Category Archives: Windows 10

Remote Desktop Issue: “An authentication error occurred” “This could be due to CredSSP encryption oracle remediation”

You may get this error when trying to connect to a Terminal Server from Windows 10 or Windows 7.

1475272411_CredSSPissue.png.edcaf3deca9f340128ef49dc5c3849f5.png

The workaround is to add the following Registry key on the affected client PC.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\CredSSP\Parameters]
“AllowEncryptionOracle”=dword:00000002
This is NOT a fix. Doing this will bypass the fix for the security vulnerability. But it will get your users going while Microsoft readies a fix.

References:

Meltdown and Spectre

 

Happy New Year … Not!

With the New Year comes a new class of malicious attack that can impact IT systems. This time, the attack is hardware based, affecting mostly Intel based systems, and to some extent, AMD systems as well.

Here is a list of resources that highlight what it is all about and how to mitigate against this new threat. In the words of Microsoft, “Don’t panic.”

How to convert a disk from Master Boot Record (MBR) to GUID Partition Table (GPT) format

Microsoft has released a tool to convert from the MBR format to GPT in in order to enable users to take full advantage of the newer and more secure features built in to modern computers.

Information on the tool can be found here – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/mbr-to-gpt

Check the pre-requisites before running this tool.

MOST IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure that your device supports UEFI before attempting to convert the disk.

Windows 10 black screen after reboot after installing updates

Some OEM factory images have been experiencing a black screen after installing updates and reboot. Particularly when installing a Windows Store application update. Currently, there is a workaround as documented in this Microsoft Article – https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4043345

The workaround involves deleting sub-registry keys beginning with any of the following names from HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Appx\AppxAllUserStore\Applications.

  • Microsoft.NET.Native.Framework.
  • Microsoft.NET.Native.Runtime.
  • Microsoft.VCLibs.

 

How to remove Built-In Apps in Windows 10

Here is a tutorial on using PowerShell to remove the WIndows 10 Built-In apps. This is useful for providing a standardized PC environment to users in a work environment.

Basically, several PowerShell commands are used. The following commands show and remove apps from the user account.

  1. Show a listing of all the installed apps on the computer – Get-AppxPackage | Select Name, PackageFullName
  2. Remove the app – Get-AppxPackage [PackageFullName] | Remove-AppxPackage (you can put this into a script for multiple apps, or use wildcards)

Variations include uninstalling the app from all user accounts by adding -allusers –  Get-AppxPackage -allusers [PackageFullName] | Remove-AppxPackage

If you need to re-install a particular app, you can use the following command – Add-AppxPackage -register “C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\[PackageFullName]\appxmanifest.xml” -DisableDevelopmentMode

Thanks to the folk at A?KVG for these articles.

Partitions may be missing after installing the Windows 10 Anniversary Update

The main thing to glean from this issue is “not try to recover or otherwise write data to the affected partition, nor should you format the partition”

From Microsoft – http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-files/partitions-may-be-missing-after-installing-the/ffafb34b-df6e-4c61-927d-babf29b46b87

Microsoft has received a small number of reports of partitions not appearing in File Explorer after installing the Anniversary Update. When viewing the partition in Disk Management, it appears as RAW, unallocated space.
Microsoft is aware of this issue and is working on a solution to be released through Windows Update. Any data you have stored on the affected partition is still there. We recommend that you not try to recover or otherwise write data to the affected partition, nor should you format the partition. We will update this thread when a patch is released. If you would like to be notified when this thread is updated, click the Subscribe button at the end of this post.
For up to days 10 days after installing the Anniversary Update, Windows includes the ability to “go back” or return to the previous build if you are experiencing this issue and do not want to wait for the patch to be released.

To uninstall the Anniversary Update:

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Select Update & security and then the Recovery tab.
  3. Under “Go back to an earlier build”, click the Get started button and follow the instructions.

(Note: If more than 10 days have elapsed since installing the Anniversary Update or the “Go back” option is otherwise not available; we ask for your patience until a patch can be released. Please check back on this thread for an update.)

Windows 10 may freeze after installing the Anniversary Update

More problems are brewing with reports that Windows 10 may lock up or experience unusual networking issues after installing the Windows 10 Anniversary update.

One of the first troubleshooting steps to take is to uninstall and re-install the networking drivers.

If this does not work, follow the steps noted here to rollback the update until a fix is released – http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-performance/windows-10-may-freeze-after-installing-the/5a60d75d-120a-4502-873c-8bfec65c82d0?page=1&auth=1

Method 1: Using the Recovery Console

  1. Restart your PC. When you get to the sign-in screen, hold the Shift key down while you select Power > Restart.
  2. After your PC restarts to the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Go back to the previous build. If you don’t see this option, try Method 2.

Method 2: Using the Settings app from Safe Mode

  1. Restart your PC. When you get to the sign-in screen, hold the Shift key down while you select Power > Restart.
  2. After your PC restarts to the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
  3. After your PC restarts, you’ll see a list of options. Select 4 or F4 to start your PC in Safe Mode.
  4. Open the Settings app.
  5. Select Update & security and then the Recovery tab.
  6. Under “Go back to an earlier build”, click the Get started button and follow the instructions.

Windows 10 Anniversary Update and Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials

If you are running Windows Server 2012 R2, and have Windows 10 Clients that will soon update to the Windows 10 Anniversary update, you should review the following links.

Susan Bradley’s blog on the manual steps required – http://blogs.msmvps.com/bradley/2016/08/11/windows-10-anniversary-update-and-essentials-r2/

Robert Pearman’s blog with some Powershell fixes – https://windowsserveressentials.com/2016/08/05/july-update-rollup-kb3172614-and-windows-10/

Reinstalling he Essentials Client Connector – Cannot download the package. Check these out – https://windowsserveressentials.com/2016/08/08/cannot-download-the-package-essentials-2012-r2/ and https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40285

Windows 10 free upgrade is still available if you use Assistive Technologies

If you missed out on the closing date for the Windows 10 free upgrade offer on 29 July 2016, ghacks.net reports that Microsoft have a pathway for customers who use assistive technologies to be able to access the free upgrade. That website can be found here – https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/windows10upgrade

What are Assistive Technologies, you ask? According to Microsoft (https://www.microsoft.com/enable/at/), “Assistive technology products are specialty hardware and software products (such as screen readers and voice recognition products) that provide essential accessibility to computers for those with significant vision, hearing, dexterity and mobility, language and communication, or learning needs.”

So how do you qualify for the free upgrade?

  1. Go to the link above, and click Upgrade Now.

That’s it. There have not been any restrictions put on the site, and there are no specific Assistive Technologies required to qualify.

PowerBiz Solutions gains Microsoft Silver Small and Midmarket Cloud Solutions competency

SilverSMSC

PowerBiz Solutions today announced that it has successfully achieved the Microsoft silver Small and Midmarket Cloud Solutions competency. Partners demonstrating professional and proficient capability in assisting small and medium sized businesses moving to the Cloud can attain this certification upon satisfying established performance criteria and providing customer references.

The competency demonstrations the continued dedication and commitment to excellence in enabling businesses to use technology as a business advantage to achieve their targets and objectives. PowerBiz Solutions continues to provide high quality technical expertise to enable small and medium business to be efficient and effective in the use of Microsoft on-premises and cloud technologies based on Windows Server, Windows 10, Office 365 and Azure.