How to get RDP access again with multiple sessions on a machine

How to get RDP access again with multiple sessions on a machine

You may run into this scenario from time to time:

I am unable to RDP or TS into a server remotely because 2 people are logged in and the console port is in use.

Let’s just say that the people or person occuping the maximum number of allowed connections(including console) is new and doesn’t realize that they need to actually disconnect the session and not just click the ‘x’. So you are an admin too but you can’t RDP in. Here is an alternative method:

1. Locate a machine that is running the same OS. In this case it was WIN2K8. You can obtain a remote prompt on that machine by using psexec.exe from:
   

   http://www.hpdit.com/sysinternals/psexec.exe

   Then you will want to query the terminal server of the machine you are not able to RDP into. (Discussed later)

2. Copy the binary by clicking into it and saving locally to a place where you can find and execute it easily from the command line.
3. Press Windows key and R and then type in cmd and press enter.
4. CD to the directory you saved the psexec.exe binary and run the following command:psexec -u domain\admin_creds \\servername cmd

   *Note you can always verify you have a remote command line prompt by checking the hostname as follows:

   hostname

   Press enter and it will produce the system’s hostname

5. Press enter and type in the password of the user with the admin creds and press enter.
6. Then do a query of terminal sessions by doing the following:query session /server:servername
7. Look for the sessions to pop up and find the desireable one to end.
8. End it by typing in the following:reset session [ID] /server:servername
9. You can re-run that query again to determine that the session has been disconnected.
10. Exit out of that prompt by typing exit and then pressing enter.
11. Launch an RDP session ie.

mstsc /v:servername

A connection.

Windows Server 2003-2008 How to tell if a Server is a VM

Ramp up Excitement for CES 2011

This year HPD Global IT Consulting has been chosen as an Industry Analyst to contribute blogger coverage on the great event of CES 2011.  In the meantime we will also be networking and forming valuable business connections/alliances.  What we are hoping to cover will be Virtual and Mobile technologies essentially the way of the future.  We are starting to see many of the technologies featured 2 years ago starting to take shape in the market today.

We bring real market experience and knowledge to CES and have assisted other established Corporations in being legally and marketable at CES.  It is certainly and expensive show, and requires a large investment for most small businesses, but if networking is done correctly one can forge alliances for years to come.  We anticipate some of the mobile technologies we will be covering will be HTC, Windows Mobile Xbox 360 lite gaming for mobile devices, laptop innovations, cutting edge technologies by way of mobility and remote working.

By covering these areas of interest, we believe that we are paving the way for understanding of the importance of mobile and virtual tech support and service. 

Are you PCI Compliant?

More and more businesses are going virtual each day and put their business to work for them 24 hours a day.  With, e commerce in expansion in mind it becomes totally imperative to establish standards of security.  The Payment Card Industry or PCI has established pretty clear standards for companies that wish to utilize this fast growing and highly lucrative line of business.  Funded by Visa and Mastercard primarily; PCI was developed to ensure consumer confidence in purchasing goods and services over the internet.  Whether you are a small or large corporation and you have an established online business, you are expected to be PCI Compliant.  Failure to do so can cost your business profound costs in litigation, fees from Visa and Mastercard, and loss in potential business.  It simply is not worth the risk to your business to lack in due diligent security.  As a solution, HPD Global IT Consulting offers Enterprise-wide PCI Compliance SaaS solution to businesses that are small as well as large.  We implement all DSS standards and provide you with a security baseline to start you off with security due diligence.

More and more these days it is becoming totally necessary to be compliant with Industry and Government standards or face paying huge fines that many businesses do not survive financially.  The security threats are real and more and more we are hearing about this in the media.  Security crackers have caused billions in damages, we can only estimate how much is kept away from the public eye and government by private organization who pay hush money to keep customer satisfaction up.  PCI compliance really covers a lot of areas in which its possible for Card holder information to be stolen.

The core of the PCI DSS is a group of principles and accompanying requirements, around which the specific elements of the DSS are organized:

Build and Maintain a Secure Network

Requirement 1: Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect cardholder data
Requirement 2: Do not use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters

Protect Cardholder Data

Requirement 3: Protect stored cardholder data
Requirement 4: Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across open, public networks

Maintain a Vulnerability Management Program

Requirement 5: Use and regularly update anti-virus software
Requirement 6: Develop and maintain secure systems and applications

Implement Strong Access Control Measures

Requirement 7: Restrict access to cardholder data by business need-to-know
Requirement 8: Assign a unique ID to each person with computer access
Requirement 9: Restrict physical access to cardholder data

Regularly Monitor and Test Networks

Requirement 10: Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data
Requirement 11: Regularly test security systems and processes

Maintain an Information Security Policy

Requirement 12: Maintain a policy that addresses information security

Of course each and every requirement is probed further during an audit to ensure necessary security due diligence is in place.  It truly does take a lot of hard work to build a security baseline and managerial understanding, let us help lessen the headache with our secure Cloud Services.  Contact us today.

Fortune 500 IT Practices: Small to Medium Businesses

The Questions:

Don’t you wish you could have a budget to allow your IT departments to flourish without the additional cost of a full time staff, additional contractors, or H1B’s to further explode your budget into the point of no return?

Don’t you want to know if your IT infrastructure us functioning as successfully as that of a Fortune 500 company?

If you answered yes to either of these questions, then look no further; High Performance Delivered Global IT Consulting (100% US Based with US employees) is here to help you with all your technical needs.

With over 30 years of experience in Information Technology (IT) we have the solutions that will help you cut cost and increase your performance for your day to day Information Technology operations.

(more…)

What to do and not to do when IT Consulting, especially for good customers

Consulting can certainly be a rewarding endeavor.  In my career I have come across consultants from all different backgrounds, specialties, and areas of expertise.

However, on occasion you will find either the new consultant, the ineffective reseller, dot.bomb washout, or crook who somehow has convinced their customer that they can consult in a field or technology that is far out of their specialty.

How to Spot a Fake / Flake in IT Consulting

These types of consultants are pretty easy for other consultants to spot but not always easy by the customer.

Typically, these types of consultants do the following:

1. They make exaggerated claims or have very high prices as their business model is set to make money and run.
2. They will not give you a specific answer on anything, but will likely stretch jobs out and show no progress.
3. They will try to recommend solutions that are not truly solutions to the issues you have, as it shows their area of skill lacks project match.
4. They can try to change your mind in a 180 degree manner to do something that either takes longer or is simply not related.
5. They will make a lot of claims but have no follow through to confirm them.

If you are doing this now, STOP!  Consider the following:

1. Do you want to risk a lawsuit?
2. Do you want to continue to embarrass yourself and the customer?
3. Do you think that you are truly doing the customer any good by wasting their time and money?

If you are considering telling a half-truth, consider the following:

1. Do you want to risk your reputation and knowledge as an IT Consultant?
2. Do you wish to lose this customer and others this customer could have referred along with customers who they know and you work with?

Let me propose the following to the Consultant in this fiasco:

1. Find a way to communicate to the customer that you made a mistake, you want to come completely clean of this and do the right thing which is get them the help they needed to begin with.
2. If you have not put yourself into a bad situation, consider being upfront and honest with the customer by stating something to this effect:
   I don’t feel comfortable consulting in this area, but let me check with my friends and see if we can help you with your IT needs.

or

1. I do not know this technology sufficiently to help here, but I would love to help you find someone that can as I know it can be difficult sometimes to find experts in this area.

   This will not only build trust with your customers, you will likely not lose their respect and you have the possibility of coming back to help in an area they need help in, making a referral fee on the consulting firm you referred, or even getting additional business because of your honesty and your willingness to help the best you could without impeding progress.

   If you are without friends in the IT Industry who can help you succeed, send me an email I’d be happy to help, as we have 30+ years of experience in the IT Industry and certainly can help.

Good luck with your future endeavors

IT OUTSOURCE USA!

Forget writing down your passwords, Encrypt them with Keepass

Forget writing down your passwords on a piece of paper under your wallet.  You can just store them in a free as in Open Source software program vault called Keepass.  This is definitely a solution I will continue to consult on, but wanted to share how cool it was.  You can neatly store your passwords in a categorical manner so it is easy to retrieve.  You double click your password and it copies it to clipboard without showing the password to should browsers.

So take a look if you need some immediate security and organization of your passwords.   We offer encrypted cloud password storage.  We can help you set it up, contact us.