While performing maintenance to Exchange 2010 DAG server you should first remove the DAG member from DAG group.Other wise you may have unwanted DB failovers and many other unexpected issue that may affect company mail services availability

Shutting Down DAG Members

The Exchange 2010 high availability solution is integrated with the Windows shutdown process. If an administrator or application initiates a shutdown of a Windows server in a DAG that has a mounted database that’s replicated to one or more DAG members, the system attempts to activate another copy of the mounted database prior to allowing the shutdown process to complete.

However, this new behavior doesn’t guarantee that all of the databases on the server being shut down will experience a lossless activation. As a result, it’s a best practice to perform a server switchover prior to shutting down a server that’s a member of a DAG.

The correct way to perform any maintenance is to run first  StartDagServerMaintenance.ps1 script that is located under “C:Program FilesMicrosoftExchange ServerV14scripts”
This script moves all the active databases to next preferred DAG server and prevents active databases from moving to that server during the maintenance.
In addition the script ensures that all critical DAG support functionality that may be on this server has been moved to next proffered server

To run the script open EMC
Type:
cd $exscripts
StartDagServerMaintenance.ps1 -server YourServername

The script performs the following tasks on the background:

• Runs the Suspend-MailboxDatabaseCopy cmdlet for each database copy hosted on the DAG member.
• Pauses the node in the cluster, which prevents the node from being and becoming the PAM.
• Sets the value of the DatabaseCopyAutoActivationPolicy parameter on the DAG member to blocked
• Moves all active databases currently hosted on the DAG member to other DAG members.
• If the DAG member currently owns the default cluster group, the script moves the default cluster group (and therefore the PAM role) to another DAG member.

If any of the preceding tasks fails, all operations, except for successful database moves, are undone.

After the maintenance is complete and the DAG member is ready to return to serve clients you need to run the following script:

cd $exscripts
StopDagServerMaintenance.ps1 -server YourServername

The script performs the following tasks on the background:

• Runs the Resume-MailboxDatabaseCopy cmdlet for each database copy hosted on the DAG member.
• Resumes the node in the cluster, which enables full cluster functionality for the DAG member.
• Sets the value of the DatabaseCopyAutoActivationPolicy parameter on the DAG member to Unrestricted

I highly recommend using  Start/StopDagServerMaintenanceInstalling maintainance scripts before any action that requiers server Reboot/ShutDown or Update Rollups instalation.

Most of the material has been taken from Managing Database Availability Groups MS article

Microsoft released set of Daylight Saving updates back in December 2009.

Time Zone changes since last MS update

Microsoft DST updates:

Update for Windows 7 (KB976098)

Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB976098)

Update for Windows Server 2003 (KB976098)

Update for Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition (KB976098)

Update for Windows Server 2003 for Itanium-based Systems (KB976098)

Update for Windows Server 2008 (KB976098)

Update for Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition (KB976098)

Update for Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems (KB976098)

Update for Windows Server 2008 R2 x64 Edition (KB976098)

Update for Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based Systems (KB976098)

Update for Windows Vista (KB976098)

Update for Windows Vista for x64-based Systems (KB976098)

Update for Windows XP (KB976098)

Update for Windows XP x64 Edition (KB976098)

Blackberry DST updates:

RIM released 2 updates for DST 2010 March

http://www.blackberry.com/btsc/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=KB20676

If you’re planning reinstall of your Windows VistaXPServer 200020032008  you’ll need to locate your copy of your product installation key.

An easy way is to use Product Key Viewer utility to find forgotten Windows Office or SQL Product Keys.

Unusually Operating System is installed on C drive and whenever you install new program it goes to C:Program Filesprogram name

I is because the default suggested installation path is C:Program Files.
It can cause a problem when C drive is been wrong partitioned and the size of C drive is small
You can use registry to change the default application installation path to for example install in D:Programs,
To set different default installation path, follow the steps bellow:

1. Pres on start
2. Type in run regedit
3. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion.
4. At the right panel, loacate ProgramFilesDir.
   
5. Double click on it to change the value to your desired path. For example, change the value from C:Program Files to D:Programs.
   

$dcname = <DomainDNSName>
$newSite = "NewSite Name"
$context = New-Object
System.DirectoryServices.ActiveDirectory.DirectoryContext(‘DirectoryServer’, $dcname)
$dc =
[System.DirectoryServices.ActiveDirectory.DomainController]::getDomainController ($context)
$dc.MoveToAnotherSite($newSite)

Where DomainDNSName – Enter your DNS domain name

To clear user local profile via registry :

1. Press on Start > Run >Regedit
2. Navigate to the following registry key :“HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionProfileList”
3. Under ProfileList navigate to  binary key’s like this :S-1-5-21-3656904587-1668747452-4095529-500
4. On the right side under  ProfileImagePath you’’ll see the username and profile path.
5. Chose the one with the desired user and delete the long reg key like :“HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionProfileList”

Note:The following method works on all of these operation systems:Windows 2000/XP/2003/2008 and Windows 7.

If you want to redirect domain user folders to NTFS or Storage share, you need to set the permissions like in the list bellow:

Creator Owner => Full Control on “Subfolders and Files Only”

Security group of users needing to put data on share => List Folder/Read Data, Create Folders/Append Data  on “This Folder Only”

System =>  Full Control, on “This Folder, Subfolders and Files”

In addition you can add Domain Admins security group to have permissions on user folders:

• Open Group Policy Management
• Navigate to Computer Configuration>Administrative Templates>System>User Profiles
• Set “Add the Administrator security group to the roaming user profile share” to enabled

• Open Group Policy Editor:
• Link Policy to relevant OU
• Navigate to User Configuration>Administrative Templates>Start menu and taskbar.
• Edit “Prevent Changes to Taskbar and Start Menu Settings”
• Set it to enable
  
• Pres OK

Note: To enforce group policy: Navigate to Start>Run type gpupdate /force and hit Enter

If you Windows Desktop icon is disappeared , there is a quick way to restore it.
Follow the steps bellow:

• Open Notepad
• Paste the text bellow

[Shell] Command=2 IconFile=explorer.exe,3 [Taskbar] Command=ToggleDesktop

• Save the file as Desktop.scf and drag it to your Quick Launch bar

Note: If you can’t place it you Quick Launch bar may be locked.
To unlock it :Right click on it , and remove selection from “Lock The Task Bar”

list of available commands for service management in Windows

• Net pause : Pauses service
  Usage : net pause servicename
• Net continue : Continues a service that has been suspended by net pause
  Usage : net continue servername
• Net stop : Stops running service
  Usage : net stop service name
• Net start : Start stopped service
  Usage : net start servicename
• Sc:A command line program used for communicating with the
  Service Control Manager and services. Usually used in scripting
  Usage : type sc in command prompt to see command reference
• Tasklist : Displays list of running tasks
  Usage:type tasklist in command prompt

Note: You can find the service name in Control Panel, Services.
Or by running services.msc command
To Open Command Prompt : type in run cmd