fantastic quote from TechNet Magazine

I got the latest issue of TechNet Magazine over the weekend (for October 2009) and there are some fantastic articles about Windows 7 and what's new in 2008 R2.


One of the articles is entitled "Windows 7: The 10 Things You Must Do First" and it includes the following quote: "It's amazing how the most unsophisticated user, incapable of so much as a password reset without helpdesk support, can install complex multi-tiered, client-server, front-end applications if the reward involves shopping or sports."


How true that is.  It is still amazing to me how much junk people can get installed on their computers in a very VERY short amount of time.  I know, a lot of it is pretty convincing or hidden or misleading, but still.


Gotta love IT!

Google Chrome v3.0

Google has released v3.0 of Chrome: http://www.google.com/chrome

Windows 7 Remote Server Admin. Tools

I've been using Windows 7 RTM for a few weeks now (and love it). I wanted to use the 2003 admin. pack but apparently there's a new version for it.

The "Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7 RTM" is what I was looking for, and it's downloading as we speak.

The new version can be found here (along with install instructions).

MCSA obtained!

Been a long time since I've posted, but I got my MCSA certification this past Tuesday. I was curious as to how I should/could use my designations (MCP, MCTS, and MCSA) and here's what Microsoft said:

"Hello Robert,

Thank you for your e-mail regarding certifications.

We appreciate your time and patience.

We would like to inform you that, you may use any of the certification titles as per your requirement. There is no limitation on how you can place the titles on your Business cards. You may either use all your certification titles or you may simply use only those titles that you wish to as per your requirement.

Please note that MCP is also considered to be a valid certification and you may use that title as well. You have an option to either place the titles in the order you have earned them or the latest certification first.

If there is anything else we can do for you, please let us know. Thank you for contacting Microsoft.

Shiv"

Looks like I can use all 3, or combine the MCSA and MCP (since the MCP is implied). Pretty cool!

Remotely Uninstall Software

At my company I set up and started using System Center Essentials 2007 a few months ago.

During that initial test (and what I believed was going to be our final configuration - this is before we did our domain rename and hosed it all up) I added desktops and servers to be monitored.

We renamed our domain and all of those servers and desktops had to have their SCE agent uninstalled and reinstalled.

Here's how I uninstalled the original agents so that they can be monitored again using the correct FQDNs:

• I did a Google search for how to uninstall software remotely.  I came across the command "msiexec" which people use to install or uninstall programs on the local computer with a reference to the programs GUID.  I also found "psexec" (a sysinternal tool) that lets me execute commands on a remote computer.
  
• I did another search for a VBS script to get the software install on the remote computer.  I needed one that gave me the GUID of the packages that were installed so I could pass it to msiexec.
  
• I found one on Microsoft's site and created my VBS file.
  
• I created a batch file that would be executed on the remote computers that used msiexec.
  

Here's what my batch file looked like ("uninstall SCE stuff.bat" to be precise :)):

msiexec.exe /norestart /qn /x {11447AB1-2B37-49D3-9963-2ACDFA06E04B} remove=all

msiexec.exe /norestart /qn /x {E7600A9C-6782-4221-984E-AB89C780DC2D} remove=all

If you look up the command line options for msiexec.exe you'll know what each of those options means.  Quickly though, the /norestart obviously causes a "no restart" (not that these packages require it...but just to be safe), the /qn does the uninstall quitely with no user interaction or windows, and the /x does the uninstall.  Also note the GUID after the /x (one for the "System Center Essentials Agent" and one for the "Configuration Helper").

On my desktop I issued the following command:

psexec \\remotecomputer -c "uninstall SCE stuff.bat"

After a few seconds the 2 packages were uninstalled.  I typed "\\remotecomputer\c$\Program Files" to get to the remote computer's "Program Files" and then deleted the "System Center Essentials 2007" folder.

I went back into the SCE console and attempted to reinstall the agents.  Boo yah!  Worked like a charm!

It's really nice being able to administer those kinds of things remotely so I don't have to bother my users!