Refresh Hosts file without rebooting

Tried this with Windows 8.1 and it is easier than you would think as it a command you should be very familiar with.

IPCONFIG /FLUSHDNS

Reset Windows 7 or Windows 8 Password

As always some of the best tips are found when you are looking for something else entirely. Here are a couple of nice tips for resetting local account password on Windows 7 & 8 - so simple and so insecure.

Booting the machine to a USB drive, DVD or slave the hard drive of another machine - rename some files and your in.

Reset a Windows 8 Password without using any third party software

Reset a Windows 7 Password without using any third party software

An alternative I have seen is to replace the sticky keys file with the cmd.exe. Sticky keys is activated at the logon screen if you press shift five times – but instead you bring up a command prompt.

Windows 8.1 Preview

Windows Blue AKA Windows 8.1 Preview is here with a long list of changes. To see the long list of what’s new see the link below.

What's New in Windows 8.1

To download the preview here’s the link

Download Windows 8.1 Preview

Delegate Permissions for Group Policy

TechNet: Delegate Permissions for Group Policy

Windows 8 for IT Pros Jump Start

Windows 8 for IT Pros Jump Start

PowerShell determine what version is installed

What version of PowerShell is installed on a machine

Open PowerShell and type Get-Host

Windows 7 – version 2.0

Windows 8 – version 3.0

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb978526.aspx

Update GPO templates to manage Windows 8

You’ve added some Window 8 PCs and possibly Windows Server 2012 to your existing Windows Server 2008 R2 enterprise … okay so how do you access the additional features with Group Policy?

Looking at a Group Policy setting in Windows 8 Windows 8 GPO Blocking Connection Accounts … I got to thinking … I’m doing this from Windows Server 2012 … more realistically I will be adding Windows 8 machines to a Windows Server 2008 environment.

How do I update the group policy template files?

My only caveat … I have still to do the testing … will the new templates work with the old admin tools.

Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 Group Policy Central Store

Administrative Template files for Windows 8 & Windows Server 2012

Upgrading the ADMX Central Store files from Windows 7/2008R2 to Windows 8/2012

Windows 8 GPO Blocking Connection Accounts

In Windows 8 you can associate your domain user account with your Microsoft Live ID. Not something that the enterprise would necessary welcome ... so how do you disable it.

Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Accounts:Block Microsoft Accounts

If you disable or do not configure this policy, users will be able to use Microsoft accounts.

If you select the "Users can’t add Microsoft accounts" option, users will not be able to create new Microsoft accounts on this computer, switch a local account to a Microsoft account, or connect a domain account to a Microsoft account. This is Microsoft's preferred option if you need to limit the use of Microsoft accounts in your enterprise.

If you select the "Users can’t add or log on with Microsoft accounts" option, existing Microsoft account users will not be able to log on to Windows. Selecting this option might make it impossible for an existing administrator on this computer to log on and manage the system.

I would expect the latter option to be the case in a Windows 2008/ Windows Server 2012 enterprise.

Enable GodMode in Windows 7 and Windows 8

Want all your admin features in one place. Really useful if you are transitioning from Windows 7 to Windows 8. Think it has been around since Windows Vista.

Create a folder on your desktop and rename it

GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

 

Your folder will be remained GodMode and inside will be all the good stuff an Admin God would want.

GodMode folder Windows 7

GodMode folder Windows 8

Windows 8 elevated command prompt

Working with Windows 7 I found the quick way to an elevated administrators command prompt was Windows key + R to open the Run box, type cmd then press Ctrl+Shift+Enter. In fact I used this method for most thing I wanted to run as administrator.

This method does NOT appear to work with Window 8 … this is where the Windows 8 haters start to scream … but the solution is as simple.

There are several ways to elevated command prompt in Windows 8 my preferred method from the Desktop is:

Press the Windows key to return to the start screen.

Type cmd

Command Prompt will return already selected

You now press Ctrl+Shift+Enter

Say yes to the UAC prompt

You are returned to the desktop with an elevated command prompt in no more time than it took in Windows 7.

It would be nice for the transition from 7 to 8 if Windows Key + R then Ctrl+Shift+Enter worked or did I miss the memo and it should!!!

Extending - rearming Windows 8 Evaluation

To extend the grace period of your Windows 8 evaluation open an elevated command prompt and enter

slmgr /rearm

This extends your evaluation for a further 30 days.

Can be rearmed 3 times in theory extending your trial by 90 days.

Enable/Disable Store in Windows 8 Group Policy

Quick Guide

Local Group Policy Editor (run gpedit.msc)

User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components

Store

Turn off the Store application

In Detail

Press Windows Key + R to open the Run box

enter gpedit.msc (don’t forget the file extension)

This will open the Local Group Policy Editor

In the left pane under user configuration expand Administrative Templates then Windows Components

Still in the left pane under Windows Components Select Store

In the right pane open (double click) Turn of the Store application 

By default is the Store is enabled

To disable the store you must Enable this policy option

Select the enable radio button and press OK

To enable the store select Disabled or Not Configured

There is no to save option just close the group policy editor

Messing about with NetSH AdvFirewall

Reset Firewall to Default

If you are going to mess about with your firewall the first thing you want to know is how to reset it to default

netsh advfirewall reset

Export/Import Settings

The second thing you should know is probably the last thing you would have though about. If you are going to mess around with an already successfully configured firewall then you may want to save the current settings and reimport them.

netsh advfirewall export "c:\wfconfig.wfw" 
netsh advfirewall import "c:\wfconfig.wfw"

It’s not a bad idea if you are messing about with NetSH in general to export the configuration. Not all “learning” is done with easily revertible test VMs … most of the important lesson we learn tend to be on live systems.

Firewall Off & On Test

If I switch the firewall off will this work … NO … better switch it back on then.

netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state off
netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state on

Useful WMIC Queries

WMI using the command line, WMIC is a utility that allows you to interact with WMI from a WMI-aware command-line shell.

Here are a couple of useful links

TechNet: Ask the Performance Team Blog

WMIC - The Windows secret weapon

Windows 8 PowerShell Shutdown Tile

TechNet link to a PowerShell module to create Shutdown, Restart and Logoff tiles for your Windows 8 Start screen.

Create a Shutdown/Restart/Logoff Windows 8 Tile for the Start menu (PowerShell)

Windows 8 Desktop Shutdown Shortcut

I don’t share a lot of peoples dislike of Windows 8 … want to shutdown … then create a Shutdown shortcut on the desktop

shutdown /s /t 0

That would be Zero not and Oh!!!

Windows 8 Classic Shell, Shutdown & Annoyances

While I don’t share a lot of peoples immediate hatred of Windows 8, having been through a few new versions of Windows, there are a few annoyances.

Do you want the start button download this.

http://www.classicshell.net/

The other immediate annoyance I had was Metro Applications taking up the whole screen switch to Google Chrome.

If you don’t like a Metro App hogging the whole screen change the file association to a third party app.

Windows Denial of Service by IPv6 RA Packets

Any version of Windows with IPv6 installed and running is vulnerable to a DoS attack by sending thousands of Router Assignment (RA) packets.

 

To prevent a “Script Kiddies” attack have a look at this link.

Overclocked Techies: Windows Denial of Service by IPv6 RA Packets

http://samsclass.info/ipv6/proj/flood-router6a.htm

Manage Hyper-V 2012 on Core from Windows 8

Unlike Window 7 and Hyper-V on 2008 R2 there is no need to download additional tools to administer Hyper-V from Windows 8 as they are a feature of Windows 8.

This is the Client Side Configuration there are plenty of postings relating to server side configuration. Both machines are in same workgroup.

Install Hyper-V Management Tools on Windows 8

Search for Control Panel

Select Control Panel then Programs

Under Programs and Features Heading select Turn Windows Feature On or Off

Tick Hyper-V Management Tools and both sub options

Start Component Services

Search "DCOMCNFG"

right click and "Run as administrator"

Select Console Root, Component Services, Computers, My Computer
Right click My Computer and select properties

Select "COM Security"
Select "Edit Limits" for Access Permissions

Allow remote access by setting the checkmark for the "ANONYMOUS LOGON"

Windows 2012 Local Users and Groups

Another how do I find it with Windows 2012; Local Users and Groups.

search for lusrmgr.msc