Category: Microsoft
Category Archives: Microsoft
Webinars: Copilot for Microsoft 365 – Starter Series Round 2 Pharma Focus
Are you looking for a way to reduce the time and effort required to complete your tasks in Microsoft 365? Do you want to optimize your workflows and processes to achieve more with less resources? Do you want to see how Copilot for Microsoft 365 can help you solve real-world challenges frequently encountered in the Pharmaceutical Industry today?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you don’t want to miss this webinar series. Copilot for Microsoft 365 is a powerful tool that leverages artificial intelligence and automation to help you work smarter and faster in Microsoft 365. Whether you need to create documents, presentations, spreadsheets, emails, or any other content, Copilot for Microsoft 365 can assist you with suggestions, templates, insights, and best practices.
In this webinar series, you will learn how to use Copilot for Microsoft 365 to gain immediate value from your subscription. You will also see how Copilot for Microsoft 365 can address specific use cases and scenarios in the pharmaceutical sector. You will hear from the experts from Microsoft’s Healthcare and Life Sciences groups, who will share their insights and experiences with Copilot for Microsoft 365. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the speakers and other attendees.
The webinar series consists of 5 sessions, each lasting one hour. You can register for any or all the sessions, depending on your interest and availability. Each session will begin at 12 noon eastern. The sessions are as follows (download the .ics calendar invite file or join at the appropriate date/time via the direct link)
June 3rd Reducing Repetitive Tasks and Improving Processes for Pharma Sales Reps
June 3rd 12 noon eastern Direct Link
June 10th Pharma Sales Trainer Enablement with Copilot
June 10th 12 noon eastern Direct Link
June 17th Copilot Use with Clinical Trials Manager/Researcher
June 17th 12 noon eastern Direct Link
June 24th Empowering Pharma Marketers with Copilot
June 24th 12 noon eastern Direct Link
July 1st 12 noon eastern Direct Link
We hope you find these recorded webinars educational in your efforts to transform your pharmaceutical organization as well as other organizations in Healthcare and Life Sciences and beyond.
Thanks for visiting – Michael Gannotti LinkedIn
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
What’s New? – Security Copilot Azure logic app Connector
As we pioneer the use of generative AI in security, we are continuing to learn from our Microsoft Copilot for Security customers. Feedback from our initial preview phase highlighted a strong demand for automation. Recognizing this, we’ve developed the Copilot for Security Azure Logic App connector to seamlessly integrate with your security workflows. This enhancement allows for the creation of custom prompts within Copilot, enabling dynamic input and output processing that boosts both efficiency and customization.
For example, if a user reports a phishing email, you might use a standard operating procedure to triage the email. This might involve extracting the indicators, assessing the domain reputation, etc. Copilot for Security can perform this analysis for you and send the results to someone for review.
This blog post delves into the of the Copilot for Security Logic App connector. We’ll explore how it facilitates the integration of Copilot’s AI capabilities and into existing workflows, revolutionizing automated security processes.
Figure 1: Security Copilot prompting
What Is an Azure Logic App?
In this blog post, I’ll be diving into the world of Azure Logic Apps, a versatile cloud service that revolutionizes the way users create and automate workflows. This powerful tool is expertly crafted to integrate applications, data, systems, and services across various enterprises or organizations.
Key Use Cases for Logic Apps Include:
Remediation: Streamlining the process of identifying and correcting issues within systems.
Enrichments: Enhancing data quality and utility by adding necessary details or context.
Business workflows: Automating and optimizing routine business processes for efficiency and effectiveness.
Logs transfer: Facilitating the seamless movement of log data between systems.
Integration with Azure functions: Empowering Logic Apps to call upon Azure functions for specialized tasks.
Copilot for Security Logic App Connector
We’re excited to share some of the new and dynamic ways our connector is set to expand Copilot for Security capabilities:
Extending promptbook logic: Copilot currently offers curated promptbooks that help users automate common actions associated with investigating an incident, responding to a vulnerability, analyzing a script and building a threat profile. Customers will soon be able to customize their own workflows. This Logic App connector offers an early preview of that functionality. Build workflows in the product and automate them using Logic Apps.
Seamless integration with existing systems: Customers can now integrate Copilot prompts and the power of Generative AI directly into their existing workflows. This means smoother processes, whether it’s integrating data from a ticketing system, analyzing CVEs from vulnerability management systems, or synchronizing with your own SOAR system.
Expanding capabilities with Azure: The connector also opens the door to the extensive Azure logic app ecosystem. Customers can now combine Copilot’s robust features with over 200 security connectors available in Azure, significantly enhancing their security infrastructure and capabilities.
For sample and automation examples, check our new Github.
***Note: When utilizing Logic Apps with Copilot for Security, please be aware that it may increase your consumption of Secure Compute Units (SCUs). We recommend closely monitoring SCU usage to optimize resource management.
Prerequisites for using our new Logic App connector:
To make the most of this new Logic App connector, there are a few prerequisites to be aware of:
Tenant deployment requirements: Your Logic App must be deployed within a tenant that is onboarded into Copilot for Security
User authentication and role access: Users looking to authenticate with the Logic App connector must hold specific access roles. For a deeper understanding of these roles and how they function within the framework of Copilot, we recommend exploring Understand authentication in Microsoft Copilot for Security | Microsoft Learn
Data access for enhanced security interaction: It’s important that the authenticated user can access data from various remote security products. This encompasses tasks like reading Defender incident reports and gathering multi-factor authentication (MFA) details, among others.
Getting started with Copilot for Security Logic App connector.
After setting up the Azure Logic App and configuring the initial trigger step, proceed to search for the new Security Copilot action.
Figure 2: Adding an action in Secuity Copilot
After choosing the new Copilot action, proceed to fill in the following information:
Figure 3: Prompt content to fill parameter
Prompt Content (required): Here, you can enter the prompt that needs to be evaluated.
Session Id (optional): This field is for the session context, helping to maintain continuity in your tasks.
Skill Inputs (optional): An optional field where you can input a JSON body. This is particularly useful for specifying values for required plugin parameters, or ‘skills’.
Skill Name (optional): This option allows you to call a specific skill directly. It’s a convenient way to bypass the standard Copilot planner if you’re targeting a particular function.
Skillsets (optional): Similar to the ‘Skill Name’ option, this lets you directly call a skillset, providing a shortcut past the Copilot planner for more direct task execution.
These new parameters and inputs are designed to give you more flexibility and precision in how you use Copilot, enhancing your overall experience. Stay tuned for more updates and tips on how to optimize your use of these features.
**Important Reminder for Sequential Workflow Creation: When designing a workflow that involves multiple prompts, it’s crucial to include the session ID parameter in each step. This practice ensures continuity by maintaining the same session, thereby preserving context throughout the workflow sequence.
Figure 4: Including the SessionID parameter
So, we’ve explored how the new Copilot for Security Azure Logic App connector revolutionizes the integration of AI-driven security solutions into current workflows. This tool not only provides greater customization and smoother system integration, but also access to a broader range of ready-made Azure logic security tools integration. We encourage you to experience the efficiency of the Copilot for Security Azure Logic App connector in enhancing your security operations.
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Windows deployment with the next generation of Windows Autopilot
Device deployment: read, write, repeat
For years the process of provisioning a new laptop or PC for a corporate end user was labor intensive. It required physical space for you to house devices and infrastructure to build and maintain device images.
Since its introduction in 2017, Windows Autopilot has revolutionized device deployment, introducing a direct-to-user, zero-touch experience. As Hervé Janmot, Deputy Global Head of Digital Workplace Architecture, Security, and Transformation at Société Générale put it:
“It’s a game-changer for the employee experience and a powerful productivity tool for our team and the employees we serve.”
Changing the game again
Today, we’re excited to announce the first of many exciting releases on the journey to the next generation experience of Windows Autopilot: device preparation.
Screenshot of the new Windows Autopilot device preparation experience, which is accessible from the Windows enrollment blade.
We based this new capability on re-engineered architecture that will allow us to accommodate more devices, deliver more efficient results, and allow provisioning of cloud instances like Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktops. This new foundation will also expand our service to government cloud customers for the first time.
To keep delivering Windows Autopilot to existing users without disruption, this next iteration was built alongside the current Windows Autopilot technology. The features you know and love in Windows Autopilot aren’t going anywhere! We’re offering the reliability of it and innovations of device preparation in tandem until the experience can be totally unified with the new, more capable architecture.
For those ready to use Windows Autopilot device preparation, you’ll find the entire deployment experience streamlined. As you’ll see, profiles are now configured from a single screen:
Screenshot of Windows Autopilot device preparation policies configuration screen brings required settings into a streamlined workflow.
Adding devices to groups is simpler and faster. We’ve replaced dynamic grouping with enrollment time grouping, so devices get assigned apps policies and scripts more efficiently.
Reporting is much more detailed and is available in near-real time.
Screenshot of the revised reporting for Windows Autopilot deployments.
Reports also offer more granular detail and facilitate troubleshooting with links to devices, policies, and even scripts that impact failed deployments.
Screenshot of the Device deployment details side menu showing Deployment status as Failed.
Admins can define apps to be installed during the out-of-box experience (OOBE). For example, admins can make sure that Microsoft Defender is installed before users can get to work while specifying that other less critical apps are installed in the background. This allows users to be productive once their device is more secure. For more details, find them in the release announcement.
End users will get a re-designed OOBE with clearer indications of how close the setup process is to completion and more resilient recovery options that help them resolve issues without calling the Help Desk.
Screenshot of the new progress percentage of setup.
See what’s to come
We’re eager to share some of the capabilities coming to the new Windows Autopilot device preparation experience! We’ll update you with release dates soon of the following features:
Customize OOBE and rename devices during provisioning based on organizational structure.
Self-deploying and pre-provisioning mode.
Additional admin-specified configurations delivered before allowing desktop access.
Enhanced optional desktop onboarding experience inside the Windows Company Portal app.
The ability to associate a device with a tenant.
Help shape the future
While there’s a lot more still in development already, you can influence what’s next for Windows Autopilot by working with the technology and giving your feedback and suggestions to our team. Let us know how you use and how you wish you could use Windows Autopilot. Add your comments and requests to this blog post or upvote an existing comment to vote for it. Our product teams are passionate about building products that meet real-world needs.
Stay up to date! Bookmark the Microsoft Intune Blog and follow us on LinkedIn or @MSIntune on X to continue the conversation.
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Meeting nonprofit challenges with AI: Research identifies key opportunities
For dedicated nonprofit professionals, burnout is a particularly painful challenge. Afterall, we get into this sector because we have a drive to do good. Without that drive, how can we succeed? And burnout is just one of many challenges nonprofits are facing today. Many factors impact nonprofits today—including staffing shortages, reduced funding, and decreased productivity.
While these critical organizations are trying to meet some of the world’s biggest challenges, like social justice, housing crises, access to food and education, and environmental protection, they are faced with constraints that limit their ability to address increasing needs in their communities.
AI offers nonprofits a unique opportunity to address these challenges head on with organizational changes combined with technology solutions to change the way they work and make the most of their resources.
In September 2023, Microsoft conducted a Work Trend Index fielded from August 10-31, 2023, to gather data on the state of the nonprofit industry. The study surveyed 402 respondents and revealed several challenges and opportunities for the industry.
Disruptions to productivity – and how to help
According to the study, nonprofits expressed these shared pain points:
Employee burnout: 48% of respondents reported feeling burned out on their job.
Lack of innovation: 59% of respondents were concerned about the lack of innovation or breakthrough ideas on their team.
Declining productivity: 16% said they were less productive than they were one year ago.
When nonprofits have constrained time, funds, and staffing, efficient use of staff time becomes even more critical to mission success. Many nonprofits responded with specific examples of interruptions to their workflow and productivity. They identified some common productivity disruptors:
15% of respondents said having inefficient meetings was most disruptive to their day.
10% said not knowing how to get started on a project or task.
8% said planning, taking notes, entering data, and scheduling.
Nonprofit staff are also keenly aware of what would boost their productivity. When asked what would add the most value to their productivity:
35% said being as efficient as possible with the resources they have.
26% said prioritizing time as smartly as possible during the day.
30% said being able to learn a new skill twice as fast.
20% said getting work done without compromising well-being.
20% said cutting time spent on answering emails and chats.
Meeting challenges with AI
The study also explored the potential of AI in the nonprofit industry and found that nonprofit staff are more than aware of how AI can help with their capacity challenges. And they are ready to adopt AI for specific tasks:
Managing information and data: 80% said it could help with finding the right information.
Supporting writing and editing: 69% said AI could help with editing their work and 66% said it could help with creating the first version of their work.
Summarization: 72% said it could help with summarizing their meetings and action items.
Reducing busywork and supporting time management: 69% said it could help with planning their day and 65% said it could help with responding to their emails.
When asked which of these areas of assistance by AI would add the most value to their work, nonprofits said:
69% helping employees with necessary but repetitive tasks.
30% eliminating employee time on low-value activities.
29% increasing employee productivity.
AI sentiment: Optimism and caution
Nonprofits are not only aware of how AI could support their capacity – they are also ready to adopt AI. The sentiment towards AI was overall positive and receptive to the capabilities of AI:
63% of respondents believe that AI tools can be trusted in the workplace.
69% would be comfortable with AI taking on more administrative aspects of their work.
64% would be comfortable using AI for more creative aspects of their work.
Nonprofits are eager to find solutions to boost their productivity, and they are well aware that AI can help with daily tasks—so why is there hesitation to accelerate AI adoption? Many nonprofits still harbor concerns about AI’s trustworthiness and capabilities:
59% of respondents said they don’t trust the decisions AI would make for them about their work.
58% are doubtful that AI can help in their day-to-day work.
63% are worried about the security risks AI poses in the workplace.
Yet these concerns can be mitigated with organizational alignment, responsible AI frameworks and tools, and secure data practices. The hesitancy cited by respondents can be addressed by clear and consistent frameworks and adoption strategies.
How can you get your nonprofit team ready for AI?
AI team readiness was also cited as a key hindrance in AI adoption: 60% were concerned that there is a big learning curve with using AI.
The learning curve, however, is more approachable than ever. Many AI productivity tools are seamlessly built into familiar technology and apps like Microsoft 365. Taking the first steps can be as simple as playing with free generative AI tools. For learning about prompts, navigating features, making the most of AI-assisted productivity – there are numerous free skills development opportunities. Beyond productivity into use cases for data, analytics, security, and more – learning paths at every level and for every role are available at aka.ms/digitalskillshub.
A new way to work
The data suggests that nonprofits can benefit from addressing employee wellbeing, supporting innovation, and leveraging AI to enhance productivity and support employees in their day-to-day work.
In the words of Adam Grant, “The best antidote to burnout is not teaching coping skills to handle stress. It’s redesigning work to reduce stress. To prevent exhaustion, we need to remove overwhelming demands and reject the norm of self-sacrifice. Healthy workplaces value well-being as much as performance.”
AI offers nonprofits more than another technology tool: It offers them a new way to work, enhancing productivity and creativity for teams that are understaffed and overwhelmed. The opportunity of AI has come at just the right time to solve key nonprofit crises.
Continue the conversation by joining us in the Nonprofit Community! Want to share best practices or join community events? Become a member by “Joining” the Nonprofit Community. To stay up to date on the latest nonprofit news, make sure to Follow or Subscribe to the Nonprofit Community Blog space!
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Looking to Merge and Sum Duplicates from Multiple Fields
I have a Zoom report that lists attendees by their Display Name/Number and the Length of Time on the call. A new entry is added for each time an attendee joins or rejoins the call. In this instance, I have someone who has three call logs, that I’d like to merge and sum to get the total time spent on the call by the attendee.
Any advice on an efficient way to do this without going line by line?
I have a Zoom report that lists attendees by their Display Name/Number and the Length of Time on the call. A new entry is added for each time an attendee joins or rejoins the call. In this instance, I have someone who has three call logs, that I’d like to merge and sum to get the total time spent on the call by the attendee. Any advice on an efficient way to do this without going line by line? Read More
Microsoft Project for Teams & Power Automate
One of my colleagues has created a Project Plan on Teams using the Microsoft Project app.
It is very similar to the Microsoft Planner tab. but I just cannot seem to create any flows for this in Power Automate. There is a Project Roadmap connector in PA but there doesn’t seem to be a way to automatically add tasks or create buckets in the Project App.
One of my colleagues has created a Project Plan on Teams using the Microsoft Project app. It is very similar to the Microsoft Planner tab. but I just cannot seem to create any flows for this in Power Automate. There is a Project Roadmap connector in PA but there doesn’t seem to be a way to automatically add tasks or create buckets in the Project App. Read More
how do you disable calendar’s auto email generation?
every calendar item ends up as an email in the morning. I don’t need it, that is why it is in calendar.
Same with the pop ups of each of these unwanted emails.
Hard to get anything actually done due to all the crap to deal with. I just want the efficiency of outlook 2007 back. UGH
every calendar item ends up as an email in the morning. I don’t need it, that is why it is in calendar.Same with the pop ups of each of these unwanted emails. Hard to get anything actually done due to all the crap to deal with. I just want the efficiency of outlook 2007 back. UGH Read More
Upgrade guide .net framework 4.5 to 4.8
Hello!
We are in the process of upgrading .net framework version from 4.5 to 4.8 for a legacy application.
We have class library projects, web forms project and an MVC project.
1.
The system.* assemblies for some of the projects in the the .csproject file look like below. I don’t think these are installed as nuget packages. instead, i believe these are added as reference from the GAC. is this assumption correct?
If so, as part of the upgrade process, should i remove these assembly references and install them as nuget packages instead or shall i keep the assemblies as they are?
<Reference Include=”System” />
<Reference Include=”System.Data” />
<Reference Include=”System.Data.DataSetExtensions” />
<Reference Include=”System.Data.Linq”>
<RequiredTargetFramework>3.5</RequiredTargetFramework>
</Reference>
<Reference Include=”System.Web.ApplicationServices” />
<Reference Include=”System.Web.DynamicData” />
<Reference Include=”System.Web.Entity” />
<Reference Include=”System.Drawing” />
<Reference Include=”System.Web” />
<Reference Include=”System.Web.Extensions” />
<Reference Include=”System.Xml” />
<Reference Include=”System.Configuration” />
<Reference Include=”System.Web.Services” />
<Reference Include=”System.EnterpriseServices” />
<Reference Include=”System.Web.Mobile” />
<Reference Include=”System.Xml.Linq” />
2.
How do i determine should i need to use a newer version of the assemblies than the current ones while upgrading to framework 4.8?
3.
Here is the collective list of all the System.* assemblies that are referenced in the projects in the solution
System
System.Core
System.Xml.Linq
System.Data.DataSetExtensions
System.Data
System.Xml
System.configuration
System.Data.Linq
System.Web
System.Web.ApplicationServices
System.Web.DynamicData
System.Web.Entity
System.Drawing
System.Web.Extensions
System.Web.Services
System.EnterpriseServices
System.Web.Mobile
Hello! We are in the process of upgrading .net framework version from 4.5 to 4.8 for a legacy application.We have class library projects, web forms project and an MVC project. 1.The system.* assemblies for some of the projects in the the .csproject file look like below. I don’t think these are installed as nuget packages. instead, i believe these are added as reference from the GAC. is this assumption correct? If so, as part of the upgrade process, should i remove these assembly references and install them as nuget packages instead or shall i keep the assemblies as they are? <Reference Include=”System” />
<Reference Include=”System.Data” />
<Reference Include=”System.Data.DataSetExtensions” />
<Reference Include=”System.Data.Linq”>
<RequiredTargetFramework>3.5</RequiredTargetFramework>
</Reference>
<Reference Include=”System.Web.ApplicationServices” />
<Reference Include=”System.Web.DynamicData” />
<Reference Include=”System.Web.Entity” />
<Reference Include=”System.Drawing” />
<Reference Include=”System.Web” />
<Reference Include=”System.Web.Extensions” />
<Reference Include=”System.Xml” />
<Reference Include=”System.Configuration” />
<Reference Include=”System.Web.Services” />
<Reference Include=”System.EnterpriseServices” />
<Reference Include=”System.Web.Mobile” />
<Reference Include=”System.Xml.Linq” /> 2.How do i determine should i need to use a newer version of the assemblies than the current ones while upgrading to framework 4.8? 3.Here is the collective list of all the System.* assemblies that are referenced in the projects in the solution System
System.Core
System.Xml.Linq
System.Data.DataSetExtensions
System.Data
System.Xml
System.configuration
System.Data.Linq
System.Web
System.Web.ApplicationServices
System.Web.DynamicData
System.Web.Entity
System.Drawing
System.Web.Extensions
System.Web.Services
System.EnterpriseServices
System.Web.Mobile Read More
Sending form requests and approvals
Hi im new to forms , i have a travel form , where employee needs to enter few details , one of them is the manager email , im trying to create an approval request to the email entered in manager email , then sends the request to that manager , i did that but it dosent send the response and details entered and also it sends request to teams which i want to avoid that
Hi im new to forms , i have a travel form , where employee needs to enter few details , one of them is the manager email , im trying to create an approval request to the email entered in manager email , then sends the request to that manager , i did that but it dosent send the response and details entered and also it sends request to teams which i want to avoid that Read More
Creating ADMX backed Configuration policies
I am trying to figure out how to create an ADM backed Config Profile in Intune to disable the weather and stock information that is now sent to the Windows 11 lock screen but I cannot get it to work. According to this post, I should use the WindowsLogon/DisableLockScreenAppNotifications CSP. This article describes the CSP configuration and as it is an ADMX backed policy, it requires SyncML format to configure. Between this article and this article, I created a custom Config Profile like below,
Name: Disable App Notifications
Description: Blank
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/WindowsLogon/DisableLockScreenAppNotifications
Data Type: String
Value:
<SyncML xmlns=”SYNCML:SYNCML1.2″>
<SyncBody>
<Replace>
<CmdID>2</CmdID>
<Item>
<Meta>
<Format>chr</Format>
<Type>text/plain</Type>
</Meta>
<Target>
<LocURI>./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/WindowsLogon/DisableLockScreenAppNotifications</LocURI>
</Target>
<Data><Enabled/></Data>
</Item>
</Replace>
<Final/>
</SyncBody>
</SyncML>
I’ve deployed it to my user account first and after it failed, I deployed it to my device where it also failed. The event log shows this error in both cases
Can anyone please help tell me where I am going wrong?
Thanks in advance
I am trying to figure out how to create an ADM backed Config Profile in Intune to disable the weather and stock information that is now sent to the Windows 11 lock screen but I cannot get it to work. According to this post, I should use the WindowsLogon/DisableLockScreenAppNotifications CSP. This article describes the CSP configuration and as it is an ADMX backed policy, it requires SyncML format to configure. Between this article and this article, I created a custom Config Profile like below, Name: Disable App NotificationsDescription: BlankOMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/WindowsLogon/DisableLockScreenAppNotificationsData Type: StringValue: <SyncML xmlns=”SYNCML:SYNCML1.2″><SyncBody><Replace><CmdID>2</CmdID><Item><Meta><Format>chr</Format><Type>text/plain</Type></Meta><Target><LocURI>./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/WindowsLogon/DisableLockScreenAppNotifications</LocURI></Target><Data><Enabled/></Data></Item></Replace><Final/></SyncBody></SyncML> I’ve deployed it to my user account first and after it failed, I deployed it to my device where it also failed. The event log shows this error in both cases Can anyone please help tell me where I am going wrong? Thanks in advance Read More
Where can I find borders on the new version of Outlook?
Hi,
On the older version of Outlook I used to use the border tool to make lines:
On the new version of it I can’t find the tool anywhere:
Where can I find it?
Thanks
Hi,On the older version of Outlook I used to use the border tool to make lines:On the new version of it I can’t find the tool anywhere:Where can I find it?Thanks Read More
Feature request: Labeling emails, files, etc for use in summarization in copilot
I’m trying to use copilot to create summaries, action items, and areas that I’ve failed to follow up on. The problem is even with a detailed prompt I only get partial (at best) information back. I’d like a way to tag or label items for copilot to base its summaries/action items off of.
I picture a world where I can tag certain emails and office docs throughout my week and ask copilot to specially create output from those docs at the end of the week to give me a status report.
I’m trying to use copilot to create summaries, action items, and areas that I’ve failed to follow up on. The problem is even with a detailed prompt I only get partial (at best) information back. I’d like a way to tag or label items for copilot to base its summaries/action items off of. I picture a world where I can tag certain emails and office docs throughout my week and ask copilot to specially create output from those docs at the end of the week to give me a status report. Read More
Intune update rings – Use Deadline settings
Can anyone help with recommended settings for updates rings in Intune, specifically the user deadline settings?
I can currently have Quality updates deferred for 7 days.
I want to enforce a deadline and grace period for this update ring but a little confused by the settings, I don’t think the explanations are the best when you hover the “i” for more information.
Can anyone suggest the best settings?
I currently have 7 days for the deadline and 2 days for a grace period.
Do you think we should be setting auto reboot before deadline to yes?
Any advise would be great.
Can anyone help with recommended settings for updates rings in Intune, specifically the user deadline settings?I can currently have Quality updates deferred for 7 days. I want to enforce a deadline and grace period for this update ring but a little confused by the settings, I don’t think the explanations are the best when you hover the “i” for more information. Can anyone suggest the best settings?I currently have 7 days for the deadline and 2 days for a grace period. Do you think we should be setting auto reboot before deadline to yes? Any advise would be great. Read More
Setting Up WSL for Secure Redis CLI Connections to Azure Redis Cache on Windows.
Introduction
This blog post is a comprehensive guide to setting up the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) on your Windows machine. This enables you to use the Redis Command-Line Interface (CLI) to connect to an Azure Redis Cache instance securely. By running a Linux environment on Windows, you can use Redis CLI without the need for a separate virtual machine or dual booting.
Methods to Connect to Redis As of the date of this blog post, there are several ways to connect to Redis:
Redis Insight: A graphical interface offering insights and connectivity troubleshooting for Redis data.
Redis CLI: A command-line tool for direct interaction with Redis.
Client Libraries: Connection via libraries available for various programming languages.
Redis Insight
For those interested in a GUI-based approach, our blog post on using Redis Insight for Azure Cache for Redis provides in-depth information. Redis Insight is the best option for those who prefer a GUI with high-level connectivity troubleshooting and insights into our data present in the cache.
Redis CLI
Redis CLI (Command-Line Interface), on the other hand, is ideal for those who prefer command-line familiarity, ability to use scripting and automation capabilities in a lightweight and portable environment or have restrictions on installing third-party software.
In addition, Redis CLI is a powerful tool for interacting with Azure Cache for Redis as a client. It allows you to directly communicate with your Redis instance, making it useful for debugging, troubleshooting, and managing your cache.
Redis CLI and Secure Connections Historically
In the past, Redis CLI was limited to non-TLS ports, which posed a security concern for Azure Redis Cache connectivity. Secure connections required workarounds like disabling SSL-only configurations, connect through the Azure Console, or employ utilities like Stunnel for SSL connections, and while the default remains a plain TCP connection, the introduction of SSL/TLS connections has now made it possible to secure your Redis CLI connection without compromising security.
Installing WSL on Windows To use Redis CLI on Windows
The Redis-CLI runs natively on Linux, making its installation/usage process very straightforward. For Windows environments, we must install the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) to be able to run Linux tools directly on Windows.
In this blog post, we’ll install WSL using the default Ubuntu distribution of Linux. However, you can change this default by adding “–distribution” to the WSL command and specifying the desired Linux distribution (a list of available distributions can be obtained with “wsl –list –online”).
We’ll use WSL version 2, which is the default at the time of this post. However, specific scenarios or exceptions may warrant switching to WSL 1. Microsoft documentation provides a table to help you decide which version is better suited to your needs:
Comparing WSL Versions | Microsoft Learn
Step #1: Install WSL in Windows.
For Windows 10 (version 2004 and higher) / Windows 11:
WSL can be installed with a single command through PowerShell or the Windows CMD in administrator model: “wsl –install”.
Optional parameters for distribution change and online installation are available.
To install WSL 1 instead of WSL 2, use: “wsl –install –enable-wsl1”.
Link: Basic commands for WSL | Microsoft Learn
For Windows Server 2022,
WSL installation is supported using the same command: “wsl –install”.
Execute the command in an administrator PowerShell or Command Prompt.
Restart your machine after installation.
For Windows Server 2019 (version 1709+):
WSL needs to be manually enabled.
Use PowerShell to enable WSL:
“Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux”
Step #2: Choose a Linux Distribution
After enabling WSL and rebooting the computer, you must choose a Linux distribution to install, you can see a list of available distributions here.
Now that the Linux distribution has been downloaded, extract and install the selected Linux distribution using the following PowerShell commands:
extract the <DistributionName>.appx package’s contents
“Rename-Item .Ubuntu.appx .Ubuntu.zip”
“Expand-Archive .Ubuntu.zip .Ubuntu”
–Navigate to the folder containing the download and run the following command in that directory, where app-name is the name of the Linux distribution .appx file.–
“Add-AppxPackage .app_name.appx”
Note: If you encounter an error code 0x8007007e, your system does not support WSL. Please refer to the Microsoft documentation for comparing WSL versions to decide if WSL 1 or WSL 2 is better suited for your needs.
Step #3: Add the Linux Distribution to Windows Environment PATH
Add the Linux distribution to your Windows environment PATH using the following steps:
Open PowerShell or Command Prompt as an administrator.
Execute the following commands to add the Linux distribution to the PATH:
$userenv = [System.Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable(“Path”, “User”)
[System.Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable(“PATH”, $userenv + “;C:UsersAdministratorUbuntu”, “User”)
Previous Windows Versions
For older versions of Windows:
Manual installation steps are available for older versions of WSL on Microsoft Learn.
Previous Windows Server Versions
WSL is not supported on older versions of Windows Server.
Note: During any of the WSL installations, you will be prompted to enter a username and a password at the end of this. Make sure to keep them somewhere you remember.
Using Redis CLI
After installing WSL and a Linux distribution, update and install Redis with the following commands from your Linux VM:
“sudo apt-get update”
Afterwards, run:
“sudo apt-get install redis”
Check the Redis status within your Linux distribution, Ubuntu:
You can validate the Redis CLI Version installed with “redis-cli –version”
Note: If you run into any issues, try restarting the service by running “sudo systemctl restart redis.service”
Retrieve your Azure Cache for Redis access keys from the Azure Portal’s settings/authentication section.
Remember to keep these keys confidential.
Gather the access information to your Azure Cache for Redis from the Azure Portal by navigating to the settings/Authentication blade, please note that the access keys to your Azure Cache are extremely sensitive information that should never be shared, and example is only shown due to the test cache already being deleted by the time this blog is published.
For this example, I will connect using TLS by running the following command including the –tls parameter:
“redis-cli.exe -p 6380 -h yourcachename.redis.cache.windows.net -a YourAccessKey –tls”
Note: For alternatives on how gather your cache information, please refer to the following documentation: Use redis-cli with Azure Cache for Redis – Azure Cache for Redis | Microsoft Learn
Verify the connection with the PING command:
The PONG reply will let you know you have successfully connected to your Azure Cache for Redis instance using the redis-cli.
With an established connection, you can now insert keys, run commands in a loop, perform mass data insertion and more. Please reference to the Redis documentation for a full rundown of the capabilities of the Redis CLI console.
Conclusion
This blog post has outlined the steps necessary to set up WSL and securely connect to Azure Redis Cache using Redis CLI. For further details and troubleshooting, please refer to the official Microsoft documentation on using redis-cli with Azure Cache for Redis. You can find the current information at the Azure Cache for Redis development FAQ.
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Microsoft App Assure supports Copilot for Microsoft 365 customers moving to monthly updates
At Microsoft, our mission to empower every person and every organization to achieve more is continually propelled by innovation. A prime example of that innovation is Copilot for Microsoft 365. Today I’m thrilled to share an important update that will help even more organizations take advantage of this groundbreaking AI tool.
Copilot iterates fast and relies on the latest updates and integration throughout the Microsoft product suite, so devices need to be on a monthly update channel for Microsoft 365 Apps (Current Channel or Monthly Enterprise Channel). We recommend Monthly Enterprise Channel for predictable updates, reliability, and enterprise management. Every day we see more commercial customers moving to a monthly update channel to maximize the benefits of Copilot. The vast majority—over 75 percent—are currently running on the Monthly Update Channel or Current Channel. To support the transition, I’m excited to announce that we’re expanding App Assure’s app compatibility promise to include a specific commitment to Copilot customers adopting monthly updates:
App Assure’s promise expands to support Copilot customers moving to monthly updates!
Microsoft is committed to ensuring your apps work when moving to Monthly Enterprise Channel to take advantage of Copilot for Microsoft 365. If you encounter any issues, we will help you remediate them at no additional cost.
How App Assure delivers with our latest promise
App Assure has long guaranteed your apps will work with the latest versions of Microsoft software. Now, App Assure engineers will work with you to ensure a seamless transition to a monthly update channel for Copilot. They’ll also address any app compatibility issues that may arise. For instance, they can:
Help you troubleshoot and identify a root cause.
Provide guidance to help you remediate an application compatibility issue.
Engage with third-party independent solution vendors (ISVs) on your behalf to remediate some part of their app, so that it’s functional on the most modern version of our products.
Work with Microsoft product engineering teams as needed.
Confidently move to monthly update channels for Copilot
To further support customers moving to monthly update channels, we’re also investing in tools such as Update Under Lock, Cloud Update, and Update Validation to minimize user disruption and enhance manageability. In addition, the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center provides customers with reliability and performance metrics as well as guidance to help optimize and troubleshoot Microsoft 365 Apps on client devices.
Empower your organization with Copilot for Microsoft 365
The combination of Copilot and a monthly update channel offer substantial benefits. Copilot empowers companies to work more productively, boost efficiency, and improve business outcomes. Monthly update channels bring the latest Microsoft 365 features on custom rollout waves, offer a secure experience that minimizes incidents and disruptions, and provide better diagnostics for supportability and minimizing helpdesk claims.
To explore how your organization can maximize the value of Copilot for Microsoft 365 or to learn more, connect with App Assure by visiting aka.ms/AppAssureRequest or sending an email to achelp@microsoft.com. For more information on other areas of App Assure’s service areas, visit App Assure with Microsoft FastTrack or see our service description.
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Preparing your organization for AI: Insights from Microsoft’s roll-out of Copilot in Viva Glint
On May 16, the Viva People Science team held the third webinar in its AI Empowerment series. During this webinar, I was joined by Carolyn Kalafut (Principal People Scientist at Microsoft Viva), and Ketaki Sodhi (Senior Analyst and Program Lead, Employee Listening at Microsoft).
Our discussion centered around preparing organizations for the integration of AI tools, using Copilot in Viva Glint as a practical example. The webinar provided a rich tapestry of perspectives, from the scientific underpinnings to our own internal experiences at Microsoft.
The presenters highlighted several broad takeaways for the audience:
AI is not coming; it’s here reshaping our work and demanding thoughtful organizational strategies for integration.
The adoption of AI tools like Copilot is being driven by employees’ enthusiasm, underscoring the need for organizations to match this pace.
The value of AI extends beyond productivity gains; it’s about seamless integration into workflows, democratized access, and enhanced decision making capabilities.
Ketaki and Carolyn also shared key learnings from the roll-out of Copilot in Viva Glint for Microsoft leaders, elaborating on the thought process behind this initiative, the decision making, and the approach to change management. Here are three key insights from this discussion:
Consider taking an iterative approach to deployment, before ramping up to full utilization: With Copilot in Viva Glint, you can provide access to this functionality to your Glint admin in the first instance, and take learnings from the experience before ramping up to give access to a small population of managers, and then all managers in the organization. Things to consider when deciding which type of deployment is best for your organization include current manager usage and habits around Glint data and AI, the number of comments managers receive (the key value of Copilot in Viva Glint is to save time on reading through a large number of comments), survey timing and adjacent organizational changes that might be underway for managers.
Identify use cases that will be an easy lift, low risk, but high reward. With the example of rolling out Copilot in Viva Glint for all people managers at Microsoft, there was underlying infrastructure that had already been built in terms of the data structures, the data permissions, security, and managers already using the Viva Glint platform. These were components that could be carried over to the roll-out.
Developments in Gen AI will be continuous, so we also need to think differently in terms of our change management and roll-out. Ketaki mentioned, “With the roll-out for Copilot in Viva Glint at Microsoft, we needed to build the muscle to experiment and learn to actually get the value from these tools. So our approach has been fast cycles of building, testing, piloting, and roll out – with the expectation that capabilities will continue getting added, as opposed to waiting for the final buttoned up product.”
As we continue to navigate the AI landscape, it’s crucial to foster a culture of experimentation and learning. AI’s potential is vast, and its successful integration hinges on our collective curiosity and willingness to evolve.
We invite you to watch the recordings from our previous events in this series below. Discover more, engage with the content, and let’s embark on this journey together.
AI Empowerment: Introducing our Viva People-Science series for HR
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Open all (x) …
If I use “Open all (x) …”, it opens x times the same URL(random item of folder) not the x URL’s of the favorites folder.
Maybe it works but not in my case! Please confirm me.
If I use “Open all (x) …”, it opens x times the same URL(random item of folder) not the x URL’s of the favorites folder.Maybe it works but not in my case! Please confirm me. Read More
Need to get the left-click menu back from Windows 10.
I use left-click functions a LOT, especially left-click:Print or rename. Now they’ve forced in yet another click to get to those, unnecessarily, on Windows 11.
So far all I’ve seen is changes to registries, which I cannot do because this is a company PC and such mods aren’t allowed.
I also very much dislike the symbols being placed on there instead of words like “copy, paste” because to be honest, it gets confusing after a while which means which, it’s not intuitive to me.
While I realize it’s cliche’ to say that some changes are just backwards, this left click menu was definitely a backwards move. It’s not an improvement at all, it’s an unnecessary complication. Is there ANY way to get the Win 10 left click menu back?
I use left-click functions a LOT, especially left-click:Print or rename. Now they’ve forced in yet another click to get to those, unnecessarily, on Windows 11. So far all I’ve seen is changes to registries, which I cannot do because this is a company PC and such mods aren’t allowed. I also very much dislike the symbols being placed on there instead of words like “copy, paste” because to be honest, it gets confusing after a while which means which, it’s not intuitive to me. While I realize it’s cliche’ to say that some changes are just backwards, this left click menu was definitely a backwards move. It’s not an improvement at all, it’s an unnecessary complication. Is there ANY way to get the Win 10 left click menu back? Read More
Exchange on premise
I would like to know the best possible solution to block outlook connections (i.e. autodiscover, mail transport….) to only use specific mailbox servers. Here’s my scenario. My root domain is called Philly, where I have three exchange servers ex1, ex2, and ex3 installed. Each of the exchange servers are configured with hub/cas/mbx roles. I also have 3 Tree domains named sales.com, HR.com, and marketing.com. I would like to have users from each tree domain connect to the respective exchange server where their mailbox is created when utilizing outlook. Example, mailbox users from sales.com domain will only use ex1, HR.com will use ex2, and marketing will use ex3. I have configured mail flow policies to prevent mail from being sent to other tree domains. Users from each domain will only be allowed to send to users within it’s domain. I have also created Address book policy routing agents so users will only be able to see users within their respective domains address book. They will not be able to see the GAL. All of the above is working fine, but I’m running into a problem with Outlook connecting to any of the Exchange servers. How do I restrict Outlook to only connecting to a specific mail server? Is there an exchange powershell command that would restrict connections ? Thanks any help is appreciated.
I would like to know the best possible solution to block outlook connections (i.e. autodiscover, mail transport….) to only use specific mailbox servers. Here’s my scenario. My root domain is called Philly, where I have three exchange servers ex1, ex2, and ex3 installed. Each of the exchange servers are configured with hub/cas/mbx roles. I also have 3 Tree domains named sales.com, HR.com, and marketing.com. I would like to have users from each tree domain connect to the respective exchange server where their mailbox is created when utilizing outlook. Example, mailbox users from sales.com domain will only use ex1, HR.com will use ex2, and marketing will use ex3. I have configured mail flow policies to prevent mail from being sent to other tree domains. Users from each domain will only be allowed to send to users within it’s domain. I have also created Address book policy routing agents so users will only be able to see users within their respective domains address book. They will not be able to see the GAL. All of the above is working fine, but I’m running into a problem with Outlook connecting to any of the Exchange servers. How do I restrict Outlook to only connecting to a specific mail server? Is there an exchange powershell command that would restrict connections ? Thanks any help is appreciated. Read More
How to bulk convert pdf to jpg on Windows 11 for free?
Hi everyone,
I have hundreds of PDF product user manual and I’m trying to bulk convert PDF files to JPG images on my Windows 11 machine, but I’m having trouble finding the right software or tool to do so. I’ve searched online and found a few options, but none of them seem to work properly.
Can anyone recommend a reliable and easy-to-use PDF to JPG converter that works on Windows 11? I’d appreciate any suggestions or advice on how to get this done.
Thanks in advance!
Hi everyone, I have hundreds of PDF product user manual and I’m trying to bulk convert PDF files to JPG images on my Windows 11 machine, but I’m having trouble finding the right software or tool to do so. I’ve searched online and found a few options, but none of them seem to work properly. Can anyone recommend a reliable and easy-to-use PDF to JPG converter that works on Windows 11? I’d appreciate any suggestions or advice on how to get this done. Thanks in advance! Read More