Microsoft Hyper-V – Change VMs MAC Addresses

This is a tricky one…

I found out that some of mine Virtual Machines in different host machines were getting the same MAC Address.

With some research I found out the problem was using the same image (WIM) for deployment, that has already Hyper-V role installed.
After a little googling I’ve noticed that this is a problem that a lot of people are complaining.

So…there are to approaches to take here:

Creating new images
When creating new images for deployment, just delete the following keys before sysprep the machine:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Virtualization\MaximumMacAddress

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Virtualization\MinimumMacAddress

Already Installed Machines
For this one, run the vbscript published at TechNet Forums:
Script to reset VM MAC Addresses 

After running the script don’t forget to restart the virtual machines.

 

Hope this helps some people like it really helped me!

Technorati Tags: hyperv,hyper-v,mac,vbscript,windows

Problem Steps Recorder Tool – Command-Line Syntax

Introduced at Windows 7, Microsoft Problem Steps Recorder Tool (PSR), it’s a nice utility that let’s you take print screens / screenshots a littler further.

With this tool you can record what’s happening on your screen and get also some more info like, where did you clicked, what happened when you clicked, etc.
All that it’s then compiled on a very small file so you can send it through an e-mail for example.

Now…
Imagine you need to launch PSR through a command-line with certain configurations.
Here’s the syntax you can use:

psr.exe [/start |/stop][/output <fullfilepath>] [/sc (0|1)] [/maxsc <value>]
             [/sketch (0|1)] [/slides (0|1)] [/gui (o|1)]
             [/arcetl (0|1)] [/arcxml (0|1)] [/arcmht (0|1)]
             [/stopevent <eventname>] [/maxlogsize <value>] [/recordpid <pid>]

/start	:Start Recording. (Outputpath flag SHOULD be specified)
/stop	:Stop Recording.
/sc	:Capture screenshots for recorded steps.
/maxsc	:Maximum number of recent screen captures.
/maxlogsize	:Maximum log file size (in MB) before wrapping occurs.
/gui	:Display control GUI.
/arcetl	:Include raw ETW file in archive output.
/arcxml	:Include MHT file in archive output.
/recordpid	:Record all actions associated with given PID.
/sketch	:Create slide show HTML pages.
/slides	:Store output of record session in given path.
/output	:Store output of record session in given path.
/stopevent	:Event to signal after output files are generated.

PSR Usage Examples:

psr.exe
psr.exe /start /output fullfilepath.zip /sc1 /gui 0 /record <PID>
    /stopevent <eventname> /arcetl 1
psr.exe /start /output fullfilepath.xml /gui 0 /recordpid <PID>
    /stopevent <eventname>
psr.exe /start /output fullfilepath.xml /gui 0 /sc 1 /maxsc <number>
    /maxlogsize <value> /stopevent <eventname>
psr.exe /stop

Notes:
1.    Output path should include a directory path (e.g. '.\file.xml').
2.    Output file can either be a ZIP file or XML file
3.    Can't specify /arcxml /arcetl /arcmht /sc etc. if output is not a ZIP file.

 

Get more info about PSR at:
TechRepublic - Explore the Problem Steps Recorder in Windows 7

Technorati Tags: problem steps recorder tool,psr,troubleshooting

PingInfoView – Multi-Ping Application

Do you have a large number of machines that you just don’t know if they exist anymore?

Or…at least, you need to know if they’re still alive or have any network access?

Do you just need to ping a machine to know if it’s responding?
Well, just get a list of computernames ou ip addresses and let Ping Info View do it for you.

This fine tool has a lot of options like, ping within x to x seconds, export to various formats, etc.

Just take a look at Nirsoft’s PingInfoView

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/pinginfoview.gif

Technorati Tags: pinginfoview,nirsoft,multiping

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

Windows 7–Optimizing Windows Remote Assistance Experience

At work we’re now migration to Windows 2008 R2 / WIndows 7 at full speed.

After some tests outside our labs, we’ve noticed that Windows Remote Assistance was getting real slow. Everything took a lot of time to appear on screen.

Then I’ve found out a Group Policy Object (GPO) that helped us to get everything more smooth and clean.

The policy it’s called “Turn On Bandwidth Optimization”

Access it through:
Computer Configuration | Administrative Templates | System | Remote Assistance

Here’s the full description:

This policy setting allows you to improve performance in low bandwidth scenarios.

This setting is incrementally scaled from "No optimization" to "Full optimization".  Each incremental setting includes the previous optimization setting.

For example:

"Turn off background" will include the following optimizations:
No full window drag
Turn off background

"Full optimization" will include the following optimizations:
Use 16-bit color (8-bit color in Windows Vista)
Turn off font smoothing(not supported in Windows Vista)
No full window drag
Turn off background

If you enable this policy setting, bandwidth optimization will occur at the level specified.

If you disable this policy setting, application-based settings will be used.

If you do not configure this policy setting, application-based settings will be used.

We’re using “Full Optimization” option.

Fell free to give some feedback about your experiences with this!

Technorati Tags: remote assistance,windows 7,gpo,group policy,bandwidth,full optimization