HOW TO MIGRATE PRINT SERVER

 If you are trying to migrate your print server from old server to new one, you have come to the right place. 

STEP 1 - INSTALLING PRINT SERVER ROLE TO NEW SERVER

On your new server, please follow the step to install the print server role.
If you have installed print server role on new server, you can skip this step.

1. Open the Server manager. Click on Manage and Add Roles and Features.
2. Click on Next.
3. Select Role-based or feature-based installation and click Next.
4. Select a server from the server pool where you want to install the new print services. Click Next.
5. On server role, select Print and document services. Click on Add Features.
6. Click on next and Continue with Default selection

STEP 2 - EXPORTING PRINTER FILES FROM OLD SERVER

Follow this step on your old print server.
1. Open Print Management
(on Run type in “printmanagement.msc” and enter)
2. When the wizard opens, Right click on your old printer server and click on Export printer to a file

3. Hit Next and Located a folder to save the printer export file. Continue with Default selection.
4. Let the Wizard do its export. This will export all the drivers, forms, Port and printers.

STEP 3 – IMPORTING PRINTER FILES TO NEW SERVER

Follow this step on your new print server
1. Open Print Management
(on Run type in “printmanagement.msc” and enter)
2. When the wizard opens, Right click on your old printer server and click on Import printer from a file
3. Locate the file from the STEP 2, Continue with Default selection.
4. Let the Wizard do its import. This will import all the drivers, forms, Port and printers.
 
STEP 4 – Update your settings. (Optional)
If you have shared printer using GPO, do update the server share UNC name with new server name.

Good luck!!

TROUBLESHOOTING NTP SERVER TIME FOR WINDOWS SERVER

Hi ya,

I have faced many issues with the time on the servers which does not matches with real time and causes many software not to work properly, group policy not applying , user cannot logging to the domain, giving wrong time to the clients. Even I change time and date from the control panel it got revered back.

If time on your Primary domain controller is different, then the actual real time you have come to the right article.

To troubleshoot, First thing I would check 

- If your BIOS Battery are all working, this can be fixed by changing BIOS battery.
- If you are using a Virtual environment

Check the time on the Host VM and check if your VM is using time from the HOST.
Like on Hyper-V Time Synchronisation are on the Integration service.
(I usually keep then unsync)

If all the above are fine and your time of the server/client keeps changing, This might be because your NTP time server is corrupt and  not working correctly on your Primary Domain Controller.

To fix this, on your Primary domain controller (your main DC server).Open command prompt with the administrator user rights.

Run the following line

w32tm /config /manualpeerlist:0.uk.pool.ntp.org /syncfromflags:manual /reliable:yes /update && net stop W32Time && net start W32Time

Or (if you want multiple time server)

w32tm /config /manualpeerlist:”0.uk.pool.ntp.org,1.uk.pool.ntp.org,1.uk.pool.ntp.org” /syncfromflags:manual /reliable:yes /update && net stop W32Time && net start W32Time

I am from UK, so I am using UK (0.uk.pool.ntp.org) NTP time pool from the following website https://www.pool.ntp.org/zone/uk

If you are from different part of world please google any NTP server that you like and replace “0.uk.pool.ntp.org” from the above line.

If you have secondary Domain Controller. On that DC, open command prompt as admin and run the following line . This is not required if your secondary DC time is ok.

w32tm /config /syncfromflags:domhier /update && net stop w32time && net start w32time

Once this is done run the following line on the affected computer (server/client). This will sync the time

w32tm /resync /force

I hope that helps.

HOW TO SET UP GOOGLE CLOUD PRINT (GSUITE AND WINDOWS PRINT SERVER/COMPUTER)

This guide is recommended for the people who have G Suite and Windows print server/Computer setup.
I haven't tried this for standard google account.


PRE CHECKS

1. Make sure you have gsuite account.
2. You have a windows server/computer where printers are shared.
3. Make sure your printers are compatible with Google cloud printing
https://www.google.com/cloudprint/learn/printers/

STEPS
1. On your gsuite create an email account – Like GooglePrint@yourdomain.com
https://www.google.com/cloudprint/learn/printers/
- This account will be used to share printer to other users or group.
- If you want to share the printers to the group, please make sure the above account your created is the owner of the group.

2. Download google print connecter from the GitHub website and install on your print server/computer (where printer is shared)
https://github.com/google/cloud-print-connector/releases

3. Once downloaded, Run the installation. The installation is pretty straight forward. During installation it will ask for user email address to share the printer, you can share it from here or from
https://www.google.com/cloudprint#printers
 (I prefer sharing from google cloud print website –this is because sharing during installation share all printer including the windows default printers)

4. Once print connector is installed, Go to https://www.google.com/cloudprint#printers
Login with the step 1 account and Share the printer to user or the group if you havent shared from step 4.

5. Please note that printer needs to be accept by the user or group owner.
- To accept this login to google account like Gmail, YouTube,etc. and Print ( Control + P)
- On print Destination ,  Dropdown the option and click more
- On the next page you should see the shared printer and accept button.
- Accept the printer (If Printer has been share to a group this only needs to be done by group Owner)

 Now you should be able to printer from anywhere but you need to be logged in with google account.

Good luck !

HOW TO FIND INACTIVE (STALE) COMPUTER AND USER IN AD USING POWERSHELL

Hi Ya,

I have compiled this easy powershell script that will help you find the inactive computer and user.
This is very safe and easy to use as this script only display the inactive computer and user. This wont delete or disable any thing from your Active directory.

Save this script as ".PS1" extension and run this in your DC server.

 Write-Host -ForegroundColor Yellow "Input the no of inactive days : " -NoNewline   
 $staledays = Read-Host  
 $staledays = (Get-Date).AddDays(-$staledays)   
 Get-ADComputer -Property Name,lastLogonDate -Filter {lastLogonDate -lt $staledays}| Select-Object -Property Name,LastLogonDate,Distinguishedname,Enabled|Sort-Object -Property Name | Out-GridView -Title 'List of stale computers'  
 Get-ADuser -Property Name,lastLogonDate -Filter {lastLogonDate -lt $staledays}| Select-Object -Property Name,LastLogonDate,Distinguishedname,Enabled|Sort-Object -Property Name | Out-GridView -Title 'List of stale users'  

HOW TO MOVE ALL FSMO ROLE USING GUI

Please see my previous post to find the FSMO roles.
https://theitways.blogspot.com/2019/05/how-to-find-fsmo-roles-on-your-sever.html

If you need to migrate the FSMO role using GUI you have come to the right place.

To move Domain wide roles
- Infrastructure Master
- Relative ID (RID) Master
- PDC Emulator

1. Login to the server with Network domain admin permission where you want the FSMO migrated
2. Open run and type in
DSA.MSC
3. This will open Active Directory Users and computers
4. Right click on your domain name and Click on OPERATIONS MASTERS..

5. On  operation master you can move the 3 domain wide roles

To move Forest wide roles
Forest Wide Roles
- Schema Master
- Domain naming Master

For Domain naming master
1. Login to the server with Network domain admin permission where you want the FSMO migrated
2. Open CMD by running as Administrator
3. On Cmd type in the
regsvr32 schmmgmt.dll

4. This will Register the schema managment dll.
5. Open run and type in
MMC
6. On MMC click on FILE and ADD/REMOVE SNAP-IN

7. Select ACTIVE DIRECTORY SCHEMA , Click on ADD and click on OK

8. Right Click on active directory schema, and click on OPERATION MASTER

9. Click on change to transfer the role

For Domain naming master
1. Login to the server with Network domain admin permission where you want the FSMO migrated
2. Open run and type in
DOMAIN.MSC
3. This will open Active directory domain and trust
4. Right click on Active directory domain and trust and click on OPERATION MASTER..

5. Click on CHANGE to transfer the role

Good Luck!!

HOW TO FIND FSMO ROLES ON YOUR SERVER

Hi ya,

If you are an administrator with multiple server, You definitely need to know where the FSMO (Flexible Single-Master Operation) roles are installed . There are 5 FSMO roles

Forest Wide Roles

- Schema Master 

- Domain naming Master 

Domain Wide Roles

- Infrastructure Master

- Relative ID (RID) Master 

- PDC Emulator

To simply find the 5 FSMO roles, login into to one of your server using network administrator account,

1. Open up your Command prompt

You can do this by open Run (Windows + R )

Then type in 

CMD

2. On command prompt type the following

netdom query fsmo

Good luck !!

HOW TO DELETE STUCK PRINT JOBS IN WINDOWS SERVER

Hi Ya,

If you have cancelled you jobs in print queue and the job is still stuck, you have come to the right place. Here is how you can clean your stuck print jobs.

1. On the server where your print management is installed, Open up print management

You can do this by open Run (Windows + R )

Type in the following

PRINTMANAGEMENT.MSC

2. On the Print Management console, Right click on your print server name > Click properties.

3. Open the Spool folder location

4. Open Services

You can do this by open Run (Windows + R )

Type in the following

SERVICES.MSC

5. Find Print Spooler and stop the service, (don’t close the console as you need it to start again)

6.Delete all the file inside the step 3 location

7. Start the print spooler

8. Close and open your print management console.

This should remove all the stuck print jobs. Please make sure that you are logged in with admin privilege .

Good luck !!

8. Close and open your print management console.

HOW TO ADD TWO IP ADDRESS IN ONE NETWORK INTERFACE CARD(NIC)

Hi ya,

If you are wondering how you can add two IP address in one NIC card, you have come to the right place.  Please follow the following step below.

1. Open up your Network connection

You can do this by open Run (Windows + R )

Type in the following

NCPA.CPL

2. Double click required Port – Ethernet if you are using LAN or Wi-Fi if you are using Wireless.

3. Select the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) , Click properties

4. Make sure you untick obtain an IP address automatically and select the Use the following IP address

5. Fill in the Primary IP address, subnet mask, defaultgate , Preferred DNS server and Alternate DNS server details.

6. Then Click on Advance... and click on Add

7. Fill up the box with the secondary IP address and subnet you desire.

Good luck !!!

HOW TO CONFIGURE SCAN TO EMAIL ON RICOH PRINTER USING GMAIL

Hi Ya,

This is for the people who have Ricoh printer on their organisation and wants to use Gmail SMTP server. To make it simple, let me break down to two phase for you 1.)Configuring gmail and 2)Configuring Ricoh device

1.) Configuring gmail
- Make sure you have created your Gmail account for this purpose
- Login to your gmail scan account and go to
https://myaccount.google.com
- Go to security and enable less secure app access



2.) Configuring Ricoh device.
- login to your Ricoh device using a web browser as device admin.
- Go to Device Management then Configuration



- Go to Email


- Input the following settings

Administrator email address: Your Gmail scan email account
Auto specify sender Name: On

SMTP
SMTP server name : SMTP.GMAIL.COM
SMTP port no: 465
User secure connection (SSL): On
SMTP authentication: On
SMTP Auth. Email Address: Your Gmail scan email account
SMTP Auth. User Name: Your Gmail scan email account
SMTP Auth. Password : Your Gmail scan email password

SMTP Auth. Encryption: Inactive


You can also find Google SMTP settings on official google website.
https://support.google.com/a/answer/176600?hl=en

Good Luck !!!

HOW TO CREATE WMI FILTERS FOR SPECIFIED VERSION OF WINDOWS ( GROUP POLICY)

Hi ya,

If you want to create a group policy where you want to filter the GP by the version of windows you have come to the right place.




1. On your Domain Controller, Open Group Policy Management console
( Windows + R and "gpmc.msc" )
2. Right click in WIM Filters and Click on New


3. Put the name you desire - Say "Windows 7 - device" for windows 7
4. Click on Add
Use the following for different version of windows

WMI Filter to target: Windows 7 Workstations
Query Namespace: root\CIMv2
Query: select * from Win32_OperatingSystem where (Version like "6.1 and ProductType = "1"

WMI Filter to target: Windows 8.0 and Windows 8.1 Workstations
Query Namespace: root\CIMv2
Query: select * from Win32_OperatingSystem where (Version like "6.2%" or Version like "6.3%") and ProductType = "1"

WMI Filter to target: Windows 10 Workstations
Query Namespace: root\CIMv2
Query: select * from Win32_OperatingSystem where Version like "10%" and ProductType = "1"




Good luck !!!

HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE (OU)

HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE (OU) PROPERLY

Hi Ya,

I have seen many messy Active Directory Structure where there is mixture of users and computers. Creating and targeting policy is a messy. When you built your AD,it  will look like the picture on the right.

They are the default Microsoft AD OU structure. These OU has specific Purpose.

OU	CONTENTS
Builtin	The Builtin container holds default service administrator accounts and domain local security groups. These groups are pre-assigned permissions needed to perform domain management tasks.
Computers	The Computers container holds all computers joined to the domain without a computer account. It is the default location for new computer accounts created in the domain.
Domain Controllers	The Domain Controllers OU is the default location for the computer accounts for domain controllers.
ForeignSecurityPrincipals	The ForeignSecurityPrincipals container holds proxy objects for security principals in NT 4.0 domains or domains outside of the forest.
LostAndFound	The LostAndFound container holds objects moved or created at the same time an Organizational Unit is deleted. Because of Active Directory replication, the parent OU can be deleted on one domain controller while administrators at other domain controllers can add or move objects to the deleted OU before the change has been replicated. During replication, new objects are placed in the LostAndFound container.
NTDS Quotas	The NTDS Quotas container holds objects that contain limits on the number of objects users and groups can own.
Program Data	The Program Data container holds application-specific data created by other programs. This container is empty until a program designed to store information in Active Directory uses it.
System	The System container holds configuration information about the domain including security groups and permissions, the domain SYSVOL share, DFS configuration information, and IP security policies.
Users	The Users container holds additional predefined user and group accounts (besides those in the Builtin container). Users and groups are pre-assigned membership and permissions for completing domain and forest management tasks.

 Source:  https://sites.google.com/a/pccare.vn/it/ent-admin-pages/default-containers

Many engineers will just create users, computer or security group inside one of these OU or  Just create OU  saying users and workstation. Personally I don't like engineers doing this because this makes harder to manage the OU structure and it will create mess on long run. Instead creating a separate organizational unit (OU) naming as your Organization name would just do good.

If you have a small to medium organization to maintain, do create a a separate parent OU relating to your organizational name. Add sub OU creating Users , computers and Groups to organize.

This makes way way  convenient to maintain Active Directory (AD). This not only help you to understand your AD, It will also easy on applying group policy to apply. This is because you can create sub OU inside the parent OUs

For example if my Organization have floors or room, I can create OU under that name and place my computer base on floors. Easily apply printing Group policy to the computer base on floor 1.