Microsoft Script Explorer for Windows PowerShell RC

Microsoft® Script Explorer for Windows PowerShell® (Release Candidate) helps scripters find Windows PowerShell scripts, snippets, modules, and how-to guidance in online repositories such as the TechNet Script Center Repository, PoshCode, local or network file systems and Bing Search Repository. Microsoft® Script Explorer enables:

  • Integrated community and Microsoft resources to help you unlock the power of Windows PowerShell.
  • Seamless searching across online repositories to locate script samples relevant to you.
  • Establishing and searching local, network, and corporate script repository is easy.

You can download the software from here.

Virtual Machine Topology Generator

VMT can build a series of Virtual Machines, including inner VM automation, based on a defined XML file. This XML file is easy to customize to your own particular configuration. This is very useful in education lab, test lab, or demonstration environments.

You can download this tool here at the Microsoft script repository.

How to install powershell on Windows 2008 R2 Core Server

After you install Windows 2008 R2 Core Server from media, you notice that powershell is installed by default. PowerShell is essential in Core environment to administer core operating system. So, it is recommended to install powershell after you install Core operating system to take full advantage of this powerful programming language in configuring the several OS parameters. Today, I installed a core server and thought of writing a articles on how to install powershell in Core. Continue reading “How to install powershell on Windows 2008 R2 Core Server”

Powershell script to pre-download prerequisites

Hi guys,

I spotted this script on the web (http://autospinstaller.com) and wanted to share it with you all.

This script will download all files required by Prerequisiteinstaller.exe in advance, in order to support an ‘offline’ installation of SharePoint 2010 (that is, on a server without Internet connectivity, as is often the case). Normally it will attempt to download any missing files, which of course doesn’t help you if your server can’t browse the Internet. Thankfully, PrerequisiteInstaller.exe also accepts command-line switches to allow installation from a locally-accessible file for each respective hotfix/prerequisite.

The script contains a list (current as of this writing) of the URLs for each prerequisite, and attempts to download them all in sequence. It uses the BitsTransfer module included with Windows 7 and Win2008 (R2, at least), but hasn’t yet been tested on other OSes yet.

Download the powershell script and the AutoSPInstaller.

Just to make it clear I didn’t write these scripts but i found it on te web. Here’s a link to the creators website.

For more information about how to use the script and installer. Check this page.

That’s it for now and until next time.

Greetz
Jack

Powershell Get-HotFix

I just saw a great article from Jeffrey Hicks where he explains the powershell command “get-HotFix”.

Here’s the first few paragraphs. At the end there’s a link to the complete article.

“It is a fact of life for any help desk or support professional that managing patches, updates and hot fixes is an important and often critical task. The challenge, especially during a critical event like a rampant malware exploit, is to identify where a particular hot fix is installed and more importantly, where it is not. How do you check not only one computer but 100 computers? Continue reading “Powershell Get-HotFix”

Query AD for specific groups

Hi guys,

I was busy at work to query our AD for a list of only security groups. Well, after a bit of struggling i found the query i needed:

If you need to query your AD for a list of specific group here’s the query you need. Continue reading “Query AD for specific groups”

Check foldr size script

By default, Windows only show file size not folder size. We sometime have to click through the folders to find the “culprit.

Ying Li developed the below PS script to help smooth this process. What it does is to do a recurse scan of each sub folders inside target folder and calculate the total length of the files and write a report in excel. Continue reading “Check foldr size script”

Disable welcome screen IE8/IE9

I don’t know about you, but I am so annoyed with this screen, mostly because it always pops out when I least expect it, for example, when I’m in the middle of a demo or a class, and even when I think it won’t appear, because that nasty designer has probably deliberately configured it in such a way that there’s a slight delay between the opening of the IE window, and the pop up welcome screen. Even more nagging, running through the welcome screen will then pop up a new IE tab, taking you to a web page that you do not want to be at, causing you to again waste even more time. Needless to say, in the days Continue reading “Disable welcome screen IE8/IE9”