I know this may not be NEW news, but it is relevant to some. In efforts to strengthen the Windows Operating System brand, Microsoft released Windows 10 -free of charge! This easy upgrade allowed users of Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 to be brought up to the latest and greatest (and I mean Greatest!) version of Windows to date. There is a catch, though…
Reading Offline
I came across a great article from a reputable business who specializes in Virtual Administration. Here’s a great tip for making use of your ‘downtime’ and catching up on reading…
Fill Your Pocket With Good Information
As a small business owner, my mind is constantly on learning new tips, keeping up with technology, and finding new ways to better assist my clients. If you are like me, that means you will often find yourself with a … Continue reading
Start-Up Company Free Resource
New Start-up Companies, here is a free resource for you! Let Microsoft help you grow your business with BizSpark
Join BizSpark for Free and gain access to:
- 3 years free access to Azure (up to $750/mo)
- Works with Linux, Java, PHP, etc…
- Build Virtual Machines, Web Applications, Store Data, Create Mobile Apps
Requirements?
- Your business is less than 5 years old
- Privately held
- and less than $1 million annual revenue
I encourage all new small businesses looking to gain an edge in the technology portion of their business to look over this offering and take advantage of this fantastic offer!
To learn more about BizSpark and how it can help you.. please visit them directly, Don’t just take my word for it 😉
AADConnect’s new Features -Auto Upgrade
A colleague of mine posted a great article on the new features of Azure Active Directory Connect (AADConnect) that raises some caution flags -things to be aware of when installing this new version. Please take a moment to review the items Mr. Crowley addresses as they may be helpful on your next AADConnect deployment… Continue reading
SHA-2 Certificates in AD FS 3.0
So I’ve come across this a couple of times and I’m sure it will begin to be more visible in the near future. A big shout-out to who posted this information -THANK YOU!
AD FS on Windows Server 2012 R2 (often referred to as “AD FS 3.0”) no longer has a dependency on IIS. One of the common methods used to generate a “Certificate Signing Request” (CSR) is to use IIS on the server you need the certificate on or by using another IIS server in the organization. Without access to IIS, your options for generating the CSR are to use the MMC snap-in, one of the native command line utilities or some third-party tools.
Windows 10 Proves to be Solid
Many out there may still be wondering if Windows 10 is the way to go. XP was very reliable and a good, solid Operating System… for it’s time. Windows 7 eventually came along and now that has become the ‘standard’ for the next good, solid OS. Well, folks, Windows 10 is out and the strongest yet in usability, function, and security. Here’s something the US Dept. of Defense (DoD) has to say about it!
Office 365 Planner
Microsoft is soon to be releasing Office 365 Planner and I have to say, I’m pretty excited about this! For me and the work I do, this product is something I think I would live by. Working on so many different projects (each having their own set of teams, tasks, goals etc…), this would help me stay on course and on top of everything going on. Currently, I use Outlook and OneNote to personally track all of this -occasionally MS Project, but it does get tedious and there are so many areas that are left in the gray spot.
If you are using Office 365 (for business, as I don’t believe Home or School will include this) -Please watch this video!
For more information on Office 365 Planner
.NET 3.5 on Windows 10
I can’t tell how many times I have been burned when trying to simply enable .NET Framework 3.5.1 (and all the sub-goodies that so many programs need). Lately, my struggle has been with Windows 10 or Server 2012 (& R2). I’ve found that installation files are usually not on an image I’m working with and there-in lies the problem. The next piece that throws me off is the lack of CD or DVD resources. Simply downloading .net only gives you the installer file, which does not work.
so first, get the files needed (\sources\sxs\microsoft-windows-netfx3-ondemand-package.cab)
Copy those files to a USB thumb drive (or capture an image)
Then from an elevated command prompt, run:
Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFX3 /All /Source:D:\sources\sxs /LimitAccess
replacing D: with the appropriate drive letter, of course
Windows 10 Apps
So, I’ve run into some problems with the Groove music app built into Windows 10 (as soon as it starts, it closes). After looking through numerous posts on the issue, I came across a nice one on uninstalling some of the built-in apps on Windows 10 -through PowerShell, of course 😉
Always nice to know these things, right?
