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How to Export and Copy Local Group Policy Settings to Another PC

October 14th, 2016 by Admin

“I am editing local group policies here and would prefer not to edit each machine manually. How do I export the policy, and then import it to other machines? Please help!”

LGPO.exe (Local Group Policy Object Utility) is a small command-line utility released by Microsoft, which allows you to export and import local group policy easily. It’s really convenient if you want to make a backup of local group policy, or import it later on another computer.

This tutorial shows you how to use Microsoft’s command line tool LGPO to export / backup local group policy settings, and import them into another computer.

Download LGPO from Microsoft

Download the LGPO zip archive from Microsoft’s website. Unpack it locally and copy the resulting LGPO.exe file to C:\Windows\System32. Afterwards you can open an elevated Command Prompt for running the LGPO command to automate the management of local group policy.

LGPO

Export Local Group Policy Settings

To create a backup for local policy policy settings on your local PC, run this command at Command Prompt:
LGPO.exe /b backup_path

backup-local-group-policy-via-cmd

A new folder with GPO GUID appears in the target directory. It will contain all local policy settings for this computer. You can restore this backup to your local machine at any time you need it, or import it later into another computer.

group-policy-backup

Import GPO into Another PC

To restore Local Group Policy settings from the backup, import them by running the following command:
LGPO.exe /g backup_path

import-group-policy-via-cmd

Once imported, restart your computer for the local group policy settings to take effect.

Conclusion

This method can help you easily deploy local group policy settings to other computers. As we all know, the Local Group Policy Editor is not present in Windows Home edition so you’re unable to edit the group policy locally. The LGPO utility makes it possible to copy the group policy settings from Windows Pro/Enterprise to Windows Home.

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Posted in Free Software, Others, Tips & Tricks, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista, Windows XP

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Fix: Sound Icon Missing from Taskbar in Windows 10

October 13th, 2016 by Admin

The sound / volume icon is missing from the taskbar….how do you get it back? With the sound icon disappeared, it’s extremely inconvenient to adjust the sound volume on your PC. In this tutorial we’ll show you 3 ways to fix the issue: sound icon missing from taskbar in Windows 10.

sound-icon-at-taskbar

Method 1: Restore Windows 10 Sound Icon from Settings

  1. Open Settings app by clicking its icon in Start menu or pressing Windows logo + I hotkey.

  2. Click on Personalization.

    personalization

  3. Select Taskbar from the left-hand navigation, then click the Turn system icons on or off link.

    taskbar-settings

  4. Make sure that the Volume is set to On.

    turn-volume-system-icon-on

    If it’s greyed out, you need to turn on Windows 10 Sound Icon using the following group policy or registry hack.

Method 2: Restore Windows 10 Sound Icon Using Group Policy

  1. Press Windows Key + R and enter gpedit.msc. Press OK to open Local Group Policy Editor.
  2. In the left pane navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar. In the right pane locate “Remove the volume control icon” and double-click it.

    remove-volume-control-icon

  3. Make sure that Not Configured or Disabled option is selected. Click Apply and then OK.

    enable-volume-icon

    Restore your computer and the sound icon should be back at Windows 10 taskbar.

Method 3: Restore Windows 10 Sound Icon Using Registry Editor

If Local Group Policy Editor is not available in your PC, try this registry hack to restore the sound icon in Windows 10. Follow these steps:

  1. Press Windows Key + R and enter regedit. Press OK to launch Registry Editor.
  2. In the left pane, navigate to the following key:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
  3. On the right-side, look for the HideSCAVolume entry, double-click on it, change value date to 0 and then click OK.

    HideSCAVolume

  4. Restart your computer and you should see the Volume / Sound icon at the taskbar in Windows 10.

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Reset Windows 10 Password for HP Spectre x360 Laptop

October 12th, 2016 by Admin

Forgot Windows 10 password on your HP Spectre x360 laptop? How can you unlock the computer without a factory reset? If you don’t know how to reset Windows 10 forgotten password, then you’re at very right post. The following is a complete guide on how to reset lost Windows 10 password for HP Spectre x360 laptop when you get locked out.

Part 1: Create a Bootable USB Drive

When you’re locked out of HP Spectre x360 laptop, you need to use another PC for creating a bootable USB drive. Begin by download the PCUnlocker Enterprise (trial version), and then extract the ISO file from the downloaded file (in .zip format).

Download and install the free USB creator software ISO2Disc. Launch ISO2Disc and select the PCUnlocker ISO file you’ve extracted. Select the “GPT (required for UEFI boot)” option and click Start Burn.

Part 2: Boot HP Spectre x360 with USB

Insert the bootable USB drive into your HP Spectre x360 laptop. While turning on the machine, quickly and repeatedly press a key (might be F9 or ESC + F9) to access the Boot Options. Select your USB drive and let your laptop boot from it.

If you still couldn’t access the Boot Options, you can press F10 key to enter into BIOS and change the boot order to USB. Additionally, you can also access BIOS/UEFI from Windows 10 login screen: 2 Options to Access UEFI BIOS Setup in Windows 8 / 10

Part 3: Reset Windows 10 Password

Once the laptop successfully boots from USB drive, you’ll see the PCUnlocker program and it lists all user accounts detected in your Windows 10 SAM file. Select a user and click on “Reset Password” button.

A pop-up window will appear, asking to confirm you are ready to reset the password. Click Yes. Reboot your laptop and unplug the USB drive. You can then log on to your HP Spectre x360 laptop without a password!

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5 Ways to Stop or Start SQL Server Service

October 11th, 2016 by Admin

How to stop a local SQL Server instance from command line or PowerShell? In this tutorial we’ll show you 5 simple ways to stop or start SQL Server service in SQL Server 2016/2014/2012/2005.

Method 1: Stop / Start SQL Server Service from Microsoft Services Console

  1. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run box. Type services.msc and press Enter.
  2. This will open the Microsoft Services console. Find the service called SQL Server (instant name) and then double-click on it.

    sql-server-service

  3. In the Properties dialog box, you can see that the service name of my SQL Server instance is MSSQL$SQLEXPRESS. From there you can click the Stop button if your SQL Server service is running, or click the Start button to get the service up and running.

    stop-sql-server-service

Method 2: Stop / Start SQL Server Service from Command Line

  1. Open an elevated Command Prompt.
  2. To stop a named SQL Server instance, type the following command. Replace SQLEXPRESS with the instance name.
    net stop MSSQL$SQLEXPRESS

    start-sql-server-command-line

    To start a named SQL Server instance, type:
    net start MSSQL$SQLEXPRESS

Method 3: Stop / Start SQL Server Service from SQL Server Configuration Manager

  1. To get started, you need to open SQL Server Configuration Manager. In Windows Server 2008 or 2003, you can click Start > Programs -> Microsoft SQL Server > Configuration Tools > SQL Server Configuration Manager.
  2. In the left pane of SQL Server Configuration Manager, click SQL Server Services. We can see all services in right pane. Right-click on SQL Server service and you can then select Stop or Start from the context menu.

    sql-server-configuration-manager

Method 4: Stop / Start SQL Server Service from PowerShell

  1. Open the PowerShell as administrator.
  2. You can use the Start-Service cmdlet to stop your SQL Server service. Replace SQLEXPRESS with the instance name.
    Start-Service -Name 'MSSQL$SQLEXPRESS'

    start-sql-server-powershell

    Or use the Stop-Service cmdlet to start your SQL Server service.
    Stop-Service -Name 'MSSQL$SQLEXPRESS'

Method 5: Stop / Start SQL Server Service from SQL server Management Studio

  1. Open SQL server Management Studio and connect to your SQL Server instance.
  2. Right-click on the server in Object Explorer, you’ll have options to Stop, Start, Pause, Resume and Restart your SQL Server service. If we are not already connected, we can’t start a stopped instance.

    stop-sql-server-via-ssms

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2 Ways to Reset Forgotten Windows Server 2016 Password

October 10th, 2016 by Admin

What to do if you forgot the administrator password in Windows Server 2016? As a IT administrator, you should have ever experienced trouble logging into a server with unknown password, so in this post we’ll show two simple ways to reset forgotten Windows Server 2016 administrator password. These methods work on other Windows versions as well.

forgot-server-2016-password

Method 1: Reset Windows Server 2016 Password with Installation Disk

If you have the original Windows installation disk, you can reset forgotten Windows Server 2016 password by following these steps:

  1. Boot the server from the Windows Server 2016 Installation DVD. When the Setup screen appears, press SHIFT + F10 keys to open Command Prompt.
  2. At the Command Prompt, run the following commands:
    d:
    cd Windows\System32
    ren Utilman.exe Utilman.exe.original
    copy cmd.exe Utilman.exe
    shutdown -r -t 0

    replace-utilman-with-cmd

  3. The server should now reboot and present the logon screen. Press Windows Key + U or click the Ease of Access button, Command Prompt will pop up and type:
    net user Administrator P@ssword123

    reset-windows-server-2016-passwordThis will set the password for the Administrator to be P@ssword123 (case sensitive).

  4. Close the Command Prompt and you should now be able to log back onto Windows Server 2016 using the password you have provided in the previous step. After logging in, browse to the directory C:\Windows\System32, delete Utilman.exe and rename Utilman.exe.original back to Utilman.exe.

Method 2: Reset Windows Server 2016 Password with PCUnlocker

PCUnlocker is easy to use bootable utility that can help you reset domain & local administrator password in Windows Server 2016. Here’s how:

  1. Boot your server from PCUnlocker Live CD (or USB drive). If you don’t have one, you need to create it from another working PC. Download the PCUnlocker ISO file and burn it to CD (or USB drive) using the ISO2Disc software.

  2. When booting to the PCUnlocker program, you’ll see two options: Reset Local Admin/User Password, Reset Active Directory Password. The latter option is for domain controller only.

    pcunlocker

  3. Select the Administrator account and click the Reset Password button. Depend on your account type (local account or domain account), the program will set the password to be empty or Password123.

    reset-server-2016-domain-password

  4. After resetting the password, reboot the server and take out CD. You can then log into Windows Server 2016 administrator account successfully.

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How to Add Missing Disk Cleanup in Windows Server 2012

October 8th, 2016 by Admin

With the release of Windows Server 2008, the disk cleanup utility is no longer installed by default for Windows Server OS. Microsoft placed disk cleanup within an optional feature called “Desktop Experience”. In this tutorial we’ll walk you through the steps to add missing disk cleanup in Windows Server 2012.

disk cleanup

How to Add Missing Disk Cleanup in Windows Server 2012?

  1. Launch Server Manager by clicking its icon on the taskbar. From the Server Manager Dashboard, select Add roles and features.

    add-roles-and-features

  2. Select Role-based or features-based installation from the Installation Type screen and click Next.

    select-installation-type

  3. The current server is selected by default. Click Next.

    select-destination-server

  4. Ignore the Server Roles page by clicking Next.

    select-server-roles

  5. From the Features page, expand the “User Interfaces and Infrastructure” feature and select the “Desktop Experience” component.

    desktop-experience

    A popup window will appear explaining additional roles services or features are also required to install Desktop Experience, click Add Features.

    add-required-features

  6. Review the installation and then click Install.

    confirm-installation

  7. After installing, reboot your computer. You can then open the disk cleanup utility from the Command Prompt or Control Panel.

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5 Ways to Launch Server Manager in Windows Server 2012

October 8th, 2016 by Admin

Server Manager is a management console (MMC) in Windows Server 2012 that allows you to add server roles / features, manage and deploy server remotely. In this tutorial we’ll show you 5 ways to launch Server Manager in Windows Server 2012.

server-manager

Method 1: Launch Server Manager from Command Line

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box, or open the Command Prompt. Type ServerManager and press Enter.

run-server-manager

This should be the most common and quickest way to open Server Manager in Windows Server 2012 / 2008.

Method 2: Launch Server Manager from Taskbar

By default, the Server Manager shortcut is pinned to the taskbar. Just click the Server Manager icon and you can run Server Manager immediately.

server-manager-in-taskbar

Method 3: Launch Server Manager from Start Screen

Click the Start button to open the Start Screen.

server-manager-in-start-screen

As you can see in the picture above, the Metro interface gives you access to Server Manager.

Method 4: Launch Server Manager Using PowerShell

Open PowerShell in Windows Server 2012. Type ServerManager and press Enter.

run-server-manager-via-powershell

Method 5: Create a Desktop Shortcut to Launch Server Manager

Right-click on any empty space on your desktop. Select New -> Shortcut from the context menu.

new-desktop-shortcut

Type ServerManager in the shortcut location box and click Next.

specify-shortcut-location

Give a name for the shortcut and click Finish.

type-name-for-shortcut

You should now see a new desktop shortcut on the desktop. Double-click it and you can launch Server Manager quickly.

server-manager-shortcut

That’s it!

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How to Enable USB Write Protection in Windows 10, 8 and 7

October 1st, 2016 by Admin

Worry about someone copying files off your PC via USB drive? The most common solution is to disable or restrict the usage of USB ports. In this tutorial we’ll show you another way to enable write protection of all USB drives that are connected to your Windows operating system.

How to Enable USB Write Protection in Windows 10, 8 and 7?

  1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box. Type regedit and press Enter.

    regedit-via-run

  2. This will open the Registry Editor. Navigate to the following key:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control
  3. Right-click on the Control key in the left pane, select New -> Key. Name it as StorageDevicePolicies.

    new-registry-key

  4. Select the StorageDevicePolicies key in the left pane, then right-click on any empty space in the right pane and select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it WriteProtect.

    new-dword-value

  5. Double-click on WriteProtect and then change the value data from 0 to 1.

    usb-write-protect

  6. The new setting takes effect immediately. Every user who tries to copy / move data to USB devices or format USB drive will get the error message “The disk is write-protected“. We can only open the file in the USB drive for reading, but it’s not allowed to modify and save the changes back to USB drive.

    disk-is-write-protected

So this is how you can enable write protection to all connected USB drives. If you want to disable write protection at a later time, just open Registry Editor and set the WriteProtect value to 0.

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How to Reset Local Group Policy Settings to Default with / without Login

September 30th, 2016 by Admin

Is there a way to bypass group policy? Group policy settings are messed up? You might be restricted from modifying certain system settings or you’re denied to log on to Windows. In this tutorial we’ll show you a simple way to reset local group policy settings to default, even if you couldn’t log into Windows.

Where Group Policy Settings are Stored

A local Group Policy object exists on every Windows-based computer, including Windows Home edition. The Local Group Policy is divided into two broad categories – Computer Configuration and User Configuration. All system-wide policies are stored under Computer Configuration, while user-specific settings are stored under User Configuration.

The group policy settings are stored in a file named Registry.pol under your system drive.

  • Computer-wide settings (Computer Configuration) – %SystemRoot%\System32\ GroupPolicy\Machine\registry.pol
  • User-specific settings (User Configuration) – %SystemRoot%\System32\ GroupPolicy\User\registry.pol

group-policy-location

Now that we know where the group policy settings are stored, we can reset them to default easily. No need to reinstall Windows when your group policy is messed up.

Method 1: Reset Local Group Policy Settings to Default After Login

  1. Open an elevated Command Prompt in Windows.
  2. At the Command Prompt, type the following commands one by one, press Enter after each.
    RD /S /Q "C:\Windows\System32\GroupPolicy"
    RD /S /Q "C:\Windows\System32\GroupPolicyUsers"

    This will delete all your group policy settings (Registry.pol) stored on your computer.

    reset-group-policy-to-default

  3. Now you’ve reset the group policy objects to default. Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Method 2: Reset Local Group Policy Settings to Default without Login

When you’re unable to boot or log into Windows any longer, or you have insufficient privileges to open up Command Prompt, just boot your PC from Windows installation disc and you can reset local group policy to default from outside Windows.

  1. Boot your PC with Windows installation DVD. When you comes to the Windows Setup screen, press SHIFT + F10 keys to open the Command Prompt.

  2. At the Command Prompt, use the dir command to find the drive where your Windows is installed.

    find-windows-partition

  3. Run the following commands one by one. Replace D:\ with the drive letter of your Windows partition.

    RD /S /Q "D:\Windows\System32\GroupPolicy"
    RD /S /Q "D:\Windows\System32\GroupPolicyUsers"

    reset-group-policy-settings

  4. When it’s done, quit Windows Setup and take out the DVD, reboot your computer and the local group policies should have been reset to default. When you later make changes with the group policy, Windows will create a new Registry.pol file to store your settings.

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Posted in Tips & Tricks, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8

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