Category: Windows

How to remove WIndows.old folder

Published on in Windows, Windows Server by Elvis

After Microsoft Windows OS (desktop and server) is upgraded, we can see the folder Windows.old. I agree that this folder in some cases can be very useful, but in most cases it’s only a “bed history residue” and most of us want to remove it. In the desktop operating systems is easy to do this, but in server systems seems that this functionality is missing.
So, it is not true, we just have to install it. Here is the step-by-step guide how we can do that in Windows Server 2012R2 (it is very similar in Server 2012):

Open Server manager and in dashboard click on Add Roles and Features. On installation type select Role-Based or feature-based installation.

Step1

Select the desired server from the server pool.

Step2

Select Next on Server Roles and in the Features step check Desktop Experience under User Interfaces and Infrastructure.

Step3

Finish the installation, reboot the server and open This PC (My computer). Right click on C disk and select Properties. Now there is the Disk Cleanup button like on desktop operating systems. Click on it.

Step4

After the disk cleanup process will finish, you will be able to see a lot of file categories to clean, but there are no system files from the old installation. To discover this type of files, you have to click on Clean up system files.

Step5

After this process will finish, you will be able to see all old windows installation files. At this point you have to select them and click on OK.

Step6

This will remove all old windows installations and system will looks clean, but before you delete old windows installations be sure, that everything is working with the new OS. After this step it is not possible to go back..

Unable to setup Default Printer, error message: 0X00000709

Published on in Windows by Elvis

In my environments, in few cases, I had the strange problem with installing and defining a default printer. The situation was, that I was perfectly able to install a printer, but I received a strange error: Unable to setup Default Printer, error message: 0X00000709. My first action was trying to set one of the other printers as a default one, but the error persisted. Then I tried to analyze why and I had a strange result. The nature of the problem was in the registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows. The error is that it is not possible to change the value of the key Device.
The solution of this problem is to make possible changing the value of the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows registry key (in my case it was Read only for all the listed accounts). After I changed the permissions to modify, I was able to define the default printer.

Hope, that I helps someone..

Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012R2 is coming

Published on in Essentials Server, Windows, Windows Server by Elvis

As you can see also on TechNet’s blog, the operating systems Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012R2 will became available on October 18. On this date will be also available Windows Server Essentials 2012R2, which is designed for small companies. As in all other OS, also in Essentials there are many upgraded or new functionalities (very nice and very cool). I will publish my top-ten new features in few days.
You can also download the Windows 8.1 product guide here..

Windows XP and Exchange 2013 connectivity

Published on in Exchange Server, Windows by Elvis

If you have the environment with Windows XP + Office 2007 or 2010 and Exchange 2013, you can expect some problems from the beginning. There is a problem because computers with Windows XP will not be able to connect to the new Exchange server. The nature of the problem is simple: Windows XP looks at the certificate using only the first SAN, but the internal name of Exchange is not in this line. This is the reason of the problem. Now, what can we do to solve the problem? In this situation, we can adopt two possible solutions:

  1. We can force Exchange to use a determinate certificate for internal AutoDiscover. This is simple to do with one PowerShell command: Set-OutlookProvider EXPR -CertPrincilalName:”msstd:mail.company.com” (mail.company.com is the name of your certificate).
  2. We can internally publish OutlookAnywhere with the same name as the external. Set the Authentication method for External clients to NTLM or Basic. In this case, you have to configure properly also the internal DNS servers, because this address must be available also from the internal network.

 

 .

About malware…

Published on in Management, Windows, Windows SBS Server, Windows Server by Elvis

Frequently someone asks me for an advice which antivirus use, how to protect from the “viruses” and similar things. For this reason, I have decided to say some words about this on my blog.
A good antivirus software it is not all you need, above all, you need to control yourself. You have to avoid browsing on some not good internet pages, you have to avoid to install all software that you think “maybe will be useful”, in other words, work with computer responsibly and think of what can happen in advice.
Finally, think about all devices, that you have. It is not good to say “it is only tablet or phone”. This type of thinking has as a result a 614% grow of malware on Android devices in a year!
Also for the computer think what is going on. Now there is a Trojan malware where you have to answer on a survey!
And on “The Question” which antivirus software is good, I always avoid the response. The reason is simple: everyone of us has personal preferences and thinking. As a result of this, it is impossible to give the perfectly correct answer, but you can find Antivirus software tests here. This can give you a good view to find the right software..