Legacy Boot Preparation for Windows 11
Before upgrading a PC that does not have secure boot running and TMP enabled, you need to prepare it in person with the following BIOS changes:
Junction Redirect
It is not always possible to change to the storage location used by an application. This can be fixed by using a Junction that will redirect applications to the new locations. Junctions are per user. The origin folder must be deleted before creating the junction Here are some examples.
Migrating a Windows 10 VM to11
To upgrade a VM to Windows 11 follow these steps:
Remove Dell Bloatware
This removes all Dell apps except Command Update $apps = Get-WmiObject win32_product | ? {$_.vendor -like “Dell*” -and $_.name -notlike “Dell Command*”};$apps foreach($app in $apps){ $Result = $app.uninstall() | Select-Object -Property returnvalue if(($Result).returnvalue -eq 0){Write-host $app.name}Else{Write-host “$PC Fail”}}
OneNote Email Page Button Not Working
If the Email Page button stops working correct these registry keys:
Security popups on Windows
One way that hackers operate is by adding a fake security warning to your Windows PC in hopes that you will pay them to remove it or follow additional instructions. These typically come from users accessing hacked sites.
Reset DSRM Password
When adding a new Windows Active Directory Server the verification of Safe mode password fails. If you do not have access to the existing password, use NTDSUTIL to change the DSRM password on the current domain controller.
Enable Mailbox Archiving for Exchange 365
Follow these steps to allow mailbox archiving in 365.
365 Administration URLs
These are the primary URLs needed to support 365
5G Signal Strength
Excellent: -50 dBm to -65 dBm (or full signal bars) Good Signal: -66 dBm to -80 dBm (or 3-4 signal bars) Fair Signal: -81 dBm to -95 dBm (or 2 signal bars) Poor Signal: -96 dBm and below (or 1 signal bar or no signal)
Start Menu and Taskbar Issues
If the start menu stops opening or you cannot use icons from the taskbar, you can reinstall the Windows taskbar: Press Windows Key+X > Click Powershell (Admin) > Copy the below and paste into Powershell > Enter > Reboot your computer Get-AppXPackage -Name Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”} To restart the explorer: Press CTRL+SHIFT+ESC > Locate… Read More »
Block Windows 11 Upgrade
In PowerShell as Admin Run: $Ver=Get-ItemProperty ‘HKLM:SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion’ | Select-Object CurrentMajorVersionNumber,DisplayVersion;$Ver reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate /v TargetReleaseversion /t REG_DWORD /d 1 reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate /v TargetReleaseversionInfo /t REG_SZ /d 22H2 Get-ItemProperty ‘HKLM:SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate’ | Select-Object TargetReleaseversion,TargetReleaseversionInfo
SharePoint Add Custom Color Pallet
To add custom Colors to SharePoint Install SharePointOnlineManagementShell tools Run this Scrip in Sharepoint
Install & Update Exchange Module
Install-Module -Name ExchangeOnlineManagement -RequiredVersion 3.0.0 Find-Module ExchangeOnlineManagement -AllVersions -AllowPrerelease Get-InstalledModule ExchangeOnlineManagement | Format-List Name,Version,InstalledLocation Update-Module -Name ExchangeOnlineManagement
Windows Time
This command will cause the system clock to sync with Internet time servers. It is useful when an older server is losing time. $Time = w32tm /stripchart /computer:time.windows.com /samples:1 /dataonly Write-host ($Time[2]) -ForegroundColor Green Write-host “The PC time is “(get-date) -ForegroundColor Yellow Write-host “NTP Status:” -ForegroundColor Yellow Write-host (w32tm /query /status) -ForegroundColor Yellow Write-host (w32tm /query /source) -ForegroundColor… Read More »
Remote MSI Installation
WinRS can be used when installing software on remote systems. If you want to quietly install an application using an MSI file onto a remote machine, use the following syntax. This syntax assumes the MSI file has already been deposited into the C:\ folder. winrs -r:machinename msiexec.exe /i c:\install.msi /quiet
Autoruns
When looking at PC performance it is important to understand what is running behind the scenes. Autoruns will show what is in the registry, startup items, scheduled tasks, etc. It can be helpful when looking at system delays (the blue spinning wheel showing up next to your cursor every two seconds). Autoruns for Windows – Sysinternals | Microsoft… Read More »
Bluebeam License Change
When migrating Bluebeam to an enterprise license you can use this script to unregister the old license and register the new: “%ProgramFiles%\Bluebeam Software\Bluebeam Revu\20\Revu\PbMngr5.exe” /register 20 <SerialNo> <KeyABCD3-5FGHIJK>
Room Calendar Settings
By default room calendars delete the notes field of invitations. This eliminates usufull links to Zoom or Teams meetings. to fix this run the following script: $Rooms = Get-MailBox | where {$_.ResourceType -eq “Room”} foreach ($Room in $Rooms){ Set-CalendarProcessing -Identity $Room.alias -AddOrganizerToSubject $true -DeleteComments $false -DeleteSubject $false Get-CalendarProcessing -Identity $Room.alias |select Identity,AddOrganizerToSubject,DeleteComments,DeleteSubject,ResourceDelegates}
Exchange CU Installation Fail: Caused by SSL Cert.
Exchange Installation error 5506 is caused by the 3rd party certificates. To resolve this always change to the Microsoft cert before beginning the upgrading to the next CU. IIS > Bindings > SSL Certificate > Microsoft Exchange
Dell Command Update
Powershell: #Dell Command Update Repair if(test-path “C:\Program Files\Dell\CommandUpdate”){$Path = “C:\Program Files\Dell\CommandUpdate\dcu-cli.exe”} Else{$Path = “C:\Program Files (x86)\Dell\CommandUpdate\dcu-cli.exe”} Start-Process -FilePath $Path -ArgumentList “/applyupdates”
Voicemail Delayed Delivery
The user misses a call and checks for a voicemail only to find none. The next day the voicemail finally shows up. The fix is to delete all the messages from the carrier’s system and start over.
365 Hybrid Exchange – User Creation
To build a user account when the client has a hybrid exchange environment, it is important to start on-premise and migrate the account to 365.
Teams Hanging
If teams hangs: 1) Log out and quit Teams 2) Go to %appdata%\Microsoft\teams
RDP Port Forwarding on ASA
If RDP must be enabled without a VPN follow these instructions.
MySQL Service Not Starting
If a server running MySQL has an improper shutdown, the service cannot be started. This is because 2 files are in a corrupt state. This will cause WordPress sites hosted on the same server to display a database error. To fix this: Open: C:\ProgramData\MySQL\MySQL Server n.n\data Move ib_logfile0 & ib_logfile1 to a temp folder. Start “MySQL nn” Service
Hybrid User Account Setup
Steps to set up new users.
AD: BitLocker Recovery Key
Many laptops ship with BitLocker enabled by default. Without the key, there is no possible way to access the data in the event that the PC fails. To Backup this key run this in PowerShell: manage-bde -protectors -get C: The Key is stored in AD and can be viewed with his: $objComputer = Get-ADComputer LAP001 $Bitlocker_Object = Get-ADObject… Read More »
AutoCAD: Reset Settings to Default app is missing
This happens when Civil 3D is installed on the system. To fix this:
Block Outlook from connecting to 365
Beginning with Office 2016 Outlook auto-connects to 365 upon opening. This causes users to be prompted for credentials if their account is on-premise. To disable this, run this in PowerShell as the user: Set-ItemProperty -Path HKCU:\software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\AutoDiscover -Name ‘ExcludeExplicitO365Endpoint’ -Value 1 -Type DWord -Force
Group Policy & Fast Logon Optimization
Some GPOs can take two logins to be implemented and also trigger a longer logon cycle. This is because there are two types of GPOs.
Logitech Webcam Mic is Disabled by Default
For some bizarre reason, Logitech started shipping their 920e web camera with the microphone disabled, it does not even show up as an input device in Sound Settings. To resolve this: Install Logi Tune > Enable the mic > Power cycle the camera
Gaming Control Panel
Users are suddenly seeing a new “Gaming Control Panel” open on their system. To turn it off manually press Win + I > Gaming > deselect “On” The Control Panel is opened by pressing Win + G and looks like this:
Daisy Chain Monitors
Daisy chaining is a feature of DisplayPort monitors, and can be helpful when you lack the needed ports on a PC, or cable length. By default this is turned off on most monitors, and when connected the 2nd display will either mirror the first, or be disabled. To enable the feature on Dell monitors from the hardware menu… Read More »
AutoCAD Fix Missing Plot Styles
1. Check the Plot Style Folder Location: Open AutoCAD and go to Options by typing OPTIONS in the command line. In the Files tab, locate Printer Support File Path > Plot Style Table Search Path. Verify that the correct folder containing your .ctb or .stb files (plot styles) is listed. If not, update the path to where your… Read More »