WindowsServer

Server 2016 – How to display Defender GUI

With Windows Server 2016, Microsoft integrated the Microsoft Defender service into the operating system. This built-in antivirus is now running constantly but it does not have the Defender GUI installed by default. If you want to activate the graphical user interface on the server, this can be done using Windows Server Manager or Powershell cmdlet.

Windows Defender GUI

Windows Defender GUI

Let’s see how to activate or disable the Windows Defender Graphical interface:

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Active Directory 2012

Active Directory – Get Last logon using Powershell

During an Active Directory migration, I needed to do an inventory of the computers to migrate. Because some computers do not exist anymore but not removed from Active Directory. I created a Powershell script based on the Last Logon Timestamp property.

CSV file from the script

CSV file from the script

This powershell script creates a CSV file with the computer name, the last logon property and the operating system. Some domains were based on Windows Server 2003 or 2008, I could not use Active Directory commandlets, so I used the LDAP Search.

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SQL Server

SQL Server 2014 – How to change the Product Key

Sometimes, you may need to change the product key, the license, of an existing SQL Server installation.  This can happen if you installed the product in Evaluation mode or if you want to upgrade to Enterprise from Standard edition. Fortunately, this modification does not require to uninstall and reinstall SQL Server. It can be done using Setup Wizard.

SQL Server Product Key

SQL Server Product Key

But, you may not have the Product Key displayed in your msdn subscription portal.  It can be find in the .iso file that you downloaded from the website.

Let’s see how to do that:

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WindowsServer

Server 2012 – Import Windows 10 ADMX GPO

For each product, like Windows or Office,  Microsoft introduces new features or new configuration options. All of these can be managed using Group Policy Object (GPO) but you must get the latest policy definitions if you want set the new options. For exemple, with Windows Server 2012 R2, you need to import Windows 10 ADMX in order to manage it by GPO.

Windows 10 ADMX with Server 2012

Windows 10 ADMX with Server 2012

Let’s see how to import ADMX file for Group Policy Object.

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WindowsServer

Server 2012 – Customize Access Denied on shared folder

If you manage one or several file servers in your infrastructure, you may have the will to customize the Access Denied error message displayed to users. This feature can be used since Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012. It is called Access-Denied Assistance.

Access Denied Custom Message

Access Denied Custom Message

Access-Denied Assistance can be useful if you want to simplify the process to grant  folder permissions to users. Sometime, the user does not know the full path, neither rights needed.

With Access-Denied Assistance, shared folder administrator will receive an email with all information required. No more call for user access.

Let’s see how to do that with Server 2012 R2.

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WindowsServer

Server 2012 – Deny file extensions on shared folders

If you manage one or several file servers in your infrastructure, you may have the will to prevent users to paste files with specific extensions. This behavior can be motivated because you don’t have enough storage for big files or for security reasons. Moreover, if you use DFSR to replicate shared folder to another site, you don’t want to block the bandwidth with a movie replication.

Microsoft Windows Server included a role which provide us the ability to manage files on shared folder: File Server Resource Manager (FSRM).

File Server Resource Manager FSRM

File Server Resource Manager FSRM

In order to block, deny some file extensions, we need to install and configure this role. Let’s see how to do that with Server 2012 R2.

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SCCM

SCCM 2012 – Set Geographic Location

Do you know that you can easily display a World Map of your servers location with System Center Configuration Manager 2012?

This feature is built in with SCCM, and it lets you to quickly have a look on the health of your infrastructure. Moreover, some managers like to have this map available for project presentation.

SCCM Server World Map

SCCM Server World Map

In this post, I set the location for one Primary server, but you can do it for all Primary and Secondary sites. Let’s see how to do that:

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WindowsServer

Server 2012 – IPAM failed on provisioning

If you try to setup IPAM, you can get an error during the provisioning IPAM server step.

“Provisioning IPAM has failed. Check inner exception for more details. Some or all identity references could not be translated”

IPAM Provisioning failed

IPAM Provisioning failed

This error is raised because you try to provision it on a Domain Controller. By design IPAM can not be installed on a DC.
On Technet, Microsoft writes:

An IPAM server is a domain member computer.

ImportantImportant
You cannot install the IPAM feature on an Active Directory domain controller.

More

You could get more information here.

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WindowsServer

WSIM – Cannot create catalog file

I had a issue with Windows System Image Manager (WSIM) when I tried to create a catalog from Windows 8.1 WIM file. Even if it was start with full Administrator rights, I got this error:

“Cannot obtain read/write access for … In order to generate a catalog file, you must have read/write access to the Windows image file and its containing folder.”

WSIM Can not create catalog

WSIM Cannot obtain read/write access

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