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Russell Smith
Editorial DirectorRussell Smith, the Editorial Director at Petri IT Knowledgebase, has over two decades of hands-on experience in IT, in both small business settings and government IT infrastructure projects.
Russell started writing for Windows IT Pro Magazine in the early 2000s. Since then, he has contributed insights to various IT publications, including Petri and CDW. His authoritative voice has resonated across industry blogs, where he dissects complex topics into an ‘easy read’.
Russell has authored over a thousand articles, each a testament to his depth of knowledge. His expertise doesn’t stop there: he wrote a book on Privilege Management and co-authored another for Microsoft’s MOAC series. Moreover, Russell’s commitment to education shines through in the courses he crafted for Pluralsight.
He is also presenter on his own YouTube channel, This Week in IT, and the current presenter of Petri Dish.
LATEST
Stop Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines in Parallel using PowerShell
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- Jul 21, 2014
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Russell Smith
Russell Smith shows how to whip up code logic to stop Azure virtual machines in parallel with PowerShell.
5 Essential Windows Store Apps for IT Administrators
Last Update: Dec 03, 2024
- Jul 15, 2014
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Russell Smith
Russell Smith shares his top essential Windows 8 applications for IT systems administrators.
Create and Configure a File Share using Azure Files
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- Jul 14, 2014
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Russell Smith
Learn how to easily create an SMB file share with the new Azure Files feature without provisioning a virtual machine.
Share Network Resources Using Windows 7 HomeGroup
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- Jul 09, 2014
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Russell Smith
Russell Smith shares his tips for sharing files and printers with Windows 7 HomeGroup.
Grouping and Filtering Files in Windows 7 Explorer
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- Jul 07, 2014
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Russell Smith
Learn how to efficiently organize, group and filter files using Windows 7 in this quick tutorial by Russell Smith.
Is the Modern UI in Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 ready for the enterprise?
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- Jul 01, 2014
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Russell Smith
Is the new UI introduced in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 R2 ready for the enterprise? Russell gives us his take and offers suggestions for improvement.
How Can I Block the Use of Passwords in Group Policy Preferences?
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- Jun 30, 2014
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Russell Smith
Learn how to update the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) to prevent IT administrators from setting passwords in this new Ask an Admin post.
Why You Should Embrace Windows 8 Apps
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- Jun 25, 2014
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Russell Smith
Windows store apps tend to be more resource-efficient than their traditional counterparts, and Russell Smith serves up even more reasons why you should embrace modern apps.
Protect Windows Server Using the Security Configuration Wizard Part 2: Applying and Rolling Back Policies and Advanced Features
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- Jun 25, 2014
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Russell Smith
Our two-part series on the Windows Server Security Configuration Wizard concludes with a look at how to apply and roll back security policies.
How to Set the Date and Time in Windows Server Core 2012 R2
Last Update: Jun 04, 2025
- Jun 23, 2014
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Russell Smith
In this new Ask an Admin post, learn how to use the command line in Windows Server Core 2012 R2 to set the time and date.
Using the Windows Server Security Configuration Wizard Part 1: Evaluating Risk and Creating a New Security Policy
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- Jun 18, 2014
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Russell Smith
Learn how to create custom security policies for Windows Server using the Security Configuration Wizard and how to evaluate risks associated with new policies.
How to Open or Close Windows Firewall Ports to Apps on Windows 8.1
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- Jun 16, 2014
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Russell Smith
Need to Open or Close Windows Firewall Ports to Apps on Windows 8.1? Learn how to open and close Windows Firewall access to applications manually.