Category: IT Knowledge Base Articles (Page 1 of 11)

Ultrex IT Sales Primer 

March 1, 2026 /

What We Do 

Ultrex is a IT Service provider focused on small to mid-sized organizations that need dependable IT without hiring a full internal team. We provide: 

  • User IT support 
  • Cybersecurity and compliance (PCI/HIPAA/etc) 
  • IT Trainings- on things like AI, Email Security, cloud storage- anything IT related
  • VoIP solutions 
  • Cloud services management 
  • Strategic IT planning and budgeting 

We are proactive, user-focused, and relationship-driven. We do not just fix problems. We prevent ongoing issues and guide clients long term. 

What Makes Someone a Good Fit 

1. They Rely on Technology Daily 

  • 5 to 100 employees is ideal 
  • Use Microsoft 365, cloud apps, or Google Workspace (or want to) 
  • Businesses that operate M-F 8-5  
  • At least 3 Staff who work on computers primarily 

2. They Feel IT Pain 

  • Weak response from current provider if on outsourced IT now 
  • In house staff wearing multiple hats, not true IT, just trying to make things work 
  • Reactive-only break-fix support (if they’re paying someone hourly, or having a non IT staffer muddle through it) 
  • Frequent outages or recurring issues 
  • No strategic IT plan 
  • Cost fluctuates with every ticket or call-in. Projects that cost extra 
  • Feeling like current IT is just trying to sell them machines and extra services 

3. They Want a Partner, Not a Vendor 

  • Open to guidance 
  • Want structure, documentation, and standards 
  • Willing to listen to input and advice 

Red Flags – Poor Fit 

  • Only want the cheapest option / Only talking about price 
  • Refuse to invest in themselves 
  • Need 24/7 or after hours support 
  • Everyone talks about needing fast response times, but when defined, is it within our SLA’s? 
  • Have changed IT providers more than 2 times in the last 5 years 
  • Have internal IT staff who see us as a threat instead of support 

Questions to Ask 

About Their Current Situation 

  • Who handles your IT today? 
  • What frustrates you most about your current setup? 
  • What gets in the way of your staff doing their best work? 
  • When was your last major outage? 
  • How do you handle cybersecurity today? 
  • Is there a machine that if it broke, you’d lose your efforts? Do you know for sure your backups are in a good spot? 
  • What sort of projects or changes would you want to do on if IT was a fixed cost? 
  • What would one day of downtime cost you? Is it worth spending money to proactively avoid that? 

How to Position Ultrex 

Lead with outcomes, not tools. 

Instead of: “We provide managed IT.” 

Say things like: “We help you minimize downtime, train and support your staff, and plan technology so it supports growth instead of slowing you down.” 

Focus on: 

  • Flexibility (Not being one size fits all) 
  • Strategy 
  • Ease of mind- just having someone you can call, no added cost 
  • Long-term partnership 

Closing Notes: 

You are not selling just IT support. 
You are selling peace of mind- business owners who don’t have to manage every piece, but can leave us to help their team. 

The right client feels relief during the conversation. 
The wrong client argues about price before understanding the offering. 

Pricing starts at 100 per supported staffer per month. Multiplier of .5x – 2.5x depending on variables once we do the in-person sales visit. (To account for things like pending projects, staff IT comfort levels, legacy software, environment complexity etc).

We specialize in 501c3 NonProfits. Explain we are managed by a former church staffer who loves supporting nonprofits most, if you’re talking to one. 

Find the pain. Quantify the risk. Position Ultrex IT as the proactive solution. 

How to block Copilot inside of MS365 installed apps

February 16, 2026 /

If you paste this into admin powershell, it disables copilot inside of MS365 installed apps. Doesn’t change apps online, or the ability to use other AI’s, even copilot website, BUT it does block the copilot add on items in all installed office apps (Being used for PCA here shortly)

$regPath = “HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\office\16.0\common\officeai”
if (!(Test-Path $regPath)) { New-Item -Path $regPath -Force }
Set-ItemProperty -Path $regPath -Name “TurnOffCallout” -Value 1

$privacyPath = “HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\office\16.0\common\privacy”
if (!(Test-Path $privacyPath)) { New-Item -Path $privacyPath -Force }
Set-ItemProperty -Path $privacyPath -Name “disconnectedstate” -Value 2

Renaming Device with command prompt in Atera

January 27, 2026 /

If you want to rename a device in Atera without opening the device through cmd

click Manage dropdown

Click run as System command prompt

Type: wmic computersystem where name=”%COMPUTERNAME%” call rename name=”NEWCOMPUTERNAME”

Hit return

Type in the console shutdown /r /t 0

Hit return

Reload Atera after the computer has restarted the computer should be renamed

Fixing Blank “Save As” Dialog Window in Adobe Acrobat

January 8, 2026 /

Fixing Blank “Save As” Dialog Window in Adobe Acrobat

Issue

From ticket #5088 – When using Save As in Adobe Acrobat, the dialog box may appear blank, preventing you from saving the file as another name in another location. This issue can occur on both Windows and macOS.

Cause

Adobe Acrobat attempts to “display online storage options” during the save process. A preference setting can cause the dialog to render incorrectly.

References

https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/blank-save-as-dialog-mac.html

Resolution

Disable the online storage option in Acrobat:

  1. Open Adobe Acrobat Preferences
    • Go to Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Adobe Acrobat > Preferences (macOS).
  2. Navigate to General Settings
    • In the left-hand menu, select General.
  3. Disable Online Storage Option
    • Locate:
      Show online storage when saving files
    • Toggle this OFF.
  4. Restart Acrobat
    • Close and reopen Adobe Acrobat to apply changes.

Alternate Workaround

If the issue persists or you need a quick alternative:

  • Use Microsoft Print to PDF (Windows) or Print to PDF (macOS):
    • From the print dialog, select the PDF printer option.
    • Save the file manually after printing.
  • Go to the location the file is saved in originally in File Explorer
    • Copy and paste the file from that location into the destination folder path

Export Public Folder Calendar Events to a Shared Calendar in Outlook Classic

December 16, 2025 /

Export Public Folder Calendar Events to a Shared Calendar in Outlook Classic

Overview

This guide explains how to export calendar events from a Public Folder in Outlook Classic (desktop app) and import them into a shared calendar using an .ics file.

Steps

  1. Open the Public Folder Calendar
    • Launch the Outlook Classic desktop app.
    • Navigate to the Public Folder calendar you want to export.
  2. Save the Calendar as an .ICS File
    • Go to File > Save Calendar.
    • Select the desired folder.
    • (Optional) Set a date range for the events you want to export.
    • Save the file in .ics format to your preferred location.
  3. Import Events into the Shared Calendar
    • Open the destination shared calendar in Outlook Classic.
    • Drag and drop the saved .ics file directly into the shared calendar.
    • All events from the Public Folder calendar will be imported.

Notes

  • Ensure you have the necessary permissions for both the Public Folder and the shared calendar.
  • Large calendars may take a few moments to process after import.

Resolving iPhone Sign-In Failures for Outlook & Teams After Tenant Migration

November 26, 2025 /

Resolving iPhone Sign-In Failures for Outlook & Teams After Tenant Migration

Purpose of This Article

  1. What this article aims to show you:
    This guide explains how to resolve an issue where an iPhone refuses to sign into Outlook or Microsoft Teams after a Microsoft 365 tenant-to-tenant migration, even after reinstalling apps or resetting passwords.
  2. When to use this information:
    Use this process any time a migrated user’s iPhone cannot authenticate to Outlook/Teams, especially when:
    • Credentials are correct but apps repeatedly fail to sign in
    • The old tenant’s identity is still cached on the device
    • Standard app reinstalls do not fix the issue
      This problem occurs because iOS stores stubborn Microsoft account caches that persist across reinstalls.

Step-by-Step Resolution Procedure

1. Use Microsoft Edge’s Hidden Reset Function (Most Effective Step)

This clears deeply embedded Microsoft account tokens that Outlook/Teams cannot remove themselves.

  1. Install Microsoft Edge from the App Store (temporary use only).
  2. Open Edge and in the URL bar enter: edge://signin-internals
  3. Tap RemoveAllAccounts.
  4. A red confirmation pop-up will appear—this is expected.
  5. Close Edge completely.
  6. Reinstall Outlook and Teams after completing all steps below.

Why this matters:
Edge exposes internal MSAL (Microsoft Authentication Library) caches that other Office apps cannot purge. Clearing this nearly always resolves post-migration authentication issues on iOS.

2. Remove Old Work Accounts from iOS System Settings

Even if the old work account isn’t showing in Outlook, iOS may still be storing it at the system level.

  1. Go to Settings → Mail → Accounts and delete any old work accounts.
  2. Also check under:
    • Settings → Passwords & Accounts (older iOS versions)
    • Settings → Apple ID → iCloud → Safari → temporarily disable Safari sync
  3. Go to Settings → Safari → Clear History and Website Data.

This flushes stored autofill credentials and account references that cause the sign-in loop.

3. Remove Old Accounts From Any Office App

If the user has Word/Excel/OneDrive installed, they may still hold the old tenant account.

  1. Open any Office app (Word, Excel, OneDrive, etc.).
  2. Tap the user’s profile icon (top left).
  3. Go to Settings → Storage Accounts.
  4. Swipe left on any old or incorrect accounts → Delete.

This removes the identity from Microsoft’s app-wide shared credential store.

4. Fully Reinstall the Apps After Clearing Credentials

Once the caches and accounts have been removed:

  1. Delete Outlook and Teams.
  2. Restart the iPhone (important reset of system caches).
  3. Reinstall the apps fresh from the App Store.
  4. Sign in with new tenant credentials.

At this point, authentication should succeed without referencing the old tenant.

Recap / Final Notes

This issue happens frequently after Microsoft 365 tenant migrations because iOS retains hidden Microsoft identity caches that aren’t cleared during normal reinstall procedures. Using Edge’s internal account purge, combined with removing accounts from iOS settings and Office app storage, ensures all legacy tenant tokens are removed.

Once all caches are cleared and the apps reinstalled, the user should be able to log into Outlook and Teams normally using their new tenant credentials.

If this process fails (rare), escalate internally before re-engaging Microsoft support—this procedure resolves the majority of cases.

Warranty Replacement Handling Procedure

November 25, 2025 /

Warranty Replacement Handling Procedure

Purpose of This Article

  1. What this article covers:
    This document outlines the full internal process for handling warranty replacements for client equipment purchased through Ultrex IT.
  2. When you should use this information:
    Use this procedure any time a client requests a hardware replacement and it appears the device may fall under Ultrex’s 1-year warranty window. These steps ensure financial accuracy, proper inventory handling, and consistent tracking across teams.

Warranty Replacement Process

1. Confirm Warranty Eligibility

Before taking any action:

  • Verify with leadership (typically [Name/Manager]) that the client is approved for a free warranty replacement.
  • Confirm:
    • The device was originally sold by Ultrex IT.
    • The purchase date is within 1 year.

No replacement should proceed without this confirmation.

2. Have Brandi Process the Replacement Sale

Once approved:

  • Contact Brandi to create a zero-cost sale for the replacement item.
  • This ensures:
    • Accurate billing records
    • Proper documentation in the billing spreadsheet
  • Do not manually remove or adjust inventory yourself yet.

3. Physically Perform the Replacement

  • Swap out the defective/failed item with the new, zero-cost replacement.
  • Collect the old device and return it to the office.

4. Tag the Returned Item

When bringing the old item back:

  • Tag or label it clearly as:
    “Bring-Back – Warranty Replacement – NON INVENTORY”
  • This ensures the item is not mistaken for active stock.

5. Test the Returned Item

Once tagged:

  • Evaluate whether the returned hardware:
    • Still functions
    • Has partial functionality
    • Can be used internally
    • Holds any salvage or resale value

Document basic findings if needed.

6. Get Approval for Final Inventory Handling

After testing:

  • Check back with leadership (same approval point as Step 1) with results of the test.
  • They will determine whether the unit should be:
    • Added back to usable internal inventory
    • Stored for parts
    • Recycled/disposed
    • Otherwise tracked as non-inventory equipment

Do not add anything back into inventory without confirmation.

Final Notes

Warranty replacements must follow this workflow to maintain proper billing, inventory accuracy, and accountability. Always secure approval before starting, ensure Brandi logs the zero-cost transaction, and tag returning hardware appropriately. Clear communication and documentation at each step prevent inventory errors and unexpected costs.

Thanks for following this process!

Allow/Whitelist Domains in Microsoft 365 Exchange Admin – Spam Filter rules locations

November 10, 2025 /

✅ Recommended Method: Create a Mail Flow Rule (Transport Rule)

This method allows you to define specific conditions under which emails from certain domains bypass spam filtering.​CloudInfra

Steps:

  1. Access the Exchange Admin Center:​CloudInfra+5Alitajran+5Microsoft Answers+5
  2. Create a New Rule:​LazyAdmin+8Microsoft Answers+8kjctech.net+8
  3. Define Rule Conditions:​
    • Name: Assign a descriptive name to the rule.​Microsoft Answers+5Microsoft Learn+5kjctech.net+5
    • Apply this rule if:
      • Select The sender > domain is > enter the domain you wish to allow.
      • Optionally, add conditions to enhance security, such as verifying that the sender passes SPF, DKIM, or DMARC checks.
  4. Set Actions:​Alitajran+2Microsoft Learn+2Microsoft Learn+2
    • Do the following:
      • Select Modify the message properties > set the spam confidence level (SCL) > choose Bypass spam filtering.
      • Optionally, add a custom header for tracking purposes.
  5. Finalize the Rule:​Microsoft Answers+1Microsoft Answers+1

This approach is preferred as it allows for granular control and can incorporate additional security checks to ensure the legitimacy of the sender. ​Active Directory Pro

⚠️ Alternative Method: Use the Tenant Allow/Block List

This method involves adding domains to the Tenant Allow/Block List to permit emails from those domains.​CloudInfra+2Microsoft Learn+2Microsoft Learn+2

Steps:

  1. Access the Microsoft 365 Defender Portal:​Microsoft Answers+4CloudInfra+4Alitajran+4
  2. Navigate to Tenant Allow/Block Lists:​Alitajran+4Microsoft Learn+4CloudInfra+4
  3. Add Domains to Allow List:​Active Directory Pro+5Alitajran+5LazyAdmin+5

Note: This method should be used cautiously, as it may bypass certain security checks, potentially allowing malicious emails if the allowed domain is compromised. ​CloudInfra

⚠️ Less Recommended Method: Modify Anti-Spam Policies

Adjusting anti-spam policies to allow specific domains is generally not advised, as it can bypass multiple layers of security.​

Steps:

  1. Access the Microsoft 365 Defender Portal:​
  2. Navigate to Anti-Spam Policies:​
    • Go to Email & collaboration > Policies & rules > Threat policies > Anti-spam.​
  3. Edit Inbound Policy:​Alitajran+3Microsoft Learn+3LazyAdmin+3

Caution: This method is less secure and should be used only when necessary, as it may allow spoofed emails to bypass spam filters. ​LazyAdmin

Summary:

Implementing these methods carefully will help ensure that legitimate emails from trusted domains are delivered without being marked as spam.

Data Migration Manual: Cloud Storage or Server to SharePoint

November 10, 2025 /

Data Migration Manual: Cloud Storage or Server to SharePoint

Purpose

This manual provides a step-by-step process for migrating data from Dropbox to SharePoint to ensure data integrity, security, and minimal downtime.

Pre-Migration Checklist

  1. Confirm Requirements
    • Client expectations and deliverables documented.
    • Folder structure and permissions reviewed.
  2. Gather Credentials
    • Admin access to Dropbox.
    • Admin access to SharePoint.
  3. Assess Data Volume
    • Calculate total storage size in Dropbox.
    • Check SharePoint storage capacity.
  4. Backup Data
    • Create a full backup of Dropbox files.
    • Store backup in a secure location.
  5. User Permissions Mapping
    • Document current permissions in Dropbox.
    • Plan corresponding permissions in SharePoint.
  6. Communication Plan
    • Draft and send initial notification to staff about upcoming migration, including:
      • Expected timeline.
      • Key changes to expect. 
      • Beginning outage time, and what to do (save local copies of files for during migration)
      • Who to contact for questions or concerns.
      • Schedule before the move even starts- when is the training to show them where their stuff is and how to access it?
      • Prepare training doc and video for staff training on how to access new locations and best practices. These compliment the scheduled in person training.
    • Schedule reminder emails for 1 week and 1 day before migration begins.
    • Send notification about outages during migration.

Migration Steps

Step 1: Prepare SharePoint Site

  1. Create a SharePoint document library.
  2. Define folder structures based on client requirements.
  3. Configure permission levels for each folder.
  4. Test folder access permissions with sample users.

Step 2: Export Data from Dropbox

  1. Use the Dropbox web interface or API to download data.
  2. Maintain folder structure and metadata during export.
  3. Confirm file size and count match original data.
  4. Label the exported data folder clearly (e.g., DropboxBackup_DATE).

Step 3: Upload Data to SharePoint

  1. Use the SharePoint Migration Tool, preferably from one of our high speed upload jumpbox locations
  2. Verify data upload status and error logs after each batch.

Step 4: Validate Data Integrity

  1. Compare Dropbox and SharePoint data size and count.
  2. Spot-check sample files to confirm readability.
  3. Test permissions for different user roles.

Step 5: Final Adjustments

  1. Reorganize folders based on any additional client requests.

Post-Migration Steps

  1. User Training
    • Provide SharePoint access guides (document and video)
    • Conduct training session for end-users.
  2. Monitor Usage
    • Review access logs for unusual activity.
    • Confirm users can access necessary files without errors.
    • Have scheduled stand-by time for urgent needs directly after rollout.
  3. Client Sign-Off
    • Request confirmation from the client that data is accessible and correct.
    • Document any issues resolved during migration.
  4. Post-Migration Communication
    • Send final email confirming migration completion.
    • Provide support contact details for troubleshooting. (this can be combined with training doc if doc is sent on day of rollout)

Troubleshooting Tips

  1. File Name Errors:
    • Rename files exceeding SharePoint’s 400-character limit.
    • Avoid special characters that SharePoint doesn’t support.
  2. Permission Conflicts:
    • Reapply permissions manually if needed.
  3. Missing Files:
    • Use backup files to recover any lost data.
    • Verify logs for skipped files and re-upload them.
    • Keep export of previous save as an offline time capsule for at least 3 months.
  4. Slow Uploads:
    • Use Koontz Jumpbox or gigabit upload location to do the download and upload. Do ONLY from within a VM created for this purpose only, and delete this VM 3 months after the deployment date.

Tools & Resources

  • Jim and Andrae have done the most of these. Connect with them if needed.
  • Training video of two different varieties are in the company youtube channel.
  • Training docs are in the documents folder. Feel free to compare with docs customized for customers in WWFARMS, MPP PIPPING, or ASPEN CREEK- each of those have had migrations done after this process was nailed down.
« Older posts

© 2026 Ultrex Staff

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑