Tag: Windows

PowerShell license tips

Published on in Management, PowerShell, Windows, Windows Server by Elvis

Well as I know many users are trying to find Windows key with some key viewer software. Nothing wrong, but this software is not always “nice” and can do something else than just show you a key. Of course, with Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 you have many times a key in BIOS, so there is no need to search for it.
Anyway, if you feel better when you have a key printed on a piece of paper, you can do that simply with one PowerShell cmdlet:

Get-WmiObject -query ‘select * from SoftwareLicensingService’

This will show you more than only a key. There are a lot of information on licensing, like KMS server, OS version, … In some cases it can be useful.

WIndows 10 Annual update error 0xc1900200

Published on in Windows by Elvis

I recently bought Minix Z83 mini PC and the first think I did was to upgrade it to the latest version of OS. Unfortunately, I received immediately an upgrade error with a code 0xc1900200. This means that UEFI partition on the disk is too small. It should be at least 350MB, but deployed size is 64MB.
Well, no problem, you have just to resize the partition and this is very simple. I use a tool named EaseUS Partition Master, which gave me very good results everywhere. But there was a second disappointment: I was not able to move or resize the partition “Other” with size 16MB and in Minix forums there is no explanation what this partition is used for or if I can delete it.
I did some research what to do with current file system, why we have an additional partition and finding some answers I decided to delete this 16MB partition.
So, my steps to solve the problem were:

  • Install and start EaseUS Partition Master
  • Resize the system partition (C:) in a way to reduce size for 270MB and apply free space in a front of partition
  • Restart the computer (EaseUS needs to restart a computer to apply changes on system partition)
  • Start EaesUS Partition Master again
  • Delete the partition with the size 16MB
  • Resize UEFI partition to 350MB
  • Apply all changes (You can see the final situation on the image)
  • Close EaseUS Partition Master and restart the computer
  • Update Windows with Windows 10 Upgrade Assistant.


This step will guarantee you to upgrade your OS to the latest version and avoid problems in the future. The steps are valid also for other systems and other configurations, but be careful when you have more than only needed partitions. Any additional partition is there for some reason and is better to find why before you remove or resize it.

WIndows Server 2016 and Sync Host

Published on in Windows Server by Elvis

Many administrators (including me) are not happy with two services in Server 2016. This services are OneSyncSvc (synchronizes mail, contacts, calendar and various other user data) and Download Maps Manager (for application access to downloaded maps) and are really not critical on server OS.


This is the reason why, you can disable them in almost all cases without any deep research. Anyway, when you try to disable OneSyncSvc from services console, you will receive an error, as this service cannot be disabled. At this point, use a trick and disable both services form elevated command prompt using commands:
sc config “OneSyncSvc” start= disabled
sc config “MapsBroker” start= disabled
Of course, before you run this commands, services have to be stopped, otherwise you will receive an error. You can do this also from command prompt:
sc stop “OneSyncSvc”
sc stop “MapsBroker”
This two simple commands will put services into startup type “disabled” and errors in Server Manager that are related to non-running services will disappear. Problem solved.

WannaCrypt Malware

Published on in Essentials Server, Management, Windows, Windows SBS Server, Windows Server by Elvis

Of course you have heard about the new malware, which yesterday created a lot of problems in industry. Unfortunately it is not an unknown problem.
Microsoft released a patch for this type of vulnerability already in March, but it seems once again that administrators are not patching their systems.
So, if you haven’t patched your systems at least every month, if you haven’t patched your system from March, is time to do it. And don’t forget to have a good defense system (antivirus and other prevention mechanisms). Update them to!
You can find additional information in this link.

Here is a link to post how was neutralized and who did this.
Anyway, we have already a version 2.0; you can read about this version here.
Again, please patch your systems! This update will solve a vulnerability. And don’t forget: this is not the first malware who was written on known vulnerability – patch your systems constantly!
Additionally, please disable SMB1 protocol – it is not new that it is not secure. Here and here are some guidelines how to do it via GPO.

Have your forgotten your Local Administrator password?

Published on in Uncategorized, Windows, Windows Server by Elvis

Well, if the computer is yours and you have physical access to it, than you can solve it.
This procedure will work with Windows 8.x and newer and Windows server 2012 and newer. It is not a real hacking technology, but we will use a hole of the operating system.
All we need in this case is to open a shell with enough high privileges before we are asked for the password. Impossible? Not really.
We will do it in a simple way:

  • Insert installation media to your computer and start it from installation media
  • In installation process select Repair your computer

  • In Choose your option select Troubleshoot and then Command prompt

  • Find the partition where Windows are installed (default is C:) and change directory to Windows\System32 (cd \\Windows\\System32)
  • For server systems you have to rename file “UserInit.exe” to something else, using command Ren UserInit.exe Userinit.Old and replace the missing file with cmd by copying a file with command copy cmd.exe userinit.exe
  • For windows systems you have to rename the file “Utilman.exe” to something else, using the command Ren Utilman.exe Utilman.Old and replace the missing file with cmd by copying a file with command copy cmd.exe Utilman.exe

  • Restart the computer to boot into normal operating system (where you forgot the password)
  • Click on Easy of Access icon and a Command prompt window will open. To clarify, this Command shell is opened as system, so you can do a lot of things here.

  • If Administrator account is disabled (Windows 8.x or 10), first you need to enable it with command Net user Administrator /enable:yes
  • Reset password of Administrator account with command Net user Administrator MyPassword, where MyPassword is your new password

  • Close command prompt and login to your System.

Do not use this procedure for hacking. This article is meant for recovering your passwords and passwords for your clients and will not recover domain passwords.