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Failover clustering in Windows Server and Azure Stack HCI can help to reduce disruptions in service within an organization. In this article, I’m going to explain why you need to have a Windows Server Active Directory domain controller outside of your Azure Stack HCI cluster. I will also detail how to deploy this domain controller…

Microsoft announced some changes yesterday regarding its release schedule for Windows monthly updates. While nothing changes for the “Patch Tuesday” updates released on the second Tuesday of each month, the company announced a new release window for optional non-security preview patches released later in the month.  Starting next month, Microsoft will now target the fourth…

Microsoft Teams is set to introduce a new green screen feature on Windows and macOS. The company has announced on the Microsoft 365 Admin center that the green screen technology will allow desktop users to replace their backgrounds with custom images in Teams meetings. “Green screen improves the sharpness and definition of the virtual background…

Microsoft has announced that its Microsoft Defender for IoT solution is now generally available for enterprise customers. The new cloud-powered solution helps IT Pros manage network assets, monitor security threats, and control risks across their organization. “With Microsoft Defender for IoT, you can achieve faster time-to-value, improve agility and scalability, increase visibility, and strengthen the…

Microsoft will start offering on-prem Unified Update Platform (UUP) updates to Windows 11 PCs on March 28. The company is recommending organizations to prepare for a one-time 10GB download to receive future updates via UUP. Microsoft’s Unified Update Platform (UUP) technology is designed to reduce the size of Windows updates. The on-prem UUP interoperates with…

The March Patch Tuesday update for Windows 11 version 22H2 may be causing some new SSD performance issues, according to various user reports. This is the “Moment 2” update that introduced various new features to Windows 11 including a search box in the taskbar as well as AI-powered recommendations in the Start Menu.  Since the…

Last week, Microsoft announced the release of Semantic Kernel (SK). The new open-source framework enables developers to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) into their applications. Semantic Kernel is a lightweight software development kit (SDK) that helps developers to incorporate new experiences such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT-powered natural language responses directly into applications….

Amazon has recently announced the general availability of Amazon Linux 2023. The latest cloud-optimized Linux distribution is designed to improve security and delivers a predictable lifecycle as well as deterministic updates. Amazon Linux 2023 introduces new pre-configured security policies to help customers adhere to industry standards. IT administrators can configure these policies at launch or…

Microsoft released Edge version 111 on Windows, macOS, and Linux last week, and this update brought a noticeable UI change: There’s now a big Bing button at the right side of the Edge toolbar, which integrates the new Edge Copilot experience that leverages Microsoft’s Bing chatbot powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT.  Clicking the Bing icon in…

Microsoft Lists is the evolution of the SharePoint List feature. Several years ago, the Microsoft brain trust set out to make this ultra-powerful tool more accessible to the masses. By removing ‘SharePoint’ from the marketing pages, and making it ‘an app’, they succeeded in surprisingly productive ways. In this article, I will explain what is…

Microsoft has released new PowerShell scripts to address a BitLocker security vulnerability on Windows PCs. The PowerShell scripts are designed to automate the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) update process on Windows 11 and Windows 10. BitLocker is a built-in security feature that helps users to protect data stored on their computers from unauthorized access. Once…

Last month, Google unveiled some important pricing changes for Google Workspace customers. The company announced this week that it’s increasing the monthly cost of several Google Workspace offerings this week. Steve Holt, Vice President for Google Workspace, penned a lengthy blog post to justify the price hike impacting multiple Workspace tiers. The pricing update follows…