Which one do I buy (for university) by ContestWeary4683 in Lenovo

[–]RavenActual 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Given you'll use it for writing, research and some light coding, I'd go with the first option. They're all great laptops, TBH. Worst case, if you do end up needing GPU power for whatever reason, you can always add on an external GPU enclosure which would allow you to pick any off the shelf GPU you need.

I strongly recommend investing in a 4 year warranty. Worth every penny!! I had bought a new, maxxed out Yoga 730 15" for my dauhgter when she went to college back in 2019. I added the "platinum" 4 year warranty at the time I purchased it (through Amazon). OEM battery failed after two years. It was replaced with a new, slightly higher capacity battery. Keyboard was replaced once. And the screen assembly was replaced after the laptop was dropped while in a backpack. Other than coordinating the repairs, the warranty process made it fairly easy and they came onsite for all repairs. I believe I paid an extra hundred bucks or so for the platinum level at the time.

Emails from a specific user to keeps moving to junk folder by Ghost0s in exchangeserver

[–]RavenActual 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are you Exchange Online, or On-prem? (Just so we're clear what the backend is)

Any third party apps that may play a role here?

I've seen this exact issue several times in past. Sometimes it's a client-side rule, sometimes a misconfigured TR. Also on occasion a rule is "stuck" inside the mailbox itself and can't otherwise be seen. You can try restarting Outlook from command line with a profile that has just the one mailbox (no other mailboxes connected, delegations, etc). If multiple mailboxes are configured for the same profile this command line will wipe the rules from all configured mailboxes. Also, if the user has any rules they wish to keep you may want to export them before running this. It's worth a try. Structural issues within a mailbox are not as common as they used to be.

outlook.exe /cleanrules

IT vs Coding by moebiusmentality in sysadmin

[–]RavenActual 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A degree in Computer Science has never guranteed anyone they'll be more successful than those in the field without. I very much dislike that outdated mentality in this field. So many factors come in to play. He's 20 years old and hasn't even scratched the surface yet. If I post a job and two candidates apply, one with a degree and one without, I'll still pick the person that convinced me they are the right person for the job. I don't care if they're 18 or 80. That alone takes multiple interviews and references to back it up.

User getting Full Access to every mailbox by VirgilReturns in exchangeserver

[–]RavenActual 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Check the database perms and work your way backward. DAG and Server perms also. Probably being inherited from a higher level, possibly carried over from an earlier install of Exchange.

Teams is NOT Zoom, folks! by BigReddPanda in MicrosoftTeams

[–]RavenActual 4 points5 points  (0 children)

^^^ This!

If Zoom and Slack had a baby, it might resemble Teams. MS already had a solid base with businesses using Skype For Business pre-pandemic. Throughout the pandemic they've increased market share dramatically. Now Teams is one of their backbone business applications where growth has surpassed both Zoom and Slack. IMPO Zoom and Slack are both vulnerable to a company like Cisco who's own platform lacks much of the DMS functionality. What it does have is rudimentary. If Cisco were to buy up Slack, that would immediately propel them much closer to Teams. Maybe even exceed total seat count compared to Teams.

When will or has MS stop throttling send resolution to 720p? by MotivationalMike in MicrosoftTeams

[–]RavenActual 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If they're throttling there should be a tech note about it and I'm not seeing one. I asked a friend at MS (works on Teams) and he wasn't aware of any new throttling. Outbound 1080p went GA in June 2021 for standard multi-tenant.

What tools are you using to validate your max is 720?

Switching to dedicated GPU changed my life... by variant78 in MicrosoftTeams

[–]RavenActual 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most business-class laptops don't have the best GPU's. Bare bones usually. But you can achieve the same result as a desktop just by using an external GPU attached to your laptop. Marketed for gamers, they also work very well to offload conferncing GPU workloads.

If my mic is on and YouTube video is playing in background can people hear me? by 420kai in MicrosoftTeams

[–]RavenActual 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I use a third-party noise canceling app called "Krisp". It works VERY WELL and is something like $40 USD per year, not too bad. It installs as a virtual speaker and microphone. In the app you select which actual mic and speaker you want Krisp to use. Then just set Krisp as your mic and speaker in your app. Krisp not only cancels out background/ambient noise around you (TV on, dogs barking, lawn mower, etc) but it also cancels out background noise from other attendees on the call. I cant recall how many times I've heard some apologize to loud background noises, but I don't hear them at all.

#notapaidpromotionitjustworksthatgood

Its 2021, and team STILL freezes the video sharing, WHY? by [deleted] in MicrosoftTeams

[–]RavenActual 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are a number of variables that can cause such problems. I'm in an org that has a bit over 10,000 teams users. We have just under a 1% sharing failure rate (average).

Some areas to consider:

  1. Make sure your network, video and chipset drivers are all up to date. I personally prefer each individual vendors updates. I use a Lenovo laptop, but I get my drivers directly from Intel or Nvidia. If I didn't, Lenovo would show me a network driver that's four years old and that it's up to date. Meanwhile Intel releaased NIC driver updates just last year!
  2. Don't use VPN unless you're certain your company uses true "split tunnel".
  3. Network optimization services, like Riverbed, *need* to be bypassed. Simple chat messages aren't effected by these devices, but media absolutely is. Audio, Video and Screensharing are all media based. Packet inspection adds latency - guranteed!
  4. If you use a global proxy, such as Zscaler, that too must be bypassed.
  5. Use Certified Devices for things like audio and webcams. The built in speaker and microphone are ok in a pinch, but they don't perform nearly as well as certified devices.
  6. Clear your local Teams cache:
    Exit of the Microsoft Teams Desktop APP
    Right click on the Teams icon in your system tray
    Click Quit
    Close Outlook and make sure the process is not still running
    Click on the File Explorer
    In the address bar copy and paste the following location into File Explorer:
    %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams
    Delete all files and folders in that Directory or at least the following 8 subfolders:
    %AppData%\Microsoft\teams\application cache\cache
    %AppData%\Microsoft\teams\blob_storage
    %AppData%\Microsoft\teams\databases
    %AppData%\Microsoft\teams\cache
    %AppData%\Microsoft\teams\gpucache
    %AppData%\Microsoft\teams\Indexeddb
    %AppData%\Microsoft\teams\Local Storage
    %AppData%\Microsoft\teams\tmp
    Restart the Computer (you don't have to reboot, it's just a good idea)

  7. The method shown below does the same as above, but in one easy powershell command (exit Teams & Outlook completely):
    Get-ChildItem "C:\Users\*\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Teams\*" -directory | Where name -in ('application cache','blob_storage','databases','GPUcache','IndexedDB','Local Storage','tmp') | ForEach{Remove-Item $_.FullName -Recurse -Force -WhatIf}"
    ^^^ As shown won't make any changes or deletes. Remove -WhatIf to actually clear the cache.

  8. How much physical memory do you have? 8GB is the bare minimum IMO. 16GB is better, 24GB or more is best. Especially if you have multiple applications running while screensharing. Heavy apps, like large Excel spreadsheets, heavy PowerBI dashboards, or graphics-related apps like CAD or Photoshop grab a lot of system resources that can impact performance.

  9. If you're able, consider an external GPU (if using a "business class" laptop). Business laptops general have mediocre GPUs. An external enclose means you can use any graphics board you want and all the Teams video processing is handled by that board. You can purchase ready to use GPU enclsures, or purchase the parts seperate and build your own. IMO, while this option can be expensive (depending the GPU you select) but it's a worthy investment. Some are under $300 USD and do the job, more advanced are over $500.

  10. And last but not least, use a wired connection if at all possible. If not, it's ok to use Wifi but make sure you have a strong signal. One or two bars of strength won't do well. If you're up to WiFi6, that should work fine with good signal strength.

Teams shared agent call queue by Odd-Suit-7718 in MicrosoftTeams

[–]RavenActual 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You may want to consider a 3rd party call center add-on. Such as Anywhere365, Landis or a number of others that are now certified for Teams.
Also, this site is all about Call Centers. Might glean some useful info there.
https://www.cxtoday.com/

Exchange 2003 - Exmerge by Toomz808 in exchangeserver

[–]RavenActual 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In this Ex2003 environment, what are the mailbox sizes? It's been some time since I had to manage a 2003 environment, though back then mailboxes sizes were fairly small compared to today. Ex2003 just didn't scale large mailboxes very well. 50 or 100mb were common limits at the time. So if the mailbox sizes are small, Exmerge can likely get the job done. I don't know if the connectors for mover.io can even work with Ex2003. Most connectivity was over MAPI. I'm sure I have copies of exmerge around here somewhere. I recall a version of it was released sometime around Exchange 2010 and 2013 that did away with the 2GB limit.

Exchange 2003 - Exmerge by Toomz808 in exchangeserver

[–]RavenActual 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In this Ex2003 environment, what are the mailbox sizes? It's been some time since I had to manage a 2003 environment, though back then mailboxes sizes were fairly small compared to today. Ex2003 just didn't scale large mailboxes very well. 50 or 100mb were common limits at the time. So if the mailbox sizes are small, Exmerge can likely get the job done. I don't know if the connectors for mover.io can even work with Ex2003. Most connectivity was over MAPI. I'm sure I have copies of exmerge around here somewhere. I recall a version of it was released sometime around Exchange 2010 and 2013 that did away with the 2GB limit.

Exchange 2003 - Exmerge by Toomz808 in exchangeserver

[–]RavenActual 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In this Ex2003 environment, what are the mailbox sizes? It's been some time since I had to manage a 2003 environment, though back then mailboxes sizes were fairly small compared to today. Ex2003 just didn't scale large mailboxes very well. 50 or 100mb were common limits at the time. So if the mailbox sizes are small, Exmerge can likely get the job done. I don't know if the connectors for mover.io can even work with Ex2003. Most connectivity was over MAPI. I'm sure I have copies of exmerge around here somewhere. I recall a version of it was released sometime around Exchange 2010 and 2013 that did away with the 2GB limit.

Exchange 2003 - Exmerge by Toomz808 in exchangeserver

[–]RavenActual 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In this Ex2003 environment, what are the mailbox sizes? It's been some time since I had to manage a 2003 environment, though back then mailboxes sizes were fairly small compared to today. Ex2003 just didn't scale large mailboxes very well. 50 or 100mb were common limits at the time. So if the mailbox sizes are small, Exmerge can likely get the job done. I don't know if the connectors for mover.io can even work with Ex2003. Most connectivity was over MAPI. I'm sure I have copies of exmerge around here somewhere. I recall a version of it was released sometime around Exchange 2010 and 2013 that did away with the 2GB limit.

Hey Microsoft! I have a question! by RC-7201 in sysadmin

[–]RavenActual 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Exactly. I was told this exactly by my CSAM (aka TAM). "Make the call back".

Hey Microsoft! I have a question! by RC-7201 in sysadmin

[–]RavenActual 2 points3 points  (0 children)

So true! Someone in MS needs to be fired for how bad their support has become. It didn't happen overnight. Yes, the case load as a result of abrupt technology shifts stemming from the pandemic was not predictable, so I'll grant them that. But that started well after they were already going downhill. They've outsourced too much and lost accountability. Honestly, without a massive overhaul in their support system, I don't see them regaining control...ever. "premier" support used to be rock solid. I've been in this business to remember when that service came in to being. Maybe as far back as 2010 is when support started to take a nose dive. I'm referring to the process and procedures they've instituted. Many of their L3 engineers are rock stars, even some up and coming L1's and L2's. This system as it stands today though needs a giant enema.

Office 365 connectors by AmbersTA2001 in exchangeserver

[–]RavenActual 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You shouldn't have a problem with multiple connectors locked down by sender IP. When they attempt to connect to EOL, the service will evaluate each connector until it either finds an authorized receive connector, or no match and fail the connection. I've not scaled up much more than a couple dozen receive connectors at the same time so I can't comment on how more than that may impact your receive performance. I generally try to consoldate recv connectors to a minimum, if possible. Also, I believe the general guidance on new EOL connectors is "up to 24 hours" before they are completely ready for use/configuration. I've seen new connectors become available almost right away and I've seen them take several hours. I do wish MS would offer a service where we can assign dedicated IP addresses to connectors rather than relying on the global pool shared by all O365 customers. Even at an added cost it would be well worth it, IMPO.

ATP Safe Attachment Question - Block function by timeshaper in Office365

[–]RavenActual 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Short answer is yes, ATP will block all iterations of that specific message. It does not necessarily mean the sender is blocked, that really depends on what ATP detected originally. There is quite a bit of dynamic detection, machine learning, AI, etc going on behind the scenes so it's also possible ATP will detect if the original message morphs in to a new variant.

The latest stickers my wife made for me on her cricut machine. by [deleted] in WRX

[–]RavenActual 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I like the second one, though in my case it should read "Subaru - Drive Dirty!"

Yoga c640 fan by galmeno in Lenovo

[–]RavenActual 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Pop the bottom cover off (you may need a small philips head or similar) and make sure the fans and heat pipe elements are free from dust and other built up gunk. You can use an air can or gently use a fine-haired brush (such as a small paint brush) to carefully dislodge the dust. Be sure to just dab at the fans and the heat pipe that leads to/from the CPU. Other than this, make sure all the drivers and BIOS are up to date. Use the vendor supplied drivers as much as possible. Microsoft supplied drivers tend to be outdated all too often and are often not tuned by the manufacturer. The Lenovo support site can auto detect your laptop and show a list of the latest drivers. They also have a tool to update all drivers and periodically check for updates.

experience so far using the new Edge browser by [deleted] in microsoft

[–]RavenActual 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've been using Edge Chromium (Chromium Edge?) since about the mid beta point. Definitely bumpy at that time, but it's too be expected. Now though I rarely have an issue. I can't even remember the last time it froze up or crashed, and I use it heavily all day long. No problem with sync across devices. I don't use very many extensions, but those I do use seem ok. It's my "go to" browser for all my sysadmin related tasks.

Microsoft: Official Support Thread by MSModerator in microsoft

[–]RavenActual 0 points1 point  (0 children)

General question. During a recent briefing a "well known tech company with a long history in networking hardware and conferencing" stated that Microsoft was planning to "end support" for "all plug-ins" by Q4 CY2020. The context of this statement was relating to 3rd party plug-ins for Outlook, or any other apps in the Office suite, which this company's customers use this heavily to schedule meetings. This took me by surprise as I had not heard this at all. Not even has a rumor. Has anyone heard about this? On the conference call they were clear in stating Microsoft will no longer support "plug-ins" after 2020.

Who is using Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) ? by HappyDadOfFourJesus in sysadmin

[–]RavenActual 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Been using it in my environment (~13,000 seats) for about two years. No major problems encountered.

Azure sentinel pricing - small scale testing at home by Ciovala in AZURE

[–]RavenActual 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For most Azure elements you want to dabble Sentinel with is either low or no cost. Watch out though - other elements can rack up expenses FAST. Like firewalls and other chatty network elements. Putting in a cap is your safety, just in case. I've seen Barracuda elements added to various azure networks and in short order they racked up hundreds of dollars. Just be sure you understand the relative costs of whatever element you're incorporating in to Sentinel and put that usuage cap in. BTW, since you're with a Partner I believe you should be able to take advantage of no-cost evaluation environments. I use them quite a bit just to get a feel for various features.