IT Professional’s tips
 

 

Quick technical tips which will  make the IT Professional’s life easier
 

Want to restore the Initial Configuration Tasks wizard in Windows Server 2008?

The Initial Configuration Tasks wizard appears the first time you log in, and vanishes after that. It's handy, though, walking you through common initial tasks like naming the server and setting the time zone. Want to get it back again? Just type oobe at the Run prompt.
 

Enable Desktop features on a machine running Windows Server 2008

If your laptop runs Windows Server 2008, but you need it to look like a normal Windows system (say, for sales demos), do this: In the Start menu, select Server Manager, click on Add Features, check Desktop Experience, click on Next and then Install. After the install, enable the Aero look; run services.msc, right-click on Themes, choose Properties, select Automatic for start-up type, click on Start, and then OK. Right-click on the desktop, choose Personalize | Windows Color and Appearance. Pick Windows Aero in the resulting window, then click on OK..

 

Install the new backup utility in Windows Server 2008

If you want to install Windows Server Backup (which replaces the slower, less user-friendly Ntbackup.exe), just go to Start | Administrative Tools | Server Manager, click on Features and then on Add a Feature. Add the Windows Server Backup.

 

Windows 7: Use the Powerful (and Free!) Autoruns Tool to Take Charge of Startup Apps
 

Windows 7 has a few tools you can use to peek at programs and services that run automatically at startup or logon, most notably the System Configuration utility, Msconfig. But that built-in tool pales in comparison to the undisputed heavyweight champion of the category, Autoruns.

This is available from Windows Sysinternals. It monitors programs in your Startup folder and in registry keys, showing you the exact order in which those programs will run. You can also configure Autoruns to show Explorer shell extensions, toolbars, browser helper objects, Winlogon notifications, and auto-start services, among other categories. Shortcut menus allow you to search for more information about a process or service whose name is unfamiliar, and clearing a check box to the left of each entry disables that item. The Everything tab gives you an unfiltered look at everything your system starts automatically.

You can download the latest version of Autoruns for free.

Partition unused space in Windows Vista

Vista has a built-in hard-drive partitioning tool that'll let you take unused space from your main partition and form an extra partition, say, a D: drive for storing photos and videos. It can also consolidate extra space into a single partition. The utility can be found in the Computer Management console located in Vista's Administrative Tools Control Panel.

Back..