Advanced Disk Cleanup

Advanced Disk Cleanup Utility

Disk Cleanup Utility determines which files on a hard drive may no longer be needed and delete those files to free up disk space. Using Disk Cleanup on a regular basis improves system performance.

To access Disk Cleanup utility:

1. Click Start -> Run and in the Open box type cleanmgr and click OK (OR)

2. In Windows Explorer or My Computer, right-click the disk in which you want to free up space, click Properties, click the General tab, and then click Disk Cleanup.

Standard Disk Cleanup Options:

Advanced Disk Cleanup Options:

Advanced Disk Cleanup can delete temporary files on the system including debug dump files, system and user queued error reporting files, files discarded by Windows upgrade or setup and windows upgrade log files.

Open Command Prompt and type the below mentioned command:

%SystemRoot%\System32\Cmd.exe /c Cleanmgr /sageset:65535 & Cleanmgr /sagerun:65535

8007000E

Error Code 8007000E

If Windows Update failed to check for updates and displays error 8007000E

Download and install the patch KB3050265 (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3050265)


Try running Check for updates again :)

VMware vCenter 6.0 Installation - Step by Step

Minimum hardware requirements for vCenter 6.0

1.  Run the vCenter Server installer

     2. Click on Next

3.  Accept license agreement and click next

4. Select deployment type and click Next

5. Choose System Network Name and click Next

6. Provide the Single Sign-On Configuration [If you are putting password, make sure your password meets the password complexity requirements]

     Password complexity requirements

    

     7.  Select the service account under which you want to run the vCenter Service

     8. Select your vCenter Database Configuration

     9. Configure the network ports to use [leave default if you don’t want to change any]

    10.  Choose the installation destination folder

Note: The vCenter Server with an embedded Platform services Controller installation requires about 18GB of free space on the installation drive.

    11.  Review settings and click on Install

     12. Below are few snapshots of installation progress

  

     13.  Click launch vSphere Web Client to start using it and hit finish the installation

    14. Access your new vCenter in the vSphere web client

Command to get the list of DCs in a Domain

Get list of Domain Controllers for domain ABC.com

1. Open Command Prompt and type the below command:
nltest /dclist:ABC.com

2. Hit Enter

3. You will get a list of DCs in the mentioned domain.

80070057

Error Code 80070057

In order to resolve this error, reset Windows Update components;

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/971058

Patch Installation Order

Service packs and patches are installed in the following order:

1. Windows Installer
2. OS related service packs
3. OS update rollups
4. OS critical updates
5. OS non-critical updates
6. OS security updates
7. Office service packs
8. Office update rollups
9. All remaining Office updates

Note: Reboots are forced after each service pack and at the end of each patch group without warning. This is necessary to permit the re-scan and installation of the subsequent groups of patches.

Disk Management Commands

Disk Management Commands

1. DISKMGMT.MSC: opens disk management utility

2. CLEANMGR: opens disk drive clean up utility

3. DFRG.MSC: opens disk defragmenter

4. CHKDSK: complete analysis of disk partition

5. DISKPART: disk partitioning tool

64C

Silverlight update failed to install with error 64C

This issue can occur if an existing installation or uninstall has become corrupt.

Uninstall the Silverlight completely from you machine.
Install a fresh copy.

In case you encounter any error removing Silverlight, download and run the below FixIT

FixIT: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2608523

Transfer FSMO roles using NtdsUtil command

Transfer FSMO roles

1. Log on to domain controller that is located in the forest where FSMO roles are being transferred. It    is recommended that you log on to the domain controller that you are assigning FSMO roles to.
 
   Note: The logged-on user should be a member of the Enterprise Administrators group to transfer Schema master or Domain naming master roles, or a member of the Domain Administrators group of the domain where the PDC emulator, RID master and the Infrastructure master roles are being transferred.

2. Click Start, click Run, type ntdsutil in the Open box, and then click OK.

3. Type roles, and then press ENTER.

4. Type connections, and then press ENTER.

5. Type connect to server <servername>, where <servername> is the name of the server you want to use (i.e. domain controller that you are assigning FSMO roles to), and then press ENTER.

6. At the server connections: prompt, type q, and then press ENTER again.

7. Type transfer <role>. where <role> is the role you want to transfer, press ENTER.

Example:
transfer schema master
transfer domain naming master (In Server 2003)
transfer naming master (In Server 2008)
transfer rid master
transfer pdc
transfer infrastructure master

8. You will receive a warning message asking if you want to perform the transfer. Click on Yes.

9. After you transfer the roles, type q and press ENTER until you quit Ntdsutil.exe.

FSMO Roles

FSMO roles

There are five FSMO roles. Two of them are Forest-wide and three of them are Domain-wide roles.

The Forest-wide FSMO roles are common for entire forest and by default are there on the first Domain Controller within forest-root domain.

The Domain-wide roles are separate for each domain within the forest.

Forest-wide FSMO roles:

Schema master

The Schema master role is forest-wide and there is one for each forest. This role is required to extend the schema of an Active Directory forest. Schema contains the attributes or properties of each object of an Active Directory object.

Domain Naming master

The Domain naming master role is forest-wide and there is one for each forest. This role is required to add or remove domains or application partitions to or from a forest.

Domain-wide roles are:

Relative Identifier (RID) master

The RID master role is domain-wide and there is one for each domain. This role is required to allocate the RID pool so that new or existing domain controllers can create user accounts, computer accounts or security groups.

PDC Emulator master

The PDC emulator role is domain-wide and there is one for each domain. PDC is the core and most important role for any domain. PDC is used to sync time between Domain Controllers and between Domain Controllers and other Computers.

It is used to keep track of wrong password entered by user and also receives an update of user and computer password changed on another Domain Controller.

Infrastructure master

The Infrastructure master role is domain-wide and there is one for each domain. This role is responsible for updating group membership updates and other references of objects from one domain to another domain. It is required for multi domain environment and not for single domain environment. And to update SID attributes and distinguished name attributes for objects that are referenced across domains.

Note: It is not recommended to have Global Catalogue and Infrastructure role on the same Domain Controller in Multi Domain Controller, which is an exception if all the Domain Controllers are Global Catalogue. Global Catalogue has partial information of all the objects of other domain therefore it does not allow updates of cross domain.

800F081F

Error Code 800F081F

The error code 800F081F usually occurs when Windows Update or Microsoft Update cannot determine the cryptographic service provider, or a file Windows Update requires (named catalog store) is corrupted.

Run System Update Readiness tool to resolve the issue.

80070490

Error Code 80070490

This error code usually occurs when there is a corruption in the Component Based Servicing manifest.

Run System Update Readiness tool and check 'CheckSUR' log under 'c:\Windows\Logs\CBS'.
Look for errors.
If this didn't detect any errors, open cmd prompt as an Administrator.
Run SFC /Scannow.

For patch KB967723:

Please check whether KB967723 has already been installed on your computer through List of installed updates.
If so, it is possible that this update is reoffered.
Go Hide the update.

Uninstall multiple Windows Updates using Batch File

Create a Batch Script to uninstall number of updates together:

Copy the below mentioned commands (replace the 'Windows Update ID' numbers with the ones you want to uninstall) in a text file and save the file with '.bat' extension.

for %%a in (
2844286
2847311
2849470
) do start "" /w wusa /uninstall /kb:%%a /quiet /norestart

Run the Batch File as an Administrator to uninstall the Windows Updates.

List and Uninstall Windows Update through Command

1. Command to get a list of the installed Windows Updates
wmic qfe get "HotFixID" /format:table

This will list the installed updates directly in the console.

2. Run the below mentioned command to get the list of installed Windows Update in a Text file.
wmic qfe list brief /format:texttablewsys >"%Path_of_the_text_file%"

Where %Path_of_the_text_file% is the path of the text file to be created, as C:\Installed_Updates.txt

3. To uninstall an Update, use the below command:
wusa.exe /kb:%HotfixId% /uninstall /quiet /norestart

where %HotfixId% is the 'Windows Update ID' number. For example, to uninstall update KB279503 you need to run the following:

wusa.exe /kb:279503 /uninstall /quiet /norestart

Create a Bootable USB Flash Drive

To create a bootable USB flash drive/ Pen Drive using DiskPart

1. Insert a USB flash drive into a running computer.

2. Open a Command Prompt as an administrator, type
diskpart

3. In the new command line window that opens, to determine the USB flash drive number or drive letter, at the command prompt, type
list disk, and then click ENTER.
The "list disk" command displays all the disks on the computer. Note the drive number or drive letter of the USB flash drive.

4. At the command prompt, type
select disk <X>
where X is the drive number or drive letter of the USB flash drive, and then click ENTER.

5. Type
clean, and then click ENTER.
This command deletes all data from the USB flash drive.

6. To create a new primary partition on the USB flash drive, type
create part pri, and then click ENTER.

7. To select the partition that you just created, type
select part 1, and then click ENTER.

8.To format the partition, type
format fs=ntfs quick, and then click ENTER.

9. Type
active, and then click ENTER.

10. Type
exit, and then click ENTER.

Extract the ISO to the root of the USB flash drive.

Insert the USB flash drive in the USB port and boot the system.

800700CE

 Error Code 800700CE 

If the server is a Sharepoint Server, follow the steps mentioned below:

If the  updates failing to install are TLS security updates which use the "[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\Schannel\Ciphers" registry keys.

1. Export the Registry.
2. Delete the registry key "[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\Schannel\Ciphers\DES 56/56]"
3. Reboot the machine.
4. Ran windows update and install the required patch.
5. Once done, re-import the Registry (as it is required for Sharepoint).

80246007

Error Code 80246007

1. When you receive Error 0x80246008 or 0x80246007, restart the Background Intelligent Transfer       Service (BITS) or the Windows Event Log service.


2. Run Windows Update again.

8024402F

Error Code 8024402F

The error code 8024402F is usually caused by a connection interruption between your computer and the Windows Update servers.


Close Windows Update, wait 5 to 10 minutes, and then run Windows Update again. You can also wait for Windows Update to run at its next scheduled time.

Patch Management Procedure and Best Practice

Windows Patch Management Procedure

Patches can add functionality, correct defective functionality, or address security vulnerabilities that range from low severity to critical. The effective risk is a combination of the likelihood of the vulnerability being exploited, the ease of exploitation, the result of exploitation, and if an exploit is known to exist. A system with no network connection might be highly vulnerable, but is unlikely to be compromised due to its limited exposure. Some vulnerabilities are very difficult to exploit, while others are trivial to take advantage of. The exploitation of a vulnerability can have varied results; some vulnerabilities allow remote access, some give an attacker information, and some may crash a system component or the system itself. Lastly, sometimes attackers use a vulnerability to compromise a system before the patch is available -- that makes the risk higher since it has already been "weaponized."

These Windows patch management procedure considerations are important because the risk posed by a low-severity vulnerability is much less than the risk from a critical-rated vulnerability that has a known exploit (which provides remote access) in the wild. Your patch process should include evaluating the relevance and criticality of each patch to your environment. Since Microsoft patches are released the second Tuesday of every month, it is easy to plan this review into your normal operations schedule.

Your patch-testing plan comes down to evaluating risks and costs: How critical are the systems and how much effort can you allocate to ensuring a patch will not cause functional problems? Is it cheaper to respond to an emergency outage caused by a conflicting patch or to fully test those patches before deployment?

The effort of creating and maintaining a patch testing program is not the only consideration here either; unpatched systems represent a risk to your network, particularly if there is a known or feasible exploit for it. To lessen the risk that a given vulnerability will be exploited, you need to speed up the patch process. The patch process does not need to be the same for all of your systems; you can increase the testing effort for critical systems and skip testing for low-value systems. Adjusting the patch process in accordance with the system value allows you to spend your time where it matters most.

Another Windows patch management approach, either in addition to or in lieu of formal testing, is the use of an early adopter population. By allowing a segment of your population to update before the majority of your systems, you can often reduce the risk that a patch will cause a large disruption. You might have that early adopter population update right away and then update the larger population a week later if the early adopters don't complain.

Patching that super-critical finance/billing/factory/medical server might be deemed risky and undesired, but leaving it unpatched might allow an attacker or worm to compromise the system or crash it. Even worse, someone may be able to break into that system and steal confidential information or tamper with it. I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard "that system is too important to patch!" That thinking is fundamentally flawed; if the system is critical, then it is too important not to patch.

System Restore in Safe Mode

How to perform System Restore in Safe Mode

1. Open command prompt and type in the following command

"%systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe"

2. Hit Enter.

8E5E03FA

Error Code 8E5E03FA

To resolve this problem, follow these steps:

1. Stop the Cryptographic Service and the Windows Update service. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
2. At the command prompt, type the following commands, and then press ENTER after each command:
   net stop wuauserv
   net stop cryptsvc
   Exit

2. Rename the Catroot2 folder.
   
   Note Do not follow this step if you are using Microsoft Windows 2000.
   
   To rename the Catroot2 folder, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
2. At the command prompt, type the following commands, and then press ENTER after each command:
   net stop cryptsvc
   ren %systemroot%\System32\Catroot2 catroot2_old
   net start cryptsvc
   exit
   Important Do not rename the Catroot folder. The Catroot2 folder is automatically recreated by Windows, but the Catroot folder is not recreated if the Catroot folder is renamed.

3. Rename the "SoftwareDistribution" folder:
1. Click Start, click Run, type %systemroot%, and then click OK.
2. Right-click the SoftwareDistribution folder, and then click Rename.
3. Type SoftwareDistribution_old, and then press ENTER to rename this folder.

4. Start the Cryptographic Service, the Windows Update service, and the Event Log service. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
2. At the command prompt, type the following commands, and then press ENTER after each command:
   net start cryptsvc
   net start wuauserv
   exit
5. Try installing the updates.

Exchange 2010 SP3 Error 'DataCollectorSvc' process has open files

Error while applying Exchange SP3

Error: Setup cannot continue with the upgrade because the ‘DataCollectorSvc' () process (ID: 1564) has open files. Close the process and restart Setup.

1. Goto Task Manager and open Processes tab

2. Select the DataCollectorSvc.exe and kill the process by clicking on End Process.

3. Click Retry on the Exchange SP3 setup

Exchange 2010 SP3 step-by-step installation (with snapshots)

Download the Exchange SP3 from https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/download/details.aspx?id=36768

Note: If you have Exchange SP1 installed, you do not need to upgrade to SP2 before heading to SP3

Extract the Setup files to a folder

Proceed with the Microsoft Exchange SP3 installation:

1. Browse to the folder where you extracted the setup files and run 'Setup'

2. Select the option “Install Microsoft Exchange Server Upgrade”

3. Follow the steps provided in the snapshots

4. You may get a warning to install KB2550886 which fixes an issue with Windows clustering (can       be ignored in case you are not using clustering).

5. It won’t ask for a reboot at the end of installation but reboot is recommended, so better go ahead         with the reboot.

6. Confirm the version of Exchange, it should be greater than or equal to 14.03.0123.3

8024000E

Error Code 8024000E

Step 1:
Run System File Checker(SFC) scan

To run the System File Checker tool, follow these steps:

1) Click Start, and then type cmd in the Start Search box.

2) Right-click cmd in the Programs list, and then click Run as administrator.

3)If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type your password or click Continue

4) At the command prompt, the following line, and then press ENTER:
sfc /scannow

If completed with no errors, try installing updates. In case failed with error 'Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them. Details are included in the CBS.Log %WinDir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log', goto Step 2

Step 2:
Install System Update Readiness tool

Check 'CheckSUR' log under 'c:\Windows\Logs\CBS', If no errors detected then go ahead and install the updates.
If this did not work too, follow workaround provided in Step 3

Step 3:
Click on 'check for updates online' 

Steps to upgrade SonicWALL Firmware

Procedure to upgrade the SonicWALL UTM Appliance firmware Image with Current Preferences (on Standard or Enhanced)

Perform the following steps to update your SonicWALL appliance with saved preference file (settings file): 

1.    Download the SonicOS Standard/Enhanced firmware image file from mysonicwall.com and save it to a location on your local computer. Refer Below:

To obtain a new SonicOS (Standard/Enhanced) firmware image file for your SonicWALL UTM appliance: 

        1. Connect to your mysonicwall.com account at http://www.mysonicwall.com.

        2. Click on Download Center on the left pane, select the appropriate Language and Software Type. 

      3. Click on the Firmware link to download the latest version (.sig file)

      Note: You can access previous firmware versions by clicking on the “Previous Versions” link

      4. Save the new SonicOS firmware image file to a directory on your management computer.

 2. On the System > Settings page, click the Export Settings button to save the current configuration to a file. You will be prompted to select the location on your hard drive to save the file.

     
3.  For good measure, click on the Create Backup Settings button to save the current firmware and settings within the SonicWALL appliance.

     
4. On the System > Settings page, click Upload New Firmware.

         
5. Browse to the location where you saved the SonicOS Standard/Enhanced firmware image file, select the file, and click Upload.

         
6. Click the Boot icon in the row for Uploaded Firmware - New!

 7. In the confirmation dialog box, click OK. The SonicWALL restarts and then displays the login page.

8. Enter your user name and password. Your new SonicOS Standard/Enhanced image version information is listed on the System > Settings page.

Source: https://support.software.dell.com/kb/sw5640

How to Uninstall Internet Explorer 11 from Windows 7

In case Internet Explorer 11 isn't working properly, you can revert to your original version by uninstalling the Internet Explorer updates.

1. Open Control Panel

2. Click 'Uninstall a program' link

3. Click on 'View installed updates' link on the left side of the window. This will open a list of updates that are installed on the machine.

4. Find the entry: Internet Explorer 11

5. Select the patch and click on 'Uninstall'

6. Click 'Yes' when prompted.

7. Wait for Uninstallation to complete.

Once the Uninstallation is complete, reboot the machine and complete the process.

80092004

Error Code 80092004

Patch KB3058515 failing with error 80092004

Reference Link: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Botched-Windows-Update-KB3058515-and-Error-80092004-More-Info-and-Possible-Fix-484243.shtml

As per the article the patch KB3058515 is causing trouble on a number of Windows 7 machines.

Possible fix for KB3058515

1. Remove Internet Explorer completely from your machine and then install it from scratch via Windows Update.
2. After you have installed IE, machine will be having IE with KB3038314.
3. Check for new versions in Windows Update.
4. KB3058515 should then be offered once again and automatic installation is supposed to be running smoothly.

Microsoft Office 2010 patches not offered by 'Windows Update'

1. If Microsoft Office 2010 patches are not detected through 'Windows Update' option.

2. Open an Office Application (excel, word etc)

3. Goto 'File' tab -> Help

4. Click 'Check for Updates'.

5. It will pop-up a browser window with site 'update.microsoft.com'.

6. Run 'Windows Update' again.

7. Now you will be able to get all the Microsoft Office 2010 patches in the list of Important Updates.