TechNet Magazine: Scripting rss

All TechNet Magazine Topics

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: Taking the Express Route
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - August 2008
    With Windows Vista, the UserAccounts.CommonDialog ActiveX control for opening a file open dialog box no longer exists. Here's a look at how you can solve that problem using Visual Basic Express Edition.

  • Windows PowerShell: The Drop Box
    Don Jones - July 2008
    Don Jones discusses filtering functions, the pipeline, custom objects, and how ping-pong balls hold the secret to understanding Windows PowerShell.

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: The Adrenaline Rush
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - July 2008
    The Scripting Guys discuss adrenaline-filled scripting and show you how the new boot configuration data store in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 can be accessed using scripts.

  • Windows PowerShell: Looking Good
    Don Jones - June 2008
    Discover how the object-oriented nature of Windows PowerShell allows you to apply formatting to its output.

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: Not-So-Hard Work Has Its Rewards, Too
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - June 2008
    The Scripting Guys ponder hard work, true happiness, and outputting data to the command window in a readable tabular format.

  • Windows PowerShell: Automating Directory Management
    Don Jones - May 2008
    Version 1 of Windows PowerShell offers less than impressive Active Directory management capabilities. Find out how you can use add-ins to get more powerful ways to work with Active Directory objects from within Windows PowerShell.

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: Raising Eyebrows on Regular Expressions
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - May 2008
    The scripting guys visit the Louvre, take up art criticism, and show you how to use regular expressions in a script to do a search and replace.

  • Windows PowerShell: Sign Here, Please
    Don Jones - April 2008
    An overview of signing your scripts for improved security.

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: The Return of the Database Script
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - April 2008
    The AllSigned execution policy provides the most secure Windows PowerShell environment. So how do you sign your Windows PowerShell scripts? Don Jones shows you how.

  • Windows PowerShell: Progress Report
    Don Jones - March 2008
    For your users with attention span issues—and even those without—providing status feedback in your scripts is a good idea. Here's all you need to know to provide status in Windows PowerShell.

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: Our Favorite Shell Games
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - March 2008
    The Scripting Guys demonstrate how you can change the last-modified date of a file with some script and the Shell object.

  • Windows PowerShell: Shell Permissions
    Don Jones - February 2008
    Permissions in Windows are, unfortunately, innately complicated. But Windows PowerShell can help. Get a quick overview of how permissions in Windows work and find out how you can simplify the task of working with them.

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: The Games Are Afoot! Oh, and Some XML, Too
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - February 2008
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys go on and on about the 2008 Scripting Games, and they also show you how to create, append, and modify XML documents. By the way, have you heard about the 2008 Scripting Games?

  • Windows PowerShell: Digging Deeper
    Don Jones - December 2007
    Windows PowerShell provides many features that often get overlooked. By taking a methodical approach to exploring Windows PowerShell cmdlets, you will unearth some powerful capabilities that you haven't yet noticed.

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: The Return of WinRM
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - December 2007
    Did the butler do it? Was it in the pantry with the candlestick? None of these questions are answered here. But after four long weeks, the Scripting Guys are back with Part 2 of their two-part series on WinRM.

  • Windows PowerShell: Writing Regular Expressions
    Don Jones - November 2007
    With a well-written regular expression, a Windows PowerShell script can determine whether or not data conforms to a valid format. Get an overview of how you can use Regular Expressions in Windows PowerShell.

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: Desktop Management from beyond the Grave
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - November 2007
    The Scripting Guys demonstrate how to use Windows Remote Management to retrieve the properties and instances of classes on a remote computer. Oh, and there's a cool puzzle too.

  • Windows PowerShell: Working Without a Script
    Don Jones - October 2007
    Have you put off using Windows PowerShell because you don't have time to learn how to script. Don't worry. Here's a look at how you can start using Windows PowerShell immediately, without writing a lick of code.

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: Let There Be Silverlight
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - October 2007
    Silverlight makes it easy to create cool user interfaces and multimedia presentations. And it seems to work well in HTML Applications, or HTAs. The Scripting Guys show you how to give Silverlight a try.

  • Windows PowerShell: Securing the Shell
    Don Jones - September 2007
    When designing Windows PowerShell, Microsoft gave security a leading role. And it shows. Take a look at some of the key security features and settings, such as credential handling and execution policies, that ensure Windows PowerShell won’t fall game to the same problems that VBScript enabled.

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: Can This Relationship Be Saved?
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - September 2007
    Relational databases are designed to handle one-to-many relationships. This can make writing scripts that query these databases a bit tricky. But don’t worry—the Scripting Guys are here to show you everything you need to know.

  • Windows PowerShell: The Power of Filtering
    Don Jones - August 2007
    The pipeline isn't just for cmdlets. Take a look at how you can use the Windows PowerShell pipeline to add handy filtering capabilities to your scripts.

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: Who Are You?
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - August 2007
    With Active Directory, users can have a variety of identities, such as givenName, displayName, userPrincipalName, or distinguishedName. As a system administrator, how do you get all this information about a user? With a script, of course.

  • Windows PowerShell: Rethinking the Pipeline
    Don Jones - July 2007
    Don't mistake the pipeline in Windows PowerShell for the UNIX pipeline. The Windows PowerShell pipeline is responsible for far different and far more powerful functionality.

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: In Scripts, as in Life, Looks Are Important
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - July 2007
    For scripts that run in a graphical environment, looks are as important as function and performance. Explore techniques for using cascading style sheets to improve the look of your scripts.

  • Windows PowerShell: Working with Active Directory
    Don Jones - June 2007
    Windows PowerShell doesn't provide a Get-ADSIObject cmdlet, but that doesn't prevent it from ogffering strong ADSI support. Get an introduction to type adapters and learn how you can use Windows PowerShell to work with directiory objects.

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: Scripting Around the Squiggly Red Line
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - June 2007
    Looking for an easier way to add terms to the Microsoft Word dictionary without doing it by hand, one word at a time? Who isn't? This month, the Scripting Guys show you how to create custom dictionaries in Microsoft Word, and how to programmatically configure Word to use those dictionaries.

  • Windows PowerShell: The WMI Connection
    Don Jones - May 2007
    Windows Management Instrumentation is an incredibly useful technology for exposing system information. Find out how Windows PowerShell can make WMI infinitely easier to learn and use.

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: Flowers Blooming. Dialogs Popping. Spring Is Here.
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - May 2007
    Ever wonder how you could send values to and from a dialog box in an HTML Application (HTA)? Here’s an explanation of how to create a dialog box and then pass information back and forth between the dialog box and the main HTA.

  • Windows PowerShell: Filtering and Formatting Data
    Don Jones - April 2007
    Windows PowerShell provides easy access to a wide range of data. In its raw state, however, this data isn’t ready for typical business purposes. Learn how to customize the data you gather by filtering, specifying properties, and applying formatting.

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: Naively Taking on Local Users and Groups
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - April 2007
    It seems everybody has been asking about it. And now the Scripting Guys (finally) show you how to use scripts to manage local users and groups.

  • Windows PowerShell: The Power of Variables
    Don Jones - March 2007
    In Windows PowerShell, variables are mapped to underlying classes in the .NET Framework, providing more powerful capabilities than are possible in previous scripting languages. Explore the inner-workings of how these variables work, and learn how to use them.

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: Answering Your OU Questions…for Just 5 Cents
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - March 2007
    Ever wish you could display a dialog box that lets select an OU from Active Directory and connect to it using a script? The Scripting Guys have just the script you're looking for.

  • Windows PowerShell: Scripting One Line at a Time
    Don Jones - February 2007

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: Chasing Cars… and XML
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - February 2007

  • Windows PowerShell: Windows PowerShell Constructs
    Don Jones - January 2007

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: Be Careful What You Say
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - January 2007

  • Exchange Server 2007: Take Command with the Exchange Management Shell
    David Strome - December 2006
    The Exchange Management Shell gives administrators a powerful interface for managing every aspect of Exchange Server 2007. Get an overview of how you can start writing scripts, integrating applications, and performing other powerful management tasks from the command line.

  • Windows PowerShell: Simple Commands. Powerful Administration
    Don Jones - December 2006
    Windows PowerShell is about to launch, offering Windows administrators the easiest and most flexible way to automate a wide variety of administrative tasks. Discover what you need to know to start performing administrative tasks more effectively using this powerful command-shell tool.

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: Where Are the Cup Holders?
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - December 2006
    You've already got VBScript and Windows Script Host. Why should you bother with a new tool for scripting? We'll show you how Windows PowerShell is more powerful, allowing you to do things you haven’t been able to do in the past.

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: Sure, We're Adaptable
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - November 2006
    You can do a lot of networking through scripts. Two Windows Management Instrumentation classes, Win32_NetworkAdapter and Win32_NetworkAdapaterConfiguration, allow you to work with network adapters on your computers.

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: Setting Up Outlook E-Mail Signatures
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - October 2006

  • System Management: Unlocking the Mystery of WMI Events in MOM
    Brian Wren - September 2006
    Virtually every noteworthy Windows event generates a WMI event. Find out how you can monitor WMI events with MOM to provide an even more powerful solution for systems management.

  • System Management: Gathering WMI Data without Writing a Single Line of Code
    John Kelbley - September 2006
    WMI is a powerful tool, but writing scripts to harness it can be intimidating. Here’s a hidden command-line interface that makes it easier to take advantage of WMI. Best of all, the tool is already on your system.

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: Late-Night Scripting
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - September 2006

  • Utility Spotlight: Scripting Trouble-Free Downloads with BITS
    Michael Murgolo - August 2006

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: How Can I Delete a Key and its Subkeys from the Registry?
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - August 2006

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: It’s About Time (Oh, and About Dates, Too)
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - July 2006
    You know, the Scripting Guys hardly ever wax philosophical. (We hardly ever wax our cars or our floors, either, but that’s a different story. ) When it comes to the nature of time, however, well, in that case we just can’t help ourselves.

  • Utility Spotlight: Automate Device Driver Integration
    Michael Murgolo - May • June 2006
    When you’re deploying thousands of Windows-based computers, configuring a single system and duplicating its hard drive (or system image) onto other corporate computers can save you a lot of time and free up IT resources.

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: We All Scream for Security Descriptors
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - May • June 2006
    Sometimes things are just more complicated than they should be. Take a simple little task like deciding which ice cream to order. Back when the Scripting Guys were growing up this was easy; for the most part, you had your choice between chocolate and vanilla.

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: Determining a User’s Group Memberships
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - March • April 2006
    Groucho Marx once said, "I don’t want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member." (The Scripting Guys hold a similar philosophy...or we would if we could ever find a group that would accept us as members.)

  • Utility Spotlight: WMI Code Creator
    Chris Scoville - January • February 2006
    As a systems administrator you’re surely no stranger to Windows®Management Instrumentation (WMI), which gives you access to a wealth of management information and allows you to automate administrative tasks.

  • Hey, Scripting Guy!: Yes, Another One...
    The Microsoft Scripting Guys - January • February 2006
    Greetings, everyone. In one of their classic Halloween episodes, the Simpsons became rich and famous. Their faces were everywhere: on billboards, on T-shirts, you name it. Not too surprisingly the people of Springfield quickly tired of seeing the Simpsons everywhere they looked.

  • Utility Spotlight: RunUpdates.cmd
    Joshua Hoffman - November • December 2005
    A great deal of time is often invested in determining the best ways to keep an infrastructure current, and rightfully so. In this month’s Utility Spotlight I take a look at a great way to make sure that desktops are as current as possible from the day they are deployed.

  • Scripting: Monad: The Future of Windows Scripting
    Thomas Lee - November • December 2005
    Managing an office full of Windows®-based servers and workstations has been challenging ever since the early days of Windows networking. While administrators have been using a combination of GUI-based applications, batch files, scripts, and a host of other utilities to get their jobs done, the GUI-based applications have tended to be the de-facto standard on the Windows platform.

  • Field Notes: IT and Life Experiences
    Joshua Hoffman - Spring 2005
    IT pros don't write code. IT pros don't develop applications, and we certainly don't want anything to do with mathematical algorithms and binary search trees. We leave that to the dev geeks with CompSci PhDs and cases of Mountain Dew under their desk.