Applying Windows Server updates with a maintenance plan Apply Windows Server updates through a maintenance plan that includes recovery access and application checks. This procedure covers routine quality and…

Binding an HTTPS certificate to an IIS website Bind a valid server certificate to the intended IIS website so clients can authenticate the hostname and establish HTTPS. The certificate must already…

Choosing and securing an IIS application-pool identity Give each IIS application an appropriate process identity and explicit access to the resources it needs. A separate application pool identity helps…

Collecting evidence when Windows Server does not boot When Windows Server does not boot, collect the console evidence and preserve the affected disk before attempting repairs. The useful next step depends…

Configuring encrypted SQL Server client connections Encrypted SQL Server connections protect traffic between an application and the database server. A complete deployment also verifies the server…

Configuring recovery for a Windows service Configure Windows service recovery to handle an expected recoverable failure while preserving evidence of repeated crashes. Automatic restart is useful…

Creating a narrowly scoped Windows Firewall rule Create a Windows Firewall rule for the specific service, port and remote sources that need access. Confirm the application is listening first: a…

Creating an IIS website with the correct bindings Create an IIS website with a deliberate content path, application pool and network binding. This guide assumes the Web Server (IIS) role and the…

Diagnosing IIS HTTP 503 Service Unavailable Investigate IIS HTTP 503 by checking whether the application's worker process is available and why requests are being rejected. Restarting the pool…

Diagnosing SQL Server application login failures An application login failure can come from the SQL Server instance, an authentication setting, a database mapping or the application identity. Error…

Diagnosing Windows Server DNS client resolution Diagnose name-resolution problems from the Windows Server that is making the request. This is a DNS client investigation, even if the same machine also…

Diagnosing a Windows Server RDP connection failure Diagnose an RDP failure by separating server availability, network reachability and authentication. Record the exact error and whether it appears before…

Diagnosing an IIS HTTP 500 error An IIS HTTP 500 response means the request failed during server-side processing. Use the status details and application evidence to identify the failing…

Enabling and using IIS request logs Enable IIS request logging for the site you need to investigate and read each entry using its field header. Request logs help connect a URL, response…

Extending a Windows Server data volume safely Extend a Windows data volume only after the underlying disk exposes the intended additional capacity. Increasing a virtual disk in a provider portal and…

Finding a Windows Server CPU or memory bottleneck Investigate a Windows Server performance problem by correlating resource use with the customer's slow operation. A short CPU spike or a large memory…

Installing and securing OpenSSH Server on Windows Server Use the Windows in-box OpenSSH Server for authorised SSH access on Windows Server 2019 or later. Windows Server 2025 includes the component by default;…

Investigating a Windows service failure with Event Viewer Use Event Viewer to connect a Windows service failure with the errors recorded at the same time. The goal is to identify the failed component and a…

Planning Windows Server Backup and a test restore Plan Windows Server Backup around the data and recovery outcome you need, then prove the plan with a restoration test. A file recovery, application…

Replacing an expiring Windows Server certificate without breaking bindings Installing a renewed certificate in Windows does not always switch the services that use it. A website can continue presenting an older certificate…

Responding to unexpected SQL Server transaction-log growth A growing SQL Server transaction log is a symptom to investigate, especially when applications report error 9002 or a disk approaches capacity. Log…

Reviewing Microsoft Defender alerts on a hosting server Review Microsoft Defender Antivirus detections by checking the affected resource, detection time and remediation result. A historical detection entry…

Running a scheduled PowerShell task with least privilege Run a scheduled PowerShell task under an identity that has only the access needed for its job. Test the noninteractive execution context explicitly,…

Securing RDP access to a self-managed Windows Server Limit Remote Desktop access to authorised administrators and a controlled network path. This guide is for a self-managed Windows Server where you have…

Testing a SQL Server database restore A useful SQL Server backup must restore into a usable database. A test restore proves more than the existence of a .bak file: it checks the backup…

Verifying Windows Server time synchronization Verify Windows time synchronisation before changing the clock or choosing a new time source. Accurate time supports authentication, certificates and…