Category Archives: Microsoft Applications
Temporarily Changing Environment Variables for a Single Session in Windows
There are situations where you need to run an application using different environment variable values without permanently modifying system or user settings. This is common in troubleshooting, testing, or working within locked down corporate environments. Windows allows environment variables to be overridden per session, meaning the changes only apply to the current Command Prompt or […]
How to connect to MS 365 Admin and Exchange via Powershell
If you manage Microsoft 365, you will typically use two PowerShell modules: Exchange Online PowerShell (ExchangeOnlineManagement) for mail, recipients, transport rules, and mailbox settings. Microsoft Graph PowerShell (Microsoft.Graph) for broader Microsoft 365 and Entra ID administration (users, groups, licensing, devices, and more). This guide shows the exact commands to get connected, plus a detailed breakdown […]
Understanding DNS in Active Directory
How Domain Controllers, SRV Records, Kerberos, and NETLOGON Actually Work When most people think of DNS, they think of simple name resolution. A hostname resolves to an IP address, and that is it. In an Active Directory environment, DNS plays a much deeper role. It is not just name resolution. It is service discovery, […]
Convert an Exchange Online User Mailbox to a Shared Mailbox Using PowerShell
Converting a user mailbox to a shared mailbox is a common offboarding and delegation workflow in Microsoft 365. It lets a team continue to access a mailbox (and optionally send as it) without requiring the mailbox to remain a licensed user, as long as you stay within shared mailbox limits. When this is the right […]
How to Fix the “Your Organization Manages Updates” Error in PC Health Check
Fixing the “Your Organization Manages Updates” Error in PC Health Check When running Microsoft’s PC Health Check app, some users encounter a misleading warning stating that updates are managed by their organization. This message can appear even on personal or standalone systems that are not joined to a domain, not enrolled in MDM, and […]
adsiedit.msc vs dsa.msc: Two Active Directory Tools Every Admin Should Understand
adsiedit.msc vs dsa.msc: Two Active Directory Tools Every Admin Should Understand If you manage Active Directory (AD), you will eventually encounter two long-standing Microsoft management consoles: adsiedit.msc (ADSI Edit) dsa.msc (Active Directory Users and Computers, commonly called ADUC) Although they both interact with the same directory, they serve very different purposes. One is designed for […]
Restore the original Windows Photo Viewer in Windows 11
How to Restore Windows Photo Viewer in Windows 11 Many users still prefer the speed and simplicity of the classic Windows Photo Viewer. Although Microsoft did not remove the program itself, the registry entries that associate image file types with Photo Viewer were removed during the upgrade from Windows 10. This is why Photo Viewer […]
Microsoft Outlook – Advanced Email Search Cheat Sheet
With the sheer volume of emails flooding our inboxes daily, it’s no wonder that tracking down that one important message can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. I’m often asked how to make Outlook work for you, especially when you’re trying to locate a specific email buried in the chaos. This article […]
Excel VLOOKUP Explained: Step-by-Step Example
How to Use VLOOKUP in Excel (Step-by-Step Example) VLOOKUP is one of Excel’s most commonly used formulas. It allows you to search for a value in a table and return related data from another column in the same row. In this example, we will use VLOOKUP to convert a province code into a full […]