Useful tools...

Discussion in 'The Lounge - Off Topic' started by NightWalker, Jun 21, 2008.

  1. NightWalker

    NightWalker Gigabyte Poster

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    What tools, hardware or software, make your job or home computing easier or provide you with functionality missing from the standard set of options. There are 1000s of third party applications and add-ons, some are crap, but a few little gems get used everyday and really make the life of the IT person easier.

    Here are three I think are worth a mention:

    1) This one I use everyday. A script that tells me the username of the person logged into a particular PC. Save it as logoncheck.vbs. When you run it just enter the name of a computer you want to see who is logged onto and click Ok. If no user is logged in it returns 'null'.

    Code:
    strComputer = InputBox("","Input Computer Name")
    
    if strComputer = "" then wscript.quit
    
    Set objSWbemLocator = CreateObject("WbemScripting.SWbemLocator")
    Set objWMIService = objSWbemLocator.ConnectServer _
    (strComputer, "root\cimv2")
    Set colComputer = objWMIService.ExecQuery _
    ("Select * from Win32_ComputerSystem")
    
    For Each objComputer in colComputer
    Wscript.Echo objComputer.UserName
    if UserName = "" then wscript.quit
    Next
    
    2) The next tool I found recently. I don't use it at work as unlocking accounts is done by another team, but they all use it. Account Lockout Status (LockoutStatus.exe) displays lockout information about a particular user account. LockoutStatus collects information from every contactable domain controller in the domain. You can see which DCs show an account as locked or unlocked and then unlock an account on any DC in the list.

    http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=D1A5ED1D-CD55-4829-A189-99515B0E90F7&displaylang=en

    3) The third tool I use quite often is PFDAVAdmin. The builtin Outlook deleted item recovery seems to work only when it wants. This tool makes the recovery of deleted items in the public folders much easier.

    http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=635BE792-D8AD-49E3-ADA4-E2422C0AB424&displaylang=en


    So what useful things do you use that we could all use... :)
     
    Certifications: A+, Network+, MCP, MCSA:M 2003, ITIL v3 Foundation
  2. wizard

    wizard Petabyte Poster

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    A sledgehammer, crack the skulls of people that do things they shouldn't be doing :twisted:
     
    Certifications: SIA DS Licence
    WIP: A+ 2009
  3. onoski

    onoski Terabyte Poster

    3,120
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    I find and use hijackThis, spybot, visionapp and adminpak useful in my day to day work and home computing.
     
    Certifications: MCSE: 2003, MCSA: 2003 Messaging, MCP, HNC BIT, ITIL Fdn V3, SDI Fdn, VCP 4 & VCP 5
    WIP: MCTS:70-236, PowerShell
  4. fortch

    fortch Kilobyte Poster

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    Certifications: A+,Net+,Sec+,MCSA:Sec,MCSE:Sec,mASE

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