In Windows 7, when you access the control panel window from the Start Menu, by default you open the window using the Category view, and what you see is a shortened list of possible actions you can do from the Control Panel screen.
You can change the view to Icons to get a longer list, but [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Microsoft'
Display All Available Action Options in the Windows Control Panel
October 5th, 2011 · No Comments · Microsoft
It’s Almost the End of the Line for Windows XP
October 3rd, 2011 · No Comments · Microsoft
As systems and market demands continue to require better productivity and efficiency, it only follows that the software that businesses use also needs to upgrade sooner or later. Such is the case with Windows XP, which Microsoft will stop issuing support for in 2014.
Part of using any sort of software is the inevitable need to [...]
Cool Tool Friday: Windows Security Essentials
September 30th, 2011 · No Comments · Dallas Data Center, Microsoft, Security
Welcome to this week’s installment of our new feature, Cool Tool Friday! Each Friday we will feature a tool – hardware or software – that we’re using and think you might enjoy. Whether it increases productivity, helps with organization, provides a quick work-around for difficult networking situations, or is simply interesting and fun, we’ll share [...]
Tags: Antivirus·Cool Tool Friday·cool tools·Microsoft·Security·Windows
Cloud Email Using Google Apps and Microsoft Office
September 27th, 2011 · No Comments · Cloud, Cloud Computing, Microsoft
For companies interested in trying out cloud-based services, email may be something worth trying. Here’s a breakdown of two options from two industry giants that may be worth considering.
Google Apps
Google Apps is a service from Google that started in 2006, with the introduction of Gmail—a hosted email service, and which later incorporated other apps such [...]
New Scam: Fake CS Call from Microsoft
September 21st, 2011 · No Comments · Microsoft, Security
You have to give it to scammers for constantly finding new ways to victimize people. One such new scam has been making the rounds recently, and more than a few people have fallen for it. This particular modus operandi involves a person calling you claiming to be from Microsoft customer support, and insisting that you [...]
Watch for Malware Disguised as Windows Help Files (.hlp)
September 19th, 2011 · No Comments · Microsoft, Security
Viruses and other malicious software contained in simple help files are not news to Internet security specialists. However, the fact that these pieces of malware are sent using email messages is part of a more recent scheme by cybercriminals to fool unsuspecting victims, infect computers with malicious applications, and take over users’ virtual lives, according [...]
Setting up Exchange 2010 Database Availability Groups from the Shell
September 15th, 2011 · No Comments · Microsoft, Servers
For you Exchange admins out there, I’m sure you’ve already been around the block on the Exchange 2010 Database Availability Group (DAG) concept. It’s the first version of Exchange that allows you to have database-level failovers instead of server-level failovers. A fantastic four-part article breaking down everything you’ve ever wanted to know about DAGs can [...]
Need to Increase Your Server OS Volume? Make Sure Your OS Allows It
September 12th, 2011 · No Comments · Microsoft, Servers
We recently had a customer call us because they needed to expand the OS volume on their server. One of their applications was installed on the boot volume and the data files for the application were rapidly growing. However, the server was using Windows Server 2003 which, though it allows you to expand the data volume, will [...]
Cool Tool Friday: WinDirStat
September 9th, 2011 · No Comments · Dallas Data Center, Microsoft
Welcome to this week’s installment of our new feature, Cool Tool Friday! Each Friday we will feature a tool – hardware or software – that we’re using and think you might enjoy. Whether it increases productivity, helps with organization, provides a quick work-around for difficult networking situations, or is simply interesting and fun, we’ll share [...]
“Cookiejacking” Discovered in Internet Explorer
September 8th, 2011 · No Comments · Microsoft, Security
While Microsoft’s Internet Explorer continues to enjoy a wide audience – businesses included – a new flaw has been discovered in the browser. Called “cookiejacking”, the flaw allows hackers to access passwords and other personal information stored in any cookie from any website.
Despite a few flaws, Internet Explorer remains one of the most commonly used [...]
New Windows Worm ‘Morto’ Exploits Weak Passwords
September 1st, 2011 · No Comments · Microsoft, Security
From SECNAP Alerts:
A new Windows worm is working its way through company networks by taking advantage of weak passwords, security researchers said over the weekend. The worm, dubbed “Morto” by Microsoft and Helsinki-based F-Secure, has been circulating since at least last week, when company administrators noticed systems generating large numbers of unexplained connections to the [...]
Tags: Microsoft·Passwords·Security·Vulnerability·Windows·worm
Cool Tool Friday: Windows Problem Steps Recorder
August 5th, 2011 · No Comments · Managed Services, Microsoft
Welcome to this week’s installment of our new feature, Cool Tool Friday! Each Friday we will feature a tool – hardware or software – that we’re using and think you might enjoy. Whether it increases productivity, helps with organization, provides a quick work-around for difficult networking situations, or is simply interesting and fun, we’ll share it [...]
Tags: Cool Tool Friday·cool tools·Microsoft·Problem Steps Recorder·Windows
Cool Tool Friday: “Desktops”
July 29th, 2011 · No Comments · Microsoft, Uncategorized
Welcome to our new weekly feature: Cool Tool Friday! Each Friday we will feature a tool – hardware or software – that we’re using and think you might enjoy. Whether it increases productivity, helps with organization, provides a quick work-around for difficult networking situations, or is simply interesting and fun, we’ll share it if we think [...]
Portable Internet Browsers: Bring Your Settings With You
July 22nd, 2011 · No Comments · Microsoft
As support engineers, we are often called upon to work at an end-user PC under the user’s profile, or under a local administrative account. Naturally, these profiles will not have bookmarks, stored login information, popup blocker settings, and various other browser settings that make tech support easier. Customizing the profile for your needs on one [...]
Microsoft Releases Updates to Address Vulnerabilities in Windows, Office
July 15th, 2011 · No Comments · Microsoft, Security
Released: July 12, 2011
Source: US-CERT (U.S. Computer Emergency Response Team)
The Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for July 2011 describes multiple vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows and Office. A remote, unauthenticated attacker could execute arbitrary code, cause a denial of service, or gain unauthorized access to your files or system.
Microsoft has provided updates for these vulnerabilities in the [...]
Tags: Microsoft·Office·Security·updates·Vulnerabilities·Windows
New Malware Hides in Master Boot Record, Fools Cleaning Attempts
July 1st, 2011 · No Comments · Microsoft, Security
Microsoft is telling Windows users that they’ll have to reinstall the operating system if they get infected with a new rootkit that hides in the machine’s boot sector.
A new variant of a Trojan Microsoft calls “Popureb” digs so deeply into the system that the only way to eradicate it is to return Windows to its [...]
Fixing an Exchange Mail Flow Error
June 29th, 2011 · No Comments · Managed Services, Microsoft, Servers
We recently encountered an issue with a customer who could no longer receive external emails in their Exchange environment. After some digging, we determined that the SMTP service on the Exchange server was not communicating with Exchange due to corruption of the SMTP configuration.
To determine if this is the cause of a problem you’re encountering, [...]
Fake ‘Microsoft Update’ Malware Affecting Firefox
June 16th, 2011 · No Comments · Microsoft, Security
From SECNAP Alerts:
A ‘phony antivirus’ scam is presenting itself as a near-perfect Microsoft Update popup with one notable exception—it appears only on machines using Firefox browsers.
According to the Naked Security blog, machines infected in drive-by downloads from compromised sites receive the scareware, which appears as an urgent Microsoft Update notification.
The clue that the updates are [...]
Microsoft Issues Internet Explorer 9.01 Update with Critical Security Fixes
June 15th, 2011 · No Comments · Microsoft, Security
From SECNAP Alerts:
June 15, 2011 – Microsoft is addressing many of these security issues in one fell swoop, with the newly released IE 9.01, its June Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer. This update is available, as of yesterday, via Windows Update, according to a new post on the IE blog.
The security fixes in this [...]
Getting Around the Windows Server Session Limit
May 25th, 2011 · No Comments · Microsoft, Servers
Windows Server provides two Terminal Services connections to the server for management. However, if someone disconnects from the server without logging out, these connections remain active and can prevent an administrator from logging in if no sessions are available.
In Windows Server 2003, the /console switch could be used to open a special connection, Session 0, bypassing [...]