VB Script to Remotely Start or Stop a windows service with get currentstate

This script will start or stop a service on a remote computer. It will optionally allow you to retrieve the current state of the service before and after you make a change. This is useful for verifying the state of the service before you make a change and to verify the change has been applied.

 dim svcName, sStart, sStop  
 dim service  
 dim objService  
 dim SvrName  
 dim input  
 dim input2  
 Dim svclist  
 Dim compname  
 dim objFile  
 Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")  
 on error resume next  
 input = Inputbox ("Computer Name that you would like to Start or stop service on:"& vbCRLF & "Default is this pc", _  
 "Stop or Start service","localhost")  
 If input = "" Then  
 WScript.Quit  
 End If  
 returnvalue=MsgBox ("Do you want display a list of services on remote pc?"& vbCRLF & "List will show the Service Short Name, the current State and the Service Display Name", 36, "Show Services")  
 if returnvalue = 6 then  
 Const ForWriting = 2  
 Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")  
 Set objTextFile = objFSO.OpenTextFile _  
 ("c:services list.txt", ForWriting, True)  
 Set colServices = GetObject("winmgmts://" & input).ExecQuery _  
 ("Select * from Win32_Service")  
 objTextFile.WriteLine("Short Name") & VbTab & ("Current State") & VbTab & VbTab & ("Display Name")  
 For Each objService in colServices  
 objTextFile.WriteLine(objService.Name & VbTab & _  
 objService.State & VbTab & VbTab & objService.DisplayName)  
 Next  
 objTextFile.Close  
 WScript.Sleep 500  
 wShshell.Run "notepad c:services list.txt"  
 WScript.Sleep 500  
 If input = "" Then  
 WScript.Quit  
 End If  
 input2 = Inputbox ("Enter the Service name you want to start or stop:" & vbCRLF & "Use the services list.txt file to get service short name if you don't know it." & vbCRLF & "print spooler = spooler" & vbCRLF & "remote registry = remoteregistry" & vbCRLF & "Windows Event log = eventlog"& vbCRLF & "Default is Print Spooler" & vbCRLF & "","Service Name","spooler")  
 If input2 = "" Then  
 WScript.Quit  
 End If  
 SvrName = input  
 svcName = input2  
 Set service = GetObject("winmgmts:!\" & svrName & "rootcimv2")  
 svc = "Win32_Service=" & "'" & svcName & "'"  
 state = inputbox _  
 ("Enter start or stop to Change the Status of Service" & vbCRLF & "lowercase only" & vbCRLF & "Default is start","start or stop","start")  
 If state = "" Then  
 WScript.Quit  
 End If  
 if state = "start" then  
 Set objService = Service.Get(svc)  
 retVal = objService.StartService()  
 returnvalue=MsgBox ("Do you want re-open the services list.txt file and verify the state change?", 36, "Started the " & svcName & " service on " & SvrName)  
 if returnvalue = 6 then  
 Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")  
 Set objTextFile = objFSO.OpenTextFile _  
 ("c:services list.txt", ForWriting, True)  
 Set colServices = GetObject("winmgmts://" & input).ExecQuery _  
 ("Select * from Win32_Service")  
 objTextFile.WriteLine("Short Name") & VbTab & ("Current State") & VbTab & ("Display Name")  
 For Each objService in colServices  
 objTextFile.WriteLine(objService.Name & VbTab & _  
 objService.State & VbTab & objService.DisplayName)  
 Next  
 objTextFile.Close  
 WScript.Sleep 500  
 wShshell.Run "notepad c:services list.txt"  
 WScript.Sleep 500  
 end if  
 WScript.Quit  
 elseif state = "stop" then  
 Set objService = Service.Get(svc)  
 retVal = objService.StopService()  
 end if  
 returnvalue=MsgBox ("Do you want re-open the services list.txt file and verify the state change?", 36, "Stopped the " & svcName & " service on " & SvrName)  
 if returnvalue = 6 then  
 Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")  
 Set objTextFile = objFSO.OpenTextFile _  
 ("c:services list.txt", ForWriting, True)  
 Set colServices = GetObject("winmgmts://" & input).ExecQuery _  
 ("Select * from Win32_Service")  
 objTextFile.WriteLine("Short Name") & VbTab & ("Current State") & VbTab & ("Display Name")  
 For Each objService in colServices  
 objTextFile.WriteLine(objService.Name & VbTab & _  
 objService.State & VbTab & objService.DisplayName)  
 Next  
 objTextFile.Close  
 WScript.Sleep 500  
 wShshell.Run "notepad c:services list.txt"  
 WScript.Sleep 500  
 end if  
 WScript.Quit  
 end if  

Open Outlook 2003, 2007, 2010 or 2013 secure temp olk folderlocation.vbs script

A useful script, especially for those high maintenance users who insist on editing excel or word documents they open from Outlook and then frantically calling your help desk complaining they can't locate files they saved while working in Outlook. Place the script on their desktop and have them run it first before calling your help desk.. Works with Outlook 2003, 2007, 2010 and now also with Outlook 2013.

 ' This script will open the Outlook Secure Temp folder location for Outlook   
  ' 2003, 2007, 2010 and 2013   
  Dim WshShell, strValue, openlocation   
  Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject(“WScript.Shell”)   
  const HKEY_CURRENT_USER = &H80000001   
  on error resume next   
  strComputer = “.”   
  Set oReg=GetObject(“winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\” &_   
  strComputer & “rootdefault:StdRegProv”)   
  strKeyPath = “SoftwareMicrosoftOffice11.0OutlookSecurity”   
  strValueName = “OutlookSecureTempFolder”   
  oReg.GetStringValue HKEY_CURRENT_USER,strKeyPath,strValueName,dwValue   
  If IsNull(dwValue) Then   
  Else   
  strKeyPath = “SoftwareMicrosoftOffice11.0OutlookSecurity”   
  strValueName = “OutlookSecureTempFolder”   
  oReg.GetStringValue HKEY_CURRENT_USER,strKeyPath,strValueName,strValue   
  openlocation = “EXPLORER.exe /e,” & strValue   
  wShshell.Run openlocation   
  End If   
  strKeyPath = “SoftwareMicrosoftOffice12.0OutlookSecurity”   
  strValueName = “OutlookSecureTempFolder”   
  oReg.GetStringValue HKEY_CURRENT_USER,strKeyPath,strValueName,dwValue   
  If IsNull(dwValue) Then   
  Else   
  strKeyPath = “SoftwareMicrosoftOffice12.0OutlookSecurity”   
  strValueName = “OutlookSecureTempFolder”   
  oReg.GetStringValue HKEY_CURRENT_USER,strKeyPath,strValueName,strValue   
  openlocation = “EXPLORER.exe /e,” & strValue   
  wShshell.Run openlocation   
  End If   
  strKeyPath = “SoftwareMicrosoftOffice14.0OutlookSecurity”   
  strValueName = “OutlookSecureTempFolder”   
  oReg.GetStringValue HKEY_CURRENT_USER,strKeyPath,strValueName,dwValue   
  If IsNull(dwValue) Then   
  Else   
  strKeyPath = “SoftwareMicrosoftOffice14.0OutlookSecurity”   
  strValueName = “OutlookSecureTempFolder”   
  oReg.GetStringValue HKEY_CURRENT_USER,strKeyPath,strValueName,strValue   
  openlocation = “EXPLORER.exe /e,” & strValue   
  wShshell.Run openlocation   
  End If   
  strKeyPath = “SoftwareMicrosoftOffice15.0OutlookSecurity”   
  strValueName = “OutlookSecureTempFolder”   
  oReg.GetStringValue HKEY_CURRENT_USER,strKeyPath,strValueName,dwValue   
  If IsNull(dwValue) Then   
  Else   
  strKeyPath = “SoftwareMicrosoftOffice15.0OutlookSecurity”   
  strValueName = “OutlookSecureTempFolder”   
  oReg.GetStringValue HKEY_CURRENT_USER,strKeyPath,strValueName,strValue   
  openlocation = “EXPLORER.exe /e,” & strValue   
  wShshell.Run openlocation   
  End If   
  WScript.Quit   

Proxy On OFF Switch with get current state v2

A useful vbscript  for Laptop users who work in and out of the office and are behind a proxy server when in the office and are not when out of the office. For those users who have difficulty changing the settings manually through internet explorer this script can save them and your helpdesk invaluable amounts of time and headaches.
This script detects the current proxy state and depending on that sate prompts you to enable or disable it.
It also auomatically closes IE so the settings take effect immediately and then re- launches IE with the new settings.
The only variable thats needs to be changed is on line 37
Replace <Domain Proxy Server> with the IP or name of your domain proxy server without the brackets <> eg. ContosoProxy:80

  'Proxy On OFF Switch with get current state v2   
  'Dec. 6, 2011   
 Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")  
 DimSetting = WshShell.RegRead ("HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ProxyEnable")  
 If DimSetting = 1 Then   
 'Wscript.Echo "Proxy is Currently Enabled"  
 returnvalue=MsgBox ("Do you want to DISABLE the Proxy?", 36, "Proxy state is Currently ENABLED")  
 if returnvalue = 6 then   
 ' BEGIN CALLOUT A  
 WshShell.RegWrite "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\" & _  
      "CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ProxyEnable", _  
      0, "REG_DWORD"  
 ' END CALLOUT A  
 wShshell.Run "taskkill /im iexplore.exe",0,True  
 WScript.Sleep 500 'give kill time to take effect  
 'Inform User that the task is done.  
 Mybox = MsgBox("Proxy is now disabled" ,vbOkOnly,"Proxy is Disabled")  
 're-launch internet explorer  
 wShshell.Run "iexplore.exe"  
 End If  
 WScript.Quit  
 Else   
 'Wscript.Echo "Proxy is Currently Disabled"   
 End If  
 'On Error Resume Next  
 returnvalue=MsgBox ("Do you want to ENABLE the Proxy?", 36, "Proxy state is Currently DISABLED")  
 If returnvalue = "" Then  
  WScript.Quit  
 End If  
 if returnvalue = 6 then   
 ' BEGIN CALLOUT A  
 'Replace <Domain Proxy Server> in line 50 with IP or your proxy server name without the <> eg. ContosoProxy:80  
 WshShell.RegWrite "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\" & _  
      "CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ProxyEnable", _  
      1, "REG_DWORD"  
 WshShell.RegWrite "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\" & _  
      "CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ProxyServer","<Domain Proxy Server>:80", "REG_SZ"  
 WshShell.RegWrite "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\" & _  
      "CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ProxyOverride","<local>", "REG_SZ"  
 ' END CALLOUT A  
 wShshell.Run "taskkill /im iexplore.exe",0,True  
 WScript.Sleep 500 'give kill time to take effect  
 'Inform User that the task is done.  
 Mybox = MsgBox("Proxy is enabled and set to enter your companies proxy server",vbOkOnly,"Proxy Enabled")  
 're-launch internet explorer  
 wShshell.Run "iexplore.exe"  
 End If  
 WScript.Quit  

Get and edit a remote computers hosts file

For those times when you don’t have easy access to computer and need to view its hosts file then the below script can come in handy.


 'script will get and allow you to edit a remote computers hosts file  
 'it also changes the association for extensionless files like the hosts file to open with notepad  
 'Get and open Remote Computers Hosts file  
 on error resume next  
 Set WshShell = Wscript.CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")  
 strcomputer = inputbox("Enter remote computer name or leave as localhost for this computer","Get Hosts file","Localhost")  
 If strComputer = "" Then  
 WScript.Quit  
 End If  
 'Associate Extensionless Files with Notepad  
 wshShell.run "%comspec% /c c: & assoc .=txtfile"  
 WScript.Sleep 500 'give association time to take effect  
 'open hosts file on remote  
 wshShell.Run "\" & strcomputer & "c$WindowsSystem32driversetchosts"  

Get a remote computers windowsupdate.log file

For those times when you don't have easy access to computer and need to view its windowsupdate.log to find out why updates are'nt being applied then the below script can come in handy.


 'This script will get a remote computers windowsupdate.log file  
 'it also changes the association for .log files to open with notepad  
 'Get and open WindowsUpdate log file on remote Computer  
 on error resume next  
 Set WshShell = Wscript.CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")  
 strcomputer = inputbox("Enter remote computer name or leave as localhost for this computer","Get WindowsUpdate.log file","Localhost")  
 If strComputer = "" Then  
 WScript.Quit  
 End If  
 'Associate .log Files with Notepad  
 wshShell.run "%comspec% /c c: & assoc .log=txtfile"  
 WScript.Sleep 500 'give association time to take effect  
 'open WindowsUpdate.log file on remote computer  
 wshShell.Run "\" & strcomputer & "c$WindowsWindowsUpdate.log""  

Create Custom Libraries in Windows 7 and Deploy Them Through Group Policy

Create Custom Libraries in Windows 7 and Deploy Them Through Group Policy

The library functionality was introduced within Windows 7 and provides users a single point of entry for specific data. For example, a company can have their data stored on several servers and for users it is not always clear what data can be found at which location. In such cases, the library can offer the users a great way to easily access the locations where the data is stored, with a single point of entry.Since it is not desired that the users will have to configure this themselves, I have written this post so that you can easily create your own company wide custom libraries.

Creating the custom library

• Log on the Windows 7 VM with credentials which has access to the locations you wish to add to the libraries.


• Open Windows Explorer.


• In the right pane, right-click on a white part of the screen.


• Select New -> Library.

 

 

 

 

 

Fill in the name for the Library.

 

 

• 
  
  Right click on the library and select Properties.


• Add the locations you desire to add to this library.


• Select the location you desire to set as the default location to save data to and click on “Set save location” to configure this.


• Select what you want to optimize this library for.


• Click OK. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• 
  
  Goto %appdata%RoamingMicrosoftWindowsLibraries


• Edit the file of your library with Notepad.

Under the line “<isLibraryPinned>true</isLibraryPinned>”, add the following line:
<iconReference>shell32.dll,96</iconReference>
Here you can specify a file with the icon you desire to represent this library.

Prepare the custom library for deployment

• Goto %appdata%RoamingMicrosoftWindowsLibraries


• Copy the file from the library you have just created to a location accessible from the network.

Deploy the custom library

• Edit a user Group Policy.


• Goto User Configuration -> Policies -> Windows Settings -> Scripts (Logon/Logoff) -> Logon.


• Add a logon script which copies the library file from the network share to %appdata%RoamingMicrosoftWindowsLibraries

Script example:
copy \domainnetlogonLibrary name*.* %appdata%RoamingMicrosoftWindowsLibraries

 

Unmount and Clean up a Wim Image using DISM

Unmount and Clean up a Wim Image using Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM)

DISM provides you an option to load Wim images onto your local drive and the service it offline. You can either add/remove a driver, enable/disable features, perform other customizations..without even installing them on a physical box. Now when you have mounted a Wim image, its really necessary to check if the image is mounted correctly. you can do that by running the command,  dism /get-MountedWiminfo.

Check the Status. If the Status is OK, then everything is good. If the Status is anything else., for eg: Needs Remount, Status Un-available, Invalid.. etc.. Its an indication that, you gotta’ remount (repair) the image. In this article, you will know how to Unmount, clean and remount a Wim image using the DISM tool.   

The screenshot above shows the mounted image status as “Invalid”.  This means that the mount point is corrupted and there may be resources associated with the mounted image that has been abandoned.  The cleanup command does not unmount a mounted image, nor does it delete images that can be recovered using the remount command.  You can use the cleanup command to delete these abandoned resources.  You can cleanup using the command syntax: dism /cleanup-wim

If the mounted image status shows as “Need-Remount”, you can run the remount command to recover the orphaned mount path.

Re-Mounting a Wim Image

When you have an issue with the mounted images as seen above, you will need have a need to re-mount the images which are mounted. This command will recover an orphaned Wim mount directory. You can re-mount using the command syntax.  dism /remount-wim /MountDir:<mountDir>

Un-Mounting a Wim Image

Once you are done with Servicing the Wim Image, you can unmount the image from your machine. Most of the IT Pros have asked this, what if they have forgot to save the changes, before they unmount. Thats how the DISM team has added this switch either to commit or discard the changes.  dism /unmount-Wim  /MountDir:<mountDir> /commit

Changes to WIM files are not “committed” until you do so specifically. You have three choices:

Unmount the image using the /Commit option (to save changes)

Use the /Commit option without unmounting (this keeps the image open so you can make more changes).

Unmount the image and use the /Discard option. In this case the image in the WIM file will be unchanged. This is used primarily as a manual “undo” of your changes.

 

 Cleaning up all Mounted Wim Images

This operation will search for all the staleg up all Mounted Wim Images

or corrupted files in your machine and clean it up! – dism /cleanup-wim

The /Cleanup-Wim command is only used if there is any issue with the mount points, that means when any of the mounted images are shown as in the “Invalid” state.  You can run the cleanup command to delete these abandoned resources at the corrupted mount points.  There is no need to run the cleanup command every time when you are done with servicing the mounted images, but only when you run the /get-mountedwiminfo command and found that there are some mounted images showing the “Invalid” status. (as shown in the first screenshot in this article)

Since cleanup command only needs to be run when the /get-mountedwiminfo shows any mounted images in “Invalid” state, and the cleanup command does not unmount a mounted image, nor does it delete images that can be recovered using the remount command, running the /get-mountedwiminfo command after running the /cleanup-wim command usually still shows the mounted images with status no longer in the “Invalid” state instead of no mounted images as shown in the snapshot above.  Note that is very rare that a mounted images will be in the “Invalid” state, since it is rare that a mount point will become corrupted unless something weird has happened to the host system!

GPEdit.MSC – Doesn’t show changes made to the registry?

GPEdit.MSC – Doesn’t show changes made to the registry?

That’s a question that came up a couple of times in the past, so I thought I’d write a few words about it. The question is:

“When I make changes to the registry that correspond to a Group Policy Setting, why doesn’t show GPEdit.msc (the GPEditor) the changed setting?”

That is due to how Windows applies GP settings to the registry.

What GPEdit writes and reads is not the registry directly but a intermediate file, called the Registry.POL. The POL file stores the changes and registry values that get incorporated by the Registry CSE (well, there’s some involvement with the ntuser.dat but that’s a different story). The point is that GPEdit reads/writes Registry.POL and the CSE is using that Registry.POL file to read the registry configuration off the the file to put it into the registry.

When making changes to the registry, the Registry CSE doesn’t care about the current state of the registry keys and values it changes - it just applies the settings governed by the POL file. In fact, it does wipe all values in the “four” special POLICY-hives and re-creates them according to the POL file. So - changes you make to the Registry are not carried out back to the POL file and therefore, GPEdit won’t look find them there.

What you will always see in GPEdit is what is configured in the Registry.POL file.

Complete List of Canonical Names of Control Panel Items

Canonical Names of Control Panel Items

As of Windows Vista, each Control Panel item is given a canonical name for use in programmatically launching that item. This topic lists each Control Panel item, its canonical name, and its GUID.

Windows 7 Control Panel Canonical Names

The following canonical names are defined for Control Panel items in Windows 7. All names are also valid on Windows Vista unless specified otherwise. Not all Control Panel items are available on all varieties of Windows and some Control Panel items might appear only when appropriate hardware is detected. These canonical names do not change for different languages. They are always in English, even if the system's language is non-English.

Control Panel Item	Canonical name	GUID
Action Center	Microsoft.ActionCenter (Windows 7 and later only)	{BB64F8A7-BEE7-4E1A-AB8D-7D8273F7FDB6}
Administrative Tools	Microsoft.AdministrativeTools	{D20EA4E1-3957-11d2-A40B-0C5020524153}
AutoPlay	Microsoft.AutoPlay	{9C60DE1E-E5FC-40f4-A487-460851A8D915}
Backup and Restore	Microsoft.BackupAndRestore (Windows 7 and later only)	{B98A2BEA-7D42-4558-8BD1-832F41BAC6FD}
Biometric Devices	Microsoft.BiometricDevices (Windows 7 and later only)	{0142e4d0-fb7a-11dc-ba4a-000ffe7ab428}
BitLocker Drive Encryption	Microsoft.BitLockerDriveEncryption	{D9EF8727-CAC2-4e60-809E-86F80A666C91}
Color Management	Microsoft.ColorManagement	{B2C761C6-29BC-4f19-9251-E6195265BAF1}
Credential Manager	Microsoft.CredentialManager (Windows 7 and later only)	{1206F5F1-0569-412C-8FEC-3204630DFB70}
Date and Time	Microsoft.DateAndTime	{E2E7934B-DCE5-43C4-9576-7FE4F75E7480}
Default Location	Microsoft.DefaultLocation (Windows 7 and later only)	{00C6D95F-329C-409a-81D7-C46C66EA7F33}
Default Programs	Microsoft.DefaultPrograms	{17cd9488-1228-4b2f-88ce-4298e93e0966}
Desktop Gadgets	Microsoft.DesktopGadgets (Windows 7 and later only)	{37efd44d-ef8d-41b1-940d-96973a50e9e0}
Device Manager	Microsoft.DeviceManager	{74246bfc-4c96-11d0-abef-0020af6b0b7a}
Devices and Printers	Microsoft.DevicesAndPrinters (Windows 7 and later only)	{A8A91A66-3A7D-4424-8D24-04E180695C7A}
Display	Microsoft.Display (Windows 7 and later only)	{C555438B-3C23-4769-A71F-B6D3D9B6053A}
Ease of Access Center	Microsoft.EaseOfAccessCenter	{D555645E-D4F8-4c29-A827-D93C859C4F2A}
Folder Options	Microsoft.FolderOptions	{6DFD7C5C-2451-11d3-A299-00C04F8EF6AF}
Fonts	Microsoft.Fonts	{93412589-74D4-4E4E-AD0E-E0CB621440FD}
Game Controllers	Microsoft.GameControllers	{259EF4B1-E6C9-4176-B574-481532C9BCE8}
Get Programs	Microsoft.GetPrograms	{15eae92e-f17a-4431-9f28-805e482dafd4}
Getting Started	Microsoft.GettingStarted (Windows 7 and later only)	{CB1B7F8C-C50A-4176-B604-9E24DEE8D4D1}
HomeGroup	Microsoft.HomeGroup (Windows 7 and later only)	{67CA7650-96E6-4FDD-BB43-A8E774F73A57}
Indexing Options	Microsoft.IndexingOptions	{87D66A43-7B11-4A28-9811-C86EE395ACF7}
Infrared	Microsoft.Infrared (Windows 7 and later only)	{A0275511-0E86-4ECA-97C2-ECD8F1221D08}
Internet Options	Microsoft.InternetOptions	{A3DD4F92-658A-410F-84FD-6FBBBEF2FFFE}
iSCSI Initiator	Microsoft.iSCSIInitiator	{A304259D-52B8-4526-8B1A-A1D6CECC8243}
Keyboard	Microsoft.Keyboard	{725BE8F7-668E-4C7B-8F90-46BDB0936430}
Location and Other Sensors	Microsoft.LocationAndOtherSensors (Windows 7 and later only)	{E9950154-C418-419e-A90A-20C5287AE24B}
Mouse	Microsoft.Mouse	{6C8EEC18-8D75-41B2-A177-8831D59D2D50}
Network and Sharing Center	Microsoft.NetworkAndSharingCenter	{8E908FC9-BECC-40f6-915B-F4CA0E70D03D}
Notification Area Icons	Microsoft.NotificationAreaIcons (Windows 7 and later only)	{05d7b0f4-2121-4eff-bf6b-ed3f69b894d9}
Offline Files	Microsoft.OfflineFiles	{D24F75AA-4F2B-4D07-A3C4-469B3D9030C4}
Parental Controls	Microsoft.ParentalControls	{96AE8D84-A250-4520-95A5-A47A7E3C548B}
Pen and Touch	Microsoft.PenAndTouch (Windows 7 and later only)	{F82DF8F7-8B9F-442E-A48C-818EA735FF9B}
People Near Me	Microsoft.PeopleNearMe	{5224F545-A443-4859-BA23-7B5A95BDC8EF}
Performance Information and Tools	Microsoft.PerformanceInformationAndTools	{78F3955E-3B90-4184-BD14-5397C15F1EFC}
Personalization	Microsoft.Personalization	{ED834ED6-4B5A-4bfe-8F11-A626DCB6A921}
Phone and Modem	Microsoft.PhoneAndModem (Windows 7 and later only)	{40419485-C444-4567-851A-2DD7BFA1684D}
Power Options	Microsoft.PowerOptions	{025A5937-A6BE-4686-A844-36FE4BEC8B6D}
Programs and Features	Microsoft.ProgramsAndFeatures	{7b81be6a-ce2b-4676-a29e-eb907a5126c5}
Recovery	Microsoft.Recovery (Windows 7 and later only)	{9FE63AFD-59CF-4419-9775-ABCC3849F861}
Region and Language	Microsoft.RegionAndLanguage (Windows 7 and later only)	{62D8ED13-C9D0-4CE8-A914-47DD628FB1B0}
RemoteApp and Desktop Connections	Microsoft.RemoteAppAndDesktopConnections (Windows 7 and later only)	{241D7C96-F8BF-4F85-B01F-E2B043341A4B}
Scanners and Cameras	Microsoft.ScannersAndCameras	{00f2886f-cd64-4fc9-8ec5-30ef6cdbe8c3}
Sound	Microsoft.Sound (Windows 7 and later only)	{F2DDFC82-8F12-4CDD-B7DC-D4FE1425AA4D}
Speech Recognition	Microsoft.SpeechRecognition (Windows 7 and later only)	{58E3C745-D971-4081-9034-86E34B30836A}
Sync Center	Microsoft.SyncCenter	{9C73F5E5-7AE7-4E32-A8E8-8D23B85255BF}
System	Microsoft.System	{BB06C0E4-D293-4f75-8A90-CB05B6477EEE}
Tablet PC Settings	Microsoft.TabletPCSettings	{80F3F1D5-FECA-45F3-BC32-752C152E456E}
Taskbar and Start Menu	Microsoft.TaskbarAndStartMenu	{0DF44EAA-FF21-4412-828E-260A8728E7F1}
Text to Speech	Microsoft.TextToSpeech	{D17D1D6D-CC3F-4815-8FE3-607E7D5D10B3}
Troubleshooting	Microsoft.Troubleshooting (Windows 7 and later only)	{C58C4893-3BE0-4B45-ABB5-A63E4B8C8651}
User Accounts	Microsoft.UserAccounts	{60632754-c523-4b62-b45c-4172da012619}
Windows Anytime Upgrade	Microsoft.WindowsAnytimeUpgrade	{BE122A0E-4503-11DA-8BDE-F66BAD1E3F3A}
Windows CardSpace	Microsoft.CardSpace	{78CB147A-98EA-4AA6-B0DF-C8681F69341C}
Windows Defender	Microsoft.WindowsDefender	{D8559EB9-20C0-410E-BEDA-7ED416AECC2A}
Windows Firewall	Microsoft.WindowsFirewall	{4026492F-2F69-46B8-B9BF-5654FC07E423}
Windows Mobility Center	Microsoft.MobilityCenter	{5ea4f148-308c-46d7-98a9-49041b1dd468}
Windows SideShow	Microsoft.WindowsSideShow	{E95A4861-D57A-4be1-AD0F-35267E261739}
Windows Update	Microsoft.WindowsUpdate	{36eef7db-88ad-4e81-ad49-0e313f0c35f8}

Finding that specific Group Policy Setting

Have you found yourself searching for the right place whenever your in a stituation where you need a specific Windows setting, an Office behavior or a third party application – and you want to control that with Group Policy?  How do you know if there’s a GPO for what you need and where it’s located?

Well, there are a couple of steps you can use.

Check whether there’s a built-in GPO

Your first step probably is to check if there’s a ready-to-go GPO you can deploy. For that, you can fire up GPMC and check there. But other than browsing through the GPEditor tree or using the GPMC search, there are other two additional options. Those are good when you are with a customer and can’t get your hands on a machine with GPMC loaded. The first option is one of the coolest Azure apps I’ve seen: http://gps.cloudapp.net. GPS stands for Group Policy Search – you can search for GPOs by name or browse the GPO tree “virtually”. You can get it from any machine with internet access. If you’re more the download-n-go kind of guy, someone who sticks with references, there’s a GPO reference Excel spreadsheet: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=18c90c80-8b0a-4906-a4f5-ff24cc2030fb&displaylang=en. They contain the setting names, the registry location the settings change, the path to browse and the “supported on” information. All searchable – and filterable, excel-like. That should get you going.

By now, you should know if there’s a built-in GPO you can use. In case you found what you were searched, consider yourself done with this article. If not, read on.

Check whether there’s a custom ADM(X) template

So no luck with the built-in stuff. Good thing there’s the community and fine places you can find and download ADM(X) templates from. ADM(X) templates are simply templates you can add to Group Policy Editor – based on the information in the template, the correct registry settings are forced on the client. Reading this, you probably noticed that this only works for registry settings, so it’ll only add “Administrative Templates” settings. There are ADM template files for pre-Vista GPMC administrators and ADMX template files for Vista+ GPMC administrators. Vista+ GPMC understands ADM, too, but XP’s GPMC only eats ADM template files. So be sure to search and find for the correct format.

For Microsoft Office, there are downloadable ADM(X) template files around: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=92d8519a-e143-4aee-8f7a-e4bbaeba13e7 and http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=64b837b6-0aa0-4c07-bc34-bec3990a7956&displaylang=en. No biggie to find them. ADM templates can be imported in GP Editor by clicking the “Administrative Templates” node and choosing “Add/Remove template”. For ADMX, you’ll have to either copy the files to the CentralStore or to the local PolicyDefinitions folder and re-open the GPEditor. It appears that I have created a link list for ADM template files in the past: http://www.frickelsoft.net/blog/?p=38, you may find other ADM template using Bing or Google or any other search engine. If you’re familiar with German, at least a bit, you can check Mark Heitbrink’s Group Policy site in German. He has a ton of ADM template files you can download and adjust: http://www.gruppenrichtlinien.de/index.html?/adm/Beispiele.htm. #24 for Adobe Reader is a real pearl :-) Also, I’ve found http://www.appdeploy.com has some good tips for you. They not only have tips and tricks about zero-touch installations, unattended installer packages and script installations, I’ve seen a couple of good ADM templates there. Worth a try!

Tracing the software setting’s steps

Still not lucky? Okay, time to get our hands dirty. When you change a setting, close the application and re-open it, the setting needs to get stored somewhere. Pretty likely that’s some place in the registry or some ugly .ini file. You only need to find where. There are tools that help you with that. Regshot is one of these great tools for free. You create a “before” snapshot of the registry, then open your app, change the setting, close it and make a “after” snapshot. You then compare the two and find the changes the software setting obviously had to make: http://sourceforge.net/projects/regshot/. There are other tools out there. Process Monitor (formerly FileMon and Regmon) is a great tool that helps you trace file and registry operations and filter for applications: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb795533.

Once you’ve found the location and the values a switch flip in your application changes, you’ll just have to deploy them via Group Policy. There are numerous ways – but today, you don’t want to use most them anymore. For a registry change, you can

(1) Write a custom ADM template file and import it: http://gandalf50.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/modifying-the-office-2010-adm-templates-to-allow-more-trusted-locations/
(2) Create a registry export on a sample machine and import it via a script: “regedit.exe /s myReg.reg”
(3) Use GP Preferences Registry settings to deploy the changes all at once!

Clearly, option 3 is the way to go. Creating custom ADM templates is… well, not too easy. Scripting is … yeah, so 1990.

How to Add AD user accounts or groups into the local Administrators group with GPO

How to use Restricted Groups?

( - or: How to Add AD user accounts or groups into the local Administrators group with GPO)

This article describes the feature “Restricted Groups” in Group Policy. This feature enables you - as the administrator - to configure group memberships on the client computers or member servers. You can add user accounts to groups on client machines that are in the scope of the policy.

As there are many questions about this in the newsgroups, I will come up with an example that shows how to put a group of Active Directory users into the local Administrators group on the clients.

For this article, I assume that you already created a global security group containing all users that shall become local Administrators on some client computers. In my example, the group is called “localAdmins”. The target (= client) computers reside in a specific OU.

If you’re using the Group Policy Editor, you navigate to the OU where the client computers reside and right-click it. Choose “Properties” and “Group Policy” where you create a new Policy and click “Edit”. You then navigate to:

Computer ConfigurationWindows SettingsSecurity Settings and then right-click “Restricted Groups” and choose “Add Group”.

You simply add the created group by clicking You simply add the created group by clicking “Browse..” or typing the group name into the box.

After clicking “OK”, another  window opens up, where you can find two boxes. The upper box, saying “Members of this group”, the lower one saying “This group is a member of”. In my case above I am adding a group called TechSupport.

If you added users or groups into the “Members of this group” box, you would advise the Restricted Groups feature to put the users and groups you selected into the localAdmins group. Restricted Groups would then replace the current members of the localAdmins group with the users and groups you filled into the box. Please understand that it replace them by wipeing existing users out of the local Admins group.

Since we do not want to add users or other groups to our existing group, but instead want to add a new  group to the local Administrators group on all of our clients, we have a look at the lower box - labeled “This group is member of”. We click “Add” and type in the name of the group that  we want  added to the localAdmins on each client. In this case, it's “Administrators”. We then simply click “OK” and “Apply” and close all windows. “This group is member of” advices “Restricted Groups” to add our localAdmins group into the “Administrators” group of the clients. The existing group members will not be touched - it simply adds in this case  the TechSupport group to every clients local administrators group.

You experience a long domain logon time in Windows 7 or in Windows Server 2008 R2 after you deploy Group Policy preferences to the computer

“You experience a long domain logon time in Windows 7 or in Windows Server 2008 R2 after you deploy Group Policy preferences to the computer“, http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=2561285

There’s a hotfix for Win7 and Server 2008 R2 available.

Modifying the Office 2010 ADMX Templates to allow more trusted locations

This guide will show how to edit your office2010.admn and office2010.adml files to add support for more trusted locations than the default 20 that the admx file currently allows. The below example will show how to add the 21st location. Just repeat the process for more locations. Bolded items need to be changed for each location. You will need to edit the office2010.admx and the office2010.adml file.

in the office2010.admx file search for location20
then insert the below on line 4517
<policy name="L_TrustedLoc21" displayName="$(string.L_TrustedLoc21)" explainText="$(string.L_OfficeTrustedLocationsExplain)" presentation="$(presentation.L_TrustedLoc21)" key="softwarepoliciesmicrosoftoffice14.0commonsecuritytrusted locationsall applicationslocation21">
<parentCategory ref="L_trustcenter241" />
<supportedOn ref="windows:SUPPORTED_WindowsVista" />
<elements>
<text id="L_pathcolon318" valueName="path" expandable="true" />
<text id="L_datecolon319" valueName="date" />
<text id="L_descriptioncolon320" valueName="description" />
<boolean id="L_allowsubfolders321" valueName="allowsubfolders">
<trueValue>
<decimal value="1" />
</trueValue>
<falseValue>
<decimal value="0" />
</falseValue>
</boolean>
</elements>
</policy>

in the office2010.adml
search for <string id="L_TrustedLoc20">Trusted Location #20</string>
add after it  the below for 21
<string id="L_TrustedLoc21">Trusted Location #21</string>

search for  <presentation id="L_TrustedLoc20">
add at the end of it the below for 21

<presentation id="L_TrustedLoc21">
<textBox refId="L_pathcolon318">
<label>Path:</label>
</textBox>
<textBox refId="L_datecolon319">
<label>Date:</label>
</textBox>
<textBox refId="L_descriptioncolon320">
<label>Description:</label>
</textBox>
<checkBox refId="L_allowsubfolders321">Allow sub folders:</checkBox>
</presentation>

Once done making the edits copy the new office2010.admx to C:windowssyvoldomainpoliciespolicy definitions and the new office2010.adml to the C:windowssyvoldomainpoliciespolicy definitionsen-us

When you restart your Group Policy Management Editor you should see the new location

Once the GPO has been applied on a windows client in Office the trusted loactions will show the new 21st location

Customize The User Template on your Mac Leopard and Snow Leopard systems

If you’re like me then you probably strive to provide a consistent user  experience across multiple systems. This helps in facilitating training and minimizing troubleshooting time. I do this on macs by modifying the default account so each new user account created on a system has a standardized environment which is designed for my organizations needs.

At the heart of this practice is a default set of user data, carefully designed around the needs of the group and applied to each account when it’s first created. For Windows that data is typically stored in C:Documents and SettingsDefault User, while Unix systems have traditionally used /etc/skel. Mac OS X keeps its user template deep within the /System hierarchy, but while finding it can be difficult, customizing it to your needs is quite easy.

Start with a new account created specifically for this purpose. Choose the system preferences, dock items, browser bookmarks, server shortcuts, and application settings appropriate to your user base, leaving out anything you can instead control via Open Directory’s managed preferences. If you install individual applications or fonts on a per-user level, include those in ~/Applications and ~/Library/Fonts (where the tilde represents the user’s home directory).

Once you’ve finished, open Keychain Access from the /Applications/Utilities folder and delete the “login” keychain (both references and files when prompted)  so new users will get their own keychain file created for them. You’ll also want to delete the cache files stored in ~/Library/Caches, clear out the “Recent Items” from the Apple menu, and (if you’ve used the Terminal) discard the ~/.bash_history file.

Now log out of the template, and log in to an Admin account. From here, you’ll be clearing Apple’s existing user template and copying your new template user in its place. In Leopard, that work can’t be done using the sudo command, and instead must be performed as the root user, meaning you run the risk of doing serious damage if you don’t understand what you’re typing. If you’re at
peace with that, just open the Terminal, and very carefully type:
su -

After prompting you for a password, this will let you assume the role of root, the Unix “superuser”. This allows you to modify and delete any file on the machine.
rm -r /System/Library/User Template/English.lproj/*
This removes everything inside the English-speaking template folder. If you’re utilizing another language, you’ll need to change this to the appropriate template.
cp -R /Users/TEMPLATE/* /System/Library/User Template/English.lproj/
In the command above, replace TEMPLATE with the  actual name of the template account you’ve created. This copies your prepared user environment into the template location. After which you can:
exit

Now, when you add a new user account, it’ll be created with your customizations already in place. You can then delete the original account from the install you built it on, but be sure to back up the home directory. The process can be repeated on multiple machines, deployed on your server, or incorporated into a system image, all using the same template.

Batch file to start or stop a service depending on its current state

This batch file will start or stop a service depending on its current state.
Just replace yourservice on line 5 and 16 with the name of the service you want  to stop or start.

 @ECHO OFF  
 REM Checking Service state  
 REM replace yourservice below with the name of the service  
 net start yourservice 2>nul  
 if errorlevel 2 goto AlreadyRunning  
 if errorlevel 1 goto Error  
 REM Service started  
 GOTO ContinueWithBatch  
 :AlreadyRunning  
 REM Service is already running  
 REM replace yourservice below with the name of the service  
 net stop yourservice  
 GOTO ContinueWithBatch  
 :Error  
 REM Service failed to start  
 GOTO ContinueWithBatch  
 :ContinueWithBatch  

VBS Script to force a Wsus update detection on a single computer

This script forces a Windows Update Detection immediately on single computer by inputing either its name or IP.

 ' Force a Windows Update Detection now on single computer by inputing name or IP of computer  
 'Script is now ignoring errors. For those who wish to see errors just add a ' to the on error resume next below  
 on error resume next  
 strComputer = inputbox("Enter a computer name or IP address to run a WUA detection now","Invoke detectnow")  
 if strComputer = "" then wscript.quit  
 Set autoUpdateClient = CreateObject("Microsoft.Update.AutoUpdate",strComputer)  
 AutoUpdateClient.detectnow()  
 wscript.echo "All done."  

VBS Script to Start the remote registry service

This script will allow you to start the Remote Registry Service on any computer by enering its name or IP

 ' RemoteRegistryservicestart.vbs   
  ' script to Start Remote Registry on strComputer   
  Option Explicit   
  Dim objWMIService, objItem, objService   
  Dim colListOfServices, strComputer, strService, strInput   
  strInput = False   
  ' Creates the Input Message Box   
  Do   
  strComputer = InputBox("Which Machine? "_   
  ," Remote Machine", strComputer)   
  If strComputer <> "" Then strInput = True   
  Loop Until strInput = True   
  ' NB Spelling of RemoteRegistry (No space).   
  strService = " 'RemoteRegistry' "   
  Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:" _   
  & "{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\" _   
  & strComputer & "rootcimv2")   
  Set colListOfServices = objWMIService.ExecQuery _   
  ("Select * from Win32_Service Where Name ="_   
  & strService & " ")   
  For Each objService in colListOfServices   
  WSCript.Sleep 1500   
  objService.StartService()   
  Next   
  WScript.Echo "Started " & strService & " on " & strComputer   
  WScript.Quit   

VBS Script to Find all Outlook pst files on C and D Drives

This script will find all the pst files on a computers C and D drive (if there is a D). It will create a folder in the root of C called pstlog and save in it the results file with the name pst_files_on_computername . Each pst file found will show its location, name and size. Depending on how many drives and there sizes this scriipt can take up to 10 minutes to complete. Be patient

 'Find all Outlook pst files on C and D Drives  
 strComputer = "."  
 on error resume next  
 set wshnetwork=createobject("wscript.network")  
 scomputername=wshnetwork.computername  
 set wshnetwork=nothing  
 Const OverwriteExisting = True  
 Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\" & strComputer & "rootcimv2")  
 Set colFiles = objWMIService.ExecQuery _  
 ("Select * from CIM_DataFile Where Extension = 'pst' AND (Drive = 'C:' OR Drive = 'D:')")  
 If colFiles.Count = 0 Then  
 Wscript.Quit  
 End If  
 Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")  
 Set objFolder = objFSO.CreateFolder("C:pstlog")  
 Set objTextFile = objFSO.CreateTextFile("c:pstlogpst_files_on_" & scomputername & ".txt " , True)  
 For Each objFile in colFiles  
 objTextFile.Write(objFile.Drive & objFile.Path & "")  
 objTextFile.Write(objFile.FileName & "." & objFile.Extension & ", Size ")  
 objTextFile.Write(objFile.FileSize /1024 & "kb" & vbCrLf)  
 Next  
 objTextFile.Close  

VBS Script to enable or disable remote desktop on a remote system

For those times when you need to remote into a system and remote desktop is disabled, the below script can come in very handy.

 ' This script will enable or disable remote desktop on a remote system  
 const HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE = &H80000002  
 strComputer = InputBox("Enter the COMPUTER NAME of the system you would like to enable or disable Remote Desktop: leave as localhost for this computer","Enable or Disable Remote Desktop","Localhost")  
 If strComputer = "" Then  
 WScript.Quit  
 End If  
 Set StdOut = WScript.StdOut  
 On Error Resume Next  
 Set oReg=GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\" &_  
 strComputer & "rootdefault:StdRegProv")  
 If Err.Number <> 0 Then  
 WScript.Echo "An error has occurred. You may have mistyped the computer name."  
 WScript.Quit  
 End If  
 strKeyPath = "SYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlTerminal Server"  
 strValueName = "fDenyTSConnections"  
 oReg.GetDWORDValue HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,strKeyPath,strValueName,dwValue  
 If dwValue = 1 Then  
 prompt = MsgBox ("Remote Desktop is Currently disabled. Do you want to ENABLE it?", vbYesNo)  
 If prompt = vbYes then  
 dwValue = 0  
 oReg.SetDWORDValue HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,strKeyPath,strValueName,dwValue  
 WScript.Echo "Remote Desktop is now ENABLED on " & strComputer  
 WScript.Quit  
 ElseIf prompt = vbNo then  
 WScript.Echo "Remote Desktop is still DISABLED."  
 Wscript.Quit  
 End If  
 ElseIf dwValue = 0 then  
 prompt = MsgBox ("Remote Desktop is Currently ENABLED. Do you want to DISABLE it?", vbYesNo)  
 If prompt = vbYes then  
 dwValue = 1  
 oReg.SetDWORDValue HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,strKeyPath,strValueName,dwValue  
 WScript.Echo "Remote Desktop is now DISABLED on " & strComputer  
 WScript.Quit  
 ElseIf prompt = vbNo then  
 WScript.Echo "Remote Desktop is still ENABLED."  
 WScript.Quit  
 End If  
 End If  

Using WinRAR SFX to Create a Silent Install Package

WinRAR is a great compression, and though there are many good free compression applications available, its SFX (Self-Extracting Install) feature make it well worth the $29 USD price tag.

I use it almost daily to create silent install of applications that I need to push out to users on the network

In this guide I will show how to create a simple silent install of the popular FTP program called Filezilla

After you have WinRAR installed right click the filezilla installer package and select WinRAR> Add Archive



In the General pane select Create SFX archive



WinRAR will automatically crate a sfx exe version. Now right click that and select WinRAR > open with WinRAR



WinRAR opens with the filezilla setup program inside of it.  Select the SFX icon and then select advanced SFX options.



In the General Tab we will define the silent switch variable that runs filezilla silently . In this case it is /S so under Run after extraction we type the full filename and the /S switch.



Under modes we make sure it unpacks to a temporary folder and Hides all displays.



Under Update we will select the extract and replace files and the overwrite all files (This is done just in case an earlier version may have been copied at some point)



Finally if we want to customize the icon that the package will use we can add it here.



Select OK



The new filezilla silent install package with its customize icon are now  ready for use.

Make Your Own Offline Installers Using WinRar

In a day and age where upwards of 2 trillion people access the Internet everyday to shop online, check email, play games or work, many software distributors have taken an Internet connection for every computer as a foregone conclusion. As such, publishers are now using online installers for their applications rather than distributing their software on CDs or DVDs. These small executables and installers are nothing but downloaders which connect to the Internet in order to load the actual installation files. But what about that small fraction of people who still have computers without high-speed Internet connections? Even if you save the installer to a flash drive, CD or a floppy disk, you’re still left high and dry once it attempts to connect to the Internet or download a 600 MB installation file over a 56 Kbps dial-up modem.

If this sounds like you, fear not. Today we’ll show you how to create your own offline installers for almost any program using WinRar. Plus, we’ll provide you with some instantly downloadable offline installers for some of the most used apps on the web.

You will need:

• WinRar – Download Here


• The program for which you want to create an offline installer already installed on another computer


• Basic knowledge of 32- and 64-bit architecture regarding Windows Program Files

Locating the Program Files for Your Application

Step 1

To begin, run WinRar as an administrator. To do this, Right-click its shortcut icon (or executable file) and choose Run as administrator. (Skip this if you’re running XP).

Step 2

From within WinRAR, navigate to the directory where the program you want to create an offline installer for is located.



The installation directory for your application will vary depending on whether it’s a 32-bit or 64-bit app. If you’re not sure if you are running a 32-bit version or 64-bit version of Windows, Click Start and Right-click Computer and choose Properties. It’ll be listed next to “System Type.”

For 32-bit Windows operating systems your programs will be in C:Program Files

For 64-bit Windows operating systems, your programs will likely be in C:Program Files (x86). Note, however, that 64-bit Windows systems can run both 32-bit and 64-bit apps, so if it’s not in C:Program Files (x86) check in C:Program Files.

From this folder, look for the name of the application or the name of the publisher. For example, if you’re looking for Photoshop, it’ll be in the Adobe folder, i.e. C:Program FilesAdobeAdobe Photoshop CS5. Some applications aren’t located in sub folders, i.e. C:Program Files (x86)Opera

Step 3

Click the folder that contains the application to select it.

Step 4

Right-click the folder and choose Add files to archive.

Configuring Your Offline Installer

Step 1

The Archive name and parameters window will open. Click the General tab. Check the box next to Create SFX archive.

Step 2

Click the Advanced tab and Click SFX options…

Step 3

In the General tab of the Advanced SFX Options… window, Type the folder path where you’d like the program to install into the Path to extract field. You can choose whichever path you’d like, but the most logical place is in Program Files. You can type it in manually—for 32-bit programs this will be C:Program Files or C:Program Files[developer name]. For 64-bit programs, this will be  C:Program Files (x86) or C:Program Files (x86)[developer name]—or you can Select Create in “Program Files” or type %programfiles% in the field. This will automatically detect the Program Files folder on the target machine. Note: It’s not necessary to add the application name, since you’ll be including the entire folder in the archive.

Also, make sure you Check Save and restore paths.

Step 4

If you’d like to add installation instructions, notes or a custom icon, you can do so in the Text and icon tab. This text will appear when the user runs the offline installer.

Step 5

Click OK to close the Advanced SFX Options windows. Click OK again in the Archive name and parameters window to create the archive.

Testing Your Offline Installer

Once the archiving is complete, your offline installer will appear in the target location. If you didn’t choose one, it’ll be in the same folder as the source folder.



Always test your offline installer before distributing them to your friends, family, co-workers and clients! Find yourself a computer where the application you archived is not installed and test out your installer there. In my test, I found that Skype works just fine with my offline installer and I can freely carry it around on my USB thumb drive just in case.

Conclusion

As you might’ve gathered, this isn’t a perfect solution. Essentially, you’re just making a self-extracting archive that saves the end user from the work of unzipping the file and choosing a directory. There are some pros and cons to this method:

Pros:

• Quick and easy for you and the end user.


• Packages all the necessary program files in a single archive for easy copying onto a thumb drive or CD.


• Install file is its own executable—no need to install WinRAR or any other software on the target computer.

Cons:

• This method may not work for all applications since some applications require additional integration into Windows (i.e. access to system files, altering of Windows registry keys).


• Doesn’t automatically create a shortcut on the desktop or in the Start Menu.


• The program can’t be uninstalled using the Add/Remove Programs dialog. To remove it, you must delete it directly from the Program Files folder.

Get DaRT to Launch Remote Connections Tools Automatically

Launching the Remote Connection Tool at Startup With a simple configuration file change you can modify our DaRT media to boot directly to the Remote Connection tool. When a connection is established the DaRT boot sequence will continue, leaving all the hard choices for the technician. Note: This method assumes you are using DHCP, otherwise you will need to create a script that assigns a network address before launching the Remote Connection tool. Instructions

1. From Windows 7 start menu, run “DaRT Recovery Image”.


2. Go through the wizard up until you get to the “Additional Files” page. Note: Don’t forget to enable Remote Connections or else starting the Remote Connection tool at startup will have no effect.


3. The “Add additional tools” page in the wizard will allow you to customize DaRT to your heart’s content. At this point click the “Show Files…” button.


4. Navigate to the WindowsSystem32 directory within this temporary folder


5. Modify the “winpeshl.ini” file permission to give “modify” permissions to your current user.

Open the “winpeshl.ini” file and modify the file to look like below:

[LaunchApps]
"%windir%\system32\netstart.exe -network -remount"
"cmd /C start %windir%\system32\RemoteRecovery.exe -nomessage"
"%windir%\system32\WaitForConnection.exe"
"%SYSTEMDRIVE%\sources\recovery\recenv.exe"

Save the newly created iso file and extract the wim from it and switch it into your recovery folder as I showed HERE. Now when you startup the PC by pressing F8 and selecting Repair this Computer the remote connection screen starts automatically as shown below. The end user only needs to supply the technician with the Ticket number, IP and Port and he can connect and repair the system. Note: If you cancel the remote connection screen at the local workstation, the script will continue as normal, prompting for a language selection and  administrator password before launching the System Recovery Options Screen.

Using Dart 7's Standalone System Sweeper

Microsoft's Standalone System Sweeper has been designed to aid users in starting an infected PC and performing offline malware scans to remove viruses, trojans, rootkits and other forms of malware effectively. It is also used if malware is hindering the user to install or start an antivirus software on the infected system, or if the applications used to detect malware are not able to find the malware on the PC.

Once you have launched Dart, select the Standalone System Sweeper



 

If you haven't updated your definitions in a while, you will be prompted to check for updates.



 

Once your definitions have been updated start a full scan.



 

Windows 7 Advanced Boot Options and Starting Dart 7

Note: The following instructions apply if you setup WinRE to include DaRT from my previous post Check it out here

Start your computer and tap on the F8  key to get to the Advanced Boot Options Screen then choose “Repair your computer”



Since Dart 7 has been added to your default WinRE you now have the option to start network support at the start of WinRE. Choose YES



In a Windows PE environment your drive mappings will not have the same drive letters and this can be confusing.

Choose YES to remap them



Select you Language and choose Next



You’ll notice that DART (Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset) has been added to the WinRE menu

Select Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset.



You now have 14 additional tools at your disposal.  My  favorites are below.

Locksmith (for those times when someone messes up their administrator passwords)

Standalone System Sweeper (for that nasty malware that’s difficult to clean while in Windows)

Remote Connections (have the user select this and you can remote in with the Dart Remote connection viewer and fix it all from your desk)

Check this blog if you want to have DaRT automaticaly start Remote Connections



I will go into more detail on how to use some of these great tools in a future blog.