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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

Updating Windows Management Framework (WMF) on Windows Server 2008/R2

Last Update: Nov 19, 2024

In this Ask an Admin, find out how to install Windows Management Framework 3.0 (WMF) in Windows Server 2008 and R2.

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Use Group Policy to Stop Users from Linking Microsoft Accounts to Local or Domain Logins in Windows 8

Last Update: Sep 24, 2024

In this Ask an Admin, learn how to use Group Policy to disable your users’ ability to link domain and local computer accounts to Microsoft Accounts.

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How to Create Active Directory Sites in Windows Server

Last Update: Sep 24, 2024

Learn more about creating Active Directory sites and subnets in Windows Server in this step-by-step Ask an Admin article.

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Configure Global Object Access Auditing in Windows Server

Last Update: Sep 24, 2024

Keeping tabs on file and registry access in Windows Server has never been easier! Learn to configure Global Object Access Auditing in this how-to guide.

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Should I Choose Server Core When Installing Windows Server?

Last Update: Sep 24, 2024

Server Core is the default choice in Windows Server 2012 for a reason. Learn more about using Server Core when installing Windows Server!

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Why You Need to Upgrade from Windows XP (and Windows Server 2003)

Last Update: Sep 24, 2024

Get on the ball! Find out why it’s time to upgrade from Windows XP and Server 2003 and read about Microsoft’s OS infection rates.

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Enable Advanced Auditing in Windows Server

Last Update: Jun 05, 2025

In this quick Ask an Admin, learn to easily enable and configure Advanced Audit Policy Configuration in Windows Server.

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How to Boot Directly to the Desktop in Windows 8.1 and Server 2012 R2

Last Update: Sep 24, 2024

Boot directly to the desktop and skip that Start screen nonsense! Learn how to do just that in Windows 8.1 and Server 2012 R2 in this easy Ask an Admin.

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Synching Office 365 with Active Directory: Using Directory Synchronization

Last Update: Sep 24, 2024

Learn to install and configure the Directory Synchronization tool for account and password sync in part 2 of our series on synching Office 365 with AD!

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Find AD Replication Errors Quickly with Active Directory Replication Status Tool

Last Update: Dec 03, 2024

In this Ask an Admin, find out how to quickly find AD replication errors with the Active Directory Replication Status Tool.

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Synching Office 365 with Active Directory: Prepare for Directory Synchronization

Last Update: Nov 19, 2024

The updated Directory Synchronization tool is pretty handy. Learn more about how to sync Office 365 and AD in part 1 of this series.

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Enable Disk Quotas in Windows Server 2012

Last Update: Sep 24, 2024

Managing disk space on file servers can be a challenge. Learn to create disk quotas in Windows Server 2012 in this Ask an Admin.

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