Videos

You won’t be able to land your ideal CIO position by surfing job ads and firing off resumes. You have to do the right kind of preparation and legwork, and this episode of Sanity Savers for IT Executives will help you get started.

Windows passwords are a necessary evil. They help protect our systems, but they can also be a real pain in the neck. Employees leave, IT workers quit, IT consultants fail to properly document deployments. Regardless of the cause, you’re left with a locked account and perhaps a locked system.

In this IT Dojo video, I demonstrate how quickly and easily reset local account passwords, including Administrator, on most Windows systems. The Offline NT Password and Registry Editor is a Linux-based utility that can reset passwords on Windows-NT based systems that use NTFS, including Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Vista. The tool creates a boot environment through which you can reset passwords via a series of text menus. The Offline NT Password and Registry Editor isn’t the most polished utility, but it is effective.

Hacker tool?

Before anyone starts flaming me in this video’s discussion for sharing “hacking advice”, let me make the following point. First, it is possible for unscrupulous individuals to bypass security measures with tools such as this. But, there are also plenty of legitimate, work-related reasons to reset a Windows password. The Offline NT Password and Registry Editor is just another tool in the IT professional’s arsenal.

Use the tool at your own risk!

There are also risks associated with using this tool. As it is editing the Windows registry, the Offline NT Password and Registry Editor could easily render a system unbootable and even destroy existing data. This is especially true of accounts that use the Encrypting File System (EFS).

Once you’ve watched this IT Dojo video, you can find a link to the original TechRepublic article, print the tip, and get links to additional remote support and administration resources from our IT Dojo Blog.

TROLOV brings you another round of highlights at TechRepublic, including the top five discussions of the week and the members who are burning up the boards. TechRepublic’s Sonja Thompson wrangles Toni Bowers back in the studio this week by promising not to subject her to silly stunts. She lied.

To listen to this week’s TR Out Loud as just an audio file, download the mp3.

One of the top priorities of a CIO is to articulate a vision for how technology can support and transform the company. There’s no way to achieve that without effective communication.

This episode of Sanity Savers for IT executives provides three useful tips for CIOs to build the kind of effective communication that will enable them to succeed in IT’s corner office.

Check out this episode’s companion blog post and read the original article that inspired this episode:
Strategies for boosting communication with the CEO and fellow board members

Like every profession, IT has its own set of dirty little secrets that its members don’t often talk about out loud. However, if IT leaders aren’t aware of these issues then they can quietly doom your department to failure.Episode #2 of Sanity Savers for IT executives shines the spotlight on five of these dirty little secrets.

Once you’ve watched the video, you can read the original TechRepublic article, download a PDF version of the article, and read what your peers have to say about this topic in the companion blog post.

When it comes time to interview job candidates, you probably know that there are some questions that are simply off limits. However, there are also some seemingly innocent questions that could get you into hot water.

Episode #7 of Sanity Savers for IT Executives tips you off to several types of questions that you should avoid during job interviews.

Once you’ve watched the video, you can read the original TechRepublic article, download a PDF version of the article, and read what your peers have to say about this topic in the companion blog post.

At Apple WWDC 2008, Steve Jobs reveals the map of countries and carriers that will be getting the next-generation iPhone beginning July 11.

Active Directory can hold valuable user data, including contact information, their departments, and even office locations. Using this data source for administrative purposes can save you time when performing everyday tasks like auditing user accounts and checking software licenses. In this IT Dojo video, Bill Detwiler shows you an easy way to extract the data stored in Active Directory using the Comma Separated Value Data Exchange (CSVDE) command.

Once you’ve watched this IT Dojo video, you can find a link to the original TechRepublic article, print the tip, and get links to more Active Directory advice from our IT Dojo Blog.

TROLOV (TR Out Loud on video) goes to greater links to educate and entertain the TR community in even less time this week! Find out which discussions and members are hot on the boards, and see what interesting e-mails Sonja received for the show.

To listen to this week’s TR Out Loud as just an audio file, download the mp3.

In episode #6 of Sanity Savers for IT Executives, TechRepublic’s Jason Hiner describes five CIO habits that are sure to kill your IT department and doom your career as an IT leader.

Once you’ve watched the video, you can also get the full text of the original article that it was based on and get links to additional resources in the companion blog post.

In this episode of TR Out Loud, Sonja Thompson talks about the most popular discussions (with more help from Toni Bowers) and the most active members over the past week. You’ll also hear some great answers to Neilb’s question, “What’s one of your most embarrassing moments on the job?” Find out who the winners are this week!

To listen to this week’s TR Out Loud as just an audio file, download the mp3.

Disabling unnecessary Windows Server 2003 services can strengthen your server security. Unfortunately, there are over 100 services to consider. In this IT Dojo video, Bill Detwiler shows you how to disable Windows Server 2003 services and discusses the following five services that you may want to turn off:

1 .ERSvc – Error Reporting Service
2. HidServ – Human Interface Device Access
3. IsmServ – Intersite Messaging
4. ScardSvr – Smart Card Access
5. LMHosts – TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper

The five services Bill mentions in this video are just the beginning. You can download our complete list of Windows Server 2003 services that can be disabled from the IT Dojo blog. This download contains a complete list of Windows Server 2003 services that can be disabled. The reference sheet lists each service, describes its function, specifies whether you can safely disable the service, and outlines the ramifications of doing so. The spreadsheet also lists each service’s default configuration for specific server roles–domain controller, DHCP server, File server, mail server, and so forth.

ITIL was originally just a set of books from the U.K. about IT best practices. Today, it has turned into a global phenomenon and one of the hottest topics in IT. This episode of Sanity Savers for IT Executives gives a rundown of five basic ITIL facts every IT pro should know.

Once you’ve watched the video, you can read the original TechRepublic article, download a PDF version of the article, and read what your peers have to say about this topic in the companion blog post.

Mapping drive letters in Windows XP is a common task. It’s not a complicated process, but you can save time with a few easy shortcuts. In this IT Dojo video, Bill Detwiler demonstrates three old DOS commands that making mapping folders and network shares a snap.

First, Bill looks at the SUBST command. SUBST lets you quickly and easily map a local, nested folder to a drive letter. Second, he examines the POPD and PUSHD commands. PUSHD lets you quickly map a network share from a Windows command prompt and POPD disconnects the drive.

Once you’ve watched this IT Dojo video, you can read the original TechRepublic articles, print the tips, and learn more ways to manage files and folders within Windows in the IT Dojo blog.

In the very first TR Out Loud video, Sonja Thompson covers the weekly highlights at TechRepublic, including the top five discussions of the week (with a little help from Toni Bowers), the members with the most “thumbs up” and most posts, and a brand new Question of the Week from TR member Neilb.

You can also choose to listen to this week’s TR Out Loud as just an audio file. Download the mp3.

When it’s time to spend a big chunk of your IT budget on a new purchase, you need to systematically map out the requirements of your project or upgrade so that you make the best vendor selection.

In Episode #4 of Sanity Savers for IT Executives, TechRepublic’s Jason Hiner outlines a simple process to help you do your due diligence and improve IT vendor selection.

Once you’ve watched the video, you can read the original article that it was based on and get links to some of TechRepublic’s vendor selection checklists in the companion blog post.

Making the move from a technical job to managing an IT department requires a variety of new skills. This episode of Sanity Savers for IT executives provides five tips for IT executives to help their techies make the transition to becoming managers.

Once you’ve watched the video, you can read the original TechRepublic article, download a PDF version of the article, and read what your peers have to say about this topic in the companion blog post.

Unless you’re working in a geographic region with a high rate of counterfeit software, it’s unlikely the Windows XP machines you support will have invalid licenses. However even in the best-run IT shops, unauthorized software can find its way onto the desktop. An end-user may have installed a pirated copy of XP but now wants to go legal. An organization may have installed 100 pirated copies of XP but now has a legitimate volume-licensing key.

When you come across an invalid product key problem, changing Windows XP’s product key is often the most practical solution. In this IT Dojo video, Bill Detwiler, TechRepublic’s Head Technology Editor, demonstrates a quick and easy registry hack that replaces an invalid Windows XP key with a legitimate one.

Once you’ve watched this IT Dojo video, you can read the original TechRepublic article, print the tip, find out where to get a WMI script that automates the process, and learn more ways to resolve Windows product key problems in our IT Dojo Blog.