Forcing GAL updates on both Exchange and Outlook

To update gal on Outlook

go to send / receive tab à Send/Receive Groups à Download address book

wish it was more obvious

To update gal on Exchange (not recommended unless absolutely necessary)

1.  open exchange system manager
2. navigate Exchange org name --> Recipients --> offline address list. right click on default offline address list and click on rebuild

use it with caution!

What to do when hyper-v (VM) gets stuck

What to do when hyper-v (VM) gets stuck

big thanks to
http://www.petri.co.il/get-hyper-v-virtual-machine-process-id-and-guid.htm

I just faced a problem today where a VM refused to turn off (user did a dirty snapshot of a machine and it was in an odd error state).

I did not want to bring down the entire server, nor did I want to hard turn off all machines (restarting hyper-v service will do that).

Each hyper-v VMs are a process on their own. Therefore you can shut each of their process down manually if things do not go the way you expected.

1.       Open up powershell with elevated rights (run as admin

2.       Type the following
Get-WmiObject -Namespace root\virtualization -class msvm_computersystem | select elementname, operationalstatus, processid, name| ft –auto

3.       Write down the Process ID

4.       Go to task manager à processes  and end the corresponding PID
Note: make sure its called “VMWP.EXE”

5.       The VM will automatically reboot.

finding the root cause of an account lockout

finding the root cause of an account lockout

I had an interesting case today where a user repeatedly got locked out even after

1.       Unlocking the user

2.       Resetting the password

3.       Resetting the password to the older password a user used to use

4.       Shutting down all of the machines the user was using at the moment

This did not fix the issue. In order to track what service is sending the user’s malicious password, I did the following:

1.       Turn on debug logging for the Net Logon service on the domain controller. 
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/109626

Note: This method cannot work on other DC’s as any bad password request is automatically forwarded to the domain controller with “PDC Emulator Role”
Warning: this will take up alot of the resources on the DC, so you have to be careful

2.       Reset the user’s password and unlocked the user.

3.       Wait around 10 minutes

4.       Navigate to C:\Windows\Debug and locate the file called netlogon.log

5.       Look for the username by doing ctrl+F

In this particular case, the user was not even logged on the computer. it was a network drive the user mapped for another user's session.  hope i don't have to do this again!!

To see multiple different things that can cause automatic lock out, see the article below

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc773155.aspx

thanks,

Rocky

Installing Clean Windows 8 on Samsung 700T

Installing Clean Windows 8 on Samsung 700T

I had significant issues with 700T when I originally did an inplace upgrade of 700T. I went from Windows 7 to Windows 8 Developer Preview.  It caused the tablet to crash constantly even after driver updates and all the possible windows update.

determined to do a clean install, I downloaded:

1. Windows USB Boot Tool
   http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool
2. Windows 8 Release Preview ISO
   http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/release-preview

I used the above tool to install windows 8. First problem i hit was that I wasnt even able to boot from USB. the thing is, I couldn't even figure out hot to get to the bios! there is no Post on these tablet things.  So thats why I am posting tips and tricks on something so simple.

Checklist 

1. Boot into BIOS
2. Enable legacy USB from bios
3. plug in the usb keyboard
4. change the boot order.
5. unplug keyboard and plug the USB stick in
6. install Win 8
7. Unpluge after the initial installation is done (important)
8. continue with setup

Legend

note that with the slate, you can use the volume keys + other buttons to adjust certain bios settings.

  

Details

1. Boot into Bios

While holding down the windows button (menu button?), press the power button.  the tablet should be able to boot into the BIOS immediately.  you may get the prompt to choose your boot options first. if that is the case, use your volume button to select setup and press the screen lock button to select.

what you may see first

BIOS screen

2. Enable legacy USB from bios

I couldn't get my generic dell keyboard to work with the tablet initially (you will need it to change boot order).  hold down the screen lock button and press on the volume button to select the advanced tab. change the Legacy USB support from "disabled" to "enabled".  I enabled other settings just because i was frustrated.

5!                                                                              "three sir!"

 

3! plug in the usb keyboard

4. change the boot order.

Repeat step 1 and get to the BIO again, this time select the Boot tab and you will be able to change your boot order via your keyboard

The rest can be done by following my earlier guide.  you will have to unplug your USB after the first initial reboot, or else you will contine to come back to the intial setup screen over and over again :0)

enjoy!

Windows 8 Developer Preview Installation

Installing Windows 8 Developer Preview is (not surprisingly) very similar to Windows 7 installation.  Here is a step by step for those who are not familiar with Windows 7 installation

Windows 8's new UI introduces some elements that are kind of hard to understand at first.  Here is a simplified guide for Windows 8  here

Before you begin:

1. Go to http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/br229516 
2. Download the appropriate iso for windows 8 (I downloaded the regular 64bit)
3. burn the iso to a DVD.  (go here if you need help with that)
4. Restart the computer

Installation DVD will load all necessary files

the new loading screen is very pretty and windows phone

Unless you want another language, hit Next

Click Install Now

Click I accept  and then Click Next

Click on Custom (Advanced)

Click on Advanced

Click "New"

Click Apply

Click OK

Click Next

Easy as that!

After everything is installed, it is going as you to set up accounts, you may skip it.  I just logged in with my hotmail account

The new UI takes a little bit of getting used to

If you need more details, let me know and I will update accordingly.
So far, I have successfully added the machine to the domain.

Boot Time of Windows 8
Hardware: Dell D630
Memory: 2GB
Processor: Pentium M