RobMVP - ConfigMgr 2012

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RobMVP - ConfigMgr 2012

Robert Marshall - ConfigMgr Blog

About Robs Blog

I'm Robert Marshall, director and senior consultant at SMSMarshall Ltd who's specialism is in the Microsoft System Center 2012 Configuration Manager product and all of its dependent products covering all aspects from Architecture, Implementation, Migration to Break-Fix.

I've been using computers for over 30 years, beginning as a programmer and now a senior consultant in an enterprise product. I only count my career as starting 17 years ago when I began my first serious role as a deployment engineer. I've seen 8 bit through to 64 bit, the rise and constant refinement of the GUI, the rise of the Internet from land-line based modem access to the powerful broadband connections we have today, mobile phones come into existence, and I've seen Microsoft evolve from a handful of employees to the company it is now while pretty much tinkering with every OS they have released; As well as seeing an industry that has evolved around those humble beginnings to become what we have today. You could call me an IT Dinosaur but I'm still as mentally able as I was back then, perhaps even more adept now since I've had broad exposure to so much and seen trends come and go. I'm a keen technical puzzle solver, which sets me apart as I love to solve gnarly problems around my area of specialism.

I like to share, i do so by blogging here, and helping out when I can as a moderator and answering questions when I have time on the TechNet Social forums for ConfigMgr 2012 and ConfigMgr 2007. I am a guest poster on TechNet UK Flash magazine and an MVP since 2009 (Most Valuable Professional) in the ECM (Enterprise Client Management) exclusively dedicated to ConfigMgr. the MVP status helps me to help others in more depth due to the closeness to the product group and access to other MVP's the program affords me.

The blogs pretty much about ConfigMgr, but on the odd occasion I also use it as a platform to express my random urges to post something I've stumbled across, be it technical or non-technical, and which I imagine would entertain you or what not as equally as it did me.

(2013)

Activity
  • Laptop bricked?

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    I’ve heard of mobile phones getting bricked, mostly iPhones when you jailbreak them but never heard of a laptop getting bricked. Well I have one right here, a Samsung Chronos 7, enabled UEFI and installed Windows 8, second time Windows 8 has gone on this...
  • CM12 SP1 Pull DP’s

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    Nice little write up from the official blog of the Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager Product Group on Pull Distribution Points here http://blogs.technet.com/b/configmgrteam/archive/2013/06/06/introducing-the-pull-distribution-points.aspx These...
  • ConfigMgr Backups–The new way of doing things

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    Steve Thompson MVP in ECM (ConfigMgr) just wrote up an excellent blog post on how to handle backups in ConfigMgr 2012. We really do advice that you stop using the ConfigMgr built-in Maintenance Task for backing up and switch over to SQL backups. Steve...
  • ConfigMgr 2012 Documentation Library update for May 2013

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    New update for the ConfigMgr 2012 Documentation Library for May 2013 is available here I usually wait for the offline update, I use it extensively since TechNet (Not the ConfigMgr Documentation team) broke their Online Documentation format by removing...
  • Kent Agerlund–Blogging from TechEd

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    Kent’s a really high quality MVP and excellent trainer, and he’s at TechEd America in New Orleans blogging what he hears, really worth checking out his blog Some info on ConfigMgr 2012 R2 which we’ve not been allowed to talk about due to NDA, Kent’s taking...
  • ConfigMgr 2012 intune and WP8 deployment testing

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    Finally, ConfigMgr 2012 admins can now do some testing with ConfigMgr 2012 SP1, intune and Windows 8 phone … without a certificate. This was a real blocker for testing as you needed to purchase a certificate from Symantec, but Microsoft have now released...
  • Monitoring DNS queries on your WinOS

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    I can’t stop looking at this tool, it’s addictive. It is up on one of my screens all the time now. DNSQuerySniffer is a network sniffer utility that shows the DNS queries sent on your system. For every DNS query, the following information is displayed...
  • WMUG - A day with Wally Mead covering ConfigMgr 2012 SP1 and Mobile Device Management

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    The Windows Management User Group has Wally Mead back for an awesome day of ConfigMgr SP1 and Mobile Device Management content. The venue is London, Victoria, Cardinal Place, and we have capacity for 100 attendees, and we have loads of giveaways to raffle...
  • Best of MMS UK – Tuesday 21st of May 2013

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    The Best of MMS UK registration is closed now and there will be an epic amount of folk there as well as partners. I’ll be attending so if you see me and want to say hi just pull me up, always happy to chat and meet. http://blogs.technet.com/b/uktechnet...
  • Unsticking Clients from unavailable Distribution Points

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    I was at a customer site recently and they were simulating a data centre failure as part of their Disaster Recovery plan. They replicate the Site server as a VM across to another data centre in real-time and fail over to it when the main Site server is...
  • WMUG Event - Software Updates Overview with Robert Marshall MVP

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    I’m running a session on Software Updates Management on the 23rd of May between 19:30 to 20:30 using LiveMeeting. This is an online event that does not require an invitation, just turn up on the scheduled date and time. Here’s the link the Events page...
  • TechNet UK Article: How to Configure Alerts in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager

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    I wrote a little article for TechNet UK as a guest post where I go over the new Email Notifications mechanism in ConfigMgr 2012 SP1. Check it out here
  • MS KB2823324 patch could cause loss of OS on next reboot if deployed

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    Lots of chatter out there on the web on this, Microsoft has pulled a patch, KB2823324, that is reportedly causing Windows OS’s not to boot properly or for application to not function correctly. If you haven’t got this out into production yet, think it...
  • WMUG reporting point role installed at MMS 2013!

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    Our very own WMUG representative is at this years most awesome MMS 2013, Simon Skinner, CDM MVP, who will be tweeting and such like across the week, letting us know all the exciting stuff taking place. Check out the WMUG MMS 2013 dedicated page . We link...
  • WMUG Virtual Event

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    Another WMUG webcast, this time from Satisnet and Secunia, click through to get more information on the event and how to register. Overview: Secunia CSI provides highly detailed software inventory including both programs and plug-ins. This inventory...
  • Community Server and BOT registrations

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    UPDATED: Script modified to log results Spam. Spam. Spam. Here at WMUG we see a lot of Bots trying to register an account with us so they can get in and spam the site silly. For most website administrators it is an on-going chore separating out the...
  • ConfigMgr Cumulative Update 1 for Service Pack 1–Released

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    Cumulative Update 1 for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Service Pack 1 has been released. This release is heaving with updates covering the Administrator Console, Site Systems, Device Management, Software Updates, Client and PowerShell. As usual...
  • MVPS HOSTS – Ad blocking via HOSTS file

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    This project is as old as I am LOL, every now and then get reminded to go visit for a revised HOSTS file. So today I updated to catch up with the latest IP’s for those dodgy Trojan sites and Ad spammers. Go check this stuff out, it’ll block a lot in your...
  • WMUG Event - Netwrix–Change Reporter Suite recording is available

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    This week we had a virtual event with Netwrix, where Aidan Simister and Danny Murphy demonstrated a selection of core modules from their Change Reporter Suite. A pretty good overview all-round, with Aidan introducing the company and the products, while...
  • WMUG Video–Niall Brady from Windows-Noob.com demo’s CM12 BitLocker front-end HTA

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    While I was out in Seattle enjoying a fantastic MVP 2013 summit, I came across my buddy Niall Brady who was getting all excited about his new CM12 BitLocker front-end HTA (new, I think he’s reached Iteration 3 so not so new …), and we agreed to meet up...
  • WMUG Event - NetWrix - 26th Feb 2013 - 7PM GMT–Virtual

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    WMUG has a last minute event up, this one is for NetWrix, see the dedicated Event Page for more information. Overview: This session will offer an overview of a selection of core modules from their Change Reporter Suite. It will provide a brief...
  • ConfigMgr 2012–Download the documentation for easier search

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    Best to download the docs and review offline now, TechNet (not the ConfigMgr team) have ripped out Classic view which helped us fully expand all the collapsible nodes to enable CTRL-F for searching, now you’ll have to expand the appropriate node out and...
  • CM12 Bitlocker HTA front-end by Niall Brady - Windows-noob.com

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    Just come back from a beer with fellow MVP Niall Brady during which he demonstrated his ultra-cool CM12 BitLocker HTA front-end. It’s midnight and I’ve got day 3 of the MVP summit to deal with so I’m going to cut this short so I can hit the sack, but...
  • New CM12 Console Extension

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    Knocked this up today, just install the extension to your Console and when you have a problem click on PayPal and I'll magically appear to fix up your issues!
  • Chilling out in Seattle

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    While the other MVP's head out for Sushi and liquid refreshments I thought I'd retreat to my hotel room, and tinker with my lab back home in the UK. Just not in the mood to socialise with the geeks all getting sloshed at the Opening party either...