Knowledge Base for Windows

Description/Problem:
We needed to solve the issue with installation of new device (hardware) to operating system MS Windows Server 2003 via small script from command line some weeks ago. The easiest way how to perform this kind of activity was the DevCon utility. It’s a command line utility that acts as an alternative to Device Manager and allow you to enable, disable, restart, update, remove and query individual devices or groups of devices. Nice and powerful tool.

Solution:
Download DevCon Utility / KB311272

Description/Problem:
I suppose that every administrator is very familiar with scripted system configuration gathering tool called Microsoft Product Support Reports (MPSR). We are using this tool in our daily life for creating the reports which we can use for deep analysis of critical system issues or attached as part of software calls managed by Microsoft Premier Support.

Download:
Microsoft.com

Description/Problem:
We have many freeware 3^rd party tools which offer a lot of possibilities how to check the system status and performance. Inside the operating system Windows Vista/7 and Windows Server 2008 exist also the same tool called Reliability and Performance Monitor. This tool provides report about the status of local hardware resources, system response times and processes on the local computer along with system information and configuration data. This report can help us to check the system status and also includes suggestions for ways to maximize system performance.

Solution:

• Open the command line (cmd) as Local or Domain Administrator
• Type command: “perfmon /report”

More information about this tool you can find on the TechNET.com.

Description/Problem:
New day – new issue, in this case related to lost information about one partition which store several GB of user data. We use small but powerful free data recovery tool called TestDisk. This software was designed to help fix partition table, recover deleted partition, FAT32 boot sector from its backup, rebuild FAT12/FAT16/FAT32 boot sector, fix FAT tables, rebuild NTFS boot sector, recover NTFS boot sector from its backup, fix MFT using MFT mirror and also undelete files from FAT or NTFS.

Solution:

Download

Description/Problem:
Windows Server 2003 Access-based Enumeration makes visible only those files or folders that the user has the rights to access. When Access-based Enumeration is enabled, Windows will not display files or folders that the user does not have the rights to access. You can use this special feature on your files servers.

Solution:

Download / NetworkNet Blog

Description/Problem:
The NC_Net is well-known as Windows monitoring agent for Nagios. Performs both Passive and active checks, as well as WMI checks, and external script running. Full local or remote configuration. Core of this utility is based on .Net Framework 2.0. I found the article which help me to solve problem with hanging NC_Net agent after the Windows system start-up.

Solution:
Ubergeek Technical Howtos’ & SourceForge.Net

The Microsoft Active Directory Topology Diagrammer reads an Active Directory configuration and automatically generates a Visio diagram of Active Directory and Exchange Server topology. Short guide line about this tool is available here.

Download: Microsoft Active Directory Topology Diagrammer

The Brocade SAN Health Professional it’s a free framework leverages SAN Health Diagnostics Capture reports, enabling you to audit the reports in detail, utilizing advanced search functionality and inventory tracking.

Download: Brocade SAN Health Professional