Windows

Windows Server WSUS Application Pool IIS Advanced Settings

WsusPool keeps crashing: stops again and again

Is Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) slow or is WSUSPool application pool constantly crashing or restarting? Are client computers checking for Windows Update erroring out with code 0x80244021? This indicates the client is unable to reach WSUS. Here is how to improve Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) availability.

Windows Server

How to disable SMBv1 in Windows 10 and Windows Server

Disable SMBv1 in Windows Server & Windows 10 to prevent prevent Petya/NotPetya, WannaCry/WanaCrypt0r ransomware spreading through networks. The virus exploits a vulnerability in Windows Server Message Block (SMB) version 1 (SMBv1), and it spreads like wildfire.

PowerShell

How to detect ethernet network speed in Windows

Detect the ethernet network speed using PowerShell or WMI is perfect for Windows Server Core. If you ever need to lookup the speed of your ethernet network card in Windows, on the command-line, use one of the following WMIC commands on your PowerShell prompt

Windows Server SSH port forwarding in PuTTY

Tunnel RDP through SSH & PuTTY

How to tunnel Remote Desktop (RDP) over ssh with PuTTY? Tunneling RDP over ssh comes in handy when the destination RDP port is blocked on a firewall and you need to perform remote administration on Windows Server. So here is how to set up a RDP SSH tunnel in Linux and Windows (with PuTTY).

Windows Server Deploy Software through WDS

Software deployment through WDS

In my environment, I had to set up a new Windows Deployment Services (WDS) configuration for Windows 8.1 Enterprise. To roll out in our office (some 20+ workstations). I wanted to install some additional software at the same time, without using Microsoft Deployment Workbench (using FirstLogonCommands), because I find the interface too slow. The solution? Read on…

GNU Linux MONIT - Barking at daemons. Monit is a small Open Source utility for managing and monitoring Unix systems. Monit conducts automatic maintenance and repair and can execute meaningful causal actions in error situations.

Monit monitoring on Ubuntu 14.04 VM on Hyper-V

Set up a Monit monitoring service for your websites and services. Monit is a free and open source service monitoring application which can perform various event-based actions. Monit can send email notifications, restart a service or application, or take other responsive actions. We set Monit up on a Ubuntu 14.04 VM, built on Hyper-V. And we use Monit to monitor several websites, and send out notifications on downtime.

Windows Server DOSBox, play old games

How to play old games on Windows with DOSBox

PC retrogaming how-to for 64-bit Windows – and Linux! We all love old games. It’s a nostalgia thing from when we played those really old games on our 286 (or older, like an MSX) computer, either using floppy disks or cassettes/cartridges. There is nothing much sysadmin about this, it’s all about FUN! You all remember Airborne Ranger, Operation Wolf, Blues Brothers, Gunboat and The Lost Vikings, right?

WordPress

Minify JavaScript, CSS and compress images

Optimizing, minify and compressing JavaScript and CSS files, the easy and fast way? With YUI Compressor on the Windows-, Linux- and macOS command line of course! Compacting HTML, CSS, and JavaScript can speeds up your website because of smaller and faster downloads, parsing, and execution time. Fire-and-forget JavaScript and CSS minification and optimization

Web application security

Test SMTP Authentication and StartTLS

Investigate SMTP authentication issues like a boss! Particular over TLS encrypted SMTP connections, it’s always handy if you are able to test the SMTP authentication and StartTLS connection. Preferably from your command line. This post shows you how to test SMTP servers, create base64 encoded logon information, verify SMTP authentication over an opportunistic TLS connection, all from the Linux and Windows command line using OpenSSL.

Windows Server

Forfiles: How to delete files recursively on Windows Server

Delete files recursively with Forfiles on Windows Server. The Forfiles command on Windows selects and executes a command on a file or set of files. Forfiles is ideal for batch processing through scripts: you can run a command on or pass arguments to multiple files. For example, you delete files recursive if files are older than ‘n’ days.

Windows Server Windows Live Essentials repaired successfully

Windows Live Mail error 0x80041161 (Fix)

After not using Windows Live Mail for quite some time, it gave me an error code 0x80041161. This Windows Live Mail error can have several different reasons, like corrupt files or services that aren’t started, not easing the task of identifying the cause. Read on to learn how to fix this Windows Live Mail error 0x80041161…

Windows Server

Failed Request Tracing error LOG FILE MAX SIZE TRUNCATE

Failed Request Tracing error LOG FILE MAX SIZE TRUNCATE. The maximum size of an FREB log file, in IIS 7+, is 512 KB per default. Once that size is reached, the log file is cut off (truncated) and a message LOG_FILE_MAX_SIZE_TRUNCATE is logged. Use AppCmd.exe to increase the maximum size for failed request logs.