Archive for June 9, 2010

Prerequisites to Install Exchange 2010.

Posted: June 9, 2010 in Exchange Server, System Information
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• Exchange Server 2010 only runs on Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008
R2. Since Windows Server 2008 also needs some additional software to be installed, and
bearing in mind the improvements in Windows Server 2008 R2, the latter is the better
option.
• Any Active Directory domain containing Exchange objects has to be running in (at the
very least) Windows 2003 domain functional level.
• The Active Directory forest also has to be running in at least Windows 2003 forest
functional level.
• The Schema Master and the Global Catalog Server(s) have to have a minimum level of
Windows Server 2003 R2.
• Exchange Server 2010 cannot be installed in an organization where an Exchange Server
2000 exists.
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Default Mailbox Management Configuration

Posted: June 9, 2010 in Exchange Server, Server 2003, System Information
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During setup Exchange features are easily configured through the use of the Configure Email and Internet Connection Wizard. The wizard configures the following settings by default.

  • Deleted Items RetentionSet to 30 days. Changes can be made as well by running the Backup Configuration Wizard. Here you can change the value or turn the value on or off.
  • Circular LoggingEnabled to save drive space. It is recommended that you use this configuration only if a backup solution has not been selected. Circular logging is disabled after the Backup Configuration Wizard has been run.
  • Idle User SessionsThe timeout interval is set to 10 minutes.
  • SMTP ConnectorThe connector is created and configured with any send/receive options you select for Internet email.
  • Default Recipient PolicyThe default policy is created and set to your domain name. It also applies the policy to all for SMTP email addresses.
  • The Microsoft Connector for POP3 MailboxesThe connector is installed. Through the CEICW or the POP3 Connector manager you can define POP3 mailboxes that are to be downloaded to Exchange mailboxes.
  • Maximum Number of Concurrent ConnectionsFor Message Delivery the maximum number of concurrent connections is set to 500.
  • Outbound ConnectionsLimited to 10.
  • Email Attachment TypesAttachment filtering can be utilized.
  • Mail ClientsClients assigned an address within the specified local IP range are allowed to relay mail through the SMTP virtual server.

In addition to these settings, you should also be aware of the mailbox management process in Exchange and what it does for your mail server. By default, the mailbox management process is set to Never Run. However, the mailbox management process can perform some important tasks and should be enabled on the SBS server.

One of the most important tasks handled by the mailbox management process is the online defrag of the mail databases. Through the course of normal operation, mail data is added and removed from the mail database, and over time a large amount of unused space becomes scattered across the database. The online defrag process rearranges the storage within the database so that all the empty database records are moved to the end of the database file. You can also start the mailbox management process manually by right-clicking on the server object in Exchange System Manager and selecting Start Mailbox Management Process.

Enabling automatic logon in Vista

Posted: June 9, 2010 in Hack, Registry, System Information, Vista
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If you are the primary user of your computer and you do not have any other users, or if everyone in your household uses the same username, you are the perfect candidate for enabling automatic logon. Automatic logon is a great technique that will save you time that is often wasted when your computer is waiting for you to type your password. Even if you do not have a password assigned to your account, you are still required by the logon welcome screen to click your name to sign in. Having to do these tasks yourself is unnecessary and a waste of time if you are a candidate for automatic logon.

Caution Automatic logon can be a great feature but it can also create a security problem for your computer. If you use your computer for business, if you have data you prefer to keep safe from others, or both, I strongly recommend that you do not enable this feature. If you happen to step out of your office or if your laptop is stolen, you have left the door to your computer wide open. By enabling automatic logon, you are trading convenience for physical access security. However, you are not changing your network security, so your data is still safe from network attackers. The risk of someone remotely connecting to your computer is the same as if you did not have automatic logon enabled.

Enabling automatic logon is a quick and easy Registry hack. Follow these steps to speed up your sign-on with automatic logon:

  1. Click the Start button, type regedit in the Search box, and then press Enter.
  2. After Registry Editor has started, navigate through HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon.
  3. Locate the AutoAdminLogon entry. If the key does not exist, create it by right-clicking the Winlogon folder and selecting New and then Registry String.
  4. Right-click the AutoAdminLogon entry and select Modify. Set the Value to 1. Then press OK to save the new value.
  5. Locate the DefaultUserName entry or create it if it does not exist.
  6. Right-click DefaultUserName and select Modify. Set the value to the username that you primarily use to sign in to Windows. Press OK.
  7. Locate the DefaultPassword entry or create it if it does not exist.
  8. Right-click the DefaultPassword entry and set the Value to your password.
  9. Close Registry Editor and restart your computer.

After you reboot your computer, Windows Vista should automatically sign on to your account. You will notice that your computer will now get to the desktop much quicker than before. If you ever want to disable automatic logon, just go back into Registry Editor and set the AutoAdminLogon entry to 0.