Windows BranchCache (Hosted and Distributed)
KB ID 0001212 Problem The purpose of BranchCache is, (as the name implies) to cache files in branch sites, without the need for a local file server or DFS. There are essentially two deployment models, In Hosted Mode a server in the branch caches the files locally as they are requested by clients. This works because the main file server provides a hash of the requested file, the branch server will download it, and if another client...
Windows Server – Disk Performance Missing From Task Manager?
KB ID 0001203 Problem If your machine is struggling, a good place to look first is the performance tab on ‘Task Manager’ Here you can see CPU and Memory Stats and how our network cards are performing, but wheres the disk stats? Solution Before you can see them you need to enable them, open a PowerShell, (or an administrative command window). and run the following command; diskperf -y Now re-open task manager and go to...
Windows – Suppress the ‘First Run’ Welcome to Windows Animation
KB ID 0001186 Problem I don’t like ‘first-run’ dialogs, Internet Explorer is annoying enough, Now Windows and Office insist on playing me a film clip when they start for the first time. I’m a busy guy I have things to do, stop asking me questions and making recommendations! It takes this long to create a user profile? I don’t think so. Solution You can do this by local policy on the machine, but domain...
Microsoft – NDES Site Shows ‘HTTP Error 500.0 – Internal Server Error’
KB ID 0001181 Problem I was doing some testing for a client this week, a while ago I had deployed a three tier PKI solution for them, and as part of the rollout we deployed NDES for their network devices, (they were going to use certificates to secure site to site VPNs). The client was concerned, and wanted the auto renewal process testing. This could not be done on the live system. So myself and a colleague went to the test bench, I...
Exchange – ‘Not all the required authentication methods were found’
KB ID 0001180 Problem I had to visit a client who had recently gone through an Exchange migration, now his external mail clients were having a nightmare staying connected to Outlook Anywhere. I ran the Exchange connectivity tester and got this; Additional details Not all the required authentication methods were found Methods Found: Basic Methods Required: NTLM Solution Looks like an open and shut case, someone forgot to enable...
Windows Server – Change a DHCP Scopes Subnet Mask
KB ID 0001177 Problem You have probably tried to do this and found he option ‘greyed out’ because in the DHCP management console you can’t change the subnet mask of a scope. I needed to change a clients DHCP scope because I was changing their subnet from /24 to /16. I could have simply deleted and recreated the scope, but they has a lot of custom settings for their phone system, and hundreds of reservations (which...
Migrate Exchange 2010 to Exchange 2016 or 2013
Part 2 Migrate Public Folders Exchange 2010 to Exchange 2013 / 2016 KB ID 0000789 Problem Continued from Migration From Exchange 2010 to Exchange 2016 / 2013 Part 1 Solution Exchange 2016 / 2013 Migration Step 7 “Migrate Public Folders” Note: This article uses the newer ‘Batch Migration’ method. Make sure your exchange server is patched and up to date or the process will not work. Minimum Patch Levels Source:...
MS Office – Cannot Add Trusted Location
KB ID 0001171 Problem I was doing a Domain/Exchange/RDS migration for a client this week. He had some Macros that he used for printing. Now Macros are something I know very little about. So I had made it clear, if he had problems with them, I would not be the best person to ask. So when the call came in, that they were having problems with Macros I cringed! As it turned out, the problem wasn’t the Macros at all, it was the...
Windows Server – Locate CA / Certificate Services
KB ID 0001163 Problem A colleague was having some certificate problems onsite the other week. Someone suggested just using Certificate Services to simplify matters. I said I’d spin it up and configure it for him, (I’ve done a lot of Microsoft CA work, search the site!) My fist question was, “Do they already have certificate services?’, unsurprisingly the answer was “I don’t know”. So if...
Windows 10 – Installing IIS
KB ID 0001158 Problem I needed to get a web server up and running today, so I could upload some files into a firewall via http. I have a copy of Windows 10 running on my mac in VMware fusion, so that’s what I thought I would use. Solution Open a command window and run appwiz.cpl > Turn Windows features on or off > Internet Information Services > OK > Follow the instructions. Now to test, open a browser window and...