How to Delete Windows.old files in Windows 8 and Windows 7

How to Delete Windows.old files in Windows 8 and Windows 7

The Windows.old file is created when you perform an upgrade to Windows 8, perform a refresh, or perform an installation where you don't reformat the drive prior to installation (i.e you are installing Windows 8 onto the same partition as Windows 7).

In instances where you have done an upgrade on an upgrade (e.g. from Vista to Windows 7 and then again to Windows 8 you may also may have a Windows.old.000 folder present. this is the older installation data.

Having these files can eat up a lot of room, especially on smaller laptop SSD drives. in this article, we show you how to remove these folders.

Some of the methods listed below will also be applicable for deleting the Windows.old file in Windows 7 as well

NOTE: before deleting any files or folders, you need to ensure that you no longer need any files or folders located in this location. If in doubt you must back this up to external storage.

Method 1:
Deleting from the Command Prompt

This method is very straight forward and can be scripted for situations that invlove upgrades in an organisation.

1. Open an elevated administrator command prompt
2. To delete the folder, enter or copy the following command into the command prompt window:
RD /S /Q %SystemDrive%\windows.old

3. For a Windows.old.000 folder then repeat the above with the Windows.old replaced with Windows.old.000

Method 2:Disk Cleanup

Disk Cleanup can be used to delete the Windows.old folder. To do so:

1. Open disk cleanup (either Open Computer, right click on C: choose properties and then disk cleanup or type cleanmgr into a run command)
2. If you have more than 1 drive letter available  you will be asked to choose the drive you with to cleanup. Choose C: as the drive to cleanup

3. In the lower left hand corner, you will see an icon labeled "clean up system files", choose this.

4. You may be prompted by UAC, choose Ok. you may need to repeat step 2.
5. In the disk cleanup menu, scroll to previous Windows installations, and then tick this box. choose OK to continue. This will mark the Windows.old file for deletion.

6. If prompted as to if you would like to delete these files, choose delete files

7. this will now delete the windows.old file.

This article discussed how to remove Windows.old and windows.old.000 from Windows 8 and also Windows 7

Set Desktop Background via Group Policy in Windows 7, Windows 8 in a Server 2008 or Server 2012 Domain

Set Desktop Background via Group Policy in Windows 7, Windows 8 in a Server 2008 or Server 2012 Domain

Setting the desktop background for all machines in the domain is easy, and also normally a requirement for machine identification / standardization in a work environment. This article will cover setting for all machines in the domain, however if you wanted to apply to only a certain group of machines you could create a separate policy and apply it to the OU of your choice.

The process for setting the desktop background is as follows:


1. Type \\domain.local\sysvol in the start menu search bar and hit enter
2. Place your BMP or JPG file in that folder
3. Open the start menu and type gpedit in the search bar
4. Right click on the default domain policy and navigate to User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Desktop\Desktop Top\Desktop Wallpaper and set the setting the the JPG you moved to the SYSVOL folder
5. Enable the Prevent Changes policy in that same location
6. Run a GPUPDATE/FORCE on one of the machines, log off and then log back in to test it.

This Article can also be found on our sister site DizzyIT.com at http://dizzyit.com/2013/04/14/set-desktop-background-group-policy-windows-7-windows-8-server-2008-server-2012-domain/

How to Install Features and Roles using PowerShell in Server 2012 and 2008

How to Install Features and Roles using PowerShell in Server 2012 and 2008

Server 2012 allows you to install features and roles via PowerShell. Before doing this, you may need to load the Server Manager Module with the command Import-Module Servermanager .

Firstly, you need to know the name of the windows feature / role that you wish to install. To find this information you enter the command Get-WindowsFeature . This will list the features available to install.

Server 2012

To install a feature or Role on a local machine, open PowerShell and type: install-windowsfeature {featurename} using the feature name you previously identified.

 Often this will require a restart,so you can add the -restart switch to the end of the command if you wish. It is also possible to install a feature on a remote machine using PowerShell by adding the -computername switch to the above command.

Server 2008

In Server 2008, the command to install is a little different to the above, but the switches are the same. The command used to install is add-WindowsFeature {featurename}  .

This Article can also be viewed on or sister site DizzyIT.com at http://dizzyit.com/2013/04/13/install-features-roles-powershell-server-2012-2008/

Windows Update Cannot Check For Updates Because The Service Is Not Running

Windows Update Cannot Check For Updates, Because The Service Is Not Running

This error occurs when trying to install Windows Updates. As the name suggests the service is not running, hence the machine cannot check for updates.

 There are several reasons why this may be the case, including service corruption, virus's or even the simple case that the service has been shut down manually or disabled. To Fix this issue:

Windows 8:

1.  Type CMD on the start screen, or in Windows Search, or run command ( can be opened by holding Windows Key and R togeather)

2.  at the prompt, type in net start bits . This starts the Background Intelligent Transfer System (BITS) which is responsible for downlaoding and uploading data between a client and server

3. type in net start wuauserv . This will start the Windows update Service itself.

4. Try Windows update and see if this has solved your issues

Windows 7  /  Vista / XP

1.Click Start and Type Run (or press Windows Key and R together)
2.in the text box named open,  type in cmd (alternativley you can type cmd into the seach box in Windows 7).
3.  at the prompt, type in net start bits . This starts the Background Intelligent Transfer System (BITS) which is responsible for downlaoding and uploading data between a client and server
4. type in net start wuauserv . This will start the Windows update Service itself
5.Try Windows update again and see if this has solved your issue.

A Tool is Also Available from Microsoft to accomplish this task:

http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/C/9/6C970550-32AB-4235-9CDD-7FC9DD848BBB/windowsupdate.diagcab

This Article can also be located on our sister site DizzyIT.com at http://dizzyit.com/2013/04/10/windows-update-check-updates-service-running-2/

Solving Windows Update error 80070643 in Windows 7, Windows 8, Vista, XP

Solving Windows Update error 80070643 in Windows 7, Windows 8, Vista, XP

Windows Update error 80070643 can happen for a few reasons, the main being issues with the .Net Framework installation on the computer, or Office issues that don't allow updates to be installed.

Please see this article for an overview of how to troubleshoot and solve Windows update issues, including 80070643: How to Solve Windows update Issues

The easiest way to resolve this issue is to use this tool:

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=231149 and go through the steps provided.

This Article can also be located on our sister site DizzyIT.com at: http://dizzyit.com/2013/04/10/solving-windows-update-error-80070643/

How to use IE 10 Metro / Modern style view in Windows 8

How to use IE 10 Metro / Modern style view in Windows 8

IE 10 in Windows 8 introduces Metro View (also known as Modern View)for Internet Explorer. This view will place the Internet explorer browser on the desktop of the Windows 8 computer this feature is especially great for laptop machines, but can also be utilized in Kiosk Mode style applications as well.

To Use this Feature:

Method 1

1. Open Internet Explorer from the Start Menu in Internet Explorer 8. By default this will take you straight to the Metro / Modern IE Interface

2. To navigate and manipulate your way around this screen can be a little tricky. to bring up the options menu, you need to either right click on an empty area, press Windows Key + z. On a Tablet Computer, swipe from the bottom  or top of the touch screen.

3. Doing the Above will open a black windows in your screen as shown. The + will open a new tab, while the ... button will open IE Tools, in this case a new in private tab

4. To exit the Metro / Modern View, you follow the steps in step 2, and then choose the spanner / wrench icon in the lower left corner. Now, choose view on the desktop which will take you to the Windows 8 Desktop View.

5. If you want to return to the Metro / Modern view you can press the windows key / return to the start menu and choose Internet Explorer from there.

This Article can also be found on our sister site DizzyIT.com at: http://dizzyit.com/2013/04/10/10-metro-modern-style-view-windows-8/

How to Force a WSUS client to check for new updates in Windows 7, 8, XP, Server 2008, 2012

How to Force a WSUS client to check for new updates in Windows 7, 8, XP, Server 2008, 2012

WSUS clients occasionally need to be told to check for updates outside of the configured parameters as defined in your AD group policy. this is manly used in testing after setup of a new WSUS server or perhaps a new image to make sure that the the devices can talk effectively  but also can be used for troubleshooting issues with WSUS where updates are not being propagated across the network.

The command to do this is go to an administrator command prompt, or Start -> Run and type wuauclt /detectnow . This will initiate the client to check with the WSUS server and exchange update information.

This command is also often integrated into login script batch files to force the client to talk to the WSUS upon login

If you need further information as to what is occurring in the background, then consulting the log file at %windir%\windowsupdate.log is a great place to start. This log will also confirm for you if your computer and the WSUS server are communicating as desired.

This article can also be located on our sister site DizzyIT.com at http://dizzyit.com/2013/04/07/force-wsus-client-check-updates-windows-7-8-xp-server-2008-2012/

How to Shrink a VMDK and Partition in VMWare ESXi

How to Shrink a VMDK and Partition in VMWare ESXi

It Happens, you mistakenly create a partition at say 100 Gig instead of the required 50. But how do you get it back to its required size?

The main way to do this ( and currently only supported VMWare method) is to do a virtual to virtual migration  using VMware vCenter Converter Standalone. This will allow you to change the size of both the VMDK and the partition size to within the desired parameters. This tool can be downloaded from the VMWare Website.

This Article can also be located on our sister site DizzyIT.com at http://dizzyit.com/2013/04/07/shrink-vmdk-partition-vmware-esxi/

Cant View Desktop or Blank Desktop on an Apple Mac

Cant View Desktop or Blank Desktop on an Apple Mac

This can happen on a mac after a reboot. The normal trigger for this is installing an update or a new program which causes instability on the system.

the great thing is that this is normally a simple solution. To fix the issue, restart your Mac and while it is booting up hold down the Shift key. This will put your Mac into Safe Mode. From here, your Mac will automatically run a check disk and hopefully repair your issue.

Windows Update Error 8024800A in Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista, Server 2008 and 2008 R2

Windows Update Error 8024800A in Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista, Server 2008 and 2008 R2

If you receive Error 8024800A occurs when a windows update there are a few things you can do to resolve the issue.

 Note: Please see this post for ways to troubleshoot Windows Update Issues including 8024800A : How to Troubleshoot Windows Update Issues

Observing Windows update logs are a great place to start and can give you some insite into whats happening in the background. These logs are located at: %windir%\Windowsupdate.log . Google searching the error codes in this log will help solve a large percentage of the issues listed.

Next, run the Windows Update Readiness Tool, located here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947821 .
Make sure that you choose the appropriate version for both Windows Version and for 32 or 64 Bit. A reboot may be required at the conclusion of this process.

This Article can also be located on our sister site DizzyIT.com at http://dizzyit.com/2013/04/06/view-desktop-blank-desktop-apple-mac/