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  • 1.  Automatically Rename PC Upon Reboot?

    Posted Jan 14, 2008 09:32 PM
    I cannot use Sysprep on my images, it removes registry & licensing info regarding certain applications. I am using cdboot to a mapped drive in a non-domain environment to image my lab pc's. Multicast/Ghostcast not supported yet on the network either. Is there a batch or script file I can run on first reboot that will rename the PC's?  Ideally since most PC's have integrated nics, I'm thinking along the lines of something like; if MAC address = xx-xx-xx-xx then rename PC to xxxxx. All names are the same character length. Any ideas?


    Message Edited by Harry Walsh on 01-14-2008 09:47 PM


  • 2.  RE: Automatically Rename PC Upon Reboot?

    Posted Jan 17, 2008 02:41 AM
    Hi Harry,

    Ghost Walker can change the computer name with some limitations. The new name should be the same length as the old name. There are different ways generate the names automatically too, based on a pre-fix and random characters. This could be done while in DOS, just after imaging the computer.

    If you run Ghost walker manually (ghstwalk.exe) you can try out and see if it is working with the application. After than you can include it in the batch file.

    Ghost walker can perform SID changes too.

    Krish


  • 3.  RE: Automatically Rename PC Upon Reboot?

    Posted Jan 17, 2008 10:35 PM
    Krish, Thank You!


  • 4.  RE: Automatically Rename PC Upon Reboot?

    Posted Jan 19, 2008 12:38 PM
    Some VBscript code fragments which may be of use to you.
     
    To find out MAC addresses of installed NIC's:
     
    Code:
    On Error Resume Next
    Const wbemFlagReturnImmediately = &h10
    Const wbemFlagForwardOnly = &h20
    strComputer = "."
    Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & strComputer & "\root\CIMV2")
    Set colItems = objWMIService.ExecQuery("SELECT * FROM Win32_NetworkAdapter", "WQL", _
                             wbemFlagReturnImmediately + wbemFlagForwardOnly)
    For Each objNetworkAdapter In colItems
          WScript.Echo objNetworkAdapter.Name & " : " & objNetworkAdapter.MACAddress
    Next

    To find out system Serial numbers / Asset Tags:

    Code:
    On Error Resume NextConst wbemFlagReturnImmediately = &h10Const wbemFlagForwardOnly = &h20strComputer = "."Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & strComputer & "\root\CIMV2")Set colItems = objWMIService.ExecQuery("SELECT * FROM Win32_BIOS", "WQL", _                        wbemFlagReturnImmediately + wbemFlagForwardOnly)For Each objBIOS In colItems    WScript.Echo "SerialNumber : " & objBIOS.SerialNumberNext


     To rename the computer:

    Code:
    On Error Resume NextConst wbemFlagReturnImmediately = &h10Const wbemFlagForwardOnly = &h20strComputer = "."strNewComputername = "computer1"Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & strComputer & "\root\CIMV2")Set colItems = objWMIService.ExecQuery("SELECT * FROM Win32_ComputerSystem", "WQL", _                        wbemFlagReturnImmediately + wbemFlagForwardOnly)For Each objComputerSystem in colItems    objComputerSystem.Rename(strNewComputername)Next


     After renaming you will need to force a reboot, which you can do in VBScript:

     
    Code:
    Code:
    On Error Resume NextConst wbemFlagReturnImmediately = &h10Const wbemFlagForwardOnly = &h20strComputer = "."Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & strComputer & "\root\CIMV2")Set colItems = objWMIService.ExecQuery("SELECT * FROM Win32_OperatingSystem", "WQL", _                        wbemFlagReturnImmediately + wbemFlagForwardOnly)For Each objOperatingSystem in colItems    objOperatingSystem.reboot()Next

     

     
    Use a select/case type statement to compare MAC address / Serial number with a known list and you are done.  

    Dave
    
                                                
    
					
                                                    

        
                                                
				
    
                                                
    
                                                    
                                                
    
                                                
                                            
    
                                        
    

                                        
                                        

                                    
			
    

                                    
                                
    

                                
                                
    
                                
    
                            
		
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                                            5.  
                                            RE: Automatically Rename PC Upon Reboot?
                                            
                                            
                                            
                                        
    
                                    
    
                                    
    
                                        
    
				
                                                
    
                                                    
    
					
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
            
        
    
				
    

                                                
    
                                            
			
    
                                    
    
                                
    
                                
                                

                                
    
                                    
    
                                        
                                    
    

                                    
    
				

                                        
    
                                            
    
                                                
    
                                                    
    
                                                        Posted Jan 25, 2008 12:59 PM
                                                        
                                                    
    
                                                
    
                                            
    
                                            
    
                                                

                                                
                                            
    
                                        
    

                                        
    
                                            
    
                                                
    Hi,
     
    I use a freeware tool called Wsname - http://mystuff.clarke.co.nz/MyStuff/wsname.asp - to automatically rename computers. I use this tool along with Sysprep and Ghost.
     
    This tool allows me to change computer names to any names I desire. I have a list of pre-defined names that I want to name all the computers, so I first create a text file that contains all the pre-defined computer names.
     
    The list should be in this order:
     
    MAC=Computer Name
     
    (where MAC is computer MAC address and Computer Name is pre-defined computer name)
     
    For example,
    000123456789=PC23-1234
     
    When Wsname runs, it searches the text file, compares the MAC address of the computer on which is running with the MAC address defined in the text file. If both are matching up, Wsname assigns the pre-defined name to the computer.
     
    Execute Wsname during computer startup:
     
    In Sysprep.inf, I set the computer to automatically logon once after sysprep completes preparing the system. After the logon process completes, a batch script executes Wsname.
     
    Sysprep.inf
     
    [GuiUnattended] 
    AdminPassword=* 
    AutoLogon=Yes 
    AutoLogonCount=1
     
    [Identification]
    Workgroup=Workgroup
     
    I define the batch script in the registry so that Wsname runs only one time as I need to change the computer name.
     
    Wsname tool also allows changing computer names using MAC address or AssetTag.
     
    Thanks.


    Message Edited by ghuser01 on 01-25-2008 10:00 AM
                                                
    
					
                                                    

        
                                                
				
    
                                                
    
                                                    
                                                
    
                                                
                                            
    
                                        
    

                                        
                                        

                                    
			
    

                                    
                                
    

                                
                                
    
                                
    
                            
		
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                                            6.  
                                            RE: Automatically Rename PC Upon Reboot?
                                            
                                            
                                            
                                        
    
                                    
    
                                    
    
                                        
    
				
                                                
    
                                                    
    
					
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
            
        
    
				
    

                                                
    
                                            
			
    
                                    
    
                                
    
                                
                                

                                
    
                                    
    
                                        
                                    
    

                                    
    
				

                                        
    
                                            
    
                                                
    
                                                    
    
                                                        Posted Jul 22, 2008 03:52 PM
                                                        
                                                    
    
                                                
    
                                            
    
                                            
    
                                                

                                                
                                            
    
                                        
    

                                        
    
                                            
    
                                                
    What I am looking for here now is to automate the renaming process of the PC when ghostwalker is run after ghost. 
     
    An easy setup would to create a file on the USB drive that I run gdisk/ghost/ghstwalk on to read something like:
     
    MAC ADDRESS1 = PC NAME1
    MAC ADDRESS2 = PC NAME2
    etc.
     
    Then I could create and copy as many of these bootable USB drives as I need (approx 30 right now) that would all be identical but able to rename the laptop they are in to the name it always has had after it was re-imaged.
     
    What I cannot figure out is how to get the MAC address information into a system variable/batch file when the system boots into pc-dos that came with Ghost so that ghstwalk owuld get the correc tinfo for each machine. I do not want to have to touch these machines once the gdisk/ghost/ghstwalk process has started.
     
    How can I get the MAC address from pc-dos? (Remember there is NO windows etc to work with here, the machine has booted into pc-dos from the USB flash drive.)
     
    Thanks,
     
    Don
     
    
                                                
    
					
                                                    

        
                                                
				
    
                                                
    
                                                    
                                                
    
                                                
                                            
    
                                        
    

                                        
                                        

                                    
			
    

                                    
                                
    

                                
                                
    
                                
    
                            
		
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                                            7.  
                                            RE: Automatically Rename PC Upon Reboot?
                                            
                                            
                                            
                                        
    
                                    
    
                                    
    
                                        
    
				
                                                
    
                                                    
    
					
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
            
        
    
				
    

                                                
    
                                            
			
    
                                    
    
                                
    
                                
                                

                                
    
                                    
    
                                        
                                    
    

                                    
    
				

                                        
    
                                            
    
                                                
    
                                                    
    
                                                        Posted Dec 12, 2008 02:09 AM
                                                        
                                                    
    
                                                
    
                                            
    
                                            
    
                                                

                                                
                                            
    
                                        
    

                                        
    
                                            
    
                                                
    Hi, 
     
    It took a while to do it, but if you are still interested, please have a look at Juice. Juice now has many articles about Ghost.
     
    Direct link to this article is here
     
    Krish 
    
                                                
    
					
                                                    

        
                                                
				
    
                                                
    
                                                    
                                                
    
                                                
                                            
    
                                        
    

                                        
                                        

                                    
			
    

                                    
                                
    

                                
                                
    
                                
    
                            
		
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