Monitoring - How to monitor a website for free with email/sms

There is an interesting website that give opportunity to monitor external websites and get immediately email alerting.

I think that screesnhots is quite enough to explain service:

http://Downnotifier.com

[update 2019.01.05]

While downnotifier.com does a good job, it's not really user-friendly and doesn’t work quite fast.
I did some exploring and found the other tool below. It's ad-free, quite straightforward and fast to load and I wanted to suggest you show it alongside the other one:

https://www.websiteplanet.com/webtools/down-or-not

This tool allows you to check if your website is down across the globe or only on your computer screen, and it’s quite quick and easy to use (and it's completely free, too!) : -)

[update 2020.07.03]

Here it is another website with similar monitoring free features.

https://uptimerobot.com/

Exchange 2007/10 - “ 451 4.7.0 Timeout Queues Timeout”

During last years we faced to a very strange problem along Exchange queues that got stacked with a rarely and particular error:



“ 451 4.7.0 Timeout”

To better undestand where it was problem we enabled verbose logging on each Exchange server Hub Transport that faced problems to send intrasite and externally emails:

There was “ 451 4.7.0 Timeout” as you can see.

Then we executed ping command with a particular parameter to understand if there was some packed dropped during connection:

And ping computer_name or IP_address -f -l 1472 was unsuccessfully. (http://support2.microsoft.com/kb/159211/en-us )

So, following this article, we understood that it was a networking problem and we opened a major case to MPLS provider and we solved after their intervention.

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/6197ce1e-2ba0-46d4-a3d4-3799d6c4ee9c/470-timout-waiting-for-client-input-with-big-emails-on-some-domains?forum=exchangesvrsecuremessaginglegacy

[update 2016.06.07]

Here they are articles about MTU and ping parameter and how to enable verbose logging on exchange server about send/receive connectors


How to Troubleshoot Black Hole Router Issues

SMTP Routing in Exchange 2010 (Part 4)

Tips - How to install DHCP role on windows client XP/Vista/7/8/10

It is possible to install DHCP role on Windows client XP/Vista/7/8/10

Here they are major steps to be followed:

1. Download and configure binaries as a service.
2. Proceed to setting up software 
3. Verify though browser IPs leased to clients.

Here they are some screenshots:





It is important to configure WebServer Feature to check, in real time, that IP are correctly leased:

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Here they are other old blog article related to DHCP (English and italian language)

Server - Commands to verify Domain Controller/Domain Status, schema version, move 5 PDC roles, export DHCP

Windows 2012 R2 - DHCP cluster/failover

2008 R2 Server - Migrare facilmente un server DHCP dal 2003 al 2008

2012 - Migrare il DHCP Server al Windows 2012 Server

Server - DHCP evoluzioni dal 2000 al 2012

2012 server - DHCP Failover in Windows Server 2012

Linux - 1/2 - Installare un Server DHCP su Linux Centos

Linux - 2/2 - Installare un Server DHCP su Linux Centos

Server - Trasformare il proprio pc in DHCP, TFTP, DNS, SNTP e Syslog

Wsus - how to move repository from one drive to another

If you need to move WSUS 3.0 SP2 repository from a drive to another without download again patches you can proceed in this way:

1. Locate Wsus packages drive and folder
2. Locate wsusutil that should be similar to this examplificative path C:\Program Files\Update Services\Tools
3. give this command line:

wsusutil movecontent  contentpathdestinationpath logfile

For Example

wsusutil movecontent e:\packages d:\move.log

here is official Microsoft article that is exaustive on WSUS 3.0 SP2 

Manage WSUS 3.0 SP2 Storage

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd939905(v=ws.10).aspx

Software - How to recover O.S. password

About password recovery I found this tool Lost Windows Password Key, it is not free but it work fine.

Usually I utilize Pc Login 2.0 that is free and work fine as Live CD/DVD/USB drive

Pc Login Download:

http://www.download3k.com/Install-PCLoginNow-2.0.5.html

You can review blog USB live section to learn about how to create USB 

http://www.alessandromazzanti.com/search/label/CD%20Live

http://www.alessandromazzanti.com/search/label/USB

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Here is a briefly revies about Lost Windows Password Key:



http://www.lostwindowspassword.com/how_it_works/how_it_works_cd.htm

With this tool you would be able to:

• Recover or reset all user and administrator passwords
• Reset passwords with a bootable CD/DVD
• Reset Domain Administrator Password (enterprise lincese)
• Reset passwords with a bootable USB drive (Pro and Ent. license)
• Win XP to 10 and Windows Server sull support

Here they are some screenshots that show how to reset windows password with Bootable USB drive

Here is different versions compare table of this product:

http://www.lostwindowspassword.com/purchase/purchase.htm

Veeam - QNAP and Veeam Deduplication and OffSite Backup Replication

Veeam B&R with Plus license gives the ability to enable Veeam Backup copy feature on differente sites utilizing Deduplication option to minimize Bandwidth usage.

But there is an alternative way to override Veeam Plus licence purchage

You should buy on each site QNAP storage (that has plenty of advantages and very aggressive price) and utilizing deduplication features that this product provides.

Utilizing QNAP as local Veeam Backup repository backup deduplication can work with a remote Qnap with settings that you prefer.

More information about this solution and QNAP features here they are.

https://www.qnap.com/i/useng/business_solutions/con_show.php?op=showone&cid=17

Other blogs articles about veeam and qnap here they are:

Server - how to expose QNAP iscsi storage to Vmware based system

NAS – QNAP TS-469-PRO-EU Network Storage Server QNAP

All Veeam blog articles:





[update 2019.05.13]

Here they are updated links to all QNAP Storage products:

https://www.qnap.com/it-it/product/

Multimedia - Audacious a Winamp enhancement GPL project

Here they are features (it has also ability to record streaming music/video too)

Audacious is an open source audio player. A descendant of XMMS, Audacious plays your music how you want it, without stealing away your computer’s resources from other tasks. Drag and drop folders and individual song files, search for artists and albums in your entire music library, or create and edit your own custom playlists. Listen to CD’s or stream music from the Internet. Tweak the sound with the graphical equalizer or experiment with LADSPA effects. Enjoy the modern GTK-themed interface or change things up with Winamp Classic skins. Use the plugins included with Audacious to fetch lyrics for your music, to set an alarm in the morning, and more.

Audacious runs on Linux, on BSD derivatives, and on Microsoft Windows. To download and install the latest version (currently 3.7), please see the download page.

http://audacious-media-player.org/

Windows download:

• audacious-3.7-win32.zip (19 MB)

Software - MMCSnapInsView

 MMCSnapInsView is a simple tool for Windows that displays the details of all MMC snap-ins installed on your system, including name, description, CLSID, dll file, product name, company name, file version, and more... 
You can also select multiple MMC snap-ins and then open them in MMC application.



More details and download link:

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/mmc_snapins_view.html

Exchange 201x - How to enable Mailbox logging

On Exchange is very important to view if there are any strange accesses on other user's mailboxes.

Here they are some command lines that works fine on Exchange 2016:

Set-Mailbox -AuditEnabled $true

Get-Mailbox |fl name,AuditEnabled

To view log retention:

Get-Mailbox | fl name,AuditEnabled,AudiLogAgeLimit

If you want to change log retention (default 90 days)

Set-Mailbox -Identity ” -AuditLogAgeLimit numberofdaysto keep

Get-Mailbox -ResultSize Unlimited -Filter {RecipientTypeDetails -eq “UserMailbox”} | Set-Mailbox -AuditLogAgeLimit 180

If you want to enable logging on all mailboxes:

Get-Mailbox -ResultSize Unlimited -Filter {RecipientTypeDetails -eq "UserMailbox"} | Set-Mailbox -AuditEnabled $true

Disable Mailbox logging

Set-Mailbox -AuditEnabled $false

Consider that Mailbox Owner activities are not logged, to enable it you must consider that we will have plenty of auditings:

Set-Mailbox -AuditEnabled $true

Get-Mailbox |fl name,AuditEnabled

Get-Mailbox -ResultSize Unlimited -Filter {RecipientTypeDetails -eq "UserMailbox"} | Set-Mailbox -AuditEnabled $true

Disable the mailbox audit logging:

Set-Mailbox -AuditEnabled $false

Here they are whtat we log with these changes

Original Technet Article

https://technet.microsoft.com/it-it/library/ff459237(v=exchg.160).aspx

Action	Description	Admin	Delegate***	Owner
Copy	An item is copied to another folder.	Yes	No	No
Create	An item is created in the mailbox. (For example, a message is sent or received.) Note that folder creation isn't audited.	Yes*	Yes*	Yes
FolderBind	A mailbox folder is accessed.	Yes*	Yes**	No
HardDelete	An item is deleted permanently from the Recoverable Items folder.	Yes*	Yes*	Yes
MailboxLogin	The user signed in to their mailbox.	No	No	Yes
MessageBind	An item is accessed in the reading pane or opened.	Yes	No	No
Move	An item is moved to another folder.	Yes*	Yes	Yes
MoveToDeletedItems	An item is moved to the Deleted Items folder.	Yes*	Yes	Yes
SendAs	A message is sent using Send As permissions.	Yes*	Yes*	No
SendOnBehalf	A message is sent using Send on Behalf permissions.	Yes*	Yes	No
SoftDelete	An item is deleted from the Deleted Items folder.	Yes*	Yes*	Yes
Update	An item's properties are updated.	Yes*	Yes*	Yes

You can get reporting here:





more details :

Microsoft - Enable or disable mailbox audit logging for a mailbox on Exchange 2016

https://technet.microsoft.com/it-it/library/ff461937(v=exchg.160).aspx

Microsoft - Mailbox audit logging in Exchange 2016

https://technet.microsoft.com/it-it/library/ff459237(v=exchg.160).aspx 

Microsoft - Mailbox Audit Logging on Exchange 2010

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff459232(v=exchg.141).aspx

Microsoft - Mailbox Audit Logging on Exchange 2013

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff461939(v=exchg.150).aspx

Tips - Skype and Windows 10 hang up application problem

On windows 10 Skype often hangup.


A first solution that worked for me too is:

1. Quit Skype or use Windows Task Manager to kill any Skype.exe process.
2. Start --> %appdata% and then press Enter or click the OK button.
3. Locate a folder named “Skype”. Rename this folder to something different, e.g. Skype.old.
4. Start --> %temp%\skype and then press Enter.
5. Delete the DbTemp folder.

Another procedure is this one:

1. Exit from Skype application.
2. Find Skype.exe in Windows Explorer (In my system it is C:\Program Files (x86)\Skype\Phone\Skype.exe)
3. Right Click, select Properties.
4. Go to Compatibility tab.
5. Select compatibility mode Windows Vista SP2.
6. Start Skype.
7. In menu Tools / Options / Advanced / Connection turned off the option "Enable uPnP" - this solves the issue with hanging Skype on start up in compatibility mode.

In any case there are several workaround reading this skype community forum.

http://community.skype.com/t5/Windows-desktop-client/Skype-v-7-7-freezes-on-Windows-10-after-pressing-keyboard-local/td-p/4066735/page/4

Windows 2012 - How to remove Windows.old folder

If you upgraded your server to Windows 2012/R2 you will see c:\windows.old folder.

To remove it correctly you must add Disk Cleanup utility with this powershell command:

Add-WindowsFeature Desktop-Experience

It will appear Clean up system Files button, after that you will be prompted to remove windows.old or precedents windows installations.

[more articles :

How to install Clean up utility on windows 2012

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/15221.enabling-disk-cleanup-utility-in-windows-server-2012.aspx 

Windows.old problem

http://blogs.technet.com/b/chad/archive/2012/10/08/tip-51-cleanup-on-isle-3-get-back-disk-cleanup-wizard-on-windows-server-2008-amp-2012.aspx]