When a user logs on into a new environment, whether or not managed by RES PowerFuse, it’s always good to have a backup script in place for setting up the missing home drive. For instance my file share for hosting the home directories is \\FILESERVER\USERS$. There everyone has a folder equal to his Username. So my home directory would be \\FILESERVER\USERS$\Jeroen

But. When the folder Jeroen doesn’t exist I want to auto create it by an ‘External Task’ (RES PowerFuse) or login script.

To do this, add the following line in the loginscript.

IF NOT EXIST \\FILESERVER\USERS$\%USERNAME% MD \\FILESERVER\USERS\%USERNAME%

Or create an External Task (before running any other task, runonce, no time-out, wait before continue), in RES PowerFuse with that line.

Now the tricky part. Because that script is run with the users his credentials, the NTFS rights on the share must be pretty damn good . Otherwise, other users can access folders from other users.

When a Citrix profile is created, and added to the RES PowerFuse environment it comes with an empty file extensions field.

In this example I have profiled Acrobat Reader and added to the Res PowerFuse environment. I have also added the pdf file extension to the application. Now when opening a direct pdf file on my home directory, an empty Acrobat Reader window is displayed.

Edit the pdf file extension in PowerFuse and replace “%1” with /extracmdline:”%1”

(sorry for the Dutch screenshot)

Q: How-to direct open a file from Explorer and parse the file name into a Citrix Profile which is managed by RES PowerFuse.

A: Replace in RES PowerFuse the file extension parameter from “%1” to /extracmdline:”%1”

When running the new Live Messenger on a Windows 7 workstation, you notice that the client is always visible in the taskbar. In the old days when minimize the clientscreen it disappeared from the taskbar, only the icon in the tray was shown. I prefer a clean desktop with minimum icons.  So how to minimize to the tray only.

First step is to close the already running Live Messenger.
Navigate to the installation folder of Windows Live.
Open the properties of: msnmsgr.exe
Go to the tab: Compatibility Select: Run the program in compatibility mode for: Select: Windows Vista Click on: OK
Open Live Messenger and, after logging in, close it. The messenger is still active but only in the tray.

Q: How to minimize Live Messenger to the tray?

A: Run msnmsgr.exe in Windows Vista compatibility mode.

When creating a task sequence to deploy an operating system. It’s possible to ask for a computername when running the task sequence on a unknown computer, for instance a new computer.

Advertise (‘NO’ mandatory assignment) the task sequence to the collection: All Unknown Computers.
  
Click on thumbnails for larger image.

Right click on the collection: All Unknown Computers and select: Modify Collection Settings.

Go to tab: Collection Variables click on the new variable icon. Give the variable the name: OSDcomputerName and leave the value empty.

When booting the task sequence, on a new computer (or remove the computer first in sccm) the following screens will appear:

When the following screen appears, double click on the variable and give the right computername for the new computer.

 
The task sequence will install the new computer with the new given computername.

Update2: (On top of this post, just for your convenience)

There is a much easier way

1. Open an elevated command prompt on Windows 7
2. Open Diskpart
3. List volume (remember the volume number of the usb stick)
4. Select volume # (3 = the number of the usb stick)
5. Clean (This will wipe the USB stick)
6. Create partition primary
7. Select partition 1
8. Format fs=fat32 quick
9. Assign
10. Active
11. Leave Diskpart
12. Copy the installation DVD on the usb stick
13. Happy installing

---

In this tutorial I explain how to create a bootable USB stick for installing Windows 2008/2008 R2/Vista/windows 7. First, format the stick. Fat32/ntfs doesn’t matter. (Remember that fat32 doesn’t support files larger then 4GB)

On the Windows 7 / Server 2008 install media in the folder "Boot” there is an executable named: Bootsect.exe

Open a command prompt, navigate to the directory boot (on the media).
And run: Bootsect.exe /nt60 F: (where f: is the formatted USB stick)

Now, copy the installer media to the USB stick. Or, in my case, the Task Sequence Bootable Media. (SCCM 2007)

Your, bootable media is ready.

Update:

Q: Hey Jeroen, bootsect.exe doesn’t work.. I’m getting an access denied.

A: Run you command prompt in elevated mode

When installing a new server/workstation with Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7. I’m having a strange problem.

For instance, my D partition on my laptop (which runs Windows 7) has default the built in USERS group with right to read the partition. Oké lets remove those rights. Now the partition has only Administrators and System with Full Control. But when opening the partition we are getting a Access Denied warning .

How is that possible? Well, the explorer process is still running in ‘User’ mode. When opening the explorer in ‘Admin’ mode we still getting the Access Denied warning.

Why? Well, actually the explorer isn’t started in elevated mode. But only the first process. That triggers a DCOM to open the Explorer, witch runs in ‘User’ mode

How do we disable that? First open regedit en navigate to: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID\{CDCBCFCA-3CDC-436f-A4E2-0E0207520C2}

Rename the RunAs to something else, like: _RunAs (Become owner first )

And now it’s possible to open the explorer in elevated mode. And it’s possible to set the correct permissions without adding your own account first.

I’m currently trying to install Impromptu Administrator. But on the net I can’t find any serious document/howto of a silent/unattended installation. So here’s my tutorial.

Sorry for the Dutch screenshots

First we do a manual installation. This will generate the response files. This isn’t documented here After the installation you have an “ats” file in the following location: installation location\instlog

Copy this file into your installation source. (In the directory Cognos\impa)

To perform the unattended installation run the following command: issetup.exe /s <location>\ts-impa-version-yyyymmdd-hhmm.ats (of course you can change the name of the ats file )
 
Now that the software is installed it must be configured. Start the Configuration Manager on the source machine on which the software is installed manually and correct configured. Click on Start and choose Open the current configuration.
 
Select Actions and Export Script.

Save the file in the installation source. (in this tutorial configuration.ccp)

To import the configuration file into the machines which are unattended installed. Execute the following command: <local_installation_path>\bin\configcp.exe –t <location>\configuration.ccp

Hello, I’m Jeroen Tielen from the Netherlands. I’m primary a SEnior Server Based Computing Consultant, but my daily job is more than that.
Architect, Trainer, Troubleshooter, Consultant for Citrix, Microsoft, VMWare, etc etc I’m working in SBC/VDI environments since 1995. And therefore I started this blog.

This blog is to share my problems (and solutions) with you and for a reminder for myself

My hobby’s are riding a motorbike as fast as possible, and the only way to do that is on tracks. For my personal race blog browse to www.tyl.nl. I give race trainings on tracks in The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain, France and Italy. For: www.race-academy.nl and www.racecracks.nl.

You can contact me anytime for any questions. Just send me an email: Jeroen@JeroenTielen.nl

Currently Owned Certificates:

Appsense
Appsense Certified Administrator

Citrix
Subject Matter Expert for CCEE 
Citrix Certified Administrator (XP/3/4/5/6)
Citrix Certified Administrator XenDesktop 5
Citrix Certified Enterprise Administrator (3/4)
Citrix Certified Enterprise Engineer for Virtualization
Citrix Certified Integration Architect for Virtualization
Citrix Certified Administrator NetScaler (9)
Citrix Certified Administrator WanSaler (Branch Repeater)
Citrix Certified Sales Professional

Microsoft
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (2000/2003)
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (2000/2003)
Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist Business Desktop Deployment
Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuration
Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist Server 2008 Application Infra, Configuration
Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist Server 2008 Network Infra, Configuration
Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist Exchange Server 2010, Configuration
Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack, Configuration
Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist System Center Configuration Manager, Configuration 
Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist System Center Operations Manager, Configuration 
Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist System Center Virtual Machine Manager, Configuration
Microsoft Certified IT Professional Enterprise Messaging Administrator 2010
Microsoft Certified IT Professional Enterprise Administrator

RES
RES PowerFuse Certified Professional (8/2010)
RES Wisdom Certified Professional (4/2009)
RES Certified Professional
RES Certifies Sales Professional

VMWare
VMWare Certified Professional (3/4)