Category: Microsoft

How to lower Active Directory Functional Level

In Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2012, you can lower the Forest and Domain functional level from 2012 to 2008 R2, or from 2008 R2 to 2008. But you cannot lower it beyond 2008. Also, this is not possible by GUI, you have to use PowerShell for doing this. Let’s see how you can do it in the following steps:

1

Import the AD module

Import-Module -Name ActiveDirectory

2

Check the Forest Functional level of your Active Directory

Get-ADForest | Format-Table Name , ForestMode

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How to Remove Your IP from the Microsoft Blacklist

If Microsoft based mail servers have blacked your server’s IP address, you will see something like this in your email server logs or in a bounced email:

550 SC-001 Mail rejected

to fix this issue, you will have to check the Blacklisting status:

  1. check for blacklist record on MX toolbox.
  2. if your mail server’s IP is not listed, submit to the Microsoft’s Blacklist reporting program.
  3. Done.