Category Archives: Fixes

Fixes, Server 2008 R2, Server 2012, Server 2012 R2, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1

Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, and WIndows Server 2012R2 Update Rollup all in a single package

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Today, MIcrosoft announced the availability of a single update rollup package for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2. Some details for the rollup are as follows:

  • All security and non-security fixes since the release up to April 2016.
  • One installation package.
  • Optional install – not offered via Windows Update.
  • Monthly rollups after April 2016.
  • Security bulletins will continue to link to a direct update.
  • For Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012, and WIndows Server 2012 R2, there will be monthly rollup updates.

Thanks, Microsoft, for listening!

To get the rollups, you need Internet Explorer 6 or higher (not Edge – since this is not an update package for Windows 10). Get the updates here – http://catalog.update.microsoft.com/v7/site/Search.aspx?q=3125574

At this stage, other browsers are not supported, although Microsoft have hinted that the site will be updated in the next few months.

 

Fixes, Office

Outlook 2010 runs in Safe Mode after KB3114409

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Microsoft released a bad patch on 9 December 2015, which caused Outlook 2010 to run only in Safe Mode. The fix for this is to uninstall the patch. Microsoft has already pulled this patch and is likely to release it again at a later time. I would suggest waiting at least a week before reinstalling this patch.

To fix this issue, perform the following steps to uninstall the bad patch.

  1. Close Outlook and All Microsoft Office Programs
  2. Open Control Panel
  3. Click on Programs. (Alternatively, you can search for View installed updates in the search bar at the top right corner of the Control Panel)

     

  4. Click on View Installed Updates

     

  5. Scroll down to the Microsoft Office 2010 section, and look for Update for Microsoft Outlook 2010 (KB3114409) 32-Bit Edition (or 64-Bit Edition).

     

     

     

  6. Click Uninstall

     

     

  7. Click the Uninstall button

     

  8. The patch will be uninstalled

     

  9. When the patch is uninstalled, click OK and close the Control Panel

 

 

Fixes, Windows 10

Windows 10 Default Printer keeps changing

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A “new” feature in the latest cumulative update for WIndows 10 automatically sets the default printer to the last used printer. This setting is turned on by default. This means that every time you use a printer, this printer becomes the default printer for the system.

While this might be a nice feature to have, it can potentially cause a waste of paper and some potentially “difficult” situations when documents are unwittingly printed to the wrong printer. ie, that receipt for the surprise birthday gift, or the 100 page draft document that was supposed to be printed to the paper optimiser print driver.

Fortunately, we can turn off this setting.

  1. Open up Printers & Scanners. Tip: Click on the Start Menu, and type “Printers & Scanners” in the search box.
  2. In the Printers & Scanners settings page, turn off the setting “Let Windows manage my default printer“.

PrintersAndScanners

Fixes, SBS 2011, Server Essentials, SBS, Windows 10

Windows 10 support on Windows Server Essentials and Small Business Server

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The Essentials Server team have released a blog post to highlight which client versions are supported on currently supported Windows Server Essentials and Small Business Server 2011. The blog post can be read here – http://blogs.technet.com/b/sbs/archive/2015/07/23/client-connector-availability-with-windows-home-server-small-business-server-and-windows-server-essentials-for-supported-client-os.aspx

Basically, if you need to connect a Windows 10 client to Windows Server Essentials 2012 R2, which is probably the most common scenario, you will need to perform a manual client connector installation. A fix for the server is scheduled to be released on 17 November 2015.

Another common scenario would be the joining of the client connector for a Windows 10 client to Small Business Server 2011. In this case, 2 lines need to be added to the XML file on the server, which is located at C:\Program Files\Windows Small Business Server\Bin\WebApp\ClientDeployment\packageFiles\supportedOS.xml. Add the following 2 lines.

<OS Architecture="9" RequiredProductType="1" RequiredSuite="" ExcludedSuite="512" SPMinor="" SPMajor="" Build="10240" Minor="0" Major="10" Name="Windows 10, AMD64" id="9"/>
<OS Architecture="0" RequiredProductType="1" RequiredSuite="" ExcludedSuite="512" SPMinor="" SPMajor="" Build="10240" Minor="0" Major="10" Name="Windows 10, x86" id="10"/>
Fixes, Server 2008, Server 2008 R2, Server 2012, Server 2012 R2

Using Powershell to Start-Stop the SMTP Virtual Server

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One of the most popular posts on this blog has been the blog on setting up an Internal SMTP Service for SMBs that need to send server reports and support emailing from Internal devices that have move to cloud based email services.

One of the issues with this service is that is occasionally stops. There does not appear to be any reason why it stops, but it does. Restarting the SMTPSVS service does not restart the service, because it is based on IIS6.

Good news! You can use powershell to script the restart of this service.

Open an Administrative PowerShell window.

To Start the SMTP Virtual Server, type the following:

$SMTP=[adsi]"IIS://localhost/SMTPSVC/1"
$SMTP.ServerState = 2
$SMTP.SetInfo()

To Stop the SMTP Virtual Server, type the following:

$SMTP=[adsi]"IIS://localhost/SMTPSVC/1"
$SMTP.ServerState = 4
$SMTP.SetInfo()
Fixes, Server 2012, Server 2012 R2, Server Essentials, SBS

Restore Files and Folders wizard has stopped working on Windows Server 2012R2 Essentials

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A hotfix is available for systems broken by the MS15-010 (security update for Windows kernel mode driver: February 10, 2015) update.

When trying to restore files or folders on a client that is connected to the Windows Server 2012 or 2012R2 Essentials server from the dashboard, the following error occurs.

A hotfix for this is now available here – https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3045682

You can read up more information on this issue here – http://blogs.technet.com/b/sbs/archive/2015/03/13/the-ms15-10-security-update-for-windows-server-2012-r2-essentials-and-the-client-restore-functionality.aspx

Fixes, Windows Server

How To Fix Domain Trust Issues in Active Directory

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A simple reset of the Computer Account in Active Directory Users and Computers might fix the issue where a workstation (or server) reports that “The trust relationship between this workstation and the primary domain failed”.

This is a further possible fix to the issue highlighted in an earlier blog post – http://blog.powerbiz.net.au/fixes/the-trust-relationship-between-this-workstation-and-the-primary-domain-failed/.

More explanation on this fix and why this is a better approach than removing the workstation or server and rejoining it to the domain is detailed here – http://redmondmag.com/articles/2014/04/21/domain-trust-issues.aspx.

Fixes, Office

How to change the criteria that Outlook 2010 and Outlook 2013 use to archive different item types

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When archiving in Outlook, it is often useful to archive by the date of receipt for items. It is not a widely known fact that Outlook archives email messages by the last modified date. This is generally not an issue, unless you were performing some inbox cleaning out and moved an item from 2012 to another folder. At that point, the last modified date becomes the date of when you moved the email. So when you attempt to archive your mailbox, this item does not get archived.

The following KB article explains how you can change this default behaviour in Outlook – http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2553550

According to the KB article, by default, Microsoft Outlook 2010 and Microsoft Outlook 2013 archive different items based on the item type, as follows:

  • Email message: The received date or the last modified date and time, whichever is later.
  • Calendar item: The last modified date and time or the actual date that an appointment, event, or meeting is scheduled for, whichever is later.
  • Task: The completion date or the last modified date and time, whichever is later. Tasks that are not marked as completed are not archived. Tasks that are assigned to other users are archived only if the status is completed.
  • Note: The last modified date and time.
    Journal entry: The date when the journal entry is created or the last modified date and time, whichever is later.
  • Contact: Not archived.

To change this behaviour, you can create or modify the following registry setting.

Outlook 2010 – HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Outlook\Preferences

Outlook 2013 – HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Outlook\Preferences

Edit or Create a new DWORD value, ArchiveIgnoreLastModifiedTime, with a value of  1

IMPORTANT: You must restart Outlook after this change has been made.

Fixes, Office 365

Cannot access the Mail control panel applet after Office 365 installation

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When installing Office 365 Professional Plus on a PC, the wizard automatically connects the email accounts to Office 365 easily. However, if you want to add an additional Microsoft Exchange on-premises account, there may be an issue where the Mail applet in the control panel does not work.

This appears to be cause by incorrect registry settings. Uninstalling Office 2013 and Re installing it appears to solve the problem in most cases. Settings appear to be retained and do not need to be reconfigured.