Scheduled NTBackup jobs failing after local profiles have been cleaned up

We currently use NTBackup to backup our Active Directory System State, but we discovered through our Telemetry that some of the Backup jobs were failing after some local profiles on the server had been cleaned up, but why?

Free ebooks from Microsoft Press on MVA

If like me your always on the lookout for free stuff, the latest collection of free ebooks from Microsoft Press are now available on the MVA (Microsoft Virtual Academy)

The latest collection include titles for:

• Microsoft System Center 2012
• Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2
• Windows Azure
• Windows 8.1
• App Development

Pop along to the MVA and grab your free ebooks here.

Windows Server 2003 doesn't have Win32_Products CLass by default

I'm in the process of writing a prerequisite checking script to deploy PowerShell to all our server and I came across a little annoying error that prevented me from using the Win32_Product Class to check if the .NET Framework was installed on remote machine.

After coming across this Windows Management Infrastructure Blog I discovered an additional gotcha where the Win32_Product class must be added to Windows Server 2003. This can be achieved by adding the "WMI Windows Installer Provider" Windows component under Management and Monitoring tools in Add/Remove Windows Components.

Thanks to Steve Paruszkiewicz [MSFT] for pointing this one out.

PowerShell Scripts and Version Control

If like me, you are constantly creating and updating your PS scripts and modules, your probably thinking "How do I protect my scripts from loss or damage".

Well thanks to Microsoft Scripting Guy, Ed Wilson, we now have the knowledge to check our Scripts into TFS.

Microsoft PFE Stefan Stanger has written up his presentation notes in a Blog format with a full tutorial on how to check-in your scripts to TFS Source Control

Hey, Scripting Guy Blog

These Blog post are non of my work, I have just discovered them and thought I would share them with you.

get-scripting Blog

I'm always on the look out for more information and blogs/how-to articles around PowerShell and I happen to come accross the get-scripting blog.

The two Presenters post every couple of months some tips, ideas and experiences they come across, and upload a podcast which can be subscribed to via iTunes, so if you a newby looking at PS for the first time or are looking to expand your knowledge, add this blog and podcast to your reading list.

get-scripting Blog