IT Operations: Page

When and how to use worker process recycling with IIS

Configuring Internet Information Services to automatically reset worker processes can solve a lot of Web application issues, but it should only be used in certain situations.

By Brien Posey • Nov. 19, 2007

How to manage and troubleshoot Microsoft Outlook rules

Find out how to manage multiple Microsoft Outlook rules using the Outlook Rules Wizard to prevent potential email message processing conflicts.

By Serdar Yegulalp • Nov. 12, 2007

OWA users can’t open PDF attachments in Web browser

Some Outlook Web Access users can't open PDF attachments in the Web browser, but they can save them. Find out how to enable users to view PDF attachments.

By Bradley Dinerman • Sept. 27, 2007

Sysinternals TCPView monitors network connections on Windows systems

Learn how to use Sysinternals TCPView 2.51, the network monitoring tool from Mark Russinovich that keeps track of endpoint connections and processes on your Windows desktop and server systems.

By Serdar Yegulalp • Sept. 17, 2007

How to use SMTP queues to troubleshoot mail flow

Find out how you can use SMTP queues to diagnose and troubleshoot Exchange Server mail flow and email performance issues.

Sept. 6, 2007

How to create a network printer pool

You can avoid congestion on a network printer by creating a printer pool -- a group of printers attached to a common print queue, so multiple documents can be printed simultaneously. Here's how to create a printer pool in a Windows Server 2003 environment.

By Brien Posey • Aug. 23, 2007

How to retrieve email from an SMTP server using POP3

Follow these steps to retrieve email from an SMTP server using POP3 in Microsoft Outlook 2003.

Aug. 22, 2007

Microsoft Office’s CiceroUIWndFrame component crashes Outlook

A Microsoft Office component called CiceroUIWndFrame can crash Microsoft Outlook. Find out how to fix the CiceroUIWndFrame issue with these steps.

By Serdar Yegulalp • Aug. 7, 2007

Can freezing a hard drive that’s crashed restore it to life?

You may be able to bring a hard drive that has crashed or cannot mount back to life by leaving it in the freezer overnight. Not every hard drive having problems responds to this treatment, but in some cases it does seem to work. But why? Here's the technical truth behind this digital urban legend.

By Serdar Yegulalp • Aug. 1, 2007

Troubleshooting Microsoft Outlook toolbar problems

Microsoft Outlook toolbar buttons will stop working correctly if the OUTCMD.DAT file becomes corrupted. Find out why third-party add-ins are often the culprit and learn how to fix the problem.

By Serdar Yegulalp • July 24, 2007

Cracking the TPM chip – is it possible?

The integrity of the TPM chip is vital to the future of computer security and the value of Windows Vista's BitLocker technology. Cracking it could turn the IT industry on its ear.

By Eileen Kennedy, News Writer • July 17, 2007

How to properly authenticate a Linux client in a Windows domain

MVP Gary Olsen describes the step-by-step process of configuring a Red Hat Fedora client into a Windows Server 2003 domain.

By Gary Olsen • July 17, 2007

Guide to using chkdsk to detect file and folder corruption

Follow these steps for configuring Windows to periodically run the chkdsk tool against a volume in order to detect file and folder corruption.

By Brien Posey • July 12, 2007

Multi-core systems vs. multi-CPU systems

Can you get better performance from a dual-core system or a dual-processor system? This article evaluates the two configurations and determines that multi-core chips tend to be more efficient than multi-CPU systems.

By Brien Posey • June 25, 2007

How to detect data corruption in files and folders

Data corruption that occurs within a file or folder will usually go unnoticed if you're simply backing up the data and testing the backup by restoring it elsewhere. If the files or folders that have been corrupted are used infrequently, you may never even notice the problem until Windows generates a warning message.

By Brien Posey • June 20, 2007

Not receiving email messages that have file attachments

Discover options to explore if you're not receiving email messages that have file attachments and the sender isn't receiving non-delivery reports (NDRs) for the undelivered messages.

By Bharat Suneja • June 20, 2007

Distributed File System feature prioritizes target servers in Active Directory

DFS target prioritization is a helpful feature that has slipped under the radar for some IT admins. Directory services expert Gary Olsen breaks down how to use (and not use) this tool to its full effectiveness.

By Gary Olsen • June 12, 2007

How to retrieve lost files using Group Policy folder redirection

Learn how to combat many file and folder disasters using the 'Redirect My Documents' option via Group Policy in the Windows domain.

By Tim Fenner, Contributor • June 6, 2007

New Active Directory account not showing up in Exchange Global Address List

If you can't find names in an Exchange Server Global Address List after entering them as new accounts in Active Directory, here's what you need to check.

By Bradley Dinerman • June 6, 2007

How to recover email in a specific date range from a .PST file

Get step-by-step instructions on how to recover email that falls within a specific data range from a Microsoft Outlook 2003 .PST file.

By Bradley Dinerman • May 29, 2007

AGDLP reduces account management, permissions management headaches

AGDLP is a practice that can greatly reduce your administrative headaches related to account management and permissions management.

By Tim Fenner • May 21, 2007

Daisy-chaining SCSI devices

With SCSI, you can daisy-chain (physically wire) multiple devices together. However, if you're considering daisy-chaining multiple SCSI devices together, you should know the SCSI bus will only support a certain number of devices.

By Brien Posey • May 10, 2007

An overview of Microsoft Outlook email security features

In the following tip from "8 tips in 8 minutes: A Microsoft Outlook email security tutorial," you'll gain an in-depth overview of Microsoft Outlook's email security features including security zone changes, the Outlook security update, S/MIME security, Information Rights Management and RPC over HTTPS.

May 2, 2007

Create and manage hardware profiles

Hardware profiles, which are set by a systems administrator, describe which pieces of hardware are enabled or disabled when a system is booted under a given profile. They eliminate the process of Windows having to redetect hardware. This tip will show you how to create and manage hardware profiles.

By Rahul Shah, Contributor • April 30, 2007

Partnering with a managed service provider (MSP) vendor

Managed service provider (MSP) partnerships are rarely as fruitful as both sides would like. When choosing an MSP vendor, ask these questions to determine if your partnership will be a good one.

By Paul Myerson • April 4, 2007