In this blog, I will show you how to take screenshots using snipping tools in Windows 11. Snipping is a useful tool native to Windows 11 for taking screenshots and simple editing. I have been using professional screen capture and editing software for a long time, so when I decided to write this blog, I worked from virtually zero experience. As it turns out, Snipping has a few peculiarities, so it was also a learning curve for yours truly.
Take Screenshots using Snipping Tool
The most recommended method for opening the Snipping tool is to use the keyboard shortcut Windows key + SHIFT + S. However, this technique has its limitations. That keyboard combination does not open the full Snipping app but merely opens a control bar positioned at the top centre of the screen.
The following options are available. Rectangle Window Full screen Freeform
You can select the type of screenshot you want to take: rectangular, Freeform, Window, or Fullscreen. When using this method, the screenshot does not open in the Snipping app but is automatically saved to the Clipboard. That’s fine if you want to copy and paste the screenshot into a document.
Editing Screenshots Created by Snipping Tool
If you use the keyboard shortcut method and the screenshot is saved to the Clipboard, but you want to apply edits or annotations, you will need to open it in Paint.
Open Paint Highlight the screenshot in the Clipboard “mouse over” and press CTRL + C to copy. Click on Paint and press CTRL + V to paste. If you want to apply simple edits to a screenshot, you’re better off launching the full Snipping tool app. Open the Start menu, scroll down the list of programs, and click the Snipping tool.
Click on three dots and select open file.
If you’d like to use a shortcut to the Windows taskbar, you’d prefer. Click the Snipping tool item in the list of all programs, select More, and then Pin to the taskbar. Clicking New will open the control bar, take your screenshot, and the result will appear in the body of the Snipping app and be ready to edit.
Clicking the down arrow key adjacent to New will open a delayed capture menu (which is not available via the control bar).
The sniping tool is quite basic and, as stated, does include a few peculiarities. However, it is a significant advantage that it is already available as part of Windows 10. Snipping is suitable for basic screenshots and simple editing.
This blog will examine how to restrict control panel access with group policy. You will learn how to disable the control panel access for specific users. I will also teach you how to select only specific control panel items.
The control panel provides access to several different system settings. In a business network, you likely don’t want your users to be able to modify these settings. The good news is that you can use group policy to restrict access to the items in the control panel.
Restrict Control Panel Access via Group Policy
How to Disable Control Panel for Specific Users
In this example, I will disable the control panel for all users in the Sales OU. Open the group policy management console. Go to the OU where you want to restrict control panel access. Right-click and choose “Create a GPO in this domain, and Link it here”
Type the GPO name. I will name it “Access Control Panel”
Right-click on the created GPO and select edit.
Browse to:
User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Control Panel
Double clicks to open the policy “Prohibit access to Control Panel and PC Settings”.
Select Enabled to enable this policy and click on OK.
I will log onto a computer and verify that access to the control panel is blocked. Type the command:
gpupdate /force
I’m logged into the computer as a user in the Sales OU. When trying to access the control panel, the user receives the message below.
If someone logs into a computer in a different OU, they still have access to the control panel. If you want to apply this policy to specific users in different OUs, you need to use group policy filtering.
Show Only Specified Control Panel Items
If you want users to have access to only specific control panel items, follow these instructions. On the group policy management console. Right-click on an OU and select “Create a GPO in this domain, and Link it here”
Give the GPO a name. “Limit Control Panel Items”.
Now, right-click on the created GPO and select edit.
Browse to:
User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Control Panel
Double-click to open the policy “Show only specified Control Panel items”.
Click on Enabled and click on the Show button.
To display a control panel item, you must enter the control panel item’s canonical name. Refer to the Microsoft Canonical names of control panel items to see a full list of canonical names.
I will allow access to devices and printers and Internet options.
Devices and Printers
Canonical name: Microsoft.DevicesAndPrinters GUID: {A8A91A66-3A7D-4424-8D24-04E180695C7A} Supported OS: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 Module name: @%systemroot%\system32\DeviceCenter.dll,-1000
Internet Options
Canonical name: Microsoft.InternetOptions GUID: {A3DD4F92-658A-410F-84FD-6FBBBEF2FFFE} Supported OS: Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 Module name: @C:\Windows\System32\inetcpl.cpl,-4312 Pages
I will then insert the canonical names into the GPO settings.
Click ok and OK again. Login to your computer and update the group policy with the below command.
Gpupdate /force
When the user opens the control panel, they can only access the items listed in the GPO. In the below example, the user only has access to the devices and printers and internet options control panel items.
In this blog, I will walk you through how to schedule Windows reboot with Group Policy. This guide will be compatible with a Windows Server 2022 or a client operating system (Windows 10, 11).
Creating Group Policy to Schedule Windows Reboot
From a domain controller, create a group policy on the OU that includes the computers you want to restart, right-click on it, click Create a GPO in this domain, and link it here.
Right-click on scheduled tasks, click go to New and then click on Scheduled task (at least Windows 7).
On the General tab, name the task and indicate the user NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM.
We will now configure the triggers of the scheduled task. Select the Triggers tab and click on the New button.
Specify a scheduled time, select Daily to configure the execution time as per the requirement and click on ok to create the trigger.
The trigger is added.
Now, we are going to add our action, to restart a Windows computer. Select the Actions tab and click on New.
Action: choose Start a program In the Program/script field: Type the below path:
C:\Windows\System32\shutdown.exe
Specify the following parameters: -s -t 0 -f to configure computer shutdown. (f for shutdown and type r for restart) Click OK
Select Apply and OK.
The scheduled task is added.
Our scheduled task is almost ready, and we need to configure the task to operate with the user not logged in and the highest privileges. Open the task by double-clicking on it; as shown in the screenshot below, the user has been changed.
Specify the NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM user again. Select whether the user is logged in or not Check the box Run with highest privileges. Click OK
Group Policy is ready.
How to Verify Group Policy on a Computer
From a PC where group policy applies, use the gpupdate /force command to update the GPOs and then restart the computer. From a PC where group policy applies, use the gpupdate /force command to update the GPOs and then restart the computer.
After restarting the system, log in to the task scheduler and then the task scheduler; you must open the task scheduler as an administrator, otherwise, you will only see the scheduled tasks of the logged-in user. As we can see, the scheduled task has been added, and the computer will automatically reboot every day as you configured it.
Conclusion:
In this blog, you have learned how to create a group policy to create a scheduled task and how to program the automatic restart or shutdown of computers. This solution effectively allows the automatic shutdown of computers at a scheduled time; however, it is not possible to stop the task if, for some reason x or y, a user is still working on the computer. will be turned off.
In this blog, we will learn how to delete old user profiles from Windows 11. There may be a chance when you need to remove a user profile from your computer. Although this can be stressful, it is not as difficult as you might think. Here’s all you need to know. Sometimes, a user may want to delete a user’s profile from Windows 11 for various reasons. These reasons may include file corruption inside the user’s profile, specific apps misbehaving, or a complete reset from the user to get a fresh start.
Administrators should sometimes delete old users (retired or inactive users, etc.) from C:\Users on Windows workstations and servers. The Windows user profile cleanup task is most commonly employed on Remote Desktop Services terminal servers.
What is a User Profile on Windows
A user profile is a directory of stored user settings and information for the connected user account. To understand it better, take the following steps. Power on your PC/laptop with the Windows 11 operating system and click on the This PC icon. Here, you will likely see a drive with the name Local Disk (C:) click on it. Now, click on users to verify all user profiles on your system. You can view the content in a user profile. It contains various files and folders where information is stored.
In addition, a user account is your entry point to enter Windows 11. The user profile is created while installing your Windows installation, and you can sign in to your desktop/laptop with a user account and create multiple user profiles inside.
Delete Old User Profile from Windows 11
There are different ways to delete a user profile in Windows 11:
How to manually delete a user profile
Click on This PC icon. You will find one or more hard drives in the Devices and Drive section. Click on Local Disk (C:) or the drive that has the Windows icon. Click on “Users” to check all user profiles on your system. Right-click on the user profile you want to delete and choose to delete. Select the user profile and click on the delete icon to delete a user profile from Windows.
Delete Old User Profile via Registry
Press the Windows + R key to open the Run Command window. Type regedit and click on the ok to open the registry editor.
Locate and open the FileList folder and go to the “ProfileImagePath.” Right-click on this file and select the delete option. You’ll receive a warning message, but you can proceed by clicking Yes. Open the registry editor and restart your PC. You won’t see the deleted profile in the “Users” folder after restarting.
How to Delete a User Profile through System Properties
Open the run command by pressing the Windows + R key. Type “systempropertiesadvanced” and click ok.
Click on the Advanced tab from the top menu and click on the Settings button under the User profile option.
A new user profile will appear. Select the profile you want to delete and click the delete button. Select Yes when a new window appears for confirmation. After restraining the PC, the deleted profile will no longer appear.
How to Delete a User Profile from Settings App
Right-click on the Windows 11 button and select Settings.
Click on Accounts and then open Other Users.
Now select the profile you wish to delete and remove it.
This blog shows you how to configure folder redirection with group policy. How can you redirect a folder on the Windows Server with a group policy? Folder redirection is the method of keeping a profile folder from a network location or other location on the local computer. Most user profiles and settings are stored in a local profile. By redirecting folders, you can access data regardless of which computers you are logged in.
Requirements
Domain Controller Server (SRV2022) Client PC running Windows 11 (Windows11)
Create a Shared Folder
In the C drive, click on the Home tab and click New folder. Enter Redirection, and then press enter.
Right-click the Redirection folder, and then click Properties.
Click on the Sharing tab and click on Share.
Click the drop-down arrow, type Everyone, and click Add.
For Everyone, select the Permission Level Read/Write and click share.
Create a Group Policy to Redirect the Documents Folder
Search Group Policy Management and open it.
Right-click on your local domain, click Create a GPO in this domain and link it here.
In the New GPO dialog box, in the Name box, type Folder Redirection, and click ok.
Now, right-click on the Folder Redirection and select Edit to Configure Folder Redirection with Group Policy.
In the Group Policy Management Editor, Go to:
User Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Folder Redirection
Right-click on Documents and select Properties.
In the Document Properties, on the Target tab, click the setting drop-down arrow. Settings: Select Basic-Redirect everyone’s folder to the same location. From the Target folder location, select Create a folder for each user under the root path. In the Root Path, type \DC2022\Redirection, and select ok.
In the Warning dialog box, select Yes.
Close the Group Policy Management Editor.
How to Test Folder Redirection
Sign in to Windows11 as Windows11\Administrator with the password.
Open the command prompt, enter the following command, and hit Enter:
Gpupdate /force
Type Y and press Enter.
Login again Right-click on Documents and select Properties.
Verify that on the General tab, the Location field has a value of. \SRV2022\Redirection\user.
This blog will guide you through the different ways to access Event Viewer on Windows 11. Event Viewer can be a great tool for system administrators to resolve problems or errors. You can find valuable information about logon events, policy changes, and system and application events. In this blog, we will show you 9 ways to access Event Viewer in Windows 11.
Access Event Viewer in Windows via Run
Press the Windows key + R button to open the Run box. Type eventvwr and press Enter. This will open the Event Viewer right now.
Open Event Viewer via Windows Search
The easiest way to access the Event Viewer on Windows 11 is to search for it on the Start menu. Click on the search bar and type Event Viewer. It should be the first step.
Access Event Viewer in Computer Management
Right-click on This PC icon on your desktop and select Manage from the drop-down menu.
In the Computer Management window, expand the System Tools and select Event Viewer to display the event logs.
Launch Event Viewer Right-Click on Windows 11
Just right-click on the Windows 11 icon and choose Event Viewer.
This blog will teach you how to change download location for Windows 11. Therefore, you can download files directly to wherever you prefer. Windows organizes all your downloaded files and stores them in a “Downloads” folder. If you have downloaded any file from the internet, you should be familiar with the Downloads folder. Although most people don’t change the default location of the downloads folder, Windows offers you an option to do that.
Change Download Location in Windows
I will show you how to change the default download location in Windows 11. It was tested on Windows 10 and works the same way. Open File Explorer on your computer. This is usually the File Folder icon on your Taskbar. Click on it.
Once the File Explorer is open, navigate to the left menu and locate the Downloads icon. This is your Download directory that we want to change. Right-click on it and select Properties.
The Downloads Properties window will appear; click on the Location tab from here. The Location tab shows you which folder the downloads are assigned to. To change this, click the Move button.
The Select a Destination window will open. I suggest you create a Folder on the new drive and call it New Downloads. I have already done this so that I will click on that folder on the E: Drive. After that, click the Select Folder.
You will now be on the Location tab again, displaying the new folder name. Click the Apply button.
Windows requires you to move all downloaded files to the new downloads folder. If you desire all your downloads in one place, click on Yes. You can also skip this and start fresh in the new folder. Click OK Before this can take place, restart your computer.
Change Download Location to Default Location
If you wish to change back to its original location, click the default location button.
How Can I Change My Default Download Location?
If you use the above steps to move the Windows 11 Downloads folder, any files you download online will move to the new location. You can change it multiple times to find the right spot.
Web browsers can define their default download location. Double-check your browser’s settings if newly downloaded files are not showing up in the new location you specified above.
Can You Change the location of Microsoft Download?
No, you can change the download folder location for all recent Windows operating systems. The above method works in Windows 11 and 10 and takes a few minutes to complete.
This blog will explore how to install Remote Server Administration Tools on Windows 10/11, what RSAT is, and how to start using it after installation. The Remote Server Administration Tools allow you to remotely manage roles and features on Windows Server servers from a Windows workstation. RSAT provides graphical MMC snap-ins, command-line tools, and PowerShell modules. RSAT can be installed on Windows Server 2016/2019/2022 and Windows 10 or 11 desktop editions.
The most popular desktop operating system in the world, Windows 11, has many changes, one of which is how we run Remote Server Administration Tools. Here is how to download RSAT tools on a Windows 11 computer.
How to Install Remote Server Administration Tools using PowerShell
Suppose you consider yourself a power user and love all the power tools, power steering, and Powerade. In that case, you may want a more powerful way to install Remote Server Administration Tools. Here’s how to install remote server administration tools in Windows 11 using Windows PowerShell.
You must be an administrator to access RSAT through PowerShell. On Windows 11, type PowerShell in the Windows search bar and click Run as administrator.
List all Remote Server Administration Tools
We will use the PowerShell command to identify which RSAT features are currently installed. Here’s the script.
Get-WindowsCapability -Name RSAT* -Online | Select-Object -Property DisplayName, State
Install a Specific RSAT Tool by Name
Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name "<tool_name>"
Replace with the name of the RSAT you wish to install.
This lists all the RSAT features with their correct PowerShell names. For example, to install Remote Desktop Service Tools, follow this command.
How to install all RSAT features via Windows Settings
Right-click on the Start icon, then click Settings.
In the Windows Settings menu, click Apps, then select Optional features.
On the Optional Features page, select View Features.
Type RSAT into the search field. Select the RSAT features you wish to install, then click Next. Select the feature installation overview, then click Install.
Once installed, to find the RSAT features, enter tools into the Windows search field, then click on Windows Tools.
Windows 11 tools.
How to install RSAT on Windows 10
The newer versions of Windows 10 have Remote Server Administration Tools installed right into the OS. Installing remote server administration tools in Windows 10. Search apps and features in the Windows 10 search bar and open it.
Click Optional features.
Click Add a feature.
Go to the list of optional features until you locate the RSAT features. Select which RSAT features you wish to add, then click Install.
You will be able to see the status of each RSAT feature that is being installed.
In this blog, we can track printer usage with event viewer logs. How do you enable and configure print event logging in Windows, view print history in the Event Viewer, and search or filter print events using PowerShell? Organizations need to audit their print server to determine what data is being printed, its volume, and who is printing sensitive data. Regular auditing will help an organization identify vulnerabilities and focus on working on necessary security measures. Print server audit reports are more important than user management reports.
Track Printer Usage with Event Viewer Logs
You can track printer usage with Windows Event Viewer. All the print jobs sent to the print spooler are logged in the Event Viewer. If you have a print server installed on Windows, you can utilize these logs to organize a simple print audit solution that lets you understand who has printed on your printers, when, and how many pages.
Enable Print Logging with Command Prompt or PowerShell
Furthermore, you can enable Windows print logging using the built-in wevutil utility. Just open an elevated PowerShell or Command Prompt and run the below command.
How to Enable Print Logging in Windows 10/11 and Windows Server 2022
Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box, type eventvwr.msc, and enter to open Event Viewer. In Windows Server 2022, you can access Event Viewer from server manager tools.
When the Event Viewer window opens, go to:
Applications and Services Logs\Microsoft\Windows\PrintService
Right-click on the Operational item and select Properties.
In the Log Properties dialog, select the Enable logging option. You can modify the maximum event log size or enable Overwrite events only to keep recent events.
From this point forward, Event Viewer will log all your print activities, and you can view the event logs under Applications and Services.
Logs\Microsoft\Windows\PrintService\Operatinal
The most intriguing event for printer usage tracking is event 307. Double-click the 307 event.
It tells you which document was printed, how many pages or copies were used, and the printing time.
How to Enable Allow Job Name in Event Logs in Group Policy
You must enable a particular GPO setting if you want the event log to display the file name sent for printing. To open the Local Group Policy Editor, type gpedit.msc in the run box and hit enter.
Double-click on the Allow job name in event logs to enable this option.
Select Enable.
Update group policy settings using the gpupdate /force command.
All print events will be logged into the Event Viewer. Checking Print History on Windows with Event Viewer. You can now view detailed information about all printing events on this computer. Open the Event Viewer and go to:
Applications and Services Logs\Microsoft\Windows\PrintService\Operational
ID 307: Printing a document. Open the event details: The event description contains the following: The print file’s name and the application were printed on it. The name of the user who printed the file. The printer’s name Number of pages printed The file size in bytes
How do I enable Windows Print Service Event logging?
By default, print jobs on Windows Server aren’t logged in the Windows Event Viewer, but they can be accommodating when resolving issues requiring tracing a job from the start to the end of its print trip! It can also be beneficial to assist with troubleshooting printing/driver-related issues.
In this blog, we will provide the different methods to fix Microsoft Remote Desktop session freezes and demonstrate the possible reasons. Remote Desktop appears to freeze constantly if your experience is anything like mine. Mouse clicks seem to work, but the remote screen stops redrawing. The only resolution is to disconnect your Remote Desktop session and establish a new one, only to freeze up again a few minutes later.
There is a solution to this freezing issue. Since I made this change to my computers, remote desktop sessions have stopped responding once on any of them. I work remotely every day, so there are a few hours behind this test. I hope this solution works for you.
Fix Remote Desktop Session Freezes
The connection to the remote computer is excellent, and UDP is enabled. Microsoft says that using the UDP protocol can speed up the Remote Desktop session by reducing the number of retransmissions and enabling work over unstable, high-latency links.
Fix RDP Sessions Freezing Randomly by Running CMD
Search the command prompt in the search box and choose “Run as Administrator.”
In this blog, you will learn how to map network drives via Group Policy in Windows Server 2022. How can I configure a GPO for mapping shared drives and automatically provide users with access when they log on? Providing users with access to shared folders can be beneficial. It allows you to control your IT infrastructure while allowing people to share the necessary resources.
Map Network Drives via Group Policy
Map a Department Network Drive
I will map network drives with group policy for the Accounts department. I will use item-level targeting, so it only maps this drive for users in the Accounts organization unit. You could also use a Security Group to target a certain group of users. This will be mapped to a network share that only the HR department has access to. I have created two shared folders (Shared for Accounts department and Users for individuals).
Open the users’ folder.
Right-click on a user, select properties and verify the permissions.
Active Directory Users and Computers
We have created organization units (Account, etc.….) in the Active Directory users and computers. I am going to map a network drive for accounts departments. I have moved a user named user2 to the accounts organization unit.
Create a GPO & Link a New GPO
Open the Group Policy Management Console by searching in Windows.
In the Group Policy Management Console, click on the group policy object and select Create a new GPO.
You can name the new GPO whatever you like; I’ve created a map network drive for all computer users. I can also add additional drive mappings to this GPO.
The new GPO is now created and linked, so it is time to configure the settings.
Configure GPO Settings
Right-click on the GPO (Map Network Drives) and select edit.
Access User Configuration/Preferences/Windows Settings/Drive Mappings. Right-click Drive Maps, Select New and then Mapped Drive.
Configure Drive Mapping Properties
General Tab Settings Action updates Locate the path to the shared/folder you want to map a drive. Select a drive letter Label as: This is optional, but may be beneficial for users.
Click on the Common Tab Select Run in the logged-on user’s security context. Select Item-level Targeting Click on the Targeting Button
Select New Item Select Organization Unit
Click on the three dots buttons.
Select your OU, the one you want to use for this network drive mapping.
Click ok.
Click the ok button to close the new drive properties.
This completes the GPO settings.
This will be a user-based GPO, so make sure you link it to a location that will attract users. I have all my users separated into an OU called Accounts so that I can create and link the GPO there.
How to Link Existing GPO to OU
Right-click on an Organization Unit and select the existing GPO.
Select a group policy object (Map Network Drives) and click ok.
Now you can see the GPO successfully linked.
Log in with a user’s PC, and you can see the map drive not displayed.
Reboot User’s Computer to Process GPO
I must reboot the user’s PC or run gpupdate /force.
The next time a user from the accounts users logs in, they should be able to see a mapped drive.
In the active directory users and computers, now, any user I put in the HR folder can access this drive. If you don’t want to use an organizational unit, you can also target a group of users by using a Security group.
Map a Network Drive Using Group Policy for Individual Users
This example maps a drive for individuals, providing each user with a personal folder to save files. You can create a new GPO or add to an existing one, I have all my drive mappings available in one GPO.
This example requires a folder to be created on a network share that matches the user’s login name. You will need to modify the NTFS permissions so that only the individual user has permission to access it.
Create Roaming Profiles
Roaming profiles allow users to log on to any computer in their organization and have all their personal files and settings available to that computer. This is a powerful feature that is easy to configure. Create a folder on your server’s local hard drive. Click the folder you created, scroll down, and click Properties.
Open the sharing tab and click Advanced Sharing. Check the Share this Folder and click on Permissions. Select Everyone from Group or usernames and click Remove. Click Add and add a user to who you want to provide access. Click on the security tab and select edit.
Select add
Enter a user and select click ok.
Allow full control by checking the checkboxes and clicking OK.
Active Directory Users and Computers
Select all users who would like their roaming profile to be created. Right-click and click Properties.
Check the connect under the home folder and use a letter to map the network drive. Provide the network path of the folder you copied. It should be in the format \ServerName\FolderName\%username%. Click OK. You are creating a roaming profile for Active Directory users.
This article will teach you how to access Windows 11 advanced startup options. Advanced Startup Options in Windows 11 allows you to restore your operating system or troubleshoot when there are issues you can’t fix from within the operating system. Advanced Startup Options is not something we need to access often but is indispensable when needed. I read a recent blog post where the author stated that Advanced Startups can be hard to find. There are multiple ways to access Advanced Startup, most of which are simple.
Booting Into Advanced Startup in Windows 11
These methods are provided so that you can access the desktop. The most effective method is to hold down the Shift key while clicking Restart.
Access Windows 11 Advanced Startup Options Via Settings
Right-click on the Windows start button and click on settings.
Click on Windows updates and click on advanced options.
In the advanced options, click on Recovery.
Under the Advanced Startup, select the Restart Now button.
Access Windows 11 Advanced Startup Options Via Shift Key + Restart
Right-click on the Start button (or Windows key + X) Hover the mouse cursor over Shut down or sign out, hold down the Shift key for a while, and click Restart.
To access the Advanced Startup Options menu, click Troubleshoot and Advanced Options.
Create Desktop Shortcut to Access Windows 11 Advanced Startup Options
As mentioned above, accessing Advanced Startup is not something users need to do frequently, so you would be in serious trouble if that were the case. As a result, creating a desktop shortcut is unnecessary, particularly considering the easy alternatives. Though, as for a bit of fun and perhaps a learning curve, here is how to create a desktop shortcut:
Right-click any blank space on your desktop, choose New and then Shortcut.
Type in (or copy and paste the below) shutdown.exe /r /o /f /t 0 Click next.
The default address is shutdown.exe. You can change it to anything you wish (Advanced Startup) and click Finish.
To associate an icon with the new shortcut, right-click on the shortcut and choose Properties. Click the Change Icon.
Please visit Microsoft to learn more about advanced startup options.
