Windows “Downloads Folder” and Roaming Profiles

By default, Windows automatically saves all downloaded files into the “Downloads” Folder within the user profile. Since this folder forms part of a user’s Roaming Profile, it will be copied back and forth between the workstation and the server at every logon / logoff. As the size of the “Downloads” folder increases, so will the …

Fitting USB3 into a DELL PowerEdge R510 Server

USB3 is not supported natively within Windows Server 2008 (or Windows 7), and therefore Dell has always seemed reluctant to fit USB3 hardware into its Servers. To make matters worse, most USB3 cards require some sort of SATA Power from the main board, and Dell does not provide these connectors inside the chassis either. So, …

Microsoft IIS Bindings and Hosting Multiple Web Sites

This article covers the configuration of multiple web sites within a single installation of Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS). In order to do this, we need to establish an understanding of how “Bindings” work. An “out of the box” installation of IIS will create a “Default Web Site” that listens on Port 80. This is …

Group Policy: Disabling Internet Explorer Add-Ons

If you want to enable / disable an Internet Explorer Add-On via group policy, you will firstly need the “Class ID” of the Add-On. Within IE, select “Manage Add-Ons” from the Tools Menu. From there, select your Add-On and click “More Information”. For the purposes of  this example, I have chosen the “Java™ Plug-In SSV …

OneDrive: Throttling Upload Speed

If you are on a relatively slow internet connection, it can be frustrating when Microsoft OneDrive takes up the majority of the bandwidth when it is syncing to the cloud. During the upload process, even basic web surfing can be almost impossible. Sadly, the OneDrive app itself doesn’t contain any settings to limit the upload …

Tracking Multiple Product Keys within the Office 2013 Portal

If you are running a small office network and managing multiple copies of Microsoft Office 2013, you will be aware of the difficulties of tracking the license keys within the Office 2013 Portal. Most network administrators (myself included) are using a single email address to activate all of the licenses, but this is problematical because …

A Computer Memory Primer

Here is a quick list of the different types of memory found within a typical computer workstation / server. SRAM (Static RAM) DRAM (Dynamic RAM) DRAM DRAM DRAM DRAM DRAM DRAM DRAM - SIMM SIMM DIMM DIMM DIMM DIMM DIMM RIMM - - - SDR SDRAM DDR(1) SDRAM DDR2 SDRAM DDR3 SDRAM DDR4 SDRAM - …

Dell Latitude E5500: Fixing a loose screen hinge

Tightening the hinge on a Dell Latitude Laptop is a relatively simple process. The tools required are a small flat bladed screwdriver (to prize off the bezels) and a small phillips screwdriver (to tighten the hinge). Firstly, remove the bezel above the keyboard and also the one surrounding the display. There are NO screws holding …

Windows Backup and Large Sector Portable Drives

I just purchased an Iomega eGo portable drive to supplement one I purchased in 2011. The packaging for both drives is identical (and so is the product code). However, there is a significant difference! Microsoft Windows Backup doesn’t recognise my new portable drive and refuses to use it for backups. Essentially, the problem is that …

Remote Administration of VPN Client Computers

Within the Microsoft Environment, Remote VPN Client Computers do not register themselves within DNS. Additionally, DHCP entries are attributed to “RAS” rather than the host name of the clients. This means that remotely administering a VPN Client machine using the Host Name isn’t going to be possible. However, I did have some success using the …