Daniel Petri

  A snapshot is a shadow copy—created by the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS)—of the volumes that contain the Active Directory database and log files. With Active Directory snapshots, you can view the data inside such a snapshot on a domain controller without the need to start the server in Directory Services Restore Mode. Windows…

Windows Vista comes with a new and shiny user interface. Most of the things we’ve gotten used to in Windows XP are still there, in one way or another, but there are also many new features that need getting used to. One of the most noticeable changes is the way the Windows Vista Explorer, in…

This article deals with the mechanism of deploying and verifying GPO deployment. It will not deal in the GPO itself and the settings inside it (these settings and configurations will be discussed in different articles). Note that this article was written and contributed to the site by Amir Meron. Group Policy is a one of…

How can I work with Query-Based Distribution groups in Windows Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2003? Windows Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2003 have a new group type called "Queries-Based Distribution groups". With the new Queries-Based Distribution groups we can now create new types of distribution groups that are different from the regular type of…

Working with Store System Policies in Exchange 2003 Exchange Server 2000/2003 allows the Exchange Administrator to set limits on the mailboxes of users in the Exchange Organization (read Setting Mailbox Limits for more info). Setting limits on the mailboxes help control the database size and plan for efficient backup, restore and maintenance tasks (read Calculating…

I found this nice blog by Darren Mar-Elia regarding an issue with editing wireless GPO settings from a Windows XP SP2 machine. I thought it was interesting enough to share, so here is my interpretation of it. If you may recall, Windows Server 2003 has added quite a few good GPO settings, some of which…

Windows Update & Windows Update Catalog As always, check the Windows Update site for a good reference on what you’re missing (the site does not always display the latest info, but it’s better that nothing). The Microsoft Windows Update site (also known as WU) is a site made for Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows…

Many users of Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003 have had problems when trying to access the Windows Update site. I’ve searched all over the Internet for solutions to these problems and came up with the following list of possible solutions. These solutions are not arranged by any specific order, although I do…

Many users of Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003 have had problems when trying to access the Windows Update site. BTW, this error is not the only error message one might receive while trying to scan, download or install Hotfixes from the Windows Update site. Here is my current list of other Windows…

Windows Update Problems – Error 0x80070485 When you use a computer that is running Microsoft Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition or Windows Millennium Edition to access the Windows Update Web site, you may receive a 0x80070485 initialization error message while the page loads. BTW, this error is not the only error message one might…