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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 Enable Security Defaults in Azure Active Directory
Last Update: May 24, 2025
- Mar 13, 2020
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Russell Smith
Microsoft is gradually introducing multifactor authentication (MFA) for all organizational accounts in Azure Active Directory. In this article, I look at the new Security Defaults setting and how to enable it.
Patch Tuesday – March 2020
- Mar 12, 2020
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Russell Smith
The biggest Patch Tuesday in the company’s history, this month Microsoft fixes 115 bugs. There’s also a security advisory for a critical bug in SMBv3 and a patch for a flaw in the way Windows parses .LNK files. The bug could let an attacker run code regardless of whether a user opens the infected file.
How FIDO2 Passwordless Logins Work in Hybrid Azure AD Environments
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- Mar 11, 2020
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Russell Smith
Microsoft is expanding support for passwordless logins to devices that are hybrid joined to Azure AD domains. In this article, I explain how FIDO2 security keys work in hybrid Azure AD environments.
Understanding Windows App Installer
- Mar 09, 2020
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Russell Smith
Windows App Installer was first introduced in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update (1607) to make sideloading UWP apps easier. Since then, Microsoft has gradually been improving App Installer to provide most of the features found in the Microsoft Store. In this article, I look at how App Installer has developed and how it fits into the bigger picture.
Google Managed Service for Microsoft Active Directory Reaches General Availability
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- Mar 05, 2020
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Russell Smith
Google makes it easier for enterprises to move apps that rely on Windows Server Active Directory to Google Cloud.
Understanding User Settings and Data Synchronization in Chromium-Based Microsoft Edge
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- Mar 04, 2020
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Russell Smith
How account synchronization works in the new version of Microsoft Edge.
Everything You Need to Know About Windows – February 2020
Last Update: Nov 19, 2024
- Mar 02, 2020
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Russell Smith
This month sees Microsoft pull a standalone security update, release a Windows 10X emulator so that developers can start adapting apps to work with the upcoming dual-screen SKU, we get more details on the container architecture in Windows 10X, a public preview of FIDO2 support for hybrid Azure Active Directory deployments, and much more.
Microsoft Removes Standalone Security Update Causing Issues on Some PCs
- Mar 01, 2020
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Russell Smith
Microsoft UEFI Revocation List File update causes problems on some devices. Here’s what you need to know about the latest Windows Update problem.
Microsoft Secured-Core PCs to Protect Financial Services, Government, and Healthcare
Last Update: Nov 19, 2024
- Feb 24, 2020
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Russell Smith
Microsoft and its hardware partners have new device security requirements to protect against targeted firmware attacks.
How to Use a Windows Notebook with an External Monitor
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- Feb 21, 2020
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Russell Smith
How to configure Windows for the best experience when using an external monitor and how to reset the graphics stack without restarting Windows.
Create a PinPoint DNS Zone to Support Identical Internal and External Exchange Server HTTPS Namespaces
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- Feb 20, 2020
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Russell Smith
How to configure Windows Server DNS to support identical internal and external Exchange Server HTTPS namespaces.
How to Set Up Windows 10 Your Phone and Make Calls
Last Update: Sep 04, 2024
- Feb 19, 2020
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Russell Smith
In today’s Ask the Admin, I look at how to set up Your Phone in Windows 10 so that you can use it to make and receive calls via an Android handset.