Email alerts from Windows Server Backup

If you attach a notification to Event ID 4 in the Windows-Backup Event Log, you can send yourself an email that the backup has completed successfully using mailsend.exe or similar in a script..

Log Name:      Microsoft-Windows-Backup

Source:        Microsoft-Windows-Backup

Event ID:      4

Task Category: None

Level:         Information

Keywords:      

User:          SYSTEM

Description:

The backup operation has finished successfully.

You can also attach to ID 49 and 19 to get a message that the backup has failed.

Working with Outlook Email Templates

Here's how to use Outlook Email templates without the fuss of reading about every feature available. ;)

To create a template save a normal email as filetype Template. You can then drag the file from Windows Explorer on to the Outlook icon on the taskbar to pin it to the jump list!

Open your pinned template by right-clicking the Outlook icon.

Not sure where your Enterprise CA is?

Open CMD and enter:

certutil -config - -ping

Managing Exchange 2010 External/Internal URL's via PowerShell - TechNet Articles - United States (English) - TechNet Wiki

Very useful.

Managing Exchange 2010 External/Internal URL's via PowerShell - TechNet Articles - United States (English) - TechNet Wiki: "get-webservicesvirtualdirectory"

'via Blog this'

Turn any Wi-Fi router into an access point

So you have a router meant for a cable connection that you want to use as a simple access point on a network which already has it's own DHCP and DNS.

Here's what you need to do.
1, Configure wireless security and SSID.
2, Turn off DHCP.
3, Connect your network to one of the LAN ports, not the WAN port.

If you connect to the WAN port the Wi-Fi connection will be behind NAT whereas the LAN ports are basically on a switch connected directly to the Wi-Fi.

Group Policy Loopback processing in 2008 R2

Although you can do some real damage with Group Policy it is amazingly simple to use (and stay out of trouble/confusion) if you follow some rules.

Keep policies separated by function (firewall, desktop features, IE features, etc) and by Computer vs User policy.

Name your policy objects something like User-Enable-IE-Setting or Comp-Disable-Power-Setting this will allow you to see which objects your policy will affect and cut out confusion as to why it isn't working without re-researching your previous work.

Another convention I use is Comp-Loopback-User-Setting, I use this when GP Loopback Processing is enabled.

So what is GP Loopback Processing?

Loopback processing allows User Policies to apply to Computers.

Here's how it works.
Lets say there is a user policy you want to use on a specific group of computers, ordinarily you would not be able to apply it unless you link it to the user as it would be ignored if linked to the computer. However those settings would then be applied wherever that user logs in, this is where Loopback processing comes in.

Loopback Processing is just a GP Computer Policy, if you enable it on a User Policy and link the policy to a computer (Via an AD OU containing the computer/s) any user that logs in on the computer will have that specific User policy applied.

In Summary then,
'User Group Policy loopback processing mode' can be found in 'Computer Configuration/Policies/Administrative Templates/System/Group Policy' set it to Enabled and 'Replace' on a Group Policy Object with User policies, link it to a computer and the user policies will apply to that computer.

After installing Exchange 2010 SP3 OWA gives the error "A problem occurred while you were trying to use your mailbox."

An odd problem post Exchange 2010 SP3, I tested OWA and all was fine, then a user called to say he was getting an error after a random number of clicks and sometimes immediately after login. It turns out there is a limit on the number of non-MAPI connections and this was locking out OWA.

The Microsoft article does not give a value for the registry key, I set mine to 100 Decimal, so far so good.


You cannot connect to an Exchange Server 2010 mailbox from Outlook Web Access:

1. On the server that is running the Exchange Server 2010 Mailbox role, click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then clickOK.
2. Locate and then click the following key in the registry:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeIS\ParametersSystem
3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
4. Type Maximum Allowed Service Sessions Per User, and then press ENTER.
5. On the Edit menu, click Modify.
6. Type the decimal value that specifies the number of sessions that you want to use, and then click OK.
7. Exit Registry Editor.

Note The registry value Maximum Allowed Service Sessions Per User affects all Mailbox Databases on the server and is not applied on a per-user basis. If you increase this value, server performance may be adversely affected. For example, doubling the number of service sessions from 16 to 32 could slow server performance.

Configure new Offline Address Book on Exchange 2003

This is something that pops up from time to time.

1. Create a new OAB in ESM/Recipients/Offline Address Lists

2. Right click/Set as default

3. Go to the mailbox store ESM/Administrative Groups/First Admi.../Servers/Servername/Mailbox Store

4. Right click/Properties set the Address Book as the new one.

Windows 8.1 and Server 2012 R2: Quick start guide for sysadmins • The Register

Having struggled with Microsoft KMS in the past I found this quick guide very useful.

Windows 8.1 and Server 2012 R2: Quick start guide for sysadmins • The Register:

Don't use hibernation? hiberfil.sys too big?

Open an Administrative command prompt.

POWERCFG -H OFF

All done. :)

Android Nexus Root Toolkit

After years of using custom ROM's on my Android phone and tablet I've just come across a great utility I wanted to share, it makes flashing and recovering a Nexus 4 almost n00b proof.

If you have any of the following Nexus devices you can use this handy util to backup, restore, unlock the bootloader, root the device, return it to a stock Google android image and even install the ADB-mode drivers on your PC without the usual hassles.

It works on...

Galaxy Nexus

Nexus S

Nexus 7

Nexus 10

and of course Nexus 4

Instructions and downloads can be found at http://www.wugfresh.com/nrt/ 

I'll be posting more Android related stuff as I find the time to document it.

Error 0x8007005 when activating Office 2013 Office365 (we're sorry something went wrong)

Despite the Office 365 portal saying the product was activated the software continued to display the red banner across the title bars of all Office apps, I was receiving the error 'We're sorry something went wrong.' and error code 0x8007005 when trying to activate.

The solution turned out to be very simple. Run an office application as Administrator and wait a minute until it activates it's self, I didn't need to do anything other than right click Excel and run as Administrator then wait.

It will then tell you it has activated and you can go back to using the apps as usual.