One of error message when insert AVMA keys

Symptom

Error: 0xc004F069 On a computer running Microsoft Windows non-core edition, run 'slui.exe 0x2a 0xC004F069' to display the error text.

Cause

The AVMA key isn't for this version of Windows. For example, I inserted a Datacenter Edition key to a virtual machine which is installed Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard.

Resolution

Insert an AVMA Key for a virtual machine. The AVMA Keys can be found on Automatic Virtual Machine Activation.

This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights!

Install or uninstall multiple Windows Updates by WUSA and PowerShell

WUSA is a command for Windows to install or uninstall Windows update. In this post, I'd like to use WUSA to work with PowerShell to install or uninstall Windows Update on a computer.

Install

To silently install a Windows update and postpone restart a computer, we can perform (Get-ChildItem <Windows Update Package path>).FullName | %{Start-Process wusa "$_ /quiet /norestart" -wait} on PowerShell console

Uninstall

To silently uninstall a Windows update and postpone restart a computer, we can perform wusa /uninstall /kb:<the number of the KB> /quiet /norestart

Remark: Some Windows Updates are required to restart a computer to take action.

To combine with PowerShell to uninstall some Windows Updates, we can perform (Get-Hotfix).hotfixid.substring(2) | Select -last 3 | %{Start-Process wusa "/uninstall /kb:$_ /quiet /norestart" -wait} on PowerShell console to uninstall last 3 Windows Updates. 

There is an example. Based on the search criteria, we can change it like this Get-Content <File Name> | %{Start-Process wusa "/uninstall /kb:$_ /quiet /norestart" -wait}

This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights!

Enable nested virtualiztaion on Windows Server 2016 TP4 or Windows 10

In Windows 10 build version 10586 and Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview 4, Microsoft added nested virtualization on Hyper-V. We can enable Hyper-V feature on a virtual machine which is installed Windows Server 2016 TP4 or Windows 10 build 10586. The build versions prior to Windows Server 2016 TP4 or Windows 10 build 10586. It doesn't work. At this moment, there are some limitations on a virtual machine which will be enabled Hyper-V feature.

• Dynamic memory must be off
• Runtime memory resize doesn't support (Windows Server 2016 Hyper-V new feature)
• Checkpoint doesn't support
• Live migration doesn't support
• Save or Restore of a virtual machine doesn't support

There are some requirements to use nested virtualization.

• Once nested virtualization is enabled in a VM, MAC spoofing must be enabled for networking to work in its guests
• Hosts with Device Guard enabled cannot expose virtualization extensions to guests. You must first disable VBS in order to preview nested virtualization
• Hosts with Virtualization Based Security (VBS) enabled cannot expose virtualization extensions to guests. You must first disable VBS in order to preview nested virtualization
• This feature is currently Intel-only. Intel VT-x is required
• Beware: nested virtualization requires a good amount of memory. I managed to run a VM in a VM with 4 GB of host RAM, but things were tight

Reference from Windows Insider Preview: Nested Virtualization

To enable nested virtualization on a VM, we can perform Set-VMProcessor -VMName <VMName> -ExposeVirtualizationExtensions $True

or We can use a script which is provided by Microsoft to enable it.

The script will configure a virtual machine to fulfill the requirements like disabling Mac address spoofing, changing the memory size and so on.

Then, we can enable the Hyper-V feature on a VM.

Please try to use it and give some feedback to Microsoft.

More information:

Nested Virtualization

This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights!

Find strings from a result of the collection in PowerShell

There are many rich functions in PowerShell. It's easy for administrators to find the information which they need. For an example, I need to find something in the following collection.

How can I search something in it?

We can add () and -match to the PowerShell like this.

Assuming that one of users is a member of many AD groups. I can add () and -match to search it from the memberof collection.

Eventually, I got the result what I need.

This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights!

IBM / Lenovo ServerGuide stuck on loading page more than an hour

Symptom

When a a Flex System x240 blade server boot with ServerGuide, it stuck on loading page more than an hour to access the configuration page.

Cause

The x240 blade server is assigned online volumes (LUNs) which have been formatted and brought online on Windows.

This case is quite common on a server of a cluster which is intended to reinstall or upgrade Windows.

A Flex System x240 blade server doesn't stick on the loading page with offline volumes.

Resolution

1. Remove the physical fiber card on a x240 blade server.

Or

2. Remove the LUNs assignment from a Storage Controller.

This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights!