create logon script

Well I need your expertise again.

I need to know how to create a logon script for Windows 2003 Server. I searched online for awhile and found an example of how to map a drive in logon. However, I am wondering how to:

1. - Modify users environment variables (is there a way I can give each user their personal desktops through a logon script.

2. - Map multiple drives.

Here is the example of mapping a drive through a logon script:

Quote:

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Dim objNet

Set objNet = CreateObject("Wscript.Network")

objNet.MapNetworkDrive "F:", "\\servername\drive"
WSCript.Quit
' End of Script

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Please help I will be searching the net but I would like first hand info.

- MilitantEidolon

Map multiple drives?

I am more a fan of using batch file for simple things like this rather than over complicating things with vbscript. To map a network drive use the 'net use' command

eg

net use x: \\severname\%username%

to map a drive called x: to a share on a server with the same name as the username of the user.

or just net use z: \\servername\sharename

for a normal UNC path

Save the file as a .bat file and you are away, apologies if I have made any mistakes but can't get Windows working at the moment.

I suppose you could also use the %username% variable to distinguish between users when they log on and change their desktop accordingly, would have to get my MS box back up to try that sort of thing out :)

UKnetSec

Thank you for the quick response. How would I integrate that into 2003 Active Directory? Would I just save it as a .bat and run it at logon.

Quote:

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Map multiple drives?

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Yeah we have to drives our users logon to and I would need to logon to multiple drives.

I also need to be able to load some icons onto the desktop at startup and would like to know that!

- MilitantEidolon

In group policy you can specify a logon script for different users groups etc, just make a batch file on the server and tell it to use that.

Multiple drives ? no problem

create a batch file with this in it :

net use x: \\server\share
net use z: \\server\share2

etc etc

I take it you mean you want different icons for each user else you could just put them in the all users desktop folder.

I was hoping that I could just make it a network wide change when adding the icon instead of doing it computer by computer! I know it is possible but the answer is getting harder to find.

no it isn't hard

I will admit VBscript is probably better for this one add a shortcut to a users desktop using this


Set wshObject = Wscript.CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")
desktopFolder = wshObject.SpecialFolders("Desktop")
set myShortcut = wshObject.CreateShortcut(desktopFolder & "\Notepad.lnk")
myShortcut.TargetPath = "%windir%\Notepad.exe"
myShortcut.Save()

This creates a shortcut on the desktop called Notepad which links to notepad.exe in the winnt\system32 dir or the windows\system32 directory depending on your system.

straight out of a book called "learn VBscript in a weekend"

Just replace "\Notepad.lnk" with the name you want your link to have

and

"%windir%\notepad.exe" with the path to the program or whatever you want the shortcut to point to.


If you want to do this in a batch file instead you can use a tool called shortcut.exe which is in the NT resource kit, if you can find it , an article describes that method

here

Alright, I can run both batch and vbscripts on the same login? Or should I go with basic batch all the way?

I would also like to double check on where I load up the logon script. It is loaded in the Group Policy Object Editor (in 2003 server) / user configuration / scripts?


- MilitantEidolon

To keep things tidy I would probably use VBscript all the way in this one, just because I think thats the best way of doing the shortcuts in this case and I would try and keep it to just one logon script. If it was just mapping a couple of drives I would stick to batch files. Keep in mind though that all your clients nned to have Windows Scripting Host (WSH) to make this work, because that is what interprets the VBscript, so 2000/XP boxes should be fine but older ones may either have no WSH or an old version which may not do what you expect. If you have 95/98/ME boxes then you may have to look at something else maybe worth checking out kixtart http://www.kixtart.org/ . They have extensive docs on their site, basically you put the kixtart exe (interpreter) on the server share and the clients run it from there, worth a look.

Yes you can either set up the scripts there and apply them to OUs through group policies or I believe you can do it in 'active directory users and groups' through users properties etc. I suppose the Group Policy way makes it easier in this case though.

I never really use VBScript so I am not sure how I should create on script to control both functions would it be something like:

[QUOTE]

Dim objNet

Set objNet = CreateObject("Wscript.Network")

objNet.MapNetworkDrive "F:", "\\servername\drive"
WSCript.Quit

Set wshObject = Wscript.CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")
desktopFolder = wshObject.SpecialFolders("Desktop")
set myShortcut = wshObject.CreateShortcut(desktopFolder & "\Notepad.lnk")
myShortcut.TargetPath = "%windir%\Notepad.exe"
myShortcut.Save()

end of script
[QUOTE]

How would I compile it. I need to DL a VB editor.


- MilitantEidolon

You'll need to make sure all the clients are running at least IE 5.5 I believe it is to be sure the scripts don't error out. Other wise you'll have to dig around and find the appropriate windows scripting host (?) for those machines that error out on the script. I had that problem when I sat up some login script to inventory the network. Only half the machines worked. After investigating the common factor was IE 5.0. Upgrading to 6.0 or 5.5 made them work.

Your script looks about right although I can't test at the mo, you don't need a compiler just put it in a text file with notepad or something and make the extension .vbs job done ;)

I hope you are right I will test it out. Is there anything else I should take into consideration.

I am basically building a new network from the ground up, trying to write tutorials and protocols for the network as I go along so others that follow don't get stuck like I am.

As you can tell I am not a Net Admin but I am learning fast and I am for sure documenting everything I know that much from other stuff.

- MilitantEidolon

There are a lot of things to take into account, just read, read and read some more this wouldn't be a bad place to start though http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserv...c/default.mspx . One of the things I wish I had known about when I started was pstools http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/fr.../pstools.shtml

It is a great free suite of tools for remotely doing things on NT/2000/XP machines, you can run tasks, log people off, reboot, check what processes are running on their machine, very very useful, trust me.

Oh yeah and get good at googles search options, you are going to need them.

Attached is the logon script that I tried to use... (Correct syntax I think) The only thing is that I never tested the Network part because I have no drives to map too. Another note, some AV scanners (such as Norton AV 2004) will not allow vbs scripts to run due to their popularity in VXing (virus-writing). You may need to disable that feature, or something of that sort otherwise it may not run.

Norton asks whether the script should be allowed or not. Tell it to allow it "always" and it will stop complaining.

I have decided to skip the login script and just use roaming profiles how does that sound?



- MilitantEidolon

The main disadvantage with roaming profiles is you get some users who like to keep their files on their desktop (ie in their profiles). When they log on this can lead to fairly long log on times and a sharp rise in network traffic, especially at 9 in the morning or when ever your users start work.

Using roaming profiles for doing what ?

Can you be more specific? Roaming profiles will not map network drives for you as far as I know they just let users take their settings around with them. This is fine if they usually stay at one computer but sometimes move but if they are moving all the time it can be a pain. I mean apart from anything a roaming profile takes your default printers and everything around with them. This means that they have to check which printer they are sending to when they move to a different room etc. The network traffic is also a bit of a downside as has already been mentioned. I would say mapping drives it definately a job for logon scripts, you could put the shortcuts in the all users desktop folder for all machines with a script.

Quote:

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Roaming profiles will not map network drives for you as far as I know they just let users take their settings around with them.

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Well the reason I have chose roaming profiles is because it infact does map drives and keeps all the users files (My Documents - Start Menu) and so on. The roaming profiles (at least in Win 2003) are a really slick way to keep users happy.

- MilitantEidolon