In-Depth Features


You Ask, Ballmer Answers

MCP Magazine readers get a crack at the Microsoft CEO.

Gaining Control Through Enterprise Process

How new policies and procedures can help you gain control over processes, ranging from patch management to topology changes.

Taming Kerberos

If you’re using Windows 2000 Server or above, chances are you’re also using Kerberos authentication. It’s time to get to know this three-pronged protocol and learn how to troubleshoot it.

Pack ‘Em Up, Move ‘Em Out

Migrating applications is far from easy—that’s why choosing the right tool is imperative.

4 Dirt-Cheap Workgroup Servers Put to the Test

You can buy a lot for $1,000 these days. We test four bargain-basement boxes and tell you what to expect.

Group Policy DOs and DON’Ts

Group policy can make your life as an administrator blissful or stressful. Learn from one expert’s experiences what works with group policies, and what doesn’t.

SBS 2003: Your Small Business Operating System

As part of the June cover feature, "4 Dirt-Cheap Workgroup Servers," Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 might interest those small and medium businesses.

Backing Up Small Business Server

As part of the June cover feature, "4 Dirt-Cheap Workgroup Servers," Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 also comes with a Backup Configuration Wizard. Here are two add-on products that offer help.

Thin Clients, Fat Heads

This business owner’s thin-client Windows network was impregnable. Or so he thought, until he met Bob…

Windows Server 2003 Gains Traction

The Windows Server 2003 rollout is rapid, according to a new survey. Key drivers are security, Active Directory and Exchange 2003.

Souping Up Windows 2003 Migrations

Five tools that promise to speed and ease Windows 2003 file and print migrations. Which one is the very best?

10 DNS Errors That Will Kill Your Network

DNS is the foundation the house of Active Directory is built upon. If DNS doesn’t work, neither will your Windows network. Here are the 10 most common DNS errors—and how you can avoid them.

Readers Review Exchange Server 2003

In an entirely new approach to product reviews, 13 loyal MCP Magazine readers detail their experiences running Exchange 2003 in production environments. 

The Fast Road to Exchange Server 2003

You'll never truly see the beauty of Exchange 2003 unless you migrate. Here are five tools to make that move quicker and easier.

The Mystery of the Event Logs

Knowing what’s in your Event Logs is a key to knowing what your servers are doing. Here’s how to make sense of them.

Outsourced Worker: How Do You Stack Up?

Chances are, you work for a company that’s involved in outsourcing in some form. The question you need to answer for yourself is whether that’s such a bad thing.

TechNet In-Depth

Sure, you can do Knowledge Base searches online. But there’s plenty more that TechNet offers.

File Replication Service: User-Friendly at Last

The File Replication Service (FRS) has a justifiably bad reputation for bugginess and indecipherable logs. But recent changes from Redmond make it worth another look.

Bursting the Pop-Up Bubble

Two tools that stop popups dead in their tracks

Group Policy Strategy and Tactics

Group policy is constantly evolving and has new functionality within Windows Server 2003. Here’s some basic training on what it can do.