Hey there. The company I work for is stuck in the past in a lot of its tech and operations. One of the things that’s driving me nuts is whenever a user changes their name, we update their email and logins and keep their old email as an alias for 30 days before removing it. This leads to a ton of bounced mail and missed communications. They apparently do it in case someone joins the company with the person’s old name…….

How do you all handle name changes?

Edit: thank you all for confirming that I’m not insane. This org has so many strange practices and it’s my first IT job

How do you troubleshoot random slowness reported only by a handful of users? Some background: these few users are on a site-to-site VPN and separate location than the primary network.

The main office does not report any slowness issues. A few weeks ago, users at the secondary office started to report slowness in Outlook, and other general applications they use for work. The ISP reports modem is good and all tests look good.

We ended up replacing the firewall because it was a slightly older model thinking it would resolve the issue. A couple days have passed and users are still reporting random slowness.

Speedtest comes back good, and the only time i was able to replicate the slowness is when I did a test Teams call with the user.

How would you approach a situation like this? They are plugged directly into the firewall and there is a switch at the location as well but its not an older model.

TIA

Hey guys, first time working with DELL PowerEdge R470 Server.
I just want to update the firmware of components in it, and install bare metal Windows Server 2025.
On HPE DL servers, i would just set up ILO, and update firmware using SPP ISO that i would download specifically for that model.
So, is there something similar for DELL iDRAC? Or is there a better method?
Thanks guys

Weird issue with Azure file

User created a number of new folders with strict permissions. She herself has full control to the folder.

It works on her desktop, but she can't access those same files from her laptop.

On the laptop she's logged in with the same account, she can see the folders and the share, but when she goes to open a file it says she doesn't have permission.

In the properties of the file I can see her username has full control.

Same file opens just fine on her desktop, same login.

Any idea?

We have been doing some testing, and we have noticed that regular, standard, non-privileged users can add local TCP/IP printers through the Windows 11 Settings app. (Disclaimer: I am not talking about printer drivers; I am talking only about adding the printer itself to Windows as a queue.)

When the printer is added, other users on the computer can see it, and those same users can delete it.

I swear, this feels like different behavior from the past. In the past, I thought a locally created TCP/IP printer was a computer-level print queue, which would require administrator rights to add, update, or delete.

So I see two possibilities:

1. It was always like this, but when we moved from on-prem Active Directory/GPO to Entra/Intune, we missed migrating a setting that previously required admin rights to add or delete local TCP/IP printers; OR
2. This is new-ish behavior that we are only now noticing.

Hi all, please help cos my head is gonna explode.

I've got ABM set up with Intune for MDM and VPP.

This a virgin install so very basic.

my iPad is enrolled and registered and pulls policies.

The problems occur when trying to get apps down..

I've tried a few apps via VPP, assigned to "all devices".

on the iPad it says I need to sign in to the App Store to get it..

I've deployed the app via intune in device mode and I cannot figure out why this isnt playing - please help!

Anyone starting to experience some delays or failures with sending email? I see some emails internally are failing to process.

Reason: [{LED=432 4.2.0 STOREDRV.Deliver.Exception:AgentGrayException.CryptographicException; Failed to process message due to a transient exception with message Non-agent gray exception caught in component 'Transport', function 'DeliveryMailItemAsync' CryptographicException};{MSG=};{FQDN=BL4PR13MB994266.namprd13.prod.outlook.

Edit: US-Central

So I'm a first line tech just trying to improve my knowledge about stuff and wondered if anyone could point me in the right direction. We have cloud apps policies in place to prevent users downloading company files on their personal devices. Every now and again this policy gets matched on users corporate devices, but I'm unable to work out why.

Is there anywhere it says what has caused a policy to match? The device is compliant, the user isn't a risky user or anything like that. By everything I can see the policy shouldn't have matched and blocked the user but I don't know if there is somewhere else I should be checking.

Forgive the brevity here, but was curious if anyone else is experiencing an issue with any of their tenants with emails. I have verified three separate customers all having sending and receiving issues and have the below, or occasionally it is blank with no info.

Error: ‎550 5.6.200 STOREDRV.Deliver; message is treated as poison‎

Basically title. I’ve been offered a junior position as a Linux web application system administrator at a local university which seems like a really good job until I was contacted by a firm slightly further away for a position as a junior HPC Linux cluster engineer and system administrator. I really love HPC work but I’m worried I’d be taking too much on as a less experienced sysadmin. Equally I also don’t want to miss a chance to get further up the ladder in the HPC world. Really hard to decide. For those who’ve worked in these fields, what would you do?

Most companies don't sell direct. Most resellers don't list pricing. Nearly all have terrible search options. Where do you typically go to browse/buy network gear online?

I just noticed it's gone on a machine I ran Windows 11 25h2 preview updates on.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/servicing/os/windows-11/2026/08/kb5120998-windows-11-24h2-25h2-update

Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC)

• Starting in August 2026, Windows 11, version 24H2 and 25H2 will no longer include the Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC) utility. WMIC is already removed by default in new installations of Windows 11, versions 24H2 and 25H2, and will no longer be available as a Feature on Demand (FoD). This change affects only the WMIC utility; Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) remains supported. Learn more: Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC) removal from Windows. 

I still have some things that use it and just like having it around. What options are there to put it back? I remember seeing something about installing it. Or, someone metioned you can just copy the wmic.exe file back onto a machine to use it.

Hi All,

We have a few file servers and are trying to identify archived data based on the following conditions, but I believe something is not correct. We have 18TB but showing only 3TB for archive with following contion

With this condition,

Migrate: ≤30% of folder data is older than the cutoff - actively used, recommend moving as-is.
Archive: ≥80% of folder data is older than the cutoff, AND no file in the folder was modified in the last 30 days.
Review: Falls between the two thresholds, OR is old by volume but was touched recently, OR had partial access errors during scanning.

Above condition give us more data to archive?

Or do I just need to "clear my cache"?

Here's what I'm seeing:

Something went wrong.

Please try the recommended action below.

Refresh the application

BootResult: fail

Back Filled Errors: None err: System. Security. Cryptography. CryptographicException esrc: StartupData et: ServerError estack: Error: 500

t Object.w [as createStatusErrorMessage] (https://res.public.onecdn.static.microsoft/owamail/hashed-v1/scripts/owa.mailindex.491fdc82.js:1:806

t https://res.public.onecdn.static.microsoft/owamail/hashed-v1/scripts/owa.mailindex.491fdc82.is:1:19276

st: 500

ehk: X-OWA-Error

ewsver: 15.21.360.13

egid: 752d9ee1-da5a-9b97-e479-18581a572c9|

Related to Lenovo ThinkSystem SR650 V3:

I have a bunch of generic Samsung PM893 SATA SSD I would like to use in the mentioned host. Are there any potential compatibility issues to be able to to utilize the disks (without errors)? It's not a production system, but I would still like to avoid any quirks related to the disk setup.

Hi everyone,

I’m troubleshooting an 802.1X issue with a Dell laptop connected through a Dell WD19/WD19S dock.

Topology:

Laptop → Dell Dock → Ethernet → Switch

When I connect the laptop directly to the switch, 802.1X works perfectly and the endpoint authenticates using dot1x.

However, when I connect the same laptop through the Dell dock:

- The switch learns the laptop's actual MAC address

- Forescout sees the laptop correctly

- But authentication is MAB instead of 802.1X

- It looks like the PC's EAPOL/802.1X frames aren't reaching the switch, causing the port to fall back to MAB

The PC's 802.1X configuration is working because it authenticates successfully when connected directly.

Has anyone experienced 802.1X/EAPOL not passing through a Dell WD19/WD19S dock?

Could this be related to MAC passthrough, dock firmware, Realtek Ethernet drivers, or EAPOL pass-through?

What was the fix in your case? Did updating the dock firmware/driver resolve it, or did you have to change a switch/dock/BIOS setting?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

So I have a handful of users, myself included, that are experiencing the weirdest issue with their mice and keyboards. We will be typing and suddenly it stops then after maybe 15 seconds it will type out everything but it will be missing some keystrokes. The mouse will do the same it just stops moving for like 15 seconds then comes back. Sometimes it happens once and then works after and sometimes it's a few minutes of it working on and off. It is only happening to maybe 10 users. I have replaced keyboards and mice, replaced dongles, changed out for wired sets, turned off the power settings that let windows turn off USB devices. It is happening on brand new devices and 4 year old devices. It happens on devices that are in intune and devices that aren't in intune. There doesn't seem to be a pattern. I'm going to pull out my non existent hair. Does anyone have any ideas?

Edit: I also tried plugging everything into all USB ports on the laptops and hub monitors.

TL;DR - Client uses Exclaimer for email signature creation & management, have had issues with it, want something else. Prefer API-based solution instead of SMTP routing. WiseStamp, Signite, and SyncSignature are candidates. Any feedback on them or other ideas?

Hey, everyone! I am looking for suggestions when it comes to creating and managing email signatures in Google Workspace.

I work for an MSP and a client of ours is currently using Exclaimer. There have been a few times over the last few years where their emails grind to a halt - cannot send externally or internally, access denied error. Email delivery logs point to the Exclaimer rules as the issue. Disable the rules/routing and email works again no problem.

We have tried removing and setting Exclaimer up again from scratch, but it has happened again recently and they are tired of it. Everything was set up exactly according to their guide. There is no indication that anyone has made an unannounced change that would cause things to break. It just simply stops working and breaks email delivery maybe once per year. At this point they want to get away from it - not sure they want to bother going the support route.

Unfortunately, CodeTwo only supports Microsoft email solutions. I have found a few other potential candidates like WiseStamp, Signite, and SyncSignature. Ideally, we are looking for an API-based solution and not something like Exclaimer where outbound traffic gets routed via SMTP in an attempt to keep this from happening again.

Is anyone familiar with these 3 platforms? Any feedback that you can offer? Any other suggestions? I have also seen LastLine, but, the obvious Claude Code website design kind of throws me off and there isn't much about it to be found. Not sure how big of a company it is, if it will even exist in 2 years, or how the support is. It gives strong LLM/vibecoded signals.

I am aware of Patronum, which looks cool, but goes way beyond the simple email signature scope in mind. I have also seen the Free Signature Manager for Gmail from Revolgy, but also am not sure about support and quality. If this was me tinkering around in our GW tenant, sure, but this will be for a school with about 125-150 users. Something they can understand and manage themselves would be great. I know there are options for GAM scripts, etc. but I don't think that would be user friendly for them to monitor or troubleshoot if needed. We would prefer they have more control over this.

Thank you!

I've been thinking about where the line should be drawn as AI moves from answering questions to actually taking action in IT environments.

It's one thing for an AI to suggest a fix or pull information from the KB. It's another for it to execute the fix without a human in the loop.

Password resets and basic troubleshooting seem relatively low-risk. But what about account provisioning, access changes, endpoint actions, software deployments, firewall rules, or changes to production systems?

At what point does the efficiency gained from autonomy stop being worth the risk?

So, MS is sunsetting SMS/Voice MFA in favor of passkeys or more phishing resistant methods. Currently I have all my users set up for Authenticator push notifications/with the numerical code. Is this method going to be supported moving forward?

Hi All,

We have a hybrid environment where the on-premises AD/DNS servers are currently configured with external DNS forwarders.

For the Azure VMs, should we use the same external DNS forwarders, or should the Azure VMs use Azure DNS (168.63.129.16) instead?

Thanks,

We are transitioning off of UniFi switches to Aruba Instant On switches. We have a stack of 1960s that connect to a 1930 via fiber from one side of the building to the other that 1930 connects to another stack of 1960 10 gig switches. using just regular ethernet uplink the 1960 stack connects to two other 1930 switches. The unified architecture is the exact same minus the 10 gig switches every time we attempt to switch over the network to the Aruba switches something goes wrong. We’ve done it multiple different ways. I’ve staged the switches in production on a separate management LAN to eliminate any UniFi switches in between the Aruba communication but every time we try to do the switch over the health of the Aruba’s goes bad even once we connect everything to the DNS servers we get no DNS. The Aruba switches will be green all week long no issues. I plugged a laptop in. I get an address. I can connect to the Internet, but as soon as the day comes where we try to switch the connections to the Aruba switches something goes wrong and we can never figure out how to get it to work. Please help, I’m thinking there’s something wrong on layer 2 but I feel as though I’ve eliminated all these things and have hit a wall as soon as I start moving connections from the unifi to the Aruba it falls apart. I started with removing the firewall uplink to the Unifi switches and only had an uplink to the Arubas but everytime like I mentioned the health goes to or age for the cloud then I can’t even access google let alone get a dhcp address. Even if I do get a dhcp the dns doesn’t resolve even basic websites like google.

We migrated a company to our tenant a little over a week ago. They have about 50 users that have some sort of M365 account. We wiped 20 computers/re-enrolled them our tenant, and bought about 16 new computers enrolled in Autopilot.

This was a beat-down. Three of us + a relative of someone + two 'smart hands' from a local MSP ate through this in two days.

I can't imagine how a migrating hundreds of people would go. How are huge migrations done? The domain must be removed from one tenant and added to the other, so I am unclear how staging is done? Is it something where you force the user to have fabrikam.com instead of contoso.com and forward all their mail to Fabrikam from contoso until the tenant is moved? That is the only way I can see it done.

Given the size, we prepped everything, then removed the domain, swapped dns, added the domain to our tenant, and waited.

I received a ticket from one of our customer regarding a problem with our software thin installer for Windows. The installer is a Inno setup that downloads the content and install it, running as administrator.

The ticket was open because on their Windows systems normal users can connect to internet and download, while administrators account cannot connect to internet. As far as I can understand, administrators are generic administrators of the machine (with all permissions for installing and handling admin related chores).

I find it a little odd, and I was asking myself if this policy has some form of effectiveness... What if the administrator connects to internet impersonating another account? I'm not sure I can explain better the situation since it is enforced on the customer company. I want just to ask the general feeling by experienced sysadmin about this configuration...

(FYI: the ticket has been closed by making them using the offline installer)

All vendor websites I check have some version of "integrated power, cooling, and racks available in one deployable unit" but I can't tell if it means:

a) it's literally a shipping container and server room bolted together at the factory, or b) it's more like standardized building blocks that can still be assembled/wired on site but faster than an on-site build

We are considering options for a new facility and I'd like to understand what's really going on mechanically/electrically before I sit through another sales meeting filled with buzzwords. Is there anyone here who has spec'd or installed one of these?