Fear not. Just grab mbr2gpt.exe from the \windows\system32 folder on a windows 10 machine and drop it anywhere you want on the new server, then run:
mbr2gpt /convert /disk:X /allowfullos
and you will be ready to restart and set your bios to UEFI support and finishing booting to your new uefi partition!
@JasGot said in Script to Clean up Windows 10 Start Menu:
Only if you want to play, else I'll do that this weekend. I was just hoping someone would say they have already experimented with it.
I'll report back with my findings.....
I'm reporting back. I spent the day upgrading from Windows 7 Pro to Windows 10 Pro, testing with Win10crAPPRemover.ps1 in a variety of ways. Rinse, Repeat, many times with many different variations of approach.
I can say definitively that the Start Menu items and Tiles come with the first Windows 10 login even if you have an already existing profile. Meaning, I can now reliably achieve my goal of a clean Windows 10 interface with an existing profile.
Here are my reproducible steps to achieve my goal:
Log in as another existing (but not yet logged in under windows 10) account and you will see your DeCrapped GUI.
This means I can do an in-place upgrade from Win7 Pro to Win10 Pro and de appify the existing user accounts as long as I de appify the computer before those already existing accounts log in to the Window 10 Pro install.
I did not test with any version other than Pro. I don't care about Home and Enterprise is de-appified from the OOBE.
If you feel the need to argue about what I have done, please ask for clarification before doing so, I'm sure I have left room in my words for misunderstanding.
This experiment is a success and it allows me to achieve my goal with great reliability.
Hi!
My name is Jason. I've been in IT for 30 years and usually just lurk around. I had grown tired of the drama on many of the other boards, so after a hiatus, I went looking for a new place to hang out. Found this. I like it.
I run an all purpose IT shop for companies with between 25 and 250 employees/workstations. I am addicted to television, and I get the biggest kick from watching my kids grow up. Good food and international travel is also high on our list. I hope to have a chance to participate in some of your topics here.
Jason
At the request of another user, I'm going to try this again. With a couple of pre-discussion statements.
We have been doing TS for decades. We have been VMimg Servers for years. We are now beginning to move TS customers to Windows 10 Pro hosted by Hyper-V.
This question has nothing to do with the design or deployment of a VDI solution.
When you deliver a physical demo of VDI to your customer or potential customer, who has absolutely no idea what the words Virtual, VDI, VM, Hyper-V, ESX, VMware, or any other word you are thinking of right now, mean..... What is your model?
What is your existing physical on site demo unit look like? What does it connect to?
The physical onsite demo for the customer cannot be a PC or anything that any normal end user would think is a pc.
It cannot be a laptop, or chrome book, or tablet, or ipad.
It must support 2 or more 23" LCD displays.
It must support a local printer, a local barcode reader, a local Driver License reader/scanner, a local utility meter reader, and an electronic signature pad.
The physical onsite demo for the customer must connect to local LAN resources for proof of concept.
In the final solution, there will NEVER be a cloud based solution for the customer, all connections and data must remain on site.
I don't give two hoots about your ideas on how to design or deploy a VM or VDI (call it whatever you like) environment. I only care about what you carry into a customer site to provide a demo of what will be at the users desk after their current PC goes in the dumpster.
You see, if you don't carry hardware into the customer site and set it up to show them, (because they have no idea what you are talking about), you may not have anything to add here...... and that's okay.
I am looking forward to comments from folks who provide this kind of a demo for their customers.
@pmoncho said in Slow MS SQL Queries between Windows 10 VMs and MS SQL 2014 on same host:
@JasGot said in Slow MS SQL Queries between Windows 10 VMs and MS SQL 2014 on same host:
Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner. It was MDTC and Windows Firewall. (Which is frustrating, because the firewall is turned off for the domain!)
Good job at troubleshooting. I'm wondering what led you down this path versus something related to Networking, hard drives or software drivers?
Remembered it from several years ago with another SQL based application. Don't know what made me think of it at 1:30am. But I'm ok with it!
Well, I'll be dipped. After installing KB4482887, and running these two commands on the server: "Enable-PSRemoting" and "Enable-WSManCredSSP -Role server"; I came back to Hyper-V Manager and BAM! connected right up!
We recently picked up a new customer because the users couldn't log in each morning until they had walked over to the server and logged in to the desktop. We came in because the old company couldn't fix it.
We found AVAST installed on the server and AVAST is known for preventing services from starting before certain conditions are met.
Uninstalled it and VIOLA!
Moral: Don't rule out the low hanging fruit.... 
@hari We have many customers like this. A few are using G-Suite (that way before we took over). I have to say, the new G-Suite sync tool, totally eliminates and problems I had years ago between Google apps e-mail and Outlook. I actually like it now. E-Mail and Calendars are seamless.
In an office like this, my baseline would be a 24 or 25u cabinet on casters with a Dell R540 beefed up and running Hyper-V with the Domain Controller in a VM, and Application server in another VM (like Timeslips, QuickBooks, etc) and another R540 for the DB application and SQL. (ie; Summation by AccessData) I would split the DB server if volume were expected to warrant it. I have no interest in managing SharePoint (too many headaches from 15 years ago) So I recommend Hosted SharePoint with AD integration. We use ClouberryLab or BckupAssist to backup to local media (Synology NAS RAID10 - RS2418RP+) AND S3 with full encryption, then we use Cross Region Replication with versioning for fail safe.
As for the server, once you get to the bigger R series of the Dell servers, it really comes down to drive bay capacity. Just make sure you can accommodate additional drives in RAID 10 if your capacity needs increase.
I hope this get your mind moving in the right direction. Please ask for details if you need anything more.
J
I'm trying to accomplish a non standard config so I can do some work at my shop in advance of on-site installation.
Here's the scope: I want to setup a new server for a customer while the server is still at my office. Customer site LAN is 192.168.1.0 My Office Lan is 192.168.2.0
I want to set up the new server (physically in my office) with a 192.168.1.x IP and use a Tunnel Interface to give it full access to the customer LAN.
I set up Tunnel interfaces all the time between two firewalls (almost always Sonicwalls) with no problem. In fact we have dozens of tunnel interface VPNs running all the time.
With a basic routed tunnel between my office and the customer office, the two lans 192.168.1.0 and 192.168.2.0 talk just fine. What I can't visualize in my head is how I set up the VPN (preferably without VLAN) so I can have 192.168.1.0 on EACH side and have them talk to each other.
My first thought was to just remove the routes and let the tunnel be a bridge. Would this work? and then I would set my gateway of the new server (on my side) of the tunnel to be the gateway at the other end? And internet access would be through the customer's ISP rather than mine?
If this is right, then it's true, I am simply over thinking this!
@scottalanmiller said in How to change display name:
LOL, we thought that you were really into Go or something.
Thanks for fixing it! I did spend a bunch of time trying to figure out a snappy reason for it. When I kept coming up empty, I thought I would ask
I need some help sorting out the exchange connectors on a server.
We were called in to figure out a spam problem. It's not severe and during our exam, we are trying to check the configuration of Exchange and get mail test tools to be happy.
Right now we are getting: Reverse DNS does not match SMTP Banner from mxtoolbox.
This is a simple MS Exchange setup; One Exchange server on a domain, people connecting with MS outlook from inside the building on the domain and from outside the building using Ms Outlook, and two copiers that can send e-mail.
The issue is all the receive connectors. It's not clear to me which one mxtoolbox is seeing.
They are:
Client Frontend EXCHANGE
Client Proxy EXCHANGE
Default EXCHANGE
Default Frontend EXCHANGE
Outbound Proxy Frontend EXCHANGE
Scan2EMail
I'd like to know what each one represents. ie; I presume Frontend mean Internet facing, but I'm not sure. Also, do internal MS Outlook users connect to a receive or send connector? (or both?)
Thanks.
I have a small office that has a single server. It has Windows Server 2016 STD installed (full GUI) and has Hyper V enabled.
MS SQL 2014 Standard in installed on the physical server along with some Windows 10 Ent VMs.
I have our application installed on server and also on the VMs. The SQL efforts of the VMs are slower than on the Server OS.
I've had chats with the developers, and they suggest the SQL server and application are all optimized. Leaving me with SQL Query issues in and out of the VMs.
I am looking for some advice on how to troubleshoot this and some suggestions on things I can do to try and get better speed for the end users.
This is a new and significantly more powerful setup than before, but is run slower than before 
I won't know definitively until mid morning, but I think I sorted it out. It was the Distributed Transaction Coordinator in the Windows 10 VDI firewall. I allowed it for the domain profile and now the queries are running faster than I can witness.
From 15-16 seconds....to under one second. Holy crap!
I'll report back in a few hours.
@DustinB3403 said in Remote Hyper-V Manager Woes:
There is a guide here by Timothy Gruber which appears to do what you want.
This is the guide that got me past all of the misinformation, and had all the important info left out by MS. This is by far the best write-up out there for a domain connected PC to manage a workgroup Hyper-V Server
@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@dyasny said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
- Free-ish medicare
You know this doesn't exist anywhere - right? If it's free - it's paid by taxes.. Now that said - I have no clue what the actual typical tax rate is in Europe say compared to the USA ( I know that my tax rate between state and Fed is around 17% - that doesn't seem right, but this is based on my actual pay, not the post standard deductions pay, which would clearly be much higher.
Don't forget the sales tax, gas tax, airport tax, and hotel tax, etc... you probably pay quite often. It all adds up. Americans pay a lot more tax than they think they do.
@bnrstnr said in Tech Support Search choices:
I use duckduckgo also. If it's something I know ML people use or talk about I'll usually run a
site:mangolassi.it search termsotherwise I just search it normally on duckduckgoYou can also do
site:mangolassi.it site:serverblah.com site:spicewhatevs.com search termsto search multiple sites at onceI still don't trust the nodebb searching for whatever reason... probably irrational
We have an internal app with a search box, in addition to some added site: options we also append this to EVERY search:
-brothersoft-com -softwarepatch-com -softpedia-com -topshareware-com -freewarefiles-com -fanhow.com -tutcity.com
it cleans up the results pretty well.
@scottalanmiller said in Managing Windows Local Users with Net User:
...Because of its simplicity, the net user command family is popular over remote shells such as those executed in a remote control application or through tools like psExec.
Net User Reference on Lifewire
Part of a series on Windows Systems Administration by Scott Alan Miller
Oh, man...... How true! I don't think I could get through my days anymore without net user and net accounts from a remote shell. They are the first things I do when someone says anything at all about "login issues".
@JasGot Just wanted to add, were were 100% UNsuccessful when choosing to allow the Windows 10 Setup to install updates as part of the upgrade process.
We were 100% successful when we chose "Not right now".
@JaredBusch said in Managing Windows Local Users with Net User:
You certainly can, if you setup the command line right and don't rely on independent connections.
We run multiline powershell commands through ScreenConnect sessions all the time to add and remove printers. You just have to paste it all into the windows at once, then hit send.
That's what we do too. If you can do it one line at a time, you can do it through ScreenConnect command. Just need to bump the #maxlength=100000 and
#timeout=90000 as appropriate! (values will differ)
I have to say though, I'm using backstage more and more for the things I used to do in a command.
@wrcombs I do! If you don't want to build it yourself, check out Dan's stuff at https://www.techandme.se/
Specifically: https://shop.hanssonit.se/product/nextcloud-vm-microsoft-hyper-v/
I started with one of his builds, then as I became more familiar and comfortable, I started building them myself on Hyper-V. Now I have a couple on AWS LightSail. I don't use Nextcloud for too much, it's mostly for my pics, notes, and bookmarks.
Jason
I'm on to other things now. This one seemingly simple and casual question has resulted in a rise in blood pressure and anxiety that I find completely unnecessary and unproductive.
I have found no helpful or beneficial responses so far here. Only argumentative replies suggesting I have already pigeon-holed my demo tactic and that I chose wrong.
@scottalanmiller said in Remote viewing software:
@JasGot said in Remote viewing software:
@wrx7m said in Remote viewing software:
@JasGot said in Remote viewing software:
We use ConnectWise Control (formerly ScreenConnect [SC]).
Honestly, I would be hard pressed to give any other option a second look. BUT, it didn't start out that way. In the product's infancy, and early in our learning curve, we only used its basic functions (which every other products offers too). But as we mastered it; and it became a more complex and flexible product, we have turned it into a be-all/end-all for RMM. The things we can do through SC would amaze you. Granted most of it is OS related, so it's not something SC magically provides, but the fact you can to it without ever seeing or connecting to the gui at the other end make it extremely valuable.
Are you using hosted or on-premises?
On premises. About 50 feet from me
Windows or Linux? Windows runs better with lots of resources, Linux runs way better for us in cloud on a "per dollar" basis.
Windows. Runs great. About 3500 Clients in Access Mode.
Just curious what you are doing to recover from a complete failure and breakdown of Nextcloud.
My NC is using S3 storage and is Cross Region Replicated with Revisions. As well as duplicated via a Desktop client with full sync.
The one thing that still worries me is the fact that the files are not stored with human readable (or even original) filenames. A non recoverable NC install leaves me without any idea of which file is which. Unless I am missing something......
What do you do to safeguard your data in NC?
Based on a comment in another thread I decided to take a look at MS Hyper-V Server 2016.
Simple to install. I LOVE the feel of it at the console and through RDP. It takes me back to my Dos and Unix days.
Plus, It's almost identical to ScreenConnect Backstage, which is my new favorite place to work.
However........ After a whole week, I still cannot mange it from my workstation.
I have everything except one piece set properly, based on hours and hours of reading and trying.
Is it even possible to manage a workgroup Hyper-V Server from a Domain PC through Hyper-V Manager?
I am getting this error:
An error occurred while attempting to connect to server.
"R510-Hyperv". Check that the Virtual Machine Management service is running and that you are authorized to connect to the server.
The operation is not supported.
That's cool, look what a bunch of hyphens did!
Virtual Machine Management services is running.
I can successfully map a drive to it with Net Use, I can successfully RDP to it, I can ping it by name...... I just can't get Hyper-V Manager to connect to it.
Any ideas? Anyone been here before?
@scottalanmiller said in Remote Hyper-V Manager Woes:
Yeah, given that you are not in production yet. More stable, faster, more modern.
Invalid links. Can't download it.......
In Volume License Center? We have it in production, so it is definitely available.
Eval Center. I'll try VLC now.
@scottalanmiller said in Remote Hyper-V Manager Woes:
@Dashrender said in Remote Hyper-V Manager Woes:
Well - apparently Hyper-V 2019 has had an issue where RDS doesn't work.
That's some serious fail right there.
Yes. So I am in worse shape now. But I did find an KB fix to allow RDP to Hyper-V Server 2019: http://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB4482887
This was released yesterday.
There are many operating systems out there. Do any of you use any that are not-so-familiar for anything other than productivity for work or home?
I was doing some reading today and thought I install a few to what they were like.
I have no reason other than to satisfy my curiosity to explore....
Last week Microsoft announced they will start nagging end users to upgrade to Windows 10. The nagging will start April 2019.
This created a need to be able to discuss, on the fly, which PCs at the customer are on Windows 7. I created this Accesslist Expression to show me the customer's Windows 7 PCs super quick.
I hope you find it useful, or it gives you ideas of your own.
Setup your Custom Session Properties here:
Admin->Appearance->Web Resources->SessionProperty.CustomX.AccessVisible
Admin->Appearance->Web Resources->SessionProperty.CustomX.LabelText
SessionProperty.Custom1.AccessVisible = true
SessionProperty.Custom1.LabelText = Organization
SessionProperty.Custom2.AccessVisible = true
SessionProperty.Custom2.LabelText = Department
Then set these properties on each Access Client:
Organization = // Example: ABC Widget Company
Department = // Example: Admin, Accounting, Sales, C-Level, Maintenance, Logistics (Don't forget to put the Servers in a Department, I use "!Servers" to keep them at the top of the list)
Next, create a new Session Group (at bottom of Access List)
Name = Customers
Session Filter = Blank (Although I have Access Clients that are not for the techs to see, so I use: CustomProperty1 <> 'Private' as the session filter to prevent our tech from seeing my personal access clients)
Subgroup Expression: Paste in the next block, it will accept it with CRLF as below to make it more readable, so no need to make it all one line before you paste
IIF (CustomProperty1 <> '' AND CustomProperty2 <> '', CustomProperty1,
IIF (CustomProperty1 <> '' AND CustomProperty2 = '', CustomProperty1,
IIF (CustomProperty1 = '' AND CustomProperty2 = '', '!UnNamed','!Error'))),
CustomProperty2,
IIF (GuestOperatingSystemName LIKE '*Server*', '!Servers',
IIF (GuestOperatingSystemName LIKE '*Embedded*', 'Embedded OS',
IIF (GuestOperatingSystemName LIKE '*Windows XP*', 'Windows XP PCs',
IIF (GuestOperatingSystemName LIKE '*Windows 7*', 'Windows 7 PCs',
IIF (GuestOperatingSystemName LIKE '*Windows 8*', 'Windows 8 PCs',
IIF (GuestOperatingSystemName LIKE '*Windows 10*', 'Windows 10 PCs',
IIF (GuestOperatingSystemName LIKE '*MAC*', 'MAC OS','')))))))
It creates an Access list that looks like this:
Customers
ABC Widget Company
Accounting
Windows 10 PCs
Windows 7 PCs
Sales
Windows 10 PCs
Windows 7 PCs
Marketing
Windows 10 PCs
Mac OS
Maintenance
Windows 7 PCs
Windows 8 PCs
Windows XP
XYZ Manufacturing
Accounting
Windows 10 PCs
Windows 7 PCs
Sales
Windows 10 PCs
Windows 7 PCs
Production
Embedded OS
Enjoy!