Windows 7–No brightness management through mobility center or Fn keys

So, last week I’ve been reported from our helpdesk that users could not change brightness on the new machines (Toshiba Tecra M11).

They couldn’t change brightness through Fn + F6 / Fn + F7 keys combinations, neither through Mobility Center menu available on Windows 7. In Mobility Center the title even wasn’t there!

The thing here was that Administrators could change this and also use the Toshiba software.
Here I started to think about permissions and things like that.
Run all our GPOs with no success.

After a lot of research, I’ve found that this it’s some kind of common problem.

My first approach was to call Toshiba support to get some information about this.

I’ve also contacted our premiere Microsoft support about this.
After 2 days passed, Microsoft support engineer asked me to do a strange procedures:
”If the user experiencing problems belongs to the Remote Desktop Users local group, please remove it and give me some feedback!”

Although I though this was at least a really strange procedure, I’ve done it and…SURPRISE, it worked!

Of course I needed some explanations from Microsoft about this, and I got it.

It seems some “strange people” from Windows team group, decided that Remote Desktop Users shouldn’t be allowed to change brightness.

Fortunately, this can be solved exporting a reg file that changes the WMI permissions so that all users belonging to Remote Desktop Users local group could change…brightness!

Here it goes the code:
 

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WMI\Security]

"d43412ac-67f9-4fbb-a081-1752a2c33e84"=hex:01,00,04,80,B4,00,00,00,C4,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,14,00,00,00,02,00,A0,00,07,00,00,00,00,00,18,00,1F,00,12,00,01,\
  02,00,00,00,00,00,05,20,00,00,00,20,02,00,00,00,00,18,00,1F,00,12,00,01,02,\
  00,00,00,00,00,05,20,00,00,00,22,02,00,00,00,00,14,00,1F,00,12,00,01,01,00,\
  00,00,00,00,05,13,00,00,00,00,00,14,00,1F,00,12,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,\
  14,00,00,00,00,00,14,00,1F,00,12,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00,00,\
  00,18,00,1F,00,12,00,01,02,00,00,00,00,00,05,20,00,00,00,2B,02,00,00,00,00,\
  14,00,1F,00,12,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,04,00,00,00,01,02,00,00,00,00,00,\
  05,20,00,00,00,20,02,00,00,01,02,00,00,00,00,00,05,20,00,00,00,20,02,00,00

"479b20b4-5559-46fe-be97-7d222154421f"=hex:01,00,04,80,B4,00,00,00,C4,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,14,00,00,00,02,00,A0,00,07,00,00,00,00,00,18,00,1F,00,12,00,01,\
  02,00,00,00,00,00,05,20,00,00,00,20,02,00,00,00,00,18,00,1F,00,12,00,01,02,\
  00,00,00,00,00,05,20,00,00,00,22,02,00,00,00,00,14,00,1F,00,12,00,01,01,00,\
  00,00,00,00,05,13,00,00,00,00,00,14,00,1F,00,12,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,\
  14,00,00,00,00,00,14,00,1F,00,12,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00,00,\
  00,18,00,1F,00,12,00,01,02,00,00,00,00,00,05,20,00,00,00,2B,02,00,00,00,00,\
  14,00,1F,00,12,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,04,00,00,00,01,02,00,00,00,00,00,\
  05,20,00,00,00,20,02,00,00,01,02,00,00,00,00,00,05,20,00,00,00,20,02,00,00

Technorati Tags: brightness,fn+f6,fn+f7,toshiba,remote desktop,windows 7

What grills faster?? – Smartphone Comparison

With a lot of different smartphones OSs right now on market, the web it’s full of different comparison tests and benchmarks.

So, someone took it a little to serious and decided to make a new type of test.
If you live on an oven, take a look to which phone suits you better:

What grills faster?!

Technorati Tags: windows phone,iphone,android,ez grill,smartphone,toast

Using Intel vPro with HP Client Automation (HP CAE)

Intel vPro technology is a set of features built into a PC’s motherboard and other hardware.

Intel vPro is not the PC itself, nor is it a single set of management features (such as Intel Active Management Technology (Intel AMT)) for sys-admins.

Intel vPro is a combination of processor technologies, hardware enhancements, management features, and security technologies that allow remote access to the PC — including monitoring, maintenance, and management—independently of the state of the operating system (OS) or power state of the PC. Intel vPro is intended to help businesses gain certain maintenance and servicing advantages, security improvements, and cost benefits in information technology areas.

Intel vPro with HP CAE (rival of Microsoft System Center) helps to manage the IT infrastructure.

Here’s a nice video about this 2 technologies working together:
KVM Remote Control and HP Client Automation

Technorati Tags: hp,cae,client automation,intel,vpro,kvm