window open, as you will be needing it.

  4. Next, open up a command prompt with administrator rights
    1. Type: diskshadow and press enter
    2. Type: delete shadows OLDEST x: and press enter
    3. Repeat the delete shadows command several time until you have freed up enough disk spac
    4. Then close the command prompt window
      image
  5. Return to the Disk Management window, click Change Drive Letter and Paths… and remove the drive letter assignment.
    Note: removing the drive letter may take a few minutes, so do not panic!
  6. Next, rerun your scheduled backup, and hopefully your backup will successfully complete!
    image

Finally, you will find some helpful information in this blog post from the Microsoft Storage Team on backups and space management for Windows Server 2008/2008R2.

Comments (0)
Categories : Backup, SBS, Tools, Windows
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Adjusting Exchange 2010 Memory Usage

by KW · Comments (0)
Jul 25 2013

The folks at ThirdTier have a great article on the how’s and why’s of adjusting Exchange 2010’s memory usage. I suggest you read their blog post first. My intent here is to highlight and clarify the process, as there are some steps that were not clearly obvious to me.

As always, before starting – make sure you have a recent backup of your server. And be aware that you will need to restart Exchange at the end of this process!

  • Log into your Exchange 2010 server (I’m running SBS 2011 Standard and Exchange 2010)
  • Click on Start, type adsiedit.msc and press enter.
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  • In most cases, ADSIEdit will start with the Configuration node already selected. If not, KB 266768 explains what you need to do.
    image
  • Now, drill down the Container module as follows: Services –> Microsoft Exchange –> Your organization –> Administrative Groups –> Your administrative group –> Servers –> Server name –> Information Store
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  • Right click on the Information Store, then click Properties
  • Scroll Down and locate the two attributes: msExchESEParamCacheSizeMax and msExchESEParamCacheSizeMin
    image
  • You will want to double click on each of these two parameters, and enter your desired value.
    image   image
  • What value should you use? Thirdtier suggests using 10GB/5GB for your max/min values. Adjust accordingly.

Please note: the ThirdTier article incorrectly states a value of 326780 for 10GB. The correct value is 327680.
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  • Click OK when finished.
  • Restart your Exchange services for the changes to be implemented.
Comments (0)
Categories : Exchange, SBS, Servers, Windows
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Stop Java from installing other third party software

by KW · Comments (0)
Jun 29 2013

I don’t know about you, but I am tired of being tricked into installing additional third party software that I did not want.

Oracle’s Java is a prime example. It tries to get you to install their sponsors’ applications (Ask Toolbar, Yahoo Toolbar, McAfee,  Chrome, etc.) whenever you click to install the newest Java update. Yes, there’s a window that pops up allowing you to UNcheck those boxes, but come on … leave them unchecked by default, ad then let us decide if we want to install them.

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I finally discovered a solution – there are registry settings that will block ANY of these sponsored applications from installing! I will give Oracle kudos for at least providing these registry settings, but it certainly is a hidden secret!

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To make things easy, I put the two registry settings into a text file that you can download and install.

Please note that the download file has a .txt suffix, which will need to be changed to .reg before installing.

  1. Download file to your computer: disable-java-sponsors.txt
  2. Rename file to disable-java-sponsors.reg
  3. Double click on the file and it will update your Windows registry
    image

If you want to test that it really works:

  1. Uninstall your current version of Java
  2. Go to the Java web site and select to install it again.
  3. Voila, the sponsored application window doesn’t even appear!

For those with a Windows server, you can use group policy to implement this for all workstations!

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Categories : News, Servers, Tools, Windows
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Block IE10 from Installing

by KW · Comments (0)
Jun 25 2013

This is from the “wish I knew about this sooner…” department.

Microsoft released earlier this year the Internet Explorer 10 Blocker Toolkit for Windows (x86 and x64) and Windows 2008 R2 SP1. This patch does not pertain to networks that are running an update management tool, such as WSUS, that provides the ability to block IE10 from being rolled out.

For all other workstations, you can download and run this tool manually from each workstation. The tool is a .EXE file that contains three files to be extracted.

  1. Create or identify a temp folder to be used (e.g. c:\temp)
  2. Download and run the IE10 Blocker Toolkit.
  3. Click Yes and then select the temp folder from step 1 to extract the three files
    image
  4. Open up an elevated command prompt, and use the CD command to switch to the temp folder
  5. Type ie10_blocker.cmd  /B and press Enter to set the block for IE10.
    image
  6. Check that you receive “The operation completed successfully” message, and then close the command prompt window.

As a reminder, IE10 is only pushed out for Windows 7/2008R2 and above. So, there’s no need to run this command script on Windows XP or Vista or Windows Server 2003.

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Categories : Internet Explorer, Servers, Tools, Windows
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BSOD Utilities

by KW · Comments (0)
Jun 23 2013

Got a Blue Screen of Death? Want to know what caused it, so you can try to fix it?

Microsoft offers tools for reading dump files (KB 312563). But I have to admit, just trying to read through the steps necessary gives me a headache.

If you’re like me, you want a quick and easy process. If so, check out either of these two free utilities:

Both programs support Windows 32bit and 64bit operating systems, from XP through Win8, and Windows Servers (2003, 2008, 2012). Both versions come with a full install/uninstall executable.

I prefer NirSoft as it includes a zipped file version, that does not require any installation. So, I can access it directly from a USB drive or SkyDrive account. I can also use NirSoft to view mini-dump files of networked computers.

Resplendence free version is for home use only. Their PRO version ($35US) is required for business use, and to view dump files of networked computers.

Both companies offer other utilities which you may find useful for your environment.

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Categories : Servers, Tools, Windows
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63 Free Microsoft eBooks!

by KW · Comments (0)
Jun 21 2013

Eric LigmanJust in time for summer … Eric Ligman, Microsoft Sales Excellence Manager, is making available 63 (count ‘em) Microsoft eBooks absolutely free – no strings, no time bombs, no tricks.

These eBooks cover a wide gamut: from Office 365 to Windows Azure, from Windows Server to Visual Studio., from SharePoint to Web Development to programming Windows 8  apps.

Click here to view and select e-Books for downloading!

Eric said that last year, when he made a similar offer, over 1 million eBooks were downloaded.

Enjoy.

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Categories : News, Office 365, Servers, Sharepoint, Windows
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Free Hyper-V 2012 Backup with Altaro

by KW · Comments (0)
Jun 20 2013

People are quickly discovering the benefits of implementing a Hyper-V server solution into their business. If you have been tentative about jumping, do so today!

I had an opportunity today to start exploring some of the 3rd party software solutions available for backing up Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V virtual machines (VMs). As I asked around for recommendations, several names kept coming up: Altaro, Storagecraft, Veeam.

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As I was already familiar with Storagecraft and their ShadowProtect product, I decided to take a look at Altaro, primarily because I kept reading reviews about how easy it was to install and run, and because they offer a free version that will backup two VMs, forever, for FREE.

I like “easy” and “free”, and in less than ten minutes I had Altaro installed and backups scheduled and running. I also like the fact that these are hot backups, allowing you to back up running VMs without stopping them!

  • Go ahead and download the free edition here (installation file is less than 20MB in size). Installation was a breeze — five quick clicks of a mouse is all it takes! NOTE: you install Altaro on the Hyper-V host (parent), not the guest VMs.
  • Altaro supports Windows 2012 , and even creates some helpful tiles!
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  • Start up Altaro’s Management console, and it will automatically start scanning for any and all of your virtual machines.
  • All that was left was to select which VMs I wanted to backup, and then select an appropriate drive to store the backups. I had a 2TB USB drive available.
    Note: Altaro does not delete any existing files or folders on the selected backup drive. It creates a folder labeled ‘AltaroHyperVBackup’.
  • Here’s a screenshot of their dashboard.
    image

 

The free version, as I mentioned earlier, will backup two VMs forever. The free version does not include File Level Restore, and it will only allow you to restore backups made during the most recent four weeks.

For $345, you can back up up to 5 VMs, and for $445 you can back up an unlimited number of VMs.

View a comparison of the Altaro editions.

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Categories : Hyper-V, Servers, Tools, Windows
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