Friday, March 25, 2022

FixWin for Windows 10

Free and compact utility to easily fix a multitude of Windows 10 problems.

https://www.thewindowsclub.com/fixwin-for-windows-10

Enabling TLS 1.2 on old versions of Windows

Windows SBS 2011 server can use TLS 1.2, but it is off by default.

To enable it, save the lines below as "enable-tls12.reg" on the server, then right-click the file and select "Merge" and reboot.  Your OWA access will now use TLS 1.2.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.2]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.2\Client]
"DisabledByDefault"=dword:00000000
"Enabled"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.2\Server]
"DisabledByDefault"=dword:00000000
"Enabled"=dword:00000001

Can't download something in Powershell because of an error like this?

Exception calling "DownloadString" with "1" argument(s): "The request was aborted: Could not create SSL/TLS secure  channel."

Windows 2016 Server .Net installation can do TLS 1.2 but doesn't unless you add these to the registry. Save the lines below as something like "enable-ps-tls12.reg" on your server, right-click it, and "Merge". You don't even have to reboot.  Restart your powershell session, and you'll be able to download files using TLS 1.2 now.


Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NETFramework\v2.0.50727]
      "SystemDefaultTlsVersions" = dword:00000001
      "SchUseStrongCrypto" = dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NETFramework\v4.0.30319]
      "SystemDefaultTlsVersions" = dword:00000001
      "SchUseStrongCrypto" = dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\.NETFramework\v2.0.50727]
      "SystemDefaultTlsVersions" = dword:00000001
      "SchUseStrongCrypto" = dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\.NETFramework\v4.0.30319]
      "SystemDefaultTlsVersions" = dword:00000001
      "SchUseStrongCrypto" = dword:00000001

Use textverified.com to receive text messages

Great for expats.  Allows you to temporarily rent a US phone number -- an actual one, not a VoIP one, so you can receive sms - a txt message...