Managing a background

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bart Perrier
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Bart Perrier

I currently have about 400 2k and XP workstations that are heavily managed
using GPOs. We have a few backgrounds that we use and all seams to be
working well.

What I need to do is put certain selective information on the desktop so we
can help the support center know which workstation a user is at or having
trouble with such as Computer Name, IP, UserName, etc. I need this to be
dynamic so that it pulls this information per machine rather than my desktop
support having to define it for each workstation.

I worked with BGInfo a while back and found that it did not like the Active
Desktop (which has to be enabled to define a background) or did not like
sharing the background with other workstations. Perhaps I configured BGInfo
incorrectly.

Anyone have any suggestons?

Bart Perrier
 
You could create a shortcut on the desktop for the user that runs the
ipconfig /all command or have support ask them to run that command. That
will give you computer name and all IP info. Note that if support has SMB
connectivity to the computers they support they can use psexec from
SysInternals [free] to access the command prompt on the computer to run
commands like netdiag, etc. --- Steve
 
Bart Perrier said:
I currently have about 400 2k and XP workstations that are heavily managed
using GPOs. We have a few backgrounds that we use and all seams to be
working well.

What I need to do is put certain selective information on the desktop so we
can help the support center know which workstation a user is at or having
trouble with such as Computer Name, IP, UserName, etc. I need this to be
dynamic so that it pulls this information per machine rather than my desktop
support having to define it for each workstation.

I worked with BGInfo a while back and found that it did not like the Active
Desktop (which has to be enabled to define a background) or did not like
sharing the background with other workstations. Perhaps I configured BGInfo
incorrectly.

Anyone have any suggestons?

Bart Perrier
Click to expand...

Hi Bart,
First, let me state that I don't use applications (or tools) that I can do
myself. I have not ever used BGInfo.
I had a gaming network setup in a cyber cafe. I set the back ground image to
a transparent gif named mygif001.gif, mygif002.gif, etc. for each of the 32
machines that the customers used. From the server, I would just copy a text
message .gif to the machine I wanted to see the message. The next time that
computer was logged, the new text message would be there.
Later, when I became more proficient, I setup my active desktop to a
customized .html page for each computer that refreshed every two minutes.
This allowed me to copy information to each computer to have the customer
read it every two minutes. It also allowed me to start selling advertising
space to help with income.
Just some ideas that may help you.

Black Wolf Standing
 
Was this the same image over all machines?

An HTML page would work well if I could pull workstation name, IP and
possibly a registry setting. I'd like to be able to incorporate VBScript in
the solution.

Bart
 
I have considered a shortcut to a VBScript to give me the information but
shortcuts have a tendancy to be deleted around here.

Bart

Steven L Umbach said:
You could create a shortcut on the desktop for the user that runs the
ipconfig /all command or have support ask them to run that command. That
will give you computer name and all IP info. Note that if support has SMB
connectivity to the computers they support they can use psexec from
SysInternals [free] to access the command prompt on the computer to run
commands like netdiag, etc. --- Steve


Bart Perrier said:
I currently have about 400 2k and XP workstations that are heavily managed
using GPOs. We have a few backgrounds that we use and all seams to be
working well.

What I need to do is put certain selective information on the desktop so
we
can help the support center know which workstation a user is at or having
trouble with such as Computer Name, IP, UserName, etc. I need this to be
dynamic so that it pulls this information per machine rather than my
desktop
support having to define it for each workstation.

I worked with BGInfo a while back and found that it did not like the
Active
Desktop (which has to be enabled to define a background) or did not like
sharing the background with other workstations. Perhaps I configured
BGInfo
incorrectly.

Anyone have any suggestons?

Bart Perrier
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Bart Perrier said:
Was this the same image over all machines?

An HTML page would work well if I could pull workstation name, IP and
possibly a registry setting. I'd like to be able to incorporate VBScript in
the solution.

Bart
Click to expand...

Hi Bart,
I hope you have some experience with HTML. Search the internet should help
you find how to relatively easy.
Place everything into a shared folder on each work station. Limit access to
this share to yourself or administrators.
Setup a folder on your system with the shared directories linked in it.
Setup a batch file that will copy the master01.html to share01.html thru
sharexx.html (where xx is the highest number you have).
Set each computer to use the sharexx.html it has stored on it for its own
active desktop.
Now all you have to do is modify the master01.html and run the batch file to
update all the active desktops.
You’ll have the ability to manually copy a master02.htlm file to selected
machines you want to have a unique message displayed on them.

For the masterxx.html file.
Setup a meta refresh.
Link to the VBScript and call it onload in the body statement.
You can Link to a Javascript file also.
Now, every time the page refreshes, the VBScript will run.
You’ll now only be limited by how well you can use VBScript to what you can
do.

You do not need two way access. Just copy the VBScript or Javascript files
into the remote shared folders so they won’t have to make calls back to your
server or work station.

I hope this helps.
Black Wolf Standing
 
This looks really good. I am still considering the option of a VBScript to
check for an icon on the desktop each time a user logs in. If they delete
it, it will come back on the next boot. This will give me any information
that a VBScript can retrieve. But honestly, even our average user has
trouble finding icons on the desktop.

Thanks Matt.
 
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