Author: Jim Smith

Moving Volume Shadow Copy Storage to Another Drive

July 10, 2026 / Jim Smith

Check the Current Shadow Copy Storage Location

Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
Run:

vssadmin list shadowstorage

Review the output for each volume. You’re looking for:

For volume: The volume being protected (typically C:).
Shadow Copy Storage volume: Where the shadow copies are currently stored.
Used/Allocated/Maximum Space: How much storage is being used.

Example:

For volume: (C:)

Shadow Copy Storage volume: (C:)

If the storage volume is C:, the shadow copies are being stored on the system drive.

Verify the Destination Drive

Before moving the storage:

Confirm the destination drive (for example S:) has sufficient free space.
Ensure it is a local NTFS volume.
Verify the drive will remain connected and available.

Remove the Existing Shadow Storage Association

If shadow storage is currently on C:, remove the association:

vssadmin delete shadowstorage /for=C: /on=C:

If you receive a message stating the association was not found, it may have already been removed.

Create a New Shadow Storage Location

Create the new storage association on the destination drive: Set the size to what is preferable.

vssadmin add shadowstorage /for=C: /on=S: /maxsize=100GB

Replace S: and the size as appropriate for the server.



Drive Type	Recommended Shadow Copy Size
OS Drive (C:)	10–20 GB (or none if storing elsewhere)
Small Data Drive (<250 GB)	10–15% of the drive
Medium Data Drive (250 GB–1 TB)	10–20% of the drive
Large Data Drive (>1 TB)	100–300 GB, depending on change rate
File Server with frequent changes	15–20% of the volume

Verify the Change

Run:

vssadmin list shadowstorage

Confirm the output now shows:

For volume: (C:)

Shadow Copy Storage volume: (S:)

This confirms the shadow copy storage has been successfully moved.

Optional Health Checks

Verify the VSS service is running:

sc query vss

Check that all VSS writers are stable:

vssadmin list writers

All writers should report:

State: Stable
Last Error: No error

Notes

This changes where future Volume Shadow Copies are stored. It does not move existing snapshots.
Existing restore points or snapshots may be removed when the old shadow storage association is deleted.
If this server is used for backups (such as Cove, Windows Server Backup, etc.), consider running a test backup afterward to verify VSS is functioning normally.

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How to make Safari and Firefox open in incognito or private mode every time

May 30, 2026 / Jim Smith

If you’re anything like me, you use chrome for your primary browsing, but pretty much every time you open firefox or safari, you’re specifically just wanting another inconito window that isn’t logged into whatever you might have going in your chrome incog session.

I regularly have chromes incog signed into a given ms365 admin panel, then need to sign into a given user of that org with the temp pass I’ve just made- and today I finally got annoyed enough to look at how to make firefox and safari just open in incognito mode every time since that’s the only reason I ever open them. If that’s some thing that would make your life easier too:

Safari
Safari allows you to change its default launching behavior directly within its application settings.

Open Safari.
Click on Safari in the top menu bar and select Settings… (or press Cmd + ,).
Ensure you are on the General tab.
Look for the dropdown menu labeled Safari opens with:.
Change this option to A new private window.

Firefox
Firefox offers two different approaches depending on how you want the browser to behave.
Method 1: The “Never Remember History” Mode (Recommended)
This method forces Firefox to run in a permanent private browsing mode. The browser looks normal, but it will never save history, cookies, or site data.

Open Firefox.
Click the three horizontal lines (menu icon) in the top-right corner and select Settings (or press Cmd + ,).
Click on Privacy & Security in the left-hand sidebar.
Scroll down to the History section.
In the dropdown menu next to Firefox will:, select Use custom settings for history.
Check the box that says Always use private browsing mode.
Firefox will prompt you to restart the browser to apply the change.

Youtube link for guide with step by step local account methods

May 21, 2026 / Jim Smith

Google putting overlay of “Use passkey from another device” over our beloved 1Password box.

April 29, 2026 / Jim Smith

That “Use passkey from another device” option is basically baked into Chrome’s WebAuthn flow.

The clean fix (this is the one that works consistently):

1. Disable Chrome’s passkey UI via flags

Go here:

chrome://flags

Search for:

Passkey
WebAuthn

Disable anything like:

WebAuthn UI
WebAuthn passkey autofill
Enable passkey account selection
Password manager passkey UI

Set them to Disabled, then restart Chrome.

HTML Blocks for our main site for the map/location blocks

April 10, 2026 / Jim Smith

Albany Block:

<h3 style=”text-decoration:underline”>Albany Office</h3>

<p style=”font-size:16px”><a href=”https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=110+SW+9th+Ave+Albany+OR+97321″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer” style=”text-decoration:none;color:inherit;”>110 SW 9th Ave<br>Albany, OR 97321</a></p>

<p style=”font-size:16px; margin-bottom: 5px;”><strong>Phone:</strong> <a href=”tel:541-928-6522″>541-928-6522</a></p>

<p style=”font-size:16px; margin-bottom: 5px;”><strong>Email:</strong> <a href=”mailto:sales@ultrex.com”>sales@ultrex.com</a></p>

<p style=”font-size:16px;”><strong>Hours:</strong> M-F (8am – 5pm)</p>

</div>

</div>

SALEM BLOCK:

<h3 style=”text-decoration:underline”>Salem Office</h3>

<p style=”font-size:16px”><a href=”https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=1715+Capitol+St+NE+Salem+OR+97301″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer” style=”text-decoration:none;color:inherit;”>1715 Capitol St NE<br>Salem, OR 97301</a></p>

<p style=”font-size:16px; margin-bottom: 5px;”><strong>Phone:</strong> <a href=”tel:503-391-9595″>503-391-9595</a></p>

<p style=”font-size:16px; margin-bottom: 5px;”><strong>Email:</strong> <a href=”mailto:sales@ultrex.com”>sales@ultrex.com</a></p>

<p style=”font-size:16px;”><strong>Hours:</strong> M-F (8am – 5pm)</p>

</div>

</div>

Setting up your UniFi Account to view Cameras with UniFi Protect

March 20, 2026 / Jim Smith

How to sign into your Microsoft Entra-enrolled PC after a domain name change

March 13, 2026 / Jim Smith

Making and Using Temporary Access Passes in MS365

March 12, 2026 / Jim Smith

Temporary Access Pass (TAP) in Microsoft 365

Enable TAP in Entra ID first:

Entra admin center – Protection – Authentication methods
Click Temporary Access Pass
Set to Enabled, configure who can use it, set lifetime (default 1 hour, max 8 hours or 30 days for one-time use)
Save

Create a TAP for a user:

Entra admin center – Users – select the user ( https://entra.microsoft.com/ )
Authentication methods
Click Add authentication method
Choose Temporary Access Pass
Set duration and whether it’s one-time use
Copy the code – you only see it once

How the user uses it:

Go to outlook.com or sign in wherever you need to
When prompted for a password, click “Sign-in options” – then “Temporary Access Pass”
Enter the TAP code
Once in, they set up their MFA method (Authenticator app, etc.)

Common use cases at an MSP:

New employee first login
User locked out / lost MFA device
Migrating a user to a new device and need them to register fresh

Key notes:

TAP bypasses MFA temporarily – treat it like a password
One-time use TAPs expire after first login
Reusable TAPs expire based on the time window you set

Ultrex IT Sales Primer

March 1, 2026 / Jim Smith

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.

THE PROCESS:

Find potential new client

Go to www.Consulting.ultrex.com and book a 1 hour in person apt with me. Put in the client info, not yours, since they’ll get the confirmation and follow up emails. Make sure you put in the full address and contact info- since that’s where I’ll go, and the number I’ll call if there’s a cancellation or reschedule request. On the “what are we getting together for” line, it’s important you know the client gets what you put there. Please put a – and your initials at the end of the line, so I know what account rep booked the apt.

Then, I do my research based on the client email you provide. I’ll arrive on the day of the apt knowing all I can about the client so I can be of most use.

After the visit, I’ll write a bid, and send it to you to then present to the client. If you’d like me at the presentation meeting, just book me again. Do not commit to any timeline for onboarding, please leave all non-financial discussions between me and the client. The onboarding fee is at your discretion. Edits to the contract? Just email me and I’ll update and send you new ones as fast as possible.