A Blazing Fast PowerShell Console
The faster things become – the faster we want things to become.
For example – PowerShell. On my machine, it takes about 5-6 seconds to be fully functional. Because I link PowerShell scripts into certain MMCs, starting PowerShell quickly is very important to me!
Categories: Management, Performance, Scripting Tags: PowerShell, script, Technet
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
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
Update your cryptographic settings before August Patch Tuesday!
August’s Patch Tuesday is an important one, I would say critical! Patch Tuesday is usually the second Tuesday of each month, on which Microsoft releases security patches. A security fix or enhancement will be released which will block all applications that use cryptographic keys less than 1024 bits.
To further reduce the risk of unauthorized exposure of sensitive information, Microsoft has created a software update that will be released for the following operating systems: Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2. This update will block the use of cryptographic keys that are less than 1024 bits.
To read more and find the issues that you may encounter after applying this update go here – http://blogs.technet.com/b/pki/archive/2012/06/12/…d.aspx
Categories: Security Tags: 1024 bits, cryptographic, key, patch, Patch Tuesday, Technet, update
Run a command prompt in the Local System context!
Sometimes you may need to run a command, especially when you are troubleshooting a problem that requires the System context to execute and return results. The Local System context, which is normally a protected layer for the operating system to execute services, can be accessed using a privileged service account called NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM or LocalSystem. If a service running in the Local System context is compromised then your system is at risk!
Categories: Utilities Tags: command, command prompt, LocalSystem, Mark Russinovich, privilege, psexec, psexec.exe, pstools, Technet, Windows Sysinternals
Process Explorer
To determine which applications in Windows 7 are responsible for activity on your hard disk, including which files and folders are being accessed you can use either Process Explorer or Resource Monitor. Although, Windows 7 offers an enhanced version of the Resource Monitor tool, Process Explorer is not part of the native operating system and you need to download it from Microsoft’s TechNet. Process Explorer allows you to determine information related to running programs such as, which program has a particular file or directory open or handles opened and DLLs loaded.
Categories: Troubleshooting, Utilities Tags: DLL, handles, process, Process explorer, processexplorer, program, Resource Monitor, Technet
