Adding the TechNet Library to IE
The TechNet Library is easily my most used technical resource. I used to keep a tab open constantly so I could easily search TechNet for the up to date documentation or references that I needed.
Now, I have added TechNet as a search option within Internet Explorer. Here is how you can do the same!
Categories: Admin, Troubleshooting, Tweaks, Utilities Tags: Add-on, Internet Explorer, Technet
EaseUS Todo Backup Product Review
Data Backup applications apart from being must-have utilities remain very popular with end-users in spite the fact that generations of Microsoft Windows editions have always provided backup tools that are integrated into the operating systems. So, why users do keep purchasing Data Backup Solutions? Simply, because independent software vendors such as, EaseUS manage to develop solutions that provide enhanced functionality and ease-of-use that Windows inbuilt tools may lack.
Categories: Utilities Tags: backup, data backup, EaseUS, EaseUS Todo Backup 4.5, feature, iSCSI, NAS, Product Review, Review, SOHO, tape drive
BinScope Binary Analyzer
Microsoft and Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) offer a wide selection of free tools, some come with a specific purpose and with no commercial aspects while, others are offered as a teaser to a paid version. However, a good tool whether it’s free or not can save the day of an IT Professional and it is my goal to share with you valuable tools as I am accustomed to do in the section titled Utilities on this blog. A free security-related tool designed by Microsoft to help IT professionals audit the security of applications is called BinScope Binary Analyzer.
Categories: Security, Utilities Tags: Analyzer, audit, binary, Binary Analyzer, BinScope, code, deploy, develop, free, free tool, ISV, SDL, Technet
Free Microsoft eBooks
Eric Ligman, Director at Microsoft’s Partner Experience has compiled and posted an extensive list of technical eBooks. All eBooks listed are available online and can be downloaded for free. These can be used for self-training purposes or as a technical reference. Amongst the large selection of topics, eBooks include various solutions and technologies related to SharePoint, Visual Studio, Windows Phone, Windows 8, Office 365, Office 2010, SQL Server 2012, and Microsoft Azure.
Categories: Utilities Tags: eBooks, Eric Ligman, Partner Experience, resource, solution
Using nvspbind to modify protocol bindings from the command line
In server core environments, the task of modifying and troubleshooting NICs protocol bindings may require the use of a tool called nvspbind which is available from MSDN here. However, the same tool can become very handy when you need to change the network binding order of network interfaces from the command line during the installation of Windows 7, and where the GUI tools are not yet available. Also, you can leverage the tool in environments where the default Windows shell (Windows Explorer) is replaced with other shells such as, command prompt, Windows PowerShell or custom built shells.
Categories: Management, Utilities Tags: Hyper-V, interface, MSDN, network binding, NIC, nvspbind, nvspbind.exe, protocol
Search for Strings within Executables
Search for embedded strings within binary files using the Strings command-line utility by Mark Russinovich. Executables and object files will many times have embedded UNICODE strings that you cannot easily see with a standard ASCII strings or Grep programs. In combination with the Grep utility, Strings utility allows you to perform a search and find specific text such as, version numbers in binary files. It can also assist you in malware investigations such as, searching for URLs embedded within malicious binary files. However, the utility will not find any meaningful strings in compressed or encrypted binary files.
Windows PowerShell
The scripting language PowerShell introduced in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 provides rich access to the above mentioned systems and later platforms, including access to security settings. Experienced Systems Administrators use PowerShell to develop management tools that are specific to their environment, hence, allowing them to tackle specific issues that may be unique to their organizations.
Categories: Management, Utilities Tags: cmdlet, Get-Process, Object, PowerShell, process, Windows PowerShell
