Windows Server 2008

Windows Server 2008 File Management

If you are looking for Open files in Windows Server 2008 you need to find Share and Storage Management. To start the tool, choose Start > Administrative Tools > Share and Storage Management, from there you can click on Manage Open Files(from the right most pane). Done.

-NS

Sysinternals Suite Updates

New Updates to the Sysinternals Suite

Process Monitor v2.7
This update to Process Monitor, a system monitoring utility, adds a new option to the process tree dialog that direct it to show just the timeline for displayed events, uses kernel-based thread profiling on Vista and higher for better performance, and includes a number of minor fixes and enhancements.

ProcDump v1.5
ProcDump now includes a new switch that enables the creation of a process dump upon process termination, which can help with troubleshooting unexpected process termination. It also fixes a bug where the -ma switch wouldn’t generate a full dump when combined with -r , the Windows 7-specific process reflection switch.

If you want to download these apps go to the Systinternals Live Site or go here for the whole updated package.

Posted in August that is Definitely worth a read.

Mark’s Blog: The Case of the Temporary Registry Profiles
In the latest post in Mark’s “Case of the Unexplained” series, he documents a perplexing case affecting many Microsoft and Citrix customers that Microsoft Customer Support Services solved with the use of Process Monitor’s boot logging and stack trace features.

vSphere 4 and Windows Server 2008

Here is another quick one for you all…  When creating a Windows Server 2008 Virtual Machine, do not enable paravirtualization, I know you want to, but whilst using vSphere, you will not be able to install the PCI Memory Controller Interface(you will be prompted to find drivers for this device, if you enable paravirtualization in the virtual machine settings). Its is only supported by certain Operating systems… now if you are using Hyper-V enabling paravirtualization will work. Just an FYI.

NS

Sysinternals Updates

There have been a lot of updates since i last blogged about this awesome set of tools, among those are updates to ProcDump, Autoruns, and PsLogList. The full details are here.

Another thing to mention is that Mark and David released the 5th Edition of their book, titled, “Windows Internals 5th Edition” You can check out the details herealso. Here is a small insert from their site.

Delve inside Windows architecture and internals:

• Understand how the core system and management mechanisms work—from the object manager to services to the registry
• Explore internal system data structures using tools like the kernel debugger
• Grasp the scheduler’s priority and CPU placement algorithms
• Go inside the Windows security model to see how it authorizes access to data
• Understand how Windows manages physical and virtual memory
• Tour the Windows networking stack from top to bottom— including APIs, protocol drivers, and network adapter drivers
• Troubleshoot file-system access problems and system boot problems
• Learn how to analyze crashes

Windows Server 2003 Performance Advisor and Data Collector Sets

As I am sure some people know about this installable gem, I am also sure that not everyone does. Its called “Windows Server 2003 Performance Advisor” Here is an insert from Microsoft’s website…

“Microsoft ® Windows Server ™ 2003 Performance Advisor is the latest version of Server Performance Advisor, which is a simple but robust tool that helps you diagnose the root causes of performance problems in a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 deployment. Server Performance Advisor collects performance data and generates comprehensive diagnostic reports that give you the data to easily analyze problems and develop corrective actions

Microsoft ® Windows Server ™ 2003 Performance Advisor provides several specialized reports, including a System Overview (focusing on CPU usage, Memory usage, busy files, busy TCP clients, top CPU consumers) and reports for server roles such as Active Directory, Internet Information System (IIS), DNS, Terminal Services, SQL, print spooler, and others.”

This application was deemed so useful that it was built into Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, it can be found by going to the control panel, then clicking on “Administrative Tools”, “Reliability and Performance Monitor”, then “Data Collector Sets”. You can then create a new “Data Collector Set” using templates under “User Defined” If you would like to see how they are configured and work, check out Petri’s article “Performance Monitoring the Easy Way”.

The link to download Performance Advisor is here. Also I am providing a link to Perti’s site that explains how to use the app, click here. Is it x64 compatible you say? My answer is yes.

Let me know if you found this blog useful!

NS

New Entry-Level Server Platform - Server 2008 Foundation

Microsoft just released a new revision of Server 2008 called Windows Server 2008 Foundation, designed and priced for small businesses with 15 or fewer employees. To see how it differs from other variants of Server 2008 check out the “Overview of Editions“. I for one am glad that they finally decided to rename the product from Small Business Edition, ill have to do a test run of this OS for sure. I’ll most likely have a follow up post to let everyone know how it looks and feels.

NS

Windows Search Service and Server 2008

I just recently took Vista Business 32Bit off my laptop and installed Server 2008 Standard 32bit. I am quite amazed at how much faster it is, I guess mainly because Vista is slightly bloated with Multimedia features not applicable too Windows Server 2008… anyways to get to my point of this particular blog. Installed Office 2007 Enterprise Edition and when I went to search it said that the Windows Search Service is not enabled, click here to fix, it then mentions that the service is not started. Well here is how you start this service in Windows Server 2008

1) Start Server Manager

2) Click on Roles in the left navigation pane

3) Select Add Role in the Roles Summary pane to the right

4) Select the File Services role and click Next

5) Select the Windows Search role service as displayed below…

Click Next then finish the wizard and now you should have the Windows Search service up and running.

Restart outlook and you can now quick search. It may take a bit of time to index you message store, depending on how much email you have… I have a lot!

Cheer,

NS

“MSTSC /console” Where did you go?

I just noticed this in the last few days, I guess its because of the fact that I waited so long to update to SP1, but it seems that with Vista Service Pack 1, Windows XP SP3, and Server 2008 the /console switch is no longer available…

Running mstsc /? will give you the following screen

As you can see the “/console” switch is gone, and I am running Vista Ultimate SP1. The only way to connect to the console now and ONLY on systems NOT running Windows Vista SP1, Windows XP SP3 or Windows Server 2008 or later installed is to use the “/admin” switch.

Anyways, check this out for more info.

Windows Vista and Server 2008 SP2 Beta

I just read from a TechNet email, Windows Server 2008 and Vista SP2 are out, and its a single update file for both! How you say? Well basically because Windows Vista and Server 2008 share the same code base. You need to already be running Windows Vista SP1 or Windows Server 2008 to install. The update is supposed to add new features like support for Bluetooth 2.1, native Blu-Ray media recording, “Windows Connect Now (WCN)“, ex-FAT file system, and windows search 4.0 integration. The list is not complete but it gives you a taste of whats to come. If you feel adventurous then download the update here

I don’t install Service Packs until they are out of beta phase and have been out for at least a few months, if you are like me and would like to block the service pack updates download the Windows Service Pack Blocker Tool

The tool works on Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 (valid through March, 2008), Windows XP Service Pack 3 (valid for 12 months following general availability), and Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (valid for 12 months following general availability)

NS

Terminal Services Printing Workaround

Would you like to print to that HP Printer that just wont connect through RDP?

Let me lay out the scenario for you.

You have an USB HP Printer of any type.

No matter what you have done you cannot get it to map.

Well here is a little work-around that I put together a while ago.

Take Printer #1 share it; give it any name you would like.

Add a new printer, I usually use Laserjet 1100, assign it to LPT1.

Open up a command prompt.

Type net use LPT1: \\pcname\printer_share_name /persistent:yes

Once you connect to an RDP or citrix session you will see the Laserjet 1100 as a selectable TS Printer.

Print to it, and the print job gets forwarded to the shared printer and will print.

All HP Printers can be mapped this way(the print engines haven’t changes much since the early 90’s), I have even used it once to be able to print to a Kyocera Printer using HP Drivers…

I usually put a batch file on the users desktop for them to delete and remap to the printer in case the connection gets broken.

Anyways this is to be used as a last ditch effort… USB Printers are NOT recommended for Terminal Services or Citrix, nor are any on the compatibility list.

Here is a good link to a lot of useful information… http://www.ccaheaven.com/citrixPrinting….. This page also has some nice information in it on Windows Server 2008 TS Easy Print.