Jack of All Trades with an interest in facilitating networking through social interaction of IT Professionals
More bio(Last Update - 10-OCT-2020)
Twitter: MultiverseIT / ThatWindowsGeek / LeeW1
If you're not already part of a user group, I would strongly encourage you to join. I run/help run/participate in 4 groups in the Long Island/New York City area:
The New York Small Business Specialists (NYSBS, formerly New York Small Business Server): this group is a collection of Small Business Technology Consultants who help each other out, exchange ideas in a variety of areas including business operations, marketing, sales, and technology problems, and, as we have gotten to know each other over the years, we occasionally feed each other clients and/or cover for one another so we can enjoy a vacation or not go nuts when two critical issues occur at the same time. We sometimes have presentations on topics from new technologies to what's been happening in the news. Meetings are the second Wednesday of each month at Microsoft's Conference Center in New York City (when there isn't a pandemic going on; when there is, they are virtual, usually conference calls). If you're interested in joining us, all are welcome and there's no fee. Send me a message for more information.
The Windows Administrators Group of Long Island: Consists of Windows administrators and consultants. Otherwise, similar to the NYSBS group, though less formal and discussions can occasionally go into the realm of the absurd and unrelated to Windows or even Technology. We've been holding fewer online meetings and no in person meetings since March due to the pandemic. When we resume, meetings typically (but not necessarily always) take place at my office building's conference room in Plainview, NY on the first Thursday of every month.
The Long Island Linux Users Group (LILUG): Consists of Linux enthusiasts of all skill levels and backgrounds. Some are hobbyists, some are professional Linux Admins, and there's a definite range of folks attending this meeting, the second Tuesday of every Month at the Digital Ballpark in Plainview, NY (during non-pandemic times; Zoom during pandemics).
The Security and Infrastructure Special Interest Group of LILUG: Arguably, the most casual meeting, typically taking place in a Panera Bread location in Huntington Station, NY on the third Tuesday of every Month. During the pandemic, Zoom, if it takes place at all.
If you need assistance, I may be available for in-person IT services in the New York Metro area, including most of Long Island. I am also available as time permits for remote services if you are not in my area. Please use the contact page on my web site to reach me for more information. (Please note: I only provide "free" support to those in the online forums I frequent. Please do not e-mail me with questions unless you are prepared to pay me an appropriate fee. If you want my assistance with your question, feel free to send me a link to it and I will participate if I have the time and the knowledge to help).
NOTE: Sometimes I find a question that I know I cannot help much in, but I can clearly see no one else will be able to either because the question lacks details that need to be stated. I may comment in such questions with a request for more information even when I know that will be my only comment.
My web site (www.lwcomputing.com) has several documents I have written to help you manage your network, including:
*Backup In General
*How to do a System State Backup
*SBS Tips and Links
*DNS and it's Importance in an AD Environment
*Technician's Toolkit
*Online Tools (Antivirus, Antimalware, Security)
*Windows Minidump Analyzer (Find out why Windows crashed and e-mail yourself the results and some tips for resolving)
*My Software (Backup Script)
(Honestly, I haven't been writing nearly as much as I hoped I would and most articles are on the older side. Still, Windows and technology evolves and much of the old still applies to the new).
***IMPORTANT***
EVERYONE helping you on Experts-Exchange is a volunteer. You may pay for access to the site, but everyone answering your question is doing so for little more than a T-Shirt at every certificate level. Properly grading your question and awarding points is your way of saying THANK YOU to the person who spent their valuable time providing you with information. If I provide you with information that helps you resolve your question or saves you money or you believe will save you money and/or time in the future, I expect to have my comment selected as part of your answer. If my information doesn't help you, then I expect NOTHING - and YOU are the judge of that - but BE FAIR.
About Me:
I started with computers in late 1989 with my very own TURBO 286 that could run at a blistering 12 MHz. It ran DOS 3.3 and had a 40 MB MFM hard drive with, I think, 28ms access time.
I spent 5 years messing around on my own and learning things as much as I could, DOS, Windows 3.1, and numerous other things. Then I got a job as a tech at a biomedical research lab. I was one of 4 people supporting 600+ users and actually worked part-time. I spent over 9.5 years there until I left in the summer of 2004, with the department having grown to 20+ people and over 1000 users. During that time I did just about everything you could do with a PC from a tech's standpoint. Building, upgrading, repairing, installing, recovering data, etc. After 5 years, I was moved into Windows Systems Administration, which had me installing and managing at first 10 servers and growing into 35 servers (mostly Dells) in two sites, running two Windows 2000 clusters, a SAN, and periodically implementing new technologies such as KVM-over-IP, upgrading from NT4 to 2000 domain, and IBM BladeCenter servers. In addition, this facility had a VERY diverse computing infrastructure, with over 400 Macs, 600 PCs, 50+ Solaris systems, and 50+ Linux systems (when you exclude the linux cluster nodes, well over 200 if you include them). While I didn't work on everything, I had some very knowledgeable people that I often asked questions and helped and sometimes we even tried to make the systems work together!
While at the lab I also handled and/or assisted in numerous other projects, such as implementing Wireless campus wide, designing and implementing a lab wide ASP/SQL based Calendar system, Access programming, and creating numerous scripts to remotely manage systems (among other things).
Since leaving the lab, and even for 8 years before I left, I've worked as a consultant for small businesses and home users.
I attribute my success and depth of knowledge to my love technology. I love learning how to manipulate the computer or computers to do things for you, programming, software installing with Active Directory, building web sites and just about anything else.
And classes in:
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Administering Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 (Microsoft Course 661)
Supporting Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Core Technologies (Microsoft Course 922)
Installing and Configuring Microsoft Windows 95 (Microsoft Course 560)
Troubleshooting the Macintosh (Data Tech Institute)
SMS 2.0
SQL 7.0
IIS Administration (ZDNet Books, Instructor Led)
Assembly Programming for x86
Also, feel free to contact me for my input on questions in these or any other areas. When I feel I can help, I will.