Martin Zugec

Or gdisk, I like it much more... One important thing I am using is detecting, if drive was formated or not by script

I will try as soon as possible Think that LH will be like heaven for administrators (MSH etc.) - but it will take LOOOONG time after stable version will be available. I just want to be sure mine problems etc will be solved - and that is the main idea behind betatesting, right?

Dim? In vbscript you dont need to declare variables (not with Dim and not without settings Option Explicit)...

Hi guys! I had another discussion with *nux fan and finally decided to write something down about SAFER technology. Probably biggest security "hole" in Windows world is that most of the users dont use User accounts, but administrators. We know that this will change in LongTimeToComeHorn, but can we do something now??? Filling 15-20 characters password every time I need to run something under administrator account isnt most comfortable way, right? And not to mention that the code is running under different user account (HKCU, dont forget ) Yes, U can, and it is quite powerfull and simple! It is called SAFER. Main idea is this: if we cant make people running most applications under user account and few of them under administrative account, cant we make it opposite way, e.g. run everything under administrative context and few (browser, IM, mail) under user account without need to enter password? And it is working! Michael Howards provide as with two tools (DropMyRights and SetSAFER) - first is for running specific process, second is for system-wide settings. Michael´s Howards Blog Another great product is RunAsAdmin - it is working little bit different way, every process is running under user and you can selectively use different security settings. Valery´s Blog Last important thing: you are NOT running processes under different user accounts! It is your account, but with restricted rights!

Of course you can add ability to use parameters... If you dont know VBScript, I can do it for you.

Why not create your own script file? Example one: using SMTP server 'Notifications by SMTP 'Soulin '11.11.2004 Option Explicit On Error Resume Next Dim objArguments, objNamed set objArguments = WScript.Arguments set objNamed = WScript.Arguments.Named Call OdoslanieMailu Set objShell = Nothing Wscript.Quit(0) Sub OdoslanieMailu Dim objEmail, objNetwork Dim strComputerName Set objEmail = CreateObject("CDO.Message") Set objNetwork = CreateObject("Wscript.Network") strComputerName = objNetwork.ComputerName With objEmail .From = "autoupdate@supersupport.org" .To = "notify@supersupport.org" .Subject = objNamed("update") & " updated." .Textbody = "blablabla" .Configuration.Fields.Item ("http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/sendusing") = 2 .Configuration.Fields.Item ("http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpserver") = "smtp.supersupport.org" .Configuration.Fields.Item ("http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpserverport") = 25 .Configuration.Fields.Update .Send End With Set objEmail = Nothing Set objNetwork = Nothing End Sub By using existing Outlook configuration (for Exchange for example): Option Explicit Dim objOutlook, objNameSpace, objMail Dim strAddress, strSubject, strBody, strMailItem strAddress = "test@supersupport.org" strSubject = "Test" strBody = "Test message" Set objOutlook = WScript.CreateObject("Outlook.Application") Set objNameSpace = objOutlook.getNamespace("MAPI") Set objMail = objOutlook.CreateItem(strMailItem) objMail.Subject = strSubject objMail.Body = strBody objMail.RecipIents.Add(strAddress) objMail.Send SET objOutlook = nothing SET objNameSpace = nothing SET objMail = nothing Is this what you were looking for?

There is one program like this at SourceForge, personally I am using TweakoMatic to create vbscript files... But go on, registry generator looks like good function Just one thing, include "settings library" outside and make it open for people, who want to edit it...

The main idea behind this script is to automatically download new versions of software (based on timestamp on server). It is quite easy and simple. 1.) Download necessary files You need wget and tfind. You can download them here: WGET Tfind 2.) Create Update.ini You need to create settings file. It consist of three sections: boolMail - If you want to be notified (or your coworkers) by email when new version is available, set this to on. You need to edit internal-Mail.vbs and set SMTP server address, From and To. boolProxy - available settings are on/off. This settings describes if you use proxy or not. http_proxy - address of your proxy server in case boolProxy is on. LogDirectory - Directory, where you want to store your log files. Example of update.ini: boolMail=on boolProxy=on http_proxy=http://proxy.domain.com:80 LogDirectory=\\server\share\logs\update 3.) Create script files In this step you need to create script files internal-download.bat, update.bat and optional internal-mail.vbs update.bat: @echo off If "%1" EQU "" Echo You must provide parameter with update group! && Goto :EOF Set UpdateGroup=%1 Title %UpdateGroup% updating Set MainDirectory=%cd% If not exist "%MainDirectory%\Update.ini" Echo Missing Update.ini file!!! && Pause && Goto :EOF For /f "usebackq tokens=1,2 delims==" %%i IN (`type "%MainDirectory%\Update.ini"`) DO Set %%i=%%j If not exist "%MainDirectory%\%UpdateGroup%" mkdir "%MainDirectory%\%UpdateGroup%" cd %UpdateGroup% Echo Removing log files If Exist "%LogDirectory%\%UpdateGroup%\Details" rmdir /q /s "%LogDirectory%\%UpdateGroup%\Details" Echo Removing error log If Exist "%LogDirectory%\%UpdateGroup%\error.log" del /q "%LogDirectory%\%UpdateGroup%\error.log" Echo Creating log directory mkdir "%LogDirectory%\%UpdateGroup%\Details" Echo Creating temp file for case where nothing is updated echo. > "%MainDirectory%\%UpdateGroup%\working.txt" FOR /F "tokens=1,2,3,4 delims=; " %%i in (..\%UpdateGroup%.ini) do call ..\internal-Download.bat %%i %%j %%k If exist "%MainDirectory%\%UpdateGroup%\working.txt" echo %date:~3,11%;No newer versions available >> "%LogDirectory%\%UpdateGroup%\aktualizacie.log" pause internal-Download.bat: @echo off rem %1 = Product name rem %2 = Log file name rem %3 = URL address Echo Downloading %1 wget --timestamping --output-file="%2" --server-response --proxy=%boolProxy% %3 call tfind.com /e "Saved" %2 set update=%errorlevel% if %update% GTR 0 ( Echo %1 updated If exist "%MainDirectory%\%UpdateGroup%\working.txt" del /q "%MainDirectory%\%UpdateGroup%\working.txt" > nul echo %date:~3,11%;%1;Success>> "%LogDirectory%\%UpdateGroup%\aktualizacie.log" move /Y %2 "%LogDirectory%\%UpdateGroup%\Details" If /i %boolMail% EQU on cscript //nologo "%MainDirectory%\internal-mail.vbs" /update:%1 Goto :EOF ) call tfind.com /e "no newer" %2 set nonewer=%errorlevel% If /i %nonewer% GTR 0 ( move /y %2 "%LogDirectory%\%UpdateGroup%\Details" Goto :EOF ) Echo %date:~3,11%;%1;Error! >> "%LogDirectory%\%UpdateGroup%\error.log" Echo %date:~3,11%;%1;Error! >> "%LogDirectory%\%UpdateGroup%\aktualizacie.log" move /y %2 "%LogDirectory%\%UpdateGroup%\Details" internal-Mail.vbs (this file is optional!) 'Automatic mail notifications 'Soulin (www.supersupport.org) '11.11.2004 Option Explicit On Error Resume Next Dim objArguments, objNamed set objArguments = WScript.Arguments set objNamed = WScript.Arguments.Named Call OdoslanieMailu Set objShell = Nothing Wscript.Quit(0) Sub OdoslanieMailu Dim objEmail, objNetwork Dim strComputerName Set objEmail = CreateObject("CDO.Message") Set objNetwork = CreateObject("Wscript.Network") strComputerName = objNetwork.ComputerName With objEmail .From = "autoupdate@supersupport.org" .To = "recipient1@supersupport.org,recipient2@supersupport.org" .Subject = "Software " & objNamed("update") & " was actualized." .Textbody = "New software version was detected and automatically downloaded. You can find it here:\\server\share\tools. If you dont want to receive this mails, send blank email to autoupdate@supersupport.org." .Configuration.Fields.Item ("http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/sendusing") = 2 .Configuration.Fields.Item ("http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpserver") = "smtp.supersupport.org" .Configuration.Fields.Item ("http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpserverport") = 25 .Configuration.Fields.Update .Send End With Set objEmail = Nothing Set objNetwork = Nothing End Sub 4.)Create .ini files Final step - you need to create different sets of .ini files. Every ini file represents the category to download, for example in spyware.ini you can find all different kinds of antispyware programs, in tools.ini you can find tools etc. Syntax of ini files is as follows: UserName;LogFile;URL link For example my Spyware.ini file: KillBits;killbit.log;http://www.spywareguide.com/blocklist.reg RestrictedSites;restrict.log;https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/ehowes/www/res/ie-spyad.zip RestrictedSites2;rest2.log;https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/ehowes/www/res/ie-spyad2.zip Spybot;spybot.log;http://www.spybotupdates.com/updates/files/spybotsd_includes.exe SpywareBlaster;blaster.log;http://securityhelpers.net/downloads/spywareblastersetup33.exe CWShredder;shredder.log;http://cwshredder.net/bin/CWSInstall.exe BugOff;bugoff.log;http://computercops.biz/zx/Merijn/bugoff.zip HijackThis;hjt.log;http://downloads.subratam.org/hijackthis.zip ProcessExplorer;procexp.log;http://www.sysinternals.com/files/procexpnt.zip WMPScriptFix;wmpfix.log;http://www.wilderssecurity.net/downloads/WMPscriptfix.exe 5.) Run script or schedule it Using script is now quite easy - just run update.bat with parameter (parameter means the name of category to check), for example "Update Spyware" will check/download all files in spyware.ini. Any comments, recommendations etc. STRONGLY invited! Hope so you enjoy.... Could anyone post their ini files? I am specially interested in files for SysInternals

What is the name of process? About locked files, U can download Handle from sysinternals, it wil tell U, which process is holding that file locked. I U dont want to kill the process, just close the handle, use ProcessExplorer...

Great (and simple) way to interact with users from batch file... Have a look: http://wizapp.sourceforge.net/

Dont know if it will help U, but have U tryed Wizard´s Apprentice from SourceForge?

What do U mean under "durable"

2durex: It depends from person to person - I never turn off my work PCs/NB/tablet, but with my home PC I am usually more time booting than working with it

Well, for domains it is better to use network installations than cdrom-based... And then U can manipulate with unattend.txt at your will... I am usually using strings in files, that will be replaced (e.g. **SERVER**, **USERNAME**) and then use alter or similar tool to replace string with defined

Well, first is buttons instead of check boxes (this is also recommended for publishing installations), second not to close wait after programs R installed... Ok, one more idea, could U please add following things to wait.ini? CloseAfterFinished=0|1 And what about providing wait.cfg as parameter? E.g. in folder with wait U will have wait1.cfg, wait2.cfg, wait3.cfg and U will run wait like "\\server\share\wait.exe" wait1.cfg E.g. when U will send link to someone U will direct him to specific set of programs...

Heh, sound strange I am never turning off my computer at works and hibernating at notebook and tablet, so I dont solve problems like this. But prefetching shouldnt cause slow problems like this... Well, but reasons R not important, important is you find your solution and it is working

Well, speeding computer by deleting prefetch file is only hoax... Only time, when it matters is when there is too much prefetching files - I mean after half year or so. Personally I am deleting prefetch directory every month using scheduled tasks...

Easier way (and more system like) is to create specialized account for deployment... If U still want to do it your way, I could help U, think about it...

Sound great! Ok, I will try: Example no.1: Collections: I would create global menu with lot of utilities etc. Then I will create shortcut in server (e.g. \\server\menu), that will run this menu and technicians will be able to select what they want. Example no.2: Frontend: After installing some program I will create scripts, that will modify the settings and use WAIT as frontend. After clicking on the button the script in behind will modify the setting. And many more examples - with this ability U could use WAIT as frontend for MANY different applications/scripts etc...

Hi! I was looking for a utility that could create/manage scheduled tasks in Windows XP AND use new feature of SP2 to hide scheduled tasks... Any ideas (or volunteer programmer)?

Boot.ini is hidden... So U just fist enable file manager to view hidden files

regedit /s regfile.reg

If U want GUI, use another software, for example SuperScan... NMap is projected as CUI only...

I would like to order few books and I am still deciding which one to buy... Now I have two - Windows Deployment Resource Kit Windows Internals Any other recommendations?

Did U try this to restore LSP providers? netsh winsock reset