PoSh Chap
Musings on the splendour of PowerShell...
Security Focus: sIDHistory / sID Filtering Sanity Check - Part 2
Last week, as well as posting my 100th blog post, I also talked about using PowerShell to look for...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 12/11/2015
Security Focus: sIDHistory / sID Filtering Sanity Check - Part 1 - aka Post #100!
100 posts! Who’d have thought it? I started out wanting to evangelise PowerShell. 100 posts...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 12/04/2015
iSCSI Storage for My Cluster Test Lab - Part 2
Continuation Welcome back! As promised, this week I'm going to continue writing about some...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 11/27/2015
iSCSI Storage for My Cluster Test Lab - Part 1
Introduction Hello! This week I'm going to write about some recent test lab configuration fun:...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 11/20/2015
One-Liner: Get Latest Windows Server Technical Preview Image
Recently, I created a new version of my 'Build an Active Directory Forest in Microsoft...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 11/13/2015
Differentiate Between Automatic Variables and User Created Variables
I was delivering a PowerShell Work Shop the other week. One of the questions asked by a Mr T. T. was...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 11/06/2015
Copy To or From a PowerShell Session
Copy-Item now lets you copy to or from a PowerShell sessions in WMF5! Very cool. Let's see it in...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 10/30/2015
Security Focus: More on Defender and PowerShell
Now, I know that AV isn't a magic bullet. It's not going to make every computer in the world...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 10/23/2015
Security Focus: Defending PowerShell with the Anti-Malware Scan Interface (AMSI)
Naturally, I was intrigued when I heard that some new anti-virus and anti-malware capabilities were...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 10/16/2015
MOTD
Once upon a time I was a *nix administrator and I used to make use of Message Of The Day (MOTD)...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 10/09/2015
Backwards Incompatibility: Slip Into Something Just As Comfortable
PowerShell is designed to be backwards compatible. However, there are some things that you can do in...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 09/25/2015
Create Azure Cloud Service Remote Desktop Connection Manager File (.rdg)
Last week I launched an RDP session to an Azure VM with the aid of a PowerShell cmdlet. For me, this...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 09/17/2015
One-Liner: Launch Azure VM RDP Connection from PowerShell
You want to RDP to one of your Azure VMs, but... Are you fed up with finding the target VM in the...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 09/11/2015
Scripting Tips & Tricks: ISE - Alt + Shift + Left Mouse Button
Here's a very useful one shown to me by one of my Dutch colleagues, Stefan Stranger. I keep...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 09/04/2015
Update an ISE Snippet
Snippets. Little script blocks that save time when crafting a script with the Integrated Scripting...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 08/28/2015
Scripting Tips & Tricks: The PowerShell Script Analyzer Module
I love this new module. It makes adhering to scripting recommended practices an absolute doddle. And...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 08/21/2015
Quenching a Thirst... Test Lab Hydration
Tenuous title link aside, here's a collection of scripts and steps that will help you hydrate a...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 08/14/2015
Getting Started with the PowerShell Gallery
Windows 10 has landed. It landed whilst I was in Seattle. Whilst in Seattle I was lucky enough to...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 08/07/2015
PowerShell, FSMOs and Netdom
I like any excuse to try and match the functionality of an executable with PowerShell. This week I...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 07/31/2015
One-Liner: Stop and Deallocate Azure Virtual Machines
Here's something I do a lot. As I do it a lot, I thought others might also find it useful. I run...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 07/24/2015
Find Server Objects Without NTDS Settings
Two for the price of one this week! Well, two ways to achieve the same outcome. You know, that's...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 07/17/2015
Defender PowerShell Module
As an IT professional it's almost a given that you provide free support to your immediate...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 07/10/2015
The Joy of --%
I'm always learning with PowerShell. The other week I came across a little beauty! --% Stop...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 07/03/2015
One-Liner: List Deleted Objects
Short and sweet this week. Just like this one-liner. Get-ADObject -Filter * -SearchBase...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 06/26/2015
Are your Active Directory Partitions Backed Up?
Ever used repadmin /showbackup to check Active Directory backup status? If not, here's what is...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 06/19/2015
Security Focus: Check Active Directory for Anonymous Access
In Active Directory there's a little-loved, all-but-forgotten, built-in group that needs...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 06/12/2015
Use PowerShell to Enter-PSSession from the Active Directory Users and Computers MMC
I'm known for inserting PowerShell into most work-related conversations. I can't help it......
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 06/05/2015
Latest HSGB Outings... Just-In-Time (JIT) Administration
Here’s my latest ‘Hey Scripting Guy! Blog’ outings. This time we have a guest...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 05/29/2015
Remove a String from a Multi-Valued Attribute
Happy to Help This week a friend asked for a little extra-vocational assistance. A multi-valued...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 05/22/2015
Get Active Directory Accounts Created in the Last N Days (featuring -xor)
A customer asked me to demonstrate how you can check for user or computer accounts recently added to...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 05/15/2015
Security Focus: Resetting 'Smart card is required for interactive logon'
Last week I mentioned that there are a number of configuration options we recommend for high...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 05/08/2015
Security Focus: Analysing 'Account is sensitive and cannot be delegated' for Privileged Accounts
There are a number of configuration options we recommend for securing high privileged accounts. One...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 05/01/2015
msDS-parentdistname vs. parentGUID
Last week I wrote about mirroring an OU structure, from a source domain to a test domain, with the...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 04/24/2015
Mirror an OU Structure to a Test Domain
A while back I wrote a couple of scripts for backing up Group Policies and then importing that...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 04/17/2015
PowerShell and _MSDCS Recovery
Oh, no! Someone's blatted the _MSDCS zone from DNS! The _MSDCS zone hosts the domain controller...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 04/10/2015
One-Liner: Domain Controller Patch Levels
Before performing work against your Active Directoy, it's prudent to complete a few checks, e.g....
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 04/09/2015
Remove AD Child Domain with PowerShell
It runs contrary to every paternal instinct to delete one's child. Still, child domains...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 03/20/2015
Create AD Child Domain with PowerShell
The other week I talked about the love that dares to speak its name (and building AD Forests). This...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 03/13/2015
Use PowerShell and DSAMAIN.exe to Mount a Backup of NTDS.dit
A few weeks back I talked about using PowerShell to create a regular System State backup. Have a...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 03/06/2015
RODCs Ahoy!
I've recently had a couple more 'Hey,Scripting Guy! Blog' posts launched into the...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 02/27/2015
Create AD Forest with PowerShell
Have I mentioned that I love PowerShell? Yes? Thought so... Here's YET ANOTHER reason why I love...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 02/19/2015
Use PowerShell and Repadmin to Check for Updates to High Privileged Groups
To compliment their AD object auditing, one of my customers asked for a script sample to demonstrate...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 02/13/2015
Schedule a System State Backup with PowerShell
In the wonderful world of Active Directory we're rather fond of System State backups. For...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 02/05/2015
NEW & IMPROVED FORMULA: Build an AD DS Forest in Azure
Hello... from the snow! (BTW - that's NOT me right at the very back!) Cycling seems to be the...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 01/30/2015
Scripting Tips and Tricks: 'Jagged' Arrays
A jagged array is an array of arrays! Eh? Come again? Well, in a jagged array, at least one...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 01/23/2015
Use PowerShell to Start Domain Controller Garbage Collection
Garbage Collection runs every 12 hours on a domain controller. So, what is it, and, more...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 01/16/2015
Three Steps to PowerShell Module Success
Your eyes haven't deceived you, my friend... create yourself a PowerShell module in just three...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 01/09/2015
Execution Policy and Group Policy
Welcome to 2015! Every new PowerShell user negotiates the infamous 'Execution Policy' when...
Author: Ian Farr [MSFT] Date: 01/02/2015