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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
How to Get the Serial Number of a Remote Computer Using PowerShell
Last Update: Jun 05, 2025
- Jun 12, 2014
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Russell Smith
Retrieve the serial number from a local or remote computer using PowerShell and Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI).
How to Keep Windows 8.1 Secure Using Action Center
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- Jun 11, 2014
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Russell Smith
Security issues? Learn how to access and use Windows Action Center in this quick Ask an Admin.
How Can I Delete a File or Folder from the Command Line Using Windows PowerShell?
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- Jun 09, 2014
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Russell Smith
Discover how to use PowerShell to delete files and folders in this Ask an Admin. Find out how to remove all MP3 files, filter, take out .txt files and more.
How to Find Out Which Users Are Logged on Windows Server
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- Jun 05, 2014
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Russell Smith
In this Ask an Admin, discover which users are logged in locally and access resources on your servers. Download psloggedon and get started!
How to Enable Windows Firewall in Windows 8.1
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- Jun 04, 2014
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Russell Smith
Is your firewall enabled? Discover how to check on the status of your Windows Firewall and enable it in this Ask an Admin.
Recreate a Virtual Machine in Microsoft Azure
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- May 29, 2014
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Russell Smith
Wondering how to recreate a VM in Azure without losing your OS? Learn to recreate a VM in Azure in this Ask an Admin!
How to Easily Assign a Static IP Address in Microsoft Azure
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- May 28, 2014
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Russell Smith
In this quick ‘n easy Ask an Admin post, find out how to use PowerShell cmdlets to quickly assign a static IP address in Azure.
Trust Still the Main Hurdle for Cloud Computing
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- May 27, 2014
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Russell Smith
Trust remains an issue in cloud computing. Will international companies trust cloud platforms powered by U.S. companies? Learn more in this opinion post.
Create PowerShell Scripts Faster with the Script Browser and Analyzer
Last Update: Nov 19, 2024
- May 27, 2014
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Russell Smith
Want to browse the TechNet script gallery inside the PowerShell ISE? Discover the new plugin for PowerShell ISE that adds a script browser and analyzer.
3 Tips for Working with the Active Directory Administrative Center (ADAC)
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- May 21, 2014
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Russell Smith
In this Ask an Admin, learn a few tricks to work faster with the Active Directory Administrative Center (ADAC).
Remove Stale Computer Accounts from Active Directory Using PowerShell
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- May 20, 2014
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Russell Smith
Search for and remove inactive users and computer accounts and query Active Directory – all by using PowerShell. Find out how in this handy post!
Find Out How Many Computers Are Running Windows XP
Last Update: Jul 04, 2025
- May 19, 2014
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Russell Smith
How many PCs do you have running Windows XP? Find out how to easily get that info using PowerShell in this Ask an Admin.