Author Archives

• Singapore Early Experts: MCSA Objective – Install Servers

  By matthitchcock on January 12, 2013 • ( 0 )

  This blog post is part of the Singapore Early Experts Study Group series as posted on Spiffy. Introduction Welcome, Singapore Early Experts Study Group Participants (and anyone else who stumbles across this post).  We’ll be tackling the first objective in the MCSA exam – Installation of… Read More ›

• PowerShell in Depth Giveaway

  By matthitchcock on December 26, 2012 • ( 0 )

  On Christmas Day, Singapore PowerShell User Group was able to give away a copy of PowerShell In Depth by Don Jones. The lucky recipient was Paul Lorett Amazona, selected by the Get-Random cmdlet. In the interests of fairness and transparency,… Read More ›

• Answered: Office 2013 and Active Directory Based Activation

  By matthitchcock on December 6, 2012 • ( 0 )

  There was a question at my session yesterday on ‘What’s New in Active Directory 2012’ regarding Office 2013 Activation. I couldn’t answer at the time but Active Directory 2012 does support Activation of MS Office 2013, details can be found… Read More ›

• Singapore Early Experts Study Group for Windows Server 2012 Certifications

  By matthitchcock on November 27, 2012 • ( 0 )

  Following the announcement on Spiffy for the Singapore Early Experts study group, I’ll be starting my blog posts in the next couple of weeks. As an MCSA 2008 R2, I will be sitting the MCSA upgrade exam 70-417 for the… Read More ›

• The Experts Conference 2012 (Barcelona)

  By matthitchcock on October 6, 2012 • ( 0 )

  The Experts Conference (TEC) 2012 is fast approaching.  The session abstracts for the Directory and Identity Track can be found here: http://www.theexpertsconference.com/europe/2012/directory-identity-barcelona/session-abstracts/ Quest Software will also be running a number of User Community sessions, it’s not too late to register.  As… Read More ›

• What’s in a Namespace? The .NET framework to be precise

  By matthitchcock on September 17, 2012 • ( 0 )

  Not only is this great bedtime reading if counting sheep just isn’t working for you, but when you wake up the following day you’ll have opened up some new possibilities with PowerShell. The .NET framework contains numerous classes and interfaces… Read More ›

• Windows Server 2012 vs Tea

  By matthitchcock on September 16, 2012 • ( 1 )

  Here is a short video of the install time of Windows Server 2012 on SSD hardware.  Contrasted with the time it takes to install Windows 2003 R2, Windows 2008 R2 and make a cup of tea. For those interested in… Read More ›

• Get-PSBasics: Upcoming Session

  By matthitchcock on September 16, 2012 • ( 0 )

  I will soon be presenting a session at Singapore PowerShell User Group on the complete Basics of PowerShell.  The details for the session will be added to this post along with a link for registration. Synopsis: Get-PSBasics: PowerShell for the… Read More ›

• Infographic: Don’t hate on 8

  By matthitchcock on June 7, 2012 • ( 0 )

  Interesting Infographic from Frugaldad I thought was worth sharing. Source: http://FrugalDad.com  

• Microsoft Private Cloud … on a Mac mini?!

  By matthitchcock on June 3, 2012 • ( 4 )

  

  That’s right, in the search for the perfect hardware to run a home lab I have somehow wound up with a Mac mini.  Not really where I thought I would be when I set out to build a Private Cloud… Read More ›

• Forefront Identity Manager 2010 Learning Resources

  By matthitchcock on April 25, 2012 • ( 0 )

  If you’re looking for some good FIM 2010 Resources to get your knowledge and skills up then the ones below are a good place to start. The training are excellent quality and the information is courtesy of Andrew Hill from… Read More ›

• IT Camp: Private Cloud Event (20/04/2012)

  By matthitchcock on April 21, 2012 • ( 0 )

  

  For those interested in Microsoft Private Cloud solutions, Microsoft have been running a number of free IT Camps in Singapore to educate IT Pro’s on the different aspects. These sessions covered Datacentre Virtualization, Consumerization of IT and Building the Private… Read More ›

• Free AD Object Recovery tool from Quest

  By matthitchcock on February 12, 2012 • ( 0 )

  Quest have a freeware tool for recovering deleted Active Directory Objects that can be found here: http://www.quest.com/object-restore-for-active-directory/ The tool allows you to view and reanimate Tombstoned objects from Windows 2003 onwards, without taking a DC offline.  Remember that this is… Read More ›

• Active Directory in Windows 8: First Look

  By matthitchcock on January 8, 2012 • ( 4 )

  I finally managed to get a first look at Active Directory in Windows 8 at the Community Technology Update event yesterday, run by the Singapore Windows User Group.  Andrew Cheng (MVP) presented the session, his blog with a link to the… Read More ›

• Singapore PowerShell User Group – Meet #5

  By matthitchcock on November 20, 2011 • ( 0 )

  It’s great that we’re now 5 meets in and running with great momentum.  24 people attended yesterdays session as we went through looping, do while, do until and other such flow controls, as well as PSObject.  The PSObject stuff was useful… Read More ›

• Singapore PowerShell User Group – Meet #5 Announced

  By matthitchcock on October 26, 2011 • ( 0 )

  Come and join us on 19th November at Microsoft for the next User Group Meet.  Please find details at http://sgpowershellug.eventbrite.com

• Singapore PowerShell User Group – Meet #4

  By matthitchcock on October 24, 2011 • ( 0 )

  On Saturday we ran our 4th successive meet for the user group.  We’re a little bit off from our intended last Saturday of the month, but it’d due to a number of scheduling conflicts.  In fact, the next meet will… Read More ›

• Find accounts with home folders by naming convention.

  By matthitchcock on October 12, 2011 • ( 0 )

  I found myself doing this today, basically we have a number of account types (service accounts, resource accounts) that should not have home directories. however, due to incorrect provisioning choices they do. We wanted to identify these so we could… Read More ›

• Singapore PowerShell User Group – Meet #4 Announced

  By matthitchcock on October 9, 2011 • ( 0 )

  For those who haven’t received the email, the PowerShell User Group meet #4 is now finalised as follows … Please find below the link to register for the next PowerShell User Group event. http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2299447710 In this session we have guest speaker JD… Read More ›

• Singapore PowerShell User Group Meet #3–Recapping the Basics

  By matthitchcock on October 1, 2011 • ( 0 )

  

  If you would like to sponsor the Singapore PowerShell User Group, please drop me an email at hitchy.it@gmail.com Today was the 3rd successive meet for the Singapore PowerShell User Group, a week later than it should have been but a… Read More ›

• Quick and Dirty Mailbox Storage Quota updates with ActiveRoles and PowerShell

  By matthitchcock on September 7, 2011 • ( 0 )

  If you have a need to set a large number of mailbox storage quotas, it can be done quickly and easily with the Quest ActiveRoles cmdlets for Windows PowerShell.  In my example below I am actually running the changes through… Read More ›

• PowerShell Functions Template – Adams AD Admin Blog

  By matthitchcock on August 31, 2011 • ( 1 )

  I recently stumbled across an old post on Adams AD Admin blog (http://adadmin.blogspot.com/) that I wanted to share.  I thought this was a great template for PowerShell Functions and I have actually just adopted it for my own functions.  Find… Read More ›

• @Thiyagu84 Enables you to Parse Email Headers with PowerShell

  By matthitchcock on August 30, 2011 • ( 0 )

  I just wanted to share some links to Scripting Guy blog posts made by my Singapore PowerShell User Group colleague, Thiyagu (twitter @Thiyagu84, blog http://www.myexchangeworld.com).  Using ShowUI and PowerShell he has developed a tool to parse Email headers that can… Read More ›

• MCITP Enterprise Administrator Study Guides Updated

  By matthitchcock on August 30, 2011 • ( 0 )

  Anyone studying for the Windows 2008 MCITP certifications may have found that the study guides have been updated.  You may also have heard nothing about it and be surprised by this!  So just in case, here are the new versions… Read More ›

• Singapore PowerShell User Group – Event #2 writeup

  By matthitchcock on August 27, 2011 • ( 0 )

  

  Singapore PowerShell User Group – http://powershellgroup.org/singapore On Saturday 27th August 2011 we held the second Singapore PowerShell User Group meet.  Unfortunately, it coincided with the Singapore election day but 26 people were still in attendance which was great.  Thiyagu (@Thiyagu84) presented once… Read More ›

• PowerShell User Group meeting #2 – 27th August 2011

  By matthitchcock on August 9, 2011 • ( 1 )

  The emails are doing the rounds now but I have great pleasure in announcing the second event for Singapore PowerShell User Group is planned for Sat 27th August 2011, 10am-12pm at Microsoft as before.  You can find the slide deck… Read More ›

• Singapore Powershell User Group – First event writeup

  By matthitchcock on July 31, 2011 • ( 2 )

  

  On Saturday 30th July we held the first Singapore Powershell User Group meeting. After the overwhelming sign up online we had 37 people attend of which most were beginners with Powershell, I think it is fair to say that by… Read More ›

• Expanding the help for your ActiveRoles users

  By matthitchcock on July 22, 2011 • ( 0 )

  One of the most useful things about ActiveRoles is the customisation that’s possible through the web portal.  From creating customised wizards for different account types to buttons that run scripts, there is a lot you can do to make the… Read More ›

• ActiveRoles and PowerGUI Videos

  By matthitchcock on July 12, 2011 • ( 0 )

  Someone asked me yesterday for ActiveRoles CBT’s and if any were available.  As far as I know, there are none, but there are some good videos on YouTube, demo’d by Bob Bobel, the Product Manager (see link on my Blogroll). … Read More ›

• Migrating deprovision information in ActiveRoles Server

  By matthitchcock on July 10, 2011 • ( 4 )

  When you upgrade your ActiveRoles platform, rather than upgrade in place, you may choose to deploy the new version to new servers and switch your users over. At the same time, you may also choose to create a new set… Read More ›

• Singapore Powershell User Group – First Event

  By matthitchcock on July 8, 2011 • ( 2 )

  I’m pleased to announce the first event is now official and you can register for it here: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1893496499 The speaker for this event on 30th July will be @Thiyagu84, who will be starting us off with the Powershell Basics. If… Read More ›

• Active Directory search is your friend

  By matthitchcock on June 29, 2011 • ( 0 )

  After a discussion today with one of our Level 2 guys about administering AD users and groups I was inspired to post as I wonder how most people manage a large AD. One of our environments has OU’s that contain… Read More ›

• Singapore Powershell User Group has opened!

  By matthitchcock on June 25, 2011 • ( 0 )

  We have managed to get our page on http://www.powershellgroup.org. Please visit this site, sign up for an account and join the Singapore Powershell User Group (search for it on the site). We will be starting a mailing list and arranging… Read More ›

• Powershell User Group Singapore

  By matthitchcock on June 22, 2011 • ( 0 )

  We are gaining momentum for our Powershell User Group for Singapore.  Myself and @Thiyagu (Twitter and http://www.myexchangeworld.com) are on the way to having one established.  We are working on community affiliation, we have interest from Microsoft Singapore and Quest Singapore in… Read More ›

• Roles Based Access Control–Dan Holme

  By matthitchcock on June 22, 2011 • ( 0 )

  I wanted to share a link to a presentation I saw recently by Dan Holme.  He covers Roles Based Management which is an subject high on most companies priorities list at the moment, it’s also something I have been primarily… Read More ›

• UserLock 6.0 released

  By matthitchcock on June 17, 2011 • ( 1 )

  IS Decisions have released the long awaited UserLock 6.0 which is available for trial download here. UserLock has a number of new features listed here which make it a great product, it provides a feature that most AD tools and… Read More ›

• Renaming Active Directory Groups in Bulk with Powershell and ActiveRoles Server

  By matthitchcock on April 4, 2011 • ( 5 )

  I said I was going to be blogging Powershell stuff and this is the first post.  The most important thing for me to point out is that I am a complete Powershell and scripting newbie, so when I get the… Read More ›

• ActiveRoles Support for LCS 2005

  By matthitchcock on March 31, 2011 • ( 0 )

  During a recent upgrade of an ActiveRoles environment from version 6.1 to 6.5 I encountered an issue that I thought would be worth sharing.  The environment had the OCS/LCS support pack version 1.1.1 installed from the 6.1 Source Media which… Read More ›