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How to Delete a Folder from the Command Prompt in Windows

Knowledge Base How to Delete a Folder from the Command Prompt in Windows To delete a folder from the command prompt in Windows, use rmdir /s /q “C:pathtofolder”. The /s switch removes the folder and everything inside it, and /q does it quietly without asking you to confirm each item. The command rd is an alias for rmdir, so the two are interchangeable. Key facts Delete a folder and its contents with rmdir /s /q “path” (or the shorter rd /s /q). /s includes all subfolders and files; /q suppresses the confirmation prompt. Command prompt deletions skip the Recycle Bin, so they are permanent. For stubborn files, del /f /s /q forces deletion of read-only and hidden files first. PowerShell’s equivalent is Remove-Item -Recurse -Force “path”. How do you delete a folder and everything in it? The rmdir command with the /s and /q switches removes a folder and its entire contents in one step. Open Command Prompt, then run the command with the full path in quotes if it contains spaces: rmdir /s /q “C:UsersPublicOld Project” Without /s, rmdir only removes empty folders and refuses to touch anything with files inside. Without /q, it asks “Are you sure (Y/N)?” for the removal. Most people want both switches together so the folder simply goes. What do you do about stubborn folders that will not delete? When a folder will not delete, the cause is almost always a file inside it that is read-only, hidden, or in use. Clear the read-only and hidden files first with del /f /s /q “C:pathtofolder*.*”, which force-deletes every file regardless of attribute, then run rmdir /s /q on the now-empty structure. If the deletion still fails with “access denied” or “the process cannot access the file”, something has the file open; close the application using it, or the issue may need administrator rights. Running the command prompt as administrator resolves a lot of these. Should you use Command Prompt or PowerShell? Both work, so it comes down to what you are comfortable with and what else you are doing. Command Prompt with rmdir is quick and familiar for a one-off deletion. PowerShell’s Remove-Item -Recurse -Force “C:pathtofolder” does the same job and fits better when the deletion is part of a larger script, because PowerShell handles paths, error checking, and conditions more cleanly. For a single folder, either is fine. Frequently asked questions Does deleting a folder from Command Prompt send it to the Recycle Bin? No. Files and folders removed with rmdir or del are deleted immediately and do not pass through the Recycle Bin. There is no easy undo, so double-check the path before you run the command, particularly when using the quiet switch that skips confirmation. How do I delete a folder that says “access denied”? Access denied usually means you lack permission or a file is in use. Open Command Prompt as administrator and try again, and close any program that might have a file open in that folder. If the folder is owned by another account or the system, you may also need to take ownership of it before Windows will let you delete it. What is the difference between rmdir and del? They target different things. del removes files but cannot remove folders. rmdir (or rd) removes folders, and with the /s switch it removes the files inside them too. For force-clearing awkward files before removing a folder, del with /f is the tool; for the folder itself, rmdir is the one. Quick command-line fixes are fine in a pinch, but a business running on undocumented manual workarounds is one staff change away from a problem. If that sounds familiar, happy to help get the basics properly managed. About the author Brett Muscio is the Director of 4iT Support Pty Ltd, a managed services provider based in Castle Hill, NSW. He works with SME clients across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane on managed IT support, automation, and Windows administration, with on-site support across the Sydney metro area and remote delivery nationally. Connect on LinkedIn.  

How to Read SFC /scannow Results from the CBS Log

Knowledge Base How to Read SFC /scannow Results from the CBS Log After running sfc /scannow, you can read the detailed results by extracting the SFC entries from the CBS log. Open an administrator command prompt and run findstr /c:”[SR]” %windir%LogsCBSCBS.log >”%userprofile%Desktopsfcdetails.txt”. This pulls every System File Checker entry into a text file on your desktop, so you can see exactly which files were scanned, which were corrupt, and which were repaired. Key facts sfc /scannow checks Windows system files and repairs corrupt ones from a cached copy. Detailed results are written to C:WindowsLogsCBSCBS.log, not shown in full on screen. Extract just the SFC lines with findstr /c:”[SR]” against the CBS log. The command works the same on Windows 8, 10, and 11. If SFC cannot repair a file, run DISM first, then run SFC again. Why can’t you see the full SFC results on screen? The command prompt only shows a summary when sfc /scannow finishes, such as whether it found and repaired corrupt files, but it does not list which files. The full detail goes to the CBS (Component-Based Servicing) log at C:WindowsLogsCBSCBS.log, which is a large file mixing SFC entries with a lot of unrelated servicing activity. That is why you extract just the relevant lines rather than trying to read the whole thing. How do you extract the SFC results? The findstr command filters the CBS log down to only the System File Checker entries, which are tagged [SR]. Open Command Prompt as administrator and run: findstr /c:”[SR]” %windir%LogsCBSCBS.log >”%userprofile%Desktopsfcdetails.txt” This creates sfcdetails.txt on your desktop containing every SFC line with a timestamp. Open it and look for entries that mention a file being “corrupt” or “repaired”; those are the ones that matter. A scan that found nothing wrong produces a much shorter, cleaner file. What if SFC cannot repair a file? When sfc /scannow reports that it found corrupt files but could not fix some of them, the usual cause is that its local repair source is itself damaged, and DISM is the fix. Run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth in an administrator command prompt to repair the underlying component store using Windows Update as the source, then run sfc /scannow again. Running DISM before SFC, in that order, resolves most cases where SFC alone keeps failing. (We run this pair so often it is basically muscle memory.) Frequently asked questions Where is the SFC log located? System File Checker writes its detailed entries to the CBS log at C:WindowsLogsCBSCBS.log. There is no separate SFC log file; its entries are mixed into the CBS log and tagged with [SR], which is why the findstr command filters for that tag. Does this work on Windows 10 and 11? Yes. Although the technique dates back to earlier versions, the sfc /scannow command, the CBS log location, and the findstr extraction all work the same way on Windows 8, Windows 10, and Windows 11. The process has not changed. What does the [SR] tag mean in the CBS log? [SR] stands for System Resource and marks the log lines written by System File Checker. Filtering the CBS log for [SR] isolates the SFC activity from the much larger volume of general servicing entries, giving you a readable record of what the scan checked and changed. Persistent system file corruption on a business machine is often a symptom of something larger, from a failing disk to malware. If a workstation keeps needing this treatment, happy to take a proper look at what is behind it. About the author Brett Muscio is the Director of 4iT Support Pty Ltd, a managed services provider based in Castle Hill, NSW. He works with SME clients across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane on managed IT support, endpoint health, and Windows administration, with on-site support across the Sydney metro area and remote delivery nationally. Connect on LinkedIn.  

How to Find CHKDSK Results in Windows Event Viewer

Knowledge Base How to Find CHKDSK Results in Windows Event Viewer To find CHKDSK results in Windows, open Event Viewer and look in the Application log for events from the source “Wininit” (for a check disk that ran at startup) or “Chkdsk” (for a scan of a non-system volume). Wininit logs the full chkdsk report under Event ID 1001, so you can read exactly what the scan found and fixed without having watched it run. Key facts CHKDSK results are written to the Windows Application log, not saved as a separate file. A boot-time check disk logs under the source “Wininit”, Event ID 1001. A scan of a non-system drive while Windows is running logs under the source “Chkdsk”. You can filter the Application log by source to find the report quickly. PowerShell’s Get-WinEvent can pull the same report straight to the screen. How do you find CHKDSK results in Event Viewer? Event Viewer keeps the chkdsk report in the Application log, and filtering by source gets you there fastest. Press the Windows key, type eventvwr, and open Event Viewer. Expand Windows Logs and select Application. In the Actions pane on the right, click “Filter Current Log”, and in the “Event sources” box choose Wininit (or Chkdsk for a non-system drive). Click OK, then open the most recent matching event to read the full report, including the number of files processed and any errors found and corrected. How do you read CHKDSK results with PowerShell? PowerShell pulls the chkdsk report to the screen in one command, which is handy on a server or over a remote session. Run this in an elevated PowerShell window: Get-WinEvent -FilterHashtable @{logname=”Application”; id=1001} | Where-Object {$_.ProviderName -match “wininit”} | Format-List TimeCreated, Message That returns the time of the scan and the full text of the report. It is the quicker option when you just want the result and do not need to click through the Event Viewer interface. Why are CHKDSK results not saved as a file? Windows logs chkdsk output to the Event Log rather than a text file because a boot-time check runs before the normal desktop and file system are fully available, so there is nowhere convenient to write a file. Logging to the event system, which is designed to capture exactly this kind of early-boot information, is the reliable place to put it. The upshot is that if you missed the report scrolling past during startup, it is not lost; it is sitting in the Application log waiting for you. (This trips people up constantly, so it is worth knowing.) Frequently asked questions What is the difference between the Wininit and Chkdsk sources? The source tells you how the scan ran. Wininit logs a check disk that ran during Windows startup, which is what happens when chkdsk is scheduled against the system drive. The Chkdsk source logs a scan you ran manually against a non-system drive while Windows was already running. Both contain the same style of report. How do I know if CHKDSK found problems? Read the report in the event. It states how many files were processed and, importantly, whether any errors were found and whether they were repaired. Phrases such as “Windows has made corrections to the file system” mean problems were found and fixed; a clean report lists no corrections. Repeated errors across runs can signal a failing drive. Can I export the CHKDSK report? Yes. In Event Viewer, right-click the event and choose “Save Selected Events” to export it, or copy the event text directly. With PowerShell you can pipe the output to a text file by adding | Out-File chkdsk-report.txt to the command, which is useful when you need to send the result to someone. Repeated disk errors are often the first warning of a drive that is about to fail, and on a business machine that means a backup you can actually restore from matters. If your backups have never been tested, happy to take a look. About the author Brett Muscio is the Director of 4iT Support Pty Ltd, a managed services provider based in Castle Hill, NSW. He works with SME clients across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane on managed IT support, backup and disaster recovery, and Windows administration, with on-site support across the Sydney metro area and remote delivery nationally. Connect on LinkedIn.  

How to Uninstall Windows Updates from the Command Prompt

Knowledge Base How to Uninstall Windows Updates from the Command Prompt To uninstall a Windows update from the command prompt, use wusa /uninstall /kb:5012345, replacing the number with the KB number of the update you want to remove. Run the command prompt as administrator. This is the quickest way to roll back a single problem update, and it works well in scripts and remote sessions where the graphical update history is awkward to reach. Key facts The command to remove a Windows update is wusa /uninstall /kb:NUMBER, run as administrator. Add /quiet /norestart to remove an update silently without an immediate reboot. List installed updates with wmic qfe list brief /format:table to find the KB number first. Some cumulative and feature updates cannot be removed with wusa and need DISM instead. Removing a security update reopens the vulnerability it patched, so only do it to fix a specific fault. How do you find the KB number to remove? Before you can uninstall an update you need its KB number, and the command line gives you that quickly. Run wmic qfe list brief /format:table to list installed updates with their KB identifiers and install dates, which makes it easy to spot the one that landed just before a problem started. On newer systems where wmic is being retired, the PowerShell equivalent is Get-HotFix, which returns the same information. Note the KB number, then move on to the removal command. How do you uninstall the update? With the KB number in hand, the removal is one command in an administrator command prompt. Run wusa /uninstall /kb:5012345 and confirm the prompt. To do it without interaction, for example in a script or across several machines, add the silent flags: wusa /uninstall /kb:5012345 /quiet /norestart. The /norestart flag lets you control when the reboot happens rather than having the machine restart immediately, which matters during business hours. What if wusa will not remove the update? Some updates, particularly cumulative updates, report that they cannot be uninstalled through wusa, in which case DISM is the tool to use. List the installed packages with dism /online /get-packages /format:table, find the package name that matches the update, then remove it with dism /online /remove-package /packagename:PACKAGENAME. DISM works at the package level rather than the KB level, so it can remove components wusa refuses to touch. (It is also less forgiving, so copy the package name exactly.) Frequently asked questions Is it safe to uninstall a Windows update? It is safe in the mechanical sense, but it has a cost. Removing a security update reopens whatever vulnerability that update fixed, so the machine becomes less secure until the update is reapplied. Only remove an update to resolve a specific fault it caused, and plan to reinstall a fixed version once one is available. Will the update just reinstall itself? Often yes. Windows Update will usually offer the same update again, so it can return on the next check unless you pause updates or block that specific KB. If you removed an update because it broke something, pause updates while you wait for Microsoft to release a corrected version. How do I uninstall an update if Windows will not boot? Boot into the Windows Recovery Environment and use the command prompt there with DISM against the offline Windows image, or use the built-in “Uninstall Updates” recovery option. This lets you remove a bad update that is stopping the machine from starting, without needing to log in normally. Managing Windows updates so a bad patch never reaches every machine at once is part of what proper patch management gives a business. If updates keep catching you out, happy to look at a more controlled approach for your Sydney team. About the author Brett Muscio is the Director of 4iT Support Pty Ltd, a managed services provider based in Castle Hill, NSW. He works with SME clients across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane on managed IT support, including patch management, endpoint hardening, and Windows administration, with on-site support across the Sydney metro area and remote delivery nationally. Connect on LinkedIn.  

How to Enable Apple Remote Desktop (ARD) from the Command Line

Knowledge Base How to Enable Apple Remote Desktop (ARD) from the Command Line You can enable Apple Remote Desktop on a Mac from the command line using the kickstart tool at /System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/Resources/kickstart. Running it with sudo lets you turn on Remote Management, set access permissions, and restart the agent without touching the graphical settings, which is exactly what you need when the only way in is SSH. Key facts The kickstart tool lives at /System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/Resources/kickstart. It enables Remote Management (the service behind Apple Remote Desktop) from the command line. You need sudo (administrator) rights to run it. It is the standard way to turn on ARD remotely over SSH when you cannot reach the GUI. On modern macOS, full remote control may still require granting Screen Recording and Accessibility permissions. How do you enable Apple Remote Desktop from the command line? The kickstart command enables Remote Management and configures access in a single line. To turn it on for all users with full privileges, run: sudo /System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/Resources/kickstart -activate -configure -access -on -restart -agent -privs -all To grant access to a specific user rather than everyone, add the user and set their privileges explicitly: sudo /System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/Resources/kickstart -configure -users adminuser -access -on -privs -all -restart -agent Because the path is long, administrators often define a shell alias for kickstart so the command is quicker to type on machines they manage often. When would you use kickstart instead of System Settings? You use kickstart when there is no practical way to reach the graphical settings, which is the normal situation for a headless Mac or one in another office. If you can SSH into the machine but cannot stand in front of it, kickstart is how you switch Remote Management on so you can then connect with the Apple Remote Desktop client or another VNC viewer. It is also the basis for enabling ARD at scale through management tools and scripts, rather than clicking through Sharing settings on every Mac one at a time. (For a fleet, the command line is the only sane option.) How do you turn Apple Remote Desktop off again? To disable Remote Management from the command line, run kickstart with the deactivate and stop flags: sudo /System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/Resources/kickstart -deactivate -stop That switches the service off and stops the agent. It is good practice to disable ARD on any machine that no longer needs it, since an exposed remote management service is one more thing an attacker can probe. Frequently asked questions Does kickstart work on the latest macOS? Yes, kickstart still enables Remote Management on current macOS versions. However, the operating system’s privacy controls mean that full screen control may also require granting the relevant Screen Recording and Accessibility permissions, which on a locked-down or managed Mac can need a configuration profile rather than a command alone. Can I run kickstart over SSH? Yes, and that is its main use. As long as SSH (Remote Login) is enabled on the target Mac and you have an administrator account, you can run the kickstart command remotely to switch Remote Management on without any physical or graphical access to the machine. Is enabling Apple Remote Desktop a security risk? It can be if left open. Remote Management is a powerful service, so it should be enabled only for the accounts that need it, restricted to trusted networks, and turned off on machines that no longer use it. Granting access to all users with full privileges is convenient but worth tightening on anything sensitive. 4iT supplies and manages Mac devices for Sydney businesses, including secure remote access setup across mixed Mac and Windows fleets. If your remote management needs tidying up, happy to take a look. About the author Brett Muscio is the Director of 4iT Support Pty Ltd, a managed services provider based in Castle Hill, NSW. He works with SME clients across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane on managed IT support, networking, and secure remote access across Mac and Windows fleets, with on-site support across the Sydney metro area and remote delivery nationally. Connect on LinkedIn.  

iPhone Personal Hotspot Not Showing on Windows: How to Fix

Knowledge Base iPhone Personal Hotspot Not Showing on Windows: How to Fix If your iPhone’s Personal Hotspot is not showing on your Windows computer, the usual fix is to make sure Personal Hotspot is switched on, that “Allow Others to Join” is enabled, and that the iPhone is unlocked and on its hotspot screen while Windows scans for it. For USB tethering specifically, Windows also needs Apple’s mobile device drivers, which come with iTunes or the Apple Devices app, installed and running. Key facts Personal Hotspot must be on, with “Allow Others to Join” enabled, before Windows can see it. An iPhone hotspot can be shared over Wi-Fi, USB, or Bluetooth; each fails for different reasons. USB tethering on Windows needs Apple’s mobile device driver, installed via iTunes or the Apple Devices app. Keeping the iPhone unlocked on the Personal Hotspot screen makes it discoverable while you connect. Toggling Airplane Mode on and off, or restarting both devices, clears most stubborn cases. Why is the iPhone hotspot not appearing on Windows? The most common reason a Windows PC cannot see an iPhone hotspot is that the hotspot has quietly switched itself off or gone undiscoverable. iOS disables Personal Hotspot visibility to save battery, so by the time you look on the PC the iPhone has stopped advertising. Open Settings then Personal Hotspot on the iPhone, make sure “Allow Others to Join” is on, and leave that screen open while Windows scans. Nine times out of ten the network appears within a few seconds. Other causes are a carrier plan that does not include tethering, or the iPhone and PC simply being out of sync after one of them slept. How do you fix USB tethering on Windows? USB tethering fails on Windows when the Apple mobile device driver is missing, because Windows needs it to recognise the iPhone as a network device rather than just a camera or storage. Install iTunes or the newer Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store, which bundles the driver, then plug the iPhone in with a known-good cable and tap “Trust” on the phone. Open Device Manager and confirm “Apple Mobile Device Ethernet” appears under Network adapters. If the Apple Mobile Device Service is stopped, restart it from the Services console, then reconnect. What else can you try? When the basics do not work, a short reset sequence usually does. Toggle Airplane Mode on the iPhone, wait ten seconds, and turn it off, which forces the radios to reinitialise. On the PC, forget the hotspot network under Wi-Fi settings and reconnect, entering the password fresh. Restart both devices if it still will not connect. As a last resort on the iPhone, Settings then General then Transfer or Reset iPhone then Reset then Reset Network Settings clears any corrupted network configuration, though it also wipes saved Wi-Fi passwords, so use it knowingly. Frequently asked questions Why does my iPhone hotspot keep disconnecting from Windows? iOS turns off Personal Hotspot when no device has been connected for a short time, to preserve battery. If the PC drops off and the hotspot then goes idle, it can disappear before the PC reconnects. Keeping the Personal Hotspot screen open on the iPhone, or connecting over USB instead of Wi-Fi, keeps the link more stable. Do I need iTunes installed to use an iPhone hotspot on Windows? Only for USB tethering. Connecting over Wi-Fi does not need any Apple software on the PC. USB tethering does, because Windows relies on Apple’s mobile device driver, which installs with iTunes or the Apple Devices app, to treat the iPhone as a network adapter. Could my mobile plan be blocking tethering? Yes. Some carrier plans do not include hotspot or tethering, or treat it as a separate add-on. If the hotspot toggle is missing entirely or refuses to turn on, check with your mobile provider that tethering is enabled on your plan before troubleshooting the devices further. If your team relies on mobile hotspots because the office or branch connection is unreliable, that is usually a sign the underlying internet setup needs attention. Happy to take a look at a steadier option for your Sydney business. About the author Brett Muscio is the Director of 4iT Support Pty Ltd, a managed services provider based in Castle Hill, NSW. He works with SME clients across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane on managed IT support, networking, and mobile device setup, with on-site support across the Sydney metro area and remote delivery nationally. Connect on LinkedIn.  

How Often Should You Update Your Router Firmware?

Knowledge Base How Often Should You Update Your Router Firmware? You should check for router firmware updates at least every three months, and apply them sooner when the manufacturer releases a security patch. Firmware is the software that runs your router, and out-of-date firmware is one of the easiest ways for an attacker to get a foothold on a network. Where your router supports automatic updates, turning them on is usually the safest choice for a small business. Key facts Check for router firmware updates at least quarterly, and immediately when a security advisory is published. Firmware updates fix security holes, patch bugs, and sometimes add features or improve stability. Many modern business routers can update automatically; consumer routers often cannot. Unpatched router firmware is a common entry point in attacks on small businesses. A router that no longer receives firmware updates from its vendor should be replaced. Why does router firmware matter? Router firmware is the operating system of the device that sits between your business and the internet, which makes it a high-value target. When researchers find a vulnerability in a popular router, the details become public quickly, and automated tools start scanning the internet for unpatched devices within days. A router running months-old firmware is exactly what those scans are looking for. Keeping firmware current closes those holes before they can be used against you. This is not theoretical. Compromised routers get used to intercept traffic, redirect staff to fake login pages, and serve as a quiet base inside the network. How often should you update router firmware? A quarterly check is a sensible baseline for most small businesses, because it keeps you reasonably current without creating constant disruption. The exception is a security update, which should be applied as soon as practical rather than waiting for the next scheduled check. If your router supports automatic firmware updates, enabling them removes the need to remember at all, which in practice is what most SMEs need, because manual checks are the kind of task that slips when everyone is busy. (In our experience, “we’ll check it later” usually means never.) How do you update router firmware safely? Updating firmware safely comes down to timing and a backup. Log in to the router’s admin interface, find the firmware or system update section, and either let it check online or upload the file you downloaded from the manufacturer’s official site. Run the update outside business hours where you can, because the router will reboot and drop the connection for a few minutes. Save a copy of the current configuration first, so you can restore settings if anything goes sideways. Never install firmware from anywhere other than the vendor, since tampered firmware is a real risk. Frequently asked questions Will updating firmware reset my router settings? Usually not, but it can. Most updates preserve your configuration, though some major firmware changes reset the device to defaults. Back up the router configuration before you start so you can restore your settings quickly if the update wipes them. What happens if I never update my router firmware? The router keeps working, but known vulnerabilities stay open and accumulate over time. That makes the device progressively easier to compromise, and a compromised router puts every device behind it at risk. Skipping updates is one of the more common security gaps we find on small business networks. Should I replace a router that no longer gets updates? Yes. Once a manufacturer stops releasing firmware for a model, any new vulnerability in it will never be patched. A router that has reached end of support is a standing risk and should be replaced with a current, supported model. Keeping firmware current across routers, switches, and access points is part of what managed IT support quietly takes off your plate. If you are not sure when your gear was last updated, that itself is worth a look. About the author Brett Muscio is the Director of 4iT Support Pty Ltd, a managed services provider based in Castle Hill, NSW. He works with SME clients across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane on networking and infrastructure, including UniFi rollouts, firmware and patch management, and secure remote access, with on-site support across the Sydney metro area and remote delivery nationally. Connect on LinkedIn.  

How to Flush DNS Cache on Windows 10 and 11

Knowledge Base How to Flush DNS Cache on Windows 10 and 11 To flush the DNS cache on Windows 10 or Windows 11, open Command Prompt and run ipconfig /flushdns. You should see “Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache”. This clears the locally stored DNS records so Windows fetches fresh ones, which fixes most “this site used to work” problems caused by a stale or changed DNS entry. Key facts The command to flush DNS on Windows is ipconfig /flushdns, run in Command Prompt. It works the same way on Windows 10 and Windows 11. The PowerShell equivalent is Clear-DnsClientCache. You do not normally need administrator rights to flush the DNS cache. Browsers keep their own separate DNS cache, which a system flush does not clear. How do you flush DNS on Windows? Flushing DNS on Windows takes one command. Press the Windows key, type cmd, and open Command Prompt. Type ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter. Windows confirms with “Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache” and the job is done. There is no reboot required and nothing else to configure. If you prefer PowerShell, the equivalent command is Clear-DnsClientCache, which does the same thing with no on-screen confirmation message. When should you flush the DNS cache? The DNS cache is worth flushing whenever a domain’s address has changed but your computer is still trying to reach the old one. The classic cases are a website that just moved hosts, an email server that was migrated, or an internal site that started returning the wrong address after a network change. Flushing forces Windows to ask the DNS server again instead of trusting its stored copy, which clears up the mismatch. It is also a quick first step when a site loads on your phone but not your work PC, since that points to a local cache problem rather than the site being down. Why does flushing DNS not always fix the problem? Flushing the Windows DNS cache only clears what the operating system has stored, so if the stale record lives somewhere else the problem persists. Browsers such as Chrome keep their own internal DNS cache, which you clear separately through the browser. Your router and your internet provider also cache DNS, and those can hold an old record for a while regardless of what you do on the PC. When a flush does not help, the next steps are usually clearing the browser cache, restarting the router, or simply waiting for the record’s time-to-live to expire. Frequently asked questions Does flushing DNS delete anything important? No. It only clears temporary DNS lookup records that Windows rebuilds automatically the next time it needs them. It does not touch your files, settings, browsing history, or saved passwords. It is a safe, routine troubleshooting step. Do I need to restart after flushing DNS? No. The flush takes effect immediately and no reboot is needed. Windows simply starts asking the DNS server for fresh records straight away. If a problem persists after flushing, the cause is usually a cache outside the operating system rather than something a restart would fix. How do I flush the DNS cache in Chrome? Chrome keeps its own DNS cache that the Windows flush does not clear. Type chrome://net-internals/#dns into the address bar and click “Clear host cache”. Combining that with the Windows flush covers both caches when a stubborn site refuses to load. Recurring DNS and connectivity issues across a few machines usually point to something at the network level rather than each PC. If your Sydney business keeps hitting these, happy to take a look at what is going on underneath. About the author Brett Muscio is the Director of 4iT Support Pty Ltd, a managed services provider based in Castle Hill, NSW. He works with SME clients across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane on networking and infrastructure, including UniFi rollouts, DNS and DHCP, and secure remote access, with on-site support across the Sydney metro area and remote delivery nationally. Connect on LinkedIn.  

Office 2013 Product Key: Why You Should Move to Microsoft 365

Knowledge Base Office 2013 Product Key: Why You Should Move to Microsoft 365 If you are looking to change the product key on Office 2013 Home and Business, the more useful answer is that Office 2013 reached end of support on 11 April 2023 and no longer receives security updates. You can still change the key through the Office activation wizard, but a 2013 install is now a security liability, and for most businesses the right move is to migrate to Microsoft 365 rather than keep an unsupported version running. Key facts Office 2013 reached end of support on 11 April 2023 and receives no further security updates, per Microsoft. The apps keep working after end of support, but unpatched vulnerabilities accumulate over time. You can change a retail Office 2013 product key through the activation wizard inside any Office app under File then Account. Microsoft 365 Business Standard is listed on the Australian Microsoft site and is the common upgrade path for SMEs. Office 2013 may also hit reliability issues connecting to Microsoft 365 services, which Microsoft stopped testing some years ago. How do you change the product key in Office 2013? For retail copies of Office 2013 Home and Business, you change the key through the activation wizard rather than the command line. Open any Office app such as Word, go to File then Account, and look for the option to change or enter a product key. Enter the new 25-character key and let it reactivate. If activation fails, it is usually because the key has already been used on its limit of devices or it is the wrong edition for the installed product. That said, before you spend time chasing a key, it is worth asking whether you should be reactivating a 2013 install at all. Why move off Office 2013? Office 2013 is unsupported software, which means any vulnerability found after April 2023 stays unpatched on your machines indefinitely. For a business that handles client data, that is a real exposure under the Privacy Act 1988 and the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme, because running known-vulnerable software undermines the “reasonable steps” you are expected to take to protect personal information. It is also a productivity drag: the apps are over a decade old and miss features your staff now expect. Across the Sydney SMEs we onboard, an old Office version is one of the most common things we find still in use, usually on one or two machines that quietly never got upgraded. (Nobody plans to run Office 2013 in 2026; it just happens.) What should you upgrade to instead? For most small businesses, Microsoft 365 Business Standard is the natural replacement, because it bundles the desktop Office apps with hosted Exchange email, OneDrive, and Teams on a per-user subscription. Pricing is listed in Australian dollars ex GST on the Microsoft Australia site, and because it updates automatically you stop having to think about end-of-support dates altogether. If you only need the desktop apps without the cloud services, a one-off purchase of the current Office is also an option, though most businesses get more value from the subscription. Frequently asked questions Will Office 2013 stop working now that it is out of support? No. The applications continue to launch and function after end of support. What stops is security updates, bug fixes, and technical support from Microsoft, which means the software grows more vulnerable over time rather than failing outright. End of support is a security milestone, not an off switch. Can I just keep using Office 2013 if I am careful? You can, but it is not advisable for a business. Unpatched software is a standing risk regardless of how careful individual users are, and it can weaken your position if you ever have to demonstrate reasonable security steps after an incident. The cost of a Microsoft 365 subscription is usually far smaller than the risk it removes. How do I move my old Outlook data to Microsoft 365? Your email, contacts, and calendar can be migrated to Microsoft 365 either through a server-side migration or by exporting and importing mailbox data, depending on where the mail currently lives. The right method depends on your starting point, so it is worth planning rather than improvising. This is exactly the kind of cutover we manage for clients. If you have got Office 2013 still running on a few machines and want a clean path onto Microsoft 365 without losing email or files, that is a standard job for us. Happy to scope it out for your business. About the author Brett Muscio is the Director of 4iT Support Pty Ltd, a managed services provider based in Castle Hill, NSW. He works with SME clients across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane on Microsoft 365 environments, including migrations, licensing, and email security, with on-site support across the Sydney metro area and remote delivery nationally. Connect on LinkedIn.

How to List User Accounts on macOS Using Terminal

Knowledge Base How to List User Accounts on macOS Using Terminal To list user accounts on macOS from Terminal, run dscl . list /Users. That returns every account on the machine, including the hidden system accounts macOS uses internally. To see only the real human accounts, filter out the ones whose names start with an underscore: dscl . list /Users | grep -v ‘^_’. Key facts dscl . list /Users lists all user accounts on the local Mac. System and service accounts have names beginning with an underscore, such as `_spotlight` and `_mbsetupuser`. Real user accounts almost always have a user ID (UID) of 501 or higher. dscacheutil -q user returns full account records, including UID, home directory, and shell. These commands read the local directory; they do not require sudo to list accounts. How do you list only real user accounts? The cleanest way to list only the human accounts is to filter on the UID, because macOS assigns standard user accounts a UID of 501 and up while reserving lower numbers for system accounts. This one-liner prints the real accounts and their UIDs: dscl . list /Users UniqueID | awk ‘$2 >= 501 {print $1}’ If you just want names and do not care about IDs, the underscore filter is quicker: dscl . list /Users | grep -v ‘^_’. It still leaves a couple of built-in entries like `root`, `daemon`, and `nobody`, so the UID method is the more precise of the two. How do you see details about a specific account? Use dscacheutil -q user -a name username to pull a single account’s full record. It returns the username, UID, group ID, home directory, and login shell in a readable block, which is handy when you are checking whether an account is set up correctly or troubleshooting a login problem. For a quick read of just one attribute, dscl . read /Users/username followed by the attribute name (for example `NFSHomeDirectory`) works well. Why use Terminal instead of System Settings? Terminal shows you every account, not just the ones macOS chooses to display in System Settings. The graphical Users and Groups pane hides system accounts and sometimes hides accounts created by management tools or scripts, which is exactly when you most need to see them. For anyone managing a fleet of Macs, the command line is also scriptable, so you can audit accounts across many machines at once rather than clicking through each one. (We lean on this constantly when auditing client Macs.) Frequently asked questions What is the difference between dscl and dscacheutil? Both read macOS directory data, but they serve different purposes. dscl browses and edits the directory structure directly, which makes it good for listing and reading specific attributes. dscacheutil queries the directory service cache and returns complete, formatted account records, which makes it better for viewing a full account at a glance. Do I need administrator rights to list user accounts? No. Listing accounts with dscl . list /Users or dscacheutil is a read-only operation that any logged-in user can run. You only need elevated rights (sudo) if you intend to create, modify, or delete accounts. Why do some accounts start with an underscore? The underscore prefix marks system and service accounts that macOS uses to run background processes under restricted permissions. They are not human logins and you should not modify or remove them. Filtering them out is the normal way to get a clean list of real users. 4iT supplies and manages Mac devices for Sydney businesses, including account setup and fleet management. If your Macs need a tidier hand than the built-in tools give you, happy to take a look. About the author Brett Muscio is the Director of 4iT Support Pty Ltd, a managed services provider based in Castle Hill, NSW. He works with SME clients across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane on Microsoft 365, cybersecurity, networking, and managed Mac and Windows fleets, with on-site support across the Sydney metro area and remote delivery nationally. Connect on LinkedIn.

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