Category: Uncategorized


  • Troubleshooting VMware and Kali Linux: Invisible Mouse Cursor and Beyond

    By John Hopkins | HopTechOne.com | October 2025 As part of my IT up-skilling journey, I decided to dive into virtualization with VMware Workstation (now free for business use) and Kali Linuxโ€”a powerful combo for security training and endpoint management labs. With my background in Fresenius IT support and a focus on secure device connectivity,…

  • Learnings and Next Steps

    This project taught me Intune policy scoping, registry troubleshooting, DNS propagation, and domain managementโ€”skills directly applicable to healthcare IT (e.g., secure PACS access). Key tools: PowerShell, dsregcmd /status, MX Toolbox. Next on the to-do list: Recreate Intune policy and test regedit lockout & NotepadDenyUser policies for Eagle.Talon@HopTechOne.com. Finish AZ-900 Cloud Concepts module on https://learn.microsoft.com. Cost…

  • Lesson 4: Guest Access and Teams Administration

    Setup: Enabled guest access in Teams Admin Center; invited external@hotmail.com and external@gmail.com to teams/meetings. Issues: Gmail user needed Microsoft account creation; Hotmail user had empty “My Apps” (normal for guests). Fixes: Guided sign-in, granted SharePoint “Can edit” for file access. Admin: Managed teams/channels, assigned meeting policies, used Entra ID for guest roles. Key Takeaway: Guests…

  • Lesson 3: Custom Domain Setup (HopTechOne.com)

    To brand the tenant professionally: Result: Emails now from @HopTechOne.com (e.g., JohnHopkins@HopTechOne.com). Registration: Namecheap (~$10/year) with Stellar hosting ($3/month) and free SSL. Verification: Added TXT record (MS=ms????????) in Advanced DNS; fixed CNAME for www. Email: Added MX, CNAME (autodiscover), SPF TXT; set as primary domain. Challenges: Propagation delays (24โ€“48 hours), Namecheap lockout (resolved via support).…

  • Lesson 1: Entra ID Join and Intune Enrollment

    The laptop was stuck at AzureAdJoined: NO and WorkplaceJoined: YES, blocking full Intune management. After removing the Workplace Join (dsregcmd /leave as SYSTEM via PsExec), I joined Entra ID: Intune Enrollment: Automatic via MDMUrl (https://enrollment.manage.microsoft.com/); device appeared as Compliant in Intune. GUI Method: Settings > Accounts > Access work or school > Connect > “Join…

  • Lesson 0: The Azure Free Trial Pitfalls โ€“ Why I Switched to Microsoft 365

    Before diving into Entra ID and Intune, I tried using a free Azure 30-day/$200 credit trial to host a Windows Server 2022 VM (TestVM) for lab work. What should have been quick setup turned into hours of frustration: The Switch: Realizing the free Azure trial lacked the integrated identity/tools for endpoint management, I pivoted to…

  • The Setup: HopTechOne Tenant and JH_5440_Laptop

    Goal: Enroll the laptop in Intune, join Entra ID, and create a policy to block regedit.exe and notepad.exe for Eagle.Talon@HopTechOne.onmicrosoft.com (assigned to “NotepadDenyUsers” group), while allowing JohnHopkins@HopTechOne.onmicrosoft.com and LocalAdmin. Tools: Firefox, LastPass, PowerShell 7.5.3, PsTools, Microsoft Graph module. Challenges: AzureAdJoined: NO, Workplace Join conflicts, registry blocks on LocalAdmin, DNS propagation for HopTechOne.com. Multiple issues. Everything…

  • By John Hopkins | HopTechOne.com | October 2025 With a background in Fresenius IT support and a passion for getting devices securely connected and talking with each other, I decided to build a hands-on lab to sharpen my endpoint management skills. This blog chronicles my TestVM projectโ€”setting up a Microsoft 365 Business Premium Pro tenant…

  • Top IT Skills Every Professional Should Learn

    Here are the top IT skills every tech professional should consider mastering for 2025 โ€” along with why they matter and how you might get started. 1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (ML) Why it matters: Get started: Understand ethical implications of AI (bias, data privacy) Learn a language like Python (widely used for…