quantity of data stored on laptops/desktops

Below is the headline to a promotional email I got promoting a whitepaper.  The notable thing to me is the data on the amount of data stored on endpoints (i.e., desktops and laptops).  At present, I'm putting laptops in place instead of desktops at a rate of about 20 to 1.  Laptops have the ability to travel which makes them harder to back up, and if 28% of data is truly stored only on these endpoints, then an online backup system makes more and more sense.  My favorite (and has been for years) is Backblaze at $50 per computer per year (not a paid endorsement).  I've looked for better options and have yet to find any.

how I configure a script to get into a Powershell CLI for editing Office365 properties

I was setting up a laptop to use a script to get into a Powershell CLI and wanted to document what I used to get in.

You'll need to download two items to enable PowerShell:

1) Microsoft Online Services Sign-in Assistant
2) Azure AD Module for Windows PowerShell

from here:

https://technet.microsoft.com/library/dn975125.aspx


You may need to install .net 3.5 from turn windows features on/off.

Then I created a folder on the root C called scripts.  In there, I created a file called office365.ps1 with these contents:
---
Import-Module MSOnline
$O365Cred = Get-Credential
$O365Session = New-PSSession –ConfigurationName Microsoft.Exchange -ConnectionUri https://ps.outlook.com/powershell -Credential $O365Cred -Authentication Basic -AllowRedirection
Import-PSSession $O365Session
Connect-MsolService –Credential $O365Cred
---

Then I make edits by opening powershell.  Navigate to c:\scripts and run office365.ps1.  Of note, you might also need to enable remote execution (Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned) like this:

From there, I use the commands I described in this post:
http://t-solve.blogspot.com/2013/01/office365-shell-commands-for-reference.html



When I need to run a Powershell script, I open powershell, navigate to c:\scripts, and I run office365.ps1 like this:

The name cannot be matched to a name in the address list for a valid user - Exchange 2010

In some cases, I hide old users in Exchange Management Console so they don't appear in the global address list.  I had done that with a certain user, and I kept trying and trying to no avail to configure his Outlook.  I kept getting "The name cannot be matched to a name in the address list for a valid user."  I could log in to webmail for the user, and I could log on to a laptop as the user with no trouble - but Outlook could not find the user during mailbox setup/configuration.

The error:

The solution (uncheck "hide from Exchange address lists")

getting internet access on an a computer with two LAN connections where one doesn't have internet acccess

I was in a situation where I had two separate LANs, one for phone, one for data.  The phone LAN had no internet access.  I wanted to give the phone vendor remote access to my PC while connected to the phone LAN.

Each time I plugged my computer into the phone LAN and had the data LAN connected wirelessly, the wired connection would take preference no matter which LAN was connected first or any bridging settings I had set:

The wired connection always took priority.  I fixed this by simply giving the wired connection a static IP with the proper wired IP address but changing the default gateway on the wired connection to the default gateway on the wireless connection that had internet access.  Here's my example where 10.10.10.0 was the phone LAN without internet access and 10.0.0.0 is my data LAN with internet access:

This allowed me internet access and allowed me visibility on the wired LAN without internet access.

Importing a Mac Address book into Excel/Outlook

If you have a Mac address book that you want to import into Outlook on the PC (or just into Excel), you need an additional tool to do it.  As of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, the only options for exporting the Mac address book are vcard or Mac Address book archive, neither of which is compatible with Outlook or Excel.

There are some paid options in the Apple Store that export the address book to a TXT or CSV file, but I found a nice, easy, free option.

Export the address book VCARDs (make sure you select all and get all of your contacts in a single CSV file).  Then go here:
http://labs.brotherli.ch/vcfconvert/index.php

This site takes your VCF file and will convert it to 'gmail CSV' which you can use for direct import into Outlook or import into Excel for massaging before importing into Outlook.

putting DNS in place at godaddy in advance of migrating registrar

I was moving a domain from Network Solutions to Godaddy, and I had DNS managed at NetSol and intended for DNS to be managed at Godaddy.  With this setup, there would have been DNS downtime during the transfer when the trasnfer actually happened and DNS wasn't in place at Godaddy before I put it in place.  This is because Godaddy won't let you manage DNS until the domain is actually transferred.

This article describes the process for setting up Godaddy calls off-site DNS, where its DNS servers can provie DNS for a domain it doesn't hold.  This off-site DNS can then be applied to the domain when you transfer.

This article is here:
http://support.godaddy.com/help/article/4041/managing-domain-names-with-offsite-dns?pc_split_value=1

And recreated here (in case that page is ever moved):

To manage the DNS for an off-site domain name, you must add it to the DNS Dashboard, and then change your nameservers at your current registrar.

1. To Add Off-site DNS for a Domain Name
2. Log in to your Account Manager.
3. Next to Domains, click Launch.
4. From the DNS menu, select DNS Manager.
5. From the Off-site menu, select Add Off-site. The Add Off-site DNS window displays.
6. In the Domain name field, enter the domain name you want to manage with Off-site DNS.
7. (Optional) If you plan to transfer the domain name's registration to us and you want to transfer its existing DNS records as well, select The domain will be transferred ... . We apply the zone file to the domain name upon transfer. Otherwise, de-select this option.
8. Click OK. The domain name displays in your Domain list with (Off-site) next to it.

NOTE: If your domain name does not display, click  to refresh the list.

Contact your current registrar to update your nameservers to the following:
Standard DNS
mns01.domaincontrol.com
mns02.domaincontrol.com

Windows Small Business Server 2008 Repair Guide

I came across this when troubleshooting an SBS 2008 problem, and I just wanted to keep this link as it may be helpful in the future:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/sbs-2008-repair-guide(v=ws.10).aspx