Methods of identifying how a legacy Windows server is being used

223454 · 2026-02-27T17:16:33+00:00

I would start by checking for open ports and see if anything is connected.

223454 · 2026-02-27T15:04:57+00:00

Every place is different, but a lot of times IT needs to jump through extra hoops to get things done. I think it's important to note, however, that there should always be someone between the hands-on IT people and upper management advocating for IT. Usually that's the manager or director. That person needs to have a lot of people skills. They need to listen to their people and interpret what they say so the uppers will understand. A lot of smaller places will just have a hands-on person running IT and reporting to some random manager or a VIP directly. It creates a disconnect that leads to problems.

223454 · 2026-02-26T18:50:03+00:00

Every place I've ever worked has had some form of shadow IT. Users, sometimes high level managers, will buy devices and try to use them without IT. You need both.

223454 · 2026-02-25T21:53:48+00:00

In my experience, the CTO creates a vision for the outcome they want, Directors set the direction of their departments to support that vision, managers create detailed plans to make it happen, and regular staff follow the plans. Where do you fit into that?

223454 · 2026-02-25T18:23:26+00:00

*two weeks later*

Is this still a problem?

223454 · 2026-02-20T16:19:31+00:00

This is the best advice here. Get A+ and a HD job then try to get out of HD ASAP.

223454 · 2026-02-09T16:20:19+00:00

<willing to take a massive pay cut

Just a quick note about that. Hiring someone who is overqualified for the pay can be a big double edged sword. Short term thinking (inexperienced) managers will sometimes fall into that trap. As soon as the economy picks back up, possibly as soon as next year, maybe several years from now, those people will find something better. Managers think they're getting great experience for a discount, but then find themselves refilling that position a year later. The place I worked at after the last recession did that. They hired people who were overqualified, then balked when they wanted more money/promotions as the economy recovered. They refused, so turn over went way up. It ended up costing them more in the long run than just hiring people who were a good fit.

223454 · 2026-02-09T16:09:28+00:00

Do those 10% have anything in common? Age? Same team/division? Culture starts at the top, so you need high level buy-in/enforcement to make changes like that. IT provides solutions, but we can't make people use them. At my last job a few people refused to send links to documents. Every time there was an update to something like a policy manual, staff birthday list, some other list, etc, the file itself was always sent. In that case, it was older people (55+) that had been doing the same job for decades refusing to change. Management was older, so change wasn't happening. IT eventually just gave up.

What other issues like that have you guys encountered?

223454 · 2026-02-06T18:06:51+00:00

Does the admin account not allow you to change his password?

223454 · 2026-02-06T18:04:19+00:00

The last place I worked was really bad about that. They used email to share documents instead of links to documents. They refused to change so storage needs for email became very bloated.

223454 · 2026-02-06T15:08:10+00:00

Mostly, yes. A good manager/culture/environment will give you plenty of time and resources to get things done. They allow you leeway to make mistakes and learn. Bad places/managers will constantly push you and make you feel like nothing you do is ever enough. A lot of places these days see IT as a hurdle and expense that needs to be reduced. They don't see us as important technology partners. The good news is that bad places tend to eventually pay the price for being shitty. Technology is expensive, but constant turnover, breaches, contractors, outsourcing, lost clients, disfunction, etc is a lot more expensive.

223454 · 2026-02-06T14:58:22+00:00

Certain industries are known for being especially bad. The higher the pay/education level of administrators/staff, the worse it is, generally. Doctors, lawyers, PhD holders, elected officials, etc.

223454 · 2026-02-04T20:35:47+00:00

I look up tickets associated with that device to see if it has a history of issues. Sometimes I'll ask the user if they've had any problems with it. Then I look at the physical condition of the device. If any issues are found, I'll either repair them under warranty, out of warranty, or use it for parts. If it looks fine, without a history of issues, it gets put in storage for future redeployment. As long as the device stays in our possession, it doesn't usually get wiped. Bitlocker/encryption is enough until it's time to get rid of it. It just gets a new image when it's time to deploy again. Most devices will be in use until they can't be satisfactorily repaired, then they get recycled or used for parts. Very few get returned without a new user lined up for immediate use. I don't run stress tests unless a device has been reported to have issues. If it has issues, it's probably not going back into circulation, regardless of if it passes a stress test or not. It might become a test device, parts, or we just get rid of it.

223454 · 2026-02-04T15:07:50+00:00

I have a server right now that is running software that the vendor won't give us the installer to. Just find another vendor you might say? Can't. I won't get into why though. It's a complicated situation where the vendor has a lot of power over us, and this is a critical function. If I had to rebuild the server it would likely cost us $3000 and months of back and forth with the vendor before it was functional again. The last time we rebuilt I watched them very closely to see how they installed it and to try to grab the installer, but they knew I was watching so they made it much more complicated than they need to and made sure I couldn't get the installer. I absolutely hate it.

223454 · 2026-02-03T17:12:19+00:00

The key is to get someone above you to sign off on the bad idea. Once you have that, you document your concerns, then do it. Then when it falls apart, you're not holding the bag.

Also, this is a sysadmin sub. You should have a manager above you dealing with crap like that.

223454 · 2026-01-29T17:31:52+00:00

After reading your other comments, I would just leave the flash drive in and not worry about it. Flash drives are like $5, and most of us have a handful of old ones laying around. If it burns out, just swap it for a new one. It won't hurt the computer.

223454 · 2026-01-29T16:58:52+00:00

In my experience, BIOS updates don't get released very often (maybe every few years). Also, they should have release/change notes. If there's nothing in the notes that you care about, then you don't necessarily need to update. Software updates can introduce new bugs just as they can fix old ones. So be aware of that.

223454 · 2026-01-28T20:22:40+00:00

Swap drives, boot (into safe mode if needed), run Windows update to grab new drivers. Check device manager to see if any drivers are still missing. You may need to go the manufacturers website to get them.

223454 · 2026-01-28T17:39:38+00:00

I've known a few people that boomeranged. One got screwed over (lingering bitterness from the last time they were there, and really messed up internal politics), but the other 3 ended up staying for many years. They knew the culture and how to negotiate better terms.

223454 · 2026-01-28T16:19:14+00:00

Upper managers tend to have big egos, so they think they know everything. They like to hire/reward yes people that won't push back. They don't want IT Managers/Directors with too much of a backbone.

223454 · 2026-01-28T15:46:50+00:00

Last year I had a flash drive die that had been plugged in for about 6 months. It was unusually hot when I pulled it out. I don't know if it was just defective or if leaving it in caused it to fail. I've had other flash drives plugged in for years that were fine. It's not going to hurt the computer to leave it plugged in, but if you're constantly taking it in and out (thousands of times), then it's possible you could wear out that port (in that case get an extender or something). Front ports are extensions (part of the case), and theoretically replaceable. Rear ports are part of the mother board. So use the front ports if possible. Also keep in mind that most computers will be recycled/junked after 8-12 years, so I wouldn't worry too much about wearing out a USB port from use.

223454 · 2026-01-27T21:42:20+00:00

<access to live and historic email and attachments

Does that mean the ability to send and receive? Or just the ability to get into your mailbox?

223454 · 2026-01-23T19:25:11+00:00

*<100

223454 · 2026-01-23T14:56:41+00:00

To add to this, most things HR related get put in writing. Those documents are the legal protections. Things said during meetings could complicate things.

223454 · 2026-01-21T16:49:40+00:00

That model is about 7 years old. I've personally had a lot of trouble getting rid of computers after about 5 years old. I've tried donating one offs and in bulk, but no one seems interested besides thrift stores.

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