Category: Windows 11

Rename a computer in PowerShell

Rename-Computer command in PowerShell renames the local computer or remote computer name.

Rename-Computer cmdlet in PowerShell has a New-Name parameter to specify a new name for the target computer ( local or remote computer).

In this article, we will discuss how to rename a computer in PowerShell with examples.

Let’s understand Rename-Computer cmdlet in PowerShell to rename a local computer or remote computer with examples.

Table of Contents  hide 

1 Rename-Computer Syntax

2 Rename a Local Computer

3 Rename a Remote computer

4 PowerShell Rename a Computer on Domain

5 Conclusion

Rename-Computer Syntax

It renames a computer name to a specified new name.

Syntax:

Rename-Computer

[-ComputerName <String>]

[-PassThru]

[-DomainCredential <PSCredential>]

[-LocalCredential <PSCredential>]

[-NewName] <String>

[-Force]

[-Restart]

[-WsmanAuthentication <String>]

[-WhatIf]

[-Confirm]

[<CommonParameters>]

Parameters:

-ComputerName

Parameter renames the remote computer in PowerShell. The default is the local computer.

To rename a remote computer, specify the IP address, the domain name of the remote computer, or the NetBIOS name.

To specify the local computer name, use localhost, dot (.).

-NewName

It specifies a new name for a computer. This parameter is mandatory to rename a computer. The name may contain alphanumeric, hyphens (-).

-Restart

It specifies restart is required after the computer is renamed. Restart is required to reflect the changes.

-DomainCredential

It specifies a user account that has permission to connect to a remote computer in the domain and renames a computer joined in the domain with explicit credentials.

Use Domain\User or use the Get-Credential cmdlet to get user credentials.

-Force

The Force parameter forces the command to execute without user confirmation.

Let’s understand rename-computer cmdlet in PowerShell with examples.

Rename a Local Computer

To rename a local computer, use the rename-computer cmdlet in PowerShell as below

Rename-Computer -NewName “IN-CORP101” -Restart

In the above PowerShell, rename-computer renames a local computer name to IN-CORP101 specified by the NewName parameter. It will restart the local computer to reflect the change after the computer rename.

Rename a Remote computer

To rename a remote computer, use rename-computer cmdlet in PowerShell as below

Rename-Computer -ComputerName “IN-CORP01” -NewName “IN-CORP02” -Restart

In the above PowerShell script, rename-computer cmdlet renames a remote computer name. ComputerName parameter specify remote computer name and NewName parameter specify a new name for the computer.

After the computer is renamed, the remote computer will restart to reflect changes.

PowerShell Rename a Computer on Domain

To rename a computer on the domain, the user must have permission to connect to the domain. For explicit credentials, use Get-Credential cmdlet in PowerShell.

Let’s rename the computer on the domain using the rename-computer cmdlet in PowerShell.

Rename-Computer -ComputerName “EU-COPR10” -NewName “EU-CORP20” -DomainCredential ShellGeek\Admin -Force

In the above PowerShell script, Rename-Computer cmdlet renames a remote computer joined on a domain.

ComputerName specifies the remote computer name, NewName parameter specifies a new name for the computer.

DomainCredential parameter specify domain user ShellGeek\Admin who has permission to connect to the domain computer and rename a computer on the domain.

Conclusion

I hope the above article to rename a computer in PowerShell will help you to rename a local computer or remote computer.

Rename-Computer cmdlet in PowerShell doesn’t have a parameter that takes the input value and returns ComputerChangeInfo an object if you specify -PassThru a parameter else return does not return any value.

You can find more topics about PowerShell Active Directory commands and PowerShell basics on the ShellGeek home page.CategoriesPowerShell TipsTagsrename-computer

Using GetEnumerator in PowerShell to Read Data

How to Get Drivers Version Using PowerShell

Source :
https://shellgeek.com/rename-a-computer-in-powershell/

Get Domain name using PowerShell and CMD

In a large organization, its very quite common to have many domain and child domain names. While performing task automation for set of computers in domain, its best practice to get domain name of a computer.

In this article, I will explain how to get domain name using PowerShell script and command line (CMD)

Get-WmiObject class in PowerShell management library find the domain name for computer and wmic command-line utility to get domain name using command line (cmd)

Let’s understand how to get domain name in PowerShell and command line with below examples.

Table of Contents  hide 

1 PowerShell Get Domain name

2 Using Get-AdDomainController to get domain name

3 Get Domain Distinguished Name in PowerShell

4 Get FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name)

5 Get Domain Name using Command Line

6 Find Domain Name using SystemInfo in CMD

7 Conclusion

PowerShell Get Domain name

You can use Get-WmiObject class in PowerShell.Management gets WMI classes in the root namespace of computer and get domain name for a computer

Get-WmiObject -Namespace root\cimv2 -Class Win32_ComputerSystem | Select Name, Domain

In the above PowerShell script, Get-WmiObject gets the WMI classes in the root\cimv2 namespace of computer and uses Win32_ComputerSystem to get computer system information.

Second command select Name and Domain name of a computer.

Output of above command to get domain name of a computer as below

PowerShell Get Domain Name
PowerShell Get Domain Name

Using Get-AdDomainController to get domain name

PowerShell Get-AdDomainController cmdlet in Active Directory get one or more domain controllers based on search criteria.

You can get domain name of a computer in active directory using PowerShell Get-AdDomainController cmdlet as below

Get-ADDomainController -Identity “ENGG-PRO” | Select-Object Name, Domain

In the above PowerShell script, Get-AdDomainController command get domain controller specified by name of server object

Second command, select name and domain name, output as below

PS C:\Windows\system32> Get-ADDomainController -Identity "ENGG-PRO" | Select-Object Name, Domain

Name     Domain
----     ------
ENGG-PRO SHELLPRO.LOCAL


PS C:\Windows\system32>

Get Domain Distinguished Name in PowerShell

You can get domain distinguished name for current logged in user in active directory using PowerShell as below

Get-ADDomain -Current LoggedOnUser

PowerShell Get-ADDomain cmdlet find domain name in active directory for current logged on user.

Output of above command to get domain distinguished name as below

PS C:\Windows\system32> Get-ADDomain -Current LoggedOnUser


AllowedDNSSuffixes                 : {}
ChildDomains                       : {}
ComputersContainer                 : CN=Computers,DC=SHELLPRO,DC=LOCAL
DeletedObjectsContainer            : CN=Deleted Objects,DC=SHELLPRO,DC=LOCAL
DistinguishedName                  : DC=SHELLPRO,DC=LOCAL
DNSRoot                            : SHELLPRO.LOCAL

Get FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name)

In the PowerShell, there are environment variable which contains FQDN ( fully qualified domain name) of a computer.

These variables are $env:USERDNSDomain and $env:$USERDomain

$env:USERDNSDomain variable contains FQDN ( fully qualified domain name) of domain or DNS name

$env:USERDomain variable contains NetBIOS domain name.

# Get Domain name using $env:USERDNSDoman

# Get FQDN – Fully Qualified Domain Name or DNS name

$env:USERDNSDOMAIN

#Get NetBios Domain name

$env:USERDOMAIN

Output of above environment variable to get domain name are as below

Find Domain Name using env:USERDNSDOMAIN
Find Domain Name using env:USERDNSDOMAIN

Get Domain Name using Command Line

You can use wmic command-line utility to get domain name using command line.

Run below command in cmd to retrieve domain name

wmic computersystem get domain

Output of above command to find domain name using cmd as below

C:\Windows\system32>wmic computersystem get domain
Domain
SHELLPRO.LOCAL

Find Domain Name using SystemInfo in CMD

You can get domain name using systeminfo which contains detailed information about computer system and operating system, run below command

systeminfo | findstr /B /C:”Domain”

Above SystemInfo command gets domain name of a computer joined to. Output of above command as below

C:\Windows\system32>systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"Domain"
Domain:                    SHELLPRO.LOCAL

Conclusion

In the above article, we have learned how to get domain of a computer using PowerShell and command line.

Use Get-WmiObject to get domain name of a computer using PowerShell. Using Get-AdDomainController get domain name in active directory.

wmic and SystemInfo command-line tool are useful to get domain name in cmd.

You can find more topics about PowerShell Active Directory commands and PowerShell basics on ShellGeek home page.CategoriesPowerShell TipsTagsGet domain name, Get-AdDomainController

Get-ComputerInfo – Get Computer Multiple Properties

Enable-AdAccount in Active Directory using PowerShell

Source :
https://shellgeek.com/get-domain-name-using-powershell-and-cmd/

What wireless cards and USB broadband modems are supported on Sonicwall firewalls and access points?

Description

The latest version of SonicOS firmware provides support for a wide variety of USB and Hotspot devices and wireless service providers as listed below.

Resolution

Broadband Devices

USA & Canada
Gen7  5G/4G/LTESonicOS 7.0
CARD REGIONOPERATORNAMEGENERATIONTYPESONICOS VERSIONSONICWAVE
USAAT&TNighthawk 5G Mobile Hotspot Pro MR 51005GHotspot7.0.1No
USAAT&TNightHawk LTE MR11004G/LTEHotspot7.0.0No
USAAT&TGlobal Modem USB8004G/LTEUSB7.0.1Yes
USAAT&TiPhone 11 Pro4G/LTEHotspot7.0.0No
USAAT&TiPhone 12 Pro4G/LTEHotspot7.0.1No
USAVerizonM21005GHotspot7.0.1Yes
USAVerizon M10005GHotspot7.0.0Yes
USAVerizonOrbic Speed4G/LTEHotspot7.0.0No
USAVerizonMiFi Global U620L4G/LTEUSB7.0.0Yes
USASprintNetstick4G/LTEUSB7.0.0No
USASprintFranklin U7724G/LTEUSB7.0.0No
USAT-MobileM20004G/LTEHotspot7.0.1No
USAT-MobileLink Zone24G/LTEHotspot7.0.0Yes
Gen6/Gen6.5  4G/LTESonicOS 6.x
CARD REGIONOPERATORNAMEGENERATIONTYPESONICOS VERSIONSONICWAVE
USAAT&TGlobal Modem USB8004G/LTEUSB6.5.4.5Yes
USAAT&TVelocity (ZTE MF861)4G/LTEUSB6.5.3.1Yes
USAAT&TBeam (Netgear AC340U)²4G/LTEUSB5.9.0.1Yes
USAAT&TMomentum (Sierra Wireless 313U)4G/LTEUSB5.9.0.0Yes
USAVerizonMiFi Global U620L4G/LTEUSB6.5.0.0Yes
USAVerizonNovatel 551L4G/LTEUSB6.2.4.2Yes
USAVerizonPantech UML2904G/LTEUSB5.9.0.0No
USASprintFranklin U7724G/LTEUSB6.5.3.1No
USASprintNetgear 341U4G/LTEUSB6.2.2.0Yes
CanadaRogersAirCard (Sierra Wireless 330U)4G/LTEUSB5.9.0.0No
Gen5  3GSonicOS 5.x
USAAT&TVelocity (Option GI0461)3GUSB5.8.1.1No
USAAT&TMercury (Sierra Wireless C885)3GUSB5.3.0.1No
USAVerizonPantech UMW1903GUSB5.9.0.0No
USAVerizonNovatel USB7603GUSB5.3.0.1No
USAVerizonNovatel 7273GUSB5.3.0.1No
USASprintNovatel U7603GUSB5.3.0.1No
USASprintNovatel 727U3GUSB5.3.0.1No
USASprintSierra Wireless 598U3GUSB5.8.1.1No
USAT-MobileRocket 3.0 (ZTE MF683)3GUSB5.9.0.0Yes
CanadaBellNovatel 7603GUSB5.3.1.0No
International
Gen7  5G/4G/LTESonicOS 7.0
CARD REGIONManufacturerNAMEGENERATIONTYPESONICOS VERSIONSONICWAVE
WorldwideHuaweiE6878-8705GHotspot7.0.0No
WorldwideHuaweiE8372H**4G/LTEUSB7.0.0No
WorldwideHuaweiE82014G/LTEUSB7.0.0No
WorldwideHuaweiE33724G/LTEUSB7.0.0No
WorldwideZTEMF833U4G/LTEUSB7.0.0Yes
WorldwideZTEMF825C4G/LTEUSB7.0.0Yes
WorldwideZTEMF79S4G/LTEUSB7.0.0Yes
Gen6/Gen6.5  4G/LTESonicOS 6.x
CARD REGIONManufacturerNAMEGENERATIONTYPESONICOS VERSIONSONICWAVE
WorldwideHuaweiE8372 (Telstra 4GX)4G/LTEUSB6.5.3.1Yes
WorldwideHuaweiE33724G/LTEUSB6.5.3.1Yes
WorldwideHuaweiE3372h (-608 variant) 64G/LTEUSB6.5.3.1Yes
WorldwideHuaweiE3372s (-608 variant) 64G/LTEUSB6.5.3.1Yes
WorldwideHuaweiE398 (Kyocera 5005)4G/LTEUSB5.9.0.2Yes
WorldwideHuaweiE3276s4G/LTEUSBNoYes
WorldwideD-LinkDWM-2214G/LTEUSB6.5.3.1Yes
WorldwideD-LinkDWM-222 A14G/LTEUSB6.5.3.1Yes
WorldwideZTEMF8254G/LTEUSB6.5.3.1Yes
WorldwideZTEMF832G4G/LTEUSBNoYes
WorldwideZTEMF79S4G/LTEUSBNoYes
Gen5  3GSonicOS 5.x
WorldwideHuaweiE353 73GUSB5.9.0.2Yes
WorldwideHuaweiK46053GUSB5.9.0.2Yes
WorldwideHuaweiEC169C3GUSB5.9.0.7No
WorldwideHuaweiE1803GUSB5.9.0.1No
WorldwideHuaweiE1823GUSB5.9.0.0No
WorldwideHuaweiK37153GUSB5.9.0.0No
WorldwideHuaweiE17503GUSB5.8.0.2No
WorldwideHuaweiE176G3GUSB5.3.0.1No
WorldwideHuaweiE2203GUSB5.3.0.1No
WorldwideHuaweiEC1223GUSB5.9.0.0No
LTE Cellular ExtenderSonicOS 6.x
WorldwideAccelerated6300-CX LTE router4G/LTESIM6.5.0.0No


¹ Cellular network operators around the world are announcing their plans to discontinue 3G services starting as early as December 2020.  Therefore LTE or 5G WWAN devices should be used for new deployments.  Existing deployments with 3G should be upgraded soon to LTE or 5G in preparation for the imminent discontinuation of 3G services.
² Refer to AT&T 340U article for more info
³ Multiple variations of the Huawei card: E8371h-153, E8372h-155, & E8372h-510
⁴ Huawei Modem 3372h and 3372s have been released by Huawei in multiple variants (i.e. -608, -153, -607, -517, -511) and with different protocols. At the moment, SonicOS does not support Huawei Proprietary protocol so all the variants using a non-standard or proprietary protocol are not supported or require the ISP to provide a PPP APN Type.
⁵ Huawei Modem E353 is not compatible with SOHO 250. Also note that it is not an LTE card
6 For customers outside of the 90-day warranty support period, an active SonicWall 8×5 or 24×7 Dynamic Support agreement allows you to keep your network security up-to-date by providing access to the latest firmware updates. You can manage all services including Dynamic Support and firmware downloads on any of your registered appliances at mysonicwall.com.

Related Articles

Categories

Source :
https://www.sonicwall.com/support/knowledge-base/what-wireless-cards-and-usb-broadband-modems-are-supported-on-firewalls-and-access-points/170505473051240/

Ubiquiti UniFi – Backups and Migration

Migration is the act of moving your UniFi devices from one host device to another. This is useful when:

  • You are replacing your UniFi OS Console with a new one of the same model.
  • You are upgrading your UniFi OS Console to a different model (e.g., a UDM to a UDM Pro).
  • You are offloading devices to a dedicated UniFi OS Console (e.g., moving cameras from a Cloud Key or UDM to a UNVR).
  • You are moving from a self-hosted Network application to a UniFi OS Console.

Note: This is not meant to be used as a staging file for setting up multiple applications on different hosts.

Types of Backups

UniFi OS Backups

UniFi OS backup files contain your entire system configuration, including your UniFi OS Console, user, application, and device settings. Assuming Remote Access is enabled, UniFi OS Cloud backups are created weekly by default. You can also generate additional Cloud backups or download localized backups at any time. 

UniFi OS backups are useful when:

  • Restoring a prior system configuration after making network changes.
  • Migrating all applications to a new UniFi OS Console that is the same model as the original.

Note: Backups do not include data stored on an HDD, such as recorded Protect camera footage.

Application Backups

Each UniFi application allows you to back up and export its configuration. Application backups contain settings and device configurations specific to the respective application.

Application backups are useful when:

  • You want to restore a prior application configuration without affecting your other applications.
  • You want to migrate a self-hosted Network application to a UniFi OS Console.
  • You want to migrate your devices between two different UniFi OS Console models.
  • You need to back up a self-hosted Network application.

Note: Backups do not include data stored on an HDD, such as recorded Protect camera footage.

UniFi OS Console Migration

UniFi OS backups also allow you to restore your system configuration should you ever need to replace your console with one of the same model.

To do so:

  1. First, ensure that you have already generated a Cloud backup, or downloaded a local backup. If not, please do so in your UniFi OS Settings.
  2. Replace your old UniFi OS Console with the new one. All other network connections should remain unchanged.
  3. Restore your system configuration on the new UniFi OS Console using the backup file. This can be done either during the initial setup or afterwards  in your UniFi OS settings.

Note: Currently, UniFi OS backups cannot be used to perform cross-console migrations, but this capability will be added in a future update.

If you are migrating between two different console models, you will need to restore each application’s configuration with their respective backups. Please note, though, that these file(s) will not include UniFi OS users or settings. 

See below for more information on using the configuration backups during migrations.

Migrating UniFi Network

Before migrating, we recommend reviewing your Device Authentication Credentials found in your Network application’s System Settings. These can be used to recover adopted device(s) if the migration is unsuccessful.

Standard Migration

This is used when all devices are on the same Layer 2 network (i.e., all devices are on the same network/VLAN as the management application’s host device). 

Note: If you are a home user managing devices in a single location and have not used the set-inform command or other advanced Layer 3 adoption methods, this is most likely the method for you.

  1. Download the desired backup file (*.unf) from your original Network application’s System Settings. 
  2. Ensure that your new Network application is up to date. Backups cannot be used to restore older application versions.
  3. Replace your old UniFi OS Console with the new one. All other network connections should remain unchanged.
  4. Restore the backup file in the Network application’s System Settings.
  5. Ensure that all devices appear as online in the new application. If they do not, you can try Layer 3 adoption, or factory-reset and readopt your device(s) to the new Network application.

    If a  device continues to appear as Managed by Other, click on it to open its properties panel, then use its Device Authentication Credentials (from the original Network application’s host device) to perform an Advanced Adoption.

Migrating Applications That Manage Layer 3 Devices

This method is for users that have performed Layer 3 device adoption (i.e., devices are on a different network/VLAN than the application’s host device). This may also be useful when migrating to a Network application host that is NOT also a gateway.

  1. Download the desired backup file (*.unf) from your original Network application’s System Settings. 
  2. Enable the Override Inform Host field on the original Network application’s host device, then enter the IP address of the new host device. This will tell your devices where they should establish a connection in order to be managed. Once entered, all devices in the old application should appear as Managed by Other.

    Note: When migrating to a Cloud Console, you can copy the Inform URL from the Cloud Console’s dashboard. Be aware that you will need to remove the initial http:// and the ending :8080/inform. 
  3. Ensure that your new Network application is up to date. Backups cannot be used to restore older application versions.
  4. Restore the backup file in the Network application’s System Settings.
  5. Ensure that all devices appear as online in the new application. If they do not, you can try Layer 3 adoption, or factory-reset and readopt your device(s) to the new application.

    If a device continues to appear as Managed by Other, click on it to open its properties panel, then use its Device Authentication Credentials (from the original Network application’s host) to perform an Advanced Adoption.

Exporting Individual Sites from a Multi-Site Host

Certain Network application hosts (e.g., Cloud Key, Cloud Console, self-hosted Network applications) can manage multiple sites. Site exportation allows you to migrate specific sites from one multi-site host to another. To do so:

  1. Click Export Site in your Network application’s System Settings to begin the guided walkthrough.
  2. Select the device(s) you wish to migrate to your new Network application.
  3. Enter the Inform URL of your new host. This will tell your devices where they should establish a connection in order to be managed. Once entered, all devices in the old application should appear as Managed by Other in the new one.

    Note: When migrating to a Cloud Console, you can copy the Inform URL from the Cloud Console’s dashboard. Be aware that you will need to remove the initial http:// and the ending :8080/inform.
  4. Go to your new Network application and select Import Site from the Site switcher located in the upper-left corner of your dashboard.

    Note: You may need to enable Multi-Site Management in your System Settings.
  5. Ensure that all devices appear as online in the new application. If they do not, you try Layer 3 adoption, or factory-reset and readopt your device(s) to the new application.

    If a device continues to appear as Managed by Other, click on it to open its properties panel, then use its Device Authentication Credentials (from the original Network application’s host) to perform an Advanced Adoption.

Migrating UniFi Protect

We recommend saving your footage with the Export Clips function before migrating. Although we provide HDD migration instructions, it is not an officially supported procedure due to nuances in the RAID array architecture. 

Standard Migration

  1. Download the desired backup file (*.zip) from the original Protect application’s settings. 
  2. Ensure that your new Protect application is up to date. Backups cannot be used to restore older application firmware.
  3. Replace your old UniFi OS Console with the new one. All other camera connections should remain unchanged.
  4. Restore the backup file in the Protect application’s settings.

HDD Migration

Full HDD migration is not officially supported; however, some users have been able to perform successful migrations by ensuring consistent ordering when ejecting and reinstalling drives  into their new console to preserve RAID arrays.

Note: This is only possible if both UniFi OS Consoles are the same model.

  1. Remove the HDDs from the old console. Record which bay each one was installed in, but do not install them in the new console yet.
  2. Turn on the new console and complete the initial setup wizard. Do not restore a Protect application or Cloud backup during initial setup!
  3. Upgrade the new console and its Protect application to a version that is either the same or newer than the original console.
  4. Shut down the new console, and then install the HDDs in the same bays as the original console.
  5. Turn on the new console again. The Protect application should start with its current configuration intact, and all exported footage should be accessible.

Source :
https://help.ui.com/hc/en-us/articles/360008976393-UniFi-Backups-and-Migration

How to Solve Hyper-V Cannot Delete Checkpoint | 3 Solutions

Case: Hyper-V snapshot no delete option

My Hyper-V host is Server 2012 R2. I have a virtual machine (Server 2012 R2) with a checkpoint. When I right click on the checkpoint, there is no “Delete checkpoint… ” option. I need to delete this checkpoint so that it is merged with the parent VHDX. What is the best method for doing this?

– Question from social.technet.microsoft.com

Have you ever encountered the situation where your Hyper-V cannot delete checkpoint because of “Delete” option missing? Right-clicking on the Hyper-V checkpoint, there are only “Settings”, “Export”, “Rename” and “Help” options left, why would this happen?

Hyper-V snapshot no delete option

There are many reasons may cause Hyper-V snapshot delete option not available, such as connection error with the host, or a backup tool failure. The most likely scenario is that the checkpoint created by a third-party tool was not deleted properly by the same tool.

More specifically, the checkpoints and associated .AVHDX files should be merged and deleted at the end of a backup – only the newer .AVHDX files should be kept. However, sometimes the checkpoints may be corrupted because the VM is in a locked or backed up state, or some other reason is preventing the deletion and merging. In this case, you may find the delete option missing, and Hyper-V cannot delete this checkpoint.

How to fix this? I will provide you 3 proven solutions, you can try them one by one. *They also work for cleaning up after a failed Hyper-V checkpoint.

How to solve Hyper-V cannot delete checkpoint (3 solutions)

When you are unable to delete checkpoint in Hyper-V, you can first try some regular troubleshooting means. If they cannot solve this issue, don’t worry, there are still some alternatives can help you delete Hyper-V checkpoint properly. I will cover all of them below.

Solution 1. Troubleshooting steps that you should try first

Before taking other measures, you can try some simple ways in Hyper-V Manager to see if you can make snapshot removal work. That is:

  • Right-click on the host name in Hyper-V Manager and select Refresh.
Refresh Hyper-V host
  • Close and restart the Hyper-V Manager.
  • Highlight the target checkpoint and use the [Delete] key on the keyboard. It should pop up a window confirming whether to delete the checkpoint or not.

If none of these ways can help, then you may need to try delete checkpoint Hyper-V with PowerShell.

Solution 2. Properly delete Hyper-V checkpoint with PowerShell

Hyper-V PowerShell module is a bundle of cmdlets for creating, configuring and managing Microsoft Hyper-V hosts and virtual machines. It can be more a time efficient method than using GUI. You can use it remove any Hyper-V checkpoint that has no delete option.

Launch Windows PowerShell as administrator on the Hyper-V host, input and execute the following command to delete the checkpoint:

Get-VMSnapshot -VMName <VMName> | Remove-VMSnapshot

Delete Hyper-V checkpoint via PowerShell

Note:

1. You need to replace <VMName> with your target virtual machine name.

2. If you need to specify a host, you can add a parameter of -ComputerName. The command looks like:

Get-VMSnapshot -ComputerName <ComputerName> -VMName <VMName> | Remove-VMSnapshot

3. If you want to delete a specified checkpoint, you can first run the command to get the checkpoint name:

Get-VMSnapshot -ComputerName <ComputerName> -VMName <VMName>

Then use the name to delete the specified checkpoint, the command will be like:

Get-VMSnapshot -VMName <VMName> -Name <CheckpointName> | Remove-VMSnapshot

Once the command succeeded, you can see the merge progress for the particular VM. It may take some time depending on the snapshot size. After that, you should be able to modify the virtual machine configuration again.

If this method still cannot delete your Hyper-V checkpoint, turn to the next one.

Solution 3. Export and import Hyper-V VM to resolve checkpoint cannot delete

You can try Hyper-V export VM and import as suggested by some other users, which are also said can be used to solve the problem.

1. Launch Hyper-V Manager. Right-click on the name of the target checkpoint, and select Export…

Export Hyper-V checkpoint

2. In the pop-up window, click Browse to specify a network share as the storage destination to the exported files. And then click Export.

export checkpoint

3. Right-click on the host name and select Import Virtual Machine… Click Next on the pop-up wizard.

Import Virtual Machine

4. On Locate Folder page, click Browse… to specify the folder containing the exported VM files. Click Next to continue.

Locate Folder

5. On Select Virtual Machine page, select the virtual machine to import, then click Next.

Select Virtual Machine

4. On Choose Import Type page, choose the type of import to perform:

  • Register the virtual machine in-place (use the existing unique ID): use the exported files in-place, and when the import has completed, the export files become the running state files and can’t be removed. The ID will be the same as the exported one.
  • Restore the virtual machine (use the existing unique ID): restore the VM to the specified or default location, with the same ID as the exported one. When the import has completed, the exported files remain intact and can be removed or imported again.
  • Copy the virtual machine (create a new unique ID): restore the VM to the specified or default location, and create a new unique ID. Which means the exported files remain intact and can be removed or imported again, and you can import the VM to the same host multiple times.

Click Next to continue.

Choose Import Type

5. Choose the second or the third option, the wizard will add 2 more pages for selecting storage.

On Choose Destination page, you can check Store the virtual machine in a different location option, and click Browse… to specify Virtual machine configuration folder, Checkpoint store, and Smart paging folder. Leave the option unchecked the wizard will import the files to default Hyper-V folders. Then click Next.

Choose Destination

6. On Choose Storage Folders page, you can click Browse… to specify where you want to store the imported virtual hard disks for this VM, or leave the default location unchanged. Then click Next.

Choose Storage Folders

7. On Summary page, review the settings and click Finish to start restore.

Summary

Furthere reading: FAQ about Hyper-V delete checkpoint

The above describes how to solve the problem that the delete option disappears and the hyper-v checkpoint cannot be deleted. Besides, many users may have some other confusion about checkpoints. I have compiled some common questions and their answers here.

Q: Where are checkpoints stored on a Hyper-V host?

In general, the default location for storing checkpoint configuration files is:

%systemroot%\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Hyper-V\Snapshots

And the default locations for storing AVHDX files (checkpoint storages) are:

Windows Server 2012R2 / Windows 8.1: C:UsersPublicDocumentsHyper-VVirtual Hard Disks

Windows Server 2012 / Windows 8: C:ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsHyper-VNew Virtual MachineVirtual Hard Disks

Q: Can you directly delete checkpoint files (.avhdx)?

Whenever a checkpoint is deleted, Hyper-V merges the .vhdx and .avhdx files automatically, and the .avhdx files should be removed from the disk after the Hyper-V checkpoint merging process is complete. So a proper checkpoint deletion does not result in data loss.

It’s not a good idea to delete the .avhdx file in VM folder directly, because it may cause the checkpoint tree to fail.

The normal steps to delete a checkpoint is:

Open the Hyper-V Manager -> Select the virtual machine for which you need to remove checkpoints -> Locate the Checkpoints tab -> Right-click on the desired checkpoint -> click “Delete Checkpoint”. If asked to confirm the action, make sure the checkpoint is correct and click “Delete” again.

Note if you need to delete all subsequent checkpoints, right-click the earliest checkpoint and click “Delete Checkpoint Subtree”.

If you find some orphaned Hyper-V AVHDX files in the VM folder, but no snapshots on that VM, this may be because incomplete deletion or merging, you can refer to: delete Hyper-V AVHDX file without checkpoints.

Q: Hyper-V checkpoint delete vs merge

A checkpoint is any new change or save between the old state and the present, it stops writing to the actual disk and writes to the change disk.

Once you are satisfied and delete the checkpoint, the changes are written back/merged to the actual disk and are write enabled again. Therefore, deleting a checkpoint and merging a checkpoint are actually the same thing.

If you don’t want the changes, you just need to revert them and any changes since the checkpoint will be deleted.

Q: Can Hyper-V checkpoints be used as regular backup means?

The answer is NO. VM snapshot and backup are different from each other. Microsoft’s Hyper-V checkpoint is not a replacement of backup.

When you create a backup, you are creating a copy of your virtual machine. It stores complete data of VM. Backups in Hyper-V can be used to restore a whole VM and do not affect the performance.

When you create a checkpoint, you are creating a differencing disk based on the original virtual machine hard disk. If the original disk is damaged, the child disk is easy to be lost or damaged as well. All changes made after the checkpoint are re-directed to the child disk and leaves the original virtual machine disk read-only.

Meanwhile, checkpoints are running out of the memory of disk with a rapid speed, which will gradually  to the poor performance of your virtual machines.

Hyper-V Restore Checkpoint

In short, Hyper-V checkpoint is just a secure “undo” button. If you want to test something quickly and restore the VM to a stable state, checkpoint in Hyper-V is convenient and fast to execute the process. But, if you want long-term and independent protection for VMs, you still need to find effective Hyper-V backup solution.

Better option for long-term protection: Image-based VM backup

As mentioned above, if you are looking for long-term data protection and the ability to quickly restore VMs to a usable state in the event of a disaster, then you are more suited to an image-based VM backup solution.

Here I’d like to introduce you AOMEI Cyber Backup, this free Hyper-V backup solution is designed to protect virtual machines from any data threats, whether you are using Hyper-V in Microsoft Windows Server 2022 / 2019 / 2016 / 2012 R2, Microsoft Windows 11 / 10 / 8 / 8.1 or Hyper-V Server 2019 / 2016 / 2012 R2.

You can use the software to simplify Hyper-V backup and management. If offers you the following benefits:

Easy-to-use: User-friendly interface to complete backup and restore process based on several clicks.
Perpetual Free: No time limit for AOMEI Cyber Backup Free Edition to protect up to multiple virtual machines.
Auto Backup Schedule: Schedule backups for multiple VMs at once and auto run it without powering off VMs.
Centralized Management: Create and manage Hyper-V VM backups from the central console without installing Agent on each VM.
Flexible Backup Strategy: Flexibly tracking data and store backups to different storages.
Role Assignment: allows one administrator to create sub-accounts with limited privileges.

Please hit the button below to download and use AOMEI Cyber Backup for free:

Download FreewareVMware ESXi & Hyper-V

Secure Download

*You can choose to install this VM backup software on either Windows or Linux system.

3 easy steps to perform free VM backup:

1. Open AOMEI Cyber Backup web client, and access to Source Device >> Hyper-V >> Add Hyper-V to bind your Hyper-V host, then enter the required information and click Confirm.

Add Hyper-V Host

2. Access to Backup Task >> Create New Task to configure your Hyper-V backup task. In the opened wizard, you can select Hyper-V virtual machines to back up, the storages to save the backups.

Backup Target

Also, you can configure Schedule to select backup method as full / incremental backup, and specify the backup frequency on basis of daily / weekly / monthly to automatically run the Hyper-V backup task.

Schedule Hyper-V VM Backup

3. Start Backup: click Start Backup and select Add the schedule and start backup now, or Add the schedule only.

When completing the Hyper-V backup solution, you can monitor the backing up process on the main interface, and you can also check the Backup Log to see if there are any errors that result in your backup failure.

When you want to Restore a VM from the backup, you can select any backup version from the history, and Restore to original location easily.

Restore Hyper-V VM

✍While the Free Edition covers most of the VM backup needs, you can also upgrade to enjoy:

  • Backup Cleanup: Specify retention policy to delete old VM backups automatically, thus saving storage space.
  • Restore to new location: Make a clone of a virtual machine in the same or another datastore/host, without reinstalling or configuring a new VM.

Summary

If you find your Hyper-V snapshot no delete option, I summarized several ways to solve the problem Hyper-V cannot delete checkpoint in this article. Hope it could be helpful to you.

Besides this, you may encounter some other issues, such as Hyper-V VM running slow, stuck at restoring or saved state, Hyper-V VM no internet, failed to change state, etc. To prevent your virtual machines from getting all kinds of errors and eventual crashes, it’s always recommended to back up your VMs that are loaded with important data.

Source :
https://www.ubackup.com/enterprise-backup/hyper-v-cannot-delete-checkpoint.html

The best productivity apps in 2023

The premise of this article’s headline is nonsense, sure, but it isn’t clickbait—I promise. 

You’re almost certainly here because you searched for “best productivity apps.” I understand that impulse. You want to get more done in less time, which is about as universal a feeling as humans can have at work. The problem: productivity is deeply personal, and the words “productivity tools” mean a lot of different things to different people. What works for you may or may not work for me, which is why—after over a decade of writing about productivity software—I don’t really believe there are objectively “best” productivity apps. 

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I do, however, think there are categories of tools that can help you become a better version of yourself. Some of them work better for more people than others, and not everyone needs an app from every category. Knowing what kinds of apps exist, and what you should look for in an app, is more important than knowing what the “best” app in that category is. 

Having said that, you’re here for software recommendations, not my personal reflections on the nature of productivity. So I’m going to go over the main kinds of productivity apps I think most humans who use electronic devices at work should know about. I’ll explain why I think each category is important, point to an app or two that I think will work well for most people, then offer links to other options if you want to learn more. 

Just remember: the specific app doesn’t matter. The best productivity app is the one that works best for you. The most important thing is having a system. Sound good? Let’s jump in. 

How we evaluate and test apps

All of our best apps roundups are written by humans who’ve spent much of their careers using, testing, and writing about software. We spend dozens of hours researching and testing apps, using each app as it’s intended to be used and evaluating it against the criteria we set for the category. We’re never paid for placement in our articles from any app or for links to any site—we value the trust readers put in us to offer authentic evaluations of the categories and apps we review. For more details on our process, read the full rundown of how we select apps to feature on the Zapier blog.

A to-do list like Todoist

We all have things we need to do—at work and in the rest of our lives. The worst place you could store those things, in my opinion, is in your mind. It’s just stressful: you’ll remember, at random moments, that there’s something you were supposed to be doing, and that memory will result in panic. Writing down everything you need to do allows you to make a plan, and (crucially) means you don’t have to panic. 

Not everyone benefits from a dedicated to-do list app—some of the most productive people I know prefer sticky notes, email inboxes, or even spreadsheets. I think that’s great, so long as you have some place to record the things you need to do. 

Todoist, our pick for the best to-do list app for balancing power and simplicity

I think that Todoist, shown above, is a great to-do list app for most people. It’s easy to use but also offers a lot of features. It can also be installed on basically any device you can imagine, meaning your to-do list is always available. It allows you to assign due dates to tasks, sort tasks by project, or even view a project using a Kanban board. You don’t have to worry about those features if you don’t want to, though, which is why I think it’s a great starting point for someone who needs a to-do list. 

If Todoist doesn’t work for you, though, check out our list of the best to-do list apps—it’s got a wide variety of recommendations. I, personally, use TickTick because I like how easy it is to add tasks, and I also can’t stop saying good things about Things for sheer simplicity on Apple devices. Find a tool you like—and that you remember to actually open. There’s nothing less useful than an app full of tasks you never look at. 

Once you’ve picked your to-do list app, make the most of it with automation, so you can easily add tasks that come in by email, team chat apps, project management tools, or notes. Read more about automating your to-do list.

A calendar like Google Calendar

There are only so many hours in the day, unfortunately, which means you have to budget them. A calendar is how you do that. You could use a paper wall calendar, sure, but a calendar app lets you invite other people to an event. Also, in a world where so many meetings are virtual, calendar apps give you a useful place to store the link to your Zoom call. 

Google Calendar, our pick for the best free calendar app

I think that Google Calendar, shown above, is the right calendar app for most people—particularly people who already use Gmail. Google Calendar is easy to load on any device, lets you see your calendar in several different views, and makes it easy to invite anyone else to any event or meeting you happen to plan. I could write multiple articles on Google Calendar features (and I have). This app does everything any other app can do, and more, all while being pretty easy to use.

If Google Calendar doesn’t work for you, though, check out our list of the best calendar apps for more options. Microsoft Outlook is a solid alternative, as is the Calendar app that comes with all Apple devices. 

I’d also consider looking into some kind of meeting scheduling app. These apps let anyone sign up for appointments with you, which is particularly useful if you have a meeting-heavy calendar. Calendly, shown below, is a solid option, with a lot of customizability and the ability to sync with Google Calendar. You can check out our list of the best meeting schedulers for a more complete rundown of Calendly and other options. 

Calendly, our pick for the best meeting scheduler app for simplified scheduling

Once you choose a calendar app, take it to the next level. With automation, you can do things like automatically turn calendar events into tasks on your to-do list or use forms to create calendar events. Here’s how you can bring context to your calendar by connecting other apps.

A note-taking app like OneNote

I’m constantly taking notes: before and during meetings; while researching an article; while brewing beer. And I think most people have some class of information they’ll need to reference later that doesn’t quite meet the threshold of a “document.” Who wants a sprawling series of folders with all of that information? 

This, to me, is what note-taking apps are for: quickly writing things down so you can read them later and (hopefully) follow up. They also work well as a personal journal, or a place to store files related to a particular project. 

Justin's beer brewing notes in OneNote

OneNote, above, is probably the note-taking app most people should try first. It’s free—so long as you don’t run out of OneDrive storage—and it gives you all kinds of ways to organize notes, from notebooks to sections to sub-headers. It also has powerful search, which includes the scanned contents of any images or PDFs you might drop in a note. 

But OneNote isn’t the only option. You should check out our list of the best note-taking apps for more choices. If you loved Evernote back in the day, you should check out Joplin, which is a completely free and open source replacement for that app. And I personally love Obsidian, which turns your notes into an entire database, complete with internal links and an extensive plugin collection. There are a lot of good choices out there—find something that lets you write things down and dig them up later.

See our favorite ways to use automation to improve how you put your notes to work, track action items from meetings, and put an end to regular copy-paste actions.

A distraction blocker like Freedom

I’ve never tried to work in the middle of an amusement park, but I imagine it would be distracting. The internet is worse. Everything you could possibly imagine is available, all delivered by brilliant engineers who are doing everything they can to keep you looking at more and more and more of it. It’s understandable if you have trouble getting stuff done in that context, which is why apps that block distractions are so helpful. 

Freedom, our pick for the best focus app for blocking distractions on all your devices at once

Freedom is a great tool for the job. It runs on every platform and can block distractions—both websites and apps—on all of your devices. That means you can’t, for example, block Twitter on your computer only to pick up your phone and look at it there. With Freedom, you can set up multiple block lists, then start timers for any of them.

I personally love Serene, which combines distraction blocking with a sort of to-do list. You say what you want to do and how long it will take, then you start a distraction-free session to work on it. There’s also Cold Turkey Blocker, which can optionally prevent you from changing the time settings on your computer as a way of working around the block you set up. You’ve got more choices, though, particularly if you’re a Mac user. Check out our list of the best distraction blockers to learn more. 

Remember: the internet is distracting on purpose. There’s no shame in using a tool to build discipline. 

A habit tracker like Streaks or HabitNow

My dentist tells me I should brush my teeth twice a day, and I believe him, but I tended to only brush at night. I used a habit tracker to change that. 

These applications might sound similar to a to-do list, but they’re very different. You can’t add individual tasks to a habit tracker—only recurring ones. The idea is to set an intention to do something regularly, then keep track of how often you regularly do it. Eventually, you have a streak going, which psychologically motivates you to keep it up until the habit becomes second nature. Don’t laugh—it works. 

Streaks, our pick for the best habit tracker for iPhone

We recommend checking out Streaks, shown above, for iPhone and HabitNow, below, for Android. These apps both live on your phone, which is the place you’re most likely to look. They both let you create a list of habits you’d like to build, then remind you about that intention. They also both show you your progress in various ways. 

HabitNow, our pick for the best habit tracker for Android users

They’re not the only options, however; check out our list of the best habit tracker apps for more ideas. Also keep in mind that some to-do lists have habit-tracking capabilities built right in. I, personally, use TickTick‘s built-in habit tracker—I love it. And some people use a paper calendar for tracking a simple habit—just add an X every day you stick to your habit. 

An app to save things for later like Pocket

I’d love to read articles or watch YouTube videos all day. We all would. Sometimes, though, you have to do something else—even though your friend just sent you a really, really interesting article. That’s where read-it-later apps come in. They let you quickly save something you intend to read, so that you can come back to it when you have time.

Pocket, our pick for the best read it later app for turning articles into a podcast

I think that Pocket, above, is the app of choice in this class. It’s free to use, offers extensions for every major browser, and also has great mobile versions that sync your articles for offline reading. There’s even built-in support for highlighting, then reviewing your highlights later. 

Instapaper is a close second, and it even lets you send articles to your Kindle. These aren’t your only choices, though—check out our list of the best read-it-later apps for some more options. It’s also worth noting that some people use bookmarking apps or even note-taking apps for the same purpose, and that’s great—they both make it easy to save things for future reference. 

Automate the process of saving articles by connecting your read-it-later app to Zapier. Here are some ideas to get you started.

A screen recording tool like Loom

Whether it’s for a quick presentation or troubleshooting a problem, sometimes recording what’s on your screen and sharing it just makes life easier. Screen recording tools are perfect for this, allowing you to quickly record your screen, your voice, and even your face if you have a webcam. 

A screenshot of Loom, our pick for the best screen recording software for quickly recording and sharing on desktop

Loom is a great first tool to check out in this category. It’s easy to set up, works on all major platforms, and makes it really simple to share recordings. You can even add your face, via a webcam, to the recording. 

I personally use Zappy, which was originally an internal tool used by Zapier. It’s honestly the best screenshot tool I’ve ever used, and it’s free—if you use a Mac, it’s worth a try. Check out our list of the best screen recording tools for more options, and keep in mind you can actually record your screen without any software, if you don’t mind managing the file yourself. 

Want to share your screen in real-time? You need a screen sharing tool (Zoom works pretty well, surprisingly).

Other productivity tools worth checking out

This article could go on forever. There’s no end to great software out there, and I love writing about it. I think the above categories should save you all kinds of time—and take up plenty of your time to set up—but here are a few other suggestions if you’re feeling particularly motivated.

  • Password managers, like LastPass or 1Password, help you generate random passwords for all of your different services without the need for memorization. This is great for security, but it also makes logging in to stuff faster. Here’s a list of the best password managers.
  • Mobile scanning apps, like Microsoft Lens, let you scan documents using your phone while also digitizing any text using optical character recognition (OCR). Check out our list of the best mobile scanning OCR apps for more choices. 
  • Text expansion tools, like PhraseExpress, mean you’ll never need to look up and copy-paste the same message to multiple people ever again. Read more about text expansion software, or learn how it can make you better at dating. 
  • Dictation software, like Dragon by Nuance, lets you type by talking, which can save you all sorts of time. Here’s our list of the best dictation software.
  • Time tracking apps, like Toggl Track, are great for keeping track of how long projects take and making sure you’re not spending too much time on the wrong things. Take a look at our list of the best time tracking apps to find the right one for you.
  • Mind mapping software, like Coggle, helps you map the connections between different ideas while you’re brainstorming. Here are our picks for the best mind mapping software.
  • AI software, like OpenAI, could make all kinds of tasks easier in the future. It’s early, granted, but I already find it useful when I’m in the brainstorming phase of a project—I can ask the bot to generate ideas.

Once you have apps set up in some of these categories, you can take the whole productivity thing even further. Automation software like ours at Zapier connects all the other apps you use, with workflows you can build yourself—no code required. Like the tools above, Zapier won’t solve every problem you have, but it’s a great way to connect tools that otherwise don’t integrate well—which means you can use the best tools for you, as opposed to the tools that happen to play nice together. And it’s not limited to productivity—eventually, you’ll find yourself automating even your most business-critical workflows.

Plus, if you sign up for Zapier, we’ll be able to write more useful articles like this one. Here are five things you should automate today to get started.

This post was originally published in September 2018 by Matthew Guay. The most recent update was in December 2022.

Source :
https://zapier.com/blog/best-productivity-apps/

The 8 best to do list apps in 2023

There are too many to-do list apps. Trying them all would be a massive task, and I know because I did. 

Why are there so many apps for something easily done on sticky notes? Because managing tasks is an intensely personal thing. People will reject anything that doesn’t feel right. That’s a good instinct, but it makes it hard to find the right app. 

Make the most of your to-do list with Zapier

Automate your tasks

To that end, we’ve been hard at work researching the best to-do apps, trying to find the right ones for various use cases. Research for these pieces was exhaustive. We started by finding the best apps for every platform: Android, Windows, macOS, and iPhone/iPad. We then tried the top-rated apps in every respective app store, and spent way too much time migrating our personal to-do lists from one app to another.

And now I’m offering you what I feel is the cream of the crop. Whatever you’re looking for, one of these apps is going to be right for you. Click on any app to learn more about why I chose it, or keep reading for more context on to-do list apps.

The best to-do list apps

  • Todoist for balancing power and simplicity
  • TickTick for embedded calendars and timers
  • Microsoft To Do for Microsoft power users (and Wunderlist refugees)
  • Things for elegant design
  • OmniFocus for specific organizational systems
  • Habitica for making doing things fun
  • Google Tasks for Google power users
  • Any.do for people who forget to use to-do apps
  • Other options, including project management software, note-taking apps, and other tools that can do the job

What makes the best to-do list app?

How we evaluate and test apps

All of our best apps roundups are written by humans who’ve spent much of their careers using, testing, and writing about software. We spend dozens of hours researching and testing apps, using each app as it’s intended to be used and evaluating it against the criteria we set for the category. We’re never paid for placement in our articles from any app or for links to any site—we value the trust readers put in us to offer authentic evaluations of the categories and apps we review. For more details on our process, read the full rundown of how we select apps to feature on the Zapier blog.

I’ve written about technology in general, and productivity specifically, since 2009. In that time, I’ve personally tried basically every to-do list app that has come out, and I’m usually depending on at least one of them to function.

Of course, when it comes to managing a to-do list online, everyone has different criteria. I kept this in mind as I tested, and I noticed a few features that made certain apps stand out.

The best to-do list apps:

  • Make it fast to add and organize tasks. Ideally, a task is added and categorized in a couple taps or keystrokes.
  • Offer multiple ways to organize your tasks. Tags, lists, projects, and due dates are all helpful, and the best to-do apps offer at least a few categories like this.
  • Remind you about self-imposed deadlines. Notifications, widgets, emails—if you’re using an online to-do list, it should help you track what needs to happen when.
  • Offer clean user interfaces. The best to-do app fits into your workflow so you can get back to what you’re supposed to be doing.
  • Sync between every platform you use. Which platforms will depend on what you personally use, but I didn’t consider anything that doesn’t sync between desktop and mobile.

I tried to find the task list apps that balance these things in various ways. None of these options will be right for everyone, but hopefully one of them is right for you. Let’s dive in.

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Best to-do list app for balancing power and simplicity

Todoist (Web, Windows, macOS, Android, iPhone, iPad)

Todoist, our pick for the best to-do list app for balancing power and simplicity

Todoist isn’t the most powerful to-do list website out there. It’s also not the simplest. That’s kind of the point: this app balances power with simplicity, and it does so while running on basically every platform that exists. That’s a strong selling point—which is probably why Todoist is one of the most popular to-do lists right now.

Adding tasks was quick on every platform in my tests, thanks in part to natural language processing (type “buy milk Monday” and the task “buy milk” will be added with the next Monday set as your due date). You can put new tasks in your Inbox and then move them to relevant projects; you can also set due dates. Paid users can create custom filters and labels, and there are also some basic collaboration features.

Todoist is flexible enough to adapt to most workflows but not so complicated as to overwhelm. And it adds new features regularly: you can view projects as a Kanban board, for example, and navigating the app by keyboard is much smoother after recent updates. Overall, this is a great first to-do list app to try out, especially if you don’t know where to start.

Todoist also integrates with Zapier, which means you can automatically create tasks in Todoist whenever something happens in one of your favorite apps. Here are some examples.

Add new Google Calendar events to Todoist as tasks

Try it

  • Google Calendar logo
  • Todoist logo

Google Calendar, Todoist

Google Calendar + TodoistMore details

Add new starred emails to Todoist as tasks [Business Gmail Accounts Only]

Try it

  • Gmail logo
  • Todoist logo

Gmail, Todoist

Gmail + TodoistMore details

Add new Trello cards to Todoist as tasks

Try it

  • Trello logo
  • Todoist logo

Trello, Todoist

Trello + TodoistMore details

Todoist price: Free version available; paid version from $4/month.

Check out more ideas for automating Todoist with Zapier.

Best to-do list app with embedded calendars and timers

TickTick (Web, Android, Windows, macOS, iPhone and iPad)

TickTick, our pick for the best to-do list app with embedded calendars and timers

TickTick is a fast-growing task list app that offers a wide array of features on just about every platform you can imagine. Adding tasks is quick thanks to natural language processing. There’s also a universal keyboard shortcut offered on the desktop versions and pinned notifications and widgets on mobile, which makes it quick to add a task before getting back to what you’re doing. Tasks can be organized using lists, tags, and due dates, and there’s also the ability to add subtasks to any task. 

TickTick offers all of this with apps that feel native—the macOS version is distinct from the Windows version, for example, in ways that make sense given the differences between those two systems. TickTick also offers a few features that are above and beyond what other apps offer.

First, there’s a built-in Pomodoro timer, allowing you to start a 25-minute work session for any of your tasks (complete with numerous white noise options, if you want). Second, there’s integration with various third-party calendars, allowing you to see your tasks and your appointments in one place, and even do some time blocking. There’s also a built-in habit-tracking tool, allowing you to review how many days you did or didn’t stick to your exercise and diet commitments. And an Eisenhower Matrix view allows you to prioritize your tasks based on what’s urgent and what’s important. It’s a great collection of features, unlike anything else on the market.

With TickTick’s Zapier integration, you can connect TickTick to the other tools in your tech stack to automatically create tasks whenever you get new leads, deals, or emails.

Create TickTick tasks for newly-labeled Gmail emails [Business Gmail Accounts Only]

Try it

  • Gmail logo
  • TickTick logo

Gmail, TickTick

Gmail + TickTickMore details

Generate TickTick tasks from new Facebook Leads

Try it

  • Facebook Lead Ads logo
  • TickTick logo

Facebook Lead Ads, TickTick

Facebook Lead Ads + TickTickMore details

Generate TickTick tasks from new HubSpot deals

Try it

  • HubSpot logo
  • TickTick logo

HubSpot, TickTick

HubSpot + TickTickMore details

TickTick price: Free version available; paid version from $2.40/month.

Check out other ways you can automate TickTick with Zapier.

Best to-do list app for Microsoft power users (and Wunderlist refugees)

Microsoft To Do (Web, Android, Windows, iPhone and iPad)

Microsoft To Do, our pick for the best to-do list app for Microsoft power users (and Wunderlist refugees)

In 2015, Microsoft bought Wunderlist and put that team to work on a new to-do list app. Microsoft To Do is the result of that, and you can find Wunderlist’s DNA throughout the project. The main interface is clean and friendly, adding tasks is quick, but there’s a lot of flexibility below the surface.

But the real standout feature here is the deep integration with Microsoft’s ecosystem. Any email flagged in Outlook, for example, shows up as a task. Outlook users can also sync their tasks from that app over to Microsoft To Do, meaning there’s finally a way to sync Outlook tasks to mobile. Windows users can add tasks using Cortana or by typing in the Start menu. For example, you can type “add rice to my shopping list,” and rice will be added to a list called “shopping.” If you’re a Windows user and an Outlook user, this is the app for you.

This is also the prettiest to-do list app on the market, in my opinion. You can set custom background images for every one of your lists, allowing you to tell at a glance which list you’re looking at. You’re going to be looking at your task list all day—it might as well look good. 

Microsoft To Do integrates with Zapier, which means you can make sure Microsoft To Do is talking to all the other apps you use, not just the Microsoft ones. Here are some examples to get started.

Create Workboard action items from new tasks in Microsoft To-Do

Try it

  • Microsoft To Do logo
  • Workboard logo

Microsoft To Do, Workboard

Microsoft To Do + WorkboardMore details

Send direct Slack messages with new Microsoft To-Do lists

Try it

  • Microsoft To Do logo
  • Slack logo

Microsoft To Do, Slack

Microsoft To Do + SlackMore details

Create Microsoft To-Do tasks from new Salesforce leads

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  • Salesforce logo
  • Microsoft To Do logo

Salesforce, Microsoft To Do

Salesforce + Microsoft To DoMore details

Microsoft To Do price: Free

Learn how you can make Microsoft To Do a productivity powerhouse with Zapier.

The best to-do list app with elegant design

Things (macOS, iPhone, iPad)

Things, our pick for the best to-do list app with elegant design

To-do list apps tend to fall into two categories: the complex and the minimalist. Things is somehow both.

That’s about the highest praise I can give a to-do list app. This is an app with no shortage of features, and yet it always feels simple to use. Adding tasks is quick and so is organizing them, but there’s seemingly no end of variation in ways to organize them. Areas can contain tasks or projects; projects can contain tasks or headers that can also contain tasks; and tasks can contain subtasks if you want. It sounds confusing, but it isn’t, which really speaks to how well Things is designed.

Other apps offer these features, but Things does it in a way that never feels cluttered, meaning you can quickly be done with looking at your to-do list and get back to whatever it is you’re doing. Combine this blend of functionality and beauty with features like a system-wide tool for quickly adding tasks, integration with your calendar so you can see your appointments while planning your day, intuitive keyboard shortcuts, reminders with native notifications, and syncing to an iPhone and iPad app.

The only downside here is the complete lack of versions for Windows and Android, though this decision is probably part of what allows the team to focus on making such a clean product. If you’re an Apple user, you owe it to yourself to try out Things.

You can automatically add to-dos to Things from your other apps with Things’ integrations on Zapier. Here’s some inspiration.

Add saved Slack messages to Things as to-dos

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  • Slack logo
  • Things logo

Slack, Things

Slack + ThingsMore details

Add new Trello cards to Things as to-dos

Try it

  • Trello logo
  • Things logo

Trello, Things

Trello + ThingsMore details

Create Things to-dos from starred emails in Gmail [Business Gmail Accounts Only]

Try it

  • Gmail logo
  • Things logo

Gmail, Things

Gmail + ThingsMore details

Things price: $49.99 for macOS (15-day free trial), $19.99 for iPad, $9.99 for iPhone.

Best to-do list app for users with a very specific organizational system

OmniFocus (Web, macOS, iPhone, iPad)

OmniFocus, our pick for the best to-do list app for users with a very specific organizational system

OmniFocus is nothing if not flexible. This Apple-exclusive application is built around the Getting Things Done (GTD) philosophy trademarked by David Allen, but an array of features means it can be used for just about any organizational system you can imagine. There are three different kinds of projects you can set up, for example, depending on whether you need to do tasks in a specific order or not. There are six main views by default, allowing you to organize your tasks by things like due date, projects, and tags. You can even add more views, assuming you have the Pro version.

You get the idea. OmniFocus is a power user’s dream, with more features than anyone can hope to incorporate into a workflow, which is kind of the point: if there’s a feature you want, OmniFocus has it, so you can organize your tasks basically any way you can imagine.

Syncing is offered only between Apple devices. There’s a web version that’s intended for occasional usage away from your Apple machines, but non-Apple users should probably look elsewhere.

You can connect OmniFocus to your other favorite apps with OmniFocus’s Zapier integration. Whenever something happens in another app that you want to keep track of in OmniFocus, Zapier will automatically send it there.

Create OmniFocus tasks from new saved Slack messages

Try it

  • Slack logo
  • OmniFocus logo

Slack, OmniFocus

Slack + OmniFocusMore details

Create OmniFocus tasks for new starred emails on Gmail

Try it

  • Gmail logo
  • OmniFocus logo

Gmail, OmniFocus

Gmail + OmniFocusMore details

Create OmniFocus tasks from new or moved Trello cards

Try it

  • Trello logo
  • OmniFocus logo

Trello, OmniFocus

Trello + OmniFocusMore details

OmniFocus price: From $99.99/year for the recurring plan, which includes all apps and the web version. Also available as a one-time purchase from $49.99 (14-day free trial).

Best to-do list app for making doing things fun

Habitica (Web, Android, iPhone and iPad)

Habitica, our pick for the best to-do list app for making doing things fun

Games are fantastic at motivating mundane activity—how else can you explain all that time you’ve spent on mindless fetch quests? Habitica, formerly known as HabitRPG, tries to use principles from game design to motivate you to get things done, and it’s remarkably effective. You can add tasks, daily activities, and habits to a list. You also have a character, who levels up when you get things done and takes damage when you put things off. You can also earn in-game currency for buying offline rewards, such as a snack, or in-game items like weapons or even silly hats.

This is even better when you join a few friends and start a party. You can all fight bosses together, but be careful: fail to finish some tasks on time and your friends will take damage. If that doesn’t motivate you, nothing will.

What’s the downside? Habitica isn’t a great to-do list for managing long-term projects, so you might need something else for that. But if motivation is your problem, Habitica is well worth a spin.

Habitica price: Free version available; paid version from $5/month.

Best to-do list app for Google power users

Google Tasks (Web, Android, iPhone and iPad)

Google Tasks, our pick for the best to-do list app for Google power users

If you live in Gmail and Google Calendar, Google Tasks is an obvious free to-do list app to try out. That’s because it lives right in the sidebar of those two apps, and offers more than a few integrations. Plus, there’s a dedicated mobile app.

The app itself is spartan. Adding tasks is quick, particularly if you spend a lot of time in Gmail anyway, but there’s not a lot of organizational offerings. There are due dates, lists, descriptions, subtasks, and the ability to “Star” tasks. There’s not much beyond that, which is ok. On the desktop, the integration with Gmail is a key selling point. You can drag an email to Google Tasks to turn it into a task, for example. You also can see your tasks on your Google Calendar, if you want.

The best to-do app is one that’s always handy. If you’re the kind of person who always has Gmail open on your computer, it’s hard for any app to be handier than Google Tasks. The mobile versions make those tasks accessible on the go.

You can automatically move information between Google Tasks and your other apps with Google Tasks’ integration on Zapier. Here are a few examples of workflows you can automate, so you can stop manually moving your tasks.

Create Trello cards from new Google Tasks tasks

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  • Google Tasks logo
  • Trello logo

Google Tasks, Trello

Google Tasks + TrelloMore details

Add new Google Tasks to Todoist as tasks

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  • Google Tasks logo
  • Todoist logo

Google Tasks, Todoist

Google Tasks + TodoistMore details

Add Google Tasks tasks for new Google Calendar events

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  • Google Calendar logo
  • Google Tasks logo

Google Calendar, Google Tasks

Google Calendar + Google TasksMore details

Google Tasks price: Free

Take a look at how you can power up all of your Google apps using automation.

Best to-do list app for people who forget to use to-do apps

Any.do (Web, Android, iPhone and iPad)

Any.do, our pick for the best to-do list app for people who forget to use to-do apps

Any.do offers a really slick mobile app that makes it quick to add tasks, organize them into lists, and add due dates. But where it really shines is with its daily “Plan my Day” feature, which forces you to schedule when you’ll accomplish your various tasks, so that you remember to actually do things. Any.do also integrates nicely with Google and Outlook calendars, allowing you to see your appointments and your tasks in one place. This is exactly what you need if you’re the kind of person who adds things to a list and forgets about them.

The desktop version isn’t quite as slick as the mobile version—it feels cluttered and is more than a little confusing. Still, Any.do’s mobile version alone makes a compelling reason to give it a shot, especially if that’s where you do most of your task management.

Any.do integrates with Zapier, so you can automatically add tasks to Any.do whenever there’s a new calendar event, note, or task in your other apps.

Add Evernote reminders to Any.do as tasks

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  • Evernote logo
  • Any.do logo

Evernote, Any.do

Evernote + Any.doMore details

Create tasks in Any.do for new saved messages in Slack

Try it

  • Slack logo
  • Any.do logo

Slack, Any.do

Slack + Any.doMore details

Add new incomplete Todoist tasks to Any.do

Try it

  • Todoist logo
  • Any.do logo

Todoist, Any.do

Todoist + Any.doMore details

Any.do price: Free version available; paid version from $2.99/month.

Other to-do list options

We focused on dedicated to-do list apps in this roundup, but plenty of other software can fulfill the same function. Here are a few ideas if none of the above quite fit what you’re looking for:

Finding the right task management system is hard because it’s so personal. To that end, let me know if there’s anything you think I missed.

Related reading:

This post was originally published in April 2018 by Andrew Kunesh. The most recent update was in November 2022.

Source :
https://zapier.com/blog/best-todo-list-apps/

How To Install Kimai Time Tracking App in Docker

In this guide, I’ll show you how to deploy the open source time tracking app Kimai in a Docker container. Kimai is free, browser-based (so it’ll work on mobile devices), and is extremely flexible for just about every use case.

It has a stopwatch feature where you can start/stop/pause a worklog timer. Then, it accumulates the total into daily, weekly, monthly or yearly reports, which can be exported or printed as invoices.

It supports single or multi users, so you can even track time for your entire department. All statistics are visible on a beautiful dashboard, which makes historical time-tracking a breeze.

Why use Kimai Time Tracker?

For my scenario, I am salaried at work. However, since I’m an IT Manager, I often find myself working after hours or on weekends to patch servers, reboot systems, or perform system and infrastructure upgrades. Normally, I use a pen and paper or a notetaking app to track overtime, although this is pretty inefficent. Sometimes I forget when I started or stopped, or if I’ve written down the time on a notepade at home, I can’t view that time at work.

And when it comes to managing a team of others who also perform after hours maintenance, it becomes even harder to track their total overtime hours.

Over the past few weeks, I stumbled across Kimai and really love all the features. Especially when I can spin it up in a docker or docker compose container!

If you don’t have Docker installed, follow this guide: https://smarthomepursuits.com/how-to-install-docker-ubuntu/

If you don’t have Docker-Compose installed, follow this guide: https://smarthomepursuits.com/how-to-install-portainer-with-docker-in-ubuntu-20-04/

In this tutorial, we will be installing Kimai for 1 user using standard Docker run commands. Other users can be added from the webui after initial setup.

Step 1: SSH into your Docker Host

Open Putty and SSH into your server that is running docker and docker compose.

Step 2: Create Kimai Database container

Enter the command below to create a new database to use with Kimai. You can copy and paste into Putty by right-clicking after copy, or CTRL+SHIFT+V into other ssh clients.

sudo docker run --rm --name kimai-mysql \
    -e MYSQL_DATABASE=kimai \
    -e MYSQL_USER=kimai \
    -e MYSQL_PASSWORD=kimai \
    -e MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=kimai \
    -p 3399:3306 -d mysql

Step 3: Start Kimai

Next, start the Kimai container using the already created database. If you look at the Kimai github page, you’ll notice that this isn’t the same command as what shows there.

Here’s the original command (which I’m not using):

docker run --rm --name kimai-test -ti -p 8001:8001 -e DATABASE_URL=mysql://kimai:kimai@${HOSTNAME}:3399/kimai kimai/kimai2:apache

And here’s my command. I had to explicitly add TRUSTED_HOSTS, the ADMINMAIL and ADMINPASS, and change the ${HOSTNAME} to the IP address of your docker host. Otherwise, I wasn’t able to access Kimai from other computers on my local network.

  • Green = change port here if already in use
  • Red = Add the IP address of your docker host
  • Orange = Manually specifying the admin email and password. This is what you’ll use to log in with.
  • Blue = Change to docker host IP address
sudo docker run --rm --name kimai -ti -p 8001:8001 -e TRUSTED_HOSTS=192.168.68.141,localhost,127.0.0.1 -e ADMINMAIL=example@gmail.com -e ADMINPASS=8charpassword -e DATABASE_URL=mysql://kimai:kimai@192.168.68.141:3399/kimai kimai/kimai2:apache

Note that 8 characters is the minimum for the password.

Step 4: Log In via Web Browser

Next, Kimai should now be running!

To check, you can go to your http://dockerIP:8001 in a web browser (192.168.68.141:8001)

Then simply log in with the credentials you created.

Step 5: Basic Setup

This app is extremely powerful and customizeable, so I won’t be going over all the available options since everyone has different needs.

Like I mentioned earlier, I’m using Kimai for overtime tracking only, so the first step for me is to create a new “customer”.

Create a Customer

This is sort of unintuitive, but you need to create a customer before you can start tracking time to a project. I’m creating a generic “Employee” customer.

Click Customers on the left sidebar, then click the + button in the top right corner.

Create A Project

Click Projects on the left sidebar:

Then click the + button in the top right corner.

Add a name, choose the customer you just created, and then choose a date range.

Create An Activity

Click Activity on the left, then create an activity. I’m calling mine Overtime Worked and assigning it to the Project “Overtime 2021” I just created.

Step 6: Change “Timetracking Mode” to Time-clock

Click Settings. Under Timetracking mode, change it to Time-Clock. This will let you click the Play button to start/stop time worked vs having to manually enter start and stop times.

Step 7: Start Tracking Time!

To start tracking time, simply click the timer widget in the top right corner.

A screen will pop up asking you what project and activity you want to apply the time to.

The selfhosted stopwatch will start tracking time right after. You can then view the timesheets for yourself under the My Times section or for all users under the Timesheets or Reporting tabs.

Wrapping Up

Hopefully this guide helped you get Kimai installed and setup! If you have any questions, feel free to let me know in the comments below and I’ll do my best to help you out.

My Homelab Equipment

Here is some of the gear I use in my Homelab. I highly recommend each of them.

The full list of server components I use can be found on my Equipment List page.

Source :
https://smarthomepursuits.com/how-to-install-kimai-time-tracking-app-in-docker/

Set Chrome as Default Browser using GPO

In this guide, I’m going to show you how to make Google Chrome the default browser using Group Policy (GPO). This guide applies to Windows Server 2012,2016,2019, 2022 as well as Windows 8/10/11.

To do this, there are several steps you’ll need to do. It’s not as simple as just creating a GPO and applying it to a target computer.

This guide assumes you’ve already implemented Google Chrome Enterprise and are already managing Google Chrome browsers at an enterprise level. If not, follow step 1 first.

Step 1: (Optional) Import Google Chrome .ADMX Template Files

Before you begin to manage settings and policies for your Google Chrome browser, you first need to download the .admx and .adml files from here: https://chromeenterprise.google/browser/for-your-enterprise/

Extract it once download and expand the subfolder Configuration.

  1. In the “adm” folder, find your language (en-US) and copy the chrome.adm file to your desktop.
  2. In the admx folder, find your language again (en-US), and copy the chrome.adml file to your desktop.

Next, RDP to your Domain Controller. Copy those two extracted files to the desktop of your DC.

  1. Browse to C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions and drag the chrome.admx.
  2. In C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions\en-US\folder, drag the chrome.adml file.

Now that you’ve copied in the necessary Group Policy files to manage your Google Chrome browsers, install Chrome Enterprise from here.

I used PDQ Deploy to push this out to all computers, but for testing you can simply install it on your PC.

Step 2: Create a new Group Policy Object

Log into your Domain Controller and open Group Policy Management. Right-click Group Policy Objects > New. Give it a helpful name like “Chrome Default Browser”.

Right-click the new policy > Edit. Then expand Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Google > Google Chrome. Double-click that and switch to Enabled.

You’ll notice in the Help section of the GPO that this will only work for Windows 7. For Windows 8-10, you will need to define a file associates XML file.

Step 3: Deploy File Associations File

The next step is to download a “default file associations” sample file, place it on a network share, and then configure another group policy.

Download the sample file from here: https://smarthomepursuits.com/download/5801/

You can either place the file in a network share available by everyone. Or, you could also use Powershell or PDQ Deploy/SCCM to push this file to a certain location on everyone’s computer.

For this example, I put the file in a network share like this: \\server01\fileshare01\chromedefault.xml

Step 4: Edit Chrome Browser GPO to include path to XML

Next, open up Group Policy Management from your DC again. Edit your new “Chrome Default Browser” policy.

Navigate to Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer.

Locate the “Set a default associations configuration file” policy. Edit it, and use the path from step 3.

Click Apply and OK once complete.

Step 5: Update GPO and Test

Next, you need to apply this GPO to a target OU or computer. I always recommend moving a test computer from Active Directory Users & Computers into a test OU to prevent breaking any production systems.

Locate the OU > right-click > Link an existing GPO > Choose the new “Chrome Default Browser” GPO.

Once the computer has been moved into the test OU, and you’ve applied the policy to that same OU, run the following command on the command to update the policy:

gpupdate /force

Then, sign out. The default browser will not be switched until after you log out.

To confirm it’s working properly, search Windows for “Default Apps” on your computer and switch it to Edge. Then, sign out and sign back in. If all goes well – you can open Default Apps again and successfully see that it has switched your default web browser to Google Chrome!

Wrapping Up

Hopefully this guide helped you force change the default web browser to Google Chrome for your company!

Source :
https://smarthomepursuits.com/set-chrome-as-default-browser-using-gpo/

Find Computers Recently Joined To Active Directory

If you’ve been looking for a Powershell script to find the most recent computers that have been joined to your Active Directory domain, then you’re in luck.

This Powershell script is super simple and is only a few lines of code long. I’ve also paired it with my Next In Line Computer Name Script. We have a standard naming convention when joining computer objects to the domain: company abbreviations, then append a number.

When this script runs, it will output computers that have been joined to the domain within the last 30 days. You can of course change the number to anything you like.

Powershell Script To Filter by Join Date / When Computer Account Was Created

$Joined = [DateTime]::Today.AddDays(-30)
Get-ADComputer -Filter 'WhenCreated -ge $joined' -Properties whenCreated | Format-Table Name,whenCreated,distinguishedName -Autosize -Wrap

Here’s what the output looks like:

If you have the same naming convention we do, then you could obviously just look at the last joined object and create xxxxxxx745 as the next object. However, if you’d like to take it a step further and have it display a box that visually tells you which computer name to use, then follow this guide. (It’s as simple as creating a text file called number.txt and adding the number of the last computer object you joined to the domain.)

If you’ve set that up, then here is the script you could use instead. On the last line, just append your computer prefix in place of the xxxx’s.

[void][Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName('Microsoft.VisualBasic')

$NotifyUser = {
    [Microsoft.VisualBasic.Interaction]::MsgBox(
        ($args -join ' '), #Notification
        [Microsoft.VisualBasic.MsgBoxStyle]::Information,
        "Next Available Computer Object" #TitleBar
    )
}

[int](get-content "\\fileshare\IT\Scripts\New Hire-Computer\number.txt") + 1 | out-file "\\fileshare\IT\Scripts\New Hire-Computer\number.txt"
$Value = Get-content "\\fileshare\IT\Scripts\New Hire-Computer\number.txt"
$recently = [DateTime]::Today.AddDays(-30)
Write-Host -BackgroundColor Magenta Computers joined to the domain within last 30 days:
Get-ADComputer -Filter 'WhenCreated -ge $recently' -Properties whenCreated | Format-Table Name,whenCreated -Autosize -Wrap

&$NotifyUser Use Computer Name: xxxxxxx$Value

My Homelab Equipment

Here is some of the gear I use in my Homelab. I highly recommend each of them.

The full list of server components I use can be found on my Equipment List page.

Source :
https://smarthomepursuits.com/find-computers-recently-joined-to-active-directory/