Before you start troubleshooting clients, how long have you waited? I usually setup and configure WSUS up at the start of a job, then leave it alone for a few DAYS, before I start worrying.
Here are the steps I usually follow to get the machines listed in the WSUS management console.
Solution
Before doing anything further, simply try running the following two PowerShell commands, (on the problem client,) and then waiting for a few hours;
1. Assuming you are deploying your WSUS settings by GPO, make sure the machine in question is actually trying to apply the policy, you can do this by running rsop.msc like so:
Or by running gpresult /R from command line
Note: If you cannot see Computer Policy / Computer Settings, i.e. you can only see user settings, then you are probably not running the command window as ‘Administrator’ (Locate cmd.exe > right click > Run as Administrator).
2. If you are enforcing by GPO, or directly via registry edit, your next step is to check that the registry entries exist. Start > In the Search/Run box type regedit {Enter}. Navigate to:
[box]HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Policies > Microsoft > Windows > WindowsUpdate[/box]
3. Start > In the Search/Run box type services.msc {enter} Locate the Windows Update service and ensure it is running.
4. Then locate the Background Intelligent Transfer Service and make sure that’s also running.
5. To make sure the client can see the WSUS website, open a browser window, and navigate to http://{name-of-the-wsus-server}/iuident.cab and make sure you can open/download the file.
6. If all the above is OK, you can try forcing a registration with the following command;
[box]wuauclt /detectnow[/box]
7. All update events are being logged, you can find the log at c:windowsWindowsUpdate open the file with notepad.
8. Scroll all the way to the end, then work upwards looking for errors.
9. Sometimes if you image a machine (Or clone a VM) it keeps it’s unique update ID, if this happens then the first machine with this ID to register gets listed, and all the rest do not. To find out if this is your problem, locate and stop the Windows update service on an affected client.
10. Open the registry Editor and navigate to:
[box]HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > WindowsUpdate[/box]
Locate and delete the SusClientId entry.
11. Restart the Windows Update service and run the following two commands:
You want to import your mail from an older version of Outlook into your new Outlook mailbox, or you simply want to backup your mail.
Solution
Thankfully the process is the same for modern Outlook as it was for previous versions of Outlook.
1. In Outlook > Select the “File” Tab > Open > Open & Export > Import/Export
Note: On older versions of Outlook its simply Open > Import (you select Import even if your going to Export!)
2. Export to a file.
3. Outlook Data File (.pst).
4. Select your mailbox, select the ailbox – {username} > To back up everything (calendar contacts the lot), tick “Include sub folders” > Next.
Note: If using a POP mail account, here it may say Personal Folders.
5. Choose a location to save the .pst file.
6. If you want to password protect this (remember someone can import your .pst and read all your mail). I usually leave this option blank > OK.
7. After a few seconds the mailbox will export. (Note: if the mailbox is very small this might happen so quickly nothing is displayed on the screen). And there it is.
To “Import” your mailbox,
1. Launch thewWizard as above (Step 1) > Select “Import from another program or file” > Next.
2. Outlook Data File (.pst) >Next.
3. Browse to, and select your .pst file > Next.
4. Stop and think! where do you want to import the files to? Select as appropriate > Finish (Note at this point if the .pst is password protected you will be prompted for a password).
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I prefer to think of OVF Templates as “Zip” files for Virtual Machines and Virtual Appliances. Where as the OVA file is the complete appliance pre packaged. There are two things you will want to do with an OVF Template;
5. Select the disk format (Thick or Thin) you want the new VM to use.
What does Lazy Zeroed and Eager Zeroed Mean?
Data on disks is stored as a 1 (one) or a 0 (zero), so if all the blocks on the disk are set to zero, when you put data on the disk, it only has half the work to do (i.e. write the ones). Eager Zeroed, puts zeros on all the blocks on the disks straight away, LazyZeroed puts all zeroes in a block the first time the block is read.
6. Read the summary, and if you want to power on the VM on completion, tick the box > Finish.
7. Depending upon the amount of data this can take a while.
8. It will give you the following message when it’s finished.
9. And here is your VM, imported, powered up, and working.
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I had to do this today and realised, it’s been so long since I did it last, I’d forgotten how to do it. Before we go forward, please be clear, I’m talking about MAIL CONTACTS, these are Active Directory Objects that have an Email address, but DO NOT have a mailbox in your Exchange Organisation, and DO NOT have an Active Directory User. I point this out because you can have MAIL USERS that have an Active Directory User Object and have an External Email address (i.e. a Gmail or Hotmail address) associated with the MAIL USER object.
Traditionally mail contacts are used for listing outside mail addresses in your global address list, (like mail users do) but are also used to forward mail to as well.
Solution
I was exporting from Exchange 2010, from the EMC run the following command;
You can see my exported CSV list in, DisplayName, Name, PrimarySmtpAddress format. You will need to do some work with it in Excel to get it in > Name, Firstname, Lastname, ExternalEmailAddress format.
Once you have you CSV file ready, import it into the Target Exchange Server with the following command;
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 I know is unusual).
Solution
I wrote an article a long time ago about migrating DHCP scopes, this process uses the same method to take a backup of the scope, then you can edit the subnet mask, and ‘re-import’ the scope again.
I have a bunch of VM’s that I use with GNS3 that are in Virtualbox. I also run VMware Fusion, and since my upgrade to version 1.4.4 I need to run the GNS3 VM in VMware, (I could not get the Virtualbox version to work). So I decided to copy over the remainder of my VMs as well.
Solution
Within Virtualbox > File > Export Appliance.
Select the VM in question > Continue.
Important: Ensure you have selected OVF Version 1.0 (if you use version 2.0 it wont work) > Take a note of where the OVA file is going to be saved > Continue.
There’s no need to add anything else unless you want to > Export.
The VM will export (depending on the size this can take a few minutes).
When complete, open VMware Fusion > File Import.
Browse to, and select the OVA file you just exported > Continue.
Choose a name of the new VM > Save.
Don’t panic! This is normal, simply click retry.
The VM will import.
Finish.
When you first boot the VM it may be a little sluggish (it’s just had its underlying hardware changed after all). If it wants to try and install drivers, cancel the procedure and install the VMware tools.
Now you can remove the original VM from Virtualbox.
Delete all files.
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Now you may be thinking, “If you have your own CA/PKI solution why would you need to create a Wildcard Certificate”? If you can generate as many certificates as you want whats the point? Well today I need to setup ADFS, WAG (Web Application Gateway), and Remote Desktop Services Gateway Server. To make the whole thing wok on my test bench would be a lot less hassle if I could just use one certificate for everything!
Certificates > Personal > Right Click > All Tasks > Advanced Operations > Create Custom Request.
Proceed without enrolment policy > Next.
In nearly every case you can accept the default of ‘(No template) CNG Key’ However some applications (Particularly Active Directory Federation Services), need to user an older set of Cryptographic Service Providers (CSP’s). If that is the case change the option to ‘(No Template) Legacy Key’. > Next.
Details > Properties.
General Tab: Friendly Name > *.{your domain}.
Subject Tab: Ensure the Common Name (CN) is set to *.{your domain} > Enter the rest of your details as shown.
Extensions Tab: Add in Digital Signature and Key Encipherment.
Private Key: Key Size=4098 > Make private key exportable > Apply > OK.
Save the certificate request > Finish >Leave the Certificate console open, (you will need it later).
Locate the certificate request you just saved > Open it with Notepad > Select ALL the text and copy it to the clipboard.
Open the web enrolment portal of your certificate services server (https://server.domain.com/certsrv) > Request a certificate.
Advanced Certificate Request.
Submit a certificate request by using a base-64-encoded CMC or PKCS #10 file, or submit a renewal request by using a base-64-encoded PKCS #7 file.
Paste in the Text > Certificate Template = Web Server > Submit.
Base 64 encoded > Download certificate.
Save the certificate, and change its name from certnew > Save.
Back in the certificate console > Right Click ‘Persona’l > All Tasks > Import.
Next.
Navigate to the certificate you have just saved.
Next.
Finish.
Hopefully.
Now this may seem a little odd, but having just imported the certificate, to get it in PFX format you need to export it again. Right click the cert > All Tasks > Export.
Next
Yes, export the private key > Next.
Personal Information Exchange > Next.
Enter and re-type a password (You will need this to import the certificate so remember it) > Next.
Save it somewhere you can find it > Next.
Finish > OK.
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Deploying GFI MailArchiver with Exchange 2010, Using the Outlook Connector, Importing and Exporting Data.
KB ID 0000666
Problem
I’ve been involved with Exchange for a long time, either being directly responsible for it, or supporting others that do. And like all systems it would run a lot smoother if you kept users away from it! But unfortunately you can’t, so your system is probably full of users “Deleted Items” and “Sent Items” and a copy of every email that some users have ever received “Because I might need them”. And for years I’ve been saying “It’s a messaging system not a file storage system” and lecturing users about tidying up their inbox. Yes you can setup retention policies but most people don’t.
Even if you do have conscientious users, some of them click “Yes” when Outlook asks them “Would you like to Auto-Archive your old messages now?” Then you have PST files all over the place getting corrupted and not getting backed up.
In addition, just as techs like me are shouting at users to delete things, businesses are now finding that they need to keep ALL their digital messaging for things like Sarbanes-Oxley and Freedom of Information enquiries. Yes I’m sure you back up your Exchange server but what if you needed to produce a message thread about a particular project that was two years ago in the middle of a month?
Archiving
Is the process of taking a copy of mail messages as they pass through Exchange and copying them off to an external location, in this case a database. The advantage of doing this is that database can be on cheaper midline storage and (potentially) keeps the Exchange database sizes down. With Exchange this is done by setting up Journaling (that’s the process of sending a copy of all [or specified] mail to a journal users mailbox). MailArchiver then takes this mail and put it into its database.
Advantages
1. Performance: Getting all the ‘Old’ Data out of the exchange databases makes them smaller, and more efficient.
2. Elimination of PST files: There’s a big list of reasons why I don’t like PST files. If you’ve ever had a user lose email because of them, then as far as they’re concerned its YOUR fault. There are tools to import PST file into the database, (and to export as well).
3. Disaster Recovery: How nice would it be, the next time users email message ‘disappears’ (Users never delete emails they just disappear), they could restore it themselves, from within Outlook. the Outlook Mail Connector software will do this. Also your backup window for Exchange will be a lot smaller.
4. Compliance: Saving a copy of all messages in a database has the advantage, that it’s searchable, and you can export the data you find in a format that you can import straight back into Exchange or send to someone.
5. Investigation: MailArchiver provides some powerful search and reporting tools. If your HR department needed to see who said what to who about projectXYZ then using conventional methods would be a nightmare.
Solution
GFI MailArchiver 2012 Installation and Configuration
Enabling Journaling in Exchange 2010
Note: GFI Mail Archive setup can do this for you but I prefer to do things manually.
1. Launch the Exchange System Management Console > Recipient Configuration > Mailbox > New Mailbox.
2. User Mailbox > Give it a name and set the password > Don’t create an archive > New > Finish.
3. Option 1: Standard Journaling can be enabled on a mailbox store > Organisational Configuration > Mailbox > Locate the store> Properties.
4. Maintenance tab > Tick Journal recipient then browse for the user you created > Apply OK.
5. Option 2: (Note: Requires an Exchange Enterprise CAL) This is set up using a Journaling rule > Organizational Configuration > Hub Transport > Journal Rules > New Journal Rule.
6. Give the rule a name > Browse for the user you created earlier > Set the scope (in most cases you will want global) > New > Finish.
7. To test it’s working send and email then log on as your ‘Journal’ user and make sure you have a copy in the inbox.
Installing GFI MailArchiver 2012
8. Before installing the GFI MailArchiver server needs the Exchange MAPI Client and Collaboration Data Objects 1.2.1 (Unless you are installing it on the Exchanges server).
9. Also (though not essential) I prefer to disable IE Enhanced Security Configuration, so IE wont get upset with the management console.
10. You can add the URL to trusted sites if you want, but I’m not a fan of IE ESC anyway so I simply disable it.
11. Now run the GFI MailArchiver installer.
12. Now this I DO LIKE, why can’t Exchange do this! These are the server pre-requisites, rather than just falling over and giving you an error (I’m looking at you Windows Exchange Developers!) It offers to do the hard work for you. It takes a while though, best go for a coffee at this point > Next > Select whether you want to check for a newer version > Accept the EULA > Set the destination folder > Next.
13. Here the default setting, WARNING if you already have web services on this server (or even UPS software using port 80), have a common sense check.
Note: If you are not sure, the following command will tell you if port 80 (http) is in use;
[box]netstat -aon | find “:80″[/box]
14. Select Install > Finish.
Configuring MailArchiver 2012
15. The GFI MailArchiver management console will launch > Configure.
16. Next.
17. Enter your licence key and select verify licence key > Next.
18. Next.
19. In this example I’m using the Firebird database, in a production environment you should be using SQL server > Next.
20. Change the paths if required > Enter some domain credentials> Next.
21. Next
22. Next
23. Next
24. I’m selecting Auto > Next
25. As I set the user up myself I’m choosing Manual > Next.
26. Exchange Web Services seems to be less problematic > Enter your Journal user account > Next.
27. Next.
28. Finish.
29. We are now up and configured.
GFI MailArchiver – Outlook Connector, Import and Export
GFI MailArchiver – Using the Outlook Connector
30. Firstly you need to enable ‘Mailbox Folder Structure Retrieval’ on the GFI server > Launch the MailArchiver Management console.
31. Mailbox Folder Structure Retrieval.
32. Change Settings.
33. Enter a user account to connect to Exchange Web Services with, here I’m using my domain admin, whichever account you use needs to have administrative access on the Exchange and the GFI server. It also (domain admin included) needs the following Powershell commands running on the Exchange server before it will work, (change the user name to match your own);
36. I’ve already got a client PC setup with Outlook 2010.
37. I’m just connecting to the GFI servers management URL from the client and downloading the Outlook Connector.
Note: The versions are for Outlook 32 bit and Outlook 64 bit, even if your Windows client is 64 bit you may still be running 32 bit Outlook/Office. If you get it wrong it will tell you your version of Office is not supported.
38. Install the client software, accept the defaults, all you need to specify is the URL of the GFI MailArchiver server.
39. Now when your user opens Outlook, they get an additional mailbox called “GFI MailArchiver Mailbox” that carries a copy of ALL the users mail (Note: Not the mail from before the product was installed, to import that see the import section below, and choose ‘Import for Exchange mailbox’. In addition each user now has a MailArchiver tool bar from which they can search for their mails.
Note: If a user ‘loses’ a mail they can simply drag a copy from their GFI mailbox to their live inbox.
GFI MailArchiver – Importing Data from PST Files
Note: To do this the machine needs to have Outlook installed on it (and NOT Outlook 64 bit!)
40. Launch the GFI MailArchiver Import and Export Tool.
41. Import from .pst files.
42. Add PST file > Browse to your PST file > Open.
43. Select the folder(s) required > Next
44. Select a date range > Select the user that will own the imported data > Next.
Note: I’d rather have an “Import Everything” option!
45. When complete > Finish.
46. Now that user will have the imported mail as well (Note: The default view is “Emails in last 30 days” so don’t panic if you don’t see it all).
GFI MailArchiver – Exporting Data to PST File
47. Launch the GFI MailArchiver Import and Export Tool.
48. Enter the URL of the GFI server > Verify > Ensure it says OK > Next.
49. Select what you want to export (I’m going to search for email containing particular words) > Next.
50. Type in your search text > Find > Next.
51. Here you can restore the mail to a mailbox, export it to .msg or .eml format, or my old nemesis .pst files, I’ll choose the latter > Next.
52. And there’s my .pst file, ready to be sent out to satisfy my freedom of Information enquiry.
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“I seem to get a lot of spam”, and “I get a lot more spam than I used to” are right up there with “My computer is running slow”. It’s a problem that, eats up users time and fills your mail stores with junk, and time/disk space costs money.
SEM is tiny! In a world where a graphics driver is now over 100MB the entire install suite is less than 11MB. This is going into my test network so testing its ability to limit spam is NOT the point of this exercise, I’m looking at the ease of installation, configuration, and administration.
SEM Pre-Requisites
1. Exchange 2000, 2003, 2007, 2010, or 2013.
2. Windows Server 2000, 2003, 2003 R2, 2008, 2008 R2, or 2012.
3. .Net framework version 2.0 (SP1).
4. MDAC (Microsoft Data Access Components) version 2.7.
5. Internet Information Services.
Solution
Before You Start
1. If you have already installed the Microsoft Anti Spam agents you might want to remove them, (not that you have to). If you don’t know you can run the following command;
[box]
Get-TransportAgent[/box]
If you just have the four below then you DO NOT have the extra agents installed.
2. If yours looks like the one below, then YOU DO have them installed.
3. As stated you don’t have to remove them but if you want to simply execute the following two commands;
[box]
cd "Program FilesMicrosoftExchange ServerV15Scripts"
./Uninstall-AmtispamAgents.ps1
[/box]
4. Answer each question, then run;
[box]
services.msc[/box]
5. Restart the Microsoft Exchange Transport service.
7. The installer is pretty straight forward > Next > Accept the EULA > Next > Enter your details > Next > Accept or change the install location > Next.
8. The product will install.
9. At this point it’s downloading definitions form the internet, and it will take a while.
10. When complete it needs to setup a user that the services will run under. Just supply a password > Next.
Note: This user (by default) is added to the local administrators group, and the Exchange Organization Management group.
11. Finish.
12. The management console installs on TCP port 5000, so if you need to access it through a firewall you will need to open that port.
13. Toolbars Tab: From here, I’ll jump straight to the configuration section, this drops you straight onto the Plugins tab. From here you can change the logo that will be displayed with the toolbar (this is NOT visible with Outlook 2013). You can also change the URL it points to and adding rights to users.
14. Toolbar Tab > Outlook Toolbar: On a client running Outlook > Download Outlook Toolbar > Run the installer.
Note: The installer is a .exe file, I would have preferred a .msi file, so I could deploy this out (on mass), to domain clients via GPO.
17. Now when you launch Outlook you can see the plugin loading.
18. You will now have an extra toolbar with the following options.
BE AWARE: You install the OWA toolbar ONCE on the Exchange CAS server.
19. Toolbars > Outlook Web Application: Install OWA toolbar.
20. Yes.
21. Now when your clients access OWA, you have the toolbar.
22. Latest news: Essentially this is just an RSS feed from the manufacturer to keep you abreast of software updates etc. If you have some RSS aggregation software you can add this same feed.
23. Mailbox Tab > Mailboxes: Here it will list all the mailboxes, by default the ‘Default policy’ will be applied and virus filtering will NOT be enabled (this is an add on license). you can also access statistics for this particular mailbox, and view quarantined emails. The User filter settings are for applying an exception for this one mailbox (I’ll cover this later). If you can’t locate a particular user there is also a search function.
24. Mailbox Tab > Usergroups: Usergroups are used to apply policies, any new group requires you to maintain membership manually. But if your Active Directory is well designed, you can select your SPAMfighter groups based on your OU structure.
SEM – SPAMfighter – Configuring and Working with Policies
This is pretty intuitive, and the default policy comes preconfigured and already applied, though with all filtering systems it will probably take you a little while to get it streamlined to your requirements. The policies section has four main tabs;
Filter Settings: What tools you are going to use to look for spam. Accept Actions: What it will do if it finds nothing. Block Actions: What it will do if it finds something. User Filter settings: Exceptions to the filters for one or more users. Mailboxes: Puts you straight back to the mailbox section you saw earlier.
25. Out of the box there are five filters enabled.
26. But there are four further filters that you can add to the policies.
SPAMfighter – Filters
27. VIRUSfighter Antivirus Filter for SPAMfighter Exchange Module: Remember this is an ‘Add on’ so it would only apply to mailboxes that have this enabled. It’s on its most conservative setting, and will replace the infected email with safe content.
28. SPAMfighter Sender Filter > Whitelist:Simply add either a particular email address you want to allow or add in an entire domain.
29. If your lists get a little unwieldy you can import or export them, and chose weather to overwrite them or append the imported list to your existing list.
30. And where there is a Whitelist there is a Blacklist, it’s configured exactly the same.
31. Automatic Whitelist: This is a brilliant feature! It dynamically adds the addresses our users send to to the Whitelist, and maintains the cache for 10 days (which you can alter). I’m surprised this is disabled by default.
Note: This will be enabled by default in the next release.
32. SPAMfighter Content Filter > Whitelist phrases: Gives you the power to automatically Whitelist emails based on a phrase they contain i.e. Your corporate email disclaimer or default signature.
33. SPAMfighter Content Filter > Blacklist phrases: As the warning says be careful with this section, this is the sort of thing that is handy for blocking “We attempted to deliver your parcel but were unable to” emails that urge you to click an attached zip file full of infected spyware nastiness.
34. SPAMfighter Content Filter > Whitelist Attachments: Here you can upload an attachments (like your company logo from your email signatures) and the system will whitelist and allow through emails containing them.
35. SPAMfighter Content Filter > Blacklist Attachments: Thankfully this is disabled by default, the list of file extensions is quite long, and contains some commonly used file extensions, You will need to do some planning and testing with this one if you want to enable it.
36. SPAMfighter Community Filter: This will filter mail based on mails that have already been blocked by other SPAMfighter users, it uses a scoring/weighting system. You simply set a threshold the higher you set it the more mail will be stopped, this will require some fine tuning.
37. SPAMfighter Language Filter:This is enabled by default, but no languages are selected (which is sensible). If you are never expecting any emails in Chinese you can block them here.
SPAMfighter Filters that you can Manually Add to the Policy.
38. SPAMfighter IP-address Filter: Pretty much does what it says on the tin! Though blocking spammers by IP address is a little hard to manage, and it’s pretty easy to spoof an IP address anyway, which is probably when this is not on the default policy.
39. SPAMfighter Sender Policy Framework Filter: Personally I think you would be crazy to turn this on! If you don’t know what an SPF record is then read the following article.
40. SPAMfighter DNSBL Filter: A DNSBL is a dynamic DNS list of known spammers, if you are familiar with RBL block lists this is similar.
41. SPAMfighter Combined Spam Score Filter: All the other filters check the mail and give it a score, if the score is higher than a certain threshold this this filter will aggregate all those scores and block the mail.
SPAMfighter – Policies > Accept Actions
42. If the mail makes it through all the filters, then this section decides what happens with it.
43. And that is adding information to the mail header that says the mail was scanned and accepted.
SPAMfighter – Policies > Block Actions
44. If the mail gets blocked by any of the filters, this section decides how that is handled.
Note: You can add other actions from the drop-down list below if this does not do what you require.
45. Just as for the accept policy action, this modifies the email header, though this one says the mail was blocked.
46. SPAMfighter Move To Folder Policy Action > Mailboxes : The second default policy action takes that filtered email and places it within a folder called SPAMfighter within the users mailbox.
Note: You can redirect that mail to another mailbox if that is your preference.
47. The system for Public Folders (if you use them) is identical.
48. Contacts: As is says contacts do not have a mailbox, but you can redirect filters contact mail to a specific mailbox should you wish.
49. User Filter Settings: This section can create an exception for one particular user, it simply creates another policy that you can apply to that user.
50. You can create new policies and apply then to particular users or usergroups, and make the system as granular as you like.
51. Statistics: On my test network I didn’t have any throughput on which to pull some meaningful statistics.
52. Statistics > Notifications: You can have daily/weekly/monthly reports emailed to you.
53. If you decide to purchase, the licenses are priced per mailbox. Prices start at £14.50 each (or £29.00 with the Antivirus) And go down to £2.45 (or £4.90 with Antivirus) depending on the amount you buy. They are available for 1, 2, and 3 year periods. For an up to date price list go here.
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If you’re used to editing boot,ini files in earlier versions of windows then you are in for a bit of strife – Vista and newer OS’s now has its own boot loader, but happily there is a tool to let you edit what it does – this tool is called BCDEDIT.EXE and by default it lives in the windows > system32 directory.
Solution
Simply running the command will tell you what the boot settings are at the moment.
This particular machine (My work Laptop) Has windows XP installed on the C: drive and Vista on the F: Drive – The IMPORTANT thing to note is each OS has an identifier. In this case the XP identifier is called {ntldr} and the Vista Identifier is called {current}
NOTE: In a lot of online forums I’ve seen these labeled with GUIDS and not simple names like this this may have been in Longhorn or the Vista Beta’s
Before you do anything I suggest you backup the setting – bcdedit will do this for you – the command you need is….
bcdedit /export “{drive and path}“
Should you need to restore the settings you can do so using the following command
bcdedit /import “{drive and path}“
The most common thing you will want to do is change the names on the Boot menu – Vista by default calls XP something horrible like “Earlier son of Windows” and Calls itself SOmething nice like “Microsoft Windows Vista” to Change the display names you need to run the bcdedit command now get the IDENTIFIER for the OS you want to change (remember mine were ntldr and current (see above)) then use the following syntax
bcdedit -set {identifier} DESCRIPTION “What you want to call it“
For Example this renames my XP Installation to Windows XP
And this renames my Vista Installation to Windows Vista
The next most common requirement is to alter the timeout period (thou countdown while you select an OS to boot)By default is 30 Seconds to alter this the syntax is…
bcdedit /timeout {time in seconds}
To Change the DEFAULT OS that the boot loader will boot again you will need to know the identifier of that operating system, obviously by default it will be vista but if you want to change it to another OS (In my case) my XP OS the syntax is…
bcdedit /default {identifier}
The Last Thing you might want to change is the order the Operating systems are displayed in again you will need to know the identifier and the syntax is as follows…
