Golder rule for Sys Admins - 3

Treat others as you would want to be treated.

A quick reminder about one of life’s golden rules: treat others as you would want to be treated. It’s the classic, timeless advice that never goes out of style. In practice—especially when helping others—listen carefully, respond patiently, and guide them clearly. This approach not only resolves issues efficiently but also builds trust and satisfaction.

It’s a principle of empathy and respect that guides interactions in both personal and professional life.

Golder rule for sys admins -2

 Stick to Tested Software

Golden rule for sys admins: always stick to using tested software instead of new ones. New software can be a bit tricky and may require more time and attention. So, before you go ahead and implement any new software in our organization, make sure to test it on yourself first.

Why it matters:

1. Reduces risk: Avoids unexpected errors, downtime, or compatibility issues.

2. Saves time: Tested software is familiar and easier to manage.

3. Ensures reliability: Users and IT staff can trust it to perform as expected.

4. Improves efficiency: Less troubleshooting means more productive work.

Best Practices:

• Test any new software personally before rolling it out organization-wide.

• Evaluate stability, compatibility, and user-friendliness during the test phase.

• Only deploy new software after confirming it works reliably in your environment.

• Keep documentation of testing results for reference.

 

Setting Outlook Group Policies

When you are in an Active Directory network environment, you can set Outlook policies to enforce settings on a specific or a group of users or computers.

This is mainly to be used to change or limit the default behavior of Outlook in a corporate environment but can also be useful in some home environments. For instance, as a home user you might want to set policies on what your children can and cannot do in Outlook.

This article explains how you can set Group Policies for Outlook and which tools are needed for it.

• Download and install the Office Policy Templates
• Setting Policies in an Active Directory network environment
• Setting Policies on the local computer

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Download and install the Office Policy Templates

The Group Policy Administrative Templates and documentation files are specific for each Office version. Use the links below to download the correct template files for your Outlook version.

• Office 2010 Policy Templates
• Office 2013 Policy Templates
• Office 2016, Office 2019, Office 2021 (LTSC) and Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise Policy Templates

Installing the Office Policy Templates

After downloading the Office policy templates, you must install them before you can use them. While there are separate packages for the 32-bit and 64-bit AdminTemplates, this only applies to the Office Customization Tools (OCT) and not the policy templates themselves. The adm and admx templates in both packages are exactly the same.

1. Run the installer and accept the License Agreement.
2. Select a location to extract the file to. For example: C:\OfficePolicies
3. Open the folder in Explorer, select all the ADMX-files from the ADMX folder and the ADML-files from the en-us folder (or your localized language when available) and copy them to;
   C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions
   • If you want to control a Active Directory network environment, then you can also copy them to the Sysvol\Domain\Policies\PolicyDefinitions folder on a domain controller.
4. If you get prompted whether you want to overwrite the files, choose “Yes to All”.
   If you get prompted by User Account Control (UAC), press Continue or provide Administrator level credentials.

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Setting Policies in an Active Directory network environment

This method describes how you can set Group Policies for clients in a corporate Active Directory environment. Aside from installing the policy templates for your Office version(s), you’ll need the Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) to edit and set the policies.

Download: RSAT for Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit)
Download: RSAT for Windows 8 (32-bit and 64-bit)
Download: RSAT for Windows 8.1 (32-bit and 64-bit)
Download: RSAT for Windows 10 (32-bit and 64-bit) (Version 1803 and earlier)

Install RSAT for Windows 11 and Windows 10 (Version 1809 and later)

Windows 11 and Windows 10, Version 1809 and later, have the RSAT built-in as “Optional features”. You can install the Group Policy Management Tools Console (GPMC) in the following way;

• Windows 10
  Start-> Settings-> Apps-> Optional features-> Add a feature-> select: RSAT: Group Policy Management Tools
• Windows 11
  Start-> Settings-> Apps-> Optional features-> View features-> select: RSAT: Group Policy Management Tools

Group Policy Management Console (GPMC)

1. The GPMC can be opened in several ways. Some are;
   • Start-> type (to search); Group Policy Management
   • Start-> type (to search); gpmc.msc
   • Start-> and from the All apps list choose; Windows Administrative Tools-> Group Policy Management
   • Control panel-> Administrative Tools-> Group Policy Management.
   • Run-> type; gpmc.msc
   • Run-> type; mmc-> File-> Add/Remove Snap-in-> Group Policy Management

2. In the left column, browse to the folder Group Policy Objects and select the Policy you wish to enforce Outlook policies on.

   
   The Group Policy Management Console with the Default Domain Policy GPO selected.

3. Right click the Policy and choose Edit…
4. The policy templates which you installed for Outlook will be loaded automatically under;
   User Configuration-> Policies-> Microsoft Office Outlook version.

5. You now will see Outlook listed and you can now enforce settings.

   
   The Outlook 2016 policy template loaded in the Group Policy Management Editor.

Setting Policies on the local computer

Once you’ve installed the Group Policy Administrative Templates of your Office version, you can also control the Office policies on your own computer via the Group Policy Editor.

Your computer can but doesn’t need to be part of a domain for this.

Note:
The Group Policy Editor is not available when you are using a “Home” version of Windows.

1. You can open the Group Policy Editor in the following way;
   Start-> type; gpedit.msc
2. The policy templates which you installed for Outlook will be loaded automatically under;
   User Configuration-> Administrative Templates-> Microsoft Office Outlook version.

3. You now will see Outlook listed and you can now enforce settings. Some of the settings will only take effect after you restart your computer.

   
   The Outlook 2016 policy template loaded in the local Group Policy Editor.

    

   Source: https://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/policies.htm

    
   

Reset network configuration

 

This commands I use almost every second day

Resetting the network stack in command line

1. Type ipconfig /release and press Enter.
2. Type ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter.
3. Type ipconfig /renew and press Enter. (This will stall for a moment.)
4. Type netsh int ip reset and press Enter. (Don't restart yet.)
5. Type netsh winsock reset and press Enter.

Reset Network and Internet Settings in Windows 10 Settings

1. Go to Start – Settings, which are hidden behind the gear icon (or press the Win + I key).
2. Select “Network and Internet”, then “Status”.
3. At the bottom of the network status page, click on “Reset Network”.
4. Click on “Reset Now”.

Steps to Reset Network Settings Using System Settings in Android

1. Open your phone's settings app by tapping the Settings shortcut on your home screen.
2. Scroll down and select System.
3. Select Reset options at the bottom.
4. Choose Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth.
5. Start the reset process by tapping Reset settings..

Paint app update adding support for layers and transparency begins rolling out to Windows Insiders

 You can now add, remove, and manage layers on the canvas to create richer and more complex digital art. With layers, you can stack shapes, text, and other image elements on top of each other. To get started, click on the new Layers button in the toolbar, which will open a panel on the side of the canvas. This is where you can add new layers to the canvas. Try changing the order of layers in this panel to see how the order of stacked image elements on the canvas changes. You can also show or hide and duplicate individual layers or merge layers together.

I know what you download )

 I Know What You Download' has been tracking BitTorrent users for years. It has a database of more than nine million torrents and detects more than 100 million instances of sharing every day. It is not a pirate site, it's a service that tracks BitTorrent users. Unfortunately, fellow piracy tracking companies - including some of the most prominent in the world - have no ability to tell the difference.

https://iknowwhatyoudownload.com

 

I use this site to make sure no one use torrents in organization.

 It is 100% accurate for me 

Users with dynamic IP addresses researching themselves may be presented with false alarms, but as a broad research tool operating in an undeserved niche, the service works as advertised.

 

Golden rule for sys admins- 1

 Backup everything and make sure to regularly validate those backups.

Backing up your data is absolutely crucial in case anything goes wrong. It's like having a safety net to fall back on if something unexpected happens. So, make it a habit to back up all your important files, configurations, and databases regularly.

Why it matters:

1. Protects against data loss: Hardware failure, ransomware, or human error won’t destroy your data.

2. Ensures business continuity: Quick recovery keeps operations running smoothly.

3. Reduces risk: Validating backups ensures they are complete and usable.

4. Complies with regulations: Many industries require reliable backup procedures.

Best Practices:

• Back up all critical data and system configurations, not just files.

• Store backups offsite or in the cloud in addition to local copies.

• Schedule regular automated backups to reduce human error.

• Test restores regularly to confirm backups are reliable.

• Keep a backup retention policy to manage storage and versioning.