Tag: Windows Server 2012 R2

Taking back control of Windows Update: Install Updates when you want to!

For years we were more than unsatisfied with the options we had to choose from to patch our Microsoft Windows Servers. Without additional utility you are restricted to the few options Group Policy offers. So as I am always searching for a simple but efficient solution to such a painful problem, I combined two fantastic tools, to a powerful Windows Update Scheduler: PDQ Deploy and ABC Update.

tl;dr: If you choose option “3 – Auto download and notify for install” for your WSUS Group Policy, you can take any advanced Task Scheduler like PDQ Deploy in combination with ABC-Update to install Windows Updates scheduled the way YOU want it to be!

Prologue, where is my problem?

First let’s take a look at the options Microsoft offers us and why I refuse to rely on those. If I’m not completely mistaken the only Policy to choose when to patch Windows Updates has been “Configure Automatic Updates” since ever: Continue reading “Taking back control of Windows Update: Install Updates when you want to!”

How we use Classic Shell as a Start Menu replacement in XenApp

Ever since Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 the Windows Start menu is dead to me. I tried a few times to use it, but horrible placement and the slow search function make it unusable. Many people say that this is no longer valid for Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016, and I agree that it has become a lot better, but i still don’t like it.
Besides my personal feelings, there are so many ridiculous problems with the Windows 10 Start Menu, that I must confess that I never even tried to deploy it enterprise ready. Examples:

Continue reading “How we use Classic Shell as a Start Menu replacement in XenApp”

VMware vSphere: Wechsel der Netzwerkkarte auf VMXNET 3 bei Windows Gästen

Für Windows Server 2012 und aufwärts empfiehlt es sich nicht mehr den Intel E1000E Netzwerkadapter zu verwenden, sondern den VMXNET 3 Netzwerkadapter. Im folgenden möchte ich kurz den Wechsel der Karte beschreiben. 

Continue reading “VMware vSphere: Wechsel der Netzwerkkarte auf VMXNET 3 bei Windows Gästen”