September 16, 2008 at 7:07 pm · Filed under Management, Windows 2008
Windows Remote Management and Windows Remote Shell allow us to remotely administration of Windows Vista and Windows 2008 machines. For Windows XP SP2 and Windows Server 2003 there is also an update that align them with WinRM features used in Windows Vista and Windows 2008.
WinRM is installed and configured to start automatically in Windows Vista and Windows 2008, but it is not at all configured.
So, before to start to use it it is mandatory to proceed with its configuration. The command to do it is:
“winrm quickconfig” or “winrm qc” in abbreviated mode.
The command will launch the question “Make these changes [y/n]?“, just type y
Once the service is configured you can query its state using the command:
“winrm enumerate winrm/config/listener”
Now it´s time to execute WinRS in the client that will manage the romote machine. These are some examples about some ways to execute commands into the remote machine:
winrs -r:https://myserver.com ipconfig
winrs -r:myserver “dir c:\”
winrs -r:http://169.51.2.101:80 cmd
And finally, if you don´t need anymore WinRM you can remove it running this command:
winrm delete winrm/config/Listener?Address=*+Transport=HTTP
June 20, 2008 at 4:32 pm · Filed under Registry Tips
There is a limitation in the number of logon that a user can perform in a computer that has not connection with its domain controller. In this case, the logon process use the cached logon information stored in the computer.
This number is by default 10 for Windows XP and Windows Vista.
This default behaviour could be changed using the Key CachedLogonsCount stored in the Registry Path HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\winlogon
Valid values for this key are from 0 to 50.
In case you want to deny logon for domain login accounts if the active directory domain is not reachable you can set this value to 0.
June 5, 2008 at 8:28 pm · Filed under Tools, slmgr.vbs
The installation of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 includes an evaluation period that allows you to using full features of both products for a period of 30 days for Windows Vista and 180 days for Windows Server 2008 without having a valid and legal product key.
Also, Microsoft includes by default a supported and legal way to extend that evaluation period for three more times. In this way, you can evaluate Windows Vista without having a valid product key for a period of time of 120 days and Windows Server 2008 for a period of time of 240 days.
The procedure is so easy as to execute a .vbs script that is included by default into C:\Windows\System32 directory. This script .vbs script is named slmgr.vbs and the commando to execute before the evaluation period expires, for example the day before, is the following :
C:\Windows\System32\slmgr.vbs –rearm
You must to restart the computer to apply the new evaluation period after the command execution.
You have the chance to apply this procedure for three times.
There are many options related to licensing topic that you can manage with this .vbs script, as you can see in the following usage instructions:
Usage: slmgr.vbs [MachineName [User Password]] [<Option>]
MachineName: Name of remote machine (default is local machine)
User: Account with required privilege on remote machine
Password: password for the previous account
Global Options:
-ipk <Product Key>
Install product key (replaces existing key)
-ato
Activate Windows
-dli [Activation ID | All]
Display license information (default: current license)
-dlv [Activation ID | All]
Display detailed license information (default: current license)
-xpr
Expiration date for current license state
Advanced Options:
-cpky
Clear product key from the registry (prevents disclosure attacks)
-ilc <License file>
Install license
-rilc
Re-install system license files
-rearm
Reset the licensing status of the machine
-upk
Uninstall product key
-dti
Display Installation ID for offline activation
-atp <Confirmation ID>
Activate product with user-provided Confirmation ID
May 16, 2008 at 1:44 pm · Filed under Sysocmgr, Tools
Microsoft provides a tool to install and uninstall from command prompt the same components and subcomponents that you can manage from Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs. This tool is named SYSOCMGR.EXE and is located by default into %systemroot%\system32 folder.
So, in this way you have the opportunity to install in an unattended manner whatever Windows component.
The syntax to run the tool is the following :
SYSOCMGR.EXE /i:%windir%\inf\sysoc.inf /u:c:\components.txt
Where sysoc.inf is the file used by Windows every time you launch Add/Remove programs from Control Panel.
And the second one, components.txt in this example, is the file where we are going to set what componentes/subcomponentes to install/uninstall. The name of the file can be whatever you like.
And the content of the file is something like the next one, in this case an example about how to install MS Radius Server (Internet Authentication Service) :
[Components]
netoc = on
[NetOptionalComponents]
IAS = 1
You can use in the text file just on/off and 1/0 for installation/uninstallation of Components and Subcomponets.
April 17, 2008 at 1:02 pm · Filed under Netsh, Tools
Windows Vista includes a new feature that allow us to manage Wireless connection profiles as .xml files. In this way we can export all or just some of the wireless connections defined in a Windows Vista (or Windows 2008) machine. After that we can manipulate that files to make changes in the connection properties that we can´t do it using the GUI. Once we have the right .xml file, the original one or the modified one, we can import that file and its connections to the same machine or to a different one.
The command to see all wlan profiles defined in the machine :
- netsh wlan show profile
In this way we can see also what profiles have been created by the user and what others have been created using group policies.
The command to export one profile :
- netsh wlan profile name=”profile name to export” folder=”folder where to store the .xml file”
If you want to export all the profiles just omit the name= modifier.
The command to import one profile :
- netsh wlan add profile filename=”path and name of the .xml file to import” user=current/all
If you omit the user= modifier the profile will be imported fot all users.
April 1, 2008 at 5:39 pm · Filed under Registry Tips
If you want to show in desktop, lower-right corner, the version and build number of your Windows Operating System you have just to set to 1 the key PaintDesktopVersion into registry path:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
December 21, 2007 at 9:28 pm · Filed under Registry Tips
How many times have you tried to downolad more than two files at the same time using Internet Explorer? You are right, it´s not possible, by default, two is the limit for simoultaneous downlad sessions.
Using this key you will be able to break this limitation setting the limit to the value you desire.
The registry path to modify is this one :
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
Below this path there are three entries (DWord Values) we have to set :
MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server : Number of simultaneous sessions you want to configure, i.e, 6
MaxConnectionsPerServer : Same than above, number of simultaneous sessions you want to configure, i.e, 6
November 7, 2007 at 9:11 pm · Filed under Registry Tips
One more time we have to choose between security and functionality.
Using this key we have the possibility to make automatic logon in our XP Workstation when the workstation is started. This solution some times is mandatory when some process in the machine needs to run into the logon environment of some user, it means, an application that can´t be installed as a service.
But this is a security breach as the information about logon name and password is stored in clear text in the registry.
The registry path to modify is this one :
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Below this path there are three entries (String Values) we have to set :
DefaultUserName : “logon name of the user to make logon”
DefaultPassword : “password for such user”
AutoAdminLogon : “put this value to 1″
October 18, 2007 at 7:02 pm · Filed under Registry Tips
You can find here programs that automatically starts when Windows Start. These are not the same programs that are included in Startup programs group.
Tipically, program icons that you can see into the task bar (bottom left in your desktop) are located in this registry key. This entry is commonly used for programs that you install and are autoconfigured to autostart without your approval.
It´s healthy to take a look regularly to this key because is used by viruses, internet explorer adins, spyware, …
You can find it in the registry path :
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
October 16, 2007 at 6:54 pm · Filed under Registry Tips
As usual with these kind of parameters, you can improve the performance of your machine but losing “security”. Pagefile.sys may contain sensitive information like passwords, web browsers cookies, … that many people prefer to delete to not beeing available after restart the machine.
If security in this topic is not your concern you can boost the start-up process of your machine not deleting pagefile.sys when you shutdown your machine.
To disable pagefile clearnig at shutdown this is the key that you have to set to “1″ :
ClearPageFileAtShutdown
You can find it in the registry path :
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management
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