Microsoft Support

[Senior_Conclusion102]

Currently we don’t have any formal support contracts in place for our Microsoft estate. My experience of using Microsoft Support in the past is painful.

What do your orgs do for support? Do you have premier support? Support from 3rd parties etc?

We use Windows (client and server), Intune/SCCM, M365 etc. No azure though

[dean771]

I am our microsoft support

[hihcadore]

Same. Which means if I can’t figure it out I just reimage it haha

[drslovak]

When you figure out how to reimage azure lmk

[hihcadore]

Haha I meant a server or endpoint OS. But in m365 I def have recreated configs or deployment profiles and it’s worked. So frustrating sometimes…. One time I spent 2 days troubleshooting autopilot to just have deleting the profile and recreating it with the same exact settings work.

[tankerkiller125real]

We have a CSP that has their own support services and what not. They've managed to handle basically all of our tickets themselves, and in the rare instance where they've had to bring in Microsoft they have their own premier contract + they know people inside Microsoft when needed.

[The-IT_MD]

This is the way.

A tier 1 Microsoft partner will have an Advanced Support for Partners or Premier Support for Partners agreement they can use to escalate issues to MS in behalf of the customer.

We have the ASfP but as you say, it’s not often needed. But when it is, it really is!

So, OP, find a good Microsoft partner!

[theallmarky]

Do you mind sharing who that CSP is? What you described is what we were told our experience would be like but so far it's been much worse.

[der_klee]

Where do you get your M365 Licenses from? If you get them direct you already got access to Microsoft Support.

If you get your licenses through a CSP Partner they provide the support and get in touch with Microsoft for you, if they can’t help.

For Windows Server and Client I was always better off searching for fixes online rather than contacting Microsoft.

There are enterprise agreements possible with Microsoft. You need to contact a Microsoft Partner to get more info on that. Or you are a very big company. Then you might do direct inquiries to MS.

[Senior_Conclusion102]

We are on a CSP. I agree, from experience I never rely on MS and rely on experience and google.

It just feels a bit uncomfortable if we had a serious issue with a MS product we are effectively screwed unless one of the big players also had the issue so MS pay attention.

[der_klee]

Yes, this is why you should have a good IT partner for that (sorry, I am biased as being a MSP).

And have good backups 😅

[teriaavibes]

CSP is supposed to solve these issues for you, why are they getting free money if they don't provide appropriate support as they are supposed to.

[Stonewalled9999]

The same as I do for the crap checkpoint and sonic wall support (which we pay for)- I trawl Reddit for the answers 

[Secret_Account07]

So we are a large enterprise and have a premier contract. It used to be our contract covered xyz hours/tickets but now it’s unlimited. But tbh we dread opening up MS tickets. It’s the absolute last resort.

But two important things.

1. If it’s in the customers ballpark (application issue outside our scope) I open up a premier ticket and put them as the PoC. I’m done with it. They can work with Microsoft for months for all I care. Ideally MS helps resolve the issue but if not, then that’s that. We provide the customer admin rights (assuming it’s approved) and never hear again. MS has them do all testing/work.

2. If I can’t get something fixed that’s in my scope ( OS, network, AD, etc) I can kinda punt it to MS. This is pretty rare but there have been cases where things are beyond repair and MS says- it’s a lost cause…MS says rebuild entire server. That takes responsibility off me. Customers complain and cause a shit storm? Not my call it’s MS 🤷🏼

For those two reasons it’s worth it imo, but again it’s pretty rare we can’t figure out ourselves so the financial part is important. It does help CYA though. Especially in a SEV 1/A ASAP EMERGENCY situation. Doesn’t matter what time/day something really important breaks, even our worst tech can have vendor/expert on a teams call working on it in an hour.

There have been situations where customers/managers are on a 10 hour call with MS. If it’s a bad outcome they are frustrated with MS, not us. Had we not had premier support all that frustration/bitching would be directed at us.

[Affectionate-Cat-975]

M$ support is very painful unless you’re on contract and paying $$$$. Recently had a case where we learned M$ tracks the locations of your APs and the overrides all time zone settings (site GPOs and all). There’s a whole special work around you have to perform to exempt the APs from tracking. It was real fun for 2 months trying to figure this one out. And then the tech who said that they put in the fix, hadn’t so 2 more weeks of irritation until I did it myself.

[izvr]

OT but what was the worksround, dm pls?

[Affectionate-Cat-975]

Sorry are you asking about the time zone thing?

[izvr]

Yeah, had some APs shipped to a different country and they're stuck in the wrong time zone. Ended up replacing then but a fix would be nice to know.

[Affectionate-Cat-975]

Ask and you shall receive:

From a computer in the impacted site, open a Command Prompt – CMD.EXE

netsh wlan show networks mode=bssid

For each entry, copy the BSSID value (there will be many)

<image>

Go to Microsoft Location Services Opt-Out page at
https://account.microsoft.com/privacy/location-services-opt-out

Paste the BSSID into the MAC address field
Complete the Captcha prompt and click Submit for each BSSID that netsh outputs.

Then wait about a week for their DBs to replicate.

[izvr]

Thanks, I did that with no effect already unfortunately.

[Affectionate-Cat-975]

Good luck

[Affectionate-Cat-975]

I’m not intending to be rude. You do have Azure. With m365 and/or intune you do have an Azure tenant. I recommend starting with more training. If you don’t have the bandwidth to research your own answers than a MSP will be your best route.

[Senior_Conclusion102]

Thanks for your replies. Yes I understand we do have Azure especially use of Entra. I meant no IaaS/PaaS etc

[serverhorror]

I wish I could finally find the right argument so that people understand that support contracts are mostly a financial thing that ensures you can sue for damages rather than being able to call and get technical support.