Tag: Intermediate
Articles with this tag are of an intermediate level
Blocked Site Based GPO due to Blocked SOM
I recently came across a problem with applying a site linked GPO to some Citrix servers that were giving Blocked SOM (see below) as the reason for being denied. For the longest time I could not figure out why the GPO was being blocked. It was then with some help that I found out that the computer was in an…
How to disable SMB 1 on Windows 7 via Group Policy to Prevent WannaCry
Update 1: These instructions will mitigate WannaCry / Wcry / WannaCrypt virus propagation on Windows 7 and later (Windows 10 is not affected). For more technical details about the virus see Troy Hunts blog at https://www.troyhunt.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-wannacrypt-ransomware/ In case you have not got the message yet SMB 1 protocol Bad and that according to Microsoft you should “Stop using SMB1â€. Not…
How to use Group Policy to configure the Taskbar in Windows 10
In release 1607 of Windows 10, Microsoft has now introduced a way to configured the Windows 10 taskbar using Group Policy. This feature allows Group Policy administrator to now add or replace the application that appear on the taskbar. This actually is the first time since Windows Vista that a Group Policy administrator has been able to configure the taskbar…
How to apply WMI Filter to Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016
As you are probably already aware, Microsoft is soon going to be releasing the next version of Windows called… drum roll… Windows 10. Some of you might have already download the production by downloading the technical preview of Windows 10 as part of the Insider Preview. However, what you might not know is that the version number of Windows 10 is…
How to stop local administrators from bypassing Group Policy
Before I begin this article might be, for some of you, this will be well know information and it might all seem rather logical. But I continue to see questions being asked on forums as how as a Group Policy administrator can I prevent my users with local admin making a specific change or installing software/drivers on their own computer. The short answer is you…
How to remove cPassword values from Active Directory
With the recent MS14-025 security patch Microsoft has removed the ability to configure passwords in Group Policy Preferences via the User Interface. However this update does not remove the password value from AD nor does it stop the value being applied to computers/users. So, if you have apply MS14-025 and you have also implemented another way of managing the local…
How to enable WinRM via Group Policy
The Windows Remote Management (a.k.a. WinRM) interface is a network service that allow remote management access to computer via the network. It’s used frequently as a conduit to allow remote management of computer via PowerShell. As a result WinRM is enabled by default on Windows Server 2012 to enable the Server Manager tool but it is not enabled for Windows client…
How to setup Internet Explorer 11 Enterprise Mode Logging
In my recent blog post about Internet Explorer 11 I explain how you can enable Enterprise Mode via Group Policy. The option “Let users turn on and use Enterprise Mode from the Tools menu†as the name suggest allows users to enable the option form the Tools menu in Internet Explorer. But as the description of this also mentions: Optionally,…
