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Thursday, January 26, 2023

PowerShell Scripts for Automating Windows Server Management

Posted By: The Funky Tech Guy - 10:40:00 PM

 

 

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PowerShell is a powerful tool for automating and managing Windows Server environments. With its ability to access and control various system components, PowerShell can significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Windows Server management. In this article, we will discuss five advanced PowerShell scripts that can help automate various aspects of Windows Server management.

1. Script for automating the creation and configuration of Active Directory user accounts.

The following script can be used to automate the process of creating and configuring Active Directory user accounts. It prompts the user for the necessary information, such as the user's name, password, and group membership, and then creates the account and configures the appropriate settings.

2. Script for automating the backup of Windows Server event logs.

The following script can be used to automate the process of backing up Windows Server event logs. It exports the event logs to a specified location, such as a network share or a local drive, and also includes options to specify the types of logs to be exported and the date range for the export
 
 

3. Script for automating the monitoring of Windows Server performance metrics.

 
The following script can be used to automate the process of monitoring Windows Server performance metrics. It retrieves various performance counters, such as CPU usage, memory usage, and disk usage, and then exports the data to a specified location, such as a CSV file or a database.
 
$counters = "\\ServerName\Processor(_Total)\% Processor Time", "\\ServerName\Memory\Available MBytes", "\\ServerName\LogicalDisk(C:)\% Free Space" $interval = 5 $duration = (New-TimeSpan -Minutes 30) $path = "C:\PerformanceData.csv" $samples = $duration.TotalSeconds / $interval $data = @() for ($i=1; $i -le $samples; $i++) { $sample = Get-Counter -Counter $counters -SampleInterval $interval $data += $sample.CounterSamples | Select-Object -Property Timestamp, Path, CookedValue } $data | Export-Csv -Path $path -NoTypeInformation
 

4. Script for automating the management of Windows Server roles and features.

The following script can be used to automate the process of managing Windows Server roles and features. It can be used to install, uninstall, and check the status of various roles and features, such as IIS, DHCP, and DNS.

 

$role = "DHCP" $feature = "RSAT-DHCP" $computers = "Server1", "Server2", "Server3" $action = Read-Host "Enter 'install', 'uninstall', or 'check' for the role/feature" foreach ($computer in $computers) { Invoke-Command -ComputerName $computer -ScriptBlock { if ($action -eq "install") { Install-WindowsFeature -Name $role, $feature -IncludeAllSubFeature -IncludeManagementTools } elseif ($action -eq "uninstall") { Uninstall-WindowsFeature -Name $role, $feature -Remove } elseif ($action -eq "check") { Get-WindowsFeature -Name $role, $feature | Format-Table -Property Name, DisplayName, Installed } else { Write-Host "Invalid action specified" } } }
 
 
 
 
I hope this article has been helpful in showcasing the power and versatility of PowerShell for automating Windows Server management. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below. Additionally, if you are looking for more information on PowerShell and Windows Server management, there are a number of resources available online, such as the Microsoft TechNet PowerShell Gallery, the PowerShell documentation on Microsoft Docs, and various community-driven PowerShell blogs and forums.
 
In conclusion, PowerShell is a powerful tool that can be used to automate and streamline many of the tasks involved in managing Windows Server environments. By using the scripts provided in this article, you can save time and effort, improve consistency, and reduce the risk of errors. With the right PowerShell scripts, you can automate repetitive tasks, monitor performance metrics, and manage roles and features across multiple servers. It is a versatile tool that can be used to perform a wide range of tasks, making it a valuable asset for any IT professional managing Windows servers.

Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Update now! The use of zero-day flaws attacks PCs, prompting Microsoft to release critical security updates

Posted By: The Funky Tech Guy - 6:22:00 AM

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New zero-day vulnerabilities have been discovered in Windows 10. As a result, Microsoft has released critical security updates for users to install. But you'll want to do it right away, because hackers are already exploiting these flaws.

Microsoft has once again urged Windows users to upgrade their PCs with the most recent security patches after finding serious flaws, some of which are currently being used in the wild or may be used to spread a worm quickly.

Microsoft corrected more than 60 security flaws in its products in its most recent "Patch Tuesday" update, including five "critical" vulnerabilities.

A privilege escalation bug in the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) that includes publicly available attack code is perhaps the most important vulnerability to address.

Researchers from four different security vendors reported the zero-day flaw to Microsoft, suggesting that its use has not been limited to one organization, but could be exploited by many. Microsoft warns that CVE-2022-37969, was reported to Microsoft by four different security vendors, suggesting that it may be exploited more widely than just one target organization.

It is obvious that things would get worse if hackers were able to execute remote code on a targeted system if the vulnerability allowed them to do so, but since exploit code has already been available and reports of exploitation have been made, it is still a serious vulnerability that needs to be addressed.

The Windows TCP/IP service has a remote code execution flaw, CVE-2022-34718, which could be exploited by a worm without user interaction.

CVE-2022-34718 is also a serious vulnerability in the Windows TCP/IP service, allowing a worm to spread without user interaction.

It is possible for an attacker to send a specially crafted IPv6 packet to a Windows node where IPSec is enabled, making the vulnerability more likely to be exploited."

This, and other flaws it has patched in its latest security update, have been labelled as "exploitation more likely" by Microsoft without providing much information to the public about why they were labelled this way. Due to the lack of transparency, it is more difficult for companies to determine which vulnerabilities need to be patched first, or which mitigations need to be implemented, especially when the company is concerned about disrupting its other business activities.

Sunday, January 2, 2022

Message deferred by categorizer agent

Posted By: The Funky Tech Guy - 5:32:00 AM

 

Message deferred by categorizer agent

 

I woke up to a new years surprise in January 2022,  as did many e-mail , infrastructure and network admins out there.

The Issue:

 

 

E-mail is down and messages are piling up in the message queue. You did the usual things already like check exchange server resources, disk space, cpu ,memory , check back pressure mode , restart Exhange transport services and even restart the servers themselves.

 

The Cause

 

 

Due of a latent date problem in a signature file utilized by the malware scanning engine inside Exchange Server, messages are blocked in transport queues on Exchange Server 2016 and Exchange Server 2019. When the problem arises you will notice the following error messages:

Error messages

In the message queue you see error message “message deferred by categorizer”

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you'll observe problems in the Exchange Server's Application event log, notably events 5300 and 1106 (FIPFS), as seen below:

Event ID 5300

The FIP-FS "Microsoft" Scan Engine failed to load. PID: 38648, Error Code: 0x80004005. Error Description: Can't convert "2201010009" to long.

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Event ID 1106

The FIP-FS Scan Process failed initialization. Error: 0x80004005. Error Details: Unspecified error

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Additional Errors:

Event ID 5801
Source: MSExchange Antimalware

The anti-malware agent encountered an error while scanning. MessageId: XXXXXXX391.1641112993320.JavaMail.SERVER$@DOMAIN.COM Message sent: 2022-01-02 08:43:13 AM From: EMAILADDRESS@DOMAIN.COM Size: 6756 Bytes Error: Microsoft.Filtering.ScanAbortedException: Exception of type 'Microsoft.Filtering.ScanAbortedException' was thrown.

at Microsoft.Filtering.InteropUtils.ThrowPostScanErrorAsFilteringException(WSM_ReturnCode code, String message)

at Microsoft.Filtering.FilteringService.EndScan(IAsyncResult ar)

at Microsoft.Exchange.Transport.Agent.Malware.MalwareAgent.OnScanCompleted(IAsyncResult ar)

 

The Workaround

 

 

1. Find the exchange scripts folder and run the disable antimalware script. Its not instant so give it a minute or two.

cd "C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\Scripts"

.\Disable-AntimalwareScanning.ps1

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2. Restart the Microsoft Exchange Transport Services

Get-Service MSExchangeTransport |Restart-Service

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I hope this has been helpful to you and saved you some New Years time Smile

Let me know in the comments down below.

Additional Information can be sourced from:

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/exchange-team-blog/email-stuck-in-transport-queues/ba-p/3049447

https://www.itwriting.com/blog/11910-exchange-emails-stuck-in-queue-because-message-deferred-by-categorizer-agent-happy-new-year-admins.html

Update:

 

 

Source:

[PS] C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\Scripts>.\Reset-ScanEngineVersion.ps1
EXCH1 Stopping services...
EXCH1 Removing Microsoft engine folder...
EXCH1 Emptying metadata folder...
EXCH1 Starting services...
WARNING: Waiting for service 'Microsoft Filtering Management Service (FMS)' to start...
WARNING: Waiting for service 'Microsoft Filtering Management Service (FMS)' to start...
WARNING: Waiting for service 'Microsoft Filtering Management Service (FMS)' to start...
WARNING: Waiting for service 'Microsoft Filtering Management Service (FMS)' to start...
WARNING: Waiting for service 'Microsoft Exchange Transport (MSExchangeTransport)' to start...
EXCH1 Starting engine update...
Running as EXCH1-DOM\Administrator.
--------
Connecting to EXCH1.CONTOSO.com.
Dispatched remote command. Start-EngineUpdate -UpdatePath http://amupdatedl.microsoft.com/server/amupdate
--------
[PS] C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\Scripts>Get-EngineUpdateInformation

Engine                : Microsoft

LastChecked       : 01/01/2022 08:58:22 PM -08:00
LastUpdated        : 01/01/2022 08:58:31 PM -08:00
EngineVersion         : 1.1.18800.4
SignatureVersion      : 1.355.1227.0
SignatureDateTime     : 01/01/2022 03:29:06 AM -08:00
UpdateVersion         : 2112330001
UpdateStatus          : UpdateAttemptSuccessful

Manual Solution

Source:

In lieu of using the script, customers can also manually perform steps to resolve the issue and restore service. To manually resolve this issue, you must perform the following steps on each Exchange server in your organization:

Remove existing engine and metadata
1. Stop the Microsoft Filtering Management service.  When prompted to also stop the Microsoft Exchange Transport service, click Yes.
2. Use Task Manager to ensure that updateservice.exe is not running.
3. Delete the following folder: %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\FIP-FS\Data\Engines\amd64\Microsoft.
4. Remove all files from the following folder: %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\FIP-FS\Data\Engines\metadata.

Update to latest engine
1. Start the Microsoft Filtering Management service and the Microsoft Exchange Transport service.
2. Open the Exchange Management Shell, navigate to the Scripts folder (%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\Scripts), and run Update-MalwareFilteringServer.ps1 <server FQDN>.

Verify engine update info
1. In the Exchange Management Shell, run Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.Forefront.Filtering.Management.Powershell.
2. Run Get-EngineUpdateInformation and verify the UpdateVersion information is 2112330001.

After updating the engine, we also recommend that you verify that mail flow is working and that FIPFS error events are not present in the Application event log.

Friday, March 8, 2019

how to convert a shared mailbox back to normal - Microsoft Exchange

Posted By: The Funky Tech Guy - 1:19:00 AM


At some point in time you may be required to convert an exchange mailbox from a shared mailbox back to a normal mailbox.

It should be as simple as set-Mailbox -Identity [mailboxname] -type regular

However,I got the following error (See above)

Error on proxy command 
Active Directory operation failed on [DC name] The value provided for the new password does not meet the length and complexity requirements

As we know a shared mailbox is usually disabled and no password set.

Solution


Simply set a password for the mailbox in Active Directory and run the command again.

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

How to use BITCOIN on Takealot.com

Posted By: The Funky Tech Guy - 4:10:00 AM


image

Bitcoin has seen a large uptake in recent months pushing it to record highs until recently when it experience a quite remarkable crash. Each person has their opinion on the value of bitcoin and the difference between price vs value. A debate that by itself can take hours.

On a lighter note, why not use some of that bitcoin to spoil yourself and go buy something on takealot. Takealot does allow you to buy with your bitcoin its very very hidden. Not sure why though.

So this is how to buy on takealot with bitcoin.

1. Select your product

image

2. Click Add to Cart

image

3. Click your Cart

image

4. Proceed to Checkout

image

5. Here's the “hidden” section.

    Select ETF & ETF with PayFast then click Proceed at the bottom

image

6. On the next page verify your order information and click Proceed again.


7. Click Pay Now when choosing a Payment Method

8. Select Bitcoin

image

9. Pay the specified amount of bitcoin to that wallet address and click I have completed payment

image

10. That's it


What do you think of the recent Bitcoin crash? Do you think it will recover?

Monday, December 18, 2017

How to buy mobile data with Bitcoin or Ethereum

Posted By: The Funky Tech Guy - 2:23:00 AM



Technorati Tags: ,,


So bitcoin is the latest craze, it solves a world problem and is very attractive to many people. It has a level of anonymity, if you so choose, its decentralised and its very nice to know that no government or federal reserve can own it. However ,the currency is not mainstream….yet and hence there isn't many things you can buy with it unless you sell it for another currency, but why do we have to?  Well here is at least one simple way of buying mobile date and airtime with your bitcoin using Luno.

  1. From within the Luno mobile app click on Prepaid

    WhatsApp Image 2017-12-12 at 19.37.41

  2. Enter the mobile number you buying for. You can buy for yourself or someone else

    WhatsApp Image 2017-12-12 at 19.37.41 (1)

  3. Enter beneficiary name and select your mobile network

  4. Enter your pin code or sign in with your finger print

    WhatsApp Image 2017-12-12 at 19.37.42

  5. Specify the type and amount of data or airtime you wish to buy with your bitcoin or ethereum.

    WhatsApp Image 2017-12-12 at 19.37.42 (1) - Copy




  6. Enter an optional reference number for the transaction and select if you want to buy with your Bitcoin or Ethereum wallet

    WhatsApp Image 2017-12-12 at 19.37.43



  7. Confirm your purchase details and Enter your pin code or use finger print authentication

    WhatsApp Image 2017-12-12 at 19.37.43 (1)

  8. That's it. Good job on your first purchase using Bitcoin or Ethereum.


Let me know in the comments below if you think bitcoin is the currency of the future or if its just a bubble? Also if you found this help don't forget to share.

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