Managing your contacts will change from the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. The general Contacts app will be replaced by the People Hub, an easier to reach the part in Windows 10.
Communicating in Windows 10 consists to a large extent of mailing and sending messages or files via Skype and OneDrive. From the next version of Windows 10 – the Fall Creators Update – Microsoft introduces a new place in the operating system from where you can easily look up all your contacts.
Hub
The new People Hub – or in the People Bar – is a new location on the Windows 10 taskbar, which allows you to quickly find data from people you’ve previously emailed, skype, or sent files to. The icon consists of two adjacent figures.
With the People Hub or People Bar, there will also be a new icon in the Windows 10 taskbar
The Person bar allows you to link contacts from different applications so that they are available in a central location and you can access them quickly. A single click on the icon with the left mouse button shows a pop-up of the most recent contacts you have recently used.
Shortcut
You can also link a contact separately directly to the taskbar. Under the People tab, you only have to click once on the person you want to attach to the taskbar. Immediately afterward the new icon appears next to the icon of the staff member.
Contacts can now be displayed separately in the taskbar so that they can be accessed quickly.
Other apps
In fact, the Person Bar is a place where contacts from other software you use are displayed. For example, the app automatically retrieves all your contacts from the Windows 10 Mail app, Skype, and the contacts app, simply called People. You can see exactly which apps are linked to the Person bar under the Apps tab. In the current test version of this app – which we had at our disposal in the latest Redstone 3 update (16296.rs3_release.170919-1503) it was not possible to add other apps, but we can imagine that Microsoft has that functionality at a later stage, or at the moment the Fall Creators Update actually becomes available, will build in.
By default, the staff member links the contact information from Mail, Skype, and People.
Search
From the Person bar, you can also search directly in all your contacts. To do this, click on Find and confirm contacts … at the bottom of the app. A search window immediately appears. Clicking on a contact shows all apps with which you can contact the person in question.
Information about a contact
Once you click on a contact from the People bar, you can use the choosing of the linked app – as mentioned earlier in the current version only the apps Mail, Skype, and Contacts – to see more information or data of that person. If you click on Mail, you will see all the mail you have had with those contacts.
Especially search place
However, the People Bar appears to be primarily a search engine for all your contacts. It is not primarily a place where you can quickly contact one of your contacts because when you click on an item, it is not possible to send a Skype message or an email. We are curious if Microsoft is going to add this functionality. About five years ago Microsoft already had a People Hub for Windows Mobile, but with that, you could make direct contact via various other apps.
It sometimes happens that for some reason the update KB3213986 fails with error code 0x800F0922.
And whenever you run the Windows Update, it will continue to fail.
What is the cause and how do you solve this now?
Background information
Error Code 0x800F0922 is known as a Windows Update error and usually has a .NET Framework installation error.
This error comes up when Windows Update tries to install the KB3213986.
The installation fails, stops and generates the error.
It was initially thought that the error was in the update itself, but that does not appear to be the case.
The problem seems to be triggered by insufficient space on the so-called System Reverted Partition or by an error in the Windows Update Service.
But also viruses and/or Malware can be a cause.
How can this problem be solved?
Option 1 (DISM and SFC tools)
Press WIN + X and choose Windows Powershell (Admin)
Type sfc / scannow and press Enter
Wait until it is finished
Then type the following commands followed by Enter behind each command:
DISM.exe / Online / Cleanup image / Scanhealth
DISM.exe / Online / Cleanup image / Restorehealth
Close the Power Shell and restart the system
Option 2 (Reset Windows Update components)
Press WIN + X and choose Windows Powershell (Admin)
Disable BITS, Cryptographic, MSI Installer, and the Windows Update Services by using the following commands, each command followed by Enter
net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptSvc
net stop bits
net stop msiserver
ren C: \ Windows \ SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
ren C: \ Windows \ System32 \ catroot2 Catroot2.old
The last 2 commands are meant to rename the 2 folders.
We then switch on the services that we have disabled
net start wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits
net start msiserver
And finally we close the Power Shell and restart the system
Option 3 (Activate .NET framework)
If you suspect that the cause of the 0x800F0922 error is the .NET Framework which is disabled, follow the steps below:
Press WIN or the Start button, type control panel and click Control Panel
Go to Programs and Parts
Click Turn on or turn off Windows components
Mark the checkbox with the .NET Framework and click OK
The Framework will then be installed.
If necessary, restart the system and the problem must be resolved.
Option 4 (Scanning the system with a professional Antivirus Program)
Do a full scan of the system with a good antivirus (ESET, Kaspersky etc.)
It will detect and remove infections.
Ready!
Do not run each option one after the other, but do this one by one.
Run 1 option, restart the computer, and then test if the update is installed.
I have been able to solve all the cases that I have encountered so far with the above actions.
On OS 10 and Linux they are used a lot more often, but in Windows, it is possible since Windows Vista to make so-called symbolic links. Such links are virtual links to a file or folder, which can be very useful – even in Windows 10.
A symbolic link is a link to a folder or file that you can place anywhere on your hard drive. It differs from a shortcut because a symbolic link cannot be distinguished from the folder or the file itself. If you create a symbolic link to D: \ Holiday pictures in the C: \ User \ Images folder, it looks like there is a C: \ User \ Images \ Holiday pictures folder, but in reality, the map with the holiday photos is located on the D-drive.
One of the advantages of a symbolic link is that it makes it possible, for example, to synchronize every folder with Dropbox. You simply create a symbolic link to the folder that you want to synchronize in your Dropbox folder. For Dropbox, it looks like that folder is in the Dropbox folder itself, while in reality, it is in a different location. This can also be useful for other cloud services.
Link Shell Extension
To make the creation of symbolic links more user-friendly, you can best use the Link Shell Extension for Windows Explorer. You download this tool from here. Click Link Shell Extension and run the downloaded file. If you use Windows 7 or 8, you must also download and install the Visual C ++ library. This is already present on Windows 10. After opening, click OK and click Install.
Select Yes to reopen the Windows Explorer. You can now right-click on a folder or file and choose Pick Link Source. That is the folder you want to link to. Then browse to the folder where the link should come and click Drop As … and choose Symbolic Link.
You can simply remove the Symbolic Link without the original disappearing. In the Drop, As menu, you can also opt for a Hard Link. Such a link can only be made on the same disk and has the advantage that if, for example, you would delete D: \ Holiday photos, you can still access the photos via the hard link in C: \ Users \ <username> \ Images \ Holiday pictures.
There are a number of things that you have to keep an eye on. Do not create symbolic links in symbolic links, do not create symbolic links to another symbolic link, and do not create a symbolic link with the same name as the folder already in the target location. The first two cause problems with, for example, virus scanners, which could, therefore, run steadily. But if you stick to this then you do not have to worry about anything else.
Would you like to start the data now with the implementation of the GDPR Of course, to back up [view] your Windows Store apps, you need to know where they’re stored? There are also other hurdles, as the folder is hidden and Windows denied access to it. By default, Windows 10 stores store app data in the WindowsApps folder of the program directory, which is C:\Program Files\WindowsApps.
Show extended elements
To see WindowsApps as a subfolder of programs, you may need to enable the display of hidden items in Windows Explorer. You can also open a hidden folder by typing its address and name (such as C: \Program Files\WindowsApps) in the address field of Windows Explorer and pressing [Enter].
In this particular case, however, a few additional steps are required. In the dialog box that appears, click Continue, and then click Security. The folder Properties dialog will appear.
In the Security tab, click the Advanced button. Now, another dialog box with advanced security settings will appear in the WindowsApps folder.
Click Next and then at the top, next to TrustedInstaller, click Change. In the Select User or Group dialog box, enter the computer name and your username separated by a backslash (\) – if the computer name is set in the Search path field, then just the username – and then close the dialog box with OK.
Reading Tip: Uninstall Windows 10 Store
Now, at the top of the WindowsApps Advanced Security Settings dialog box, select the checkbox next to Replace Owner of Objects and Child Container if it’s shown there, and then close this dialog box by clicking the OK button.
Close the other dialog boxes with OK or Close. Afterward, you have unlimited access to the folder WindowsApps.
Hi everyone, in this article, you will know how to enable windows 7 themes when it will hide on your computer. Just follow my simple steps which are shown below:
Step-1:
At first open notepad ( press Winkey + R open run then type “notepad” and hit enter) or any text editor.
Step-2:
Copy & Paste the following code into the notepad.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Themes\InstalledThemes\MCT]
“%windir%\Globalization\MCT\MCT-AU\Theme\AU.theme”=””
“%windir%\Globalization\MCT\MCT-CA\Theme\CA.theme”=””
“%windir%\Globalization\MCT\MCT-GB\Theme\GB.theme”=””
“%windir%\Globalization\MCT\MCT-US\Theme\US.theme”=””
“%windir%\Globalization\MCT\MCT-ZA\Theme\ZA.theme”=””
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Wallpapers\KnownFolders\Windows Wallpapers\MergeFolders]
“%windir%\Globalization\MCT\MCT-AU\Wallpaper”=””
“%windir%\Globalization\MCT\MCT-CA\Wallpaper”=””
“%windir%\Globalization\MCT\MCT-GB\Wallpaper”=””
“%windir%\Globalization\MCT\MCT-US\Wallpaper”=””
“%windir%\Globalization\MCT\MCT-ZA\Wallpaper”=””
Step-3:
Now Save it with the name “allregional. reg” without quotation.
Step-4:
Now double click on it. Then it will ask for your permission to add the file to the registry. Then Click on Yes.
Final Step-5.:
Right-click on the desktop and select Personalize. Your new themes will be available to you.
If you have a hardware problem, or wrong settings in the BIOS have made, could be a reset of the BIOS in question. So you put everything back to factory settings. There are several ways to restart. Here we explain how to do the BIOS reset.
A BIOS reset may be useful in several scenarios. You may have a hardware compatibility issue, or you may have overclocked your PC a bit. You can reset the BIOS via the software or manually or in the PC case, but at your own risk.
BIOS reset via the software
Normally, a reset option of the BIOS should be found in the software itself. As he powers up PC, you enter the BIOS menu. Often you do it with one touch at startup, such as “F2” or “Esc”. Also look into your manual or pay attention to any hints displayed while the PC starts up. In the menu, you should find the option “Reset to default” or “Load factory defaults” or about “Clear BIOS Settings”.
BIOS reset on the mainboard
Do you have problems with the above solution, you can also open the PC and perform the BIOS reset on the motherboard. This should work on almost all computers. First, disconnect the PC from the power grid and ground yourself. You do not want to break any components.
Open the PC case and look for a jumper that will allow you to perform a BIOS reset. Check the instructions for your computer to see where this jumper is. It could have the following names: “CLEAR”, “CLEAR CMOS” or “CLR PWD”.
Sets the jumper to the “CLEAR” position, advises the technology magazine “How to geek”. Now you turn the PC on and off again. Resets the jumper to its original position and the BIOS reset should succeed.
If you want to connect to the Internet under Windows 7, the error 651 may occur. How this error comes about and how you can fix it, we explain to you in this guide.
If you want to connect to the Internet via a network cable, error 651 may occur. This is usually caused by a faulty file called “raspppoe.sys”. What you can do about it, you will learn in the following.
Replace “raspppoe.sys”
In some cases, the error 651 can be fixed by replacing the “raspppoe.sys” file.
Get them either from a friend with a Windows 7 computer under the path “C:\Windows\System32\drivers” or download the file here.
Then copy the file on the same path to the “problem computer”.
After a restart, the connection should work properly again.
If the problem persists, you will find another approach in the next section.
Replace not possible: Allow access to raspppoe.sys
Click on the “raspppoe.sys” file with the right mouse button and select “Properties” in the context menu.
Under the “Security” tab, click on “Advanced”.
Here you change to the tab “Owner”, click on “Edit” and change the owner to you.
Now you can replace the file.
Check connection settings
Incorrect connection settings are another problem factor.
Press the key combination “Windows” + “R”, type “ncpa.cpl” there and press “Enter” or a click on “OK”.
It will open a window in which you select your connection. Right-click on it to open the context menu and select “Properties” there.
Click on the button “Configure” and select the tab “Advanced”.
Select “Speed & Duplex” and set the value in the drop-down list to “10 Mbps Full Duplex”.
After a restart, the connection should now work properly.
If the system file “msvcr100.dll” is missing on Windows, some programs can no longer be executed. We’ll tell you how you can solve the problem in no time.
Choose the operating system version (32- or 64-bit)
Open zip file
Unpack msvcr100.dll in the C:\Windows\System32 folder (32-bit) or in the C:\Windows\ SysWOW64 folder (64-bit)
Restart Windows
In rare cases, Windows does not recognize the file despite the reboot. In these cases, you have to type the command “regsvr32 msvcr100.dll” at the command prompt (simply type “cmd” in “Run”).
Under 7 or older automatic Internet updates can run out of Internet Explorer. Support for all web browsers older than version 11 wants in early January – so you should update quickly. We’ll show you how it works.
Microsoft wants to focus on the new Windows 10 browser Microsoft Edge, the support for all older versions will be discontinued from January 12, 2016. To get the latest version 11 under Windows XP, Vista or 7, follow these steps:
Open “Windows Update” via “Start”> “All Programs”
Now click on “Check for updates”
You can find the update for the latest version after the search has been completed under “Important Updates”
Finally, click on “Install Updates” and wait for updates to complete
Then restart the computer
Internet Explorer in the future, you click on the gear in the top bar of the web browser. In the menu that opens, click on “Info”. Finally, put a tick on “Automatically install new versions”.
If you have a computer, you will have problems sooner or later. Here too the question is not whether it happens but when!
A much-suggested suggestion to solve the problems is: Then just reinstall your computer right?
That may indeed be a possible solution, but if your car suddenly has a rattle, then you do not immediately stop a new engine? After all, you want to know what causes the rattle and maybe it is just a loose screw that needs to be tightened for a while. That is much more efficient than replacing the entire engine anyway?
It often pays to look further and exclude causes.
Additional advantage: You will learn a whole lot of it!
Start with the troubleshooting!
You notice a problem on your computer and then?
Firstly: Take a deep breath and grab a cup of coffee or whatever you want, that is at least the first step. Do not get stressed, it’s a computer and it does not bite you
Before you try everything
Make a backup of your system!
For example, use an external disk and make an exact copy of your Windows installation with Clonezilla, for example. If it goes completely wrong, you always have an image that you can put back to return to the original situation.
Tip 1 – Analyze the problem
It is very important that you can properly describe the problem. This really helps a lot in troubleshooting problems.
Simply saying: It does not work is not an answer that no ICT person will accept and Google will not be able to do anything with it.
Make an inventory of the problem:
Maybe very stupid, but has it worked before?
Consider whether there have been changes to the hardware or software after which the problem has surfaced
You get an error message, if so which error message and try to Google Googling to see if there are similar cases and maybe there are solutions.
Does the computer exhibit strange behavior?
See what kind of behavior and when it occurs
Can you reproduce the behavior? So if you do a certain action after which the problem comes up.
Does the computer show the same behavior when you start it in safe mode?
Start the computer, but there is a blue screen?
That can have many causes, but blue screens (BSODs) usually leave a so-called Dumpfile with a lot of information about the cause. With a Bluescreen Viewer, you can read the dump file and see what the cause is
Did you open a strange mail or a strange website after which the problem occurred:
Chances are you have a virus or other junk that has caused the problems. Use a good virus scanner or scan your computer with a Rescue CD
Tip 2 – Remove software and/or drivers that have recently been installed
The problems may arise with recently installed software or drivers.
Check if the problem has occurred and then look at Control Panel -> Programs and Parts to see if the software has been installed right before the problem occurred.
You can also check the list of Windows Updates to see if any updates have been installed before the problem occurred.
Remove the software, updates or drivers that are installed around the problem date.
Then test whether the problem still exists, if it is solved then it was in it.
See if you need the software and if so, check whether a newer version is available or contact the software supplier.
Tip 3 – Know when to call your supplier
You can call your supplier when you are sure that the problem is in their software, hardware or drivers. Some will charge you for this and will be more than willing to help you. But when the problem is not in their part, it is time and money lost. That is why it is important to exclude causes. This is tip 3, but then you are warned early enough for possible extra (high) costs.
Tip 4 – Continue your search and look for clues
Search for notifications in the log files
Windows has an Error Logger, the Event Viewer.
You can consult this by pressing WIN + R and typing eventvwr as a command followed by Enter.
You will then see the Application, hardware, setup, security and System logs.
Everything that an (information) stands for is OK. But there are also warnings (exclamation mark) and critical errors (red dot with white cross)
Be warned: You will never succeed in getting a log without even one error message.
If you can reproduce the problem, write down the time and then look in the Event Log for notifications about that time. Check the different logs such as Application, System etc.
You may find here a clue that tells you what happens and what goes wrong and you can consult Google to see if there are any solutions to this.
Make sure your hard drive is in order
Also, check your hard drive with CrystalDiskInfo to test the “health” of your hard drive. It is possible that the problems are caused by hard disk errors.
Common hard disk errors are damaged sectors, causing data to become corrupted and therefore no longer readable.
Check whether your computer is not very busy with something
If your hard disk is OK, you can see what the Task Manager says.
You tell them how busy and/or taxed your computer is.
You start the Task Manager by right-clicking on the taskbar and selecting Task Manager.
Make sure that the processor is very busy, the memory is full, your hard disk is heavily loaded and there is a lot of network activity.
If there are abnormally high values here, you can see which process is consuming so many resources under the Processes tab. If you know what process this is, you might be able to link it to a program or other software so that you can further troubleshoot further.
Take a look at the motherboard
It may sound strange, but often vague problems have their origin at the motherboard. Unscrew the case once (laptops go a bit harder and requires some courage), grab a flashlight and look at the motherboard.
This is because there are capacitors and possibly some are broken.
If you see leaking or bulging capacitors, your motherboard will almost certainly need to be replaced.
Test the memory
Defective memory is also often a cause of unexplained problems.
You can exclude this in two ways:
Do you have any memory that you know is in order, like from another computer without any problems? If this is the same memory, you can try to swap this and you can test whether the problem is gone. If that is the case, the memory is the problem!
Checking the memory with a memory tester is the 2nd option you have.
You can test with Memtest86. Let the computer run on it for a night and watch the next day if you can see any errors.
Check the processor fan
A processor is so hot that if it is not cooled it just burns.
Good cooling is, therefore, a must!
But over time, dust accumulates in the cooling fan and cooling fins of the cooling block, making the processor warmer and the computer can get stuck, very slow or other strange behavior.
If this is the case, then you can clean it with compressed air. This is often sold in spray cans especially for computers. You can also use a compressor, but you must be sure that this is dry air! you do not want condensation and oil on your motherboard!
Nutrition may also be a cause
What you might not expect is that a diet can also cause problems.
To be able to run a computer properly and stable, you need a good power supply with sufficient power.
You can not really see this and can only be controlled by placing another food and testing it.
Check whether other hardware causes conflicts
This is easy to test by disconnecting all peripherals and then testing whether the problems remain.
Sometimes you notice that you have a virus, but often not and you have “only” weird complaints.
Do not be convinced that your virus scanner is the best and therefore it is therefore impossible that a virus has nestled on your computer.
For example, Microsoft Antivirus is free, works reasonably but is certainly not flawless!
Install another virus scanner, for example Sophos which does a great job for a free AV and double check it again with for example Kaspersky Rescue CD
To top it off completely, install MalwareBytes Anti Malware and perform a scan to detect and clean up other junk and infections.
Tip 6 – We are almost there!
If you have completed all of the above tips, then you have reduced the possible causes to a minimum and you know in which direction you need to search, or you have already solved the problem.
If the problem still exists, you can contact your supplier. You can then tell exactly what you have already done and what is excluded from possible causes. The supplier will be able to serve you much better now and be able to come up with a solution faster because he does not have to do the same search. This saves you, in any case, an even higher bill because you have done a lot of research yourself.
A pat on the back is for you!
Tip 7 – Everything tried, nothing helps and the supplier does not get any further
We have now ended up on the most annoying part:
Nothing has helped, supplier does not matter either and the problem is still there.
You have now excluded everything:
Hardware works properly
Software works or does not work
Drivers are up to date
Peripherals do not cause the problems
Viruses and other junk are not the problem
Windows Updates are OK
You can now conclude that there is only one thing left, and that is a complete reinstallation of Windows.
I am often told by others: Why not reinstall your computer right away, that saves you a lot of time!
There is a very small core of truth, provided that the problem is actually so deep in Windows that reinstalling is the only possibility.
But what if the hardware is the problem? Or just a program that you have to use?
After a reinstallation, you have a clean Windows on your computer, but you still have the same problems, you still do not know what the cause is, you have learned nothing and you can start from the beginning. That only takes time!
As already stated in the beginning of this article: With a rattle in your car, you also do not replace the engine first.
But at this point we can draw the conclusion that there is no other option than to reinstall Windows.
Prepare yourself for a reinstallation:
Inventory the software you need and make sure you have the installation files. Also note special settings or take screenshots of them.
Backup existing data as it is deleted if you do a clean reinstallation.
Do you have all license codes ready to install the software?
Think of Windows, Office, Adobe products etc.
Back up website favorites
For example Outlook: Do you use an exchange server where your email etc. is stored on a server or standalone so that everything is on your hard drive? Backup these files too, otherwise you will lose all of this!
Databases and other data that is needed to be able to continue working after the reinstallation also back up
If you are sure that you have everything you need to be able to set everything up again after the reinstallation so that you can continue, you can start the reinstallation.
Windows 10 is very good in terms of installation!
After reinstalling, you can then continue to set up the computer without problems, so that you can get back to work.
Another small tip to quickly install the standard, useful and indispensable programs at once: Use Ninite for this!
Conclusion
Whatever other people say, do not be tempted to immediately start a reinstallation!
Troubleshooting is important, maybe not always fun, sometimes time-consuming but instructive and very useful!
Often a major problem has only a small and quick solution, although the other way around can also be true.
Think logically, go back reasoning what happened, find connections, search through your computer for directions and you get the cause!
Do not be afraid or destroy something because: It is already broken!
Do you have an Image of your drive or a backup with the most recent changes?
Then you can not lose much, just get started!
Almost since there are the Windows Apps in the Microsoft Store, there is also a way to download them as * .appx or now * .appxbundle. All you needed was a small tool to catch the link. As a result we were able to watch apps and test the new features without being in Preview Preview or Fast Ring.
Now Adguard has made it possible for us to download and install Windows 10 apps without the Microsoft Store Apps. All you need is the link to the app from the Microsoft Store website. You then enter it in the new page of Adguard and ca
If the links are displayed, you will need the * .AppxBundle and the * .EAppxBundle file. The former allows the installation. The second is then the update. A prerequisite is, of course, the activation of the developer mode. Who thinks now to come so fast to paid apps, Both packages downloaded, the AppxBundle started by double-clicking and it was then automatically updated via the EAppxBundle. The Store App will also show that you can start the app. So it is installed normally.n choose between Fast, Slow, RP and Retail.
How long the service remains is questionable. But since the Redmonder also deals with the updates so openly, nothing should change here. Whether the developers there are “leaps and bounds”, I can not judge. This will only be interesting to test MS apps from the release ring. Since these come more with new features.
If you want to try it out by clicking here [3.Update 21.07.]
New features for downloading the apps
[Update July 22] The link works again and Adguard has now added more options to select the apps. In addition to the complete link (Url) Adguard has now added the ProductID. This is the number and letter combination from the link after the “/” and before the “?” Example: 9wzdncrdfx92. Also possible is the package name, for example, from the folder WindowsApps. As well as the category ID.
To enable the new Developer features, do the following on build 10122 or greater:
Tap on the Windows-key, type Settings and load Settings – Modern application when the search results are displayed. You can also use the shortcut Windows-I instead which also opens the Settings application on Windows 10.
Switch to Update & Security > For developers to display the new features.
There you may either enable “sideload apps” or “developer mode”.
Sideload apps — Install apps from other sources you trust, like your workplace
Developer mode — Install any signed and trusted app and use advanced development features
The main difference between the options is that “sideload apps” is limited to loading apps from sources other than Windows Store, while developer mode goes beyond sideloading applications.
Enable developers mode through cmd:
Enter the command prompt in the system tray search and open it with the Ctrl + Shift key pressed or right-click as administrator
Like any firewall, the Microsoft software firewall on Windows Server 2016 blocks by default almost all communication ports. Originally, the ping is also denied, even in a WAN local area network / server member. This tutorial explains how to configure the Windows Server 2016 firewall to ping . This is done simply with the WS16 built-in utility for setting advanced firewall security rules.
The procedure is the same under Windows Server 2016 as with previous versions of WindowsServer (2012 / R2, 2008 / R2). Windows Server 1709 and 1803 updates are also affected by this guide.
By default, with the Windows firewall active, a 2016 server does not respond to ping:
Sending a 'ping' request on winserver2016 with 32 bytes of data:
Timeout exceeded the demand.
Timeout exceeded the demand.
Timeout exceeded the demand.
Timeout exceeded the demand.
Ping statistics for 192.168.0.10:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss)
Configure the Windows Server 2016 firewall to accept and respond to ping requests
1. Connect locally or remotely on the Windows Server 2016 machine.
2. Open the Windows Firewall, either by the built-in search or by the Start Menu, Windows Administrative Tools, Windows Firewall with advanced security features .
3. In the left menu, click on ” Inbound Rules “:
4. In the right menu, click on ” New rule “.
5. In the first Rule Type screen, choose ” Custom ” and do Next .
6. Leave ” All Programs ” and then Next .
7. Open the “Protocol Type” list to select ” ICMPv4 ” that corresponds to the Internet Control Message Protocol (ping). Do not change other options on this screen.
8. In the Extended section, leave ” Any IP address ” in both fields if there is no particular constraint. Otherwise, specify the specific IP addresses, IP ranges, or subnets that are allowed to ping the machine.
9. What action to take? ” Allow connection ” to answer ping requests from another extension.
10. Define on which networks this new rule must be applied: check only Domain to prevent the ping from being allowed on another connection than the one of the company (which should not change for a server).
11. Give this firewall rule a name and click Finish to validate it.
12. The ping is immediately functional from another PC on the network.
Sending a ping request on winserver2016.domain.local [192.168.0.10] with 32 bytes of data:
Answer of 192.168.0.10: bytes = 32 times <1ms TTL = 128
Answer of 192.168.0.10: bytes = 32 times <1ms TTL = 128
Answer of 192.168.0.10: bytes = 32 times <1ms TTL = 128
Answer of 192.168.0.10: bytes = 32 times <1ms TTL = 128
Ping statistics for 192.168.0.10:
Packages: sent = 4, received = 4, lost = 0 (loss 0%),
Approximate loop time in milliseconds:
Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms
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Windows 10, a friend who wants you good? The latest Microsoft OS is much too “sticky” according to many users. In question, the collection of personal data and their sharing at all winds makes cringe. Fortunately, the setup options detailed below significantly reduce the amount of information sent to the outside.
Here are some tips to disable the most intrusive Windows 10 features for your privacy. Some options were implemented during the update Creator’s Update, under the command of the CNIL. Others will prevent some services from running at 100%, like Cortana or AutoComplete. But at the end,
Change the privacy settings of Windows 10
Most of the options to disable are located in the privacy settings. To access it, open the Start menu and click on the wheel icon (to the left of the menu) to open the “Windows Settings”. Then click on “Privacy” . The options below are listed in the left column:
General
This tab allows you to disable the Windows 10 advertising ID . This particularly maligned feature allows advertisers to target their ads when you’re online. Of course, this involves the collection of a lot of personal information. To avoid this, simply disable the advertising ID by clicking on the “Enabled” button.
Location
Do you take your PC everywhere with you? Do you feel that Microsoft and its geolocation services do not need to know where you are in real time? This tab makes it possible to avoid being tracked in your travels .
To turn off geo-tracking for all programs, click the “Edit” button, then the “On” button. If you prefer to customize the permissions, scroll down and clear the option only for the software of your choice.
From the same window, you can access the history of information collected on your geolocation. Some are stored locally: you can delete them by clicking “Delete” below the “Location History” space. For location data stored in the cloud, click ” Manage my location information stored in the cloud ” and manually clear your history.
Camera and Microphone
By default, all Windows 10 applications can access the camera on the PC. If you prefer, it is possible to limit the image taking to the software of your choice (Skype, Viber, etc …). To do this, click on “Camera” on the left column, scroll down and allow only the applications of your choice.
If you prefer to disable the use of the camera for all applications, click the “On” button at the very top of the window.
You can do the same for the microphone of the PC, by clicking on “Microphone” in the left column and repeating the operation.
Account Information, Contacts and Calendar
Windows 10 allows any application to view your personal information , including your account information. The “Account Information” tab allows you to disable this. Click the “Enabled” button to ensure the privacy of your private data on Windows 10 .
Then repeat the operation for each of the following tabs: “Contacts” and “Calendar”.
Comments and diagnostics
This tab is dedicated to telemetry: it is diagnostic data sent to Microsoft to improve your experience. You are free to deactivate this function: to do this, click on the “Activated” button in the “Diagnostic data” area.
Disable information collected by Cortana
Cortana is your personal assistant on Windows 10 : like Siri at Apple, it allows you to perform basic tasks by voice command. It’s also one of the most worrying features of privacy advocates: Cortana can be activated by voice (saying “Hey, Cortana”), the microphone is always open …
If this idea gives you urticaria, know that it is possible to disable this function. First open the voice assistant settings by clicking on ” Cortana ” from the Windows Settings.
In the first tab that appears, go to the “Hey Cortana” option and click the “On” button. This allows the voice assistant to work, but not to be called by voice command.
Cortana itself is a very intrusive option: the assistant collects data about your activity in order to best meet your requests. Do you want to be clear? Click on “Permissions and Logs” in the left column. There, go under the “Permissions” area and click ” Manage information that Cortana can access from this device “. Then deactivate the options of your choice.
Customize Microsoft Edge, which is a little too indiscreet
The new Internet browser from Windows is not devoid of qualities, but it tends to be, too, a little too indiscreet. It collects a large volume of personal data to enhance the user experience by making it more predictive and responsive.
To make it less intrusive, you can disable some minor features by accessing the browser settings. To do this, click on the three small dots at the top right of the window, select “Settings <” and click on “Show advanced settings”.
In order to limit the data collected by Microsoft Edge, it is advisable to disable the following options:
“Save form entries”;
“Allow Cortana to help me in Microsoft Edge”;
“Show search suggestions and sites as I type”;
“Use page prediction to speed up navigation (…).”
Disable synchronization with other devices
Windows 10 offers synchronization of your data between all the devices you use from the same Live account. Concretely, this means that the following information is automatically transmitted from one device to another: theme, settings, ergonomics options, personal info, history …
If this function can be useful for some, it also means that your personal data is stored on Microsoft’s servers . To delete it, it’s very simple: from the “Windows Settings”, click on “Accounts”.
In this window, you can enable or disable the items you want to synchronize, one by one: theme, web browser settings, passwords, language preferences, usability options, Windows settings …
If you prefer, you can also completely disable synchronization between devices . At the very top of the window, click the first “Enabled” button to remove it.
These tips will help you disable the most intrusive options of Windows 10 . This is not enough to prevent it from communicating your personal info to Microsoft servers: other parameters require manipulations reserved for expert users, or the installation of third-party programs, such as DoNotSpy10. That said, by applying these tips, you will have already taken a big step towards improving your privacy under Windows 10 !
A few Months Ago, Microsoft pushed an update on all its OS. This update bearing the name of KB4093492 may cause problems of RDC connection on some servers.
For many customers this was the case, so that will give you a solution if you also encounter this problem.
When you start the connection to the remote server with the Remote Desktop Connection tool , you get the following error:
this could be due to credssp encryption oracle remediation
If you encounter this error, there are several solutions.
You can uninstall the KB4093492 very well , but here we will see a simpler way around it.
Via PowerShell / Regedit
From the impacted computer, launch Powershell in admin and type the following command:
The Check Disk utility can save your hard drive or SSD and it is advisable to use it as soon as your system behaves strangely. Sometimes even if apparently the problem does not come from your hard drive . The chkdsk program can fully scan your hard drive for bad sectors. Two cases arise: either chkdsk can repair the failing sector, or it can not.
In this second case it marks the sector in question so that the system does not try to use it anymore. Beforehand, a faster analysis can be done to find logical errors in the file system. Such an analysis can solve many problems in itself. It is recommended to run the utility regularly to prevent these errors from damaging your data.
If the errors multiply, it is that your disk or SSD arrives at the end of life, it is then necessary to change it. If you opt for a hard drive, check out this list of the most reliable brands !
How to fix the hard drive with Chkdsk under Windows 10
We will see two methods to launch this utility: via File Explorer, since as you will see, the utility is fully integrated into the system, and via the Command Prompt, when you want to force its startup with some parameters .
From File Explorer
Right click on the Start menu and then click on File Explorer
Go to This PC in the left column
Then go to the Tools tab
Click Check to check for errors and follow the instruction
In some cases Windows 10 will tell you that the utility has not found any errors before starting, but you can still click Check Disk .
From the Command Prompt
Launching the utility from the command prompt gives you access to finer options, and among other things allows you to perform a more in-depth analysis, which will require a restart of your computer in order to be able to repair the errors encountered. We will go directly to the most thorough and effective mode to try to repair damaged areas.
Start typing Command Prompt in the Start menu , right-click on the first result, and then Run as administrator.
Type chkdsk / r c: as in the screenshot below and validate by typing Y then Enter
Your drive will be checked at the next reboot, when you choose to restart it. Expect a longer start than usual. If you want to cancel this check, return a prompt in administrator mode command and enter chkdsk / x c: . If you liked this tutorial, you will probably like this one: how to fix all your Windows boot problems .
Microsoft has changed the terms of operating system support for Windows 7, which, despite its venerable age, is still popular.
Initially, it was expected that extended support would end on January 14, 2020. But now for business users terms are shifted.
Microsoft clarified that the support of corporate versions of the system can last until January 2023, but for an additional fee, as part of the service Windows 7 ESU ( Extended Security Updates – extended security updates).
You will need to pay for each PC, and the price will grow every year. Apparently, in Redmond they intend to make money by users by any means: either by demanding payment for an outdated OS, or forcing to switch to Windows 10.
The Windows 7 ESU service will be available for Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Enterprise with a corporate license. And owners of Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Education will be offered a discount. Access to the cloud-based Office 365 ProPlus service will be preserved, but only if the company paid the ESU before January 2023.
It is not yet clear whether the beginning of 2023 will be the final of the “seven”, or the company will still extend support again. Although the latter, given the desire for a billion devices on Windows 10, is unlikely.
The ability to move a virtual machine without downtime put Hyper-V on the same footing with other hypervisors and provided organizations with greater flexibility in hosting and optimizing resources. For most organizations using Hyper-V, live migration has become so important that one of the criteria for developing new features of Windows Server 2012 was the integrity of its mechanism.
n most issues related to computing, the main task is to consolidate shared resources and functions in a single module. In such a consolidation is the main purpose of virtualization technology. The Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V hypervisor had similar priorities, in which it became possible to share NTFS volumes based on SAN storage by all nodes in the cluster. With this approach, all volumes were granted simultaneous access using Cluster Shared Volumes (CSV) technology. Server 2008 R2 has a live migration migration mechanism that allows you to move virtual machines between nodes in a cluster without downtime. Live migration was performed by copying the contents of the RAM and the state of the virtual machine in the process. .
New opportunities
The Server 2012 Hyper-V hypervisor implements several new features, some of which relate to the operation of fault-tolerant clusters. Let’s highlight two important changes in the live migration migration mechanism in a failover cluster.
-In Server 2012, live migration supports multiple simultaneous migration processes between a pair of host servers. In the previous version only one process was supported.
– The mechanism of fault-tolerant servers supports the use of up to 64 nodes and 4000 virtual machines in one fault-tolerant Server 2012 cluster – the figures increased by 400% compared to the fault-tolerant Server 2008 R2 clusters (although this article is not about this).
Server 2012 has a new type of live migration: migration without shared storage. Yes, I did not make a reservation. No shared storage, no shared cluster — all you need is just a Gigabit Ethernet connection between the Server 2012 Hyper-V hosts. Through this connection, you can transfer the virtual machines between the Hyper-V host servers, while moving the virtual disks of the VHD virtual machines, the contents of the memory, the state of the processor and the system without idleness of the virtual machine. If we consider the most extreme scenario, then a virtual machine running on a laptop with VHDs located on a local shared drive can be moved to another laptop connected via a single Gigabit Ethernet network cable.
A word of caution: do not think that using live migration without shared storage means that failover clusters are no longer needed. A failover cluster is a high-availability solution, while hot migration without shared storage is a mobile solution that gives you additional flexibility when you plan to move virtual machines between Hyper-V hosts in your environment. In addition, hot migration can be an addition to a failover cluster. Imagine the ability to move virtual machines without idle work inside the cluster, from the cluster to the outside, between the clusters and between individual host systems. With live migration without a shared repository, you no longer depend on repositories.
Requirements for using live migration without shared storage
The requirements for activating the live migration mechanism are quite simple.
-You need two (at a minimum) instances of a Server 2012 system with the Hyper-V role installed or the free version of Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2012 installed.
-Each server must have access to its own storage for storing virtual machines. This role can be played by local storage, a dedicated SAN storage, or a Server Message Block (SMB) 3.0 share.
– Servers must have processors of the same type or family (that is, Intel or AMD) if you use the Processor Compatibility feature for virtual machines.
Servers must be members of one Active Directory (AD) domain.
– Between servers, a connection of at least 1 Gb / s should be established (it is recommended to organize a separate dedicated network segment for live migration traffic, but this configuration is not mandatory), through which two servers can exchange data. For the network adapter you use, you must activate the Client for Microsoft Networks and File and Printer Sharing services for Microsoft Networks, as they are used for all types of migration between repositories.
– On each Hyper-V server, the same virtual switches should be assigned the same name to avoid errors and manual operations during the migration process. If a virtual switch with the same name as the switch used in the settings of the portable virtual machine is not defined on the target Hyper-V server, an error message will appear and the administrator performing the migration will have to choose which switch on the target server to connect to virtual machine adapter
-The virtual machines for which you plan to perform the migration should not use transit storage.
When your environment meets the listed requirements, you can proceed to the next step — allow outgoing and incoming migrations for Hyper-V hosts.
Host level permissions
To enable live migration on Hyper-V servers, you must enable the Enable incoming and outgoing live migrations checkbox in the Hyper-V hypervisor settings. These settings are available in the Hyper-V Manager wizard. Figure 1 shows the basic settings required to allow migration outside the cluster.
Screen 1. Hyper-V server live migration settings
In the simplest environments, selecting the option Enable incoming and outgoing live migrations, accepting the default setting of Use Credential Security Support Provider (CredSSP) for authentication and using any available network for live migration should ensure that migration is performed without shared storage. The unobvious moment: the Hyper-V integrated exception (MIG-TCP-In) creates a firewall resolution rule for TCP port 6600. If you use an alternate local firewall on the servers or if firewalls are used to filter traffic between servers, manually.
Keep in mind that on the Hyper-V Settings screen you can also set the maximum number of simultaneously running migration processes. Server 2012 removes the limit to one live migration process between any two hosts at the same time, instead the number of simultaneous migrations is now determined by the network transmittance. However, if you want to limit the number of simultaneous migrations to a certain number, set this limit in the Simultaneous live migrations field. You can configure this value using the MaximumVirtualMachineMigrations parameter of the Set-VMHost command in Windows PowerShell.
Although the default settings can work in simple environments or in basic testing, most environments will need to switch to Kerberos authentication and use a dedicated network for live migration traffic, which will include copies of the virtual machine memory and its storage devices. Using the Kerberos mechanism allows administrators to initiate migration processes remotely. Using a dedicated network helps to manage network traffic and ensure that there is sufficient network bandwidth to perform the migration. Let’s look at the authentication process and see why it becomes a source of problems for live migration in non-clustered environments.
Live migration authentication
In clustered environments where the Hyper-V host servers are part of a failover cluster, all the hosts share a common cluster account. This account is used to exchange messages between hosts in the authentication process, simplifying (from the point of view of authentication) operations such as migration within the cluster. Beyond the cluster boundaries, each Hyper-V server has its own computer account — there are no shared credentials. When performing operations, the account of the user who initiates the action is usually used.
During live migration, operations are performed on the source server, on the target server (and on file servers, if the virtual machine is stored in the SMB shared folder), and authentication is required in each case. If the administrator performing the migration connects to the source server or target server and starts the live migration process without shared storage through the local Hyper-V Manager snap-in, then the administrator credentials are used for both local operations and for executing commands on the target Hyper-V V. In such a scenario, CredSSP works correctly, allowing administrator credentials set on the client side to be used on a remote server — usually at a distance of one authentication step between the local machine with which the operation is performed and the remote server.
However, the general ideology of the Server 2012 system (and the general management approach) implies remote control and automation. The need to constantly log in to the source and target Hyper-V servers every time you need to migrate outside the cluster is a huge drawback when remotely managed. If the user is logged on to the local computer running the Hyper-V Manager snap-in and tries to migrate between the Hyper-V A and B hosts, this attempt will fail. The user credentials will be used on host A (which is in one authentication step from the client system), but host A cannot use these credentials on host B to complete the migration. The problem is that the CredSSP protocol does not allow the transfer of credentials to a system that is in more than one step. In this situation, full remote control will ensure the use of the Kerberos protocol: Kerberos supports limited delegation of authentication. Thus, when a user performs an operation on a remote server, this remote server can use the user credentials to authenticate to the second remote server.
Does this mean that the server to which I connect remotely can simply take my credentials and use them on another server without my knowledge? This is where the limiting part of delegation comes into play, despite the fact that you will need to perform certain configuration before you can use the Kerberos protocol as an authentication protocol during migration. You need to configure delegation for each computer account that will be allowed to perform operations on a different server on behalf of the user. To configure delegation, use the Active Directory Users and Computer Management tool and the properties of the computer account for the server that will be given the right to delegate. As Figure 2 shows, the Delegation tab contains settings for the allowed delegation level.
Screen 2. Delegation settings to perform remote start live migration
The only service that requires delegation is the Microsoft Virtual Migration Service, which must be activated on the target Hyper-V server. You need to select only one authentication mode – Use Kerberos. I have two servers SERVERA and SERVERB; the screen shows that I am changing the delegation settings for server SERVERA and setting up Kerberos delegation on my other server SERVERB for the Microsoft Virtual System Migration Service. I will repeat the configuration process for the SERVERB computer account, allowing you to delegate it to the SERVERA server. Also keep in mind that I configured delegation for the Common Internet File System (CIFS) service, which will be needed later when virtual machines hosted in SMB public folders are moved between hosts.
Remember that all hosts participating in the migration must have the same authentication settings. Figures 1 and 2 show the main differences between the CredSSP and Kerberos protocols and the settings required to use each of the protocols. Figure 1 shows the use of the CredSSP protocol; its operation requires that hot migration be started from one of the Hyper-V servers. Figure 2 illustrates the use of Kerberos authentication and the remote launch of a process that requires additional restricted Kerberos delegation. Although the use of Kerberos authentication requires more time-consuming configuration, the additional flexibility obtained justifies these efforts and translates this configuration into the recommended one.
Figure 2. Migrating using the Kerberos protocol
Network settings
Authentication was a difficult step. You must now configure the network to use for inbound migrations (that is, the network on which the host will wait and receive live migrations). By default, live migration is allowed from any network. However, I recommend, if possible, to use a closed network dedicated to migration processes to ensure guaranteed bandwidth and separate migrations from the rest of the network traffic. You can add multiple networks and set the order in which they are used: just enter the address of the corresponding subnet in the network prefix notation, also known as the Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) notation. For example, to specify a network adapter with an IP address of 10.1.2.1 and a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, I used the notation 10.1.2.0/24. Alternatively, specify the full IP address with a mask of 32 (for example, 10.1.2.2/32), but in this case, you will need to change the settings every time you change the IP address. Make sure that the source and target servers can communicate with each other using the IP addresses that you specified to use during the live migration process, otherwise the migration cannot be performed. To modify these settings using PowerShell, use the Add-VMMigrationNetwork and Set-VMMigrationNetwork commands.
Apply migration without shared storage
After setting up the Hyper-V host servers, the migration itself is easy. For a virtual machine, select the Move action, and then select Move the virtual machine as the move type. Enter the name of the target Hyper-V server to which you want to move the virtual machine, and to top it up, specify how the elements of the virtual machine, such as VHDs, will be moved to the destination. Screen 3 shows the final motion settings. Since we are interested in a scenario without shared storage, in which there is no shared storage and no shared SMB file folders are used, you need to choose one of two options: items. The first option allows you to specify a single place on the target storage, which will contain the virtual machine configuration, hard drives, and snapshots. In addition to the selection of relocatable elements, the second option allows you to specify the storage location for each virtual machine element.
Screen 3. Selection of a variant of the move operation
After you make your selection, specify the folder on the target server. The move operation will start. The execution time depends on the size of the VHD disks, the amount of memory being moved, and the frequency of changes. However, the operation will be performed without downtime and loss of connection with the virtual machine. You can also initiate a move using the Move-VM PowerShell command.
Troubleshooting Migration Errors
The following steps should help you deal with any obstacles that may arise in the process.
Make sure your infrastructure meets the requirements described at the beginning of this article.
Check the Event Viewer (Applications and Services Logs> Microsoft> Windows> Hyper-V-VMMW> Admin) log for messages describing the problem.
Verify that the IP addressing settings between the source and destination servers are correct. Servers should be able to exchange messages. Check with the ping command for the availability of the destination IP address of the migration from the source server.
Run the following PowerShell command from the session with elevated privileges to view the IP addresses used for the server: gwmi -n root \ virtualization \ v2 Msvm_VirtualSystemMigrationService | select MigrationServiceListenerIPAddressList
Ensure that the target server has a firewall exception enabled for Hyper-V services (MIG-TCP-In).
The name of the target server must be resolvable through DNS. Try running the Nslookup command on the target server. Also run the command
ipconfig / registerdns
on the target server and command
ipconfig / flushdns
on the original.
7. On the target server, use the following command to clear the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) protocol cache:
command arp -d *
8. To test connectivity, try remotely sending a Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) request to the target server (the WMI-In firewall exception must be enabled)
9. Change the IP address used for live migration. For example, if you are using a 10.1.2.0/24 subnet, try replacing it with a specific IP address 10.1.2.1/32. Also, check the IPSec encryption or firewall settings between the source and destination servers. Find out if several network cards are connected to the same subnet – this can cause problems. If you encounter this situation, try disconnecting one of the adapters.
10. Configure authentication via CredSSP and start the process locally from the Hyper-V server. If after this error is resolved, then the root of the problem in the delegation of Kerberos.
The most common problems among those I have encountered are related to errors in configuring the Kerberos protocol or IP addresses. Failure to resolve the target server name through DNS service will also cause problems.
Summing up and next steps
Live migration without shared storage is the most radical type of migration with zero downtime. However, there are other types of migration without downtime, such as storing virtual machines in a shared SMB file folder that both Hyper-V hosts have access to. With this approach, the memory and state of the device are moved across the network, and the storage remains in its place. And there is still live migration within a failover cluster — a process that can use shared SAN storage via the CSV file system (CSVFS).
If you move a virtual machine between failover clusters or between a failover cluster and a standalone Hyper-V host, you will have to remove the virtual machine from the cluster before migrating. It is very convenient that in Server 2012 you can add and remove virtual machines from a failover cluster without stopping them — that is, without idle virtual machines, even if migration affects a failover cluster.
Of course, even in a scenario without shared storage, there is a need for a common physical network infrastructure and dependence on the settings of the IP address of the virtual machine during the move. That is why another possibility of Server 2012, Network Virtualization, opens up a new world: now virtual machines can be moved between any hosts without changing the network settings in their operating systems.
