[Securing Win Server 2008 (x86)]

Hi guys.

I've just set up a Windows Server 2008(x86) as a home server, to be used mainly as a file server with SFTP access, and later possibly also as a web server.

Now I'm looking for ways to secure this server as much as I can, and I hope I can find some suggestions here .

First of all, I've thought of installing Microsoft ISA, or as it's now apparently called, Forefront TMG; but am slightly confused here, everywhere I look it says that ISA only supports Windows Server 2003 x86, while Forefront TMG only supports Windows Server 2008 x64, so none of them can be run on the 2008 x86? Does anyone know any good alternatives?

I've also been thinking about AV, I've had troubles finding a good one that works well on servers. Looked at Cygwin first, but the lack of an on-access realtime scanner puts me off there. Any suggestions?

Now I know that I probably dont *need* this much security for a simple FTP server, but what can I say, I have a healthy amount of paranoia, I like to feel "safe"

Microsoft ISA 2006/TMG 2010 is Microsoft's firewall/proxy/vpn software. So unless you're using this server as your gateway to the internet, I would advise against it. ISA/TMG isn't all that easy to configure out of the box akin to a Linksys router or the like. I trust you have a Technet subscription? If you do, I'd run Hyper-V or VMWare ESXi on a test box and play around with the software some.

At the very least, configure the default Windows Firewall on the system. Hope this helps.

[Multi-image WIM question]

Well, I must admit that I haven't had much time to try it out myself. But I plan on using a 16 GB USB stick so size won't be an issue. I'll give it a go this weekend and post the results on Monday.

Holy crap, thanks for the script Kevin!! I appreciate it!!

No prob there mate... Now time to try and catch up on some sleep.

[Multi-image WIM question]

Well, the short answer is no. Unless you are planning on creating a Blu-Ray install disc. The combined .wim files for Vista (x86/x64), Windows 7 (x86/x64), Server 2008 (x86/x64) and Server 2008 R2 results in a 10gig file. you could probably get away with doing Windows Vista and 7 on one dual layer, and Server 2008 and 2008 R2 on another. I am attaching the bat files I used to create this Frankenstein install .wim. Just change the directory structure to suite your needs.

_Compile_WinSuperDVD.txt

_oscdimg_WinSuperDVD.txt

[Multi-image WIM question]

Not yet. Been thinking of trying it out. Seems like its best to drop the .wim file into an extracted x86 dump of the OS of your choice and then complie. Will try it out and let you know how well it works.

[Free Windows 7 Beta Exams]

Well, looks like the max number of uses has been reached on both test at this time.

[Free Windows 7 Beta Exams]

Be quick or lose out on the opportunity to get some Microsoft street cred. Free beta exams that count towards MCITP certification. Beta exams require a promo code to negate the usual $125 charge. To register, see the following:

To register in North America, please call:

• Prometric: (800) 755-EXAM (800-755-3926)

Outside the U.S./Canada, please contact:

• Prometric: http://www.register.prometric.com/ClientInformation.asp

Exam titles follow:

71-686: PRO: Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Support Technician counts as credit towards the following certification(s).

• MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Administrator, Windows 7

Availability : Public Registration begins: September 14, 2009

Beta exam period runs: September 21, 2009– October 16, 2009

Please use the following promotional code when registering for the exam: EDA7

71-685: PRO: Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Support Technician counts as credit towards the following certification(s).

• MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Support Technician, WIndows 7

Availability: Public Registration begins: September 14, 2009

Beta exam period runs: September 14, 2009– October 16, 2009

Please use the following promotional code when registering for the exam: EDST7

These codes probably have a limited number of uses, so act now and register! Best of luck to you in passing!

[How to splistream Office 2007 SP2 into Office 2007 w/o SP1?]

I think the update is cumulative.

Which means all you need to do is to extract SP2 into the updates folder.

Actually, if you extract the Office 2007 SP2 .msp files into the "Updates" folder on the DVD, they should overwrite the preexisting SP1 files. If not, remove all files and copy only the new SP2 files into the folder, burn to DVD, and the SP2 bits will be applied at the end of the Office 2007 installation. Best of luck to you.

[Windows 7 RC available [TechNet/MSDN]]

Folks,

Just got an e-mail saying Windows 7 RC is available now for MSDN and TechNet subscribers. The public RC will be out on May 5th and the download/keys will be available until June 30th.

You are still able to generate keys from the current Windows 7 Beta site, just no link for the iso downloads.

[System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP1]

Man, I shall be worshiping this thread like a guilded calf. We have a meeting next Monday to discuss implementing this in our IT shop. And if you all wouldn't mind my inquiring, would SCCM help us with the following items of interest? Some I hope you all may have an answer to, others I'll have to troll for myself. Thanks in advance!

1. Can we eliminate tools and annual cost for (include annual savings of each):

a. Dameware

b. Altris

c. IPMonitor

d. Ghost

2. Does it have wake on LAN and PC hibernate/powersave functionality that is proven to work at our logout screen

a. What’s the potential power reduction savings assuming we could do this with 4000 of our 7500 PCs (Thin Client, Fat Client)

b. Can these PCs affected and excluded be done using AD OUs?

3. Does it have ability to set PC back to fixed state at re-boot (in other words if someone downloads to a PC and then PC is re-booted does PC go back to original state without the software that was downloaded?)

4. Will our cost be less if we determine we can not use Virtualization Mgmt and/or Data Protection Mgr?

5. I can’t tell from pricing if Systems Center Server Suite is just these 2 components (VM and DPM) or more? Please define components of SCSS and opt-in/out for pricing

6. Does Systems Ctr have ability to inventory PCs – age, processor, RAM, etc. – so IT can inform Divisions about the # of PCs they should be replacing during the next Fiscal Year

7. Can Systems Center be used to send a broadcast message to all PCs connected to the network and this broadcast capability be limited to Domain Admins

(for example I don’t want to have UPS have died warning messages like we used to have years ago)

a. Is the broadcast limited to domain authenticated connected PCs

b. Can the broadcast go to all computers with UAMS IP, excluding Wireless Guest Network (and including as well)? I’m specifically concerned about Macs and Linux PCs that do not log into the domain

[[Solved] Join windows 7 machine to domain]

Ugh! Neanderthal Technology 4.0! Haven't touched that in years. Does Micro$oft still allow updates to it via Windows Updates?

[Server 2008 discs]

Lucky dog! I want a copy of Home Server to play with!!

[SP3 is now on Technet/MSDN]

Has anyone noticed or expirenced a problem with doing updates post SP3 slipstreaming? I took and nLite’d our Windows XP SP2 VL cd straight to SP3. Upon hitting Microsoft Update to pull missing hotfixes/drivers, IE7 was not even on the list of recommended or critical hotfixes needed by the os installation. Any ideas??

And another thing, I guess only select MSDN/Technet subscribers have it on their downloads list. I have a Technet Plus subscription and another guy here has MSDN. Neither of ours showed SP3 listed in any capacity, but a phone call to another friend showed up on his. Just curious to know if others noticed this, or good ‘ol M$ just doesn’t have any love for me. L8r’z.

[ULs udate frequency?]

Thanks much, jcarle for your reply.

I don't feel anyway near qualified to update the XP x64 ULs or I would give it a shot. I do hope a more qualified person will do the updates.

Thanks...........John

So, how would one go about updating the ul files? Opening with notepad gives garbage. TIA.

Nevermind.. helps to read the forums I guess.....

[List of Native x64 application]

Don't forget about Half-Life 2.

By all means, HL2 is a critical hand-eye coordination application I use at work and at home!!

[Slipstreaming]

Should be the same as slipstreaming XP x32 RAID drivers. I haven't personally done it, but do you want the RAID drivers to be present during the initial setup or once the GUI starts??

[Windows XP x64 Hotfix list]

Hopefully I'm not blind in one eye and unable to see out of the other, but wasn't there at one time a listing akin to the Windows 2k/XP/2k3 sticky thread for Windows XP x64?? TIA!

[nLite Windows Server 2003 SP1 R2 Custom Cd]

Hey peeps, has anyone had any luck with slipstreaming Windows Server 2003 SP1 R2 to a single cd?? I would hate to have to kill a dvd just to do an install!!

If I look at the combined file sizes of the 2 install cd's, it comes out to less than 700 meg. But after running them through nLite and adding all the post SP1 hotfixes, I'm 6 megs over the maximum burn limit. Any ideas on what could be culled out of compilation before burning it?? Thanks in advance.

[WUD 2.21 Beta]

****!!! For a beta, this works great!!! Now, with this and nLite, I can begin my quest anew to take over the world!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!

But seriously, this app works wonderfully. Only problem I had was I needed to turn off my proxy settings in IE. Other than that, I have some very organized folders with hotfixes in them. Thankiew!!

[motherboard with no cpu]

no, im not as n00by as it sounds

Yes, you are!!!

right, I have recieved my motherboard, but I want to know whether it is all functioning properly. i have NOT got my cpu yet. can i turn it on and enter the bios etc...? or will i break something?

Er... no.... that is akin to driving your new Ferarri and waiting on the engine to come in. And its not going to post since there is no CPU in it, so why risk screwing it up?

If you READ that small booklet called the manual, it probably informs you NOT to power the board without cpu/memory/common sense. Not to be blasting ya, but if you are wanting to fry a board, send me that one and I'll overnite ya a perfectly good P3 board without proc you can fry all day long. Just be patient and wait for the proc man....

[add users to local administrators group?]

Well, I can't think of any automated way of doing this off hand, but why not just open your local computer management snapin and change from local to the remote pc in question, then add the individual users that way?? Or perhaps create a security group in yyour AD of those persons that are to have local admin access and propogate that through only those machines in your OU that contains the machine accounts (won't work on the default Computers OU).

[Slipstream Office 2003 SP2]

Here is a batch file I use to slipstream the Office Service Packs and Hotfixes. I just add to it as new updates come out. works like a champ. Of course, edit it to mimic your own directory structure. L8r!

Office 2k3 SP2 Slipstream.bat

rem Slipstream Office System 2003 to SP2

msiexec /p D:\Office\Office2003SP2\MAINSP2ff.msp /a D:\Office\Office2k3\PRO11.MSI shortfilenames=true /qb

rem Slipstream Office System 2003 Web Components

msiexec /p D:\Office\Office2003SP2\OWC11SP2ff.msp /a D:\Office\Office2k3\OWC11.MSI shortfilenames=true /qb

rem Slipstream Office Frontpage 2003 to SP2

msiexec /p D:\Office\Office2003SP2\MAINSP2ff.msp /a D:\Office\FrontPage2k3\FP11.MSI shortfilenames=true /qb

rem Slipstream Office System 2003 Web Components

msiexec /p D:\Office\Office2003SP2\OWC11SP2ff.msp /a D:\Office\Frontpage2k3\OWC11.MSI shortfilenames=true /qb

rem Slipstream Office Visio 2003 to SP2

msiexec /p D:\Office\Visio2003SP2\VISIOSP2.msp /a D:\Office\Visio2k3\VISPRO.MSI shortfilenames=true /qb

rem Slipstream Office Project 2003 to SP2

msiexec /p D:\Office\Project2003SP2\PROJECTSP2.msp /a D:\Office\Project2k3\PRJPROE.MSI shortfilenames=true /qb

rem Slipstream Office System 2003 Web Components

msiexec /p D:\Office\Office2003SP2\OWC11SP2ff.msp /a D:\Office\Project2k3\OWC11.MSI shortfilenames=true /qb

rem Slipstream Office One Note 2003 to SP2

msiexec /p D:\Office\OneNote2003SP2\ONENOTESP2.msp /a D:\Office\OneNote2k3\ONOTE11.MSI shortfilenames=true /qb

Office 2k3 Hotfixes.bat

rem Update for Office 2003 (KB907417)

rem msiexec /p D:\Office\Hotfixes\KB907417\OTKLOADR.msp /a D:\Office\Office2k3\PRO11.MSI shortfilenames=true /qb

rem Update for Access 2002 (KB904018)

rem msiexec /p D:\Office\Hotfixes\KB904018\MSACCESSff.msp /a D:\Office\Office2k3\PRO11.MSI shortfilenames=true /qb

rem Update for Outlook 2003 Junk E-mail Filter (KB907492)

rem msiexec /p D:\Office\Hotfixes\KB907492\OUTLFLTR.msp /a D:\Office\Office2k3\PRO11.MSI shortfilenames=true /qb

rem Update for Excel 2003 (KB905756)

rem msiexec /p D:\Office\Hotfixes\KB905756\EXCELff.msp /a D:\Office\Office2k3\PRO11.MSI shortfilenames=true /qb

rem Update for Excel 2003 (KB913807)

msiexec /p D:\Office\Hotfixes\KB913807\OLKINTLff.msp /a D:\Office\Office2k3\PRO11.MSI shortfilenames=true /qb
msiexec /p D:\Office\Hotfixes\KB913807\OUTLOOKff.msp /a D:\Office\Office2k3\PRO11.MSI shortfilenames=true /qb

rem Update for Excel 2003 (KB913161)

msiexec /p D:\Office\Hotfixes\KB913161\OUTLFLTR.msp /a D:\Office\Office2k3\PRO11.MSI shortfilenames=true /qb

rem Update for Excel 2003 (KB911961)

msiexec /p D:\Office\Hotfixes\KB911961\OUTLFLTR.msp /a D:\Office\Office2k3\PRO11.MSI shortfilenames=true /qb

rem Update for Excel 2003 (KB892843)

msiexec /p D:\Office\Hotfixes\KB892843\OLKINTLff.msp /a D:\Office\Office2k3\PRO11.MSI shortfilenames=true /qb
msiexec /p D:\Office\Hotfixes\KB892843\OUTLOOKff.msp /a D:\Office\Office2k3\PRO11.MSI shortfilenames=true /qb

[Enterprise x64 versions of Antivirus Software]

yea, i kinda figured it would be a short list. thanks for your input.

[Enterprise x64 versions of Antivirus Software]

Well, I know of no "enterprise" versions of A/V software being free (or cheap), but for home use I prefer Avast:

http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html

Works on XP x64, but not sure about 2K3 x64.

No, I was looking for a list of ANY antivirus programs, free or not, that will run natively on Windows x64 XP and 2003. So far, the only stuff I have found are the various x32 bit flavors that will run in x32 mode only, and not x64.

[Enterprise x64 versions of Antivirus Software]

Well, i called myself trolling the forums for this, but i may be blind in one eye and unable to see out of the other. Any recommendations for x64 variants of antivirus apps for x64 XP and 2k3?? i know Symantec Corp does, but as usual the cheap (metaphor)'s here want something else. Thanks in advance for any/all replies.

[Setting up WIndows 2003 with DHCP/DNS]

Check out http://www.petri.co.il. The guy that runs the site has great step-by-step articles for everything from DHCP/DNS/WINS configuration to getting Exchange 2kx up and running. I have my AD domain at home on Server 2k3 SP1 running DNS/DHCP/WINS/VPN and file and print services. Working on trying to get ISA Server 2k4 up and running as my firewall. Good luck your configurations!