Windows VPS & RDP
Keep apps running 24/7 on your RDP
Disconnect instead of signing out, check session time limits and power settings, and make programs start again after a restart.
MdmHost guides
Step-by-step help for your hosting
1,231 practical guides for cPanel, Plesk and DirectAdmin, Linux and Windows servers, websites, databases, DNS and security, from your first login to troubleshooting.
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- Getting startedYour first hour with a new server: access, logins and basics.69 guides
- cPanelFiles, databases, email, domains and every cPanel tool, step by step.37 guides
- WHM & resellingWHM, packages, reseller accounts, WHMReseller and running a hosting brand.49 guides
- WordPressInstall, secure, speed up, migrate and fix WordPress sites.40 guides
- Email & webmailMailboxes, webmail, forwarders, spam filters and email delivery.37 guides
- DomainsRegistering, transferring and managing domains and nameservers.20 guides
- SSL certificatesFree AutoSSL, Let's Encrypt, paid certificates and HTTPS.19 guides
- CloudLinuxCloudLinux setup and use: LVE limits, CloudLinux Manager, CageFS and PHP/Node.js selectors.31 guides
- LiteSpeedLiteSpeed Web Server, LSCache and the LiteSpeed Cache plugin: install, settings and tuning.30 guides
- Imunify360Malware scanning, firewall and proactive defence with Imunify360.23 guides
- SoftaculousInstall, update, clone and back up apps with Softaculous.23 guides
- WP SquaredcPanel's WordPress platform: sites, plugins, staging and backups.9 guides
- SitePadBuild and publish websites with the SitePad builder.9 guides
- SitejetDesign, edit and publish sites with the Sitejet builder.9 guides
- WHMResellerAlpha and master resellers with WHMReseller: install, setup and use.12 guides
- VirtFusionInstall, set up and manage VirtFusion: hypervisors, packages, servers and WHMCS integration.7 guides
- VirtualizorManage your VPS with Virtualizor: power, OS reinstall, VNC, IPs and backups.30 guides
- PleskWebsites, email, databases and settings in the Plesk panel.52 guides
- DirectAdminUsers, domains, email and reseller tools in DirectAdmin.40 guides
- WHMCSBilling, automation, products and client management with WHMCS.51 guides
- Control panelscPanel & WHM, Plesk, DirectAdmin and other panels on your VPS.106 guides
- SecurityKeys, passwords, firewalls and keeping a server patched.115 guides
- Networking & DNSIP addresses, reverse DNS, ports and traffic.34 guides
- Websites & appsWeb servers, WordPress, PHP, Node.js, SSL and app hosting.52 guides
- DatabasesMySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, Redis and MongoDB on a VPS.64 guides
- Billing & accountInvoices, renewals, the client area and your account.9 guides
- TroubleshootingWhen something is not working: checks and fixes.68 guides
- Linux VPSSSH, packages, services and everyday Linux administration.70 guides
- Windows VPS & RDPRemote Desktop, Windows Server settings and Admin RDP tips.58 guides
- Docker & DevOpsContainers, Git deploys, automation, monitoring and backups.58 guides
Popular guides
Windows VPS & RDP
Connect to your Admin RDP from Windows, Mac and phone
Find your login details, then connect to your Admin RDP or Windows VPS with the free Remote Desktop clients for Windows, macOS, iPhone and Android.
cPanel
How to log in to cPanel (MdmHost dashboard, URL and port 2083)
All the ways to open your cPanel account: one click from the MdmHost dashboard, the direct cPanel URL on port 2083, and what to do when the login fails.
Getting started
Set up a private remote work desktop on Admin RDP
Secure your Admin RDP, install everyday apps, personalise it, and learn when to disconnect versus sign out so your work keeps running.
cPanel
Restore files and folders from JetBackup 5 in cPanel
Restore deleted or broken website files from MdmHost's daily JetBackup 5 snapshots in cPanel: pick a date, choose files or folders, and restore or download them.
Security
Secure Remote Desktop on Windows Server
Stop password-guessing on Remote Desktop with strong passwords, Network Level Authentication, a lockout policy and firewall rules limited to your IP.
Explore all guides
A fresh mix every day. Pick a topic above to narrow it down.
Edit .htaccess in cPanel and create friendly URLs with rewrite rules
Show and edit the hidden .htaccess file in cPanel File Manager, then use mod_rewrite to build clean URLs, redirect pages and force www or non-www safely.
Update your profile and contact details
Keep your name, email, company and address current in the MdmHost Dashboard so invoices are correct and billing and support emails reach you.
Connect to your Linux VPS with SSH from Windows, Mac or Linux
Find your login details, connect over SSH from Windows, macOS or Linux, confirm the host key, save a shortcut and fix the most common first-login errors.
Express.js basics: build and host a small Node.js API
Create a small Express.js API with routes, JSON and static files, make it production-ready behind a proxy, and host it on cPanel or a Linux VPS.
Install and configure SitePad on a cPanel/WHM server
Server-side SitePad setup for root administrators: requirements, licensing, running the installer, the WHM admin panel, themes, package limits and updates.
Fix a Docker container that exits immediately
Find out why a Docker container stops right after it starts. Read logs and exit codes, then fix missing environment variables, a wrong command, background processes and restart loops.
Set up cPanel email in Apple Mail on macOS
Add a cPanel mailbox to Apple Mail on Mac with the automatic profile or manual IMAP and SMTP settings, map Sent and Trash folders and fix connection warnings.
Linux VPS vs Windows VPS: how to choose
Choose between a Linux VPS and a Windows VPS based on the software you run, how you connect, the skills you have and how much of the server's resources the OS uses.
Disk quota or inode limit full in DirectAdmin? Find and free space
Check disk and inode usage in DirectAdmin, find large folders, old backups, email and logs taking space, and clean up safely before uploads and email stop working.
Incident Response: Preserving Forensic Evidence from a Compromised Linux Server
Capture memory, network state and logs from a compromised Linux VPS before anything changes, then image the disk and record a chain of custody.
Secure your Virtualizor account with 2FA and SSH keys
Change your Virtualizor panel password, enable two-factor authentication, restrict login IPs, add SSH keys for OS installs and review the panel's login and task logs.
Set up an affiliate program in WHMCS
Enable WHMCS affiliates, set commission type and amount, choose payout thresholds and delays, configure per-product commissions and manage affiliate withdrawals.
Install Apache (httpd) on AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux
Install the Apache web server on AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux 8 and 9 with dnf, open HTTP and HTTPS in firewalld, learn the conf.d layout and set SELinux labels for custom web roots.
Fix SSH "connection refused", "timed out" and "permission denied"
Work out what each SSH error means, test the port from your computer, and use the control panel's browser console to fix the firewall, the SSH service or key permissions.
Set a static IP and add additional IPs on Windows Server
Configure a static IPv4 address, gateway and DNS on a Windows Server VPS and add extra IP addresses with the GUI or PowerShell, without losing RDP.
Self-host Home Assistant in Docker on a Linux VPS
Run the official Home Assistant container on a Linux VPS with host networking and a persistent config volume, then reach the dashboard safely from outside your network.
MIME types and Apache handlers in cPanel: serve files correctly
Fix files that download instead of opening, or show as text, by adding MIME types and Apache handlers in cPanel, and learn the safe way to run PHP in .html files.
Fix Nginx failed to start: address already in use
Nginx will not start when another program already holds port 80 or 443. Find what is using the port with ss, stop or move it, fix duplicate listen lines, then start Nginx.
Update DirectAdmin and server software with CustomBuild
Use CustomBuild in DirectAdmin to update Apache, Nginx, LiteSpeed, PHP, MariaDB, Exim and Dovecot, install extra PHP versions and keep DirectAdmin itself current.
Edit the sudoers file safely with visudo
Change who can use sudo without breaking it. Learn the sudoers syntax, use visudo and drop-in files in /etc/sudoers.d, and grant full or limited admin rights.
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