Got a scriptingquestion from a colleague, wasn’t that easy to find on google.

But with Windows Search I did find an old cmd-script that had exactly that problem sorted out.

So, the question was about scandinavian chars in a cmd-script. Some paths are named with non English letters and when you use them in a script it translates to a strange char instead of the letter.

This works fine:

DEL /F /Q "%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Some Directory\*.*"

This doesn’t work since there is a scandinavian letter in the path:

DEL /F /Q "%USERPROFILE%\Lokala inställningar\Some Directory\*.*"

To fix it you need to change codepage, like this:

CHCP 850
DEL /F /Q "%USERPROFILE%\Lokala inställningar\Some Directory\*.*"

You might need to use different codepage depending on the language you are using.

Some more info on MSDN

Been playing around with PowerShell the last days, and with nothing else better to do I did a nice looking prompt.

This prompt will give you a marker if you run it as Administrator and another mark if you are outside the filesystem.

How to:
First you need to edit your profile so it autoload the new prompt.

notepad $profile

Then paste this code, save and start a new PowerShell command line.

function prompt
{
        # - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
        #                                                                              Rikard Ronnkvist / snowland.se
        # Multicolored prompt with marker for windows started as Admin and marker for providers outside filesystem
        # Examples
        #    C:\Windows\System32>
        #    [Admin] C:\Windows\System32>
        #    [Registry] HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows>
        #    [Admin] [Registry] HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows>
        # - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

        # New nice WindowTitle
        $Host.UI.RawUI.WindowTitle = "PowerShell v" + (get-host).Version.Major + "." + (get-host).Version.Minor + " (" + $pwd.Provider.Name + ") " + $pwd.Path

        # Admin ?
        if( (
                New-Object Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal (
                        [Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent())
                ).IsInRole([Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole]::Administrator))
        {
                # Admin-mark in WindowTitle
                $Host.UI.RawUI.WindowTitle = "[Admin] " + $Host.UI.RawUI.WindowTitle

                # Admin-mark on prompt
                Write-Host "[" -nonewline -foregroundcolor DarkGray
                Write-Host "Admin" -nonewline -foregroundcolor Red
                Write-Host "] " -nonewline -foregroundcolor DarkGray
        }

        # Show providername if you are outside FileSystem
        if ($pwd.Provider.Name -ne "FileSystem") {
                Write-Host "[" -nonewline -foregroundcolor DarkGray
                Write-Host $pwd.Provider.Name -nonewline -foregroundcolor Gray
                Write-Host "] " -nonewline -foregroundcolor DarkGray
        }

        # Split path and write \ in a gray
        $pwd.Path.Split("\") | foreach {
            Write-Host $_ -nonewline -foregroundcolor Yellow
            Write-Host "\" -nonewline -foregroundcolor Gray
        }

        # Backspace last \ and write >
        Write-Host "`b>" -nonewline -foregroundcolor Gray

    return " "
}

I’m trying hard to convert myself from VBScript to Powershell… so in the need of a powerfull filerenamer I wrote one in Powershell.

You need to download the Powershell Pack from http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/PowerShellPack

# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
#                                                                                           Rikard Ronnkvist / snowland.se
#  Will rename JPG and AVI files, uses EXIF-tag on JPG-images and filedate on AVI-files.
#
#  Files will be named:
#    \some path\YYYYMM\YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS_00.JPG
#               ^^^^^^ - Optional, if you have createSubdir set to True
# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
$basePath = "F:\Pictures\Import dir"
$createSubdir = $True
$testMode = $False
# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
# Download from:  http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/PowerShellPack
Import-Module PowerShellPack

# Add \* to use when searching
$searchPath = $basePath + "\*"

# Search for files
Write-Host "           Searching: " -ForegroundColor DarkGray -NoNewline
Write-Host $basePath -ForegroundColor Yellow

$allFiles  = Get-ChildItem -Path $searchPath -Include *.AVI,*.JPG -Exclude folder.jpg

Write-Host "               Found: " -ForegroundColor DarkGray -NoNewline
Write-Host $allFiles.Count -ForegroundColor Yellow -NoNewline
Write-Host " files" -ForegroundColor DarkGray

$fNum = 0
# Loop thru all files
foreach ($file in $allFiles )
{
        $fNum++
        # If it is an jpg use the exif-data, otherwise use date on file
        if ($file.Extension -eq ".JPG") {
                $imgInfo = $file | Get-Image | Get-ImageProperty
                $fileDate = $imgInfo.dt
        } else {
                $fileDate = $file.LastWriteTime
        }

        if ($createSubdir -eq $True) {
                # Set new filepath
                $fileDir = $basePath + "\" + $fileDate.ToString("yyyyMM")

                # Check directory
                if (!(Test-Path($fileDir))) {
                        # Create a new subdirectory
                        if ($testMode -ne $True) {
                                $newDir = New-Item -Type directory -Path $fileDir
                                Write-Host "            Creating: " -ForegroundColor DarkGray -NoNewline
                                Write-Host $fileDir -ForegroundColor Red
                        }
                }
        } else {
                # Use current directory
                $fileDir = $basePath
        }

        # Set new name to current to get "False" on first while
        $newPath = $file.Fullname

        $i = 0
        while (Test-Path $newPath) {
                # Set new filename
                $newPath = $fileDir + "\" + $fileDate.ToString("yyyyMMdd_HHmmss") + "_" + $i.ToString("00") + $file.Extension
                $i++
        }

        # Write som info
        Write-Host $fNum.ToString().PadLeft(4) -ForegroundColor DarkYellow -NoNewline
        Write-Host " / " -ForegroundColor DarkGray -NoNewline
        Write-Host $allFiles.Count.ToString().PadRight(4) -ForegroundColor Yellow -NoNewline
        Write-Host "   Moving: " -ForegroundColor DarkGray -NoNewline
        Write-Host $file.Name -ForegroundColor Cyan -NoNewline
        Write-Host " -> " -ForegroundColor DarkGray -NoNewline
        Write-Host $newPath -ForegroundColor Green

        # Move and rename the file
        if ($testMode -ne $True) {
                Move-Item $file.Fullname $newPath
        }
}

Ending up with something like this:

Oh, and you can add -Recurse on the Get-ChildItem row…

I do not like the fact that the person sending a meeting request is the one deciding how long before the meeting a reminder would be set.

Since I don’t like the popup on my phone, I’m not using reminders.

So to get rid of incoming reminders I wrote a small script.

Press ALT+F11 and paste this code:

Sub snwRemoveMeetingReminder(Item As Outlook.MeetingItem)
    If TypeOf Item Is Outlook.MeetingItem Then
        Item.ReminderSet = False
        Item.Save

        Set Appt = Item.GetAssociatedAppointment(True)
        If Not Appt Is Nothing Then
            Appt.ReminderSet = False
            Appt.Save
        End If
    End If
End Sub

Then add the the script to incoming meeting requests.

Now the script will remove reminders on every incoming meeting request… It’s a client side rule, so you need to have Outlook running to get it to work.

I like to keep my inbox clean… so every now and then I sort out mails to different folders. That is boooring.

So I wrote a little script.

Sub InboxCleaner()
    Dim oNamespace As Outlook.NameSpace
    Dim oInboxFolder As Outlook.MAPIFolder
    Dim oDestFolder As Outlook.MAPIFolder
    Dim oItem As Object
    Dim i, iMove, iNoMove As Integer
    Dim sMsg, sFolder As String
    Dim bDoMove As Boolean

    Set oNamespace = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI")
    Set oInboxFolder = oNamespace.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderInbox)

    sMsg = ""
    iNoMove = 0
    iMove = 0

    For i = oInboxFolder.Items.Count To 1 Step -1
        Set oItem = oInboxFolder.Items(i)

        If InStr(oItem.SenderEmailAddress, "@") <> 0 Then
            sFolder = oItem.SenderEmailAddress ' Get sender address
            sFolder = Right(sFolder, Len(sFolder) - InStrRev(sFolder, "@")) ' Only domain name
            sFolder = Left(sFolder, InStr(sFolder, ".") - 1) ' Skip everything after the first dot
            sFolder = UCase(Left(sFolder, 1)) & Right(sFolder, Len(sFolder) - 1) ' Upper case first letter

            On Error Resume Next
            ' This row you might want to customize... I have a folders like  Mailbox\Customers\TheCustomerName
            Set oDestFolder = oInboxFolder.Folders.Parent.Parent.Folders("Customers").Folders(sFolder)

            If Err.Number <> 0 Then
                sMsg = sMsg & "Missing folder: " & vbTab & oItem.SenderEmailAddress & "  (" & sFolder & ")" & vbCrLf
                Set oDestFolder = Nothing
                Err.Clear
                bDoMove = False
                iNoMove = iNoMove + 1
            Else
                sMsg = sMsg & "Move:           " & vbTab & oItem.SenderEmailAddress & " -> " & sFolder & vbCrLf
                bDoMove = True
                iMove = iMove + 1
            End If
            On Error GoTo 0

            If bDoMove Then
                ' Comment out this line if you only want to test
                oItem.Move oDestFolder
            End If
        End If
    Next

    sMsg = sMsg & vbCrLf & _
        vbCrLf & _
        "Processed " & oInboxFolder.Items.Count & " items in inbox..." & vbCrLf & _
        "Moved:          " & vbTab & iMove & vbCrLf & _
        "Missing folder: " & vbTab & iNoMove & vbCrLf & _
        "Skipped:        " & vbTab & (oInboxFolder.Items.Count - (iMove + iNoMove))

    MsgBox sMsg, vbOKOnly, "Inbox Cleaner / Rikard Ronnkvist / snowland.se"

End Sub

Download: inboxcleaner.vbs

Update: Screendump of the result.

I have been using vRD 1.5 for a while and did just purchase a license for vRD 2008.

I love the program…

When you are in need of multiple credentials for RDP-sessions (different customers, domains or whatver) vRD rocks!

Since I work as a consultant I set up one credential for each customer and then one folder (Linking to the right credential) for each customer.
And in that folder I can create servers, subfolders and so on.

In short: If you have multiple servers and/or multiple credentials, download it and try it out!

From Visonapp,com about vRD:

vRD 2008 features unparalleled ease of use, accelerated remote desktop access to servers and workstations, detailed logging features, and a new interface that allows administrators to view all connected machines simultaneously.
Considerably simplifying the administration of their systems, more than 75,000 administrators worldwide consider vRD an indispensable tool for recurring administrative tasks.

More info and download: visionapp.com

A few notes to the developers for the next version:

• General
• • When using Alt+Tab, the vRD-window is selected instead of the tab with the machine and by that you can’t use ALT+TAB and start using the keyboard on the remote host.
  • Shortcut-key to each tab (Say ALT+F1 for tab 1)
• Options
• • Thumbnail size – I want a larger (aprox 2 x Large)
• Properties for a connection
• • I want a shortcut-key, faster way to connect
• Management Board URL
• • Open in a tab instead of browser
  • I want to se some sort of standard-url, like http://%servername%:%port_that_you_can_configure%/myservices.html
• Small stuff
• • From about-box, when clicking the URLs you start MSIE instead of standard browser… just annoying

Another user group is in the making… I hope that this site will have a higher level of discussion than the normal “I havn’t read the manual or use Google can you please help me”-kind-of-user groups…

Welcome to the System Center Virtual User Group, a user group dedicated to providing resources for education and collaboration between users of Microsoft System Center technologies everywhere!

This group is intended to function not only as a traditional user group holding periodic meetings (via Live Meeting in our case), but as a forum where users can come together to find resources in establishing their own traditional “physical” user groups.

More info at: systemcenterusergroup.com
My profile: systemcenterusergroup.com/members/riro.aspx

Looks like a cool tool… haven’t had the time to test it… yet.

The Microsoft Active Directory Topology Diagrammer reads an Active Directory configuration using ActiveX Data Objects (ADO), and then automatically generates a Visio diagram of your Active Directory and /or your Exchange 200x Server topology. The diagramms include domains, sites, servers, administrative groups, routing groups and connectors and can be changed manually in Visio if needed.

Microsoft Active Directory Topology Diagrammer

Version 2 of demo-webb-app…

i räknar från 0 till 250.

Om i är mer än <%= Application("rnd") %> så kommer det upp

en "felaktig" text…


<%

Randomize
if int(Application("rnd")) = 0 then
Application("rnd") = 150 + Int((100 – 1 + 1) * Rnd + 1)
end if

Application("i") = Int(Application("i")) + 1

Response.Write "i = " & Application("i") & "

"

if Application("i") < Application("rnd") then
Response.Write "Fungerar finfint"
else
Response.Write "Nu fungerar det INTE det minsta"
end if

if Application("i") = 250 then
Application("i") = 0
Application("rnd") = 150 + Int((100 – 1 + 1) * Rnd + 1)
end if

%>

Gives you a bit niceer health-report…

(This one contains planed downtime …)

Okej… nästan lite väl simpel, men den fungerar i alla fall.

Spara den som något bra med .asp i slutet (se till att ASP är igång på IIS’en också), sen kan man peka ut ett monitor-program (exempelvis OpsMgr) att monitorera den sidan. Om texten “INTE” är med så kan man skicka ett larm.

i räknar från 0 till 100.

Om i är mer än 75 så kommer det upp

en "felaktig" text…


<%
Application("i") = Int(Application("i")) + 1
Response.Write "i = " & Application("i") & "

"

if Application("i") < 75 then
Response.Write "Fungerar finfint"
else
Response.Write "Nu fungerar det INTE det minsta"
end if

if Application("i") = 101 then
Application("i") = 0
end if
%>