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When you create a new GPO in the GPMC, you are given the opportunity to base the new GPO on a starter GPO. Because the settings of the starter GPO are then imported into the new GPO, you can use a starter GPO to define the base configuration settings for a new GPO. Here are the steps you need to follow to create a starter GPO. ...

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By default, SQL Server 2008 allocates a minimum of 1024 KB of memory for query execution. This memory allocation, however, can be set for anywhere from 512 KB to 2 GB. Find out when you should change this setting and how to do so. ...

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Did you know you can use Windows 7 beta 1 to manage your Windows Server 2008 servers? Here's the download you'll need and an overview of the tools it includes. ...

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You may know how to easily clear your browsing history and delete your cookies in Internet Explorer 7. But did you know you can disable these options for users in your environment? ...

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Find out how to use the sp_configure stored procedure to limit your attack surface by disabling unnecessary features. ...

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Popular Articles

Windows Server 2008 and the new Windows Server Backup utility bring many changes and welcome enhancements to backing up. Here is an in-depth guide to backing up and restoring Active Directory in the new server OS.

Gil Kirkpatrick

TechNet Magazine May 2008

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Many IT shops are divided into two camps—the Windows team and the Linux team—but we all have the same ultimate goal of providing high-quality and cost-effective IT services. One way you can do this is by sharing core software infrastructure. Think Windows and Linux don’t mix? See how you can configure Linux machines to use Active Directory for authentication.

Gil Kirkpatrick

TechNet Magazine December 2008

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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.

Joshua Hoffman

TechNet Magazine November 2006

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Consolidating servers onto fewer physical machines has many advantages, but it is extremely important that you plan for your systems to be highly available. Here’s a guide to using Windows Server 2008 Failover Clustering to bring high availability to your Hyper-V virtual machines.

Steven Ekren

TechNet Magazine October 2008

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User Account Control, or UAC, is one of the most misunderstood new features in Windows Vista. But its goal—to enable users to run with standard user rights—can solve many security issues. Get an inside look at the problems UAC is designed to address and see exactly how this new feature works.

Mark Russinovich

TechNet Magazine June 2007

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Our Blog

NAP monitors the health of specified computers when they attempt to connect to a network and includes a number of mechanisms to enforce health requirements. In this article, Geek of All Trades Greg Shields gives readers an overview of these enforcement mechanisms and, as an example, takes a closer look at setting ...

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Use Windows PowerShell to Manage Virtual Machines Here are a few examples of how you can use Windows PowerShell scripts to manage virtual machines running on a Server Core installation. Note that these scripts are presented as samples and may need to be customized to work in your environment.

Create a New ...

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Disabling an Unused Part of Group Policy Objects One way to disable a policy is to disable an unused part of the GPO. By disabling part of a policy that isn’t used, the application of GPOs and security will be faster.

Administer Windows Server 2008 Server Core from the Command Prompt ...

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In the August 2008 issue of TechNet Magazine, Paul Randal wrote an article Top Tips for Effective Database Maintenance.  It was geared toward "involuntary  DBAs" (IT pros who inadvertently wind up responsible for a SQL Server instance).  The article had a great response from our readers so Paul has written another ...

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Microsoft Forefront is designed to deliver an integrated security solution that makes it much easier to deploy and manage security across an organization’s IT infrastructure. In this, our annual security issue, we feature two articles that describe how Forefront Security protects instant messaging and e-mail.

Protect ...

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TechNet Magazine: Windows PowerShell rss

All TechNet Magazine Columns
  • Windows PowerShell: What Not to Script
    Don Jones - July 2009
    Don Jones shares his top six common suggestions to improve Windows PowerShell scripts.

  • Windows PowerShell: Automating User Provisioning, Part 4
    Don Jones - June 2009
    Don Jones concludes his four-part series on automating user provision with Windows PowerShell. In this final edition, Don discusses adding users to domain groups and modifying directory attributes.

  • Windows PowerShell: Automating User Provisioning, Part 3
    Don Jones - May 2009
    Don Jones continues his four-part series that explains how you can create an automated provisioning function in Windows PowerShell

  • Windows PowerShell: Automating User Provisioning, Part 2
    Don Jones - April 2009
    Don Jones continues his look at how you can use Windows PowerShell to automate user provisioning. In this installment, Don details the function that will create a mail-enabled user in Active Directory.

  • Windows PowerShell: Automating User Provisioning, Part 1
    Don Jones - March 2009
    Don Jones kicks off a four part series that will look at how you can use Windows PowerShell to create a real-world user provisioning script.

  • Windows PowerShell: Best Inventory Tool Ever!
    Don Jones - February 2009
    In the past few installments of the Windows PowerShell column, Don Jones has been demonstrating how to develop a Windows PowerShell-based inventory tool. In this installment, Don brings it all together into a very powerful, full-featured tool, and offers some guidance on customizing the tool for your own needs.

  • Windows PowerShell: Trapping Errors
    Don Jones - January 2009
    Learn how you can implement error-handling in Windows PowerShell.

  • Windows PowerShell: Building a Better Inventory Tool
    Don Jones - December 2008
    Following up on the November installment of his Windows PowerShell column, Don Jones demonstrates an even better inventorying tool and demonstrates a sound process for building your own custom Windows PowerShell functions.

  • Windows PowerShell: Building Your Own Software Inventory Tool
    Don Jones - November 2008
    Don Jones demonstrates a Windows PowerShell-based inventory tool and guides you through the process that goes into building such a solution.

  • Windows PowerShell: The Power of Profiles
    Don Jones - October 2008
    Ever wish Windows PowerShell would launch with a work environment tailored to your needs? Don Jones demonstrates how you can use profiles to customize the Windows PowerShell shell.

  • Windows PowerShell: String Theory
    Don Jones - September 2008
    Despite its object oriented nature, Windows PowerShell is also able to parse complicated strings. Don Jones demonstrates how you can do this in Windows PowerShell using Select-String.

  • Windows PowerShell: A Sneak Peek at Remote Management in Version 2.0
    Don Jones - August 2008
    Windows PowerShell 2.0 is in the works and the latest CTP provides some great new capabilities. Here’s a look at remoting—one of the most exciting new features you'll find in Windows PowerShell 2.0 CTP2.

  • Windows PowerShell: The Drop Box
    Don Jones - July 2008
    Don Jones discusses filtering functions, the pipeline, custom objects, and how ping-pong balls hold the secret to understanding Windows PowerShell.

  • Windows PowerShell: Looking Good
    Don Jones - June 2008
    Discover how the object-oriented nature of Windows PowerShell allows you to apply formatting to its output.

  • Windows PowerShell: Automating Directory Management
    Don Jones - May 2008
    Version 1 of Windows PowerShell offers less than impressive Active Directory management capabilities. Find out how you can use add-ins to get more powerful ways to work with Active Directory objects from within Windows PowerShell.

  • Windows PowerShell: Sign Here, Please
    Don Jones - April 2008
    An overview of signing your scripts for improved security.

  • Windows PowerShell: Progress Report
    Don Jones - March 2008
    For your users with attention span issues—and even those without—providing status feedback in your scripts is a good idea. Here's all you need to know to provide status in Windows PowerShell.

  • Windows PowerShell: Shell Permissions
    Don Jones - February 2008
    Permissions in Windows are, unfortunately, innately complicated. But Windows PowerShell can help. Get a quick overview of how permissions in Windows work and find out how you can simplify the task of working with them.

  • Windows PowerShell: Heading Off Malicious Code
    Don Jones - January 2008
    When designing Windows PowerShell, a lot of thought was put into security. But, as with any software, Windows PowerShell can still be exposed to malicious code. Here are some recommendations for choosing an Execution Policy that will keep your systems more secure.

  • Windows PowerShell: Digging Deeper
    Don Jones - December 2007
    Windows PowerShell provides many features that often get overlooked. By taking a methodical approach to exploring Windows PowerShell cmdlets, you will unearth some powerful capabilities that you haven't yet noticed.

  • Windows PowerShell: Writing Regular Expressions
    Don Jones - November 2007
    With a well-written regular expression, a Windows PowerShell script can determine whether or not data conforms to a valid format. Get an overview of how you can use Regular Expressions in Windows PowerShell.

  • Windows PowerShell: Working Without a Script
    Don Jones - October 2007
    Have you put off using Windows PowerShell because you don't have time to learn how to script. Don't worry. Here's a look at how you can start using Windows PowerShell immediately, without writing a lick of code.

  • Windows PowerShell: Securing the Shell
    Don Jones - September 2007
    When designing Windows PowerShell, Microsoft gave security a leading role. And it shows. Take a look at some of the key security features and settings, such as credential handling and execution policies, that ensure Windows PowerShell won’t fall game to the same problems that VBScript enabled.

  • Windows PowerShell: The Power of Filtering
    Don Jones - August 2007
    The pipeline isn't just for cmdlets. Take a look at how you can use the Windows PowerShell pipeline to add handy filtering capabilities to your scripts.

  • Windows PowerShell: Rethinking the Pipeline
    Don Jones - July 2007
    Don't mistake the pipeline in Windows PowerShell for the UNIX pipeline. The Windows PowerShell pipeline is responsible for far different and far more powerful functionality.

  • Windows PowerShell: Working with Active Directory
    Don Jones - June 2007
    Windows PowerShell doesn't provide a Get-ADSIObject cmdlet, but that doesn't prevent it from ogffering strong ADSI support. Get an introduction to type adapters and learn how you can use Windows PowerShell to work with directiory objects.

  • Windows PowerShell: The WMI Connection
    Don Jones - May 2007
    Windows Management Instrumentation is an incredibly useful technology for exposing system information. Find out how Windows PowerShell can make WMI infinitely easier to learn and use.

  • Windows PowerShell: Filtering and Formatting Data
    Don Jones - April 2007
    Windows PowerShell provides easy access to a wide range of data. In its raw state, however, this data isn’t ready for typical business purposes. Learn how to customize the data you gather by filtering, specifying properties, and applying formatting.

  • Windows PowerShell: The Power of Variables
    Don Jones - March 2007
    In Windows PowerShell, variables are mapped to underlying classes in the .NET Framework, providing more powerful capabilities than are possible in previous scripting languages. Explore the inner-workings of how these variables work, and learn how to use them.

  • Windows PowerShell: Scripting One Line at a Time
    Don Jones - February 2007


  • Windows PowerShell: Windows PowerShell Constructs
    Don Jones - January 2007


  • Windows PowerShell: Simple Commands. Powerful Administration
    Don Jones - December 2006
    Windows PowerShell is about to launch, offering Windows administrators the easiest and most flexible way to automate a wide variety of administrative tasks. Discover what you need to know to start performing administrative tasks more effectively using this powerful command-shell tool.
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