Category Archives: Uncategorized

AD Certificate Services

by in Active Directory, Certificates, Microsoft Server, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

I hate certificates. Well, a nice wildcard cert deployed internally is fine, but when there’s a faff to replace certificates and it’s been so long, that you really cannot remember what you did in the first place…I just hate it. So imagine my childish delight when I had to build AD CS!

It’s not that bad in all fairness and it boils down to make server, add role, next next next and let AD do it’s magic for all machines you need sending the certificate to within the domain. That’s just reminded me about the VDM certificate for connection servers, which will come later on.

I followed the MS lab guides and also backed this up with a very nice blog post with pretty screenshots and all worked fine. Just remember to add in any subject alternative names if you have a mixture of FQDN and abbreviated server names within your domain.

AD CS and PKI

Deploying Standalone Root CA (Server 2012)

AD Sites, Subnets and Links

by in Active Directory, Microsoft Server, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Ok, so you may have set up AD, done your Domain and it all works and the world is a happy place. But Alas! You now have to deal with the Branch Office. Dead easy. You got your connection to it? Check. You know the name you want to use? Check. You got the subnet? Check.

Read these and be done with it!

Understanding it!

Step by Step Set up

More details

There considerations such as the Cost (really for multiple sites) and the Replication schedule. I’ve always found the traffic/bandwidth use, to be minimal, but your mileage may vary depending on those underground wires you’re connected to. Or satellite. Or point to point laser link (Pew pew! Aw it’s foggy it doesn’t work anymore!)

Disable IE Enhanced Security

by in Automation, Group Policy, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Server, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

New server built. Need access to vSphere or any other web based, server or appliance web front.

Are you sure?

Do you trust this site?

Do you really trust this site?

Are you sure you trust this site?

Are you really sure you really trust this site?

Just turn it off via GPO

Disable IE Enhanced mode

In all fairness, some people have security concerns about using any browser on a server. I get that. If you’re using server 2012 R2, relatively recently updated and well… You aren’t an idiot, you’re probably OK using it to get media from a trusted site, or use your web based admin pages. Final decision lies with you!

There are situations and environments, where you may have apprentices, or non IT literate staff who are the IT staff; I’ve been involved with a lot of places where they don’t have anyone in an official IT capacity and the highest qualified person is the one who can change the lockscreen on their phone –  where you shouldn’t do this and in fact, should lock it all down as much as you can.

DFSR Monitoring Script (with email!)

by in Automation, DFSR, Infrastructure Checks, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Ah, good old DFSR, with it’s highly complex management algorithm that is at times, a Law Unto Itself. What do you mean that file is newer? I’m going to overwrite it with THIS one!

DFSR is also full of false truths and true lies. Event ID’s that don’t tell you what’s wrong. Logs that make out that everything is broken when it isn’t… Weeks of over written data that no one knew was happening… But sadly if you don’t have hardware replication, you probably use this. Don’t get me wrong, when it works properly, it’s great, but there’s sometimes quite a management overhead, plus a lot of time and experience involved when it needs to get fixed.

This link has an amazing script that was similar to part of my checks in a previous role, whereby I had a few scripts running as part of Daily Checks for the team, that reported on DFSR, Exchange and AD. It emailed pretty pictures and everything (you know how people love pretty pictures!) So as my first post towards Checks and DFSR management – the following link is fantastic.

DFSR Monitoring Script

I will say though, as part of any infrastructure related checks or notifications, it’s what works for you and your team. I had a great Project Manager once who said that if you get the process right, then everything works. If the process fails and a person followed the process, then the process needs changing. Which stands to reason – you need the process that people need to follow, that takes into consideration everything that needs to happen and there’s no point having a barrage of alerts sent to email, if the person involved doesn’t read them, understand them and put down somewhere he’s done all of the above.

Get Default Gateway…Change Default Gateway

by in Microsoft Server, Powershell, PSEXEC, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Sometimes, people change things. Sometimes people change subnets and default gateways and you aren’t allowed to inflict serious physical or emotional pain on them like a vengeful senior team member. You have to fix it. Actually that reminds of the time someone took ownership of all the GPO’s in an environment and gave himself the only permissions and everyone wondered why it all broke. And he screamed ‘Blamefest!’ at everyone when he got told off. Ah well, that’s what happens when you give full domain admin rights to an apprentice. But I digress!

Actually, changing default GW 2, The Search For A Script, came about because I was working on an environment where there was originally no internet, then some machines had a working GW, then other machines were given a different one and like many infrastructure related tasks I feel I may have to do again as part of process, I try and find a solution to automate or expedite for next time. So, with no further ado, I used these great links to Find the GW and Change the GW.

PSEXEC to Find:

Get Default GW

Powershell to Change:

Change GW

Device Class GUIDs

by in Hardware, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

You wouldn’t believe it (well you might if you’re here), but there’s times when you really, really need to go digging about in windows and need Device classes – especially when faffing around with legacy hardware, or *shiver* printers! I hate PRINTERS!

Device Class Class GUID Notes
Battery Devices Battery {72631e54-78a4-11d0-bcf7-00aa00b7b32a} This class includes battery devices and UPS devices.
Biometric Device Biometric {53D29EF7-377C-4D14-864B-EB3A85769359} Starting with Windows Server 2003, this class includes all biometric-based personal identification devices.
Bluetooth Devices Bluetooth {e0cbf06c-cd8b-4647-bb8a-263b43f0f974} Starting with Windows XP SP1, this class includes all Bluetooth devices.
CD-ROM Drives CDROM {4d36e965-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class includes CD-ROM drives, including SCSI CD-ROM drives. By default, the system’s CD-ROM class installer also installs a system-supplied CD audio driver and CD-ROM changer driver as Plug and Play filters.
Disk Drives DiskDrive {4d36e967-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class includes hard disk drives. See also the HDC and SCSIAdapter classes.
Display Adapters Display {4d36e968-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class includes video adapters. Drivers for this class include display drivers and video miniport drivers.
Floppy Disk Controllers FDC {4d36e969-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class includes floppy disk drive controllers.
Floppy Disk Drives FloppyDisk {4d36e980-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class includes floppy disk drives.
Hard Disk Controllers HDC {4d36e96a-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class includes hard disk controllers, including ATA/ATAPI controllers but not SCSI and RAID disk controllers.
Human Interface Devices (HID) HIDClass {745a17a0-74d3-11d0-b6fe-00a0c90f57da} This class includes interactive input devices that are operated by the system-supplied HID class driver. This includes  devices that comply with the USB HID Standard and non-USB devices that use a HID minidriver. For more information, see HIDClass Device Setup Class.. (See also the Keyboard or Mouse classes later in this list.)
IEEE 1284.4 Devices Dot4 {48721b56-6795-11d2-b1a8-0080c72e74a2} This class includes devices that control the operation of multifunction IEEE 1284.4 peripheral devices.
IEEE 1284.4 Print Functions Dot4Print {49ce6ac8-6f86-11d2-b1e5-0080c72e74a2} This class includes Dot4 print functions. A Dot4 print function is a function on a Dot4 device and has a single child device, which is a member of the Printer device setup class.
IEEE 1394 Devices That Support the 61883 Protocol 61883 {7ebefbc0-3200-11d2-b4c2-00a0C9697d07} This class includes IEEE 1394 devices that support the IEC-61883 protocol device class.The 61883 component includes the 61883.sysprotocol driver that transmits various audio and video data streams over the 1394 bus. These currently include standard/high/low quality DV, MPEG2, DSS, and Audio. These data streams are defined by the IEC-61883 specifications.
IEEE 1394 Devices That Support the AVC Protocol AVC {c06ff265-ae09-48f0-812c-16753d7cba83} This class includes IEEE 1394 devices that support the AVC protocol device class.
IEEE 1394 Devices That Support the SBP2 Protocol SBP2 {d48179be-ec20-11d1-b6b8-00c04fa372a7} This class includes IEEE 1394 devices that support the SBP2 protocol device class.
IEEE 1394 Host Bus Controller 1394 {6bdd1fc1-810f-11d0-bec7-08002be2092f} This class includes 1394 host controllers connected on a PCI bus, but not 1394 peripherals. Drivers for this class are system-supplied.
Imaging Device Image {6bdd1fc6-810f-11d0-bec7-08002be2092f} This class includes still-image capture devices, digital cameras, and scanners.
IrDA Devices Infrared {6bdd1fc5-810f-11d0-bec7-08002be2092f} This class includes infrared devices. Drivers for this class include Serial-IR and Fast-IR NDIS miniports, but see also the Network Adapter class for other NDIS network adapter miniports.
Keyboard Keyboard {4d36e96b-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class includes all keyboards. That is, it must also be specified in the (secondary) INF for an enumerated child HID keyboard device.
Media Changers MediumChanger {ce5939ae-ebde-11d0-b181-0000f8753ec4} This class includes SCSI media changer devices.
Memory Technology Driver MTD {4d36e970-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class includes memory devices, such as flash memory cards.
Modem Modem {4d36e96d-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class includes modem devices. An INF file for a device of this class specifies the features and configuration of the device and stores this information in the registry. An INF file for a device of this class can also be used to install device drivers for a controllerless modem or a software modem. These devices split the functionality between the modem device and the device driver. For more information about modem INF files and Microsoft Windows Driver Model (WDM) modem devices, see Overview of Modem INF Files and Adding WDM Modem Support.
Monitor Monitor {4d36e96e-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class includes display monitors. An INF for a device of this class installs no device driver(s), but instead specifies the features of a particular monitor to be stored in the registry for use by drivers of video adapters. (Monitors are enumerated as the child devices of display adapters.)
Mouse Mouse {4d36e96f-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class includes all mouse devices and other kinds of pointing devices, such as trackballs. That is, this class must also be specified in the (secondary) INF for an enumerated child HID mouse device.
Multifunction Devices Multifunction {4d36e971-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class includes combo cards, such as a PCMCIA modem and netcard adapter. The driver for such a Plug and Play multifunction device is installed under this class and enumerates the modem and netcard separately as its child devices.
Multimedia Media {4d36e96c-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class includes Audio and DVD multimedia devices, joystick ports, and full-motion video capture devices.
Multiport Serial Adapters MultiportSerial {50906cb8-ba12-11d1-bf5d-0000f805f530} This class includes intelligent multiport serial cards, but not peripheral devices that connect to its ports. It does not include unintelligent (16550-type) multiport serial controllers or single-port serial controllers (see the Ports class).
Network Adapter Net {4d36e972-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class includes NDIS miniport drivers excluding Fast-IR miniport drivers, NDIS intermediate drivers (of virtual adapters), and CoNDIS MCM miniport drivers.
Network Client NetClient {4d36e973-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class includes network and/or print providers.
Network Service NetService {4d36e974-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class includes network services, such as redirectors and servers.
Network Transport NetTrans {4d36e975-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class includes NDIS protocols, CoNDIS stand-alone call managers, and CoNDIS clients, in addition to higher level drivers in transport stacks.
PCI SSL Accelerator Security Accelerator {268c95a1-edfe-11d3-95c3-0010dc4050a5} This class includes devices that accelerate secure socket layer (SSL) cryptographic processing.
PCMCIA Adapters PCMCIA {4d36e977-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class includes PCMCIA and CardBus host controllers, but not PCMCIA or CardBus peripherals. Drivers for this class are system-supplied.
Ports (COM & LPT ports) Ports {4d36e978-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class includes serial and parallel port devices. See also the MultiportSerial class.
Printers Printer {4d36e979-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class includes printers.
Printers, Bus-specific class drivers PNPPrinters {4658ee7e-f050-11d1-b6bd-00c04fa372a7} This class includes SCSI/1394-enumerated printers. Drivers for this class provide printer communication for a specific bus.
Processors Processor {50127dc3-0f36-415e-a6cc-4cb3be910b65} This class includes processor types.
SCSI and RAID Controllers SCSIAdapter {4d36e97b-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class includes SCSI HBAs (Host Bus Adapters) and disk-array controllers.
Smart Card Readers SmartCardReader {50dd5230-ba8a-11d1-bf5d-0000f805f530} This class includes smart card readers.
Storage Volumes Volume {71a27cdd-812a-11d0-bec7-08002be2092f} This class includes storage volumes as defined by the system-supplied logical volume manager and class drivers that create device objects to represent storage volumes, such as the system disk class driver.
System Devices System {4d36e97d-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class includes HALs, system buses, system bridges, the system ACPI driver, and the system volume manager driver.
Tape Drives TapeDrive {6d807884-7d21-11cf-801c-08002be10318} This class includes tape drives, including all tape miniclass drivers.
USB USB {36fc9e60-c465-11cf-8056-444553540000} This class includes USB host controllers and USB hubs, but not USB peripherals. Drivers for this class are system-supplied.
Windows CE USB ActiveSync Devices WCEUSBS {25dbce51-6c8f-4a72-8a6d-b54c2b4fc835} This class includes Windows CE ActiveSync devices.The WCEUSBS setup class supports communication between a personal computer and a device that is compatible with the Windows CE ActiveSync driver (generally, PocketPC devices) over USB.
Windows SideShow SideShow {997b5d8d-c442-4f2e-baf3-9c8e671e9e21} This class includes all devices that are compatible with Windows SideShow. This class is supported in Windows Vista and later versions of Windows.

System-Defined Device Setup Classes Reserved for System Use

Device Class Class GUID Notes
Adapter Adapter {4d36e964-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class is obsolete.
APM APMSupport {d45b1c18-c8fa-11d1-9f77-0000f805f530} This class is reserved for system use.
Computer Computer {4d36e966-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class is reserved for system use.
Decoders Decoder {6bdd1fc2-810f-11d0-bec7-08002be2092f} This class is reserved for future use.
Global Positioning System GPS {6bdd1fc3-810f-11d0-bec7-08002be2092f} This class is reserved for future use.
Host-side IEEE 1394 Kernel Debugger Support 1394Debug {66f250d6-7801-4a64-b139-eea80a450b24} This class is reserved for system use.
IEEE 1394 IP Network Enumerator Enum1394 {c459df55-db08-11d1-b009-00a0c9081ff6} This class is reserved for system use.
No driver NoDriver {4d36e976-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class is obsolete.
Non-Plug and Play Drivers LegacyDriver {8ecc055d-047f-11d1-a537-0000f8753ed1} This class is reserved for system use.
Other Devices Unknown {4d36e97e-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class is reserved for system use. Enumerated devices for which the system cannot determine the type are installed under this class. Do not use this class if you are unsure in which class your device belongs. Either determine the correct device setup class or create a new class.
Printer Upgrade Printer Upgrade {4d36e97a-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class is reserved for system use.
Sound Sound {4d36e97c-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} This class is obsolete.
Storage Volume Snapshots VolumeSnapshot {533c5b84-ec70-11d2-9505-00c04F79deaf} This class is reserved for system use.