Aaron Czechowski, MCS

Moving on

A long overdue post... In April I changed roles within the company, leaving Microsoft Consulting...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 06/08/2012

Using Windows PowerShell to convert collection membership rules

I developed some automation for a customer to help them manage the lifecycle of collections used for...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 02/07/2012

USGCB Policy Bug: Turn off desktop gadgets

The US Government Configuration Baseline (USGCB) group policy object (GPO) for Windows 7 Computer...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 01/23/2012

Verifying Configuration Manager Backup Task with Windows PowerShell

A seemingly simple requirement for a Desired Configuration Management configuration item is to...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 01/23/2012

Using SMBIOS GUID to import computer information for VMware guest

To import computer information into Configuration Manager for OS deployment you have to enter the...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 01/04/2012

How to create a bootable ISO

I know this information exists elsewhere in the world and I really dislike redundant posts. ...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 01/04/2012

Disk Cleanup in a MDT Task Sequence

While using MDT to remaster an existing Windows 7 image I added tasks to apply Windows 7 Service...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 01/04/2012

Deploying Windows 7 Language Packs via ConfigMgr

During a Windows 7 64-bit deployment project the customer gave me a requirement to allow users to...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 12/18/2011

Windows XP Remote Assistance and DontDisplayLastUserName

While implementing Remote Assistance during a Windows 7 deployment I found that a RA connection to...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 12/18/2011

ConfigMgr query for blocked or approved clients

This is nothing new; I’m typically not one to repost information that can be found elsewhere...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 12/08/2011

Generating a random password with PowerShell

Instead of bashing on the keyboard, I’m a proponent of using a tool to generate a random password,...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 12/08/2011

Identifying a system deployed via OSD

I’m starting a DCM project for a customer and one of the requirements is to determine whether a...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 12/08/2011

Throw more logs on the fire

I was recently having a conversation with a coworker about ways to troubleshoot an automated...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 10/17/2011

DCM Error for Invalid or Inconsistent Data

I created a relatively simple Configuration Manager 2007 Desired Configuration Management (DCM)...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 10/17/2011

DCM and Two's Complement

My mathematics and computer science lesson for the day came when creating a Desired Configuration...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 08/24/2011

Windows PowerShell Script Library for MDT

At the Microsoft Management Summit 2011 in March I presented session BF21, Accelerated Scripting...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 06/29/2011

Maximizing Security in Configuration Manager

This post details my experience and lessons learned with hardening a System Center Configuration...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 06/28/2011

MMS 2011 Labs powered by Hyper-V, System Center & HP...

I usually don't cross-post, but this is just too cool....

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 03/29/2011

Error starting RemoteFX VM with unsupported GPU

A bit off-topic for most of the posts on this blog...I didn't see this posted anywhere else in this...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 03/13/2011

MMS 2011 Session

A little self-promotion.... BF21 Accelerated Scripting with the MDT Framework Speaker(s): Aaron...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 03/13/2011

WSF whatif parameter

Writing custom scripts for MDT and/or MDT-integrated ConfigMgr task sequences should leverage the...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 01/11/2011

Texts with my wife

This is probably the only place where I can post these and get some level of appreciation. While I...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 09/02/2010

Running netsh in ConfigMgr task sequence on x64 client

In deploying Windows 7 x64 via a ConfigMgr 2007 SP2 task sequence I have a custom script to change...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 07/09/2010

Failure on invalid user context with DCM permission evaluation

I’m a huge fan of the Desired Configuration Management (DCM) feature of ConfigMgr. However, I...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 05/25/2010

DCM Multiline Operators

I recently had the opportunity to use the One of operator on a CI validation of a registry integer...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 05/02/2010

TestDBUpgrade on a Named Instance

In a scenario where a hardened SQL named instance (e.g., SQLI1) is used to perform the database...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 04/19/2010

Explicit rights for Preinst

I recently had to manually remove a secondary site (S01) from a ConfigMgr 2007 SP1 hierarchy. It...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 04/19/2010

Check-WsusContentHash.ps1

I wrote the attached script to recursively parse a WsusContent directory and compare the file name...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 11/11/2009

FQDN in OpsMgr DNS 2008 Zone Resolution Monitor

I've made the leap into the wonderful world of System Center Operations Manager, and wanted to post...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 06/30/2009

Debug programs right needed to uninstall ConfigMgr Console

I recently discovered an interesting issue when trying to uninstall the ConfigMgr Console from a...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 04/10/2009

MMS 2009 Session

I'm happy to announce that my session was accepted for the Microsoft Management Summit 2009. SY22...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 02/13/2009

Notepad line wrap columns

I love Notepad. I use it daily. But what really bugs me is when I go to print a text file and the...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 02/12/2009

PowerShell to change ConfigMgr Client Cache size

Don Hite has a VBS Script To Change A Remote SMS Clients Cache Size, but I wanted to do it with...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 02/12/2009

ConfigMgr Software Updates on an Isolated Network

The Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) 3 Deployment Guide documents a process by which update...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 11/11/2008

Customizing USMT Estimation with ConfigMgr Task Sequence

One of the advantages of integrating MDT 2008 with ConfigMgr 2007 is a more dynamic state capture...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 11/11/2008

Mac: The Easiest Target

Several good articles at InfoWorld about CanSecWest security conference's PWN 2 OWN hacking contest...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 08/07/2008

Windows 'Mojave'

Check out the Mojave Experiment.

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 08/07/2008

MMS 2008

For the past week I've been out in Las Vegas for the Microsoft Management Summit (MMS) 2008. Last...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 05/01/2008

ConfigMgr 2007 and SCW

The Security Configuration Wizard is new to Windows Server 2003 SP1 and provides very detailed...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 05/01/2008

Bitsadmin script

Attached is a script that I wrote to automate downloading a large file (e.g., ISO, WIM) by using...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 03/08/2008

How to generate a custom LGPO based on FDCC

One of my customers requires additional security settings beyond the OMB-mandated Federal Desktop...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 03/02/2008

Script to set Windows Vista audit policy

There's probably a sexier way to do it, but the attached script (rename to .cmd) can be used to set...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 03/02/2008

About the gpt.ini version

I recently did some research on the version variable in gpt.ini, what it means, and how to modify...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 02/28/2008

Windows 2008 "eats commercial Linux"

Product review: Windows Server 2008 is the host with the most, and the perfect guest

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 02/25/2008

Scripts for WSUS Import/Export

The WSUS Deployment Guide has good general guidance on how to export/import content and metadata to...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 01/05/2008

Command Line Timestamp

I often write little batch scripts, sometimes just as a way to save a lengthy command line....

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 01/04/2008

Stay-At-Home Servers

We have a funny marketing campaign for the new Windows Home Server. I especially like the book for...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 12/18/2007

A new look

With quarterly training waiting to be done, I decided to procrastinate some more and tweak the ol'...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 12/07/2007

IE7 search providers and ConfigMgr RP

I was doing some research/testing on IE7 search providers today and thought up a neat trick for...

Author: Aaron Czechowski [Microsoft] Date: 11/27/2007

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