Some time ago a wrote a blog describing a way to deploy custom templates for Microsoft Office applications using SCCM Compliance Settings. Since then, I have re-written the solution into something much more manageable as the previous incarnation was not very clearly defined in how to update templates, and involved some considerable admin overhead. This … Continue reading Deploying Custom Microsoft Office Templates with System Center Configuration Manager
Author: Trevor Jones
Export / Backup Compliance Setting Scripts with PowerShell
In my SCCM environment I have a number of Compliance Settings that use custom scripts for discovery and remediation, and recently it dawned on me that a lot of time has been spent on these and it would be good to create a backup of those scripts. It would also be useful to be able … Continue reading Export / Backup Compliance Setting Scripts with PowerShell
PowerShell Tip! Create Background Jobs with a Custom Class
PowerShell 5 introduced the capability to create custom classes. Classes are a convenient way to create an object with your own custom definition, and can include properties and methods. There could be many potential use cases for such a custom class, but here's one that is handy: background jobs. PowerShell comes with some cmdlets for … Continue reading PowerShell Tip! Create Background Jobs with a Custom Class
Automatically Set SQL MaxServerMemory on Cluster Failover with PowerShell
On a two-node Windows Failover Cluster, I have two SQL instances installed. Each instance runs on its own node in the cluster, so that it can make maximum use of the available memory on that server. However, when a failover occurs, it is necessary to reduce the maximum server memory setting for both instances, so … Continue reading Automatically Set SQL MaxServerMemory on Cluster Failover with PowerShell
PowerShell DeepDive: WPF, Data Binding and INotifyPropertyChanged
PowerShell can be used to create some nice UI front-ends using the Windows Presentation Framework (WPF). You can create anything from a simple popup window to a full-blown, self-contained application. A major concept in WPF is that of data binding. Data binding allows you to create some separation between the design of the UI and … Continue reading PowerShell DeepDive: WPF, Data Binding and INotifyPropertyChanged
Decrypting Remote Desktop Connection Manager Passwords with PowerShell
Today I needed to find a password for a certain account I had used before (but had forgotten), and I remembered that I had stored the credentials in the Remote Desktop Connection Manager, Microsoft's free RD tool. Of course, it crossed my mind whether these credentials could be decrypted, and it turns out they can, … Continue reading Decrypting Remote Desktop Connection Manager Passwords with PowerShell
ConfigMgr Client Health Summary Report
Recently I discovered that hardware inventory was broken on our ConfigMgr clients. The tell-tale sign was that the hardware inventory action was missing from the ConfigMgr client control panel. Checking my ConfigMgr Client Health report I found that none of our systems had reported hardware inventory for over a week! The problem was traced to … Continue reading ConfigMgr Client Health Summary Report
Explore WPF Controls with PowerShell
If you've ever tried creating a tool or an application with WPF, you know that the built-in controls contain many properties, methods and events, and finding the right one to use can be, well, fun! As an aid to creating WPF applications, I created this simple tool which explores the various controls and exposes their … Continue reading Explore WPF Controls with PowerShell
Create a WPF Application with Navigation using PowerShell
In WPF, there are two types of window which can host your application content. The most commonly used is simply the window (System.Windows.Window in .Net). But there is another window type, the navigation window (System.Windows.Navigation.NavigationWindow) which takes a slightly different form and includes some basic navigation controls similar to what you would use in a … Continue reading Create a WPF Application with Navigation using PowerShell
Forcing a ConfigMgr Client to Send a New CCMEval Report
In order to maintain a healthy ConfigMgr environment, it is important to know that your clients have successfully run the Configuration Manager Health Evaluation task and reported the results to the Site server. Sometimes you will find a number of systems that have not reported any health status to the Site server. In the Devices … Continue reading Forcing a ConfigMgr Client to Send a New CCMEval Report