I started to notice the performance in my Microsoft Teams was getting ‘very sketchy’, this week while in the office a colleague on the same teams call as myself told me my speech in the call was lagging about 10 seconds behind my actual speech!
So I thought I’d remove and reinstall MS Teams, Uninstalling the application is simple as peas! But I wanted to remove EVERYTHING to give me a better change of solving the problem. Because ‘most’ application leave settings and data all over the place, (in case you ever reinstall them.)
Remove Teams
Obviously if you are running MS Teams close down the application first, then in finder navigate to application > Locate Microsoft Team.app and ‘Move to Bin’. You may be asked to provide you password.
Remove Teams (Data and Settings)
Whilst still in Finder, Go > Go to Folder > Paste in ~/Library/Caches/
Locate com.microsoft.teams and delete it. (Note: on older version there may be other com.microsoft.teams.{name} entries, if so delete those as well.
Then as before Go > Go to Folder > Paste in ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/ and delete the Teams folder.
If you just want Microsoft Teams gone, then that is the task complete, but I needed a fresh install so I downloaded and reinstalled the latest version.
Fingers crossed MS Teams has behaved itself since, If you have any other comments, or solutions to Teams being ‘laggy‘ or running slowly please post them below.
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When the ASA 5506-X appeared there was much grumbling, “This is not a replacement for the ASA 5505, I need to buy a switch as well!” and “I have six ports on the firewall I cant use” etc.
While I understand that, and if truth be told the ASA 5505, was SUPPOSED to be used in SOHO environments where an all in one device, (with PoE) was a great fit. The problem was, people started throwing them in everywhere, I’ve seen them in large businesses, and in data centres. Because it’s easier to sell a firewall that cost less than 500 quid, than it is to sell a firewall that fits the network requirements!
To ‘fix’ the problem would probably mean changing hardware, so Cisco gave us a BVI, Bridge Virtual Interface instead (with version 9.7). Well not strictly true, Cisco ASA has had BVI interfaces in ‘transparent mode‘ for some time. So on the ASA 5506-X with a default configuration, it ‘Bridges’ interfaces Ge0/2 to Ge0/8, into one interface which you can call the inside interface an give it an IP address.
Oh Great! So Just Like an ASA5505 Then? Well no sorry, I don’t like it because it needs an access-group/ACL for each bridged interface, and a NAT statement for each bridged interface. Unless you have a very simple network that can get very complicated, very quickly! Also note, the same holds true for remote management via SSH/ADSM etc.
Changes to ASA for BVI Interface
I’ll shorten the default firewall config and show you the ‘added commands’ that are used for this configuration.
Yes I’m not making it up, that’s the added default config for a new 5506-X firewall, (post version 9.7) if you issue a configure factory-default, that’s what you will get! (Don’t panic: If you upgrade a firewall it wont add this in!)
Is That What You Wanted?
Well if you are a small business and make very little changes to the firewall then this may be fine, (if a little cumbersome to setup). But to be honest I think its pretty bobbins! So I’ll be ripping it out of every 5506-X I deploy.
ASA 5506-X Remove the BVI Interface From CLI
First you have to remove the bridge group from the physical interfaces, but first you need to remove the interface name, or it will error. Obviously connect via the console cable, or from the outside interface, (because you’re about to remove the configured inside interface, until we recreate it again).
[box]
!
interface GigabitEthernet1/2
no nameif
no bridge-group 1
interface GigabitEthernet1/3
no nameif
no bridge-group 1
interface GigabitEthernet1/4
no nameif
no bridge-group 1
interface GigabitEthernet1/5
no nameif
no bridge-group 1
interface GigabitEthernet1/6
no nameif
no bridge-group 1
interface GigabitEthernet1/7
no nameif
no bridge-group 1
interface GigabitEthernet1/8
no nameif
no bridge-group 1
!
[/box]
Only now can you remove the BVI interface.
[box]
clear configure interface BVI1
WARNING: DHCPD bindings cleared on interface 'inside', address pool removed
WARNING: BVI interface 1 is in use.
[/box]
Note: The BVI1 interface will now disappear from the config, (if you’re used to working on routers it’s a bit like removing a loopback interface). Now Remove the ‘defunct’ object groups that were being used for NAT.
[box]
no object network obj_any1
no object network obj_any2
no object network obj_any3
no object network obj_any4
no object network obj_any5
no object network obj_any6
no object network obj_any7
[/box]
Assuming your outside Interface (GigabitEthernet0/1) is still up and connected, (by default it will be set to DHCP and also set to get its outside automatically). You would then need to configure an ‘inside’ interface (I’ll use GigabitEthernet0/2) and specify a NAT/PAT rule to allow traffic out.
Before you create your logon banner it’s important to understand;
Where you want it to appear.
What the underlying file is actually called (on ESXi).
For access to the vSphere Web client (including the Flash client), the setting you want is ”Login Banner’ (Note: vCenter 6.0.Update2 or higher is required);
Using this you CAN FORCE, (but you don’t have to) a user to tick “I Agree..” to your banner before they can login.
This does not mean that vCenter does not have ‘Message of the Day’, it does, it just behaves a little differently, i.e.
With the ESXi hosts there are essentially TWO files we are concerned with, the etc/issue file and the etc/motd* file, and they display in two subtly different places.
*Note: MOTD stands for message of the day.
The ‘Issue‘ File
The ‘motd‘ file
You can use either one, (or both) to suit your requirements.
Solution
Logon Banner Text Example
What you actually put in the banners is up to you, here are a couple of examples I’ve used in the past, feel free to copy and adapt them to suit your own requirements.
Example 1
[box]
/-------------------------------------------------------------\
| ! WARNING ! |
| Notice to All Users (Both Authorised or Unauthorised) |
| |
| You have accessed a private computer network. |
| Unauthorised access or use of this system is prohibited. |
| |
| If you are not authorised to use this system |
| please terminate access immediately. |
| |
| Any or all uses of this system and all data on this |
| system may be intercepted, monitored, recorded, copied, |
| audited, inspected, and disclosed to authorised sites |
| and law enforcement personnel, as well as authorised |
| officials of other agencies. By using this system, the |
| user consent to such disclosure at the discretion of |
| authorised site personnel. Unauthorised or improper use |
| of this system may result in administrative disciplinary |
| action, civil and criminal penalties. By continuing to |
| use this system you indicate your awareness of and |
| consent to these terms and conditions of use. STOP |
| IMMEDIATELY!!! if you do not agree to the conditions |
| stated in this warning. |
\-------------------------------------------------------------/
[/box]
Example 2
[box]
**********************************************
*** You are responsible for all activity ***
*** Performed on this device ***
*** All config changes are logged ***
*** ***
*** For further Information ***
*** Please Contact either ***
*** IT Manager ***
*** or ***
*** Pete Long ***
**********************************************
[/box]
Adding the vSphere Web Client Banner/Terms and Conditions
To get access to these settings you need to log into your PSC (Platform Services Controller).
https://{FQDN of vCenter or PSC}/psc
Configuration > Login Banner > Edit > Tick ‘Enabled‘ > Tick ‘Checkbox Consent‘, (to force them to tick “I Agree..”) > Enter a Title and the message/banner test to display > OK.
Adding the vSphere Web Client MOTD
Log into vSphere Select the vCenter> Configuration >Message of the Day > Edit > Type in the text.
Note: Remember this displays as a popup for users logged into vCenter, but as a ‘nag-message’ for anyone login in in future.
Changing the ESX ‘Issue’ Banner
Log onto the ESX server > issue the following command ‘vi /etc/issue‘ > Paste in your text > Save and exit the file > Restart the SSH daemon with the following command ‘/etc/init.d/SSH restart’.
Changing the ESX ‘MOTD’ Banner
Log onto the ESX server > issue the following command ‘vi /etc/motd‘ > Paste in your text > Save and exit the file > Restart the SSH daemon with the following command ‘/etc/init.d/SSH restart’.
Changing Issue and MOTD banners from the vSphere Client
Yes you can do this in the vSphere client, the problem is, you can only paste on a block of text, so the fancy formatting I put in above will be lost. If that’s not a problem for you, then open the vSphere Client > Hosts and Clusters > Select the Host > Configure > Advanced System Settings > Edit > Search for ‘Config.etc’ > Chang the Config.etc.issue and/or Config.etc.motd files as required.
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You see the following error in your event log (seen here in the system log on a domain controller).
Log Name: System
Source: NETLOGON
Date: 15/11/2012 06:00:35
Event ID: 5719
Task Category: None
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: Servername.Domain-Name.com
Description:
This computer was not able to set up a secure session with a domain controller in domain (domain-name) due to the following:
There are currently no logon servers available to service the logon request.
This may lead to authentication problems. Make sure that this computer is connected to the network. If the problem persists, please contact your domain administrator.
Solution
Note: In this case the domain it could not contact was NOT my live domain name it was a different domain name. If your error is referencing your live domain name then you have a different problem.
Cause: In my case the problem was being caused because I had a domain trust to a domain that was no longer contactable, (one of my colleagues has set it up in the past to do some testing). So I simply needed to remove the trust.
Warning: In this case that trust is no longer required – Check!
1. On a domain controller > Windows Key+R > domain.msc {enter}
2. Right click the domain name > Properties > Trusts > Select the problem domain > Remove > Yes > OK.
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I was doing some site tidying this week, usually If I don’t know what something is I leave it alone, but I was on a mission! I had a bunch of files/folders in the root of my website, that, a) I didn’t know what they were doing, and b) wanted to delete.
As it turns out these folders are needed for FrontPage and FrontPage Extensions. I CAN simply delete them, but since my web host provides me with cPanel access to the website, I can simply disable the extensions there, and this removes all the junk for me. (I don’t intend to use FrontPage).
After some messing about on my test network I was left with a ‘replica’ machine that I needed to get rid of, this was easier said than done, as it was in an orphaned state.
Solution
1. Find out which host in the cluster the replica is on, In my case that’s simple (I only have one). In a live environment click the replica machines summary tab, and it will tell you which host it is on. Connect directly to the host with the VI client software. (Remember the username this time will probably be root!), then right click the replica and select ‘Delete form Disk’.
2. Log back into your Virtual Center Server with the VI client. Right click the host that had the replica on it and select ‘Disconnect’.
Note: We actually need to remove it from the cluster, but to to that it would need to be in maintenance mode (not good if you have live servers running) that’s why we are disconnecting it first (the VM‘s will stay online).
3. Once disconnected, right click the host again, and this time ‘Remove”. Don’t panic the guest machines will stay online.
4. Then simply add the ESX host back into the cluster once again, this time its updated inventory (Minus the deleted replica) will be added back.
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While trying to deploy a Windows XP Pool yesterday, I hit upon this problem. Windows 7 works fine, but as soon as I tried to roll out a Windows XP pool, they stopped like this;
After a couple of hours, the whole operation timed out, and each machine shows as;
Status
{Date}{Time} o’clock {Time-Zone}:
Customization operation timed out
I tried to deploy the pool with both ‘quick prep’ and ‘sysprep’, but the results were the same. The replica is created, the pool creates the machines, but they DO NOT join the domain.
Solution
Despite my best efforts, I had to admit defeat and call VMware. Turns out they knew what the problem was straight away.
1. In my case the pool was going to be a linked clone pool. Go to the reference XP machine that you are using for this pool, and power it on.
2. Start > Run > appwiz.cpl {Enter}.
3. Locate and uninstall the VMware View Agent software.
6. Reboot the machine, (or the next step will fail and ask for a reboot!)
7. Reinstall the VMware View Agent.
8. Now if you are creating a linked clone pool, release the IP address > shut down the guest machine > snapshot the guest machine > recreate your pool.
Conclusion
VMware tell me that this is well documented in this kb article. But both at the time, and since, I’ve analysed the logs on the connection server, and the agent logs on the deployed machines, and found no mention of the following error,
“View Composer agent initialization state error (18): Failed to join the domain”
Hopefully this will help out someone stuck in the same position.
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While working on a badly Malware affected server the other day, I tried to resurrect the Trend Micro Security Agent. It refused to run, so I attempted to remove it. Then I could reinstall it cleanly. (I knew the password that it required for removal). However this it what happened when I tried;
Trend Micro Worry-Free Business Security Agent Setup
Unable to Uninstall
An error has stopped the removal of the Trend Micro Worry-Free Business Security Agent. No changes have been made to this computer. Please contact Trend Micro for help.
Click the button below to close this window.
Solution
This procedure was carried out on Worry-Free Business Security Version 7.
1. Download and extract this zip file, (password novirus) to your desktop.
2. Run the SA_Uninstall_2360.exe file, it will create a folder on your desktop called SA_Uninstall.
3. Open that folder and run the ‘uninstall.bat’ file.
4. Press a key when prompted, then enter ‘Y’ to reboot.
5. Post reboot, I went back to Add/Remove programs, and it was still there! however now it let me uninstall it without error.
6. I now went to the server running the Worry-Free console, and pushed out a fresh agent to this machine, updated it, and did a full manual scan.
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Windows ipconfig – annoyingly shows lots of info you don’t want to see, so you have to scroll to the top of the list to see your IP address all the time.
Solution
1. Stat > run > devmgmt.msc
2. View > Show Hidden Devices.
3. Expand Network Adaptors.
4. Disable all that start with isatap
5. Make sure your comms still work.
6. Re-run ifconfig.
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