EXPLORE THE NOTEBOOK
Notes from the command line, the workbench, and the vintage computer shelf.
Point each domain controller at a partner DC first and itself (127.0.0.1) last, the way Microsoft recommends, across all your DCs in one pass.
Keeping Active Directory tidy · Note 7 ↗Audit who still talks SMBv1 to your machines, then switch it off for good, with one script and three modes.
PowerShell craft · Note 6 ↗Turn on Dell's Password Bypass so patch reboots don't sit at a power-on password prompt all night, then turn it back off when you're done.
Dell BIOS passwords, without the pain · Note 4 ↗How I think about patch risk now. Sort updates by blast radius, roll them out in rings, decide what "bad" looks like up front, and know your way back before you need it.
Windows Update, untangled · Note 1 ↗List the preview handlers installed on a PC, see which one each file type uses, and point extensions like .log, .ps1 or .json at the handler you want.
File wrangling · Note 5 ↗Create the Tier 2 OU, its sub-OUs and the group that manages them, and delegate just enough rights for workstation and user admin work.
Keeping Active Directory tidy · Note 2 ↗Dump every OU in the domain to a spreadsheet, with a readable path, depth, GPO link count and, if you want, how many objects live in each one.
Keeping Active Directory tidy · Note 3 ↗What ClientOtherError really counts in Azure Files metrics, how to find which calls cause it, and what to look for in the client library code making them.
A width check that works in a real console, in VS Code, and in scheduled tasks and CI runners where there's no window to measure.
PowerShell craft · Note 3 ↗One script that reads the WSUS, scan-source and Windows Update for Business settings on a device and tells you where it's really getting updates from, with a safe reset for leftovers.
Windows Update, untangled · Note 2 ↗Compare files, whole folder trees, or a download against its published checksum with Get-FileHash, and get back a clear Match or Different for every file.
File wrangling · Note 4 ↗How to build a configuration profile in Intune, roll it out to machines that are already in people's hands, and confirm it actually landed.
Getting devices into Intune · Note 5 ↗