Tag Archives: microsoft
Need to help escalate concern for focus OD-SPO
For several weeks, both my OneDrive and SharePoint storage reported incorrect values. In mid-to-late June, I deleted both Primary and Secondary recycle bins but the files came magically back twice.
When I finally managed to have someone look at the concern through Quick Assist, I have also deleted the files and they never went away. The MS Support Engineer said they’re doing “advanced diagnostics”. What I remember a day before I had an issue with OneDrive and SharePoint is that Azure or Microsoft 365 had issues. When I transferred files to SharePoint from OneDrive, the storage utilization never changed.
If I had to provide feedback about MS Support, they stood me up for a whole week at one point and, despite stating email in the communication preference because my vocal cords are damaged, they keep calling then email just to tell me they can’t reach me. New agents assigned to the ticket almost never read ticket details. Just 2 people.
Any help from Microsoft to look into this would be appreciated as I have emailed escalation personnel from the BPO but nobody replied since earlier this morning. It’s close to 4PM Eastern now.
FYI Tracking ID 2406220030001049. Ticket has been open since mid-June. FYI @Russell Read
Regards,
m365bizsubs001
MS365 Business Standard Subscriber
For several weeks, both my OneDrive and SharePoint storage reported incorrect values. In mid-to-late June, I deleted both Primary and Secondary recycle bins but the files came magically back twice.When I finally managed to have someone look at the concern through Quick Assist, I have also deleted the files and they never went away. The MS Support Engineer said they’re doing “advanced diagnostics”. What I remember a day before I had an issue with OneDrive and SharePoint is that Azure or Microsoft 365 had issues. When I transferred files to SharePoint from OneDrive, the storage utilization never changed.If I had to provide feedback about MS Support, they stood me up for a whole week at one point and, despite stating email in the communication preference because my vocal cords are damaged, they keep calling then email just to tell me they can’t reach me. New agents assigned to the ticket almost never read ticket details. Just 2 people.Any help from Microsoft to look into this would be appreciated as I have emailed escalation personnel from the BPO but nobody replied since earlier this morning. It’s close to 4PM Eastern now.FYI Tracking ID 2406220030001049. Ticket has been open since mid-June. FYI @Russell Read Regards,m365bizsubs001MS365 Business Standard Subscriber Read More
Inventory Qty Update Formula
I have a workbook with 3 tabs – Inventory Sheet, Mat Log, Cost Tracking.
The cost tracking sheet had the original inventory amount that we need to start with (Column J).
On the Mat Log sheet, when an item is removed or added to inventory, the person will enter the date in column A, the Mat. Code in Column B – and that will populate the name in Column C. Column F is the amount they are taking out (negative number) or putting into inventory (positive number). Here is where the “I need help” comes in. On the inventory sheet, I need the quantity associated the product code to always be updated based on what happens on the Mat Log sheet.
I have a workbook with 3 tabs – Inventory Sheet, Mat Log, Cost Tracking. The cost tracking sheet had the original inventory amount that we need to start with (Column J).On the Mat Log sheet, when an item is removed or added to inventory, the person will enter the date in column A, the Mat. Code in Column B – and that will populate the name in Column C. Column F is the amount they are taking out (negative number) or putting into inventory (positive number). Here is where the “I need help” comes in. On the inventory sheet, I need the quantity associated the product code to always be updated based on what happens on the Mat Log sheet. Read More
Color Code Emails: Use Conditional Formatting or Assign Categories?
Are you unsure which feature to use for color-coding your emails? Should you use conditional formatting or assign categories?
In this blog post, Color Code Emails: Conditional formatting or Categories » TRACCreations4E, I discuss the differences between the two.
Which do you prefer?
Are you unsure which feature to use for color-coding your emails? Should you use conditional formatting or assign categories?
In this blog post, Color Code Emails: Conditional formatting or Categories » TRACCreations4E, I discuss the differences between the two.
Which do you prefer?
Upcoming Task on 2016 (active)
Hi All,
How do I display more than 50 task, I went into Advanced options ad it say I only have 50 lines but it does say something about filters. I need to display like 150 lines for production scheduling.
Thank you,
Tony
Hi All,How do I display more than 50 task, I went into Advanced options ad it say I only have 50 lines but it does say something about filters. I need to display like 150 lines for production scheduling. Thank you,Tony Read More
eye tracked keyboard
for a few days I have been having trouble with the eye tracking keyboard: I start writing a word and when I go to click on the suggested word, the letters I had written plus the complete word appear on the screen.
For example, I write eyed (eyedropper) and when I press the suggested word on the keyboard, eyedeyedropper is written.
The strange thing is on the desktop WhatsApp client, the writing is correct.
What could it be?
Thanks in advance.
for a few days I have been having trouble with the eye tracking keyboard: I start writing a word and when I go to click on the suggested word, the letters I had written plus the complete word appear on the screen.For example, I write eyed (eyedropper) and when I press the suggested word on the keyboard, eyedeyedropper is written.The strange thing is on the desktop WhatsApp client, the writing is correct.What could it be?Thanks in advance. Read More
I cannot remove Organization from Person Account on MS Teams
Hello, MS Teams members,
I want to remove an old organization on MS Teams from my personal account, but I cannot.
Hello, MS Teams members,I want to remove an old organization on MS Teams from my personal account, but I cannot. Read More
Dynamic array and spilled array – FILTER function behavior
I am attempting to create a dynamic dependent data validation list (using instructions found on the My Online Training YouTube video). A link to the file is found here.
On the Standards Categories TAB, there is a Table (StdCategories) with two columns for Category and Subcategory. The primary data validation list is for the Category values, and the dependent data validation is for the Subcategory values.
Starting in Cell E2, the Categories are populated horizontally using the UNIQUE and TRANSPOSE functions. Starting in Cell E2, the FILTER and SORT functions are used to populate the Subcategory values for each Category. There is some sort of error occurring in every other Column (starting in column F) where the work “None” is used as the error return value. For some reason, the formula is not matching the value in Row 2 with the associated values in the StdCategories table. I’ve verified this using the Evaluate Formula feature. I’ve tried searching for any help on this issue, but I either can’t find it, or I’m not searching with the right terminology.
Is anyone familiar with this odd behavior, or have any suggestions on diagnosing the error?
I am attempting to create a dynamic dependent data validation list (using instructions found on the My Online Training YouTube video). A link to the file is found here. On the Standards Categories TAB, there is a Table (StdCategories) with two columns for Category and Subcategory. The primary data validation list is for the Category values, and the dependent data validation is for the Subcategory values. Starting in Cell E2, the Categories are populated horizontally using the UNIQUE and TRANSPOSE functions. Starting in Cell E2, the FILTER and SORT functions are used to populate the Subcategory values for each Category. There is some sort of error occurring in every other Column (starting in column F) where the work “None” is used as the error return value. For some reason, the formula is not matching the value in Row 2 with the associated values in the StdCategories table. I’ve verified this using the Evaluate Formula feature. I’ve tried searching for any help on this issue, but I either can’t find it, or I’m not searching with the right terminology. Is anyone familiar with this odd behavior, or have any suggestions on diagnosing the error? Read More
Unable to change expired password
I am using Server Next Preview Build 26257. It is a domain controller. I only have the one AD account which I created to do the evaluation. The account password expired today. When I attempt to change it at login, I enter the new password twice as required and hit Enter, but it sends me back and says “The password for this account has expired” with an OK button.
If I try again I get the same result. If I purposely type a mismatch for the new PW it does acknowledge that.
Has anyone else seen this? I can’t think of a workaround.
I am using Server Next Preview Build 26257. It is a domain controller. I only have the one AD account which I created to do the evaluation. The account password expired today. When I attempt to change it at login, I enter the new password twice as required and hit Enter, but it sends me back and says “The password for this account has expired” with an OK button. If I try again I get the same result. If I purposely type a mismatch for the new PW it does acknowledge that. Has anyone else seen this? I can’t think of a workaround. Read More
Explanation of the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Agreement & Marketplace Publisher Agreement.
We have to clarify two clauses from the agreement:
Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program Agreement: Section 8 Limitations of Liability (b) it says Privacy and Data Protection, Confidentiality and Publicity and indemnification are carved out of any limitations in paragraph 8.(a).
Can you please confirm our understanding that Microsoft is asking the Company to have the risk of unlimited liability related to these carve-outs ?Microsoft Publisher Agreement: Section 9 (b) has indemnification claims subject to indirect damages and Section 9 (c) have carve-outs for confidentiality, privacy or data protection which we interpret as having the risk of unlimited liability.
Can you please confirm our understanding that Microsoft is asking the Company to have the risk of unlimited liability related to these carve-outs ?
Helllo there, We have to clarify two clauses from the agreement:Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program Agreement: Section 8 Limitations of Liability (b) it says Privacy and Data Protection, Confidentiality and Publicity and indemnification are carved out of any limitations in paragraph 8.(a). Can you please confirm our understanding that Microsoft is asking the Company to have the risk of unlimited liability related to these carve-outs ?Microsoft Publisher Agreement: Section 9 (b) has indemnification claims subject to indirect damages and Section 9 (c) have carve-outs for confidentiality, privacy or data protection which we interpret as having the risk of unlimited liability. Can you please confirm our understanding that Microsoft is asking the Company to have the risk of unlimited liability related to these carve-outs ? Read More
How to request 10 free M365 licences for NonProfit with a Godaddy M365 account
Hi,
our organization is eligible to M365 offer for non profit, but since we are client to Godaddy M365 , we are automatically redirect to ther logon page when we try to request licences on Microsoft interface.
We have contact Godaddy hoping they will remove those restrictions, in order for us to receive M365 licences, but they told us that if we want to move to microsoft they wil simply delete our instance so allow us to go for Microsoft.
Have someone face that issue? If there are advices, your are welcome.
Sorry for my english
Hi, our organization is eligible to M365 offer for non profit, but since we are client to Godaddy M365 , we are automatically redirect to ther logon page when we try to request licences on Microsoft interface. We have contact Godaddy hoping they will remove those restrictions, in order for us to receive M365 licences, but they told us that if we want to move to microsoft they wil simply delete our instance so allow us to go for Microsoft. Have someone face that issue? If there are advices, your are welcome. Sorry for my english Read More
Can’t Download Files Completely from One Drive
Hi, I tried to download dataset files online for model training, but there is a file where I keep on encountering errors, where the files had 8000+ file inside, but it can’t download completely. The file is around 22.6GB but whenever I tried to download, it is able to download. But even it shows download complete, it is actually not complete. Instead, it shows a txt file showing the error, as shown below. Does anyone knows ways to solve this problem?
Anyone knows how to solve this error?
Hi, I tried to download dataset files online for model training, but there is a file where I keep on encountering errors, where the files had 8000+ file inside, but it can’t download completely. The file is around 22.6GB but whenever I tried to download, it is able to download. But even it shows download complete, it is actually not complete. Instead, it shows a txt file showing the error, as shown below. Does anyone knows ways to solve this problem?Anyone knows how to solve this error? Read More
Copilot Snacks! Copilot for Payers – How Copilot for Sales can be used by Agents and Brokers
Unlocking the Potential of AI in Health Insurance Sales with Copilot for Sales
This discussion offers a glimpse into the future of health insurance sales, where AI-powered tools like Copilot for Sales empower agents to deliver exceptional service while maximizing their productivity. For sales agents and brokers looking to stay ahead in the competitive health insurance market, this video is a must-watch.
Revolutionizing Health Insurance Sales with Copilot for Sales
Integration: Seamlessly connects productivity tools with CRM systems, enhancing data flow and efficiency
Productivity: Offers sales-specific workflows, improving agent efficiency and customer engagement
Personalization: Utilizes AI to tailor customer interactions, summarizing email threads and drafting responses
Competitive Intelligence: Provides real-time competitive insights, aiding agents in offering the best solutions
Efficiency: Streamlines preparation, consolidating information in one place for quicker, more effective meetings
To see all HLS Copilot Snacks video click here.
Special thanks to Ashley Keimach for her expertise and making this video possible
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Passing File IDs from Power Apps to Power Automate and merging into PDF, then send an email
Hello,
I’m working on a PowerApps application that allows users to select specific files from a gallery (connected a sharepoint library), display them on a table for confirmation and then merge into a pdf to send to themselves. The process involves passing the IDs of the selected files from PowerApps to Power Automate, filtering the files based on these IDs, extracting the file content and merging them into a PDF.
I’m struggling with passing the IDs from Power Apps to automate. The flow reads the entire library (200+ items) instead of just the selected.
The configuration for my PowerApp button to call the flow is:
Hello, I’m working on a PowerApps application that allows users to select specific files from a gallery (connected a sharepoint library), display them on a table for confirmation and then merge into a pdf to send to themselves. The process involves passing the IDs of the selected files from PowerApps to Power Automate, filtering the files based on these IDs, extracting the file content and merging them into a PDF. I’m struggling with passing the IDs from Power Apps to automate. The flow reads the entire library (200+ items) instead of just the selected. The configuration for my PowerApp button to call the flow is:MergePDF.Run(Concat(SelectedItems, (ID),”,”);Notify(“Export process started. You will receive an email once complete.”, NotificationType.Success, 3000)). Please help ASAP!! Read More
Update formatting on Offer Listing
I want to update my already published offer with formatted text. During publishing, all the formatting and white space were stripped out.
I want to update my already published offer with formatted text. During publishing, all the formatting and white space were stripped out. Read More
PVA and Azure bot
Why Power Virtual Agent is better than Microsoft Azure Bot
A comparison of the features, offering and efficiency of two chatbot platforms
Chatbots are becoming more and more popular as a way to provide customer service, answer queries, and automate tasks. But how do you choose the right chatbot platform for your needs? In this blog post, we will compare two of the most popular chatbot platforms from Microsoft: Power Virtual Agent (PVA) and Azure Bot Service (ABS). We will look at their features, costs, and efficiency, and show you why PVA is a better choice for most scenarios.
Features
PVA and ABS both allow you to create chatbots that can interact with users through various channels, such as websites, mobile apps, social media, and Microsoft Teams. However, PVA has some advantages over ABS in terms of ease of use, functionality, and integration.
PVA is a low-code, no-code platform that lets you create chatbots using a graphical interface, without writing any code. You can design your chatbot’s conversation flow using a visual canvas, and use pre-built templates and entities to handle common scenarios. ABS, on the other hand, requires you to code your chatbot’s logic using C#, JavaScript, or Python, and use the Bot Framework SDK to build and deploy your chatbot. This means that you need to have some programming skills and knowledge of the SDK to use ABS.
PVA has a built-in natural language processing (NLP) engine that can understand user intents and entities, and handle complex and ambiguous user inputs. You can also train your chatbot to recognize custom intents and entities, and use synonyms and phrases to improve its accuracy. ABS does not have a native NLP engine, and you need to use a separate service, such as LUIS or QnA Maker ( integrated and called CLU now), to enable your chatbot to understand natural language. This adds another layer of complexity and cost to your chatbot development.
PVA has a seamless integration with Microsoft Power Platform, which is a suite of tools that can help you create and automate business solutions. You can easily connect your chatbot to Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, and Dataverse, and access data and actions from these services. You can also use Power Automate to create workflows and triggers for your chatbot, and use Dataverse to store and manage your chatbot’s data. ABS does not have a direct integration with Power Platform, and you need to use connectors and APIs to access data and actions from other services.
Extensive Pre-Built Connectors
Power Virtual Agents (PVA) stands out with its extensive collection of pre-built connectors, which significantly simplifies the process of integrating with various services and systems. PVA offers over 450 connectors, allowing users to easily connect their chatbots to a wide range of data sources and applications without the need for custom development1. This includes seamless integration with Microsoft Power Platform, enabling connections to Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, and Dataverse.
On the other hand, Azure Bot Service (ABS) does not come with a similar range of pre-built connectors. While ABS provides a robust framework for building and deploying chatbots, it requires users to develop custom connectors or use additional services like Logic Apps or Azure Functions to achieve similar integrations. This adds complexity and development effort, making PVA a more accessible and efficient choice for users who need quick and easy integrations.
Seamless Integration with Microsoft Ecosystem
Power Virtual Agents (PVA) offers seamless integration with the Microsoft ecosystem, making it an ideal choice for businesses that rely on Microsoft tools and services. PVA is designed to work effortlessly with the Microsoft Power Platform, which includes Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, and Dataverse. This integration allows users to create comprehensive business solutions by connecting their chatbots to various data sources and applications within the Microsoft ecosystem. For example, you can use Power Automate to create workflows and triggers for your chatbot, and Dataverse to store and manage your chatbot’s data.
On the other hand, Azure Bot Service (ABS) does not have the same level of seamless integration with the Microsoft ecosystem. While ABS provides a robust framework for building and deploying chatbots, it requires users to develop custom connectors or use additional services like Logic Apps or Azure Functions to achieve similar integrations. This adds complexity and development effort, making PVA a more accessible and efficient choice for users who need quick and easy integrations.
Efficiency
PVA and ABS both offer high-performance and scalable chatbot solutions that can handle large volumes of traffic and requests. However, PVA has some benefits over ABS in terms of speed, reliability, and maintenance.
PVA allows you to create and deploy chatbots in minutes, without any coding or infrastructure setup. You can use the PVA portal to design, test, and publish your chatbot, and monitor its performance and analytics. You can also update your chatbot’s content and logic at any time, without affecting its availability. ABS, on the other hand, requires you to code, build, and deploy your chatbot using the Bot Framework SDK and Azure services. This can take more time and effort, and you may encounter errors and bugs along the way. You also need to manage and update your chatbot’s code and dependencies, and ensure that your chatbot is compatible with the latest SDK and Azure versions.
PVA provides a reliable and secure chatbot platform that is hosted on Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure. You do not need to worry about the availability, scalability, or security of your chatbot, as Microsoft handles these aspects for you. You can also leverage Microsoft’s compliance and data protection policies, and choose the region where your chatbot’s data is stored and processed. ABS, on the other hand, gives you more control and flexibility over your chatbot’s infrastructure, but also more responsibility and risk. You need to configure and manage your chatbot’s hosting, scaling, and security settings, and ensure that your chatbot meets the compliance and data protection requirements of your region and industry.
In conclusion, PVA is a better choice than ABS for most chatbot scenarios, as it offers more features, lower costs, and higher efficiency. PVA is ideal for business users, non-developers, and anyone who wants to create chatbots quickly and easily, without coding or infrastructure hassles. ABS is more suitable for developers, advanced users, and anyone who wants to create chatbots with custom code and complex logic, and have more control and flexibility over their chatbot’s infrastructure.
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Outlook contact business cards partially covered by black bars
The Microsoft agent on the Microsoft Outlook Community Forum suggested I cross-post the issue here so it can be fixed.
Please see the full discussion at: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook_com/forum/outlk_win-outtop_classic-outsub_ofh/outlook-contact-business-cards-partially-covered/0386d601-1193-435e-801a-68392cf8b7c6?messageId=f6e3b6f5-863c-4450-87d8-cb272dd9c139
Here is a copy:
For many years, though several versions of Outlook for Windows and on multiple machines running everything from Windows 7 through Windows 11, I’ve been putting up with big black bars covering the bottom parts of many of my contacts’ business cards. This never happens with the contacts at the top of my list, but it always happens with the contacts near the bottom. (I have ~5,000 contacts, and the bars start to appear as I scroll down past the 2,500 mark or so.)
Some are worse than others:
Here’s the overall view near the end of the alphabet. Notice that some rows of business cards have thicker bars than others, but as you scroll down further in the alphabet, all rows get the bars. (Ignore the grey boxes. I added those to obscure the details. It’s the black boxes that I’m talking about. They’re what I see.)
It never happens near the top of the alphabet:
This has been reported by many other users over the years, but never solved:
…and…
…and elsewhere.
I’ve tried all of the various suggestions about disabling animations and hardware acceleration, but nothing works. And since I’ve observed this on multiple systems with different graphics cards, different monitors, different OSs, different Office versions, and both laptops and desktops, I have to assume this is an inherent Office bug that has something to do with very long contact lists in the business card view.
I’m running Microsoft® Outlook® 2019 MSO (Version 2406 Build 16.0.17726.20078) 64-bit on Windows 11 Pro 64-bit, but as I wrote above, I’ve had the same problem as far back as Windows 7 or 8 and Office 2010 or 2013.
From the discussion on the Community Forum, it became clear that scaling the contact cards at or below 85% (Contacts > View > View Settings > Other Settings… > Card size %) and restarting Outlook makes the black bars go away, but then the cards are too small to be useful. It also was confirmed there that effect is currently visible and reproducible across at least two users and platforms. So, this is some kind of a scaling issue, and it’s a bug.
Can this be fixed?
Thank you.
The Microsoft agent on the Microsoft Outlook Community Forum suggested I cross-post the issue here so it can be fixed. Please see the full discussion at: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook_com/forum/outlk_win-outtop_classic-outsub_ofh/outlook-contact-business-cards-partially-covered/0386d601-1193-435e-801a-68392cf8b7c6?messageId=f6e3b6f5-863c-4450-87d8-cb272dd9c139 Here is a copy: For many years, though several versions of Outlook for Windows and on multiple machines running everything from Windows 7 through Windows 11, I’ve been putting up with big black bars covering the bottom parts of many of my contacts’ business cards. This never happens with the contacts at the top of my list, but it always happens with the contacts near the bottom. (I have ~5,000 contacts, and the bars start to appear as I scroll down past the 2,500 mark or so.) Some are worse than others: Here’s the overall view near the end of the alphabet. Notice that some rows of business cards have thicker bars than others, but as you scroll down further in the alphabet, all rows get the bars. (Ignore the grey boxes. I added those to obscure the details. It’s the black boxes that I’m talking about. They’re what I see.) It never happens near the top of the alphabet: This has been reported by many other users over the years, but never solved:https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook_com/forum/all/outlook-contacts-black-line/efaf4d45-98cd-48ec-95a9-d9c40ebb0978…and…https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook_com/forum/all/busines-card-view-corruption-in-outlook-2016-64/6195cb49-a461-4aaa-b233-511aa4d5fb4f…and elsewhere. I’ve tried all of the various suggestions about disabling animations and hardware acceleration, but nothing works. And since I’ve observed this on multiple systems with different graphics cards, different monitors, different OSs, different Office versions, and both laptops and desktops, I have to assume this is an inherent Office bug that has something to do with very long contact lists in the business card view. I’m running Microsoft® Outlook® 2019 MSO (Version 2406 Build 16.0.17726.20078) 64-bit on Windows 11 Pro 64-bit, but as I wrote above, I’ve had the same problem as far back as Windows 7 or 8 and Office 2010 or 2013. From the discussion on the Community Forum, it became clear that scaling the contact cards at or below 85% (Contacts > View > View Settings > Other Settings… > Card size %) and restarting Outlook makes the black bars go away, but then the cards are too small to be useful. It also was confirmed there that effect is currently visible and reproducible across at least two users and platforms. So, this is some kind of a scaling issue, and it’s a bug.Can this be fixed? Thank you. Read More
Storage Account Private Endpoint with Compute Gallery
Hopefully this is the right group to pose this question. I have a Compute Gallery with some VM Applications in it. I have the Storage Account with the blobs configured with a Private Endpoint. When I try to turn off Public Network Access, the VM Apps in the Gallery no longer function, citing access issues.
I’m assuming the Compute Gallery won’t access my Storage Account over a Private Link inside my vNET, so my question is how do I lock down the Storage Account to not have things wide open? Is there specific IPs that the Compute Gallery will use when accessing the Storage Account?
Hopefully this is the right group to pose this question. I have a Compute Gallery with some VM Applications in it. I have the Storage Account with the blobs configured with a Private Endpoint. When I try to turn off Public Network Access, the VM Apps in the Gallery no longer function, citing access issues.I’m assuming the Compute Gallery won’t access my Storage Account over a Private Link inside my vNET, so my question is how do I lock down the Storage Account to not have things wide open? Is there specific IPs that the Compute Gallery will use when accessing the Storage Account? Read More
OneNote Web App Text Box width
When using OneNote Web app and pasting in a block of text, the text box is created about 2 feet wide, scrolling off the screen to the right. If you scroll over to the right edge and try to resize the box by dragging it to the left, then the text itself, which was its original width, gets severely narrowed to the point it is unusable.
To Reproduce, paste this block (or any similar) of text into OneNote web app, then notice the width of the text box and try to resize it:
Why attack surface reduction rules are important
Your organization’s attack surface includes all the places where an attacker could compromise your organization’s devices or networks. Reducing your attack surface means protecting your organization’s devices and network, which leaves attackers with fewer ways to perform attacks. Configuring attack surface reduction rules in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint can help!
Attack surface reduction rules target certain software behaviors, such as:
Launching executable files and scripts that attempt to download or run filesRunning obfuscated or otherwise suspicious scriptsPerforming behaviors that apps don’t usually initiate during normal day-to-day work
Such software behaviors are sometimes seen in legitimate applications. However, these behaviors are often considered risky because they’re commonly abused by attackers through malware. Attack surface reduction rules can constrain software-based risky behaviors and help keep your organization safe.
For a sequential, end-to-end process of how to manage attack surface reduction rules, see:
Attack surface reduction rules deployment overviewPlan attack surface reduction rules deploymentTest attack surface reduction rulesEnable attack surface reduction rulesOperationalize attack surface reduction rules
When using OneNote Web app and pasting in a block of text, the text box is created about 2 feet wide, scrolling off the screen to the right. If you scroll over to the right edge and try to resize the box by dragging it to the left, then the text itself, which was its original width, gets severely narrowed to the point it is unusable. To Reproduce, paste this block (or any similar) of text into OneNote web app, then notice the width of the text box and try to resize it: Why attack surface reduction rules are importantYour organization’s attack surface includes all the places where an attacker could compromise your organization’s devices or networks. Reducing your attack surface means protecting your organization’s devices and network, which leaves attackers with fewer ways to perform attacks. Configuring attack surface reduction rules in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint can help!Attack surface reduction rules target certain software behaviors, such as:Launching executable files and scripts that attempt to download or run filesRunning obfuscated or otherwise suspicious scriptsPerforming behaviors that apps don’t usually initiate during normal day-to-day workSuch software behaviors are sometimes seen in legitimate applications. However, these behaviors are often considered risky because they’re commonly abused by attackers through malware. Attack surface reduction rules can constrain software-based risky behaviors and help keep your organization safe.For a sequential, end-to-end process of how to manage attack surface reduction rules, see:Attack surface reduction rules deployment overviewPlan attack surface reduction rules deploymentTest attack surface reduction rulesEnable attack surface reduction rulesOperationalize attack surface reduction rules Read More
How to view 2 weeks in new calendar
This was so easy in the old calendar. All I did was hold the CTRL button and highlight the days I needed to view, I would then be able to see 2 weeks on my screen and all the details of each day within that 2 week timeframe. I have tried everything in the new outlook and cannot figure out how to do this. Please help??? (This is a key feature I use for my business)
This was so easy in the old calendar. All I did was hold the CTRL button and highlight the days I needed to view, I would then be able to see 2 weeks on my screen and all the details of each day within that 2 week timeframe. I have tried everything in the new outlook and cannot figure out how to do this. Please help??? (This is a key feature I use for my business) Read More
Recover Multiple VMs from Azure Backup in Less Time
In the dynamic world of cloud computing, time is often a critical factor, especially when it comes to recovering from disasters like ransomware attacks or rolling back after a problematic security update. Imagine waking up to find your entire set of Azure VMs compromised by ransomware or discovering that a recent security update has left your systems inoperable. The clock starts ticking, and the longer it takes to restore your VMs, the greater the impact on your business.
The Problem
Azure Backup is a robust solution for protecting your Azure VMs, providing peace of mind with its ability to create and manage backup policies, configure backup schedules, and perform reliable restores. However, the features available for Azure Backup in the Portal UI today only allow the restoration of individual VMs one at a time. Restoring many VMs manually through the Azure Portal can be extremely time-consuming and inefficient, especially when you need to restore an entire set of VMs quickly.
Native Capabilities of Azure Backup
Azure Backup offers extensive features for protecting your VMs:
Automated backup schedules and retention policies – A backup policy can protect multiple Azure VMs consisting of a schedule (daily/weekly) and retention (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly).
Cross-region restore capabilities – Allows you to restore data in a secondary, Azure paired region. This can be useful to conduct BCDR drills or if there’s a disaster in the primary region.
Ransomware protection – Features such as irreversible soft-delete, immutable storage and multi-user authorization can be set at the vault level to safeguard backup data.
Despite these powerful features, there is always room for improvement. For now, there is currently no functionality in the Azure Portal to batch restore multiple VMs simultaneously. This limitation becomes a bottleneck in scenarios where speed and efficiency are paramount.
Az PowerShell Module – A Good Solution
To address this gap, we turn to PowerShell scripting, a versatile and powerful tool for managing Azure resources. Microsoft’s Az PowerShell module provides a comprehensive suite of cmdlets to automate and manage Azure tasks, including VM backups and restores.
Here’s a practical approach: a PowerShell script that enables the parallel restoration of multiple VMs from Azure Backup. This script leverages Az.RecoveryServices to streamline the recovery process, significantly reducing the time required to get your systems back online.
Sample PowerShell Script
Below is a summary of how one example script works. You can find the full example here.
Define Variables:
The script starts by defining the necessary variables, including the resource group, recovery services vault, and cache storage account.
$resourceGroup = “rg-webservers”
$recoveryServicesVault = “rsv-vmbackup”
$cacheStorageAccount = “unique626872”
$cacheStorageAccountResourceGroup = “rg-webservers”
Get the Vault and Backup Container:
It then retrieves the Recovery Services Vault and Backup Container containing multiple VMs that need to be restored in parallel.
$vault = Get-AzRecoveryServicesVault -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroup -Name $recoveryServicesVault
$container = Get-AzRecoveryServicesBackupContainer -ContainerType “AzureVM” -VaultId $vault.ID
Loop Through the Backup Items:
The script iterates over each backup item in the container, performing a shutdown and kicking off an in-place restore from the latest recovery points.
foreach ($item in $container) {
# Get the Backup Item from the Vault
$backupItem = Get-AzRecoveryServicesBackupItem -BackupManagementType “AzureVM” -WorkloadType “AzureVM” -VaultId $vault.ID -Name $item.Name
# Get the resource group & VM name for this backupItem
$vmResourceGroup = $backupItem.VirtualMachineId.Split(‘/’)[4]
$vmName = $backupItem.VirtualMachineId.Split(‘/’)[8]
# Shut down the protected VM before restoring it
Stop-AzVM -ResourceGroupName $vmResourceGroup -Name $vmName -Force -SkipShutdown -NoWait
# Get the latest recovery point for the backup item from the last 7 days
$recoveryPoints = Get-AzRecoveryServicesBackupRecoveryPoint -Item $backupItem -VaultId $vault.ID -StartDate (Get-Date).AddDays(-7).ToUniversalTime() -EndDate (Get-Date).ToUniversalTime()
# Restore the Azure VM from the latest recovery point to the original location (replace the source VM)
$OriginalLocationRestoreJob = Restore-AzRecoveryServicesBackupItem -RecoveryPoint $recoveryPoints[0] -StorageAccountName $cacheStorageAccount -StorageAccountResourceGroupName $cacheStorageAccountResourceGroup -VaultId $vault.ID -VaultLocation $vault.Location
}
By using this script, you can dramatically reduce the time required to restore multiple VMs, enhancing your ability to recover from critical incidents swiftly.
Conclusion
In this post, we’ve discussed the limitations in the Azure Portal for handling multiple VM restores and introduced a practical workaround using PowerShell scripting. This solution enables you to restore your VMs in parallel, significantly cutting down recovery time and minimizing business disruption.
We encourage you to modify the sample script, try it out in your test environment and see the benefits for yourself. Your feedback is invaluable, so please share your experiences and let us know your thoughts on this approach. Together, we can continue to improve and innovate in the realm of Azure Business Continuity.
Call to Action
Modify the sample script and try it out in your test environment for parallel VM restoration.
Share your feedback and experiences with us.
Stay tuned for more tips and tricks on maximizing your Azure capabilities.
Happy scripting, and may your recoveries be swift and seamless!
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