Tag Archives: microsoft
Is there something wrong with M365 spam filtering?
Hi All,
I work for a small MSP and have received multiple reports of legitimate mail being flagged as spam by 365 and sent to the recipient’s Outlook Junkbox, seemingly at random.
It’s happening to too many clients in such a short space of time to be anything other than a service issue but there’s no mention of it anywhere.
Is anyone else noticing anything similar?
Hi All, I work for a small MSP and have received multiple reports of legitimate mail being flagged as spam by 365 and sent to the recipient’s Outlook Junkbox, seemingly at random. It’s happening to too many clients in such a short space of time to be anything other than a service issue but there’s no mention of it anywhere. Is anyone else noticing anything similar? Read More
Exclude sensitive labelled document from Microsoft 365 copilot lookup
Hi,
In my organization i have AIP labels which is used only for classification not for protection. while implementing copilot, is it possible to exclude copilot access to sensitive labelled documents while looking up based on user prompt. Thanks.
Hi, In my organization i have AIP labels which is used only for classification not for protection. while implementing copilot, is it possible to exclude copilot access to sensitive labelled documents while looking up based on user prompt. Thanks. Read More
Where are all the IT-heroes? The challenges of adoption.
AI-assisted: This article was first written in it’s entirety by me, then I asked ChatGPT to Factcheck it for me, and the resulting changes with reference to sourves where then reevaltuated and modified before posting. If you like to see the text in it’s various stages, please tell me.
This is a short version of a Norwegian article I’m writing where I focused on the lack of IT competense in SMB. The core issues might scale to enterprise, so please join the discussion with reflections from your experience.
Historical Context
During the 90s and early 2000s, many companies built their own IT infrastructure, often with in-house IT departments managing servers and business-critical applications. However, as the MSP model gained traction, companies began outsourcing their IT needs to reduce costs and improve efficiency. By the early 2000s, MSPs became a popular solution for businesses of all sizes, offering services such as remote monitoring, management of servers and networks, and later expanding into areas like managed security and cloud services (Fast IT Support Calif/Hawaii) (The AME Group).
Present Issues
Today, many companies, especially SMBs, have significantly downsized their internal IT departments, if they exist at all. The role of CTO has often become more of a titular position, with many strategic IT decisions falling to CFOs or even general administrative staff. This shift has led to a lack of strategic IT leadership, making companies more reactive than proactive in their technology adoption (Fast IT Support Calif/Hawaii).
Even larger companies with dedicated IT groups often struggle with limited budgets, leading to a focus on immediate issues (“firefighting”) rather than long-term IT strategy and infrastructure improvements.
Pressing Issues and Resulting Problems
One of the main issues arising from this lack of in-house IT competence is that tool and software decisions are frequently made based on sales pitches rather than strategic alignment with the company’s needs. This often results in a fragmented IT architecture, where information is scattered across multiple systems, and legacy systems remain in use because their data hasn’t been migrated properly (The AME Group) (Mindsight).
SMBs also tend to look to enterprise-level best practices, which aren’t always feasible due to resource constraints. This mismatch can further complicate their IT environments, leading to inefficiencies and increased administrative burden.
AI and Copilot
Introducing advanced tools like AI and Copilot into this chaotic environment can indeed be challenging. While these technologies hold significant promise, they are not a panacea for deep-rooted structural and organizational issues. A foundational restructuring of IT systems and processes might be necessary to fully leverage these innovations (Mindsight).
The discussion
Did I hit close to home or miss the field? What are your reflections on the challenges we meet when introducing a new tool? Is this limited to small companies in a small country called Norway?
Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts and reflections!
AI-assisted: This article was first written in it’s entirety by me, then I asked ChatGPT to Factcheck it for me, and the resulting changes with reference to sourves where then reevaltuated and modified before posting. If you like to see the text in it’s various stages, please tell me.This is a short version of a Norwegian article I’m writing where I focused on the lack of IT competense in SMB. The core issues might scale to enterprise, so please join the discussion with reflections from your experience. Historical ContextDuring the 90s and early 2000s, many companies built their own IT infrastructure, often with in-house IT departments managing servers and business-critical applications. However, as the MSP model gained traction, companies began outsourcing their IT needs to reduce costs and improve efficiency. By the early 2000s, MSPs became a popular solution for businesses of all sizes, offering services such as remote monitoring, management of servers and networks, and later expanding into areas like managed security and cloud services (Fast IT Support Calif/Hawaii) (The AME Group). Present IssuesToday, many companies, especially SMBs, have significantly downsized their internal IT departments, if they exist at all. The role of CTO has often become more of a titular position, with many strategic IT decisions falling to CFOs or even general administrative staff. This shift has led to a lack of strategic IT leadership, making companies more reactive than proactive in their technology adoption (Fast IT Support Calif/Hawaii).Even larger companies with dedicated IT groups often struggle with limited budgets, leading to a focus on immediate issues (“firefighting”) rather than long-term IT strategy and infrastructure improvements. Pressing Issues and Resulting ProblemsOne of the main issues arising from this lack of in-house IT competence is that tool and software decisions are frequently made based on sales pitches rather than strategic alignment with the company’s needs. This often results in a fragmented IT architecture, where information is scattered across multiple systems, and legacy systems remain in use because their data hasn’t been migrated properly (The AME Group) (Mindsight). SMBs also tend to look to enterprise-level best practices, which aren’t always feasible due to resource constraints. This mismatch can further complicate their IT environments, leading to inefficiencies and increased administrative burden. AI and CopilotIntroducing advanced tools like AI and Copilot into this chaotic environment can indeed be challenging. While these technologies hold significant promise, they are not a panacea for deep-rooted structural and organizational issues. A foundational restructuring of IT systems and processes might be necessary to fully leverage these innovations (Mindsight). The discussionDid I hit close to home or miss the field? What are your reflections on the challenges we meet when introducing a new tool? Is this limited to small companies in a small country called Norway?Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts and reflections! Read More
MS Access passthrough query performs very slow when executing a stored procedure
I have passthrough query in my Access frontend that I use to import data from a sql server db. Before executing the passthrough query I pass the connectionstring and the sql to the querydef object and then I pass the output to a DAO recordset:
qdf.Connect = maconnectionstring
qdf.SQL = “EXEC MyStoredProc ” & param1 & “, ” param2
Set rstDAO = qdf.OpenRecordset
When I execute the stored procedure in SSMS using the same parameters it takes 2 seconds. In MS Access I need to set the ODBCTimeout parameter to 4 minutes to avoid a timeout error.
Any ideas how to improve the performance of the passthrough query?
I have passthrough query in my Access frontend that I use to import data from a sql server db. Before executing the passthrough query I pass the connectionstring and the sql to the querydef object and then I pass the output to a DAO recordset:qdf.Connect = maconnectionstring
qdf.SQL = “EXEC MyStoredProc ” & param1 & “, ” param2
Set rstDAO = qdf.OpenRecordset When I execute the stored procedure in SSMS using the same parameters it takes 2 seconds. In MS Access I need to set the ODBCTimeout parameter to 4 minutes to avoid a timeout error.Any ideas how to improve the performance of the passthrough query? Read More
Weird sound problem Win 11 computer
I’ve been experiencing a weird sound problem on my Windows 11 computer. Whenever I’m watching videos, listening to music, or even just browsing the internet, I start to hear strange sounds coming from my speakers. These sounds are not part of the content I’m playing, but rather seem to be generated by the computer itself. I’ve tried restarting my computer, updating my drivers, and even checking for malware, but the problem persists. I’m not sure what’s causing this issue, I need your help.
I’ve been experiencing a weird sound problem on my Windows 11 computer. Whenever I’m watching videos, listening to music, or even just browsing the internet, I start to hear strange sounds coming from my speakers. These sounds are not part of the content I’m playing, but rather seem to be generated by the computer itself. I’ve tried restarting my computer, updating my drivers, and even checking for malware, but the problem persists. I’m not sure what’s causing this issue, I need your help. Read More
Create and deploy a web app with Python and Azure – A video tutorial!
Have you ever wanted to create your own website or web service, but felt overwhelmed about how to get started with web development? Or have you already built a web app with Python, but wondered how you can deploy it online? If so, you might be interested in watching this video by and Pamela Fox and Renee Noble, two Python Cloud Advocates at Microsoft with a passion for web development and education!
They’ll show you how to create a web app with Python Flask (or it’s async-sibling Quart) and show you how you can deploy you can take your web app live by deploying it on Azure. This is the first episode in this live stream series (which you can also catch on demand!) by Pamela and friends covering different web dev frameworks and practices! (And you can catch it in Spanish too!)
In this video, you will learn how the web works and why you (likely) need a web server to serve up your web app. You will also discover how a backend web framework, like Flask, helps you develop your web server quickly and easily and how it lets you use templates to build dynamic sites – whether it’s your first site or a complex full-scale service.
Want to improve your web server throughput? Find out how you can port your app to Quart, the asynchronous version of Flask. And of course, you’ll see how you can deploy your web apps to Azure App Service in minutes and learn what other deployment options you might be interested in seeking out depending on your project.
The video is perfect for beginners who have some familiarity with Python, but no prior experience with web development or deployment. It is also suitable for intermediate or advanced developers who want to refresh their skills or learn new tricks. Take a look at the video to learn some concepts and follow along with our coding and deployment demos! You can grab the demo repo here and check out the slides too.
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
How to help generating a proposal with copilot?
Hi all,
I want copilot to assist me, writing a proposal.
The requirement is the following:
1) I have a pool of documents (example proposals that are quite similar to the one a want to create, some general information like project management methods etc.)
2) I have a summarized requirements document from the customer, which describes his needs.
Now I want copilot to help me writing a proposal in Word that is structured like the expample porposals and taking the requirements from the customer in account as the main leading document.
Do you have any ideas how to set this up with copilot?
Thanks in advance
Torsten
Hi all,I want copilot to assist me, writing a proposal.The requirement is the following:1) I have a pool of documents (example proposals that are quite similar to the one a want to create, some general information like project management methods etc.)2) I have a summarized requirements document from the customer, which describes his needs.Now I want copilot to help me writing a proposal in Word that is structured like the expample porposals and taking the requirements from the customer in account as the main leading document.Do you have any ideas how to set this up with copilot?Thanks in advanceTorsten Read More
Invoice population from different worksheet
I have an invoice in excel that I want to be able to enter the qty and the item number and have it populate the description, type, unit price and line total (the discount must be added manually bases on specific client parameters).
INVOICE
PRICELIST TABLE
I am hoping this is something simple I can do with INDEX or MATCH vs. using modeling. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks
I have an invoice in excel that I want to be able to enter the qty and the item number and have it populate the description, type, unit price and line total (the discount must be added manually bases on specific client parameters). INVOICEPRICELIST TABLE I am hoping this is something simple I can do with INDEX or MATCH vs. using modeling. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks Read More
DevOps : user story workflow to compel status changes
Hello team
I’ve customize some US status to have a more accurate understanding on US progress (New / Analysis / ready to Work / WIP / …Closed) and now I want to set-up a workflow to compel changes on US status. For example, to prevent a US status New to change to Closed.
I’ve been diging for sometime now but I didn’t find out 🙁
Could you help please ?
Thanks !
Hello teamI’ve customize some US status to have a more accurate understanding on US progress (New / Analysis / ready to Work / WIP / …Closed) and now I want to set-up a workflow to compel changes on US status. For example, to prevent a US status New to change to Closed.I’ve been diging for sometime now but I didn’t find out :(Could you help please ?Thanks ! Read More
Retention policy – keep deleted files for a year
Hello everyone,
Have a question regarding retention policy (or labels if it might help in this situation). I would like to implement a policy which keeps files which were deleted for a year after the file is deleted (in this case, for SharePoint Online). From what I saw, the only triggers for the policies are when items are created and when files are modified, but not when a file is deleted. Also, if I am understanding it correctly, you cannot put labels on the files which are in the recycle bin. Is there any solution which could help me in this case? This is the policy that I would like to implement for all of my SharePoint sites, which I have a lot of.
Kind regards.
Hello everyone, Have a question regarding retention policy (or labels if it might help in this situation). I would like to implement a policy which keeps files which were deleted for a year after the file is deleted (in this case, for SharePoint Online). From what I saw, the only triggers for the policies are when items are created and when files are modified, but not when a file is deleted. Also, if I am understanding it correctly, you cannot put labels on the files which are in the recycle bin. Is there any solution which could help me in this case? This is the policy that I would like to implement for all of my SharePoint sites, which I have a lot of. Kind regards. Read More
after update stable version, autofill id and password is not working well
hello!
after edge stable update version 125 and then, autofill id and password is not works well.
but edge before version and other chromium bases browsers was all ok.
i ‘ve seen other discussions that it works fine after canary version, but not in my case.
login page has a different types URL, but page layout and html files are same.
for example,
there are ‘https://aaa.test.com‘ and ‘https://bbb.test.com‘
and password pocket contains login data like ‘https://bbb.test.com‘ / id: bbb / pw: 1234.
It works fine on https://aaa.test.com but not on https://bbb.test.com.
i had installed different types of edge browser like stable, develop, canary
but i had all same problem.
can you suggest any ideas?
hello! after edge stable update version 125 and then, autofill id and password is not works well.but edge before version and other chromium bases browsers was all ok. i ‘ve seen other discussions that it works fine after canary version, but not in my case. login page has a different types URL, but page layout and html files are same. for example,there are ‘https://aaa.test.com’ and ‘https://bbb.test.com’and password pocket contains login data like ‘https://bbb.test.com’ / id: bbb / pw: 1234. It works fine on https://aaa.test.com but not on https://bbb.test.com. i had installed different types of edge browser like stable, develop, canarybut i had all same problem. can you suggest any ideas? Read More
Music files suddenly won’t play properly
I have some music/voice files mostly mp4/m4a most of which were recorded on the voice recorder on pc originally. They have been working fine for over a year but now about 15mins in (this time varies considerably) it keeps pausing. Can someone please help?
I have some music/voice files mostly mp4/m4a most of which were recorded on the voice recorder on pc originally. They have been working fine for over a year but now about 15mins in (this time varies considerably) it keeps pausing. Can someone please help? Read More
cluster size
Hello, i have volume created in ibm5200, when try expand that volume more then 16TB i receive error “The volume cannot be extended because the number of clusters will exceed the maximum number of clusters supported by the file system”
If there is any possibility to extend that volume without formating ?
Hello, i have volume created in ibm5200, when try expand that volume more then 16TB i receive error “The volume cannot be extended because the number of clusters will exceed the maximum number of clusters supported by the file system”If there is any possibility to extend that volume without formating ? Read More
IntuneMAMEnrollmentStatusLocationServiceFailure
Can we have some documentation for these failure codes. Causes and how to fix
Can we have some documentation for these failure codes. Causes and how to fix Read More
Activate the automatic Office update (for M365 apps) via PowerShell
Hello,
We have installed M365 products for many customers and most of them have automatic updates enabled in their account settings. But not all. Since we don’t want to change over manually for our customers, we are looking for a way to do this via PowerShell.
In the article from Microsoft (https://learn.microsoft.com/de-de/microsoft-365/troubleshoot/updates/automatic-updates) registry keys are specified, but these neither set for devices with automatic updates nor for devices with deactivated updates.
Does anyone have a tip where to find the correct registry key or how else the automatic updates can be activated via PowerShell?
(Via GPO is not a solution because not all customers have an Active Directory, but the devices are entra-joined)
I look forward to ideas and suggestions.
Lisa
Hello, We have installed M365 products for many customers and most of them have automatic updates enabled in their account settings. But not all. Since we don’t want to change over manually for our customers, we are looking for a way to do this via PowerShell.In the article from Microsoft (https://learn.microsoft.com/de-de/microsoft-365/troubleshoot/updates/automatic-updates) registry keys are specified, but these neither set for devices with automatic updates nor for devices with deactivated updates.Does anyone have a tip where to find the correct registry key or how else the automatic updates can be activated via PowerShell?(Via GPO is not a solution because not all customers have an Active Directory, but the devices are entra-joined) I look forward to ideas and suggestions. Lisa Read More
No company Apps after signing in using company portal
Hi All
I really need your help on this issue, yesterday after playing with lots of settings I can’t figure out where is my mistake.
1. When I log in using Company Portal to enroll Android device (Personally-Owned with Work Profile), I can sign in without problems, with no Erros, but the device is not enrolled, and no apps shown.
2. Two days ago (before playing with multiple settings), I was able to log in with multiple test users accounts and apps was displayed normally.
3. I checked device policy and configuration policy and things seems OK.
4. After facing this problem, even did not apply Conditional access to the device group where this device belongs.
5. When I log in, I do not get to the setup access page where it starts to create profile and activate work profile and update device settings.
6. I even factory reset the Samsung s24 device but still the same.
7. Apps are assigned to the group where the device belongs.
8. One user even succeeded to enroll his device normally, so I added the testing user to that group and signed in, but it is still the same!!
9. I created two groups:
one for corporate owned devices with Work profile and devices works OK
Second for Personally owned devices with Work profile, one device enrolled and works, others not.
Definitely I am missing something, everything was not that complicated when I made the initial configuration.
Any suggestion where the problem could be?
Hi AllI really need your help on this issue, yesterday after playing with lots of settings I can’t figure out where is my mistake. 1. When I log in using Company Portal to enroll Android device (Personally-Owned with Work Profile), I can sign in without problems, with no Erros, but the device is not enrolled, and no apps shown.2. Two days ago (before playing with multiple settings), I was able to log in with multiple test users accounts and apps was displayed normally.3. I checked device policy and configuration policy and things seems OK.4. After facing this problem, even did not apply Conditional access to the device group where this device belongs.5. When I log in, I do not get to the setup access page where it starts to create profile and activate work profile and update device settings.6. I even factory reset the Samsung s24 device but still the same.7. Apps are assigned to the group where the device belongs.8. One user even succeeded to enroll his device normally, so I added the testing user to that group and signed in, but it is still the same!!9. I created two groups:one for corporate owned devices with Work profile and devices works OKSecond for Personally owned devices with Work profile, one device enrolled and works, others not. Definitely I am missing something, everything was not that complicated when I made the initial configuration. Any suggestion where the problem could be? Read More
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 For Zoho Email Solution
Hello All,
I am currently having a mix of email solution providers between O365 and Zoho ( Cloud Based Email Solution) just need to understand the below:
1. Can I protect my 3rd party email solution with MDO P1
2. What are the licensing components i need to look at and its architecture
Thank you.
Hello All,
I am currently having a mix of email solution providers between O365 and Zoho ( Cloud Based Email Solution) just need to understand the below:
1. Can I protect my 3rd party email solution with MDO P1
2. What are the licensing components i need to look at and its architecture
Thank you. Read More
Clarify the purpose of labelling features in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps and Purview
I find the lineup of Microsoft’s products, bundles and licenses confusing. The names seem to change regularly and it is difficult to know whether documentation is referring to old or new features.
I’m looking into sensitivity labels and what features are available for different license levels. The main features are provided in the Purview portal but there are other sensitivity label features in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps.
From my understanding, a user with an Office 365 E3 license will be licensed for the entry level Purview components (Information Protection, Data Loss Prevention, Data lifecycle management, eDiscovery and auditing, insider risk management). You need to step up to Office 365 E5 to get auto-labeling features.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps also has some sensitivity labeling features. I believe this requires a Microsoft 365 E5 or a (Office 365 E5 + Enterprise Mobility + Security E5). Which means you would also have access to most of the Purview features.
What is the difference between the Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps sensitivity label features compared to the Purview features for Microsoft 365 content? Is it just for labeling content in other cloud services like Box and Dropbox? I saw one article that says the Cloud Apps feature can only label 100 (SharePoint?) items per day.
I find the lineup of Microsoft’s products, bundles and licenses confusing. The names seem to change regularly and it is difficult to know whether documentation is referring to old or new features. I’m looking into sensitivity labels and what features are available for different license levels. The main features are provided in the Purview portal but there are other sensitivity label features in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps. From my understanding, a user with an Office 365 E3 license will be licensed for the entry level Purview components (Information Protection, Data Loss Prevention, Data lifecycle management, eDiscovery and auditing, insider risk management). You need to step up to Office 365 E5 to get auto-labeling features. Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps also has some sensitivity labeling features. I believe this requires a Microsoft 365 E5 or a (Office 365 E5 + Enterprise Mobility + Security E5). Which means you would also have access to most of the Purview features. What is the difference between the Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps sensitivity label features compared to the Purview features for Microsoft 365 content? Is it just for labeling content in other cloud services like Box and Dropbox? I saw one article that says the Cloud Apps feature can only label 100 (SharePoint?) items per day. Read More
Accessing app centric permission via API
Hi,
is there any way to access (get/set) app centric permissions from GraphAPI or any other API? Our usecase is that we want to set the configuration programatically and also assign groups to specific apps without using the admin.teams portal.
Best Regards
Lars
Hi, is there any way to access (get/set) app centric permissions from GraphAPI or any other API? Our usecase is that we want to set the configuration programatically and also assign groups to specific apps without using the admin.teams portal. Best Regards Lars Read More
AKS Networking || Bring your own CNI plugin (BYOC)
Bring your own Container Network Interface (BYOCNI) plugin with Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
What is BYOCNI?
BYOCNI stands for Bring Your Own Container Network Interface. It allows advanced AKS users to deploy an AKS cluster with no CNI plugin preinstalled. Instead, you can install any third-party CNI plugin that works in Azure. This flexibility enables you to use the same CNI plugin used in on-premises Kubernetes environments or leverage advanced functionalities available in other CNI plugins.
Before diving into BYOCNI, ensure the following prerequisites are met:
– Use at least template version 2022-01-02-preview or 2022-06-01 for Azure Resource Manager (ARM) or Bicep.
– Have Azure CLI version 2.39.0 or later.
– The virtual network for the AKS cluster must allow outbound internet connectivity.
– Avoid using specific address ranges (e.g., 169.254.0.0/16, 172.30.0.0/16, 172.31.0.0/16, or 192.0.2.0/24) for Kubernetes service, pod address range, or cluster virtual network address range.
– The Identity used by the AKS cluster need to have least Network Contributor permissions on the subnet within your virtual network. Or you can use the custom role which has “Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks/subnets/join/action and Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks/subnets/read” permission.
– Subnet cannot be a delegated subnet used by AKS node pool.
– AKS doesn’t apply NSGs to its subnet or modify any of the NSGs associated with that subnet. If you add custom NSGs to the subnet, ensure the security rules allow traffic within the node CIDR range.
Deploy AKS cluster with no CNI plugin preinstalled:
You can deploy the AKS cluster with different Infrastructure as code (IAC) and CLI. We just need to pass network-plugin with the value as none. Refer the below snapping for the same.
1. Azure CLI:
2. Terraform:
3. ARM template:
4. Bicep:
Upon a successfully deployment you can see the AKS cluster is online, but all the nodes are not ready, you can check and verify the same on the azure poral as well as by running the kubectl commands as shown below,
Azure portal:
kubectl:
We can clearly see the reason:NetworkPluginNotReady in the blow snapping.
Now to make the nodes ready we need to install the network plugin. To do so you can leverage BYOCNI plugin third-party vendor such as Cilium, Flannel and Weave. Apart from these three there are so many other 3rd party plugins as well. You can run the below command to install the network plugin. In my Case I have used Flannel.
kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/coreos/flannel/master/Documentation/kube-flannel.yml
After applying the above kubectl commands the nods are now in ready state as you can see below,
Portal:
Using kubectl:
Note:
Remember that Microsoft support cannot assist with CNI-related issues in clusters deployed with BYOCNI. For CNI-related support, consider using a supported AKS network plugin or seek support from the third-party vendor of your chosen CNI plugin. Support is still provided for non-CNI-related issues.
BYOCNI empowers you to tailor your AKS networking to your specific requirements.
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More