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Microsoft Related Reference Resources

Windows Servers References & Resources

Microsoft Podcasts

 

Microsoft Webcasts

 

Microsoft Virtual Labs

 

System Services for the Windows Server 2003 Family & WinXP

Sweet. It lists every core service, the ports the services run on, the user account the service runs under, service dependencies, and more (TechNet resource).

Anatomy of IPSec Policies

A .pdf document I created to help reduce the complexity of the IPSec Policy configuration dialog boxes (best used in printed format rather than online).

Windows 2000 Step-By-Step Guides

See also www.microsoft.com/technet, click on "Howto Guides", and then pick an OS. Amazing resource.

Very cool Microsoft website resource for getting hands-on experience implementing a broad range of Windows 2000 features.

Microsoft TechNet Resource Kits

Goto www.microsoft.com/technet, click on IT Resources in the left pane, click on Resource Kits, and then pick a particular Rezkit.

Win2000 and Site Link Bridges

KnowledgeBase article Q244368.

Active Directory Migration Tools 

A  document I created summarizing tools related to migration.

Active Directory Client Side Extensions for NT and Win 9.x

 

Microsoft's "Windows Technologies" site

Includes LOTS of resources, including topics on Terminal Services Resources, Clustering, Security, and more!

Terminal Services Advanced Client downloads

 

MSTerminalServices.Org/

Terminal Services reference website, articles, links, blogs, and more.

EventID.net

Website inventories Windows EventIDs.

www.microsoft.com/windows2000

 

Remote Installation Service (RIS) Related Support Tools

Available 3rd party tools.

For more info on RIS

Go to www.microsoft.com/technet, and search for a document (use quotes) entitled,
"Technical Guide to Remote Installation Services"

Fault Tolerant Boot Floppy Creation process

 

NetBIOS Suffixes (Codes)

Support.microsoft.com, Q163409.

"How to Establish NetMeeting Connections Through a Firewall", a Microsoft Knowledgebase article.

Goto support.microsoft.com, enter "Q158623" in the search box.

Browser Service Q-articles from Microsoft

Q102878 and Q188001 (Win2000).

HP and DataCenter Server (that magazine issue has other DataCenter OEMs)

Windows & .Net Magazine
June 2001, p. 31, 35, 79
InstantDoc 20704.

Blue Screen Survival Kit 

Windows & .Net Magazine
June 2001, p. 95
InstantDoc 20724.

RIS and the deployment of other OSes (beside Win2000 and WinXP)

Windows & .Net Magazine
July 2001, p. 6,1
InstantDoc 21131.

Making a Script Work as a Scheduled Task 

Windows & .Net Magazine
June 2001
InstantDoc 20769.

How to Rename Your NT Domain
Sean Daily

Windows & .Net Magazine
February 1999
InstantDoc #4784.

Same Domain, New Name
Joe Rudich
One company renames a master domain successfully

Windows & .Net Magazine
February 1999
InstantDoc #4781.

Windows Server System Reference Architecture aka WSSRA

From Microsoft, a large number of Guides (MS Word format). Click on the "Download" link.

Question:
How do I change the Recovery Console and Directory Service Restore Mode Administrator password on a domain controller?

Answer

Question:
Can I delegate a task allowing only to UNLOCK an account?

Answer:  Q294952

Question:
When I make a custom Taskpad View and Tasks and log on as the “delegated user” the icons for the Tasks don’t appear but the descriptive text does. The icons DOE APPEAR when logging on as Domain Administrator. Would it matter if this was performed on an actual DC as opposed to an administrative workstation (seems unlikely)?

Geo: post on MCT newsgroups.

Question:
What happens to a logged on user when their account is DISABLED?

Geo: post on MCT newsgroups.

Question:
What are the policy settings that only take effect on a Domain-wide basis?

 

Answer:
Password policy. Determines password settings, such as complexity, length, and lifetime.

Account lockout policy. Determines when and for how long an account will be locked out due to unsuccessful logon attempts.

Kerberos V5 policy. Determines Kerberos version 5 protocol–related settings, such as ticket lifetimes, renewal, and user logon restrictions.

Account policies are set at the default domain controller GPO, and affect all user accounts in the domain. If more than one account policy is required for groups of users, a multiple-domain Active Directory structure is necessary.

How to Recover from DHCP Database failures...

...and how to relocate the DHCP database (Windows & .Net Magazine InstantDoc 4976). There may be a similar article in the same issue regarding the WINS database.

Win2000Faq

Reference website

How to Add or Remove Windows Components with Sysocmgr.exe

Scripted component installation! See Q222444

Use Adminpak.msi to Install a Specific Server Administration Tool in Windows 2000

Scripted administration tool installation, See Q314978

Certain kinds of files will not work with Offline Cached Files or Briefcase, 

...but Q-article 252509 will allow you to change that.

Disabling the Shutdown Event Tracker

How to disable it and where it places the events recorded.

 

Group Policy

The Group Policy Center

A resource website for Group Policy, at www.GroupPolicy.biz.

Group Policy Settings Reference for Windows 2003 Server (also includes Win2000 and WinXP policy settings.

The link will take one to a Microsoft site where one can download an Excel sheet of available Group Policy settings, where they're found, and more! If the link doesn't work then select the light blue text and do a search at www.microsoft.com/downloads.

Some info on Group Policy Loopback Processing

Found at the Group Policy "Wiki".

Several Microsoft Knowledgebase articles on Software Repackaging and Group Policy

Q231747, How to publish non-MSI programs with .zap files

Q257718, Create Third-Party Microsoft Installer Package (MSI)

Q264478, Disadvantages of Repackaging Applications

Group Policy resources

GPAnswers website by Microsoft MVP Jeremy Moskovitz

GPOGuy website.

How to add XP GPO settings to a Win2K domain

Notice this must be repeated for each applicable GPO!

   

 

Windows XP References & Resources

Microsoft official Windows XP website

Also find links to add-ons like MovieMaker, and other valuable downloads.

MSFN.org's "Creating the ultimate Unattended XP CD"

This guide shows how to slipstream additional components and perform a bunch of fancy tricks.

Which XP version do you need? Home? Tablet? Pro? 

See this Microsoft article.

Microsoft Press

A number of WinXP Pro related books are available!

WinXP News

Valuable website and newsletter

WUGNet Top Downloads

 

The smallest WinXP computer known

The size of a deck of playing cards

User State Migration reference articles (found at Microsoft Support)

Q312965
Q321197 (also click on the link at the bottom of the article)

How to change Taskbar Grouping in WinXP

Q281628

A "Windows & .Net Magazine (www.winnetmag.com) article on Disk Imaging for WinXP

Go to June 2003 WinNetMag and enter  InstantDoc 38950.

See also Microsoft Knowledgebase article Q302577 for SysPrep switches.

All Windows XP Newsgroups (browser-based)

 

Changing the location of the Offline File Cache

use the CACHEMOV (requires the Windows 2000 Resource Kit Companion CD) or CSCCMD tools:

Q884739

Q216581

 

Windows Server 2008 Links (& R2)

Windows Server 2008 R2 Editions and Edition Comparison links

many Edition comparison links.

Free eBook "Introducing Windows Server 2008 R2"

An MSPress book by Charlie Russel and Craig Zacker.

Digitally Signing PowerShell Scripts

by Scott Hanzelman.

Known Issues for Installing or Removing AD DS

A Microsoft TechNet resource.

Windows Server 2008 Step by Step Guides

A Microsoft resource, 27 downloadable Word documents.

Server 2008 Performance and Reliability Monitor

Found at www.ComputerPerformance.co.uk.

A gnarly URL.

Some facts on the Windows Internal Database Instance

The instance name is "Microsoft##SSEE".

Another gnarly URL.

Server Core Installation Option of Windows Server 2008 Step-By-Step Guide
 

 

Step-by Step Guides for Implementing NAP

 

NAP FAQ

A Microsoft TechNet resource.

Network Access Protection Design Guide

A Microsoft TechNet resource.

NAP in Windows XP SP3

From "The Lazy Admin" blog/website

Should You Use Windows Server Backup?
Learn to work with the limitations of NTBackup's replacement in Server 2008.

Windows IT Pro InstantDoc #100683.

Server 2008 Wireless Security

Windows IT Pro InstantDoc #98796.

Boot Directly from an iSCSI SAN

Windows IT Pro (April 2009) InstantDoc #101410.

Active Directory Federation Services homepage

 

Active Directory Rights Management Services homepage

 

Windows Server 2008 R2 Features poster

From Microsoft Downloads.

Should You Use Windows Server (2008) Backup? Windows IT Pro InstantDoc #100683, by Orin Thomas. Weighs the pros and cons of Windows Backup compared to NTBACKUP.exe.

Don't forget to spy the other links listed at the end of the article.

Enabling 802.11i Wireless Security with Windows Servers

Windows IT Pro InstantDoc #98796 (Feb. 2009), by Tom Carpenter.

 

 

Vista Links

Microsoft TechNet resource.

Microsoft TechNet resource.

Windows IT Pro InstantDoc #102240 (Aug. 2009), by Mark Minasi.

From PaulSpoerry.com.

From MSDN. Introduces some new Vista control panel applications.

   

 

Windows 7 Links

See my shortcuts links elsewhere...

...which includes some Win7 specific shortcuts.

Installing Windows 7 from a USB stick

A blog entry from Christian Muggli in Switzerland.

"Deploying Windows 7: Essential Guidance from the Windows 7 Resource Kit"

Free eBook, 332 pages.

An Introduction to AppLocker

From WindowsNetworking.com by Brien Posey. A multi-part series with comparison to Software Restriction Policies (SRP) and the weaknesses of SRP.

AppLocker walkthrough video

From TechNet, 5 minutes.

Free Windows 7 Deployment eBook

Linked to from "The Data Doctor".

The Complete Windows 7 Shortcuts eBook

From TheWindowsClub.com by Nitin Agarwal

Windows 7 Upgrade Tool for Netbooks

From InfoWorld.com, by Gregg Keizer.

It talks about putting the Windows 7 .iso file on a flash drive so that you can upgrade a Netbook

   

 

 

Encrypting File System (EFS) Links

Using EFSInfo.exe to Determine Information About Encrypted Files

Q243026.

Methods for Recovering Encrypted Data Files

Q255742.

Best Practices for Encrypting File System

Q223316.

HOW TO: Back Up Your Encrypting File System Private Key in Windows 2000

Q241201.

 

PowerShell References & Resources

Free PowerShell eBook A 567 page eBook written by Dr. Tobias Weltner.

PowerShell 101,

Lesson 1, How to GET - What You Need to Create Basic PowerShell Commands (Instant Doc #97742)

Lesson 2, How to Handle Long PowerShell statements
(Instant Doc #97958)
and  #97959 (How to Create Pipelines)

By Robert Sheldon at Windows IT Pro Magazine.


Articles in January 2008 and February 2008.

Many additional articles are referenced in the "Learning Path" section of the article and on the website.

   
   
   

 

 

Miscellaneous

Decommission Old Computers with CIPHER (Instant Doc #97958)

By Mark Minasi at Windows IT Pro Magazine.

 

See also "Darik's Boot & Nuke" at SourceForge.

 

Windows Media website

Download the player and add-ons.

Windows Terminal Services (& RDP) - Modifying the listening port

 

The product "CIA Commander" allows one to reset the Administrator password from a floppy.

From the hyperlink, choose products, and select CIA Commander. A demo is available!

Install Shield and Admin Studio

These are commercial, industrial grade ".msi" repackaging utilities (and more).

Network Monitor 3.3 is available (April 2009).
 

Network Monitor 3.3 availability announcement from the NetMon product group.

 

And here's a multipart series of NetMon articles entitled "Working with Network Monitor" found at WindowsNetworking.com

 

NetMon 3.3 is available free of charge!

 

You can see a pic of the development team, and the article describes what's new!

 

 

 

 

WinInstall .msi repackaging utility

Once held by Seagate Software, then Veritas Software, and now by OnDemand software. Don't forget to download the WinInstall2003 LE for free!

AppDeploy.com

A website devoted to providing resources for application repackaging.

DNS self-pace training .iso available from Microsoft

See Q330511, it's a downloadable that turns into an .iso you burn to a CDROM. Recommended by my colleague, Max Ettinger.

University of Michigan's Windows Services site

See the Windows/AD/PKI architecture of U of M!

ADModify.NET

A Microsoft Product Support Services tool for modifying Active Directory in bulk

Method to distribute Custom MMCs management console(s) with Snap-in modules...

Actually, this article provides a method for installing only one or more specific MMC snap-in modules. You would then use a repackaging to deploy the custom MMC that uses the specific snap-in.

See Q314978.

Daniel Petri's very nifty MCSEWorld

Specific links at Daniel's site:

Windows reference site, including stuff on resetting various admin passwords!

Reanimating = Restoring tombstoned objects. I lose some attribute values.

Restoring = using a System State authoritative restore.

Reanimating Tombstoned Active Directory Objects

A TechNet Magazine resource.

Note, this is not the same as an Authoritative Restore of Active Directory objects.

IPv6 Resources

Microsoft's IPv6 homepage

 

Introduction to IPv6
(90+ page whitepaper, Word document)

 

IPv6 Transition Strategies
(also a large Word document)

 

IPv6 Address Types

A Microsoft TechNet reference.

 

 

 

 

IPv6 Troubleshooting

March 2005 TechNet article from "The Cable Guy".

Source and Destination Address Selection for IPv6

February 2006 TechNet article from "The Cable Guy".

Teredo Overview

A TechNet reference.

IPv6 Unique Local Addresses [OLAs]: The Rant

A presentation from NANOG (North American Network Operators Group) Meeting 40.

   

Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool

From Microsoft's "Online Crash Analysis" (OCA) website. This utility runs from a bootable startup.

WMI Overview

A Microsoft TechNet reference.

WMI conforms to standards overseen by the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF) which has roots in Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM).

How to Implement RADIUS Logging to a SQL Server

An MDSN reference, complete with stored procedure / T-SQL code.

WSUS Wiki

What's New in WSUS from the WSUSWiki.com

What's New in WSUS 3.0?

A TechNet reference.

Using NSLookup.exe

A Microsoft Support reference.