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  • Utility Spotlight: Microsoft Expression Web SuperPreview for Windows Internet Explorer
    Lance Whitney - September 2009
    Certain Web pages may display differently in Internet Explorer 8 than they did in earlier versions. This tool lets you view pages from different versions side by side to see what needs tweaking for IE8.

  • Utility Spotlight: SDelete
    Lance Whitney - August 2009
    This free utilitly from Microsoft permanently wipes single files, directories or multiple objects, and purges unallocated clusters of a disk.

  • Utility Spotlight: Exchange Server Remote Connectivity Analyzer
    Brad Hughes - July 2009
    Trying and failing to connect to Exchange Server often leaves you with no hint as to the nature of the problem. Now the Microsoft Exchange Server Remote Connectivity Analyzer can help IT administrators figure out the causes of the connectivity failures and, in many cases, provide suggested steps for resolution.

  • Utility Spotlight: PendMoves and MoveFile
    Lance Whitney - June 2009
    You can’t move, rename or delete a file that’s in use—but sometimes you have to. Luckily, two free utilities called PendMoves and MoveFile let you handle these tasks with ease.

  • Utility Spotlight: User Profile Deletion Utility
    Lance Whitney - May 2009
    Delprof is a command-line utility that lets you free up disk space by deleting user profiles that are no longer required on both local or remote computers.

  • Utility Spotlight: Faster CPU Utilization Reports Using Multithreading
    James Turner - May 2009
    This edition of Utility Spotlight is a little different than the usual, in that it involves scripts instead of executables, and so the column is dual-purpose: not only does it give you a nice way to build a report on CPU utilization in your organization, it also serves as a mini-tutorial to explain how the script works and how to use it.

  • Utility Spotlight: RichCopy
    Joshua Hoffman - April 2009
    RichCopy is a powerful, multi-threaded alternative to the popular RoboCopy file copy utility. Take a look at how this free tool can significantly improve file copy performance.

  • Utility Spotlight: VMC to Hyper-V Import Tool
    Matthijs Ten Seldam - March 2009
    Discover how you can use the free VMC to Hyper-V Import tool to import and then modify VMC files, easing the process of migrating older virtual machines to Hyper-V.

  • Utility Spotlight: Screenrecorder
    Burak Uysaler - March 2009
    Screenrecorder is a very easy-to-use screen-to-video capture program that lets users easily capture onscreen events to a small video file that can be shared with others, making it easy to record instructions or reproduce problems for more effective troubleshooting.

  • Utility Spotlight: Web Page Error Toolkit
    Lance Whitney - February 2009
    Discover how you can use the free Web Page Error Toolkit from Microsoft to replace the generic 404 page with a custom error pages, providing useful details for site visitors who bump into trouble.

  • Utility Spotlight: Visual Round Trip Analyzer
    Jim Pierson - February 2009
    The Visual Round-trip Analyzer utility can help you to discover the reasons why your Web pages may be slow to load, and what you can do to make the pages load faster.

  • Utility Spotlight: USB Flash Drive Manager
    Lance Whitney - January 2009
    See how the free Microsoft USB Flash Drive Manager can help you easily copy, delete, and back up files from a flash drive, as well as perform other useful tasks.

  • Utility Spotlight: Microsoft Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows Vista
    Edward Dake - January 2009
    This column describes the Microsoft Remote Server Administration Tools, which allow administrators to remotely manage roles and features in Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2003 from a computer running Windows Vista SP1.

  • Utility Spotlight: Change Analysis Diagnostic
    Lance Whitney - December 2008
    See how the Change Analysis Diagnostic tool can help users discover system changes on their computers (from updates, new software, and changed hardware) and resolve problems they may encounter due to these changes.

  • Utility Spotlight: SyncToy 2.0
    Jay Munro - December 2008
    This column describes what’s new in version 2 of SyncToy, a utility that helps you keep your files in sync across computers and external drives.

  • Utility Spotlight: Internet Explorer Developer Toolbar
    Lance Whitney - November 2008
    Whether you develop Web content or simply support a webmaster, here’s a free Microsoft utility that will make your job easier. See how the Internet Explorer Developer Toolbar can help you explore and troubleshoot Web pages.

  • Utility Spotlight: Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool
    Peter Skjøtt Larsen and Suveen Kumar Reddy Vuppala - October 2008
    Virtual machines that are stored offline don’t automatically receive the necessary updates to keep them safe and compliant. This, in turn, can pose a risk to your entire IT environment. Find out how the free Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool lets you automate the process of updating virtual machines.

  • Utility Spotlight: Windows Memory Diagnostic
    Lance Whitney - September 2008
    See how this free utility can help you determine whether problems you are experiencing while running Windows are caused by faulty memory.

  • Utility Spotlight: Windows Installer CleanUp Utility
    Lance Whitney - August 2008
    Leftover Windows Installer configuration information can cause problems when you try to update or uninstall an application. You can solve the problem using the Windows Installer CleanUp utility, which can help you remove an application’s Windows Installer information and then reinstall the app.

  • Utility Spotlight: Microsoft SharedView
    Greg Steen - July 2008
    Looking for a way to quickly collaborate with someone located in another city? Take a look at out how Microsoft SharedView, a free utility, lets you easily share documents and screens with members of a small group, even across physical boundaries.

  • Utility Spotlight: Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor
    Lance Whitney - June 2008
    Ready to upgrade the systems in your organization to Windows Vista? Find out how the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor can help you determine whether your systems are ready for Windows Vista and which versions they can support.

  • Utility Spotlight: SharePoint Capacity Planning
    Peter Skjøtt Larsen and Satish Mathew - May 2008
    Explore the SharePoint Capacity Planning Tool and see how you can design a topology for deploying SharePoint and then revise that topology after running load and usage simulations.

  • Utility Spotlight: Web Capacity Analysis Tool
    Greg Steen - April 2008
    Web logs and traffic analysis can give you a good idea of the kind of traffic you can expect over time. But how can you determine what your infrastructure can handle? The free Web Capacity Analysis Tool can help you to see how your systems will perform under stress.

  • Utility Spotlight: Windows Server Logo Certification
    Venkat Krishnamachari - March 2008
    To help ISVs and customers gauge application compatibility, Microsoft created the "Works with Windows Server 2008" program. Here's a look at the free supporting test tools made available through the program that can help you ensure that applications will deliver a predictable experience.

  • Utility Spotlight: ADMX Migrator
    Lance Whitney - February 2008
    With Windows Vista, the format for Group Policy templates has changed to an XML-based structure. The ADMX Migrator utility can convert your legacy ADM files into the new ADMX format, as well as help you easily create your own custom ADMX files.

  • Utility Spotlight: Windows Easy Transfer Companion
    Lance Whitney - January 2008
    This free tool can simplify the migration of key applications from Windows XP to Windows Vista.

  • Utility Spotlight: The Microsoft Security Assessment Tool
    Lance Whitney - December 2007
    This free utility and electronic questionnaire can help mid-sized organizations identify and resolve network security risks.

  • Utility Spotlight: SMS Cmdlets for Windows PowerShell
    Don Brown - November 2007
    Find out how you can start using Windows PowerShell cmdlets to manage SMS 2003 clients from the command line.

  • Utility Spotlight: Virtual Machine Remote Control Plus
    Matthijs ten Seldam - October 2007
    The Virtual Server 2005 interface is a Web application, offering the conveniences of Web-based management. But sometimes you want a rich UI that behaves like a Windows application.VMRCplus gives you an alternative UI that offers easy configuration management and remote control of virtual machines, all from within a single application.

  • Utility Spotlight: PageDefrag
    Lance Whitney - September 2007
    The typical Windows defrag tool can optimize most of the files on your hard drive. But certain items, such the Windows page file and Registry hives, are beyond the powers of most defragging tools. This utility, created by Mark Russinovich for Sysinternals, saves the day by defragging the files that are left untouched by other tools.

  • Utility Spotlight: BGInfo
    Lance Whitney - August 2007
    Wouldn’t it be great if you could see everything you need to know about a PC—its name, IP address, gateway, free disk space, and so on—in a single place. You can, with this free tool from Sysinternals.

  • Utility Spotlight: SMSMap
    Jeff Tondt - July 2007
    Seeing the whole SMS hierarchy as a picture can help you quickly understand how your infrastructure is laid out. This handy tool automates creation of your infrastructure diagram in Visio via COM.

  • Utility Spotlight: Script Elevation PowerToys for Windows Vista
    Michael Murgolo - June 2007
    While User Account Control offers an important improvement in security, the ability to elevate permissions is essential for accomplishing certain administrative tasks and functions. Here are some Elevation PowerToys that make elevation more flexible and powerful.

  • Utility Spotlight: Upgrade Toolkit for SharePoint Sites and Templates
    Luis Câmara Manoel and Peter Skjøtt Larsen - May 2007
    Upgrading to Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 can pose challenges if you use customized sites and templates. Explore a new Solution Accelerator that provides tools and guidance to help you get the job done.

  • Utility Spotlight: Autoruns
    Lance Whitney - April 2007
    The vast number of apps that run automatically at system start up can be a source of endless headaches. But with Autoruns, you can investigate every app that runs automatically, letting you troubleshoot conflicts, track down malware, and free up system resources.

  • Utility Spotlight: SyncToy
    Jay Munro - March 2007
    Face it, most of the users you support just don't back up there data. SyncToy provides an unintrusive way to ensure your users' files are always backed up and ready to be easily restored.

  • Utility Spotlight: Group Policy Inventory
    Greg Steen - February 2007


  • Utility Spotlight: Internet Explorer Administration Kit
    Lance Whitney - January 2007


  • Utility Spotlight: Robocopy GUI
    Joshua Hoffman - November 2006
    Traditional copy and paste works well enough for simple tasks, but for advanced functionality, you need Robocopy. But what if you're not a fan of the command line? Enter Robocopy GUI.

  • Utility Spotlight: File Server Migration Toolkit
    Jeremy Moskowitz - October 2006


  • Utility Spotlight: Access-Based Enumeration
    James D. Silliman - September 2006
    As a systems administrator, you've probably had users complain that they can't access certain folders they see in Windows® Explorer. The cause is often simple: the user doesn't have permission to open those resources.

  • Utility Spotlight: Scripting Trouble-Free Downloads with BITS
    Michael Murgolo - August 2006


  • Utility Spotlight: The Shared Computer Toolkit
    Jeremy Moskowitz - July 2006
    One of the most common requests I get at my Group Policy forum, GPanswers. com, is how to take machines and "lock them down. " People want to ensure their machines can’t be broken by Joe User or Harry Badguy.

  • Utility Spotlight: Automate Device Driver Integration
    Michael Murgolo - May • June 2006
    When you’re deploying thousands of Windows-based computers, configuring a single system and duplicating its hard drive (or system image) onto other corporate computers can save you a lot of time and free up IT resources.

  • Utility Spotlight: Server Performance Advisor
    Joshua Hoffman - March • April 2006
    Establishing solid configurations that are optimized for a server’s unique environment can often be challenging work, especially in large or complex environments. Once your servers are deployed, keeping an eye on performance to ensure that every server is running in tip-top shape can be a full-time job.

  • Utility Spotlight: WMI Code Creator
    Chris Scoville - January • February 2006
    As a systems administrator you’re surely no stranger to Windows®Management Instrumentation (WMI), which gives you access to a wealth of management information and allows you to automate administrative tasks.

  • Utility Spotlight: RunUpdates.cmd
    Joshua Hoffman - November • December 2005
    A great deal of time is often invested in determining the best ways to keep an infrastructure current, and rightfully so. In this month’s Utility Spotlight I take a look at a great way to make sure that desktops are as current as possible from the day they are deployed.

  • Utility Spotlight: Limit Login Attempts With LimitLogin
    - Spring 2005
    Ever needed to limit concurrent user logins in an Active Directory® domain? Ever wanted to keep track of information about every login in a domain? If so, LimitLogin is for you.

  • Utility Spotlight: Analyze Security Descriptors with searchSd
    TechNet Magazine Staff - Winter 2005
    Your IT department is interested in conducting security audits. The group wants to have statistics generated about the usage of access control entries (ACEs) in their domain deployment. They want to be able to run a job every Sunday at 1:00 A.

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