Some Notes on the Machines

Here’s a great tool, free of charge:

http://www.vaita.com/ODIR.asp

Here are instructions for adding the domain admin you are using, to the appropriate Exchange roles:

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd638143

And the role changes you need, are listed here:

http://notes.ponderworthy.com/copy-an-exchange-online-mailbox-to-another-in-powershell

“Sync Issue” messages, especially “Conflicts”, can pile up in Exchange mailboxes when Outlook is used. There is a server-side method of handling this:

1. In the Exchange console, under Organization Configuration, under Mailbox,
2. Create a Retention Policy Tag, tag type Sync Issues, age limit 3 days. Set Action to Take as Permanently Delete.
3. Create a Retention Policy using the above Tag. Add any or all involved mailboxes, to it.

Sometimes when attempting to upgrade or reinstall AOL, it will state that there is other communication software running which is preventing the install. The popup involved says this in long form, starting with “Your computer is running communication software that cannot”. Just now, an AOL tech showed me this method of easily overriding this. First, run the following:

sinf

This brings up the “AOL System Information” tool. Click on Utilities on the left column of buttons. Then, under “AOL Utilities”, click “Close AOL” to the right of the words “Close All AOL Programs”, and then click “Start” to the right of the words “AOL Process Shut Down”. You won’t get any feedback from either. But once these are done, shut down sinf, and try your install again.

This is otherwise entitled “How to install Exchange 2010 service packs and roll-ups without risk of bootlooping the server”, by Mike Hunsinger.

The method below has worked perfectly on several servers and has not caused a recovery situation. That said, assure there’s good backups and perform these procedures word-for-word as these Exchange updates have been known to bootloop and bluescreen servers, particularly SBS servers when not cleanly installed.

You will need this web page or one of a few like it, to determine the current patch level of the Exchange in front of you.

The key is to determine the current Exchange SP level, then based on the current version, plan your updates like this: First, install the highest-level rollup for the current SP. Then install the next SP by version. Followed by that SP’s highest-level rollup, then the next SP.

Here’s an example:

Your 2010 Exchange Server is using SP1 RU 3 (Roll-Up3). You intend to upgrade this system to SP3 RU14 (Latest version of Exchange).

Here’s the order in which you should install the updates based on this exchanges current version:

1. Update Rollup 8 for Exchange Server 2010 SP1 (Highest version of SP1)
2. Exchange Server 2010 SP2
3. Update Rollup 8 for Exchange Server 2010 SP2 (Highest version of SP2)
4. Exchange Server 2010 SP3
5. Update Rollup 14 for Exchange Server 2010 SP3 (Highest version of SP3)

Notes we’ve found are important:

• Assure the server’s OS itself is running the latest service pack for Windows Server.

• Exchange SP’s must be downloaded from the web and installed using an exe. Roll-Ups must only be installed via Windows Update.

• Using this pattern of installs and installing Roll-Ups using only Windows Update, will prevent having to perform the lengthy staging process where the mailbox databases are manually converted between versions using CMD.

• Completely review the prerequisites for each Rollup and SP before installing it. There are corroborative softwares such as .net and sql client or certain hotfixes that may need to be installed prior to a given service pack or roll-up.

• During the Service Pack updates, you will see a long checklist the server is moving down while performing the upgrades. If the server errors on one of the checklist items and asks if you wish to continue or roll-back. ROLL IT BACK. Resolve the issue noted and try the update again. You want all 10 lights green when it hits the bottom of the checklist. Errors here are usually the result of insufficient permissions someplace in the server. The errors are usually easy to trace down online.

• Between every update listed. Launch the ECM. Assure the mailboxes are all listed. Then run the builtin Exchange testing. If Exchange says it’s passed, move onto the next update. If Exchange fails any factors, they must be eliminated before continuing.

• Allow up to 1 hour for the server to reboot following an Exchange SP Upgrade. It’s advisable that ILO be activated prior to installing the upgrades described in this document, so you can keep an eye on the server while it reboots.

Here’s a great resource:

http://blog.powershell.no/2010/09/20/managing-calendar-permissions-in-exchange-server-2010/

This can do a lot of good:

https://www.rizonesoft.com/download/complete-internet-repair/

If you find that login occurs, but no desktop just blackscreen, add the local users “Interactive” and “Authenticated Users” to the local group “Users”, i.e.:

net localgroup Users Interactive /add
net localgroup Users "Authenticated Users" /add

If your software is all new, let’s say 2013 and after, it probably makes sense to disable 8.3 filename generation, for a nice kick of speed.

To do it once for all drives, just do this:

fsutil behavior set Disable8dot3 1

If you want to do it for one select drive, say E:, first do a registry edit in

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem

you’ll want to change NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation to 2. Then you will need to reboot, and in an administrative command prompt:

fsutil behavior set E: 1

and reboot again, and it’s done.

There is a mixture of public reference statements as to whether or not Previous Versions, also called Versioning, is enabled in OneDrive for Business, which is really a second frontend for Sharepoint. Recently a new installation was studied and there was a mix of automatic activations of Versioning for different libraries and lists made, without clear logic behind. Versioning is essential as a backup method for many related uses, so it becomes essential to know how to turn it on automatically for all libraries and lists of an entire Office 365 tenant. And right now, this appears to be the only published way, a contributed script in the Office 365 Gallery:

https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/office/Enable-versioning-for-all-ae5cfb5d

In order to use it, one first installs:

• PowerShell 3.0 if you don’t have it,
• The SharePoint Online Management Shell, and
• The Sharepoint Online Client Components SDK

Then log into the Office 365 tenant as an administrator, and click Sharepoint. You’ll be looking at the page for a URL something like this:

https://partofmydomain.sharepoint.com/_layouts/15/sharepoint.aspx

Now run PowerShell as administrator, take the “partofmydomain” chunk of text from your browser, and form the SharePoint admin URL. Don’t browse to it, but you’ll need it shortly:

https://partofmydomain-admin.sharepoint.com

Now you’ll need the script from the web page referenced at the top of this article, saved to a location to which you can CD in PowerShell. Get to that location in the shell, and run ‘notepad versioning.ps1’, towards the end you’ll see two path lines:

Add-Type -Path "c:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\Web Server Extensions\15\ISAPI\Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.dll"  
Add-Type -Path "c:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\Web Server Extensions\15\ISAPI\Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.Runtime.dll"

The 15’s need to be changed to 16’s to match the current version of the Sharepoint installables above. Once you have this, run:

Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted

in PowerShell if you haven’t already, and then:

./Versioning.ps1

It will ask you for the URL; give it the one you constructed above. Then it will ask you for admin credentials. Once it has them, it will run through every list and library, and if Versioning can be turned on, it will be.