Windows 8 – Boot Straight to Desktop
KB ID 0000829 Problem Since its release it’s long been a gripe that you cannot boot Windows 8 straight to the desktop. Some people just don’t like the ‘Metro’ (or Modern UI) interface. I must admit I STILL use quicklaunch so I never really open it anyway. But with the release of Windows 8.1 Microsoft have finally done a ‘U turn’ and have given you the option to bypass it completely as the computer boots....
Windows 8 – ‘Network Connectivity Assistant service is stopped or not responding’
KB ID 0000841 Problem When attempting to check Direct Access connection status on a Windows 8 client machine with a Get-DaConnectionStatus command you see the following error; Get-DaConnectionStatus : Network Connectivity Assistant service is stopped or not responding. OK, so lets go and check the status of that service, if it starts great, but mine did not as you can see. And it logged an Event ID 7024 The Network Connectivity...
Windows – Monitor Display ‘Turned Sideways’
KB ID 0000884 Problem I bit the bullet and said ‘Yes’ when prompted to upgrade to Windows 8.1 the other day. Post upgrade, I was beavering away working on the site when the display rotated ninety degrees; I’ve seen this happen with client in the past and pressing CTRL+Shift+Up Arrow (or the left or right arrows) usually fixes the problem, (but not in this case). I guessed Windows 8.1 was detecting movement on my laptop and...
Windows 8 – Empty Explorer.EXE Window Opens on Boot
KB ID 0000893 Problem After cleaning an infected Windows 8 machine, I was faced with an empty Explorer.EXE window with just a warning triangle like this every time the PC booted. Solution It was being caused by a piece of junk that was left in the registry. 1. Press Windows Key+R > type regedit {Enter} > The registry editor will open. 2. Navigate to; HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionWindows 3. Check the...
Windows 8 – Putting Shutdown / Log Off / Restart on the Start Menu
KB ID 0000902 Problem I’ve written before about How to shutdown Windows 8 (or 8.1). But if you actually want those options on your Start screen this is how to do it. Note: If you are feeling especially lazy, you can download the shortcuts and skip straight to the pinning shortcuts to the start screen section. Solution 1. On a free area of your desktop > Right click > New > Shortcut. 2. You will need to create a...
Windows – Cannot Manage Active Directory Certificate Services
KB ID 0001037 This article is from long time site supporter: Daniel Newton Problem On my laptop today I installed the RSAT Tools for Remote Management. I went to do some PKI Work in my Test Environment and Came with the Following Error: “Cannot Manage Active Directory Certificate Services. The specified service does not exist as an installed service. 0x424 (WIN32: 1060 ERROR_SERVICE_DOES_NOT_EXIST)” I thought it would automatically...
Windows 8/8.1 Stop The New User Animation
KB ID 0001078 Problem After spinning up quite a few Windows 8 virtual machines over the past few days, it struck me how annoying the new user account animation was. It’s only setting up a user profile, why on earth does it take so long? Solution To Disable New User Animation On A Stand Alone Machine 1. Press the Windows Key and launch gpedit.msc. 2. Navigate to;</p? Computer Configuration > Administrative Tools >...
Windows Crashes and Reboots when Unlocked
KB ID 0000145 Problem This is seen on Windows 7 Clients, when logged onto a domain, after unlocking the machine. If you inspect the Event Log you will see Event ID 1015 “A critical system process, C:Windowssystem32lsass.exe, failed with status code 255. The machine must now be restarted.” Solution I put up with this for a while, and did a lot of Internet searching, some people suggested power settings and a host of...
Windows – Minimised Windows Don’t Restore/Maximise
KB ID 0000155 Problem I’ve seen this a couple of times with various applications, I don’t know it ifs a Windows problem, or simply the code in the application that faults, anyway it affected mRemote which I use on a daily basis, so I needed to fix it (Note: I’ve seen this on Java based applications as well). At first I assumed it was a multiple monitor problem, I use dual monitors in the office and thought the...
Windows – What is the Hotkey to Extend my Desktop to Dual Monitor?
{More Shortcuts Here} KB ID 0000162 Problem If (Like me) you dock your laptop with various monitor configurations, there is a tendency for the Laptop to assume you want “Cloned Monitors” when what you actually want is an “Extended Desktop.” Solution Annoyingly simple – Press the “Windows Key” and P. Windows 7 Extend Monitor Then select as appropriate. Windows 8 Extend Monitor Then select as...