Ghost Solution Suite

In the past, I've been able to create a simple Ghost Console task that copies a double-clickable URL shortcut (created by dragging a URL from the address bar of a browser to the Desktop) to the Desktops of our lab workstations. We have 112 Dell GX-620's and this is usually the easiest way to deal with a one-day workshop taking over the lab and needing access to a specific site.

We're now on Ghost Console 11.5 and XP SP3 and when I tried it this year, what was copied turned out to be a text document containing the HTML code of the linked page. As a test, I tried using the same task and file that I did for the same event last year with the same bogus results. Sneaker-netting the file to the workstation works without a hitch. I also discovered that I can put the URL shortcut file in a folder and deploy the folder and its contents to the Desktops via a file transfer task and that works (which remains as my workaround for now).

One of my coworkers suggested that this might be the result of a Windows security patch, but this is the first time I've tried the task with the 11.5 console, so Ghost is not completely above suspicion. Has anyone out there run into anything like this?

Thanks,
Ric

Hi Ric,

I tried copying a URL link to another machine using Ghost task and i got the same issue you are facing in my lab.
 
just to make things more clear for the other Symantec Engineers who attend this forum, can you please post your task scenario?

Mine showing the following:

Deploy Software

Transfer Files and Folders - Target Operating System

Source (Server)                                   Destination (Client)
C:\www.google.com[1]                                c:\

Hi Ric,

The simplest thing for you to try is to binary compare two shortcuts to see what's different before you execute it but after you transferred it. This way you can definetely rules out Ghost file transfer task. I doubt this is the task to blame since all task is doing is copying file across without any knowledge of the data in question.

Windows does "smarts" in trying to resolve shortcuts that moved from place to place (especially those that refer to shared drivers or URLs).

I'd suggest using User migration task to deal with shortcuts. That has smarts to resolve shortcuts itself.

Hi Ric,

This is an issue related to transferring .lnk or .url files. When you add them to file transfer tasks, Console tries to find the target and transfer it rather than the link itself. As Eugene suggested, you can use User migration task or you can transfer them using a different extension and use the command execution step to rename it.

if you trnsfer them as mysite.dat to C:\user folder, you can add a command "cmd /c ren c:\user\mysite.dat mysite.url" to rename it to a .url.

Hope this helps, but it is not too different to your current workaround.

Krish 

I have to credit Eugene and Krish with the solution. I won't have a chance to test it until later (the thundering hoardes of high school students are due to arrive shortly) but sending it out as with a different extension and renaming makes sense. Packaging it in a folder is okay with the presenter, as well.

The scenerio for the test version of the task is:

Task: CC206\CRC Production Tasks\Repairs\CIS Link
Task steps:
Deploy Software
Machine names:
SYCC206-110 - sycrcstudent
Number of client machines: 1

Deploy Software
Transfer Files and Folders - Target Operating System
Source (Server) Destination (Client)
C:\Documents and Settings\rgetter\Desktop\AAYLC-CIS Link Inside\ C:\Documents and Settings\sycrcstudent\Desktop\

Thanks everyone! I'm going to pass this along to some of the other techs here.

Ric

Thanks Krish and Eugene input was really helpful