Exchange 2016 – EVENT ID 15021- Blank ECP / OWA & Error connecting to Outlook

If you have been following my blog, I recently migrated my Exchange 2010 server to a new 2016 server. There have been a few hiccups along the way however for the most part  the experience has been good and user disruption minimal, until I encountered Event ID 15021.

ExchangeLast night during a maintenance window I applied my Microsoft updates and rebooted the server. Shortly after reboot I attempted to open Outlook and it failed with a server unavailable error. OWA and ECP both showed BLANK white screens. I began to panic a little because this is probably the IT guys worst nightmare! Working in the industry for over 20 years I put my panic aside and began my standard troubleshooting procedure.

STEP 1 – Event logs are your friend

Continue reading “Exchange 2016 – EVENT ID 15021- Blank ECP / OWA & Error connecting to Outlook”

My Experience Migrating to Exchange 2016

If you have ever taken the time to read my blog you would probably know by now that I am the IT director for a mid sized accounting firm in NJ. One project on my docket this year is to migrate from Exchange 2010 to Exchange 2016. This post is just going to be a basic log of what I encountered during my install. If you take the time to read this maybe you can find a useful tip to aid in your migration woes.

Having a small shop and wearing a lot of hats here in the office tends to create a slew of challenges. Most of the time I have a ton of projects brewing so focusing on one can be difficult at times. My migration to a new Exchange 2016 server will be gradual taking about 2 to 3 weeks to complete. During the initial setup I like to let certain steps “stew” overnight to make sure there are no disruptions. I also like to be sure I have a contingency plan to undo any unforeseen issues.

Is your directory active enough?

Continue reading “My Experience Migrating to Exchange 2016”

Securely Delete Your Files!

Everyone has sensitive data stored on their workstations at some point in their lives. It could be something as simple as a credit card statement or maybe a scanned copy of your drivers license. No matter what data you may have lurking on your hard drive here are some simple tips to make sure when you want it gone your data is securely deleted forever.

When I delete  files, why are they not removed forever?

Deleting a file is not as simple a process as it sound. On most computers deleted files first wind up in the trash or recycle bin. This is not even close to removing anything. The process only moves your files from a live folder to a Continue reading “Securely Delete Your Files!”

Update your iPhone & iPad NOW 10.3.3 – New WiFi Vulnerability

This post is just a friendly reminder to update your IOS devices. As soon as your  done reading this, grab all of your iPhones and iPads and run the 10.3.3 update.

Apple has recently discovered a vulnerability in the WiFi chip that could allow an attacker within proximity of your phone to run unsigned code and gain unauthorized access to your device.

Just think of the hacking possibilities as you order your morning coffee at Starbucks, or while you walk the boardwalk this summer enjoying the beach. This new vulnerability will be exploited in public spaces where a large pool of targets are in range of the attacker.

How to update and prevent the vulnerability?

Continue reading “Update your iPhone & iPad NOW 10.3.3 – New WiFi Vulnerability”

Just how many .IO Games are there?

Over the last few years lots of game start-ups have been using the .IO domain name to launch a variety of internet games. Before I begin listing my favorite .IO games would like to give a little background regarding the domain itself.

.IO domains are administered by the Internet Computer Bureau, a domain name registry in the United Kingdom. It is assigned to the British Indian Ocean Territory, However Google treats .IO as a generic top-level domain since so many webmasters use the domain more generic than country targeted.

This fact is great for game developers!

  • No geographic targeting by Google for .IO domain names
  • Still a large pool of available domains to choose from.
  • Urls are usually shorter than a .com or .net ETC

Just how many .IO games are there?

At press time I was able to locate just over 170 .IO games through Google, and like most fads there are some games that are simple and loads of fun, while others are just bad clones of the popular ones.

Some of my favorite .io games:
#6 – Paper.io
Paper.io
Qix

This is a great twist on the classic QIX game. Loads of fun however in my opinion the game is not a true .IO game. You are playing against bots and not other players which makes the game a little predictable. After a few days of playing this game I was able to beat the bots and win! Just a little background on the original Qix game, it was released by Taitio America in 1981.

#5 – Wings.io

Wings.io

This game was loads of fun too. Fly around in a 2D land using various weapons to blow up your opponents. Every so many minutes the game changes between a general free for all, to an outer space free for all , to a destroy the carrier. My only complaint about this game is regarding the controls and a bit of lag. Controlling the aircraft is difficult to master and on occasion the lag makes the game unplayable.

#4 – Brutal.io

Brutal.io

A great concept in this game, drive around this electrified board throwing your flail at opponents to kill them and then eat their energy to make yourself bigger. This is similar to the Agar.io style games, however with a welcome twist.

#3 – Skribbl.io

Skribbl.io

Back in the 90’s TV game shows were all the rage. Two of my favorites were Win – Loose Or Draw and Pictionary. We were able to watch “B” celebrities draw goofy pictures while contestants earn valuable prizes. Skribbl.io brings the fun to an .IO game. The concept has been around, and I also remember there was an IOS game that was a similar concept. What makes this game special is that its real time – live!

#2 – Slither.io

Tape Worm Atari 2600

A great new take on the classic snake game. Such a simple concept yet so much fun to compete against other players. Does anyone remember when the first Snake game was released? According to Wikipedia, looks like it was some time in the mid 1970’s. My first Snake experience was on the Atari 2600 with a game called Tape Worm.

#1 – Agar.io

You might be saying this game is tired and played out, but it was my first experience playing an .IO game. I actually was pretty good at it and wasted many an hour at home and working gobbling up blobs. I don’t play as much any more, but it was great for keeping me occupied.  On occasion I did experience lag at times, and wish there were “lives” so you didn’t die instantly but I guess that’s what made the game a challenge.

What does the future hold?

Maybe we can build the .IO game library into a portable device. Games could have an online and off line mode for playing on the go. I’m sure it wouldn’t be too hard to achieve with a Raspberry Pi. I am such a huge fan of the Raspberry Pi, such a useful device.

Great Pi Starter Kit At Amazon – $69.99

Related Reading – Build Your Own Google Home Assistant With Raspberry Pi!

Thank you for reading my blog.
-Joe

 

Summer Time Project – MyRinkFinder.com

Sorry, It’s been about two weeks since I released a post. I have been working on another project that has occupied most of my free time, yet another website. Details to follow!

As some of you know I am heavily involved in youth hockey since both my children are on multiple teams. As manager of the teams each week I am responsible for sending out information regarding our upcoming games to the players and parents to insure they arrive to the rinks on time. In my emails I include all the pertinent information, game time, rink address & location, driving directions and info regarding the rink conditions. Some details you normally wouldn’t find on the internet.

Is the rink old? How cold is it inside? Is it an outdoor rink? Hows the snack bar? You get the idea. Continue reading “Summer Time Project – MyRinkFinder.com”

Protect Your Computer From Ransomware!

Ransomware! Sounds scary doesn’t it? What exactly is ransomeware and how can we protect ourselves from being a victim?

ran·som

/ˈransəm/

a sum of money or other payment demanded or paid for the release of a prisoner.
That basically sums it up, Money paid for the release of a prisoner and in this case the prisoner is your data. You accidentally visit a shady website, or open an attachment that you maybe shouldn’t have and in an instant the ransomware virus begins encrypting your files.

How does it work?

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Weekend Project – Repairing & Emulating the Commodore 64

The Commodore 64 was not only one of my favorite computers it was my first computer. Over the life span of the C64 I broke quite a few of them due to the poor quality of early deigns. This may have been a good thing because it lead to taking them apart and attempting to repair the units insuring my life long love of computers and consumer electronics.

Sometimes I was successful at my repair endeavor and many times not so much. Repairing the Commodore 64 became as much a hobby as programming the computer.

If you still have one of these dinosaurs in your basement and want to fire it up to show the kids take a look at this great PDF file I found on the Internet. It could prove to be helpful.

Feel Free To Download The Service Manual PDF Here

The service manual is dated March 1992 and that was about the year the C64 went out of production.  It is actually very complete with lots of hand drawn schematics and theory of circuit operation. Parts numbers and chip / port pin outs are also listed. Basically everything you need to troubleshoot and fix that old computer and fire up the BASIC V2 screen we all remember so well. Continue reading “Weekend Project – Repairing & Emulating the Commodore 64”

How to make an image of your USB drive

Every now and then I stumble across a piece of software that is well written, extremely useful and FREE. Today I’m going to talk about Image USBDuring the day I am responsible for a staff of help desk technicians that are continuously upgrading and repairing PC’s. They like to have their Windows 10 install media on a bootable USB drive.   Lately the industry is shying away for optical disk drives, so bootable USB install media is a must.

Why can’t I just copy the files from one drive to another?

To “BOOT” from USB media the disk needs to have a boot sector. Think of the boot sector as a hidden area on the drive that the gives the computer specific instructions that it can only see at startup. Once the operating system is running you can easily copy your files from one drive to the other, however the hidden boot information is a little more difficult

What is special about ImageUSB?

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Great Deal – PURE VPN Service for 73% off

As you may know from reading this blog I am a huge advocate of protecting online privacy. You the user should have a choice of who or what can monitor your Internet activity. I have already covered articles regarding the governments stance on Internet Privacy. Internet Privacy – Should you care?  and also about using Tor as a method to keep your browsing habits secret.  How Tor can keep your online identity private. I just wanted to reiterate how essential a VPN can be in keeping your browsing and online identity private. However you have to choose a service provider wisely. This is why I am recommending Pure VPN.

Pure VPN:  – Great price / Great Service

Continue reading “Great Deal – PURE VPN Service for 73% off”