Win10

Windows 10 Information & Tips

Windows 10 is the current version of Microsoft's end-user operating system, which comes pre-installed with most non-MAC computers these days.
There are a number of different versions of Windows 10, but the main difference between the two main types, Home & Pro, is that the Home version is a little stripped down, and limited in it's ability to connect to other networks, especially business and small home office networks. There is also an "Enterprise" version, which is pretty much the same as the Pro version, but designed more for larger companies to be mass deployed and have their licenses managed by a network based "volume license manager".
But the biggest difference that I personally consider the BIG DEAL BREAKER is that the home version will not allow RDP, Remote Desktop Protocol! In other words, you can't set it up to allow remote access/login from another computer on the network, which is a feature I use every day, all day long, and have done so for over 25 years! I could not imagine life without remote desktop access! Microsoft uses a proprietary protocol called RDP, which runs on TCP port 3389. It allows you to log into your computer from anywhere on the network as if you were sitting right in front of it, controlling it's keyboard, mouse and display! And there are hundreds if not thousands of remote desktop protocol clients(Apps) available for every operating system, so while I'm using and working on the Linux systems I do every day, I use Linux based RDP apps to connect to my Windows computers when needed. I run a virtual Windows 2012R2 Active Directory, DNS and File Services server in a headless mode(no video display, no mouse, no keyboard), so the only way I can access it to manage it directly is using one of the many remote desktop clients/apps! My personal favorite for Linux is Remmina, which not only has support for Microsoft RDP protocol, but also many many others, such as VNC, which I also use through SSH tunnels(to encrypt & protect) every day to remotely log into GUI Linux desktops throughout my house!

Windows Administration

When working in a business environment that uses Microsoft Active Directory Domain Services(AD DS) to manage users, computers and other IT resources, administrators need extra tools to perform their daily work, and one of the most useful I've found when working in a heterogenious enviroment(both Windows and other operating systems, like my favorite Linux!) is "Active Directory Users & Computers", which allows you to add, remove, and modify users, their permissions, reset their accounts and passwords, grant access to computers, printers and other devices and the list goes on!

One of the big improvements in the most current versions of Windows 10((post 2018) is the ability to add "extra" tools and apps without having to search, find, download, install and configure, like we used to do in the "olden" days! Just click on "Apps" within "Settings", "Optional Features" and "Add a feature", scroll down through the list and then find and select "RSAT: Active Directory Domain Services and Lightweight Directory Services Tools" and click on the "Install" button. That's all there is to it!

If you happen to have an earlier version of Windows 10 that doesn't have this feature, go to the Microsoft site at Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows download the required file(s) and run to install the tools manually.

You should then have the tools available within "Windows Administrative Tools" in the main Windows start menu.