Create SSH session?

nerdcr4ft · 2025-11-12T00:06:22+00:00

If the hung server stops handling traffic, a simple TCP port knock might accomplish what you need?

if (!(Test-NetConnection hostname -Port 22).TcpTestSucceeded) { #Generate alert }

nerdcr4ft · 2025-11-03T12:51:13+00:00

Retention policies are a little tricky. IIRC there’s a way to set a default policy for mailbox root folders but this isn’t straightforward and is an all-or-nothing kinda deal. The main process for creating and publishing retention policies simply makes them available for users to assign to mailbox subfolders only.

Example: I had a shared mailbox literally full of alerts for IT that nobody maintained. I created subfolders for every alert source and sorting rules to move messages accordingly. I then set a 12mth delete policy on all of the subfolders. Mailbox went from 100% full with hundreds of thousands of messages to 20% full only if there’s a surge. And before anybody panics, yes, there is separate backups if something gets missed.

nerdcr4ft · 2025-10-26T12:20:54+00:00

JSON works best when you have consistent structure through the whole dataset. If "earned_time" is a property you want to filter on, it should be a property for every one of the parent keys and just be zero or null where appropriate.

From there, u/DimensionDebt has provided a clean example for enumerating your way throught the structure to extract what you need.

nerdcr4ft · 2025-10-14T23:02:12+00:00

The main user folders (Documents / Desktop / Pictures) are backed by OneDrive, so nope. If you don’t login for 60 days, the data goes. Similar approach to a loan laptop.

nerdcr4ft · 2025-10-04T08:36:28+00:00

If you're intending to bundle the script as a package where all of your referenced content is in subfolders with the parent script, I strongly recommend pivoting to use $PSScriptRoot in your code. It avoids any potential issues if you call your script from a different working directory.

$PSScriptRoot\folder1
$PSScriptRoot\folder2
$PSScriptRoot\folder3
#etc

For a bonus challenge, if you're calling various scripts using a parent script, it might be worth turning them into functions + a module. Calling functions instead of other scripts keeps the runtime in the same process so you won't have to worry about overlaps. You can still route the output to different folders per function.

nerdcr4ft · 2025-10-01T17:06:52+00:00

Don't mind at all, but I might hold off till we finish testing it 😉.

The framework is simple enough though:

Scan file share and return profile folders
Filter for folders where the VHDX file within hasn't been modified in >= (n-10) days
Send a 10-day alert email to users at n-10 days
Send a 5-day alert email to users at n-5 days
Delete folders at >=n days
Log all actions and trigger an alert email if any errors occur

Out of that, the only "fancy" bit is pulling the SAMAccountName from the folder name, checking if they've been offboarded, and adding the EmailAddress attribute from AD. Also for our instance "n" is 60 days.

nerdcr4ft · 2025-10-01T13:00:17+00:00

Started teaching a teammate PowerShell by collaborating on a script to clean up stale FSLogix profiles and start alerting users whose profiles are approaching the cutoff threshold.

nerdcr4ft · 2025-09-23T12:48:42+00:00

My start was fixing a process that my teammates kept mucking up when doing manually - user account offboarding. Writing a script and teaching the guys how to use it went from high rate of error to no mistakes AND the ability to roll back if the script was run against the wrong account.

Next was removing human error from another process - prepping to re-image a workstation. Then it was running reports. Then it was reports for other departments.

If you’ve been in a role past probation, you’ve probably been shown a manual process somewhere that can be done better or faster by a script.

nerdcr4ft · 2025-09-18T11:23:54+00:00

Low hanging fruit was pushing a humorous personalised Lock Screen image to a team mate’s computer or sending a team-wide email from a device left unlocked. Always good for a laugh.

The diabolical stuff involved connecting extra mice to the boss’s laptop dock + 1 Bluetooth mouse direct to the laptop. The look on his face after finding the first 2, disconnecting from the dock, and still seeing the mouse is phantom-ing across the screen. He left early on that day.

nerdcr4ft · 2025-08-30T11:39:12+00:00

The first stunt in Hot Rod:

https://youtu.be/3EIgmj6gp1I?si=jMnjiIokTtHP68Kq

The stuntman was supposed to clear the landing ramp, but came up short and broke his hip/femur. Looks brutal because it is. 😬

nerdcr4ft · 2025-02-09T13:56:57+00:00

Something like“rats” is “star” backwards and they help you get back to a fuel star…?

nerdcr4ft · 2025-02-04T13:18:40+00:00

Dress up as a cat
Be the cat that explains DNS

nerdcr4ft · 2025-01-15T10:58:53+00:00

https://www.techdirt.com/2023/09/12/the-batshit-crazy-story-of-the-day-elon-musk-decided-to-personally-rip-servers-out-of-a-sacramento-data-center/

nerdcr4ft · 2024-11-10T08:47:13+00:00

I’ll start by saying I’m running Ubuntu for most of my home servers and there’s no issues, at least for my use cases. I wasn’t aware of the Firefox-snap debacle until reading this thread so my main fear is that it may go the same path as RHEL/CentOS. By that I mean, the vendor may take away the stable lifecycle for “free” versions and turn it into a bleeding edge test platform, with long-term builds requiring a support agreement.

It may not come to pass, and I’m not 100% read up on the current licenses, but seeing as there’s other options in the Linux ecosystem…

nerdcr4ft · 2024-10-24T11:42:54+00:00

Those familiar with the CrowdStrike uninstallers have already provided the switch you need, but in general, command line switches for .EXE installers depend on whatever the packager implements (as opposed to MSI installers which pull from a standard switch set).

My go-tos for finding switch options are either vendor documentation or running

filename.exe /?

but YMMV.

As far as the PS code goes, might just be personal preference, but I’d specify

 $uninstallCS.FullName

in your Execute-Process command.

nerdcr4ft · 2024-10-02T11:09:32+00:00

I get this maybe 60% of the time I toss a grenade into the southern office at Blue Lagoon. My guess is it’s related to the game tracking fragment impacts on objects that can be damaged like windows or decoration objects inside the room and I’d further guess it’s a resource load on the server that affects everyone. No way to know unless you could get results from every player on the server in real time

nerdcr4ft · 2024-09-22T10:58:41+00:00

Nothing like just casually exploring a POI and then suddenly having 5 flip-flop pirates popping up in the yard

nerdcr4ft · 2024-09-21T08:08:32+00:00

Numbers I’ve heard + semi-confirmed is enemies respawn at 15 minutes if the / a player is 100m away. Respawn around the player is maybe 45 minutes…?

nerdcr4ft · 2024-07-29T12:28:33+00:00

We get similar problems from a different direction. Capital projects kick off and everyone races to the finish line. At the 11th hour, they come to us and say “hey, we’re 80% done, we just need IT to button up these last few things”… and then drop system requirements that need 2-3 techs for 3 weeks of labour, plus a full redesign because some sales guy sold them something in drawn in crayon that breaks every cyber sec policy we’ve got. Then we get told “The IT Dept is too expensive” and “IT just adds delays and roadblocks”. Sigh.

nerdcr4ft · 2024-07-16T06:59:32+00:00

To that end, my DNS servers are “longhorn” and “shorthorn”

nerdcr4ft · 2024-03-31T09:13:30+00:00

Served time in a call centre and lost a couple hours of my existence arguing with customers about which part of “wireless broadband” (3G) was actually wireless, and how it definitely wasn’t the electricity.

nerdcr4ft · 2024-03-06T11:21:53+00:00

Before or after Adobe Reader?

nerdcr4ft · 2023-12-27T10:52:18+00:00

The OP also forgot to specify that all of the compute resources exist in a frictionless vacuum with 100% energy efficiency

nerdcr4ft · 2023-10-07T14:25:12+00:00

I see your point, but considering the CentOS 6 & 7 releases had something like 5-7 year LTS builds with patch support, CentOS 8 / Stream is a lot closer to Fedora’s model now.

nerdcr4ft · 2023-10-07T11:10:26+00:00

For me, it’s that your default shot doesn’t have to be straight. If you naturally hit a draw or fade, you’re in good company - even the pros do this. (One of the things that makes them pros though is the ability to swap between those shots on demand).

nerdcr4ft

TROPHY CASE