Category: Microsoft
Category Archives: Microsoft
How to Cut, Copy, and Paste in Windows 11
I asked about this previously, but unfortunately lost the link. I recently upgraded my computer operating system to Windows 11, and I’ve noticed that I now have to tap on “Show More Options” every time I copy and paste. This was one of the reasons why I hesitated to upgrade to Windows 11 for so long. However, I finally decided to upgrade because I was tired of constantly receiving upgrade notifications.
Now that I’m on Windows 23H2, if anyone has a solution to this issue, please kindly share it with me. It’s frustrating to have to go through an additional step for something as simple as copying and pasting, especially since I use this function daily. Thank you in advance for your help.
I asked about this previously, but unfortunately lost the link. I recently upgraded my computer operating system to Windows 11, and I’ve noticed that I now have to tap on “Show More Options” every time I copy and paste. This was one of the reasons why I hesitated to upgrade to Windows 11 for so long. However, I finally decided to upgrade because I was tired of constantly receiving upgrade notifications. Now that I’m on Windows 23H2, if anyone has a solution to this issue, please kindly share it with me. It’s frustrating to have to go through an additional step for something as simple as copying and pasting, especially since I use this function daily. Thank you in advance for your help. Read More
Event ID 41: Your System Restarted Without Properly Shutting Down First
Occasionally, my computer experiences a frustrating crash due to a critical error, regardless of my activity, whether it’s gaming or watching videos on YouTube.
I am puzzled about the root cause of this issue. Any assistance provided would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your help!
Occasionally, my computer experiences a frustrating crash due to a critical error, regardless of my activity, whether it’s gaming or watching videos on YouTube. I am puzzled about the root cause of this issue. Any assistance provided would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your help! Read More
Struggling with Freezes After Fresh Installation of Windows 10
This is a completely new setup, the third attempt, and while it functions smoothly once running, it is marred by the necessity of 4-5 hard resets every day (within just 4 days). The recurrent need for resets seems entirely random and frustrating.
Launching a program requires a delay of 15-30 seconds after double-clicking – if the program even starts. Often, multiple clicks are needed due to a slightly unresponsive mouse. The tower has been reset so frequently that a crucial 40GB ORP file intended for archiving, acquired legally through torrenting, has now rendered the storage drive unusable. Until this issue is resolved or I revert to Windows 7, the drive remains disconnected.
For instance, when I installed Wordweb, a popup dictionary, and attempted to launch it, the system froze completely. After utilizing the reset button (my trusty companion), the program ran smoothly, but my Firefox profile suffered irreparable damage.
The main suspect in this situation is ZoneAlarm, an older version that has operated without issue or complaint. Apart from small applications like Total Commander and MusicBee, nothing else has been added to the system.
This is a completely new setup, the third attempt, and while it functions smoothly once running, it is marred by the necessity of 4-5 hard resets every day (within just 4 days). The recurrent need for resets seems entirely random and frustrating. Launching a program requires a delay of 15-30 seconds after double-clicking – if the program even starts. Often, multiple clicks are needed due to a slightly unresponsive mouse. The tower has been reset so frequently that a crucial 40GB ORP file intended for archiving, acquired legally through torrenting, has now rendered the storage drive unusable. Until this issue is resolved or I revert to Windows 7, the drive remains disconnected. For instance, when I installed Wordweb, a popup dictionary, and attempted to launch it, the system froze completely. After utilizing the reset button (my trusty companion), the program ran smoothly, but my Firefox profile suffered irreparable damage. The main suspect in this situation is ZoneAlarm, an older version that has operated without issue or complaint. Apart from small applications like Total Commander and MusicBee, nothing else has been added to the system. Read More
“Modification of Onedrive File Path”
Hello everyone,
I need some guidance. My Outlook pst file in MS Office 2016 is currently stored within the Onedrive framework. Outlook indicates that it can be found under C:Users…(me)…Onedrive…
Interestingly, this structure is also visible in Explorer under “Onedrive – Personal”.
The issue is that the pst file displayed within this structure is incorrect and outdated. How can I align and resolve the discrepancy between these two structures?
I appreciate any assistance you can provide on this matter.
Hello everyone, I need some guidance. My Outlook pst file in MS Office 2016 is currently stored within the Onedrive framework. Outlook indicates that it can be found under C:Users…(me)…Onedrive… Interestingly, this structure is also visible in Explorer under “Onedrive – Personal”. The issue is that the pst file displayed within this structure is incorrect and outdated. How can I align and resolve the discrepancy between these two structures? I appreciate any assistance you can provide on this matter. Read More
app password required for outlook 2fA
When I try to access 2FA desktop Outlook accounts from Thunderbird, I am told:
You need an app passwordWe noticed that you tried to sign in with the password for your Microsoft account on one of these apps or devices. Since you’ve turned on two-step verification for sb**email address removed for privacy reasons, you need to use an app password instead for any of the following to work with two-step verification. We’ve sent this reminder to all the security info you’ve provided. If you haven’t already done this, we’ll help you set up these apps and devices with app passwords:Outlook desktop app for your PC or Mac
I successfully generated an app password, but when I tried to directly access an Outlook account with it (not through Thunderbird), the password was rejected. What am I doing wrong?
When I try to access 2FA desktop Outlook accounts from Thunderbird, I am told: You need an app passwordWe noticed that you tried to sign in with the password for your Microsoft account on one of these apps or devices. Since you’ve turned on two-step verification for sb**email address removed for privacy reasons, you need to use an app password instead for any of the following to work with two-step verification. We’ve sent this reminder to all the security info you’ve provided. If you haven’t already done this, we’ll help you set up these apps and devices with app passwords:Outlook desktop app for your PC or Mac I successfully generated an app password, but when I tried to directly access an Outlook account with it (not through Thunderbird), the password was rejected. What am I doing wrong? Read More
AVD pool one public address
Hi all,
We currently have a Host pool setup with 3 session hosts. we installed some legacy applications(image) that need whitelist one only Public IP address, how can i configure the 3 AVD hosts pointing to same Public IP address?
Thanks
lee
Hi all, We currently have a Host pool setup with 3 session hosts. we installed some legacy applications(image) that need whitelist one only Public IP address, how can i configure the 3 AVD hosts pointing to same Public IP address? Thankslee Read More
can anyone help me with this formula??
(english is not my 1st language hoping anyone can understawanted the net to show “0” instead of negative numbers, anyone know the formula ? also can its also count all the NET even all the gross not yet finish, so it will automatically show me the present calculation of the net. Now i try it cannot coz it will also count the negative figure.
(english is not my 1st language hoping anyone can understawanted the net to show “0” instead of negative numbers, anyone know the formula ? also can its also count all the NET even all the gross not yet finish, so it will automatically show me the present calculation of the net. Now i try it cannot coz it will also count the negative figure. Read More
Optimisation for Resource Allocation
Hello!
I’m currently trying to process data in Excel, and looking at how I might optimise my distribution of resources.
Effectively, I have a number of students who have provided up to 3 preferences for a staff member to talk to for guidance, and I’m looking if there’s a way to optimise my spread for the most equal distribution of students per staff member.
Some staff members have been requested more than others, which is unavoidably going to lead to them having larger loads, but trying to distribute as evenly as possible. Is there a solution I’m not thinking of right now? I have the ability to process this data in either 365 or the desktop app.
Hello!I’m currently trying to process data in Excel, and looking at how I might optimise my distribution of resources.Effectively, I have a number of students who have provided up to 3 preferences for a staff member to talk to for guidance, and I’m looking if there’s a way to optimise my spread for the most equal distribution of students per staff member. Some staff members have been requested more than others, which is unavoidably going to lead to them having larger loads, but trying to distribute as evenly as possible. Is there a solution I’m not thinking of right now? I have the ability to process this data in either 365 or the desktop app. Read More
How to onboard Sentinel in GCCHigh
Is there any good documentation for how to onboard Sentinel in GCCHigh?
Is there any good documentation for how to onboard Sentinel in GCCHigh? Read More
How to COUNTIFS with mixed criteria
I am having some issues with using the COUNTIFS function. My spreadsheet has all the readers enrolled in my reading challenges for June, sorted by age. I need to be able to quickly calculate how many readers in each of my age groups logged reading during the month, but the Ages are messing me up. I used the following functions to successfully determine:
How many Avid readers aged 0-11 logged reading: =COUNTIFS(AVID!$A$2:$A$500,”<12″,AVID!I2:$I$500,”>0″)
How many Avid readers aged 12-18 logged reading:
=COUNTIFS(AVID!$A$2:$A$500,”>11.5″,AVID!$A$2:$A$500,”<19″,AVID!$I$2:$I$500,”>0″)
How many Casual readers aged 0 – 11 logged reading:
=COUNTIFS(CASUAL!$A$2:$A$500,”<12″,CASUAL!$I$2:$I$500,”>0″)
How many Casual readers aged 12-18 logged reading:
=COUNTIFS(CASUAL!$A$2:$A$500,”>11.5″,CASUAL!$A$2:$A$500,”<19″,CASUAL!$I$2:$I$500,”>0″)
note: I have not imported RTM reader data yet . . .
What is messing me up are the ages of my Adult readers. We collect readers ages up to age 20, but all other adult readers are listed as “21+”. How do I amend the COUNTIFS formula to scrape “19,” “20,” and “21+” from my Age column? A link to my sample is below.
Sample Reader Participation Report.xlsx
I am having some issues with using the COUNTIFS function. My spreadsheet has all the readers enrolled in my reading challenges for June, sorted by age. I need to be able to quickly calculate how many readers in each of my age groups logged reading during the month, but the Ages are messing me up. I used the following functions to successfully determine: How many Avid readers aged 0-11 logged reading: =COUNTIFS(AVID!$A$2:$A$500,”<12″,AVID!I2:$I$500,”>0″)How many Avid readers aged 12-18 logged reading: =COUNTIFS(AVID!$A$2:$A$500,”>11.5″,AVID!$A$2:$A$500,”<19″,AVID!$I$2:$I$500,”>0″)How many Casual readers aged 0 – 11 logged reading: =COUNTIFS(CASUAL!$A$2:$A$500,”<12″,CASUAL!$I$2:$I$500,”>0″)How many Casual readers aged 12-18 logged reading: =COUNTIFS(CASUAL!$A$2:$A$500,”>11.5″,CASUAL!$A$2:$A$500,”<19″,CASUAL!$I$2:$I$500,”>0″)note: I have not imported RTM reader data yet . . . What is messing me up are the ages of my Adult readers. We collect readers ages up to age 20, but all other adult readers are listed as “21+”. How do I amend the COUNTIFS formula to scrape “19,” “20,” and “21+” from my Age column? A link to my sample is below. Sample Reader Participation Report.xlsx Read More
Newly added staff not being sent activation email
Having an issue where staff are being added to an existing booking page, but they aren’t receiving the activation email to confirm being added to the Booking page. As a result, they remain ‘not bookable’ – we have a need to add some staff as Administrators, but can’t confirm their access because they don’t receive the email when they are initially added (even though the Bookings dialogue suggests that one has been sent) and when I try to re-send the activation email, nothing changes – the time and date doesn’t update, and no email is received by the user, so it seems like the system hasn’t even tried to send an email out to the user:
It’s interesting to note, that users with existing access can have an email re-sent to them – is there a permissioning issue at play here? All our users should already have the required access (as existing users were added with no issue earlier this year), so I’m not sure what to look at first.
Any helps is greatly appreciated.
Kind regards,
Peter
Having an issue where staff are being added to an existing booking page, but they aren’t receiving the activation email to confirm being added to the Booking page. As a result, they remain ‘not bookable’ – we have a need to add some staff as Administrators, but can’t confirm their access because they don’t receive the email when they are initially added (even though the Bookings dialogue suggests that one has been sent) and when I try to re-send the activation email, nothing changes – the time and date doesn’t update, and no email is received by the user, so it seems like the system hasn’t even tried to send an email out to the user: It’s interesting to note, that users with existing access can have an email re-sent to them – is there a permissioning issue at play here? All our users should already have the required access (as existing users were added with no issue earlier this year), so I’m not sure what to look at first. Any helps is greatly appreciated. Kind regards,Peter Read More
Dev Channel update to 128.0.2730.0 is live.
Hello Insiders! We released 128.0.2730.0 to the Dev channel! This includes numerous fixes. For more details on the changes, check out the highlights below.
Added Features:
Included an icon in the footer elements for autofill suggestions.
Improved Reliability:
Resolved an issue when signing into an AAD account would cause a crash on Android.
Resolved an issue where the browser crashes when playing YouTube videos after a restart.
Changed Behavior:
Resolved an issue where the UI overlapped during AAD login and after a successful sync under favorites.
Resolved an issue where the search button icon lacked sufficient contrast in high contrast mode.
Resolved an issue where, upon opening the same group in browser, all tabs initially load, but a few tabs subsequently disappear.
Fixed an issue where the buttons overlapped on screens with smaller resolutions, even when the browser was maximized.
Mac: Resolved an issue where the FRE page was skipped, and the browser was unresponsive on Mac and Mac Arm platforms upon launch.
Android:
Resolved an issue where the Sign-In page’s layout and color scheme were not consistent with other pages on android.
Resolved an issue where the Immersive Translate panel was displayed in the middle of the screen on android.
iOS:
Fixed an issue where the ‘Continue’ button was displayed in a lower position on the implicit sign-in page on iOS.
Fixed an issue where users were unable to rearrange or drag items using single-point mode on the All-menu page in iOS.
Resolved an issue where clicking ‘sync settings’ on the implicit sign-in page caused the account information to appear blank.
See an issue that you think might be a bug? Remember to send that directly through the in-app feedback by heading to the … menu > Help and feedback > Send feedback and include diagnostics so the team can investigate.
Thanks again for sending us feedback and helping us improve our Insider builds.
~Gouri
Hello Insiders! We released 128.0.2730.0 to the Dev channel! This includes numerous fixes. For more details on the changes, check out the highlights below.
Added Features:
Included an icon in the footer elements for autofill suggestions.
Improved Reliability:
Resolved an issue when signing into an AAD account would cause a crash on Android.
Resolved an issue where the browser crashes when playing YouTube videos after a restart.
Changed Behavior:
Resolved an issue where the UI overlapped during AAD login and after a successful sync under favorites.
Resolved an issue where the search button icon lacked sufficient contrast in high contrast mode.
Resolved an issue where, upon opening the same group in browser, all tabs initially load, but a few tabs subsequently disappear.
Fixed an issue where the buttons overlapped on screens with smaller resolutions, even when the browser was maximized.
Mac: Resolved an issue where the FRE page was skipped, and the browser was unresponsive on Mac and Mac Arm platforms upon launch.
Android:
Resolved an issue where the Sign-In page’s layout and color scheme were not consistent with other pages on android.
Resolved an issue where the Immersive Translate panel was displayed in the middle of the screen on android.
iOS:
Fixed an issue where the ‘Continue’ button was displayed in a lower position on the implicit sign-in page on iOS.
Fixed an issue where users were unable to rearrange or drag items using single-point mode on the All-menu page in iOS.
Resolved an issue where clicking ‘sync settings’ on the implicit sign-in page caused the account information to appear blank.
See an issue that you think might be a bug? Remember to send that directly through the in-app feedback by heading to the … menu > Help and feedback > Send feedback and include diagnostics so the team can investigate.
Thanks again for sending us feedback and helping us improve our Insider builds.
~Gouri Read More
Help with Powershell scripts to backup and restore printers
Hello all.
I’m rather new to PowerShell. I hope I’m not causing any grief here. I whipped together a proof of concept because I need to protect certain computers’ printing abilities as they are crucial to our business. I know I can use Print Migration to export and import the set of printers. I don’t know how to start Printer Migration giving it a destination of the UNC to the server, the current computer’s name. It does not seem to restore all the printers either.
I really would appreciate the ability to clone an existing printer to a new name and new IP address.
I wanted to see how far Perplexity.AI could take this. It made a start but then started forgetting requirements, re-writing whole scripts, and losing functionality already obtained.
My premise is that copying is backup, change, and restore. So I made Backup-SinglePrinter, Restore-SinglePrinter, and Copy-ExistingPrinter. A settings file is included. I expect that once backup-singleprinter and restore-singleprinter work, I could make a BackupPrinters and RestorePrinters to handle all existing printers.
One final thing is I would like to have the scripts locate each other by using the single settings file or by knowing the starting location of the first script.
Mike
Copy-ExistingPrinter.ps1
<#
.SYNOPSIS
Copies an existing printer to a new printer with a different name and a new IP address.
.DESCRIPTION
This script copies an existing printer by backing it up, modifying the backup,
and then restoring it with a new name and a new IP address.
.PARAMETER ExistingPrinterName
The name of the existing printer to copy from.
.PARAMETER NewPrinterName
The name of the new printer to create.
.EXAMPLE
.Copy-ExistingPrinter.ps1 -ExistingPrinterName “Printer1” -NewPrinterName “Printer2”
#>
param (
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$ExistingPrinterName,
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$NewPrinterName
)
# Import settings
$settingsPath = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot “settings.ps1”
if (Test-Path $settingsPath) {
. $settingsPath
} else {
Write-Error “Settings file not found at $settingsPath”
exit 1
}
# Verify that $BaseFolder is set in settings.ps1
if (-not $BaseFolder) {
Write-Error “BaseFolder is not set in settings.ps1”
exit 1
}
# Manually import required modules
$modulesToImport = @(
“Backup-SinglePrinter.psm1”,
“Restore-SinglePrinter.psm1”,
“Find-AvailableIPPort.psm1”,
“Get-PrinterExtendedConfig.psm1”
)
foreach ($module in $modulesToImport) {
$modulePath = Join-Path $BaseFolder $module
if (Test-Path $modulePath) {
Import-Module $modulePath -Force
Write-Host “Imported module: $module” -ForegroundColor Green
} else {
Write-Error “Module $module not found at $modulePath”
exit 1
}
}
# Verify that the functions are available
$requiredFunctions = @(“Backup-SinglePrinter”, “Restore-SinglePrinter”, “Find-AvailableIPPort”, “Get-PrinterExtendedConfig”)
foreach ($func in $requiredFunctions) {
if (-not (Get-Command -Name $func -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) {
Write-Error “Required function $func is not available.”
exit 1
} else {
Write-Host “Function $func is available.” -ForegroundColor Green
}
}
try {
# Create backup folder structure
$backupsFolder = Join-Path $BaseFolder “Backups”
$computerName = $env:COMPUTERNAME
$computerBackupFolder = Join-Path $backupsFolder $computerName
$driversFolder = Join-Path $computerBackupFolder “Drivers”
if (-not (Test-Path $computerBackupFolder)) {
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $computerBackupFolder -Force | Out-Null
}
if (-not (Test-Path $driversFolder)) {
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $driversFolder -Force | Out-Null
}
# Backup the existing printer
Write-Host “Backing up existing printer: $ExistingPrinterName” -ForegroundColor Cyan
$backupFileName = “$ExistingPrinterName.xml”
$backupFile = Join-Path $computerBackupFolder $backupFileName
$backupResult = Backup-SinglePrinter -PrinterName $ExistingPrinterName -BackupFile $backupFile
if (-not $backupResult) {
throw “Failed to backup the existing printer.”
}
# Get the IP address of the existing printer
$existingPrinter = Get-Printer -Name $ExistingPrinterName
$existingPort = Get-PrinterPort -Name $existingPrinter.PortName
$BaseIP = $existingPort.PrinterHostAddress
if ([string]::IsNullOrEmpty($BaseIP)) {
Write-Error “Unable to retrieve IP address for existing printer $ExistingPrinterName”
exit 1
}
Write-Host “Existing printer IP address: $BaseIP” -ForegroundColor Cyan
# Find an available IP port for the new printer
Write-Host “Finding an available IP port for the new printer” -ForegroundColor Cyan
$NewIPAddress = Find-AvailableIPPort -BaseIP $BaseIP
if ($NewIPAddress) {
Write-Host “Available IP port found: $NewIPAddress” -ForegroundColor Green
} else {
throw “No available IP address found.”
}
# Create a new port with the new IP address
$NewPortName = $NewIPAddress
Add-PrinterPort -Name $NewPortName -PrinterHostAddress $NewIPAddress
# Restore the modified backup as a new printer
Write-Host “Restoring modified backup as new printer: $NewPrinterName” -ForegroundColor Cyan
$restoreResult = Restore-SinglePrinter -BackupFile $backupFile -NewPrinterName $NewPrinterName -NewPortName $NewPortName
if ($restoreResult) {
Write-Host “Printer ‘$ExistingPrinterName’ successfully copied to ‘$NewPrinterName’ with IP $NewIPAddress.” -ForegroundColor Green
# Create a backup summary
$summaryFile = Join-Path $computerBackupFolder “BackupSummary.txt”
$summaryContent = @”
Backup performed on: $(Get-Date)
Original Printer: $ExistingPrinterName
New Printer: $NewPrinterName
New IP Address: $NewIPAddress
“@
Add-Content -Path $summaryFile -Value $summaryContent
} else {
throw “Failed to restore the new printer.”
}
}
catch {
Write-Error “An error occurred during the printer copying process: $_”
# Clean up the new printer if it was created
if (Get-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) {
Remove-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
# Clean up the new port if it was created
if ($NewPortName -and (Get-PrinterPort -Name $NewPortName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) {
Remove-PrinterPort -Name $NewPortName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
}
# Script Version: 3.9
Backup-SinglePrinter.psm1
function Backup-SinglePrinter {
param (
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$PrinterName,
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$BackupFile
)
# Import settings
$settingsPath = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot “settings.ps1”
if (Test-Path $settingsPath) {
. $settingsPath
} else {
Write-Error “Settings file not found at $settingsPath”
return $false
}
# Import printer properties
$propertiesModulePath = Join-Path $BaseFolder “Get-PrinterExtendedConfig.psm1”
if (Test-Path $propertiesModulePath) {
Import-Module $propertiesModulePath -Force
} else {
Write-Error “Get-PrinterExtendedConfig module not found at $propertiesModulePath”
return $false
}
$computerName = $env:COMPUTERNAME
$computerBackupFolder = Join-Path $BackupsFolder $computerName
$driversFolder = Join-Path $computerBackupFolder “Drivers”
if (-not (Test-Path $computerBackupFolder)) {
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $computerBackupFolder -Force | Out-Null
}
if (-not (Test-Path $driversFolder)) {
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $driversFolder -Force | Out-Null
}
try {
$printer = Get-Printer -Name $PrinterName -Full
$printerConfig = Get-PrintConfiguration -PrinterName $PrinterName
$printerProperties = Get-PrinterProperty -PrinterName $PrinterName
$backupObject = @{
Printer = $printer
Configuration = $printerConfig
Properties = $printerProperties
IsShared = $printer.Shared
ShareName = $printer.ShareName
}
$backupObject | Export-Clixml -Path $BackupFile -Depth 10
# Backup driver files
$driverName = $printer.DriverName
$driverInfo = Get-PrinterDriver -Name $driverName
$driverPath = $driverInfo.InfPath
if ($driverPath) {
Copy-Item -Path $driverPath -Destination $driversFolder -Force
}
Write-Host “Printer ‘$PrinterName’ backed up successfully to $BackupFile”
return $true
}
catch {
Write-Error “Printer backup process failed: $_”
return $false
}
}
Export-ModuleMember -Function Backup-SinglePrinter
Restore-SinglePrinter.psm1
function Restore-SinglePrinter {
param (
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$BackupFile,
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$NewPrinterName,
[Parameter(Mandatory=$false)]
[string]$NewPortName
)
try {
$backupObject = Import-Clixml -Path $BackupFile
$printer = $backupObject.Printer
$printerConfig = $backupObject.Configuration
$printerProperties = $backupObject.Properties
# Import printer properties module
$propertiesModulePath = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot “Get-PrinterExtendedConfig.psm1”
if (Test-Path $propertiesModulePath) {
Import-Module $propertiesModulePath -Force
} else {
Write-Error “Get-PrinterExtendedConfig module not found at $propertiesModulePath”
return $false
}
$printerExtendedConfig = Get-PrinterExtendedConfig
# If NewPortName is not provided, use the original port
if (-not $NewPortName) {
$NewPortName = $printer.PortName
}
# Create or update the printer
if (Get-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) {
Set-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName -DriverName $printer.DriverName -PortName $NewPortName
} else {
Add-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName -DriverName $printer.DriverName -PortName $NewPortName
}
# Restore printer settings
$validPrinterParams = $printerExtendedConfig.PrinterProperties
$printerParams = @{}
foreach ($param in $validPrinterParams) {
if ($null -ne $printer.$param) {
$printerParams[$param] = $printer.$param
}
}
if ($printerParams.Count -gt 0) {
Set-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName @printerParams
}
# Restore configuration
$validConfigParams = $printerExtendedConfig.PrinterConfiguration
$configParams = @{}
foreach ($param in $validConfigParams) {
if ($null -ne $printerConfig.$param -and $printerConfig.$param -isnot [System.Management.Automation.PSMethod]) {
$configParams[$param] = $printerConfig.$param
}
}
if ($configParams.Count -gt 0) {
Set-PrintConfiguration -PrinterName $NewPrinterName @configParams
}
# Restore properties
foreach ($prop in $printerProperties) {
if (-not [string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($prop.Name) -and $null -ne $prop.Value) {
try {
Set-PrinterProperty -PrinterName $NewPrinterName -PropertyName $prop.Name -Value $prop.Value -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
Write-Warning “Unable to set printer property $($prop.Name): $_”
}
}
}
# Restore sharing settings
if ($printer.Shared) {
Set-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName -Shared $true -ShareName $NewPrinterName
}
Write-Host “Printer ‘$NewPrinterName’ restored successfully from $BackupFile”
return $true
}
catch {
Write-Error “Printer restoration process failed: $_”
return $false
}
}
Export-ModuleMember -Function Restore-SinglePrinter
Settings.ps1
# settings.ps1
$BaseFolder = “\testserverdeveloperprinterBackup”
$BackupsFolder = Join-Path $BaseFolder “Backups”
Get-PrinterExtendedConfig.psm1 I hoped would be a single place to list all settings to capture. Maybe that is not needed.
function Get-PrinterExtendedConfig {
return @{
PrinterProperties = @(
‘Comment’,
‘Location’,
‘Shared’,
‘Published’
)
PrinterConfiguration = @(
‘Collate’,
‘Color’,
‘DuplexingMode’,
‘PaperSize’,
‘Orientation’
)
}
}
Export-ModuleMember -Function Get-PrinterExtendedConfig
Find-AvailablePort.psm1
# Find-AvailableIPPort.psm1
function Find-AvailableIPPort {
param (
[string]$BaseIP
)
$existingPorts = Get-PrinterPort | Where-Object { $_.Name -like “$BaseIP*” } | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Name
# If the base IP is not in use, return it
if ($BaseIP -notin $existingPorts) {
return $BaseIP
}
# Check for available ports with suffixes
for ($i = 1; $i -lt 100; $i++) {
$newIP = “${BaseIP}_$i”
if ($newIP -notin $existingPorts) {
return $newIP
}
}
# If no available port found, create a new one with the next available suffix
$maxSuffix = $existingPorts |
Where-Object { $_ -match “${BaseIP}_(d+)” } |
ForEach-Object { [int]($Matches[1]) } |
Measure-Object -Maximum |
Select-Object -ExpandProperty Maximum
return “${BaseIP}_$($maxSuffix + 1)”
}
Export-ModuleMember -Function Find-AvailableIPPort
Hello all. I’m rather new to PowerShell. I hope I’m not causing any grief here. I whipped together a proof of concept because I need to protect certain computers’ printing abilities as they are crucial to our business. I know I can use Print Migration to export and import the set of printers. I don’t know how to start Printer Migration giving it a destination of the UNC to the server, the current computer’s name. It does not seem to restore all the printers either. I really would appreciate the ability to clone an existing printer to a new name and new IP address. I wanted to see how far Perplexity.AI could take this. It made a start but then started forgetting requirements, re-writing whole scripts, and losing functionality already obtained. My premise is that copying is backup, change, and restore. So I made Backup-SinglePrinter, Restore-SinglePrinter, and Copy-ExistingPrinter. A settings file is included. I expect that once backup-singleprinter and restore-singleprinter work, I could make a BackupPrinters and RestorePrinters to handle all existing printers. One final thing is I would like to have the scripts locate each other by using the single settings file or by knowing the starting location of the first script. Mike Copy-ExistingPrinter.ps1 <#
.SYNOPSIS
Copies an existing printer to a new printer with a different name and a new IP address.
.DESCRIPTION
This script copies an existing printer by backing it up, modifying the backup,
and then restoring it with a new name and a new IP address.
.PARAMETER ExistingPrinterName
The name of the existing printer to copy from.
.PARAMETER NewPrinterName
The name of the new printer to create.
.EXAMPLE
.Copy-ExistingPrinter.ps1 -ExistingPrinterName “Printer1” -NewPrinterName “Printer2”
#>
param (
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$ExistingPrinterName,
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$NewPrinterName
)
# Import settings
$settingsPath = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot “settings.ps1”
if (Test-Path $settingsPath) {
. $settingsPath
} else {
Write-Error “Settings file not found at $settingsPath”
exit 1
}
# Verify that $BaseFolder is set in settings.ps1
if (-not $BaseFolder) {
Write-Error “BaseFolder is not set in settings.ps1”
exit 1
}
# Manually import required modules
$modulesToImport = @(
“Backup-SinglePrinter.psm1”,
“Restore-SinglePrinter.psm1”,
“Find-AvailableIPPort.psm1”,
“Get-PrinterExtendedConfig.psm1”
)
foreach ($module in $modulesToImport) {
$modulePath = Join-Path $BaseFolder $module
if (Test-Path $modulePath) {
Import-Module $modulePath -Force
Write-Host “Imported module: $module” -ForegroundColor Green
} else {
Write-Error “Module $module not found at $modulePath”
exit 1
}
}
# Verify that the functions are available
$requiredFunctions = @(“Backup-SinglePrinter”, “Restore-SinglePrinter”, “Find-AvailableIPPort”, “Get-PrinterExtendedConfig”)
foreach ($func in $requiredFunctions) {
if (-not (Get-Command -Name $func -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) {
Write-Error “Required function $func is not available.”
exit 1
} else {
Write-Host “Function $func is available.” -ForegroundColor Green
}
}
try {
# Create backup folder structure
$backupsFolder = Join-Path $BaseFolder “Backups”
$computerName = $env:COMPUTERNAME
$computerBackupFolder = Join-Path $backupsFolder $computerName
$driversFolder = Join-Path $computerBackupFolder “Drivers”
if (-not (Test-Path $computerBackupFolder)) {
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $computerBackupFolder -Force | Out-Null
}
if (-not (Test-Path $driversFolder)) {
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $driversFolder -Force | Out-Null
}
# Backup the existing printer
Write-Host “Backing up existing printer: $ExistingPrinterName” -ForegroundColor Cyan
$backupFileName = “$ExistingPrinterName.xml”
$backupFile = Join-Path $computerBackupFolder $backupFileName
$backupResult = Backup-SinglePrinter -PrinterName $ExistingPrinterName -BackupFile $backupFile
if (-not $backupResult) {
throw “Failed to backup the existing printer.”
}
# Get the IP address of the existing printer
$existingPrinter = Get-Printer -Name $ExistingPrinterName
$existingPort = Get-PrinterPort -Name $existingPrinter.PortName
$BaseIP = $existingPort.PrinterHostAddress
if ([string]::IsNullOrEmpty($BaseIP)) {
Write-Error “Unable to retrieve IP address for existing printer $ExistingPrinterName”
exit 1
}
Write-Host “Existing printer IP address: $BaseIP” -ForegroundColor Cyan
# Find an available IP port for the new printer
Write-Host “Finding an available IP port for the new printer” -ForegroundColor Cyan
$NewIPAddress = Find-AvailableIPPort -BaseIP $BaseIP
if ($NewIPAddress) {
Write-Host “Available IP port found: $NewIPAddress” -ForegroundColor Green
} else {
throw “No available IP address found.”
}
# Create a new port with the new IP address
$NewPortName = $NewIPAddress
Add-PrinterPort -Name $NewPortName -PrinterHostAddress $NewIPAddress
# Restore the modified backup as a new printer
Write-Host “Restoring modified backup as new printer: $NewPrinterName” -ForegroundColor Cyan
$restoreResult = Restore-SinglePrinter -BackupFile $backupFile -NewPrinterName $NewPrinterName -NewPortName $NewPortName
if ($restoreResult) {
Write-Host “Printer ‘$ExistingPrinterName’ successfully copied to ‘$NewPrinterName’ with IP $NewIPAddress.” -ForegroundColor Green
# Create a backup summary
$summaryFile = Join-Path $computerBackupFolder “BackupSummary.txt”
$summaryContent = @”
Backup performed on: $(Get-Date)
Original Printer: $ExistingPrinterName
New Printer: $NewPrinterName
New IP Address: $NewIPAddress
“@
Add-Content -Path $summaryFile -Value $summaryContent
} else {
throw “Failed to restore the new printer.”
}
}
catch {
Write-Error “An error occurred during the printer copying process: $_”
# Clean up the new printer if it was created
if (Get-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) {
Remove-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
# Clean up the new port if it was created
if ($NewPortName -and (Get-PrinterPort -Name $NewPortName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) {
Remove-PrinterPort -Name $NewPortName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
}
# Script Version: 3.9 Backup-SinglePrinter.psm1 function Backup-SinglePrinter {
param (
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$PrinterName,
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$BackupFile
)
# Import settings
$settingsPath = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot “settings.ps1”
if (Test-Path $settingsPath) {
. $settingsPath
} else {
Write-Error “Settings file not found at $settingsPath”
return $false
}
# Import printer properties
$propertiesModulePath = Join-Path $BaseFolder “Get-PrinterExtendedConfig.psm1”
if (Test-Path $propertiesModulePath) {
Import-Module $propertiesModulePath -Force
} else {
Write-Error “Get-PrinterExtendedConfig module not found at $propertiesModulePath”
return $false
}
$computerName = $env:COMPUTERNAME
$computerBackupFolder = Join-Path $BackupsFolder $computerName
$driversFolder = Join-Path $computerBackupFolder “Drivers”
if (-not (Test-Path $computerBackupFolder)) {
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $computerBackupFolder -Force | Out-Null
}
if (-not (Test-Path $driversFolder)) {
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $driversFolder -Force | Out-Null
}
try {
$printer = Get-Printer -Name $PrinterName -Full
$printerConfig = Get-PrintConfiguration -PrinterName $PrinterName
$printerProperties = Get-PrinterProperty -PrinterName $PrinterName
$backupObject = @{
Printer = $printer
Configuration = $printerConfig
Properties = $printerProperties
IsShared = $printer.Shared
ShareName = $printer.ShareName
}
$backupObject | Export-Clixml -Path $BackupFile -Depth 10
# Backup driver files
$driverName = $printer.DriverName
$driverInfo = Get-PrinterDriver -Name $driverName
$driverPath = $driverInfo.InfPath
if ($driverPath) {
Copy-Item -Path $driverPath -Destination $driversFolder -Force
}
Write-Host “Printer ‘$PrinterName’ backed up successfully to $BackupFile”
return $true
}
catch {
Write-Error “Printer backup process failed: $_”
return $false
}
}
Export-ModuleMember -Function Backup-SinglePrinter Restore-SinglePrinter.psm1 function Restore-SinglePrinter {
param (
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$BackupFile,
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$NewPrinterName,
[Parameter(Mandatory=$false)]
[string]$NewPortName
)
try {
$backupObject = Import-Clixml -Path $BackupFile
$printer = $backupObject.Printer
$printerConfig = $backupObject.Configuration
$printerProperties = $backupObject.Properties
# Import printer properties module
$propertiesModulePath = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot “Get-PrinterExtendedConfig.psm1”
if (Test-Path $propertiesModulePath) {
Import-Module $propertiesModulePath -Force
} else {
Write-Error “Get-PrinterExtendedConfig module not found at $propertiesModulePath”
return $false
}
$printerExtendedConfig = Get-PrinterExtendedConfig
# If NewPortName is not provided, use the original port
if (-not $NewPortName) {
$NewPortName = $printer.PortName
}
# Create or update the printer
if (Get-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) {
Set-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName -DriverName $printer.DriverName -PortName $NewPortName
} else {
Add-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName -DriverName $printer.DriverName -PortName $NewPortName
}
# Restore printer settings
$validPrinterParams = $printerExtendedConfig.PrinterProperties
$printerParams = @{}
foreach ($param in $validPrinterParams) {
if ($null -ne $printer.$param) {
$printerParams[$param] = $printer.$param
}
}
if ($printerParams.Count -gt 0) {
Set-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName @printerParams
}
# Restore configuration
$validConfigParams = $printerExtendedConfig.PrinterConfiguration
$configParams = @{}
foreach ($param in $validConfigParams) {
if ($null -ne $printerConfig.$param -and $printerConfig.$param -isnot [System.Management.Automation.PSMethod]) {
$configParams[$param] = $printerConfig.$param
}
}
if ($configParams.Count -gt 0) {
Set-PrintConfiguration -PrinterName $NewPrinterName @configParams
}
# Restore properties
foreach ($prop in $printerProperties) {
if (-not [string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($prop.Name) -and $null -ne $prop.Value) {
try {
Set-PrinterProperty -PrinterName $NewPrinterName -PropertyName $prop.Name -Value $prop.Value -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
Write-Warning “Unable to set printer property $($prop.Name): $_”
}
}
}
# Restore sharing settings
if ($printer.Shared) {
Set-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName -Shared $true -ShareName $NewPrinterName
}
Write-Host “Printer ‘$NewPrinterName’ restored successfully from $BackupFile”
return $true
}
catch {
Write-Error “Printer restoration process failed: $_”
return $false
}
}
Export-ModuleMember -Function Restore-SinglePrinter Settings.ps1 # settings.ps1
$BaseFolder = “\testserverdeveloperprinterBackup”
$BackupsFolder = Join-Path $BaseFolder “Backups” Get-PrinterExtendedConfig.psm1 I hoped would be a single place to list all settings to capture. Maybe that is not needed. function Get-PrinterExtendedConfig {
return @{
PrinterProperties = @(
‘Comment’,
‘Location’,
‘Shared’,
‘Published’
)
PrinterConfiguration = @(
‘Collate’,
‘Color’,
‘DuplexingMode’,
‘PaperSize’,
‘Orientation’
)
}
}
Export-ModuleMember -Function Get-PrinterExtendedConfig Find-AvailablePort.psm1 # Find-AvailableIPPort.psm1
function Find-AvailableIPPort {
param (
[string]$BaseIP
)
$existingPorts = Get-PrinterPort | Where-Object { $_.Name -like “$BaseIP*” } | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Name
# If the base IP is not in use, return it
if ($BaseIP -notin $existingPorts) {
return $BaseIP
}
# Check for available ports with suffixes
for ($i = 1; $i -lt 100; $i++) {
$newIP = “${BaseIP}_$i”
if ($newIP -notin $existingPorts) {
return $newIP
}
}
# If no available port found, create a new one with the next available suffix
$maxSuffix = $existingPorts |
Where-Object { $_ -match “${BaseIP}_(d+)” } |
ForEach-Object { [int]($Matches[1]) } |
Measure-Object -Maximum |
Select-Object -ExpandProperty Maximum
return “${BaseIP}_$($maxSuffix + 1)”
}
Export-ModuleMember -Function Find-AvailableIPPort Read More
New Blog | Now available: Modernize your SAP environment with Microsoft Entra ID
Building on our joint announcement with SAP earlier this year, we have now released guidance to help customers modernize their SAP environment and move their identity management scenarios from SAP Identity Management (SAP IDM) to Entra ID. With this documentation, SAP IDM customers can migrate seamlessly to the cloud-based IAM and identify the right partners that can assist.
In February, SAP announced that the on-premises tool for managing identity would reach end-of-maintenance by 2030. We are honored that SAP has recommended Microsoft Entra ID, our cloud-based identity and access management solution, to facilitate a seamless migration and ongoing enterprise-wide identity and access management.
Read the full post here: Now available: Modernize your SAP environment with Microsoft Entra ID
By Melanie Maynes
Building on our joint announcement with SAP earlier this year, we have now released guidance to help customers modernize their SAP environment and move their identity management scenarios from SAP Identity Management (SAP IDM) to Entra ID. With this documentation, SAP IDM customers can migrate seamlessly to the cloud-based IAM and identify the right partners that can assist.
In February, SAP announced that the on-premises tool for managing identity would reach end-of-maintenance by 2030. We are honored that SAP has recommended Microsoft Entra ID, our cloud-based identity and access management solution, to facilitate a seamless migration and ongoing enterprise-wide identity and access management.
Read the full post here: Now available: Modernize your SAP environment with Microsoft Entra ID Read More
What is QuickBookꜱ Error 15106 and How to Fix it?
Upon accessing the client’s system remotely, I noted that the error 15106 was indeed preventing QuickBookꜱ from updating to the latest version. The error message indicated a problem with the update program, suggesting that the update couldn’t be initialized due to either a permissions issue or an interference from a third-party application
Upon accessing the client’s system remotely, I noted that the error 15106 was indeed preventing QuickBookꜱ from updating to the latest version. The error message indicated a problem with the update program, suggesting that the update couldn’t be initialized due to either a permissions issue or an interference from a third-party application Read More
Quad Buffer support for RDP
Hello,
Would it be possible to get a change made to RDP that would allow more than 1 buffer from a GPU to be sent the remote desktop client?
Currently it is not possible to use Server with GPU (with quad-buffer ON) via RDP. This would have broad commercial appeal for mapping, gnome research, chemical engineering, CAD, Automotive and other industries.
Hello, Would it be possible to get a change made to RDP that would allow more than 1 buffer from a GPU to be sent the remote desktop client?Currently it is not possible to use Server with GPU (with quad-buffer ON) via RDP. This would have broad commercial appeal for mapping, gnome research, chemical engineering, CAD, Automotive and other industries. Read More
Houston Chapter Meeting Aug 22nd – Join online or in person!
You’re invited to join us in-person or virtually on August 22!
IAMCP‘s TOLA Chapter (Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas) rotates monthly and hosts chapter meetings in Austin, Houston and Dallas. All meetings are hybrid and anyone is welcome to attend, no matter where you are!
We’ll be talking about the FY25 updates, announcements and partner program changes. Come ask your partner questions as you navigate FY25 as a Microsoft partner!
Join us online or in-person (lunch included) in Houston at the Microsoft office –
750 Town and Country Blvd., Ste. 1000
Houston, Texas 77024
11:30am-1:00pm CST
You’re invited to join us in-person or virtually on August 22! IAMCP’s TOLA Chapter (Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas) rotates monthly and hosts chapter meetings in Austin, Houston and Dallas. All meetings are hybrid and anyone is welcome to attend, no matter where you are! We’ll be talking about the FY25 updates, announcements and partner program changes. Come ask your partner questions as you navigate FY25 as a Microsoft partner! Join us online or in-person (lunch included) in Houston at the Microsoft office – 750 Town and Country Blvd., Ste. 1000Houston, Texas 7702411:30am-1:00pm CST Register Here > Read More
Talking about FY25 changes in Houston and online, August 22
You’re invited to join us in-person or virtually on August 22!
IAMCP‘s TOLA Chapter (Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas) rotates monthly and hosts chapter meetings in Austin, Houston and Dallas. All meetings are hybrid and anyone is welcome to attend, no matter where you are!
We’ll be talking about the FY25 updates, announcements and partner program changes. Come ask your partner questions as you navigate FY25 as a Microsoft partner! I know many of us are excited about the new additions to the partner benefits, including over 20 new SKUs that were teased in July.
Join us online or in-person (lunch included) in Houston at the Microsoft office –
750 Town and Country Blvd., Ste. 1000
Houston, Texas 77024
11:30am-1:00pm CST
Not a member of IAMCP? You can attend for $30 or, as a new member, join for $1 for your first 90 days!
I myself have been a member of IAMCP for about 2+ years and I’m the Secretary of the Houston chapter. There are plenty of other virtual meetings every month covering all topics concerning partners. It’s a great way to understand the ecosystem, how to gain designations and credentials, and find partner to partner opportunities.
You’re invited to join us in-person or virtually on August 22! IAMCP’s TOLA Chapter (Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas) rotates monthly and hosts chapter meetings in Austin, Houston and Dallas. All meetings are hybrid and anyone is welcome to attend, no matter where you are! We’ll be talking about the FY25 updates, announcements and partner program changes. Come ask your partner questions as you navigate FY25 as a Microsoft partner! I know many of us are excited about the new additions to the partner benefits, including over 20 new SKUs that were teased in July. Join us online or in-person (lunch included) in Houston at the Microsoft office – 750 Town and Country Blvd., Ste. 1000Houston, Texas 7702411:30am-1:00pm CST Register Here > Not a member of IAMCP? You can attend for $30 or, as a new member, join for $1 for your first 90 days! I myself have been a member of IAMCP for about 2+ years and I’m the Secretary of the Houston chapter. There are plenty of other virtual meetings every month covering all topics concerning partners. It’s a great way to understand the ecosystem, how to gain designations and credentials, and find partner to partner opportunities. Read More
Ready for FY25? Join us in Houston or online August 22nd for the next IAMCP TOLA meeting
IAMCP‘s TOLA Chapter (Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas) rotates monthly and hosts chapter meetings in Austin, Houston and Dallas. All meetings are hybrid and anyone is welcome to attend, no matter where you are!
We’ll be talking about the FY25 updates, announcements and partner program changes. Come ask your partner questions as you navigate FY25 as a Microsoft partner! I know many of us are excited about the new additions to the partner benefits, including over 20 new SKUs that were teased in July.
Join us online or in-person (lunch included) in Houston at the Microsoft office –
750 Town and Country Blvd., Ste. 1000
Houston, Texas 77024
11:30am-1:00pm CST
Not a member of IAMCP? You can attend for $30 or, as a new member, join for $1 for your first 90 days!
I myself have been a member of IAMCP for about 2+ years and I’m the Secretary of the Houston chapter. There are plenty of other virtual meetings every month covering all topics concerning partners. It’s a great way to understand the ecosystem, how to gain designations and credentials, and find partner to partner opportunities.
You’re invited to join us in-person or virtually on August 22! IAMCP’s TOLA Chapter (Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas) rotates monthly and hosts chapter meetings in Austin, Houston and Dallas. All meetings are hybrid and anyone is welcome to attend, no matter where you are! We’ll be talking about the FY25 updates, announcements and partner program changes. Come ask your partner questions as you navigate FY25 as a Microsoft partner! I know many of us are excited about the new additions to the partner benefits, including over 20 new SKUs that were teased in July. Join us online or in-person (lunch included) in Houston at the Microsoft office – 750 Town and Country Blvd., Ste. 1000Houston, Texas 7702411:30am-1:00pm CST Register Here > Not a member of IAMCP? You can attend for $30 or, as a new member, join for $1 for your first 90 days! I myself have been a member of IAMCP for about 2+ years and I’m the Secretary of the Houston chapter. There are plenty of other virtual meetings every month covering all topics concerning partners. It’s a great way to understand the ecosystem, how to gain designations and credentials, and find partner to partner opportunities. Read More
Discover cost management opportunities using tailored Copilot in Azure prompts
Copilot in Azure is revolutionizing the AI landscape by empowering users with intuitive, intelligent tools that enhance productivity, creativity, and decision-making across various industries. By weaving AI-powered functionality within Microsoft Cost Management, Copilot in Azure adds significant value to your organization to analyze, optimize, simulate, and provide insight into your cloud spending and maximize your ROI.
Leveraging Copilot in Azure becomes more effective and yields better results based on the quality of your inquiries, or prompts. In this blog we’re going to explore the value of incorporating Copilot in Azure in your Microsoft Cost Management tasks, and give some scenarios in which asking specific, fine-tuned prompts can yields the most helpful results.
Foster cross-departmental collaboration with Copilot in Azure
Copilot in Azure acts as a bridge between development teams and financial advisors, fostering a culture of cost awareness and optimization within organizations using Microsoft Azure cloud services. Let’s take an in-depth look at how Copilot in Azure becomes an intelligent assistant for helping both groups navigate and understand cloud spending.
Developers:
Cost awareness from the start: With real-time insights into the cost implications of their code choices and resource utilization, developers can make informed decisions about resource allocation and optimization techniques.
Proactive anomaly detection: Copilot in Azure leverages AI to identify unusual spikes in resource consumption or unexpected cost increases, triggering investigations into potential resource leaks or inefficient queries.
Budget Management and Forecasting: Developers can stay within budget by getting insights into projected costs based on current usage patterns.
Financial advisors:
Effortless cost visibility: Copilot simplifies cost analysis for financial advisors, allowing them to drill down into specific services or resource groups using natural language queries.
Cost optimization recommendations: Copilot analyzes spending patterns and recommends potential cost-saving strategies, such as exploring different storage tiers or enabling automatic deletion of inactive data.
Improved communication with developers: Empowered with clear and actionable insights, financial advisors can communicate cost considerations to developers more effectively.
Overall, Copilot in Azure adds significant value by providing detailed prompts, insights, and recommendations to optimize cloud spending and maximize ROI. Next let’s drill down into examples of specific scenarios where tailoring your Copilot in Azure prompts can yield the best results in Microsoft Cost Management.
Analyzing your costs
When using the Copilot in Azure integration in Microsoft Cost Management for optimized cost analysis, you should enter prompts that provide context specific to your business needs and the exact insights you’re seeking. These prompts should be tailored to help you gain insights into spending patterns, identify anomalies, and explore opportunities for cost optimization. For example:
“Summarize costs for resource group AI development (aidev) over the last 6 months.”
“Can you provide an estimate of our expected aidev expenses for the next 6 months?”
“Can you show our last month’s cost for tag ponumber : may2024?”
“Show me the resource group with the highest spending in the last 6 months.”
“How much did we spend on virtual machines last month?”
You can modify these prompts based on your real-life scenarios or try additional prompts to meet your specific needs. The AI will provide you with information and recommendations based on the context of your Microsoft Cost Management data.
Understand anomalies in your cost
To understand anomalies in your costs, enter prompts that will guide Copilot in Azure to analyze your cost data, detect any irregularities, and provide explanations or insights into what might be causing these anomalies. For example:
“Identify any unusual cost spikes this month.”
“Explain the reason behind the unexpected increase in costs on Oct. 12th.”
“Compare this month’s spending to the last month and highlight any anomalies.”
“Show me a trend analysis of my cloud spend over the past year.”
“What caused the recent surge in Azure costs?”
“Why did my aidev cost spike on July 8th?”
These prompts provide a way to keep track of your spending and quickly address any issues that arise. Remember, the more specific your prompt, the more targeted the insights you’ll receive from Copilot in Azure.
Understand your commitment usage
To understand your commitment usage in Microsoft Cost Management, craft prompts that will guide Copilot in Azure to present detailed information about your commitments, such as reserved instances or committed spend, and offer insights into how effectively these commitments are being used. Copilot can also suggest ways to optimize your commitment usage to ensure you’re getting the most value out of your investment.
“Show me a breakdown of my savings plan usage for the past quarter.”
“How much of our reserved instances have we utilized this month?”
“Can you show the utilization of our reserved instances and savings plans?”
“Identify underutilized savings plans.”
“Which resources are covered by Azure savings plans?”
Find cost savings recommendations
To find cost savings recommendations in Microsoft Cost Management, enter prompts that will guide Copilot in Azure to analyze your spending patterns, suggest actionable recommendations, and help you make informed decisions to optimize your cloud investments.
“Provide a list of cost-saving measures for my cloud services.”
“What are the top recommendations for cost optimization in my current setup?”
“Show me options for reserved instance purchases that could save costs.”
“Help me optimize my spending on cloud storage solutions.”
Reconcile your bills
To help you gain a clear understanding of your costs, identify any unexpected charges, and ensure that your billing records are accurate and up to date, provide Copilot in Azure with prompts that will help you break down and understand your billing information in detail. Copilot in Azure can provide you with a detailed analysis of your bills, making it easier to manage your cloud spend effectively.
“Break down my latest bill by service.”
“Summarize my invoice for May 2024.”
“Compare my May 2024 with previous invoice.”
“Show statement of account for April 2024.”
“Reconcile my invoices and credit notes for Jan 2024.”
“Compare my current bill to the previous month’s bill.”
Remember to tailor these prompts to your specific billing scenarios for more precise insights.
Start making better-informed financial decisions today with Copilot in Azure
By harnessing the power of AI in your cloud cost optimization strategy with Copilot in Azure, you’ll get intelligent insights and recommendations to identify savings opportunities, optimize resource utilization, and make informed financial decisions. With Copilot in Azure as your virtual assistant, you can streamline cost management, reduce manual effort, and gain a deeper understanding of your cloud spending patterns.
Get started today by visiting the Microsoft Cost Management website or contacting your Microsoft representative.
Just as Copilot weaves AI capabilities into your cloud strategy, FinOps best practices can also be critical for managing and forecasting your budget. FinOps is a cultural shift that empowers businesses to maximize the value of their cloud investments by fostering collaboration between finance, IT, and business teams. For more on how this pivotal financial framework can provide greater insight into your cloud spending, check out our new blog about bringing FinOps best practices into the era of AI.
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More