During a clean OS install, Windows Installer creates a special System Reserved Partition (SRP) on the MBR disk partition table. This is a hidden partition with the NTFS file system, which is not assigned a drive letter by default, and doesn’t appear in File Explorer (most users don’t even know about the existence of this service SRP partition). In Windows 7/Windows Server 2008R2 the size of the System Reserved partition is 100 MB, in Windows 8.1/Windows Server 2012 R2 it is 350 MB, and in Windows 10/Windows Server 2016 it is increased to 500 MB.
Windows Server: Administration Guides
Step-by-step tutorials and comprehensive courses covering Windows Server installation, configuration, administration, and management. Learn to deploy server roles, manage Active Directory, configure networking, automate tasks with PowerShell, and implement security best practices for Windows Server 2012, 2016, 2019, and 2022 editions. Ideal for beginners and IT professionals seeking practical, hands-on knowledge to master Windows Server environments.
Windows 10 and 11 Tutorials for System Administrators
Guides and technical tutorials for system administrators, focusing on the configuration, deployment, and management of Windows 10 and Windows 11 desktop operating systems. Step-by-step instructions on installation, deployment, policy configuration, security hardening, and administrative tools to optimize Windows enterprise environments.
Group Policy (GPO) Guides for Admins
Clear, concise tutorials on creating and managing Group Policy Objects to control user and computer settings, enforce security, and streamline network administration in Active Directory environments.
- Configuring Firewall Rules With Group Policy
- How to Copy Files or Folders to All Computers with GPO
- Updating Group Policy Administrative Templates (ADMX) Files
- Active Directory Password Policy
- Applying Group Policy troubleshooting guidance
- Deploying printers via GPO
- Running PowerShell scripts using Group Policy
- Local Groups Policies export and import on Windows
Active Directory: Setup, Configuration, and Best Practices
Step-by-step tutorials and comprehensive resources for installing, configuring, and managing Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS). Learn how to set up domain controllers, design forest and domain structures, create users and groups, and implement security best practices.
- Updating AD Group Membership Without Restart or Logoff
- How to Detect the Source of Account Lockout in Active Directory
- Adding an Additional Domain Controller To an Existing AD Domain
- Active Directory Health Check
- Get-ADDomainController: How to Get Domain Controller Information with Powershell
- How to Transfer os Seize FSMO Roles in Active Directory
- Active Directory Backup Best Practices
- How to Reset Domain Admin Password in Active Directory
- Fix Trust Relationship Failed Issue without Domain Rejoining
- How to Extend Password Expire Date in Active Directory
- How to Find Inactive Accounts in Active Directory
Enterprise Virtualization Platforms
Expert guides and tutorials for system administrators on VMware, Hyper-V, and Proxmox virtualization. Covering installation, configuration, management, and optimization to build robust and scalable virtual environments.
PowerShell Scripting Tutorials
Practical guides to automate and manage a wide range of IT tasks using PowerShell. Learn how to streamline system administration, Active Directory, network configuration, software deployment, Microsoft 365 management, and more through powerful scripting and cmdlets.
VMware:Install and Configure Guides
Detailed walkthroughs for installing VMware ESXi, vCenter Server, and VMware Workstation Player, including configuration of virtual machines, network settings, and storage options to optimize your virtual infrastructure.
- VMware ESXi: Create VMFS Datastore on USB Drives
- Configuring iSCSI Datastore on VMware ESXi
- Add Drivers into VMWare ESXi Installation Image
- Adding Sound Controller to a VMWare VM
- Using Free VMware vSphere Hypervisor
- Adding an ESXi host to the VMware vCenter (vCSA)
- Reset VMware ESXi root password
- Disable the Virtual Machine Auto Suspend Feature in VMware Workstation/Player
- PowerShellVirtualizationVMware
VMWare Error: Unable to Access a File Since It Is Locked
March 15, 2024Very often when deleting snapshots or consolidating disks of virtual machines running on VMWare ESXi hosts, I see the “Unable to access a file since it is locked” error. This…
- Group PoliciesPowerShellWindows 10Windows 11Windows Server 2019
How to Enable or Disable SMB 1.0 in Windows 10/11 and Windows Server
March 12, 2024The Server Message Block (SMB) 1.0 file-sharing protocol is disabled by default in the latest versions of Windows 11 and 10 and in Windows Server 2019/2022. This version of the…
- Microsoft OfficeWindows 10Windows Server 2019
How to Install Only Specific Apps in Office 2021/2019 or Office 365
March 12, 2024When you install Microsoft Office 2021, 2019, 2016. or Microsoft 365 Apps for Business (ex-Office 365), you cannot choose to install individual Office apps, change a path to the installation…
- PowerShellWindows Server 2019Windows Server 2022
How to Enable and Configure MPIO on Windows Server
March 11, 2024In this article we will consider how to install and configure MPIO on Windows Server 2016/2012 R2. MPIO (Multi—Path Input Output) is a technology that allows to build fault-tolerant transport to a data storage system…
- Windows 10Windows 11Windows Server 2016Windows Server 2019
How to Connect L2TP/IPSec VPN Server From Windows
September 22, 2023In this article, we will look at the most common causes of errors when connecting to an L2TP/IPSec VPN server from Windows 10/11 or Windows Server 2019/2016. If you cannot…
- Windows 10
How to Remove Built-in Apps, Features & Editions from a Windows 10 Install Image (WIM file)
March 17, 2024In this guide we’ll show how to remove Microsoft Store provisioned apps, features (capabilities), and unused Windows editions from a Windows 10 installation image (install.wim file). Let’s do it manually…
You can use the standard SNMP protocol to monitor the health of VMWare ESXi hosts. This article shows you how to enable and configure the SNMP agent on VMWare ESXi…
- Group PoliciesPowerShellWindows 11Windows Server 2022
Using SSL/TLS Certificates for Remote Desktop (RDP)
March 3, 2025This article aims to help administrators manage SSL/TLS certificates used to secure RDP connections in Windows. First, we will look at how to replace a self-signed RDP certificate with a…
- Windows Server 2016Windows Server 2019
Unable to Add/Remove Role: Windows Server Requires Restart
December 4, 2020When installing any role or feature on Windows Server 2016, an error appears that the server requires a restart: “The request to add or remove features on the specified server…