Blocked File Types Prevent use of Site Templates

Recently, I discovered I wasn’t able to create a new SharePoint 2010 site using the out-of-box (OOB) team site template in my portal Web application. However, when I tried to create a site using the blank site template, the site was created successfully. After digging deeper into the odd behavior I was experiencing, I discovered that I had previously blocked some file types for my portal Web application and one of those file types that I had blocked was the .png file type. Knowing a blocked file type prevents a file from being uploaded, and even downloaded, in SharePoint I decided to check to try to determine which file types… Read More

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Microsoft Ignite Review

Last week, I spent time with over 23,000 of my closest friends in Chicago at the Microsoft Ignite conference learning, networking, eating, and enjoying a bevy as we absorbed as much information as possible on topics including Windows 10, SQL Server, SharePoint, Office 365, and Azure just to name a few. Within these areas there were sessions containing information for IT Pros, developers, information workers, and anyone else working in any capacity of technology and not just Microsoft, as there were several mentions of Apple products as well. This was the first conference of its kind in the fact it combined TechEd and several product-specific conferences, like SharePoint and SQL… Read More

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Vulnerabilities in Microsoft SharePoint

Microsoft recently announced a security bulletin (MS15-047) informing the public of vulnerabilities in Microsoft SharePoint Server which could allow remote execution as discussed in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 3058083. The affected software includes all editions of Microsoft SharePoint 2007, SharePoint 2010, and SharePoint 2013. The threat assessment coming from Microsoft is viewed as important being a successful attacker could run arbitrary code in the security context of the W3WP service account on the target SharePoint site. Therefore it’s time to secure your SharePoint Server since at the time of the release of bulletin MS15-047 Microsoft had not been notified that these vulnerabilities had been publicly used to attack customers. Before downloading and deploying the security update make sure all updates offered… Read More

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IT Pro and Developer Early Adopters Excited About Microsoft Preview of Office 2016

If you’re ready to stick your toe in the water or just plain jump in head first with excitement about Office 2016, now you can! Microsoft released the preview of Office 2016 for IT Pros and Developers. As the disclaimer states, it doesn’t have all of the features of the final product but it does give you a chance to at least get your feet wet and explore. So while we don’t know everything that Microsoft has in store for Office 2016, here are a few of things to get excited about: Data Loss Protection (DLP) for Word, PowerPoint, and Excel IT Pros request for Click-to-Run deployment Technical improvements to Outlook… Read More

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SharePoint 2013 Service Pack 1 Re-Release

Hopefully, you read my previous blog, I posted roughly two months ago, where I advised you not to immediately install any Service Pack (SP), Cumulative Update (CU), or Hotfix, unless it was absolutely necessary for your environment. I suggested, and have done so for several years, that you wait two months, to see if there are any issues introduced with the newly released software ‘Update’. My suggestion is because if there are issues introduced in the ‘update’ they would be discovered by those who chose to, or had to, deploy the recently released update. Unfortunately for them, they will be the ones who discover, report, troubleshoot, and test the fixes… Read More

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SharePoint 2013 Service Pack 1 Release

This week Microsoft announced the release of SharePoint 2013 Service Pack 1 (SP1). But, don’t react too quickly as I am sticking with my two month rule of not applying SP’s or Cumulative Updates (CU’s) until the kinks have been worked out in them. If you don’t have an immediate NEED to apply these SP’s, then as I will be doing, hold off to see if SP1 introduces any other issues. When you are ready to apply SP1, you can obtain information from several KB articles listed in this post. Similar to previous versions of SharePoint there are different flavors of the Service Pack, one for the SharePoint 2013 Foundation… Read More

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Configuring SQL Server Log Shipping on SharePoint Content Databases

Implementing data redundancy is one of the most effective ways to avoid data loss in any application. Although this article discusses configuring redundancy for SharePoint content stored in SQL Server by configuring SQL Server log shipping, redundancy should not be limited to only data redundancy. Any possible single point of failure, including hard drives, cables, and DNS or IIS entries should be taken into consideration to ensure you are able to quickly recover from what could be a disaster. There are several methods to choose from when determining the type of data redundancy you need to ensure business continuity. A few of these methods include; SQL Server clustering, database mirroring,… Read More

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MicroTechPoint Launch

I am pleased to announce the launch of MicroTechPoint; I can now take my passion and enthusiasm for technology to a whole new level. MicroTechPoint, or MTP is a technology company that focuses on providing services for Microsoft SharePoint, SQL Server, and other Microsoft technologies. Through MTP I am able to help companies understand the technology, determine their technology needs, and strengthen their current technologies. The services provided by MicroTechPoint include consulting, training, speaking, video, and writing. These services help support the MicroTechPoint tagline “Moving You Forward Faster.” Technology moves fast, it is a constantly moving target, companies can’t afford to not be at the top of their game, your… Read More

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