Rick's Blog

A quick example of how to use the SUMIF function in Microsoft Excel. [More]

I run a lab Windows 2019 Server that frequently gets rebooted and shutdown. Every time I log in, I get greeted by the Shutdown Reason screen. Obviously for a lab server, it doesn't matter too much. To disable this dialog, I had to add a registry key and value... [More]

Windows 10 is a fantastic operating system. Microsoft has done a really good job at bringing speed and stability to its platform. However, Windows 10 is a bit "cluttered" in my mind. I prefer the simpler times (don't we all at this point?) and the relatively clean interface introduced by Windows 95 and used by Windows NT 4.0. [More]

I was fiddling with a lab computer today installing Windows 2019 Server Standard and configuring it [More]

A good security policy for Active Directory is to have users change their passwords at regular intervals (ie: 90 days). That, combined with password requirements (ie: minimum length, complexity, etc) provides users with a secure environment. As a user, you can find out when your AD password is going to expire... [More]

Sometimes if you're using OneDrive for Business, you can get two quick links in your explorer window - one is named "OneDrive" and the other is "OneDrive - Business" or something similar. They will both take you to your OneDrive library, so the duplicate can be removed. [More]

Outlook is a terrific email/calendar/contact application - there are many others out there, but personally I haven't found one I like better (yet!). However, once in a while I have multiple windows open in Outlook - for example I'll have one window for my Inbox open, another for my Calendar and even sometimes one for my Contacts. Sometimes these windows get "stuck" and even though you close them all, when you re-open Outlook the next day, all the windows open instead of just one. Fortunately, there is an easy fix for this issue... [More]

This is a quick and easy one-pot recipe that tastes fantastic. In less than an hour, your family can enjoy this hearty Indian/Thai inspired dish! [More]

Often when moving data around between Dynamics 365 (CRM) instances, you want to preserve the guids of certain records so they are the same across instances. This helps with workflows that link to entities directly - you don't have to edit the workflow and re-link things. Additionally, configuration information is usually guid-sensitive. In the past I've used Scribe or Kingsway Soft to move records around and preserve the guids - but it turns out to be very simple with Excel. Here's how to do it... [More]

So, I hope everyone is staying safe and doing well during these unusual times. My family and I are doing fine and keeping busy. One of the things I decided during this COVID-19 outbreak/lockdown was to renew my passion for playing guitar. [More]