Adding a Printer with Group Policy Preferences

You can add printers using Group Policy Preferences which is new in Server 2008 provided you have the Group Policy Preference Client Side Extensions installed on the client machines.

Group Policy Preferences are added though the normal Group policy Console.



You can Create, Replace, Update, Delete as required. You can also set as the default printer.

 

If more granular control is required click the Common Tab.
You can apply the setting only once and use the Targeting Editor to get really specific

 

Migrating Data between Servers

Robocopy is a good option when migrating data to another server.

It has a number of switches that can preserve attributes, timestamps, security, owner info, auditing info, etc...
Also it can include, exclude, add attributes, rerun and much more.

For a full list of operations type robocopy /? at the command prompt.

I recently migrated data to a new server using the following...
robocopy source destination /E /DCOPY:T /PURGE /COPYALL /TEE /LOG+:c:\robocopylog.txt

/E :: copy subdirectories, including Empty ones.
/DCOPY:T :: COPY Directory Timestamps.
/PURGE :: delete dest files/dirs that no longer exist in source.
/COPYALL :: COPY ALL file info (Data, Attributes, Timestamp, Security, Owner, Auditing).
/TEE :: output to console window, as well as the log file.
/LOG+:file :: output status to LOG file (append to existing log).

The method I used was to copy the data over and checked that everything was OK.
I then disconnected the users on the source, reran the command, and pointed the users to the new location.

Using this method the second run only copied over the changes (and removed anything that was no longer there) so took alot less time than the first run.

How to reclaim Disk Space using Vmware Thin provisioning

If your drive is thick provisioned
You will need to use either Vmware Tools, Shrink or sdelete

 (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897443) to zero out unused disk space.

Vmware tools Shrink

 

Sdelete

 

Then migrate to a new datastore.

Note: there is currently an issue where you will need to migrate to a new datastore with different block size.

If your drive is already thin provisioned

Vmware Tools Shrink isn’t available.

You will need to use sdelete to zero out disk then migrate to new datastore.

Warning: using sdelete will expand the thin provisioned disk to it’s full provisioned size so make sure you have enough space on the datastore free.

Note: there is currently an issue where you will need to migrate to a new datastore with different block size.

VB Script to list the current logged in user

The Scipt below reads computers from c:\temp\computers.txt and lists the user who is currently logged in.

'List user currently logged on to a desktop

WScript.Echo "List Currently logged in user for Computers in c:\temp\computers.txt"
On Error Resume Next
Const ForReading = 1
Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set objTextFile = objFSO.OpenTextFile ("c:\temp\computers.txt", ForReading)
strText = objTextFile.ReadAll
objTextFile.Close
arrComputers = Split(strText, VbCrLf)
For Each strComputer In arrComputers  
 Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")
 Set colItems = objWMIService.ExecQuery("Select * from Win32_ComputerSystem",,48)
 For Each objItem in colItems
 WScript.Echo "UserName: " & objItem.UserName & " is logged in at computer " & strComputer
 Next
 Set objItem = Nothing: Set colItems = Nothing: Set objWMIService = Nothing
Next
WScript.Echo "Script Finished"

VB Script to Execute Wake on LAN on a different subnet

Wake on Lan packets won't travel over different subnets.

Below is a script which remotely executes the command on a host computer on the same subnet to send the WOL packet.

You will need

• WOL capable computer you wish to wake.
• A host machine on the same subnet as the comptuer you wish to wake.
• WOL software http://sourceforge.net/projects/wake-on-lan/ extract the software to C:\temp\wol
• MAC address of computer you wish to wake (you can get from DHCP) .

The script copies the WOL files from C:\temp\WOL to the host then remotely executes the command.

'Copy Wake on LAN files to remote computer then execute WOL
'Allows you to select remote computer on a different subnet as a host and wake another computerOption Explicit
Dim strHostComputer, strMAC, strIPComputer, objFSO
Dim objWMIService, objProcess, errReturn
Dim strComputerOn, Count, strCommand
Dim intProcessID, strComputer, colPingedComputers
Dim objComputer
strHostComputer =Inputbox("Wake Computer on another Subnet" & chr(10) & chr(13) & chr(10) & chr(13) & "Enter HOST PC Number on Remote Subnet","Input Required")
If strHostComputer = "" Then 
 WScript.Echo "Host blank exiting script!"
 WScript.Quit
 End if
strMAC =Inputbox("Enter MAC of PC you want to WAKE" & chr(10) & chr(13) & chr(10) & chr(13) & "MAC can be obtained from DHCP Scope, Address Leases","Input Required")
If strMAC = "" Then 
 WScript.Echo "MAC blank exiting script!"
 WScript.Quit
 End if
strIPComputer =Inputbox("Enter IP Address of Computer you want to WAKE","Input Required")
If strIPComputer = "" Then 
 WScript.Echo "IP Blank will send request but can't check progress"
 End if

Const OverWriteFiles = TRUE
Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
If objFSO.FileExists("C:\temp\WOL\bin\wol.exe") Then
    objFSO.CopyFolder "C:\temp\WOL" , "\\" & strHostComputer & "\C$\temp\WOL" , OverWriteFiles
Else
    Wscript.Echo "Wake on Lan File C:\temp\WOL\bin\wol.exe not found. Download from http://sourceforge.net/projects/wake-on-lan"
    WScript.Quit
End If


strCommand = "C:\temp\WOL\bin\wol.exe " & strMAC

Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:" & "{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strHostComputer & "\root\cimv2")
Set objProcess = objWMIService.Get("Win32_Process")

errReturn = objProcess.Create(strCommand, null, null, intProcessID)

If errReturn = 0 Then
'WScript.Echo strHostComputer &" " & strCommand & " executed with a process ID: " & intProcessID
Else
WScript.Echo strHostComputer & " " & strCommand & " not started due to error: " & errReturn
End If
If strIPComputer = "" Then 
 WScript.Quit
 End if
' Verify Computer Availability
Wscript.Echo "Waking Remote Computer - usually takes about 1 minute"
Count = 0
Do While strComputerOn <> 1
strComputer = "."
Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:" _
    & "{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")
Set colPingedComputers = objWMIService.ExecQuery _
    ("Select * from Win32_PingStatus Where Address = '" & strIPComputer & "'")
For Each objComputer in colPingedComputers
    If objComputer.StatusCode = 0 Then
        Wscript.Echo "Remote Computer " & strIPComputer & " Powered On!!!"
        strComputerOn=1
    Else
        WScript.sleep 20000
        Count = Count + 1
        If Count = 7 Then
        Wscript.Echo "Can't Connect to Remote Machine WOL has failed :(" & chr(10) & chr(13) & chr(10) & chr(13) & "Or Remote Machine has new IP"
        WScript.Quit
        End if
   End If
Next
Loop

VB Script to Shutdown Comptuers from a text file

The below script Shuts down Computers in a text file C:\temp\computers.txt

' Read Arguments from a Text File

Const ForReading = 1
Set objDictionary = CreateObject("Scripting.Dictionary")
Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set objTextFile = objFSO.OpenTextFile("c:\temp\computers.txt", ForReading)
i = 0
WScript.Echo "SHUTDOWN Computers in c:\temp\computers.txt"
Do Until objTextFile.AtEndOfStream
    strNextLine = objTextFile.Readline
    objDictionary.Add i, strNextLine
    i = i + 1
Loop
For Each objItem in objDictionary
    Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
  If objFSO.FolderExists("\\"& objDictionary.Item(objItem) & "\Admin$") Then
      Set objFolder = objFSO.GetFolder("\\" & objDictionary.Item(objItem) & "\Admin$")
      'Reboot Desktops
      'strComputer = objDictionary.Item(objItem)
      WScript.Echo objDictionary.Item(objItem)
    Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:" _
        & "{impersonationLevel=impersonate,(Shutdown)}\\" & _
           objDictionary.Item(objItem) & "\root\cimv2")
    Set colOperatingSystems = objWMIService.ExecQuery _
        ("Select * from Win32_OperatingSystem")
    For Each objOperatingSystem in colOperatingSystems
        objOperatingSystem.Win32Shutdown(1)
    Next
    
      Else
      'WScript.Echo "Can't Connect to " & objDictionary.Item(objItem) & chr(10) & chr(13) & "Please verify it is contactable via DNS and you have Admin rights"
      'strCantConnect = "1"
  End If
Next
If strCantConnect = "1" Then
WScript.Echo "Script Finished!"
Else WScript.Echo "All Desktops have been Shutdown!"
End if

VB Script to Set the Default Domain for Computers in a text file

The following script Sets the Default Domain at login for computers in C:\temp\computers.txt

' Change Registry Keys so the default domain name is BOB when  people login
Const HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE = &H80000002

' Read Arguments from a Text File
Const ForReading = 1
Set objDictionary = CreateObject("Scripting.Dictionary")
Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set objTextFile = objFSO.OpenTextFile("c:\temp\computers.txt", ForReading)
i = 0
WScript.Echo "Set Login Domain to BOB Computers in c:\temp\computers.txt"
Do Until objTextFile.AtEndOfStream
    strNextLine = objTextFile.Readline
    objDictionary.Add i, strNextLine
    i = i + 1
Loop
For Each objItem in objDictionary
    Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
 
      WScript.Echo objDictionary.Item(objItem)
      strComputer = objDictionary.Item(objItem)

Set oReg=GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & _
    strComputer & "\root\default:StdRegProv")

strKeyPath = "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon"
strValueName = "DefaultDomainName"
strValue = "BOB"
oReg.SetStringValue HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,strKeyPath,strValueName,strValue
strValueName = "CachePrimaryDomain"
strValue = "BOB"
oReg.SetStringValue HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,strKeyPath,strValueName,strValue
Next
If strCantConnect = "1" Then
WScript.Echo "Script Finished!"
Else WScript.Echo "All Desktops have had Default Domain Set!"
End if