For some reason Microsoft SQL express 2017 and 2019 requires TLS 1.0 during installation.

Here is the registry settings [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.0]:

The same is for Server and Client

Make sure to revert it back to DisableByDefault =1 and Enabled =0

Exchagne 2016 update address books using EMS

 Open EMS:

Get-AddressList | Update-AddressList
Get-GlobalAddressList | Update-GlobalAddressList
Get-OfflineAddressBook | Update-OfflineAddressBook

Restart outlook or update outlook offline address book under Send/ Receive Groups:

Fix Cannot get performance counter data

I was receiving management error on my windows 2012 R2 server

 

this is what helped:

1. to rebuild perf registry using elevated CMD enter: lodctr /R
2. re register perf libraries: winmgmt /resyncperf

that is what worked for me.

 

reference: http://www.expta.com/2015/08/fix-for-server-manager-error-online.html

Exchange 2016 user mailbox export

using exchange powershell command:

New-MailboxExportRequest -Mailbox UserName -FilePath “\\server\export\username.pst”

Wired 802.1x authentication with MS RADIUS server and Meraki switch

 Group policy:

1. 
2. 

 

NPS configuration:

1. add all switches under RADIUS clients
   
   You will have to use the same shared secret on switch RADIUS authentication
2. Create new (or edit existing) Connection Request Policy
   Use all default only add condition NAS Port Type “Ethernet”
   
3. Create new Network Policy:
   
   
   
   * under NAS Port Type select ETHERNET
   
   
4. On the Meraki switch access control configure new policy:
   
5. Assign the policy to individual ports:
   

Posted in Network, Servers, WindowsTagged wired 802.1xEdit 

Windows server service will not stop

 Force quit windows service which failed to stop using service.msc

1. find service name using service.msc / properties
2. using command prompt enter sc queryex [servicename] (and note PID number)
3. enter taskkill /pid [pid number] /f

Outlook 2016 to Exchange 2016 mapi connection problems.

 During my exchange 2010 to exchange 2016 migration I run in to outlook connectivity problem which made it impossible to connect.

There are hundreds of similar issues on google unfortunately none of them solved the problem until I found two solutions on separate blogs and combined them and here is my final fix:

1. Set-MapiVirtualDirectory -identity “exchange2016\mapi (Default Web site)” -IISAuthenticationMethods NTLM
2. this requires editing Autodiscover and EWS virtual directory using IIS server interface on the exchange 2016 server.
   Remove negotiate provider from Windows Authentication.
   

 

References:

1. this is the first blog thanks to which I was able to get outlook 2016 working unfortunately only with exchange cached mode disable.
2. this is the send blog (last post have the solution) which helped me to get outlook 2016 working on the local LAN and behind the firewall as well as with or without using exchange cached mode.
3. In addition you need to have MAPI enabled on the exchange 2016 server which is the default but just in case here is the MS link with instructions.

exchange 2010 remove users emails before specific date

If user has a lot of emails which they need to delete here is a command which can help at the server end:

 

Search-Mailbox -Identity “User Name” -SearchQuery “Received:<$(’12/31/2013′)” -DeleteContent

 

ref: https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/exchange/en-US/6114adb8-7e65-46e0-b54f-704ad15ef723/command-to-delete-all-the-items-from-a-mailbox-till-a-specific-date?forum=exchange2010

exchange 2010 failed to create new GAL

error when trying to create new GAL using:

New-GlobalAddresslist “new GAL” –ConditionalCustomAttribute1 “STAFF” –IncludedRecipients “AllRecipients”

WARNING: One or more global address lists were missing from the Active Directory attribute. This is likely caused by
using legacy Exchange management tools to create global address lists.
Active Directory operation failed on server1.domain.local. This error is not retriable. Additional information: The name ref
erence is invalid.
This may be caused by replication latency between Active Directory domain controllers.
Active directory response: 000020B5: AtrErr: DSID-03152C47, #1:
0: 000020B5: DSID-03152C47, problem 1005 (CONSTRAINT_ATT_TYPE), data 0, Att 907ff (globalAddressList2)
+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (0:Int32) [New-GlobalAddressList], ADConstraintViolationException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : 8E376CCD,Microsoft.Exchange.Management.SystemConfigurationTasks.NewGlobalAddressList

 

the most likely problem is corupted entry.

This can be tested using power shell script on AD server:

---

$ad = [ADSI]"LDAP://rootDSE";
$domain = $ad.rootDomainNamingContext;
$obj = New-Object System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntry("LDAP://CN=Microsoft Exchange,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,$domain"); 

$count = 0;
$Gals1= $obj.GlobalAddressList;
foreach($g in $Gals1)
{
   $g= $g.ToString().ToLower(); 
   if($g.Contains("cn=deleted objects"))
   {
      Write-Host $g;
      $count= $count +1;  
   }
}

Write-Host "$Count corrupted GAL entries found in property GlobalAddressList";

$count = 0;
$Gals2= $obj.GlobalAddressList2;
foreach($g in $Gals2)
{  
   $g= $g.ToString().ToLower();
   if($g.Contains("cn=deleted objects"))  
   {
      Write-Host $g;          
      $count= $count +1;  
   }
}
Write-Host "$Count corrupted GAL entries found in property GlobalAddressList2";

---

you will get output something like this:

cn=default global address list\0adel:cc665233-b490-477a-a972-60fdd6d991ef,cn=deleted objects,cn=configuration,dc=domain,dc=
local
1 corrupted GAL entries found in property GlobalAddressList
0 corrupted GAL entries found in property GlobalAddressList2

If you find corrupted entries (make sure to have full system backup) you will have to remove them using ADSI edit on domain controller.

Using ADSI edit connect to configuration:

configuration\ Services\ Microsoft Exchange (right click / properties)

depending on the listed corruption look for GlobalAddressList or GlobalAddressList2 and click edit.

Remove corrupted entries.

This helped me to fix creating new GAL.

 

reference:

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/exchange/en-US/52854856-f517-4827-b3d3-3e589a422672/exchange-2010-sp-2-cant-create-second-gal?forum=exchange2010hosters

https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/3210af54-d8b4-490f-9f5f-f4fc3209d324/newglobaladdresslist-fails-ad44a06f?forum=os_exchangeprotocols&forum=os_exchangeprotocols

 

https://www.experts-exchange.com/articles/12458/Failed-to-create-New-Global-Address-List-on-Exchange-2010.html

DeployStudio workflow with auto-join Active Directory

 After creating master image create workflow with these steps:

1:

restore HDD from MacBookAir2017.hfs.dmg disk image.

 

2:

Rename computer:

 

3:

Prompt for computer name during setup

 

4:

auto join computer to MS Active Directory.

 

5:

auto join computer to Open Directory Server.

Exchange 2010 export user mailbox

 using this simple exchange powershell command:

New-MailboxExportRequest -Mailbox username -FilePath “\\server\share\username.pst”

boot to PXE server on DELL Latitude 5480

 It is important to disable safe boot and enable legacy boot.

F2 key is to enter bios

F12 key is for one time boot menu

Find email address on exchange 2010 server

 

1. Get-Recipient -Identity user@domain.com
you can use this to find user associated with a specific email address 
2. Get-Recipient -ANR user
or by using -ANR (Ambiguous Name Resolution) to find using part of a user name

Purge disconnected mailbox on exchange 2010

One option is to wait for the mailbox to be purged automatically (default 30 days)

or to use Cmdlet:

Remove-StoreMailbox -Database <mailboxDatabaseName> -Identity <DisplayName> -Mailbox

Format HDD for exchange 2016 using ReFS

windows disk management:

1. Initialize,GPT
2. Format ReFS, 64K, Quick format
3. assign drive letter: R

PowerShell: (to disable integrity streams)

1. Format-Volume -DriveLetter r -FileSystem ReFS -AllocationUnitSize 65536 -SetIntegrityStreams $false

 

Links:
http://www.careexchange.in/creating-refs-volumes-for-exchange-20132016/

https://www.veeam.com/blog/advanced-refs-integration-coming-veeam-availability-suite.html

https://www.vladan.fr/veeam-and-refs-best-practices-and-benefits/

vSphere shrink hard drive on windows OS

1. shrink HDD using windows disk management.
2. connect to host using SSH
3. turn off windows computer
4. cd /vmfs/volumes/<datastore name>/<VM foldername>
5. use cat “VM name.vmdk” (not the flat one) to make a note of the RW number#
6. calculate new size 128GB= 128 * 1024 * 1024 * 1024 /512 = 268435456
7. vi “VM name.vmdk” replace RW with the new number
8. vi edit shift I is to edit text; ESC to end editing; exit and save changes shift :x; shift:q! is to exit without changes
9. use vSphere to migrate or move VM to a temporary host (this will resize the HDD to the new size)
10. be patient depending on the HDD size it can take some time
11. verify size in temporary location using vSphere
12. move back to original location

 

Links:

https://www.experts-exchange.com/articles/12938/HOW-TO-Shrink-a-VMware-Virtual-Machine-Disk-VMDK-in-15-minutes.html

windows 2012 R2 domain AD health check

 list of simple commands to check the health of AD

1. DCs replication status (CMD):
   repadmin /showrepl
2. domain replication status (CMD):
   dcdiag /v
3. MS AD replication status tool:
   https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30005

Exchange 2010 add user permissions on other user calendar

 add-MailboxFolderPermission -Identity smith@contoso.com:\calendar -User novak@contoso.com -AccessRights Reviewer

Here is MS link with additional information: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb124097(v=exchg.160).aspx

Purple screen crash on ESXi 5.5 with Windows Server 2012 R2

 the problem seems to be in the NIC driver.

https://communities.vmware.com/message/2313523

There are two reported fixes:

1. Disable Receive-side scaling (MS article)

   1. On the virtual machine, open Device Manager (In Settings click Control Panel, and then click Device Manager).

   2. Expand Network adapters, right-click the network adapter you want to work with, and then click Properties.

   3. On the Advanced tab in the network adapter properties, locate the setting for Receive-side scaling and make sure it is disabled.

      or use powershell:

      Set-NetAdapterRSS -Name "AdapterName" -Enabled $False

       

2. Second option is to use vmxnet3 driver instead of the E1000E
   1. Inside the windows host OS make a note of all the NIC information (IP/ MASK/Gate/DNS etc.)
   2. Remove the old NIC using the vSphere console by editing the windows 2012 server host properties (if needed copy the old MAC address and after deleting the old NIC enter it to the properties of the new NIC)
   3. Using the VMWARE vSphere client edit the virtual machine and add new NIC card (make sure to select VMXNET3 as a adapter type).
   4. 
   5. Edit the new NIC properties inside the windows 2012 server host OS with the previously noted information to make the new NIC be identical to the old one.
   6. Enable the new nic and restart the windows 2012 server

 

I found some people to report that turning OFF the Receive-side scaling didn’t help.

The second option seems to be a better choice since the new VMWARE VMXNET3 driver has a better design with many improvements.

 

simple HTML page redirection

 Create page index.html (or which ever is your server default page to be loaded when you access a folder)

type:

<meta http-equiv=”refresh” content=”0;URL=’http://domain.com/page-to-be-redirected-to'” />

this way when someone opens domain.com/old-location will be redirected to domain.com/page-to-be-redirected-to