3rd Party Patching through Ninite

·         Download your NinitePro executable

https://ninite.com/ninitepro.exe

·         Upload the executable to somewhere you can download it from automatically (ex. Dropbox)

·         Use a procedure (ex. writefile) to get the executable down to the endpoint, maybe the temp folder.

·         Then use an execute file with something like this as the parameter to the executable:  /select Chrome Dropbox Firefox Flash "Flash (IE)" Java "Java 7" "Java x64" "Java x64 7" Air CutePDF Evernote Reader Silverlight Shockwave "Citrix Receiver" /updateonly /disableautoupdate /disableshortcuts /silent 

Diagnosing and fixing servicing corruption

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee619779(v=ws.10).aspx
http://solution4techgeeks.blogspot.in/2015/06/how-to-fix-csi-payload-file-missing.html

Windows Update taking long to check/scan for updates

Install the update rollup provided below after clean boot

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3161608

Post installation reboot the machine and try running check for updates.

Install Microsoft Security Essentials on Windows 8.1 and Server 2012

Install Microsoft Security Essentials on Windows 8.1 and Server 2012

    1.  Download Microsoft Security Essentials on your PC.
    2.  Right Click on MSEInstall (application package).
    3.  Click on Properties.

    4.  Click on Compatibility tab.

    5.  Under Compatibility mode, check Run this program in compatibility mode for:
    6.  Select Windows 7from the drop down and click on Apply.

    7.  Open Command Promptas an Administrator.
    8.  Navigate to the folder containing MSEInstall (application package).
    9. Run the command mseinstall /disableoslimit and follow the instructions to install the MSE on your machine.

   

Uninstall QuickTime

Un-Install QuickTime Player

Use the following commands in your batch file to silently un-install QuickTime:

msiexec.exe /i "\\servername\share\QuickTime.msi" /passive DESKTOP_SHORTCUTS=NO
msiexec.exe /x {FF59BD75-466A-4D5A-AD23-AAD87C5FD44C} /qn /norestart

"DESKTOP_SHORTCUTS=NO" will suppress the creation of QuickTime desktop shortcut.
The first line will silently upgrade the QuickTime installed on the machine to the latest version 7.79.80.95 (will replace the previous version).
The second line will un-install the QuickTime completely.


Note: use the latest version of QuickTime.msi i.e. version 7.79.80.95 (copy the .msi to shared location \\servername\share\)

DNS Records

DNS Records

Record Type	Description	Function
A	Address record	Returns a 32-bit IPv4 address, most commonly used to map hostnames to an IP address of the host.
AAAA	IPv6 address record	Returns a 128-bit IPv6 address, most commonly used to map hostnames to an IP address of the host.
CNAME	Canonical name record	Alias of one name to another: Canonical records (CNAMEs) are useful for pointing one host name at another.
MX	Mail exchange record	Maps a domain name to a list of mail transfer agents for that domain. MX records are those that are looked up by mail servers when email needs to be delivered.
NS	Name server record	A NS record tells recursive name servers which name servers are authoritative for a zone.  Recursive name servers look at the NS records to work out who to ask next when resolving a name.
PTR	Pointer record	While the A record points a domain name to an IP address, the PTR record resolves the IP address to a domain/hostname. PTR records are used for the reverse DNS (Domain Name System) lookup.
SOA	Start of authority record	Specifies authoritative information about a DNS zone, including the primary name server, the email of the domain administrator, the domain serial number, and several timers relating to refreshing the zone.
SRV	Service record	SRV record is a specification of data in the Domain Name System defining the location, i.e. the hostname and port number, of servers for specified services. The SRV records relate to a particular service of the domain, like FTP or SIP, rather than a specific machine the way A or C-name records do.

Lockdown mode

Lockdown mode on an ESXi host

When Disabled - We can use Windows vSphere client to manage the ESXi host even when it is added to the vCenter Server.
The changes we made through vSphere client in the ESXi host will be reflected in the vCenter Server or added to the vCenter database after the polling interval (which is about 5 minutes).

When Enabled - We can manage the ESXi host remotely, only through vCenter Server to which the ESXi host is added. We can not access it using Windows vSphere client.


Note - We can manage the ESXi host using DCUI (Direct Console User Interface) by physically accessing it even when it is set to Enabled.

80244019

Error Code 80244019

To resolve this problem, follow these steps: 

1. Stop Windows Update service 
2. Rename Software Distribution folder 
3. Start the Windows Update service. 
4. Try to install update. 

80070663

Error Code 80070663

If you are getting the error 80070663 while running Windows Update follow the below Microsoft Support links

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/kb/913754

http://microsoftlivesupport.com/blog/tag/80070663/

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.