Handy information during pre-deployment checks/validations.

When you get a message “Your organization’s policies are preventing us from completing this action for you. For more info, please contact your help desk.” it means that you might want to apply this fix to be able to open links in emails:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310049

Same fix applies also to other Office applications (they all might be affected along with Outlook).

Sometimes when you start machine with BitLocker enabled and same time some storage device was connected to USB port, BitLocker might request Recovery Key. This happens because USB ports is listed on boot device search list. To avoid this type of event best idea is to remove USB from boot search list. However, changing list of boot devices might also trigger BitLocker.

How to deal with this type of situation? Follow steps below:

1. Suspend BitLocker  – command: manage-bde -protectors -disable c:
2. Reboot machine
3. Go to BIOS and remove all USB devices from available boot devices list
4. Boot up to Windows
5. Resume BitLocker – command: manage-bde -protectors -enable c:

After that no more issues with BitLocker during startup when USB storage devices are connected.

If you have machine which is not connected to domain, but has TPM chip you might want to encrypt disks with BitLocker and enable PIN protection at boot-up.

In order to do that you have to make sure TPM is activated and enabled for provisioning in BIOS. Next step will be to allow PIN use, as by default that option is not active especially on machines not connected to Active Directory domain.

So, to enable ability to set PIN follow the steps:

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Sometimes i thappens that SmartConde VNC Manager fails to activate. In that case follow steps below to fix issue with licensing:

1. Open cmd.exe and change directory to:
   • Enterprise Edition: C:\Program Files\SmartCode Solutions\VNC Manager (Enterprise Edition)\
   • Standard Edition: C:\Program Files\SmartCode Solutions\VNC Manager (Standard Edition)\
2. Run the following command: vncmanager.exe /licdev
3. You will be prompted to enter a serial number. You must complete this step. After that the application will close.
4. Start SmartCode VNC Manager normally via the start menu shortcut.

Source: SmartCode Knowledgebase

As there is no GUI in Windows Server 2012 Core, we have to use command line and script in order to acivate system.

slmgr.vbs is a VBscript which allows to set product key and activate operating system. Below most common use of slmgr.vbs.

Set product key

slmgr.vbs /ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

Activate Windows

slmgr.vbs /ato

Display information about licenses

slmgr.vbs /dli
slmgr.vbs /dlv