Blog posts

OpenProject Apache reverse proxy with https secure connection

These are some notes on setting up OpenProject on a backend server (let’s call it backsrv.example.com), and accessing it via a front-end system (frontsrv.example.com). Normally we’d do the SSL termination at the reverse proxy, and there is some documentation on this. In this case I wanted to do things ‘properly’, and protect the login credentials all the way. This means using an https connection between the reverse proxy and the back end server.

Secure disk wipe with Windows format command

From Windows 8 Microsoft snuck in a refinement to the format command. It is now possible to get it to do multi-pass random-number disk wipes. From the help (Win 10 20H2):

 /P:count  Zero every sector on the volume. After that, the volume
           will be overwritten "count" times using a different
           random number each time. If "count" is zero, no additional
           overwrites are made after zeroing every sector. This switch
           is ignored when /Q is specified.

So to do a single-pass random wipe:

Triggering redetection of network type in Server 2012

Had an issue where a Windows Server 2012 R2 system could not be accessed by RDP or remote management, as the network type had changed to Private (and thus the firewall wasn’t letting these connections through). File sharing was still working.

Found solution via SpiceWorks forum. Restart the Network Location Awareness service (needed to log on to system locally to do this). This triggered a redetection and the type went back to Domain. RDP etc. then worked again.

Upgrading from m.2 SATA to Crucial NVMe drive on Latitude 7490

Scenario:

Dell Latitude 7490 with existing SATA m.2 SSD. We want to upgrade to larger NVMe drive (Crucial 1Tb).

First tried new drive in Startech NVMe USB enclosure (M2E1BMU31C). Downloaded Crucial cloning software (locked version of Acronis). Problem – not recognised as Crucial drive so Acronis won’t run.

Posts suggest that the new drive should be installed in the laptop first and the system booted via USB. So take current drive out and put it in a SATA USB m.2 enclosure. Attach this to USB-C port and reboot.

Setting Windows 10 web proxy per-user

There are a couple of GUI routes for setting the system web proxy for Windows 10 – the old control panel page (via Network and Internet – Network Options):

And the new settings style:

Note that the new style does not warn you that you may not be allowed to set the proxy – you can change the settings, but if you select another panel and then go back to Proxy your settings will be gone.