Checking on your scheduled tasks!

From a Windows command prompt:

schtasks /query

This will give you output of the current machine.

schtasks /query /s \\servername >>\\server\sharename\tasks\server1_tasks.csv

This will send the output to a file named server1_tasks.csv on a network share and each subsequent run, will append to this file.

Printing from Windows using IPP to CUPS

The scenario is this - you are using CUPS (Common Unix Printing System) and want to have central logging of all your printing. By using Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) you can set up your Windows hosts to print via IPP to CUPS.

Help available from here:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /?

The process to install the printers can be accomplished via the add/printer wizard, but I am a command line guy so I use this for an HP 2605DN printer:

rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /if /f "\\printserver\hppcp602.inf" /b "Printer on Printserver - 2605 PCL 6" /r "http://cupsprintserver:631/printers/printername" /m "HP Color LaserJet 2605 PCL 6"

The key to this is the last part - "HP Color LaserJet 2605 PCL 6" as this has to match the actual driver name that is listed in the .inf file verbatim.

Enjoy!

MOM SQL Error

Description: Could not connect using SQLDMO to SQL Instance MSSQLSERVER. However, the instance is currently running.

Method 1: Register the Sqldmo.dll file

If you receive the first two errors that are mentioned in the "Symptoms" section, follow these steps:

1. Log on to the computer that is running MOM 2005 and SQL Server 2000 by using an account that has administrative permissions.
2. Click Start, click Run, type regsvr32.exe sqldmo.dll, and then click OK.
3. In the Regsvr32 dialog box, click OK.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925644%5

Explorer.exe not loading on XP systems

I recently ran into a problem where intermittently the explorer.exe process was not running when XP users logged on. The result was a blue background with no icons displayed - if you ran ctrl alt del and started a new process, explorer.exe the desktop loaded fine and all was well.

There was lots of chatter about spyware and hijacked browsers, but that was not the issue. I was trying to determine if SP3 or perhaps the Symantec EndPoint virus software was the culprit as both were installed about the same time.

As it turns out, Symantec posted a comment about this on their support site in respect to login scripts. If you create a new GPO like this:

Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, System/Scripts
Policy Setting - Run logon scripts synchronously

This allows the login script to load, antivirus to scan, and the explorer.exe process to execute!