Russell Smith profile picture

Follow Russell

Russell Smith

Editorial Director

Russell 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 Upgrade to Windows 8.1 Without Using the Windows Store

Last Update: Sep 24, 2024

Skip the Windows Store and discover how to download the Windows 8.1 RTM bits in this easy how-to article.

View Article

Repair Disk Errors in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012

Last Update: Sep 24, 2024

Corrupted files a problem? Learn to force a spotfix offline repair using chkdsk in Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8 in this Ask an Admin.

View Article

Using the Resilient File System (ReFS) in Windows Server 2012

Last Update: Sep 24, 2024

Is Resilient File System (ReFS) in Windows Server 2012 ready for production? Check out our list of pros and cons of using ReFS in this Ask an Admin.

View Article

How to Host Multiple SSL Sites on a Server with One IP Address and Port

Last Update: Sep 24, 2024

SSL sites fighting over one IP address? In this Ask an Admin, learn to host multiple SSL websites on IIS8 when there is only a single IP address and port.

View Article

How to Connect to a Windows 8.1 or Server 2012 R2 Remote Desktop Using Restricted Admin Mode

Last Update: Sep 24, 2024

Improve security when connecting to remote desktops by using Restricted Admin mode! Check out this handy Ask an Admin article.

View Article

Use Active Directory Administrative Center to Create PowerShell Commands in Windows Server 2012

Last Update: Sep 24, 2024

Still haven’t tried PowerShell? In this Ask an Admin, check out the PowerShell History Viewer in Active Directory Administrative Center.

View Article

Using DHCP Policy-Based Assignment in Windows Server 2012

Last Update: Sep 24, 2024

Use DHCP policy-based assignment in Windows Server 2012 to simplify network management.

View Article

Making a Windows Server 2012 Domain Controller a Global Catalog Server

Last Update: May 24, 2025

In this Ask an Admin, find out how to make a Windows Server 2012 DC as a global catalog server using Active Directory.

View Article

Restrict Access to the Windows Store in Windows 8 and Server 2012

Last Update: Sep 24, 2024

Prevent your users and client computers from accessing Windows Store! Learn how using these easy steps in this Ask an Admin.

View Article

Getting Effective Audit Policy Settings in Windows Server 2012

Last Update: Sep 24, 2024

In this Ask an Admin, discover how to use auditpol to get effective audit policy settings in Windows Server 2012!

View Article

Mount a VHD or ISO File in Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8

Last Update: Sep 24, 2024

Learn to mount .iso and VHD files in Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8 without burning the image to disk in this Ask an Admin! It’s easy!

View Article

How to Lock Down a Remote PowerShell with a Constrained Endpoint

Last Update: Sep 24, 2024

In this Ask an Admin, learn to use constrained endpoints to allow users to connect remotely using PowerShell without granting administrative privileges.

View Article
Go to page