Windows Admin Blog: September 2010

SCCM Free Tools Part-2

Stand Alone Tools:

1. 1E Migration Tool :This tool is designed to allow an SMS Administrator to Migrate all or selected packages and programs from his SMS environment into a System Center Configuration Management (ConfigMgr) environment.
2. Application Creator For SCCM :Streamline every aspect of the package creation process thus making the daily administration of the system smarter. In the latest version you'll also find functionality to pre-stage computers and configure variables used in the image deployment.
3. Client Diagnostic and Configuration Tool :The App-V 4.5 Client Diagnostic and Configuration tool makes it possible for administrators or users to troubleshoot virtual applications on their App-V Client and the environment they run in.
4. ConfigMgr Site Bound Tool : It allows bulk addition of boundaries to ConfigMgr(SCCM) sites.
5.ConfigMgr Branch DP Add :Tool that will bulk add protected branch distribution points to a ConfigMgr 2007 (SCCM) hierarchy.
6. CCR creator tool :A tool that allows the admin to create CCRs
7. Show All Packages :This utility is quite simple, it just queries the primary site server for all of its distribution points including child sites and then displays the packages for each distribution point. You check or uncheck which ones you want for that distribution point.
8. Collection Commander :Initiate SCCM advanced client actions on a collection: Ping,WakeUp,HW/SW Inventory,ReRun Advertisements,Show logged on user,Download/Refresh Policy,Repair SMS Agents,Import Clients to the Collection...
9. Custom Query Desktop by ScriptingIT.com :Create custom queries based on AD Group name.
10. ENGL Driver Manager: ENGL Driver Manager automates the download and injection of drivers into System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM).
11. ENGL Zwlancfg : Simplifies the unattended deployment of Microsoft wireless network settings to Windows 7 (32/64-bit), Windows Vista (32/64-bit), Windows XP SP2/SP3 (32-bit) machines. Profiles can be created, deleted, exported and imported.
12. Lumension Device Control for Microsoft System Center : Provides Device / Port Access and Data Encryption Policy Enforcement Capabilities to Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) Customers.
13. OSD Application Chooser: A small application that allows applications to be interactively chosen at deployment time during an OSD Task Sequence.
14. OU Collection Creation Tool: This tool will read the config file to determine the domain and then create collections (user/Computer).
15. Preload Package Tool: The Preload Package Tool is used to manually install compressed copies of software distribution package source files on Configuration Manager 2007 sites. After package source files are installed, a status message is sent up the site hierarchy indicating the presence of the new package source files. This avoids sites higher in the hierarchy from copying package source files over the network when distribution points at child site are selected to host software distribution package content that has already been preloaded.
16. RegKeyToMof Tool : RegKeyToMof allows SCCM admins to pull registry keys and convert them to MOF for easy use with Configuration Manager 2007.
17. SCCM Toolkit :The ConfigMgr 2007 Toolkit contains 7 downloadable tools to help you manage and troubleshoot ConfigMgr 2007.
18. SCCM Client Center: Troubleshoot and manage SCCM 2007 advanced clients (force inventory, show execution history, show running executions).
19. Site Status Sidebar Gadget :This tool will give you the ability to monitor the status of your SCCM Site server .
20. Web Essentials : Manage much of your Configuration Manager infrastructure via a web interface.

If you missed part-1 of Free SCCM Tools here is the link

SCCM Free Tools Part- 1

There are quite many free tools available out there , which can make the life much easier as an SCCM Administrator. Here is the part-1of the list of those tools:
1. SMS Map: SMSMap is a freeware ConfigMgr 2007 / SMS 2003 hierarchy drawing tool. It is an all-in-one solution for creating Visio drawings of any combination of ConfigMgr 2007 and SMS 2003 Site Servers. Download SMSMap.
2. SCCM 2007 Capacity Planner: This MS Excel based tool will help you to plan well before the deployment the SCCM 2007 server. Download the tool from here.
3.Dell Deployment Pack for Configmgr (Server Deployment):The Dell Deployment Pack (DDP) is an easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI)-based tool that eliminates the need for command-line tools and scripts normally used in the Dell OpenMange Deployment Toolkit (DTK) software. Download and Instructions.
4.Collection Monitor Service :This service will watch a SCCM collection and email advertisement status reports 3 times daily. Good for new computer provisioning. Download and Instructions.
5.Advertisement Status Report: Right click on an advertisement and run the Status of Advertisement Report. Download and instructions are available here.
6.Cache Size :This VBScript will allow you to change the cache size on a computer or a collection and . Download is available here.
7.Client Actions :Right click on a computer or a collection and force the computer(s) to Clear Cache, Run Policy, or Inventory. Download.
8.Add Computer to Collection:This tools has two parts. It will allow you to add a computer to multiple collections or multiple computers to a single collection. This will also give you the ability to right click on a computer in a query as well. Download.
9.Collection Listing: Right click on a computer or user and see what collection that resource is in as well as what maintenance window is associated with it. Download.
10.Certificate Inventory :This tool will read the certificates in the personal "MY" folder and inject them in to WMI where they will be inventoried. Download.

Here you go for the Part-2 of the List of free SCCM tools

SMS 2003 and ConfigMgr 2007 Console Extensions

1.This gives you Right Click SMS Tool on packages. It shows package distribution staus using Web report ID 140. Click Here to download reg file.

2. Right click on any package and view all advertisements created for that Package. It shows all advertisements using Web report ID 132. This web report also has linked report for advertisement status (ReportID 111), so you can quickly look at the status of all advertisments right there. Click Here to download reg file.

3. Have you ever advertise software to wrong PC and then try to stop it? If SMS is still waiting at Mandatory Countdown on PC, you can use this right click tool and kill mandatory countdown. Click Here to download reg file.

4.This gives you Right Click SMS Tool on Advertisements. It shows Advertisement status using Web report ID 111. Click Here to download reg file.

5. Initiate Advanced Client Actions Remotely such as hardware, software, policies, advertisements, etc. - This add on tool will allow you to initiate advanced client actions remotely from the SMS 2003 administrator console and from a stand alone utility. You can also assign site codes, re-run advertisements, and change the advanced client configuration such as cache size and port number. Download

6. Terminal server client add-on for console - Adds Terminal server client control through the SMS MMC. Download

7. View the Client Log Files from the SMS Admin Console - SMS MMC Client Log file add in. Right click on any NT/Win2k client in the MMC and view the log files.Download

8. Initiate Advanced Client Actions Remotely such as hardware, software, policies, advertisements, etc. Offshore-it.co.uk or Direct Download

9. Right click tool to copy/paste programs - Direct Download

10. SCCM Console Right Click Tools Download

11.Change a client to Internet Based - Download

12. What collection is a user or computer in, does the collection have a maintenance window - Download

13. Add a computer to a collection - Download

14. Right click on Computer or Collection and run any web Reports. – Download

Upgrading WSUS3.0 SP1 to WSUS 3.0 SP2 on SUP in a SCCM 2007 site

Step 1: Upgrade the Windows Update Agent on client computers

1. Download the latest version of WU Agent from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949104

2. Create a Software Package from the new installer of WU.

3. Distribute this package to all existing clients in a phased manner. Target computers must be rebooted after installing the new WU agent.

4. Optionally we can create a collection that populate computers with older version of WU agent as mentioned here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb932139.aspx , so that we get to know how many clients need the latest version of WU agent.

Step 2: Upgrade the WSUS server on Software Update Point

1. Download and install new version of Report Viewer from: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=BB196D5D-76C2-4A0E-9458-267D22B6AAC6&displaylang=en

2. Download WSUS3.0 SP2 setup from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=A206AE20-2695-436C-9578-3403A7D46E40&displaylang=en .

3. Take a snapshot of SUP (INSMS01/HQSMS01) from VMware client.

4. Run WSUS30-KB972455-x86.exe on SUP site system.

Note: Check the WSUSSetup.log file in “C:\DOCUME~1\username\LOCALS~1\Temp\2” folder to see installation progress .

5. At the end of the setup, one configuration wizard will open which needs to closed by clicking “Cancel” button.

6. Restart following services on Site Server:

- SMS_EXECUTIVE

- SMS_SITE_COMPONENT_MANAGER

- Update Services

7. Check the WSUSCtrl.log on the Site Server for the health status of WSUS server (SUP).

Setup failed due to unexpected circumstances. The error code is 80041002.

You see this error code in ccmsetup.log when trying to install sms advanced client.
Client.msi log also show this error: Configuration Manager Client -- Installation operation failed.

This is the result of a corrupt WMI repository on that client machine.

This work around worked for me:
1. Stop the "Windows Management Instrumentation" service.
2. Rename the %WinDir%\System32\Wbem\Repository folder to “RepositoryOld”.
3. Restart the “Windows Management Instrumentation service”.
4. Verify that the %WinDir%\System32\Wbem\Repository folder has been recreated.
5. Reinstall the SMS client software.

The Configuration Manager 2007 SuperFlows

SCCM SuperFlow is dynamic and interactive content model that provides you with detailed steps that you can use to understand and prepare for functions of SCCM 2007 such as OSD, Software update management, Client Installation and Assignment,Backup and Recovery etc.

You can find more details and download the Super Flows here:

SyncBack Freeware : Free Backup Utility

This straightforward backup utility makes it a snap to safeguard and synchronize your files, and its freeware price just sweetens the deal. Surprisingly flexible for a free program, SyncBack can save your files anywhere: on external hard drives, in ZIP archives, on network drives, on CDs (using UDF), or transfer them via FTP. Recovering from a drive loss is also cinch, with a convenient restore tool that replicates folder trees along with the files in them.

It lets you define multiple scheduled backup jobs so you can just set 'em and forget 'em, allowing users to create specific backup jobs for certain folders or file types. You can control the way files are compared and selected for backup: the program comes with ready-made profiles to make the process as easy as possible. It's hard not to like that SyncBack doesn't use many system resources when working in the background, and backups can be set to export their logs to an HTML file for easy viewing. All in all, it's an excellent choice for home users and small businesses.

Download : http://download.cnet.com/SyncBack-Freeware/3000-2242_4-10413802.html

Remote Reboot X – WSUS companion tool

Remote Boot X application works in conjunction with WSUS, so if you have a WSUS server (or use Microsoft’s update server) but need precise control over when your computers install the updates and reboot, you can use my tool to handle the process. So, for example, I have about 150 servers that need to be updated and rebooted once per month, but I only have a 1-hour maintenance window. I’m able to load the list of 150 servers into my tool and initiate the updates installation and reboot on all machines simultaneously while monitoring the status in real-time.

Learn about Remote Boot X and download the application from: http://dougzuck.com/

Free Windows Administration Tools

I came across a nice website on Windows System Administration where you will find may useful and relevant articles, news , tips and tools. Have a look at the list of free Windows admin tools from the website:

http://4sysops.com/top-free-windows-administration-tools/

SCCM OSD Basic troubleshooting - SCCM, OSD, Task Sequence, Operating System Deployment

I came across a nice write up on Expert Excnahge about SCCM OSD trouble shooting. Here is the link:

http://www.experts-exchange.com/OS/Microsoft_Operating_Systems/Server/Systems_Management_Server/A_1259-SCCM-OSD-Basic-troubleshooting.html

Windows is unable to install to the selected location. Error: 0x80300001

This error comes up while installing Windows 7 on a SATA RAID drive. Set up doesn’t recognize the SATA controller. You can try this:

1. Load the RAID driver from CD. (Vista driver will work)
2. Install the driver and create partitions.
3. Remove the driver CD and insert the Windows 7 DVD.
4. Click on Refresh and the error should disappear.

Source : MS TechNet Post

Technorati Tags: Windows 7 Issues.

Windows Update Installation Errors

When you use the Windows Update Web site or the Microsoft Update Web site to check for and install updates, you may receive one of the following error messages:

0x80070008, 0x800705B4, 0x8007000E, 0x80072EE2, 0x80072EFD, 0x80072EE7, 0x80072EEF, 0x80072EFE, 0x8024400E, 0x80072F76, 0x80244016, 0x80072F78, 0x80244022, 0x80090305, 0x8024402F, 0x8009033F, 0xC80003FA, 0x80244008, 0xC800042D, 0x8024400A, 0x80071A90, 0x8024400D

This TechNet KB article describes the cause and cure about the issue: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/836941/en-us

Technorati Tags: Windows 7 Issues

Windows 7 Installation Error code:Error Code: 0x8007045D

When you try to install windows 7 on a fresh machine you get this pop up which says “Windows cannot install required files. Make sure all files required for installation are available and restart in the installation. Error code: 0x8007045D” and installation get failed.

This is usually indicate that the installation media is corrupt .

You ca try these things to resolve the issue:

- Create / re-burn a new media at a very slow rate
- use the best media that you can find
- avoid ISO mounting utilities that mount the image as a removable drive (to avoid CRC errors)
- replace the DVD drive ( rare)

Technorati Tags: Windows 7 Issues

Error 0x80070005 occurred while creating known folder..

This error usually comes when there is some issue in hard disk or disk controller. People are reporting other factors as well..go to this TechNet page for more details.

Technorati Tags: Windows 7 issues.

Backup Error 0x81000038 in Windows 7

When taking backup on external drives you may come across this error. Here are the two probable solutions:

1.emove and reconnect all drives
2.For every user on your machine,
- Login as the user
- Run -> regedit.exe
- Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Sofware\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
- Observe the value of Appdata and LocalAppdata.
If it has an empty value or a value of the type %Appdata%, this is the culprit. Can you verify that this is the case with your machine?

If so, the workaround is the following:
a. Open a command prompt
b. Type set Appdata / LocalAppdata depending on which registry entry has the

wrong value. If Appdata is wrong, type set Appdata and if Local Appdata is wrong, type set LocalAppdata.
c. Copy the value after the = sign. Example if the output is: APPDATA=C:\Users\John\Appdata\Roaming, copy the value C:\Users\John\Appdata\Roaming
d. Paste the value in the wrong registry value. Either replace the %<<<>>>% value or fill the empty value.
Run backup again. It should succeed.

Technorati Tags: Windows 7