Here's a great tool for testing DNS, Mail, SMTP, and similar environments to see if they are listening on certain ports across the internet. https://www.dnswonder.com/Tools/ With it, you can test: GET DNS RECORDS GET MX RECORDS GET PTR RECORDS GET SPF RECORDS GET BLACKHOLE LIST (RBL) GET SMTP SERVER TYPE TEST SMTP CONNECTIVITY TEST EMAIL DELIVERY TEST EXCHANGE SERVER TEST IMAP SERVER TEST ZIMBRA SERVER TEST REGULAR EXPRESSION ENCRYPT DATA Enjoy. … [Read more...] about Tools for Testing SMTP, DNS, other mail server types, and more
Windows Server 2003
Password Policies such as Maximum Password Age are not being set by GPO
This issue applies to Server 2003 schemas. Remember, your schema may be lower than your domain controller server version. So you're working through some policy issues and you find that your computer isn't picking up the proper password policy that you've applied, even though your machine is definitely part of the OU where the GPO is linked. You do an RSOP and see that the resultant policy is not applied and can't figure out why some things like password age or complexity are not being changed … [Read more...] about Password Policies such as Maximum Password Age are not being set by GPO
An error occurred while applying security information – Access is denied
Every once in a while you'll run across issues with NTFS security that just can't be explained. You'll want to move folders, files into folders, or take ownership of a file but Windows Explorer just won't let you. Run these two commands and you'll get your ownership back. takeown /f S:\path/r /d y icacls S:\path /grant administrators: f /t If you are logged in as yourself, the first command will make you the owner. The second command will clear up any issues with administrators having … [Read more...] about An error occurred while applying security information – Access is denied
View Port Bindings via Windows based GUI – CurrPorts
We use Windows for a reason. It's hard for computer professionals to admit it, but the a GUI and the functionality behind an app, even a small one, can be really helpful. Sometimes there just isn't enough functionality in a command prompt or console. So when little apps come along that make our lives a bit easier, it's important to give them some recognition. CurrPorts is a little executable for Windows computers that helps us out. CurrPorts will give you a table showing all the information … [Read more...] about View Port Bindings via Windows based GUI – CurrPorts
Install Group Policy Management for Server 2003
Server 2003 is getting old, but sometimes it's very necessary to head back into some of your legacy systems to manage aspects of the domain. Group Policy Manager is not installed on Server 2003 by default. When you need it, you can quickly download it here: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=21895 The install steps are very fast. No reboot required. Afterwards you'll be able to manage group policy in the same way you do on Server 2008. … [Read more...] about Install Group Policy Management for Server 2003
Changing the IP Address of an Exchange 2003 Cluster
A physical move of your entire exchange environment will require changing gateways, subnets, and IP addresses for everything. Here's how to change the IPs of everything involved if you are using Exchange 2003 in a cluster environment. … [Read more...] about Changing the IP Address of an Exchange 2003 Cluster
Force your local printer to download new drivers from the print server
Sometimes something happens with your print drivers and you need to download the new ones from the server. If you log into the print server and adjust the drivers on a shared printer, the new driver will automagically be distributed everyone who already has the printer shared. If the computer already has the driver downloaded, it will assume it knows better than you and use printer driver it already has. This can be an issue if the reason you are changing the driver is because of corruption, or … [Read more...] about Force your local printer to download new drivers from the print server
UPDATE: CloudBerry Cache – Change Temp Location (Even Easier!)
Yesterday I posted a way to change the cache folder location for CloudBerry's mapped drives. Today I'm updating this article with an even easier way to change the cache folder. There's actually a setting for it in advanced options! … [Read more...] about UPDATE: CloudBerry Cache – Change Temp Location (Even Easier!)
Restarting services on a server remotely
I've run into a few instances where I need to restart haywire services, recently with F-Secure services on Windows 2003 R2 Servers. The high CPU loads make it impossible to log into the server. SC.exe will help with this. Here are a few commands to get your started. Open a command prompt on a server within the same domain as your troubled server and run this command: [crayon-5e23eba979008680099104/] Before running the "start" command you'll want to check to see if the service actually stopped. … [Read more...] about Restarting services on a server remotely
Using tsadmin in Windows Server 2008 R2
Problem: When you go to start > run > and type in tsadmin and hit enter, you get an error. Solution: At start > run > type tsadmin.msc Explanation: tsadmin was an execuatable program in Server 2003, so excluding the extension didn't matter - you just type tsadmin and it would work. In Windows Server 2008, it's now an MMC Snap-In, so you need to use the ".msc" extension if you are going to run it. Nothing has changed, it still works basically the same. The real name of the … [Read more...] about Using tsadmin in Windows Server 2008 R2
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