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Define Patch Approvals in WSUS but pull patches from Windows Update (Internet)
We currently use WSUS to distribute Microsoft patches and also use Solarwinds Patch Manager to push 3rd party patches into WSUS. This allows us to fully patch an endpoint with all MS and 3rd party software patches via Windows Update Agent/WSUS. We now have a fleet of laptops connected back to our Datacenter via a VPN and they are consuming a lot of bandwith during patching cycles. We have the following challanges: We do use some throttling on BITS/Delivery opitmization but have had mixed results We have MECM but don't use Cloud Management gatway as was deemed too expensive. we have not moved patching to MECM yet. If we use Windows Update for Business we cannot patch 3rd party updates and loose some control around pilot groups and reporting in our estimation Q:So is there a way for us to continue to define theapproved patches/metadatavia WSUS but have the system pull the patches files from theinternet(Windows Update) source? Perhaps this is possible with MECM?How to remove "optional features" forever?
Hi all, with every in-place upgrade of Windows Client and Server OS these "optional features" many of them deprecated by Microsoft get re-installed with an OS Upgrade. Latest interation Windows Server 2025 and Windows 11 24H2 How can we remove these? They are not listed in WindowsOptionalFeatures (Client). Thank you for sharing your guidance. The outputs from Copilot are wrong assuming some Feature names.How to shrink volume in Windows Server 2012 R2?
I am trying to shrink a volume on Windows Server 2012 R2 system, but I'm unsure of the proper steps to do this effectively. I've looked into the Disk Management tool, but I’m not very familiar with the process and want to ensure that I don't accidentally lose any data or affect the system's performance. I would like to know if there are any prerequisites or important considerations I should keep in mind before proceeding with this operation. For instance, are there specific types of volumes that can be shrunk, or do I need to perform any maintenance on the server beforehand?
January 2022 Quality Update Breaks passing domain credentials from VPN connection to remote servers
VPN connections on Windows have UseRasCredentials option which allow user on non-domain machine work with domain resources using his/her VPN credentials Under the hood, when this option is enabled, Windows creates stored credentials for a VPN session: cmdkey /list Currently stored credentials: Target: Domain:target=*Session Type: Domain Password User: dom\username Saved for this logon only We found that on machines with latest updates installed it doesn't work and users aren't able to connect to domain resources (File shares, SQL servers) even when they connected to VPN with their domain credentials To prove that it's related to latest updates, we launched an old VM (windows 10.0.17763.1577) and everything is working like a charm. But on new VMs, created from Azure images "Windows 10 Pro 20H2 -Gen1" and "Windows 10 Enterprise 2019 LTSC - Gen1" when user connected to VPN, cmdkey /list not showing credentials for Target: Domain:target=*Session and users aren't able to work with on-prem resources. As workaround we manually added credentials with cmdkey /add:Domain:target=* /user:dom\username /pass where Domain is an exact word "Domain" and dom\username- user login, domain resources became accessible over VPN from non-domain machine. We also checked rasphone.pbk files (AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Network\Connections\Pbk\rasphone.pbk) and it have UseRasCredentials=1 ThanksJoin us for the upcoming webinar on Windows release health information hub, May 24, 2023.
Windows release health is an information hub that empowers you to better manage Windows updates, as well as find details about Windows known issues, safeguard holds, hardening changes, monthly updates, lifecycle updates, and new versions of Windows. It's available publicly and through the Microsoft 365 admin center (authenticated portal). On May 24, 2023, we invite all IT admins to join us for our webinar on the Windows release information experiences. This Teams live event discusses how to use its capabilities, as well as recent improvements we’ve made to your experience. Follow links to submit your questions and feedback in advance at What's new in Windows release information experiences, and complete the event registration form to join us on May 24, 2023.FSILVA-Oct 21, 2024Microsoft
How to move recovery partition on Windows server?
I've encountered a situation where I need to reallocate disk space for better organization and performance, and the recovery partition is currently occupying a significant amount of disk space that I would like to adjust. I want to ensure that the recovery partition remains functional after the move, as it is crucial for system recovery and troubleshooting purposes. Could anyone provide guidance on safely moving recovery partition on Windows server? I'm particularly interested in tools or methods that can be used to perform this task without risking data loss or system integrity. Thank you in advance for your help!How do I move Recovery Partition Windows Server?
I'm facing a challenge with my Windows Server setup and could really use some guidance. I need to move the recovery partition to a different location on my hard drive, but I'm unsure of the best approach to do this without compromising the system's integrity. I've tried a few methods, but they haven't worked as expected, and I'm concerned about the potential impact on boot processes and system recovery options. Could anyone provide insights or step-by-step instructions on how to safely relocate the recovery partition?Did expediting the 2024-08 Quality Updates fail for anyone else?
Due to theCVE-2024-38063 vulnerability, we attempted to use the Expedited Quality Updates feature to enforce the immediate installation of the 2024-08 security updates. Unfortunately, the feature simply did not work. Even a couple weeks after deploying the expedited update profile, we had about 25% of our Windows endpoints still in "Pending" status, most of which were powered on 24/7. We still have ConfigMgr in our environment, so I used CMPivot to run a query for events in the System log with "2024-08" in the message. This showed me that rather than installing the update and forcing a restart one day later as configured, the update was being installed, then reverted about ten hours later, then immediately re-installed again, over and over: If I manually initiated a restart on any of the affected machines, the update was successfully finalized, so the issue wasn't a failure to install the update. I've opened a case with Microsoft Support, but it is progressing slowly. If nobody else is seeing the issue, I will throw in the towel, but if it's more widespread, I think it is worth fighting to get this fixed (assuming that Microsoft isn't already aware and has simply chosen not to publicize it — for example, in theWindows release health blade in the MIcrosoft 365 Admin Center).
