Tips

Tips

• Why Microsoft wants you to make the move to Office 365

  Here are some of Microsoft's motivations to get enterprises onto Office 365. Make sure your own motivations are in alignment.  Continue Reading

• The truth about Microsoft licensing for portable devices

  Microsoft's rules for portable devices are different from those for desktops and include a catch-22 in its licensing policy.  Continue Reading

• The facts about Windows 7 licensing

  Windows 7 licensing can be complicated, partly because the OS has had multiple predecessors and editions. Get control by using helpful tools and avoiding common problems.  Continue Reading

• Using Windows ReadyBoost in enterprise settings

  There are some misconceptions about what ReadyBoost is. Here's a look at what it really is, what it does and what it doesn't do.  Continue Reading

• How to build a WIM file in Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010

  WIM files let admins consolidate desktop images onto a single disk to simplify OS deployments, such as Windows 7.  Continue Reading

• Enterprise Agreement renewal: Is it worth the cost?

  Hidden price increases can not only make an Enterprise Agreement renewal less attractive, but burden enterprises with unnecessary software as well.  Continue Reading

• Turn a Windows 7 desktop into a wireless hotspot

  Faulty Internet connections are a nightmare for on-the-go admins, but wireless hotspot software can eliminate network headaches.  Continue Reading

• Reasons for Windows 7 backup adding non-system drives to a system image

  Is your Windows 7 backup system adding non-system drives to a system image? Don't fret. There are several solutions for this common -- yet frustrating -- problem.  Continue Reading

• Managing Windows desktops with PowerShell

  PowerShell isn't just for Windows servers -- Microsoft made the scripting language the core management platform in Windows 7.  Continue Reading

• Licensing options for accessing Microsoft Office remotely

  There are plenty of choices for licensing virtual applications, but understanding when to use which ones can be a challenge.  Continue Reading

• Resetting passwords in the enterprise without the help desk

  While there are several self-service password-reset options on the market, many organizations are hesitant to implement them -- even though the payoffs are significant.  Continue Reading

• How Office 365 is changing the Microsoft Enterprise Agreement

  The release of Office 365 will bring many changes to Microsoft's premiere volume licensing agreement, including a more diverse application selection and Office subscriptions.  Continue Reading

• Options for licensing Windows in virtual scenarios

  Confused by Microsoft's virtual licensing? Who isn't? Our expert describes options you may not know about and explains how to bypass SA's stringent requirements.  Continue Reading

• Network tracing 101: collecting client data for troubleshooting

  As desktop users increasingly rely on virtualized applications, they become more sensitive to network performance problems. Network trace tools can help troubleshoot client data.  Continue Reading

• The pros and cons of PS/2 to USB adapters and converters

  Now that most PCs and laptops ship with only USB ports, you'll need an adapter for older PS/2 devices. Here are some things to look out for when picking an adapter or converter.  Continue Reading

• Controlling desktops with AppLocker and software restriction policies

  Many IT admins rely on User Account Control, but AppLocker or software restriction policies can also prevent unauthorized installation of desktop apps.  Continue Reading

• Window desktop features you didn't know you had

  There's more to Windows 7 than meets the eye. These nondefault features may be useful in your enterprise.  Continue Reading

• How do Group Policy settings differ between versions of Windows?

  Group Policy Objects vary from one version of Windows to another. Determine which ones to apply in your environment.  Continue Reading

• The Windows Remote Assistance feature: Friend or foe?

  The Remote Assistance feature in Windows makes desktop support easier, but it can be a nuisance and weaken enterprise security. Restrict access with these Group Policy settings.  Continue Reading

• Using security and desktop management products to block USB access

  While gluing your USB ports shut is one way to avoid data loss via a portable driver, a less drastic -- but still effective -- option is a security or desktop management product.  Continue Reading

• Where does Windows store its temporary files?

  The temporary files generated by Windows can pile up and become a security hazard. Learn how to track them down and tidy up your systems.  Continue Reading

• How to make legacy applications run on Windows 7

  Windows 7 was designed to avoid the application-compatibility problems of Vista, but some legacy apps still require extra effort to work properly.  Continue Reading

• How to crack a password

  Expert Brien Posey describes some techniques used to crack Windows passwords and offers several defenses against attack.  Continue Reading

• The art of locating device drivers for Windows computers

  Installing device drivers on Windows machines shouldn't be difficult, but the specific device and version of Windows matter.  Continue Reading

• How to run the chkdsk utility in Windows 7

  Hard drives and file systems have undergone major changes in the past few years. But the tool that keeps these file systems consistent when things go wrong remains the same.  Continue Reading

• Sysinternals tools can help clean your Windows systems

  PC cleanup is no one's favorite task. Process Monitor and Process Explorer are two Sysinternals tools that can help make your systems tidy again.  Continue Reading

• Six Windows 7 security vulnerabilities you don't know about

  Just because Windows 7 is Microsoft's most secure desktop OS doesn't mean it's trouble-free. Before you migrate, address these new and old security issues.  Continue Reading

• Using Group Policy to lock down the Control Panel

  Preventing unauthorized changes to Windows systems is a basic security precaution. Group Policy settings can keep users from messing with the Control Panel.  Continue Reading

• What is a Microsoft hotfix?

  Hotfixes can solve an array of problems in your enterprise, but they have certain limitations and need to be managed properly.  Continue Reading

• Simple steps to securing Terminal Services communications

  Enabling certain features in Windows Server 2008 -- like network-level authentication -- can improve the security of your terminal servers.  Continue Reading

• Using Group Policy settings to secure local admin groups on your desktops

  Controlling local admin group memberships with Group Policy settings is relatively easy -- but you need to proceed with caution to avoid disastrous errors.  Continue Reading

• Using Windows 7's BranchCache to optimize WAN bandwidth

  The BranchCache feature in Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 is designed to improve WAN bandwidth for end users. Find out how to configure it in distributed mode or hosted mode.  Continue Reading

• Top 10 command-line commands for managing Windows 7 desktops

  Admins don't always need fancy software to manage Windows 7 desktops. Here are 10 command-line utilities that can help you handle scripting tasks.  Continue Reading

• Securing removable drives with BitLocker To Go

  BitLocker To Go, which ships with Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise Editions, can help secure FireWire and USB drives — but is it right for your business?  Continue Reading

• Checklist for upgrading from Windows XP or Vista to Windows 7

  While there's no single method for all enterprises to upgrade machines to Windows 7, these steps can help if you choose to migrate from Windows XP to Vista and then to Windows 7.  Continue Reading

• Top 5 registry keys for Windows 7

  Use these helpful Windows 7 registry keys to manage user account control, prevent the computer from rebooting after installing patches and more.  Continue Reading

• Using Windows 7 to configure workstations for optimal power management

  Windows 7 can help organizations manage their power consumption. Learn how to use power management reports, workstation settings and group policy settings to save energy and money.  Continue Reading

• Underlying causes of inconsistent patch management

  Think your business is secure? Think again. Many environments, including those with patch management systems, are missing critical patches. Learn how to secure your organization.  Continue Reading

• Converting Windows 7 deployment images to virtual hard drive files

  Microsoft has made it easier to deploy custom desktop images with a feature in Windows Server 2009 R2 that allows you to convert a.WIM file to a virtual hard drive file.  Continue Reading

• Monitoring user activity with network analyzers

  Network analyzers are one of the best -- and cheapest -- security tools for managing an enterprise and minimizing business risks, but they are often overlooked.  Continue Reading

• Top 5 registry keys for Windows XP

  Systems administrators may not know about useful registry keys for Windows XP. Learn how they can help you secure your network, create drive shares, manage passwords and more.  Continue Reading

• Manage the desktop image lifecycle to limit work, ensure security

  An image lifecycle management plan makes it easier to balance the need to limit the number of desktop images with the need to keep up with security patches and new software.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting Microsoft WSUS connectivity issues

  Microsoft Windows Server Update Services may impede your system updates because of IIS and Group Policy settings issues. Find out quick solutions to these WSUS errors in this tip.  Continue Reading

• Should administrators use hard disk compression?

  Should admins use hard disk compression? There's no right or wrong answer. Weigh the pros and cons of hard disk compression and learn when compressing the hard drive can be harmful.  Continue Reading

• How to move hard drives and transplant system drives between servers

  Moving hard drives can be tricky; but it may be faster and more cost-effective than re-imaging. Learn how to remove hard drives and transplant system drives.  Continue Reading

• Combining folder redirection with roaming profiles

  Using roaming profiles and folder redirection can prevent corporate data loss and streamline network management processes.  Continue Reading

• Using Sysinternals tools in security management scenarios

  Discover three valuable Sysinternals tools and common Windows security management scenarios in which these tools would be used.  Continue Reading

• Sysinternals tools: A must-have for every Windows security toolbox

  Learn about the free Sysinternals tools that make managing and troubleshooting Windows-based PCs almost effortless for administrators.  Continue Reading

• Deciphering the Blue Screen of Death

  What exactly happens when the Blue Screen of Death occurs? Learn the components of this much dreaded stop message and get advice on some quick action you can take to fix the problem.  Continue Reading

• AppLocker improves on software restriction policies

  AppLocker, Windows 7's updated and rebranded version of software restriction policies, could reduce the headaches caused by unauthorized applications in Windows systems.  Continue Reading

• A Windows security checklist for IT managers

  Do the Windows security products you're considering address every security issue? Use this high-level checklist as a quick reference to make sure all your bases are covered.  Continue Reading

• Check IT List: Five steps for rootkit detection

  Rootkit detection and removal is no easy task. Here are five steps to help you identify and prevent rootkits on your systems.  Continue Reading

• Top Windows client security tools for end users

  Tony Bradley helps narrow down the field of client security tools on the market and gives his top four picks.  Continue Reading

• Unauthenticated vs. authenticated security testing

  Security testing as a user signed into the network can yield different results. Use unauthenticated and authenticated testing and learn the pros and cons of each method.  Continue Reading

• How to exploit two common Windows vulnerabilities

  Metasploit and other free security testing tools can help you uncover Windows security vulnerabilities, like unencrypted laptop drives and local Windows password hashes.  Continue Reading

• The 10 most common Windows security vulnerabilities

  Most Windows networks, including yours, have a number of security holes. Fortunately, though, many of these holes can be filled quickly and easily before they pose a major threat to your business-critical data. In this tip, learn what security ...  Continue Reading

• How to use Group Policy to control wireless access

  Group Policy can be used to control wireless access in Windows networks. Find out which Group Policy settings you should create to accomplish this in this tip.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting IEEE 1394 bus devices for Windows machines

  FireWire (or 1394) devices work well most of the time, but when things go wrong, troubleshooting techniques can vary depending on what's causing the problem.  Continue Reading

• How to recover from lost BitLocker PINs and startup keys

  Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption makes it possible to encrypt your system drive, but permanent data loss can occur if you forget the PIN or lose the startup key. This article explains some steps that you can take to regain your lost data.  Continue Reading

• Have my Windows patches actually been installed?

  Sometimes, knowing if a machine has been properly patched is not as easy as you would like it to be. Do you have to reboot? Have any of your programs changed the way they operate? Were the updates automated? This kind of thing can be a real mystery....  Continue Reading

• How to create a Windows Vista boot CD with WinPE

  Using WinPE, admins can launch Vista from a disk and use the deployment to create and restore images.  Continue Reading

• Windows 2000 batch file command reference

  Check out this reference guide to batch file commands for Windows 2000, based on Microsoft documentation, but rewritten to increase usefulness and readability.  Continue Reading

• Password cracking, network rights and Windows Firewall expert advice

  Our experts share advice on cracking Windows passwords, managing folders and permissions in Windows and how to manage Windows Firewall in the top expert advice from 2007.  Continue Reading

• Device driver rollback and System Restore: Two more options for rolling back changes in Windows XP

  Windows administrators have several options when attempting to restore XP to a functional state. In part 2 of this series, Microsoft MVP Brien Posey explains how to use a couple more techniques and gives details on when to use them.  Continue Reading

• Disabling annoying Windows XP startup programs

  Some applications and services can cause problems when booting Windows XP. Fortunately, there are several tips and tricks that admins can use to solve these bothersome startup issues.  Continue Reading

• Use the Last Known Good Configuration option to roll back changes in Windows XP

  So you've made an incorrect configuration change and now Windows won't boot properly. What do you do? The Last Known Good Configuration option can be a valuable tool for rolling back catastrophic configuration changes.  Continue Reading

• The last resort for troubleshooting hardware resource conflicts

  Brien Posey explains how to use the Windows Device Manager to manually reallocate system resources. Be careful, though, or you may be forced to reinstall Windows from scratch.  Continue Reading

• Using sudowin to grant administrator privileges in Windows

  With sudowin, it's easy to achieve privilege escalation in Windows, which allows you to run programs with administrator privileges in one user account. Find out how in this tip.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting Windows XP Device Manager error codes continued

  Brien Posey expands on the error codes he described in his first article on Windows XP Device Manager. Here are more error code explanations, starting with error code 10, which relates to the device driver.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting Windows XP Device Manager error codes

  Windows XP Device Manager alerts you if a system's hardware malfunctions, but often you need an advanced degree in unraveling cryptic code in order to understand the problem. Device Manager's error codes may be puzzling, but once you crack them, ...  Continue Reading

• Conquer forgotten Windows passwords with Password Reset Wizard

  Password Reset Wizard is a tool used to help mobile employees reset their own passwords, and it can be a big help to forgetful road warriors. But there are a couple of caveats.  Continue Reading

• Use Driver Query to resolve device driver problems

  The Driver Query utility may not be perfect, but it can help to compile a device driver usage history.  Continue Reading

• Find Windows vulnerabilities with a hex editor

  If you haven't heard of a hex editor, then pay attention, because it could be the security testing tool that you've been waiting for all your life. Read how this underrated tool can help you find weaknesses and vulnerabilities in your Windows ...  Continue Reading

• The Jack PC is one very thin client

  Form factors of computers continue to shrink. The Jack PC packs an entire Windows CE .NET 4.2 thin client into a form factor that can fit into a space the size of an Ethernet wall jack.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting generic error messages related to EFS

  When Encrypting File System (EFS) has trouble decrypting a file, Windows usually displays a generic error message that is fairly meaningless. This article discusses what some of the more common error messages mean so you'll know where to begin the ...  Continue Reading

• Windows pagefile security risks and how to avoid them

  Learn about the security risks involved in using Windows pagefile, and avoid putting your sensitive data in harm's way.  Continue Reading

• Interpreting the five disk-related Blue Screen of Death errors

  A dreaded Blue Screen of Death error message can provide insight into the root cause of the failure. Here you'll learn what the five most common disk-related BSOD Stop messages mean.  Continue Reading

• A guide to power converters for laptop use overseas

  If one of your users is heading overseas with his laptop, you'll need to do your homework on power converters.  Continue Reading

• Windows offers quick fix for apps that are invisible or offscreen

  Many Windows applications retain some memory of their window size and placement onscreen. This sometimes creates a problem where the window size is spuriously set to zero, or the window is placed entirely offscreen. A fix exists in Windows that will...  Continue Reading

• Fast Reboot: quick reboot utility for Windows

  Windows' shut down/reboot process is not that snappy; it can take a couple of minutes for everything to terminate and be written to disk. You can initiate a reboot quickly with a tool like Fast Reboot, which performs the usual quick-reboot/shutdown ...  Continue Reading

• BareGrep: Barebones search utility for Windows

  The Unix grep command-line tool is a way to search iteratively through files and folders for a particular string to match against a filename or the contents of a file. Many ports of grep have been written for Windows. Now there's a simple search ...  Continue Reading

• Secret Windows command line tools can boost security

  Believe it or not, you've already paid for -- but may not know about -- a bunch of command line tools that will broaden the security of your hard drives, remote hosts, connections, directories and more. Check out this list of easy-to-use commands ...  Continue Reading

• Metasploit 3.0 security testing tool -- free, easy and improved

  An easy and free security testing tool for Windows users, Metasploit 3.0 is Kevin Beaver's recommendation for you. Read why in this security expert's tip.  Continue Reading

• Use RunAs to run Explorer window with elevated privileges in IE7

  In IE6, admins who use the secondary logon (RunAs) when logged on as a user with limited rights were able to run an Explorer window with elevated privileges. But this feature no longer exists in Internet Explorer 7. Here's a workaround.  Continue Reading

• Reduce your Web server's attack surface

  Prevent security vulnerabilities in your system by reducing your Web server's attack surface . Learn the five steps that can help you protect yourself further.  Continue Reading

• What to do if system hangs when building DMI pool

  When powered on, a PC creates the DMI pool, which shows the devices available to the BIOS. If a PC hangs at this point, here are some possible culprits.  Continue Reading

• Sharing Excel files safely

  Sharing files is a very common practice, but you may be doing it in a non-secure way. This tip will explain how to safely share an Excel 2007 workbook and how to keep it safe, too.  Continue Reading

• Tips on hardening and securing IE7

  Jonathan Hassell gives his recommendations on how you can make IE7's new features secure and hardened for your everyday needs.  Continue Reading

• Essential elements of a good security assessment report

  Security guru Kevin Beaver outlines the six steps you can take to put together a solid assessment report.  Continue Reading

• Questions about using BitLocker Drive Encryption

  Questions about using BitLocker Drive Encryption with Windows Vista? Serdar Yegulalp discusses some myths and other concerns surrounding it.  Continue Reading

• Harden your file servers with Windows wizard tool

  Jonathan Hassell explains how to secure your file servers that are running Windows Server 2003 using the Security Configuration Wizard; both in an automated fashion and through manual tweaks to the configuration.  Continue Reading

• Patch Tuesday: An after-the-fact checklist

  Serdar Yegulalp explains the steps you should take post-Patch Tuesday to make sure that your system continues to run smoothly after a patch is applied.  Continue Reading

• Remove bots from your system -- a four-step process

  Kevin Beaver outlines four steps you can take to balttle the bot, malware's most notorious villain.  Continue Reading

• Backing up and restoring NTFS permissions on a specified volume

  Serdar Yegulalp explains how you can harden your security by using the script NTFSBKP to back up and restore NTFS permissions -- either on one folder or to an entire drive.  Continue Reading

• Device drivers: Installation and configuration

  To install hardware devices on Windows servers, admins must install the appropriate device drivers first. Here are some guidelines for installing, configuring and troubleshooting device drivers.  Continue Reading

• An introduction to Google Hack Honeypots

  A Google hack is a way hackers can use Google's query tools to find information exposed by insecure Web applications. According to Microsoft MVP Brien Posey, you can use a Google Hack Honeypot to acquire information on would-be hackers employing ...  Continue Reading

• Patch management tools: Different types, different approaches

  Patch management tools seem pretty simple, but there are a couple different types with unique functionalities. Contributor Serdar Yegulalp takes a look at different types of tools and offers advice to companies trying to settle on a single product.  Continue Reading

• Check your Windows XP system info

  Checking the system info on your computer will produce a lot of useful info, including the system uptime.  Continue Reading

• Step 2: RunAs command line

  Administrators need admin privileges, but not all the time. Learn how to work securely by only elevating your privileges as necessary.  Continue Reading

• Understanding Windows XP file systems FAT32 and NTFS

  When installing Windows XP from scratch, you are prompted to select from two different file systems: FAT32 and NTFS. Find out how to make this choice.  Continue Reading