[Windows7 and the Novell client]

We have started migrating to Windows7 since Microsoft stopped shipping XP recovery disks. We're also in the process of migrating away from Novell e-Directory to Active Directory. I've noticed some intermittent connection problems, e.g. mapped network drive randomly becoming disconnected or being unable to log back into a locked workstation first time, but the same password works again if used a second time.

According to MS to issue is due to the patch level on the Novell server. However the Infrastructure team do not want to patch the server because it's a little temperamental and may go belly up. After all it's being migrated away from..... However this does help me with the issues my users are facing, so does anybody have any suggestions / recommendations from a desktop perspective that may help at least improve the situation until the Novell servers are turned off once and for all?

All help appreciated.

Ashley

[Hardware Independent Image]

Hi everyone,

I have been asked to create a hardware independent Windows7 image for our desktops and laptops. Does anybody have any insight into the best way to do this and the best practice etc.. I know about WIM files and apparently Ghost can create hardware independent images these days. How?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Ashley

[Need Help With VBScript Service Pack 3 Checker]

This is good stuff and just what I'm looking for.

Does anybody know who to check whether Office 2007 SP1 is installed or not in the same script?

Thanks in advance everyone.

Keep up the good work

[Firefox 3.0 Released]

why not just use: start /wait "Firefox SETUP" "Firefox3.0.exe -ms -ira" in a batch file?

[IPass Client silent]

I seem to be using a slightly older version of iPass then you, but here's my setup.iss file. It works OK for us:

[installShield Silent]

Version=v6.00.000

File=Response File

[File Transfer]

OverwrittenReadOnly=NoToAll

[{AB6FFA58-F491-11D3-8951-000000024939}-DlgOrder]

Dlg0={AB6FFA58-F491-11D3-8951-000000024939}-AskYesNo-0

Count=4

Dlg1={AB6FFA58-F491-11D3-8951-000000024939}-SdWelcome-1

Dlg2={AB6FFA58-F491-11D3-8951-000000024939}-SdAskDestPath-0

Dlg3={AB6FFA58-F491-11D3-8951-000000024939}-AskYesNo-0

[{AB6FFA58-F491-11D3-8951-000000024939}-AskYesNo-0]

Result=1

[{AB6FFA58-F491-11D3-8951-000000024939}-SdWelcome-0]

Result=1

[{AB6FFA58-F491-11D3-8951-000000024939}-SdAskDestPath-0]

szDir=C:\Program Files\iPass\iPassConnect

Result=1

[{AB6FFA58-F491-11D3-8951-000000024939}-AskYesNo-0]

Result=1

[Application]

Name=iPassConnect

Version=3.30.00

Company=iPass

Lang=0009

[{AB6FFA58-F491-11D3-8951-000000024939}-AskYesNo-1]

Result=0

[InstallShield: how to find parameters?]

I have the same problem with Installshild applications. The -R switch to make the setup.iss file doesn't seem to work (no I'm not rebooting after installation).

The applications seems to ignore the setup.exe -S switch. I'm thinking with particular reference to the Adobe updates.

Has anybody had a similar problem?

[Paperport 11]

It doesn't matter if I import the registration entry before the install or after.

Also, on the PaperPort11 CD is a tool called MkMst.exe. This will supposedly make the transform file for you. However even this says invalid serial number. What's going on?

Also, the little app you mentioned - InstallTailor - is no longer available. See http://www.appdeploy.com/tools/detail.asp?id=293

Anyone have any other ideas? I've even tried using AutoIt, but the script is unrealiable (it works on some PCs but not others) and it will not run from the network drive for some reason.

Surely it's possible to script PaperPort 11?

Does it matter that I'm using the standard version rather than pro version?

[Paperport 11]

I'm attempting to create an unattended install of PaperPort 11. All seems to go well till the installer launches setup.msi. I get the error message "Serial number is invalid" even though it's corect.

Install.cmd looks like this:

@Echo Off

ECHO Installing Scansoft PaperPort 11

ECHO Please wait...

REGEDIT /S %systemdrive%\PaperPort11\PaperPort.reg

start /wait %systemdrive%\PaperPort11\ISScript10.Msi /qb! ALLUSERS=1

start /wait %systemdrive%\PaperPort11\Setup.msi /qb! ALLUSERS=1

Exit

The PaperPort.reg file looks like this:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ScanSoft\PaperPort\License]

"UserName"="****"

"UserOrganization"="****"

"Serial#"="*****-***-****-****-**"

Anbody have any ideas?

Thanks

Ashley

[Thunderbird and FireFox Configuration Script]

If anyone is interested, I wrote a script that answers my own question. It's below (called config.cmd):

@echo off

COLOR 1f

MODE CON COLS=50 LINES=5

TITLE Thunderbird Configuration Utility

ECHO Configuring Thunderbird

ECHO Please wait...

:: First test to see if we are on NT or similar OS

:: The ony difference is how they handle the ampersand

> ~userin.vbs echo 1234&rem

type ~userin.vbs | find "rem" > nul

if errorlevel 1 goto LOGNAME

goto WIN9X

:WIN9X

call error.vbs

:LOGNAME

> ~userin.vbs echo strUserIn = InputBox("Please enter your login name")

>> ~userin.vbs echo Set fs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

>> ~userin.vbs echo strFileName = fs.BuildPath(Wscript.ScriptFullName ^& "\..", "~userin.bat")

>> ~userin.vbs echo strFileName = fs.GetAbsolutePathName(strFileName)

>> ~userin.vbs echo Set ts = fs.OpenTextFile(strFileName, 2, True)

>> ~userin.vbs echo ts.WriteLine "set userin=" ^& strUserIn

>> ~userin.vbs echo ts.Close

goto RUN

:RUN

:: Now run the created script

start /w wscript.exe ~userin.vbs

del ~userin.vbs

:: Now call the created batch file

call ~userin.bat

del ~userin.bat

:: Now display the data!

::echo You entered %USERIN%

::pause

::cls

::Now output %USERIN% to prefs.js

K:\software\WindowsXP\Thunderbird\change.com prefs.js "UID" "%USERIN%" > NUL

goto EMAIL

:EMAIL

> ~email.vbs echo strUserIn = InputBox("Please enter your FULL email address")

>> ~email.vbs echo Set fs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

>> ~email.vbs echo strFileName = fs.BuildPath(Wscript.ScriptFullName ^& "\..", "~email.bat")

>> ~email.vbs echo strFileName = fs.GetAbsolutePathName(strFileName)

>> ~email.vbs echo Set ts = fs.OpenTextFile(strFileName, 2, True)

>> ~email.vbs echo ts.WriteLine "set email=" ^& strUserIn

>> ~email.vbs echo ts.Close

goto RUN2

:RUN2

:: Now run the second created script

start /w wscript.exe ~email.vbs

del ~email.vbs

:: Now call the created batch file

call ~email.bat

del ~email.bat

:: Now display the data!

::echo You entered %EMAIL%

::pause

::cls

::Now output %EMAIL% to prefs.js

K:\software\WindowsXP\Thunderbird\change.com prefs.js "EID" "%EMAIL%" > NUL

:NAME

> ~name.vbs echo strUserIn = InputBox("Please enter your First name and Surname")

>> ~name.vbs echo Set fs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

>> ~name.vbs echo strFileName = fs.BuildPath(Wscript.ScriptFullName ^& "\..", "~name.bat")

>> ~name.vbs echo strFileName = fs.GetAbsolutePathName(strFileName)

>> ~name.vbs echo Set ts = fs.OpenTextFile(strFileName, 2, True)

>> ~name.vbs echo ts.WriteLine "set name=" ^& strUserIn

>> ~name.vbs echo ts.Close

goto RUN3

:RUN3

:: Now run the second created script

start /w wscript.exe ~name.vbs

del ~name.vbs

:: Now call the created batch file

call ~name.bat

del ~name.bat

:: Now display the data!

::echo You entered %name%

::pause

::cls

::Now output %NAME% to prefs.js

K:\software\WindowsXP\Thunderbird\change.com prefs.js "NID" "%NAME%" > NUL

call message.vbs

xcopy "k:\Software\WindowsXP\Thunderbird\Thunderbird\*.*" "%appdata%\Thunderbird\" /e /y /q

xcopy "k:\Software\WindowsXP\Thunderbird\prefs.js" "%appdata%\Thunderbird\Profiles\adh18umt.default\" /y /q

xcopy "k:\Software\WindowsXP\Thunderbird\template\prefs.js" "k:\Software\WindowsXP\Thunderbird\prefs.js" /y /q

Exit

Error.vbs looks like this:

MsgBox "This script is not designed for your Operating System.", vb, "Company Name"

Message.vbs looks like this:

MsgBox "Please check that prefs.js has been successfully modified.", vb, "Company Name"

Create a sample prefs.js to work with and download change.com..... Job done

[Thunderbird and FireFox Configuration Script]

I’m trying to rollout FireFox and Thunderbird. I have created a simple batch file script (source code below) to install firefox 1.5.0.6 and Thunderbird 1.5.0.5.

@Echo off

COLOR 1f

MODE CON COLS=40 LINES=5

TITLE FireFox and Thunderbird

Echo Installing Thunderbird 1.5.0.4

Echo Please wait...

start /wait k:\software\mozilla\Thunderbird1.5.0.5.exe /ms

Echo.

Echo.

cls

Echo Installing Firefox 1.5.0.5

Echo Please wait...

start /wait k:\software\mozilla\firefox1.5.0.6.exe /ms

Echo.

Echo.

Exit

The script works fine, but when I launch Firefox or Thunderbird, the configuration wizard pops up. I know that the configuration file is “prefs.js”, but how can I configure this in a script for each different user?

The email server and settings will be the same, but the user name is different. Ideally somebody will know of a script that will produce a popup box saying, “Enter your username” then it will configure FireFox and Thunderbird for him or her.

Any ideas?

All help welcome….

Ashley

[Trados 2006]

Hi all.

Any help on creating an unattended install for Trados 2006 would be gratefully received. I need to install all the components i.e. SDL Trados 2006, SDLX 2006, SDL Flexlm License server, Trados Multi-term, ISScript1050, dotnetfx, and dotnetfxsp1.

Help!!!

[Remove Netware Printers Script]

Good work. This little utility looks like it could do the trick.

Thanks for the hard work.

Ash

[Remove Netware Printers Script]

The company I work for is moving from Novell (Netware) queue based printing (which uses IPX) to IP printing (about time!!).

I would like to make life easy for myself by scripting this in a batch file. Basically I need a script that removes all Novell printers from a user's workstation (but leaves the existing IP-based printers).

Any ideas? All suggestions welcome.

Thanks

Ashley

[How to convert Ghost Images]

Hi all.

Hopefully you can help me. I need to convert several ghost images of older PCs into some format that can be run in either Microsoft Virtual Machine 2004 or VMware. I know that you can link virtual machine and VMware to iso CD images. That would be ideal. If there is some way to convert them into actual virtual machines, then even better.

I've already tried using WinImage. It's great at creating virtual images of existing PCs, but I have images I need to convert. Any ideas? All help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Ashley