Cormang

Cormang

  • Joined: April 8, 2019
  • Articles: 19
  • Comments: 7

How to forward all WordPress pages from HTTP to HTTPS

Redirecting a WordPress website from HTTP to HTTPS is not as easy as it should be. I have yet to understand why there isn’t a simple checkbox to complete this task. There’s also numerous references which provide inaccurate information of how to accomplish this task. I’ll explain how to accomplish this with Apache, Nginx, IIS, as well as some popular web hosting control panels. These configuration changes are not WordPress-specific and can be referenced for any type of website.  If you don’t already have a certificate, check out Let’s Encrypt to obtain a trusted certificate at no cost. In most cases Let’s Encrypt certificates can be easily requested from your CPanel or Plesk web hosting control panel. 

Microsoft Account password out of sync when using Remote Desktop (RDP)

There’s an issue in Windows 10 which causes Microsoft Account passwords to become out of sync when using Remote Desktop (RDP). For example, I have a few computer systems running Windows 10 which I only access via Remote Desktop using my Microsoft Account (for example, [email protected]). If I were to change my Microsoft Account password from another computer system or Outlook.com, the new password will not work when connecting over RDP. However, the old password will continue to authenticate successfully. This is both annoying and a security issue. Below is a method to force a password sync. 


How to enable c$ admin share on Windows 10 and Server 2016

The hidden administrative network share (also known as c$ admin share) is not accessible by default in Windows 10. The administrative share is automatically created but can’t be access by browsing to “\\computername\c$” from a machine on a workgroup or home network. In a domain environment the c$ share should already be available. In a workstation or home environment the administrative share can be enabled from the registry. 

HTA to prompt for computer name and time zone in OSD of Configuration Manager

A common requirement of new operating system deployments from Configuration Manager is to have the ability to prompt for variables such as a computer name, time zone, and whether or not to install applications and updates. You could add MDT integration to Configuration Manager or you could create your own HTA using basic HTML and VBScript. However there are limitations with HTA files you should be aware of and you’ll need to tweak your task sequences.

WSUS virtual machine high CPU usage

I was recently deploying a WSUS server as part of a System Center Configuration Manager implementation when my Configuration Manager server’s CPU became pegged at 100%. It was clear the issue was being caused by the WsusPool IIS application pool. I was expecting the CPU to struggle for a few hours during the initial check-ins by Windows Clients. I had also made the recommended changes to the WsusPool to service the demands of Windows 10 clients. However after 24 hours the server was still struggling with 8 vCPU using 99% CPU. Eventually I noticed VMTools was absent from the virtual machine. I researched whether this could have an enormous performance impact and as it turns out, it can. The storage drivers alone vastly improve I/O performance for intensive workloads.Installing VMTools immediately resolved the issue. The WsusPool continued to be intensive for a few more hours while it processed client check-ins but used only 20-30% CPU while the IIS Worker Process was able to grow to consume 12GB of memory. But a few hours later initial client check-ins had completed and everything was back to normal. Conclusion: Install VMTools.

Windows 10 Express Updates in Configuration Manager taking a long time to download and install

Windows 10 and Server 2016 Express Updates may not be what we think they are. I was recently implementing System Center Configuration Manager 1702 and thought I’d try enabling Microsoft’s newly released Express Updates functionality which become fully supported as of the April 2017 Cumulative Update. However I quickly discovered there’s major consequences of enabling the global settings.


How to use your own router with Bell Fibe/FiberOP internet by enabling Advanced DMZ

Bell Fibe Internet or Bell Aliant FiberOP Internet is a popular choice among Canadians.  However the equipment provided by Bell and Bell Aliant may not suit everyone’s needs. If you’ve tried to attach a router to a Bell modem you will quickly realize that multiple internal networks are created as the Bell modem acts as a router and wireless access point. It becomes even more convoluted if you require port forwarding. To make matters worse, the Bell equipment could interfere with your personal router’s wireless network performance. There’s a better way to use your own personal router with Bell Internet.

“VMware Remote MKS has stopped working” when rebooting virtual machines

Recently I started receiving the error “VMware Remote MKS has stopped working” when starting, rebooting, and shutting down virtual machines with the VMware vSphere Client console. I searched the VMware community forums and was overwhelmed with the amount of ignorance. It turns out the problem is caused by overlapping versions of the vSphere Infrastructure Client. It appears that the VI Client for vSphere 6 relies on the version 5.5. This is fine until you need to install version 5.1 of the VI Client which overwrites some registry values causing version 6 to become unstable. Luckily the user enriquepessoa on the VMware community forums has a solution by running a simple registry file which can be downloaded from this thread, https://communities.vmware.com/message/2576374#2576374. I no longer receive the error “VMware Remote MKS has stopped working” when starting, rebooting, and shutting down virtual machines.

How to use your own router with Telus Optik internet by enabling Port Bridging

Telus Optik internet is among the most popular providers in Western Canada. However the equipment provided by Telus may not suit everyone’s needs and you may want to use your own personal router for more robust features such as 5Ghz, guest networks, gaming priority, or you may want to place a router somewhere else for optimal signal without moving the equipment provided by Telus (in my case my Telus Modem was near my television receiver but the wireless was out of range of the bedroom). If you’ve ever tried to attach a router to a Telus modem you may have quickly realized that you’ll end up with multiple internal networks as the Telus modem also acts as a router and wireless access point. It becomes convoluted if you require any port forwarding as the rules would have to be configured on both the Telus equipment as well as your router. To make matters worse, the wireless network broadcast by the Telus equipment could interfere with your personal router’s performance. There’s a better way to use your own personal router with Telus Optik internet.