Cisco FPR – Re-image from FTD to ASA Code
KB ID 0001766 Problem Note: This procedure is to re-image a Cisco Firepower device from FTD to ASA code, (in this example a Cisco FPR 1010). Why would you want to do this? Well to be frank FTD is bobbins, so if you have a device running FTD code you might want to ‘convert’ it to ASA code. If you tried to do this with an older firewall (ASA 5500-X) then you needed to go to Cisco TAC and try and get them to give you an...
Windows Server – Sysprep
KB ID 0000729 Problem I don’t deploy large amounts of servers at once, so Windows Server sysprep is not as important as it is with the client operating systems I deploy. But I do need to create virtual machine templates, (mostly for testing), but some clients like to have server templates. I prefer to manually sysprep and shutdown a server then either convert or clone it to a template. Thankfully sysprep is in the same place as...
Exchange 2000 / 2003 – Exporting Mail to .pst files with ExMerge
KB ID 0000091 Problem ExMerge has been around for a long time, its used (as the name implies) to merge pst files into existing mailbox’s. However its also a great tool to export/backup users mail box’s if you’re doing a migration, or if you have got your “Disaster Recovery” hat on. The following is a run through of how to export from a mail store to pst files – Note on a live system this can take...
How To Open KMZ Files
KB ID 0001765 Problem Occasionally I get KMZ files sent to me, (usually from Telcos that are showing me the routes of comms circuits). Basically a KMZ file is a ‘Compressed Map File’. If you need to open KMZ files, then it’s simpler than you think. Open KMZ Files These files can be opened with Google Earth Pro, (it’s a free download and install). There you go. Related Articles, References, Credits, or External...
Windows Server – Install and Configure NDES
KB ID 0000947 Problem NDES, is the name for what we used to call MSCEP, which was an ‘add-on’ for the Server 2003 family of servers. In Server 2008 it was renamed to NDES. It is a role service that runs on a Certificate Services Server, and is used to create a registration authority (RA) that can issue certificates from your PKI infrastructure to network devices, i.e. Routers, Firewalls and Switches. Solution Installing...
How to Join Windows 11 to a Domain
KB ID 0001764 Problem If you need to join Windows 11 to a domain, then this is the procedure. How To Join Windows 11 to a Domain (Local Domain) Windows Button > Settings. Scroll down to the ‘About’ section and expand it. In the ‘Device Specifications’ section (at the bottom) select ‘Domain or Workgroup’. If you’re used to older versions of Windows, this should look familiar > Change >...
Find The Azure AD Join Type
KB ID 0001597 Problem I recently did a post about Joining Azure AD. while working on that I found out there were three different Azure AD ‘States’ (see below). But how do you pingd out your Azure AD Join Type? Azure AD Joined: Aimed at Corporate owned machines joined to Azure AD, (or CYOD devices). Azure AD Registered (Was called Workplace Joined, and still is if you work in PowerShell). Aimed at BYOD devices. Azure Hybrid...
Windows: Join Azure AD (AAD)
KB ID 0001596 Problem With more people looking at Microsoft 365 (as opposed to Office 365), then the amount of people who want to Join Azure AD with their Windows machines is only going to go up. This is how to join your Windows and BYOD client devices to Azure AD. There are essentially 3 WAYS to Join Azure AD. Azure AD Join: Used for corporate assets. Windows Only! (Can be managed by Intune) Users log in with their Azure AD account...
Fortigate Load Balancing
KB ID 0001762 Problem I’ve been getting through my NSE4, and one of todays topics was NAT, just as an offhand comment the ‘narrator’ (I say narrator because it’s a monotonous robot AI voice,) mentioned Fortigate Load Balancing. In the past (with my Cisco hat on) when I’ve been asked about load balancing, I’ve said ‘If you want to load balance, buy a load balancer’. But the Fortigate does...
In Place Upgrade Windows 2016 to Windows 2019
KB ID 0001761 Problem Note: Also See In Place Upgrade of Window Server For the last twenty years or so I’ve said “In place upgrades are a bad idea”, my rationale has been that if something is broken we are simply migrating that problem, and we are relying on a lot of factors, (some of which may be unknown.) That we will just have to ‘trust that it will work’. Most modern servers are virtual so we can...