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In some environments the company policy requires that security logs of Domain Controllers are configured to retain information X days into the past. Requiring such a setting means 2 things: You can not configure the Event Log to override events as needed (if the log reaches it’s maximal size) The log file can grow to…

Deciding how many Global Catalog Servers to have on your network, and where to place those servers can be tricky. If there are too few Global Catalog Servers, you could cause severe performance problems or possibly a single point of failure. At the same time though, having too many Global Catalog Servers can also cause…

One of the first tasks that one performs right after finishing the installation of a new operating system is to install all the required additional applications and change the system’s settings to match their own requirements. One of the most frequently used applications I install on my machine is Adobe Acrobat Reader (see http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html for…

I’m probably revealing a little too much about my age, but when I first started working with Windows Server, the current version was Windows NT Server 3.5. One of the interesting things about that version of Windows was that like all of its successors, it had the ability to host network print queues. At the…

Through several registry modifications, you can create an enhanced “right-click” menu for the Recycle Bin. The new options will allow you to delete the temporary files in the following two directories: %UserProfile%AppDataLocalTemp and %SystemRoot%Temp. Additionally, another menu will be created that will allow you to run the disk cleanup utility. Please be aware that this…

Using Cygwin, the free open-source terminal emulator, in coordination with OpenSSL, you can create cross-platform encrypted files. The files created using Cygwin can be exported using mobile media including thumb drives, CDs, external hard drives, etc. Cygwin and OpenSSL are bundled in the download of Cygwin. The following tutorial (although demonstrated using Windows Vista) can…

  Telnet Client allows a computer to connect to a remote Telnet server and run applications on that server. Once logged on, a user is given a command prompt that can be used as if it had been opened locally on the Telnet server’s console. Commands that you type at the Telnet client command prompt…

Aero is the new hardware-based graphic interface in Windows Vista that includes a ton of eye candy on the new desktop.  Aero stands for Authentic, Energetic, Reflective, And Open. It is intended to be cleaner and more powerful for the user. When you do a clean install of Windows Vista its possible that your video…

How can I enable theme support in Windows Server 2003? Windows Server 2003 has the theme support services disabled by default. To enable themes on Windows Server 2003 follow the next steps: Go to the Services applet in Administrative Tools (or click Start, then Run, and type "services.msc" (without quotes) and click OK). Find the…

Windows Server 2003 has the Telnet disabled by default (and so good that it does!) To have the Telnet service running on Windows Server 2003 follow the next steps: Go to the Services applet in Administrative Tools (or click Start, then Run, and type "services.msc" (without quotes) and click OK). Find the "Telnet" service, right-click…

How can I enable sounds in Windows Server 2003? My sound does not work. All drivers are installed and the Device Manager reports it is working properly. Why isn’t it working? Windows Server 2003 Enterprise edition has the sound drivers disabled by default. Windows Server 2003 Standard edition does not, thus you CAN hear sounds…

How do I share a folder in Windows XP? Where is the regular "Sharing" tab I’m so used to? Windows XP Home Edition-based computers always have Simple File Sharing enabled. Windows XP Professional-based computers that are joined to a workgroup have the Simple File Sharing UI enabled by default. Windows XP Professional-based computers that are…