Determine the Windows release version from the build version

With Windows 10 21H2 and Windows 11 initial release the release version is marked as 2009 in the registry. The Windows product group left the release version at the 2009 level for backwards compatibility. To test use the powershell command $(Get-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\').releaseid On Windows 10 21H2 and Window 11 intial release it will … Continue reading Determine the Windows release version from the build version

How to control or stop Windows 11 assignments in Intune

With the general availability of Windows 11 organizations might be looking at ways to ensure devices are NOT automatically upgrading to Windows 11 or looking to upgrade only selected devices. This blog will look at how to achieve this by utilizing Intune. Note. This blog assumes that you are managing Updates via Intune and does … Continue reading How to control or stop Windows 11 assignments in Intune

Intune – “Steps for Windows 10 Automated MDM Enrollment into Microsoft Intune”

Business Case I recently had a scenario at a customer where we needed to very quickly enroll machines into Intune but in an automated way without user intervention. After a few days of testing and troubleshooting please find my tips below. In the current scenario Co-Management has already been set up in MEMCM. This is … Continue reading Intune – “Steps for Windows 10 Automated MDM Enrollment into Microsoft Intune”

Infrastructure – System Center Configuration Manager – “Deploying applications with the PowerShell Application Deployment Toolkit”

The Issue Recently I was posed a question where a customer wanted their users to experience a more advanced or informative when software gets installed. They also required that data be saved so that users work are not affected. Requirements: The Mimecast for Outlook add in had to be installed (This requires Outlook to close) … Continue reading Infrastructure – System Center Configuration Manager – “Deploying applications with the PowerShell Application Deployment Toolkit”

Field Notes: Access denied when removing Active Directory integrated DNS Zones

With Windows Server 2008 R2 reaching end of life in January 2020, many organizations have been migrating their workloads to Windows Server 2016 or newer.  This period is also an opportunity for some to decommission and consolidate domains to reduce complexities where possible.  I posted about an upgrade blocker when the File Replication Service is … Continue reading Field Notes: Access denied when removing Active Directory integrated DNS Zones

Field Notes: A quick tip on DFSR Automatic Recovery while you prepare for an AD domain upgrade

With Windows Server 2008 R2 reaching end of life in January 2020, many organizations have been migrating their workloads to Windows Server 2016 or newer.  Unfortunately with Active Directory (AD), an attempt to introduce a first Windows Server 2019 or version 1709 domain controller (DC) in a domain that still uses the File Replication Service … Continue reading Field Notes: A quick tip on DFSR Automatic Recovery while you prepare for an AD domain upgrade

Field Notes: The case of buried Active Directory Account Management Security Audit Policy events

Security auditing is one of the most powerful tools that you can use to maintain the integrity of your system.  As part of your overall security strategy, you should determine the level of auditing that is appropriate for your environment.  Auditing should identify attacks (successful or not) that pose a threat to your network, and … Continue reading Field Notes: The case of buried Active Directory Account Management Security Audit Policy events

Field Notes: The case of the failed SQL Server Failover Cluster Instance – Binaries Disks Added to Cluster

I paid a customer a visit a while ago and was requested to assist with a SQL Server Failover Cluster issue they were experiencing.  They had internally transferred the case from the SQL team to folks who look after the Windows Server platform as they could not pick up anything relating to SQL during initial … Continue reading Field Notes: The case of the failed SQL Server Failover Cluster Instance – Binaries Disks Added to Cluster

Understanding Volume Activation Services – Part 1 (KMS and MAK)

Windows Activation and KMS have been around for many years - and still - a lot of people don't understand the basics of Windows activation, what are the differences between KMS and MAK, and how to choose the best Volume Activation method that meets the organization’s needs. In this blog post, we'll shed some light on these … Continue reading Understanding Volume Activation Services – Part 1 (KMS and MAK)