I’m very slowly revising my main web site. The upshot for now is that there is no direct link to my old script library. Many of my Mr. Roboto tools can be found on this page. Until I can finish the upgrade project, you can use this link, http://www.jdhitsolutions.com/scripts.htm to take you directly to the…
Category: PowerShell
TechEd 2010 Demos
As promised, I’ve assembled my demo scripts as well as the transcriptfrom my TechEd 2010 talk Paradigm Shift Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition to Windows PowerShell. The official slide deck is supposed to be available on the TechEd web site. I’m going to post an expanded version of the deck here sometime next week. In…
New WMI Object
I have one more variation on my recent theme of working with WMI objects. I wanted to come up with something flexible and re-usable where you could specify a WMI class and some properties and get a custom object with all the classes combined. My solution is a function called New-WmiObject. Function New-WMIObject { [cmdletbinding()]…
Cool Custom Consoles
Ok, maybe this isn’t as slick as something from West Coast Customs but maybe you’d like to add a little style to your PowerShell session. I’m talking about the (by now) staid blue console. Perhaps you don’t like blue or the color contrast isn’t too your liking. Here are some things to try if you…
Test Connection Troubles
In this week’s Prof. PowerShell column, I have an article on using the Test-Connection in Windows PowerShell. I thought it was pretty straightforward, but I didn’t take problems into account. I received an email asking what to do about error messages. For example, what if you have a computername in the list that can’t be…
Blog Transistion Complete
I think the transition to the new hosting is complete. Hopefully you’ll notice a little faster response. If you have problems drop me a DM on Twitter.
In Transition
I’m still in the process of moving my blog and domain to a new hosting service. As much as I appreciate your comments and feedback, please hold off on posting anything new for the next day or so. I’ll post something when everything is back up and running.
In the Beginning and at the End was the Command Line
I just finished reading a terrific essay (or short book) on the nature of operating systems and how we interact with them. The book is In the Beginning…was the Command Line by Neal Stephenson. The book was written about 10 years ago so some of the material might seem a little dated. But for those…
Promoting Scripting and PowerShell
Last week I was interviewed on the Mind of Root podcast about what administrators can do to promote PowerShell and automation in their environments. The show is now available for streaming or download. I still think your best approach is to gently let everyone know that it’s not a matter of if you will use…
Profiling a Script
Last summer, Ed Wilson was looking for help with a small part of the book he was finishing up, Windows PowerShell 2.0 Best Practices. The topic he was working on was, “How do I know this script is safe to run?” Which is a great question and one with greater significance as more administrators come…
Get Expert AD and Identity Management Information
Some of my readers may have realized I don’t blog much about Active Directory here, despite having written a book on the subject. That’s because I also blog and help moderate The Experts Community. This site, although run by Quest Software, is not a commercial site. It is intended as a community drive site centered…
Potential Pipeline Pitfall
Last week I was helping someone out in the PowerShell forum at ScriptingAnswers.com. The specific problem is irrelevant;l however I learned something in the process that will affect how I write my own PowerShell functions from now on. Not being a developer I never picked up on this subtle (at least to me) distinction. Here’s…
GUI vs CLI
I often talk about using PowerShell GUIs vs the console experience. There is certainly a place for a GUI, but sometimes you need the raw power that comes with a console session. Here’s an example.
Appending Property Values in PowerShell
This morning I helped out a fellow scripter in the PowerShell forum at ScriptingAnswers.com. He was trying to figure out an Exchange 2007 problem. He wanted to update a property value, but keep the existing property values. This seems a like a reasonable request and one that isn’t limited to Exchange. There are plenty of…
Think Objectively
A challenge many new comers to PowerShell face, especially those arriving with a VBScript background, and one that I often talk about, is shifting gears from working with text to working with objects. Here’s a good example.