How to add users in dashboard view – O365

Add users one at a time in the dashboard view

  1. Go to the Microsoft 365 admin center
  1. Go to Users > Active users, and select Add a user
  2. In the Set up the basics pane, fill in the basic user information, and then select Next.
    • Name Fill in the first and last name, display name, and username.
    • Domain Choose the domain for the user’s account. For example, if the user’s username is Jakob, and the domain is contoso.com, they’ll sign in by using jakob@contoso.com.
    • Password settings Choose to use the autogenerated password or to create your own strong password for the user.
    • The user must change their password after 90 days. Or you can choose to Require this user to change their password when they first sign in.
    • Choose whether you want to send the password in email when the user is added.
  3. In the Assign product licenses pane, select the location and the appropriate license for the user. If you don’t have any licenses available, you can still add a user and buy additional licenses. Expand Apps and select or deselect apps to limit the apps the user has a license for. Select Next.
  4. In the Optional settings pane, expand Roles to make this user an admin. Expand Profile info to add additional information about the user.
  5. Select Next, review your new user’s settings, make any changes you like, then select Finish adding, then Close.
[mai mult...]

How to import email, contacts, and calendar from an Outlook .pst file

These instructions assume you’ve already exported your Outlook email, contacts, and calendar from another instance of Outlook, and now you want to import them to Outlook.

  • At the top of your Outlook ribbon, select File.
  • If your ribbon doesn’t have a File option in the top left corner, you aren’t using an Outlook app installed on your computer.

Select File from the ribbon

Select Open & Export > Import/Export. This starts the Import/Export wizard.

Choose Open and Export and then Import/Export

  • Select Import from another program or file, and then select Next.

Within the Import and Export Wizard, Under Choose an action to perform, select Import from another program or file.

  • Select Outlook Data File (.pst) and select Next.
  • Browse to the .pst file you want to import. Under Options, choose how you want to deal with emails and contacts, then choose Next.

On the Import Outlook Data File screen, browse to find the .pst file you'd like to import. Choose from the options on how you'd like to handle duplicates.

  • If a password was assigned to the Outlook Data File (.pst), enter the password, and then select OK.
  • If you’re importing the contents of your .pst file into your Microsoft 365 mailbox, choose that mailbox here.
  • If you’re NOT importing into your Microsoft 365 mailbox, choose Import items into the current folder. This imports the data into the folder currently selected.

Select the folder to import from

Choose Finish. Outlook starts importing the contents of your .pst file immediately. When the progress box disappears, the import is finished.

[mai mult...]

How to back-up your Win 11

Even if the backup process of the Windows in-built features is suboptimal, you can still use them to back up Windows 11 locally.

In Windows 11, you can follow two paths to invoke the Backup and Restore option:

  1. “Control Panel” → “System and Security” → “Backup and Restore (Windows 7)“
  2. “Settings” → “System” → “Storage” → “Advanced Storage options” → “Backup options” → scroll down to “Looking for an older backup” → select “Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7)“

How to do a file backup via Windows 11 Backup and Restore?

  • Go to “Control Panel” → “System and Security” → “Backup and Restore (Windows 11)”
  • Select “Set up backup” under the “Backup” section
  • If asked, enter your admin passcode
  • Select “Backup Drive” → click “Next“
  • Select “Let Windows Choose” → click “Next” (this will back up user-associated files — Desktop files, Libraries, and default Windows 11 folders)
  • Click “Save settings and run backup“.

How to do a file backup via Windows 11 File History?

The backup process via File History requires you to connect an external storage device to your computer.

  • Connect the external hard drive to your computer
  • Navigate to “System” → “Storage” → “Advanced storage settings” → “Backup options“
  • Select “Add a drive” (under “Backup using File History“)
  • Toggle the “On” switch under “Automatically back up my files“
  • Choose “More options” to configure File History specifics

The options include how often to back up files via the File History feature, which files to back up, and the retention rate of saved backups.

“Back up my files” option

By default, File History will back up your data every hour. You can change the setting in the interval from 10 minutes to 24 hours.

“Keep my backups” option

By default, File History will keep backups forever. You can change the setting in the interval from one month to two years.

“Back up these folders” option

You can inspect the complete list of default backup folders for File History. Then, you can add more options to the backup via the “Add Folder” option. You can also delete options from the backup list via the “Delete” option.

  • When done with configuring the backup scheme, you can save the Windows settings and exit the menu → click “Back up now”

File History will now back up your data following your chosen schedule as long as the external hard drive is connected to your computer.

How to restore files via Windows 11 Backup and Restore?

To restore files and folders via this method, follow the steps below:

  • Navigate to the “Backup and Restore” menu
  • Click “Restore my files” under “Back up or restore your files“
  • Click “Browse for folders” → choose a folder → click “Add folder“

Repeat the above step until all folders under “Browse the backup for folders or drives” are added and appear on the “Restore files” list.

  • Click “Next” under “Restore files” → click “Restore” to initiate data restoration

To restore an individual file via Backup and Restore:

  • Click “Restore my files” under “Back up or restore your files“
  • Click the “Search” button → search for files and folders → select the ones you wish to restore → click “OK” (repeat the step, if needed)
  • Click “Next” under “Restore files” → click “Restore” to recover the chosen files

How to restore files and folders via Windows 11 File History?

To restore files and folders via File History, follow these steps:

  • On the “File History” screen, click “Restore personal files” (from the options on the left)
  • Choose a backup and click on the green “Restore” icon to initiate the recovery.

To restore individual files via File History:

  • Open “File Explorer” → navigate to the file → right-click on it → click “Properties“
  • Switch to the “Previous Versions” tab → select a version → click “Restore“

If you’ve initiated an image backup via Backup and Restore, you will only be able to restore it upon reinstalling your Windows. As the feature creates a complete image of your Windows 11 contents, you need to restore it as such.

To kick off the process, you’ll need a bootable Windows 11 drive — either a USB or a DVD — and ensure that your external hard drive (where your backup resides) is connected to the PC. Next, you’ll need to restart your computer and enter the Boot menu. Check your laptop or PC’s motherboard manufacturer’s site for the Boot menu key combo (so you can enter the Boot menu).

Once you’ve booted the Windows 11 installer, follow the steps below to recover your backup:

  • Make sure you’ve selected the proper language, keyboard layout, and time and currency format → click “Next“
  • Select “Repair your computer” (the option is towards the bottom of the menu)
  • Select “Troubleshoot” → select “System Image Recovery“
  • On the Restore tool screen, you’ll see the external hard drive backup be automatically selected → click “Next“
  • The following screen shouldn’t prompt for any changes made by you → click “Next“
  • Click “Finish” to begin data recovery → click “Yes” to confirm.
[mai mult...]

Active Directory Permissions

Active Directory permissions are managed through ADUC, a snap-in for the Microsoft Management Console/Active Directory Server Manager used to manage AD users, groups and organizational units. To edit an object’s permissions through Active Directory Users and Computers, all you have to do is:

  1. Select the object whose permissions you want to edit

  2. Right-click on it and open its Properties

  3. Switch to the Security tab

  4. Choose the permissions you want to assign for different groups and users

Note: Take care to always follow best practices for AD permissions, or your access landscape will quickly descend into chaos. You should manage AD permissions through groups only, set as few explicit permissions as possible.

How to View Active Directory Permissions

You can follow the same steps in Active Directory Users and Computers to see which permissions a user or object currently holds. Simply select the object you want to examine, right-click on it, click on Properties and then switch to the Security tab. Here you can see the permission levels held by different Active Directory users and groups.

Types of Active Directory Permissions

In Active Directory, there are three basic permission types:

Read: Allows viewing files and their properties

  • Write: Allows editing and deleting files

  • Full Control: Allows viewing, editing and deleting files as well as modifying settings

You should never assign AD permissions directly to a user. Managing individual permissions for every account creates a huge mess where admins quickly lose track of privileges they have granted to various people. Instead, group users together based on their role and provide that group with the access rights its members need.

[mai mult...]

Create AD Domain

After the primary AD domain controller is configured, you must create AD domain users and groups on the AD domain controller. An administrator can centrally manage domain users and groups and allocate them to different users.

  • A user can log in to a client host in the AD domain as a domain user and is authenticated by the primary AD domain controller.
  • This section uses Windows Server 2008 R2 as an example to explain how to create AD domain users and groups on the AD domain controller.
  1. Log in to the Windows AD domain server. Choose Start > Administrative Tools > Active Directory Users and Computers.

The Active Directory Users and Computers page is displayed.

    1. In the Active Directory Users and Computers dialog box, right-click Users.
    2. Choose New > User.

    3. Enter the domain user information.

      The user information includes First name, Last name, Initials, and User logon name. User logon name is used for AD domain login and authentication.

    4. Click Next after the user information is configured.

    5. Enter and confirm the user password. Deselect User must change password at next logon. Click Next.

    6. Click Finish after you confirm the user information. Return to the Active Directory Users and Computers dialog box. Create a user.
    1. In the Active Directory Users and Computers dialog box, right-click Users.
    2. Choose New > Group.

    3. Enter Group name.
    4. Set Group scope to Global.
    5. Set Group type to Security.
    6. Click OK.

      Return to the Active Directory Users and Computers dialog box. Create a group.

  3. Add a user to a group.
    1. In the Active Directory Users and Computers dialog box, right-click a user to add to a group.
    2. Select Add to a group.

    3. In the Enter the object name to select text box, enter the name of the group to which the user is added.
    4. Click OK. A message is displayed, indicating that the operation succeeded.
    5. Click OK.
[mai mult...]

Create an inbound ICMP rule with Firewall – Windows

This type of rule allows ICMP requests and responses to be received by devices on the network. To create an inbound ICMP rule:

  1. Open the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security console
  2. In the navigation pane, select Inbound Rules
  3. Select Action, and then select New rule
  4. On the Rule Type page of the New Inbound Rule Wizard, select Custom, and then select Next
  5. On the Program page, select All programs, and then select Next
  6. On the Protocol and Ports page, select ICMPv4 or ICMPv6 from the Protocol type list. If you use both IPv4 and IPv6 on your network, you must create a separate ICMP rule for each
  7. Select Customize
  8. In the Customize ICMP Settings dialog box, do one of the following:
    • To allow all ICMP network traffic, select All ICMP types, and then select OK
    • To select one of the predefined ICMP types, select Specific ICMP types, and then select each type in the list that you want to allow. Select OK
    • To select an ICMP type that does not appear in the list, select Specific ICMP types, select the Type number from the list, select the Code number from the list, select Add, and then select the newly created entry from the list. Select OK
  9. Select Next
  10. On the Scope page, you can specify that the rule applies only to network traffic to or from the IP addresses entered on this page. Configure as appropriate for your design, and then select Next
  11. On the Action page, select Allow the connection, and then select Next
  12. On the Profile page, select the network location types to which this rule applies, and then select Next
  13. On the Name page, type a name and description for your rule, and then select Finish.
[mai mult...]

Create inbound & outbound port rule in Firewall – Windows

This type of rule allows any program that listens on a specified TCP or UDP port to receive network traffic sent to that port. To create an inbound port rule:

  1. Open the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security console
  2. In the navigation pane, select Inbound Rules
  3. Select Action, and then select New rule
  4. On the Rule Type page of the New Inbound Rule Wizard, select Custom, and then select Next

Although you can create rules by selecting Program or Port, those choices limit the number of pages presented by the wizard. If you select Custom, you see all of the pages, and have the most flexibility in creating your rules.

  • On the Program page, select All programs, and then select Next

This type of rule is often combined with a program or service rule. If you combine the rule types, you get a firewall rule that limits traffic to a specified port and allows the traffic only when the specified program is running. The specified program cannot receive network traffic on other ports, and other programs cannot receive network traffic on the specified port.

  1. On the Protocol and Ports page, select the protocol type that you want to allow. To restrict the rule to a specified port number, you must select either TCP or UDP. Because this is an incoming rule, you typically configure only the local port number If you select another protocol, then only packets whose protocol field in the IP header match this rule are permitted through the firewall.
    To select a protocol by its number, select Custom from the list, and then type the number in the Protocol number box.
    When you have configured the protocols and ports, select Next.
  2. On the Scope page, you can specify that the rule applies only to network traffic to or from the IP addresses entered on this page. Configure as appropriate for your design, and then select Next
  3. On the Action page, select Allow the connection, and then select Next
  4. On the Profile page, select the network location types to which this rule applies, and then select Next

If this GPO is targeted at server computers running Windows Server 2008 that never move, consider modifying the rules to apply to all network location type profiles. This prevents an unexpected change in the applied rules if the network location type changes due to the installation of a new network card or the disconnection of an existing network card’s cable. A disconnected network card is automatically assigned to the Public network location type.

  1. On the Name page, type a name and description for your rule, and then select Finish

Create an outbound port rule

By default, Windows Firewall allows all outbound network traffic, unless it matches a rule that prohibits the traffic. This type of rule blocks any outbound network traffic that matches the specified TCP or UDP port numbers. To create an outbound port rule:

  1. Open the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security console
  2. In the navigation pane, select Outbound Rules
  3. Select Action, and then select New rule
  4. On the Rule Type page of the New Outbound Rule wizard, select Custom, and then select Next

Although you can create rules by selecting Program or Port, those choices limit the number of pages presented by the wizard. If you select Custom, you see all of the pages, and have the most flexibility in creating your rules.

  1. On the Program page, select All programs, and then select Next
  2. On the Protocol and Ports page, select the protocol type that you want to block. To restrict the rule to a specified port number, you must select either TCP or UDP. Because this rule is an outbound rule, you typically configure only the remote port number If you select another protocol, then only packets whose protocol field in the IP header matches this rule are blocked by Windows Defender Firewall. Network traffic for protocols is allowed as long as other rules that match don’t block it. To select a protocol by its number, select Custom from the list, and then type the number in the Protocol number box. When you’ve configured the protocols and ports, select Next
  3. On the Scope page, you can specify that the rule applies only to network traffic to or from the IP addresses entered on this page. Configure as appropriate for your design, and then select Next
  4. On the Action page, select Block the connection, and then select Next
  5. On the Profile page, select the network location types to which this rule applies, and then select Next
  6. On the Name page, type a name and description for your rule, and then select Finish.
[mai mult...]

Vmware Networking – create an virtual switch

Creating a Distributed Virtual Switch

1. In vCenter, select “Home” and then “Networking.” Click the datacenter on which the host or hosts reside.

2. Select from the toolbar the icon to launch the Create vNetwork Distributed Switch wizard. Name the vNetwork. Click “Next.”

3. Select each host to associate with the DvSwitch, and then select which network adapters to use with each ESX/ESXi host. Choose multiple network adapters to create uplink groups and provide load balancing and fault tolerance to a host. Make sure to select the correct network adapters during the creation process, as reassigning the adapters is not a simple process. Click “Next.”

4. Click “Finish” to create the DvSwitch in vCenter.

  • Configuring DvSwitches and Port Groups

DvSwitches and vSwitches share most of the same options, but distributed switches offer a little bit more control over the operation of the vNetwork. To access the settings, right-click the virtual switch and then select “Edit Settings” from the context menu.

On the General tab are options to change the name of the switch and the number of dvUplinks connected to the vNetwork. On the Advanced tab are options to increase or decrease the maximum transmission unit (MTU), which limits packet size, and enable Cisco Discovery Protocol. In later versions of vSphere, you can also set up features like NetFlow, which analyzes network communications transmitted between virtual machines and physical networks; or port mirroring, which copies packets from one port to another for monitoring purposes.

[mai mult...]

Factory Reset options for the Xbox One S/X

Microsoft gives Xbox One owners two options when it comes to resetting their consoles:

  • Partial Factory Reset – This option will revert all options to their default ones.
  • Full Factory Reset – This option will delete all data.

To perform a partial factory reset on Xbox One S/X, follow these steps:

  1. Power on the Xbox console.
  2. Press the Xbox button on the controller.
  3. Under the gear icon, select Settings.
  4. Select System > Console Info.
  5. Select Reset Console.
  6. Select Reset and keep my games & apps.

To perform a full factory reset on Xbox One S/X, follow these steps:

  1. Power on the Xbox Console .
  2. Press the Xbox button on the controller.
  3. Under the gear icon, select Settings.
  4. Select System > Console Info.
  5. Select Reset Console.
  6. Select Reset and remove everything.

If the Xbox One console does not boot up, owners can factory reset it via the startup troubleshooter by following these steps:

  1. Ensure the Xbox One console is fully powered off.
  2. Remove all power and network cables for at least 30 seconds.
  3. Plug the power cable back into the console.
  4. Hold the Eject and Bind buttons on the console simultaneously.
  5. While holding the Eject and Bind buttons, press the Xbox button on the console.
  6. Release the Xbox button but continue pressing the buttons from before for at least 15 seconds after hearing two beeps.
  7. The Xbox Startup Troubleshooter should pop up on the screen.
  8. Select Reset this Xbox and follow the instructions provided.
[mai mult...]

How to fix a noisy computer Fan

The computer fans in your desktop PC or laptop are there to keep things cool and running smoothly. However, if you can barely hear yourself think over the cacophony of fan noise emanating from your computer, it’s probably time to diagnose the problem.

An internal fan will work harder as hardware temperatures rise, but there’s probably something more going on if your PC constantly sounds like a wind tunnel. It could be a major issue, a minor inconvenience, or something in between. Here are a few things to try.

Check What Software Is Running

Your first order of business should be to check what software is currently running, the resources it’s using, and whether that fan noise is warranted. In Windows, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to bring up the Task Manager. In macOS, press Ctrl + Space and search for Activity Monitor. This will show you what programs are currently open and using system resources.

An idle computer should not be using more than 20% of its CPU capacity. If you aren’t doing anything intensive, yet your CPU is busting out 100% of its power, look to see what program is eating up those cycles. Maybe you have something running in the background you forgot about, or you could be infected with malware that is using your PC’s resources without your knowledge.

[mai mult...]