Quest AD Management Shell – Account properties from list of users

One liner.  This loops through all account names in a text file and then exports all of the results to a csv file.  If you try to add the export-csv portion inside of the foreach loop, the csv file will constantly get overwritten after every account is queried.  In other words, export-csv doesn’t automatically append.

$users = gc userlist.txt | foreach { qaduser $_ | select logonname, accountexpires} | export-csv userinfo.csv

Tip: You can add additional fields such as firstname, lastname, initials, passwordstatus, lastlogon, creationdate, passwordlastset, accountisdisabled, passwordexpires, and others.  For a list of what is available you can enter this from the Quest Management Shell:

qaduser username | select *

Replace username with a valid username.  This results in the output below.  The fields you can add are located on the left.  Information censored for obvious reasons.

QADUser Output

Add Trusted Site to Internet Explorer via Registry

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap\

Add a key with the domain name under there, example google.com, and add a DWORD with a name of * and a value of 2 under that key.  This will add that site to the list of trusted sites.  The other zones are…

Value    Setting
   ——————————
   0        My Computer
   1        Local Intranet Zone
   2        Trusted sites Zone
   3        Internet Zone
   4        Restricted Sites Zone

More info from Microsoft: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/182569

Windows 7 Drive Clone/Backup Utility – FREE – Todo Backup

A free drive clone or backup utility that runs on Windows 7 and costs a whopping NOTHING.  That’s right!  It’s free and easy to use.  Who doesn’t like the idea of a full system image sitting around just in case.  You might get an “I wanna try Linux” moment or something and then decide “I want all my stuff back.”  Very useful to have.

This is a full version folks.

Originally found on Download Squad.

Link to program, from EASEUS  (Ease Us).

Removing Duplicates in Excel 2007

It’s actually easier than you think.  First, save a copy of your Excel file.  Alot of people forget to do that.  This is a destructive method after all.

1. Select a range of cells you want to remove duplicates from. 
2. On the Data ribbon click on Remove Duplicates.
3. When the dialog box pops up, choose the column you want to remove duplicates from and click OK.
4. Excel will delete records from the data and report how many duplicates were removed.

There is another non destructive method in Excel 2007 to identify the duplicates.

1. Select a range of cells you want to use to identify the duplicates in
2. From the Home ribbon choose Conditional Formatting > Highlight Cell Rules > Duplicate Values > OK
3. Click on the field name you sorted and click on the AZ button in the Data ribbon and choose Sort A to Z
4. If a cell is duplicated, Excel with highlight both occurences of that cell
5. Right click on one of the cells that has been colored and choose Sort > Put selected cell color on top

This method will identify all the duplicates and place them on top, but you will have to manually go back and change the color/delete the duplicates by hand.  I prefer the first method, but then again, I try to back up my data before doing anything destructive.

Visit Mr. Excel to see screenshots of these 2 methods as well as an additional 3!  After all, not everyone has Office 2007 yet.

Windows 7 ReadyBoost and sysmain errors 5 or 1058.

ReadyBoost lets you use an SD card or USB drive to “add” RAM to Windows 7.  In order to use ReadyBoost, you have to have the sysmain service, also called Superfetch, enabled.

If you try and enable ReadyBoost and see “This device cannot be used for ReadyBoost.  ReadyBoost is not enabled because the service responsible for ReadyBoost (Sysmain) has been turned off on this computer. etc, etc” you simply need to turn it on. 

Start > Run > cmd > and type net start sysmain

Make sure you are running this as administrator so you don’t get an Error 5 Access Denied message.

If you receive a “System error 1058 has occured,” more than likely the sysmain service has been disabled.

To enable it, click on Start and type in services. 

Right-click the Services item with the cog/gear icon next to it and run as administrator.

Scroll down to Superfetch.  Right-click > properties > Startup type: Automatic > Apply > OK

Go back to the command prompt and type net start sysmain. The service should start successfully.

ReadyBoost is now usable again.

My Windows 7 Start Menu Search is Gone!

I’ve heard this and I’ve had it happen to me.  Try to turn Windows Search back on.

1. Start > Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on or off
2. Scroll down and check the box next to Windows Search
3. Click OK, restart, dance a jig, whatever you have to
4. When the computer comes back up, click on the Start Menu to verify search is back

I know.  People tell you to disable features you don’t think you will use.  It turns out the Windows Search is useful on the start menu.  I still have the indexing service disabled though.

Windows 7 Netbook Settings

These are a few of the tweaks I made on my netbook after I installed Windows 7.  I think it runs a lil’ smoother now.

Task Bar

1. Right-click Start Menu > Properties > Taskbar tab
2. Check “Use small icons“
3. Taskbar buttons: Always combine, hide labels  << Personal preference here.  Some people prefer “Combine when taskbar is full.”

Start Menu

1. Right-click Start Menu > Properties
2. Click customize and ensure everything that can be set to “display as link” is set that way
3. Power button action: Hibernate  << Much better than standard shutdown.
4. Uncheck both options under privacy.

Performance Options

1. Click Start, type in “the apperance” and hit enter.
2. Choose either “Custom” or “Adjust for best performance.” If you choose best performance, your nifty Windows 7 might revert to looking as if it were Win2K.  Quicker, but not 100% necessary.
3. Uncheck the first 3 Animate options.
4. Uncheck “Enable Aero Peek.”
5. Uncheck “Show window contents while dragging.”

Adjust the Theme

1. Click Start, type in personal and then hit enter.
2. Choose Windows 7 basic.  This is a non-Aero theme and works nice on netbooks while still leaving some of the pretty.
3. Modify the colors and whatnot as you see fit.  Avoid turning on the fancy window transitions because this is a netbook for crying out loud!

ReadyBoost

1. Open My Computer and right-click on your USB drive or SD card.
2. Click the ReadyBoost tab.
3. Click Use this device and choose the amount of space to use.  I have an 8GB card and am using 4094 for ReadBoost
4. Does it improve anything?  Eh, I dunno, but it doesn’t hurt.

Installing an extra 1GB of RAM if your netbook will accept it is always the best idea to improve performance.  I do OK with the 1GB though as I have toned down alot of my settings and don’t overwork it.

Hibernate Your Windows 7 Netbook

The title says it all.  I’ve been using Hibernate instead of Shut Down on my netbook for months now.  With a 1.6Ghz Atom processor and 1GB of RAM, my netbook goes from off to login screen in 18 seconds or less.  There’s not much left to be said.  Use Hibernate and thank yourself later.

Dante’s Inferno Demo for PS3

I downloaded the massive 1+ GB demo for this game yesterday not knowing what to expect.  God of War meets Devil May Cry awesomeness at it’s finest.  It’s based on the medieval epic poem The Divine Comedy [read it here].  The graphics are amazing and even though there is a lot of button mashing, it’s not as painful of a feat as you would fine in the older Dynasty Warriors game.  The upgrade system gives a little more variety than GoW and DMC adding a bit of an RPG type of element to the game.  It’s amazing… everything is incorporating RPG elements now.

Official site for Dante’s Inferno: EA Games

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

I picked this up yesterday for PS3. I’ve already completed the game on regular difficulty. A few frustrating parts, but only took 6 hours of gameplay time.

The graphics in the game are amazing, as expected. The “Afghanistan” portions still look like Iraq to an extent, especially in the city. The wife was reading all of the signs and said some of them sounded Syrian, while others looked ripped straight from Baghdad.  Either way, impeccable detail to the graphics.  I’ve yet to notice any cosmetic glitches, but then again, I’ve been caught up in the BLOCKA BLOCKA!

The multiplayer system is badass.  A few nice new additions.  My favorite is the knife for a throwing weapon 😀  Screw grenades…. besides those awesome multikills 😀  Stupid team holed in the bunker to be uber snipers.  Cook grenade.  Toss. Laugh.

I’ve about 8 hours into the online mode I guess.  Level 17.  Even with the craptastic internet that I am stuck with here in Kuwait, the latency still isn’t bad.  Depending on the map, I’m usually top 3 in kills.  The new maps rock too.  No more damn setups to create a giant sniper vs sniper game.