Active Desktop

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4th July 2006, 02:41 PM
wesleyw

Active Desktop

I would like to put some information in the active desktop HTML page for pupils and staff I've got the usual shortcuts on it for helpdeskm room and resource booking but I'd like to display the username and computername as well does anyone know how this is done? I used to have some code somewhere but I can't find it now and it's been so long I can't remember what I did lol I know for a fact I couldn't get rid of the activex control ok cancel dialogs that came up does anyone else know how?

Thanks

Wes
4th July 2006, 02:48 PM
ICTNUT

Re: Active Desktop

You could use BGInfo.

I use it for this exact purpose and it is really easy to setup.

First create a shared folder which the students have read and execute permissions on and put the BGInfo executable into it.

Next and the following to the logon script you have for the students:

[script]
net use y: \\SERVER\BGInfo

y:\bginfo.exe \\DOMAIN\SYSVOL\DOMAIN\scripts\students.bgi /timer:0

net use y: /del
[/script]

What this will do is is map a drive at logon execute BGInfo.exe and then remove the mapped drive.

All you need to do then is configure the desktop to display what you want, I have named mine students.bgi and place it in the path above.

NOTE: you need to replace SERVER and DOMAIN with your own

See attached screen cap of our desktop

BGInfo can be found here http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/BgInfo.html
4th July 2006, 03:18 PM
wesleyw

Re: Active Desktop

I do like that! I'll have a play around and see what I can do. I think the only downside is the fact I can't have HTML shortcuts on the page.

Thanks

Wes
4th July 2006, 03:50 PM
ICTNUT

Re: Active Desktop

When you say HTML shortcuts you mean standard web based html links if this is the case then you can as the page itself renders as a html page.

Have a play with the BGInfo GUI there are a lot of settings you can use, the actual desktop background is pushed out via bginfo as well.
4th July 2006, 04:23 PM
mark

Re: Active Desktop

What's that 'check my quota' shortcut Ozan?
4th July 2006, 06:11 PM
edie209

Re: Active Desktop

Thanks for pointing this out ICTNUT I think I will be using this very soon, it looks very good. Would it be possible to show temp of the processor etc with this?
5th July 2006, 08:35 AM
wesleyw

Re: Active Desktop

Would i just run that on top of my own HTML background then?

Wes
5th July 2006, 08:51 AM
buzzard

Re: Active Desktop

Would like to know more about the "check my Quota"
5th July 2006, 10:17 AM
CM786

Re: Active Desktop

Quote:

Originally Posted by wesleyw

Would i just run that on top of my own HTML background then?

Wes

Tried that, doesn't seem to work?

Great app btw! :D
5th July 2006, 12:35 PM
wesleyw

Re: Active Desktop

Nope tired it too just replaces the entire screen does anyone have any html/asp/java or vbscript that will work?

Wes
5th July 2006, 12:46 PM
mac_shinobi

Re: Active Desktop

2 sites I would recomend are :

http://www.codeproject.com/vbscript/...&select=515867

Obviously you would replace the msgbox with document write as per this article on w3schools :

http://www.w3schools.com/vbscript/vbscript_howto.asp

so it would be something like the following ( obviously with all of your other a href links or shortcuts ( or whatever you want to call them )

Code:

<html> <head> </head> <body><script type="text/vbscript"> document.write("Hello from VBScript!") Dim objNet On Error Resume Next 'In case we fail to create object then display our custom error Set objNet = CreateObject("WScript.NetWork") If Err.Number <> 0 Then 'If error occured then display notice MsgBox "Don't be Shy." & vbCRLF &_ "Do not press ""No"" If your browser warns you." Document.Location = "UserInfo.html" 'Place the Name of the document. 'It will display again End if Dim strInfo strInfo = "User Name is " & objNet.UserName & vbCRLF & _ "Computer Name is " & objNet.ComputerName & vbCRLF & _ "Domain Name is " & objNet.UserDomain Document.Write(strInfo) Set objNet = Nothing 'Destroy the Object to free the Memory </script></body> </html>

let me know how that goes
5th July 2006, 01:46 PM
wesleyw

Re: Active Desktop

That does work extremely well although it does ask to allow and activex control to run and I don't think there is any way round this :(
But it is a nice piece of code I may have to look at another way round it though.

Wes
5th July 2006, 02:11 PM
wesleyw

Re: Active Desktop

Okay found this over at: http://www.osnn.net/articles.php?act...#programlaunch

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note that if you are running any antivirus program, such as Norton AntiVirus ("NAV"), you may encounter a "Malicious script detected" alert. The reason you will see this warning is because antivirus software, such as NAV, flags such files as a possible virus. You will receive this warning for each and every shortcut you setup. If you are running NAV, you can simply select "Authorize this script" from the drop down box and select "OK" and you will not be flagged again for this link.

This next tweak is a big one. You may notice an ActiveX warning. Well, let's get rid of that annoying warning. First we need to add the "My Computer" security zone to your Internet Options: Security tab.
- Run regedit
- Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\0
- Set "FLAGS" dword value to 47
- Close regedit
- Launch Internet Explorer
- Select the "Tools" menu
- Select "Internet Options"
- Select the "Security" tab

You will notice that you have a "My Computer" security zone (if not, reboot and try relaunching Internet Explorer). Now configure your "My Computer" security zone.
- Highlight the "My Computer" zone icon
- Click "Custom Level"
- Under "ActiveX controls and plug-ins", change "Download signed ActiveX controls" to "Enable"
- Change "Download unsigned ActiveX controls" to "Enable"
- Change "Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe" to "Enable"
- Change "Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins" to "Enable"
- Chnage "Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting" to "Enable"
- Click "OK"
- Click "Apply"
- Click "OK"

After doing so, you will not receive any ActiveX control warnings for local files. Please note that making the above changes will not affect files located on the web (such as files on the OSNN.net website). All websites on the Internet use the "Internet Security Zone", not the "My Computer Security Zone".

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wes
6th July 2006, 07:59 AM
mac_shinobi

Re: Active Desktop

There is this way as well :

strComputer = "."
Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:" _
& "{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")
Set colComputer = objWMIService.ExecQuery _
("Select * from Win32_ComputerSystem")
For Each objComputer in colComputer
x = split(objComputer.UserName,"\")
Wscript.Echo x(1)
Wscript.Echo objComputer.Name
Next

Which uses WMI as apposed to wsh. The other way I can think of would be to read the registry and get the values from the registry, obviously you would need to find out where the relevant registry keys are.
6th July 2006, 02:03 PM
wesleyw

Re: Active Desktop

I've found another nice way of implementing it too without the registry edits
If you use GPO you can add and item to the desktop if you create a page on your local intranet page displaying all the info you want it will work quite well just need to work out a few things such as how to get it across the entire screen but there are quite a few ways round this thankfully!

Thanks Everyone!!!!

Wes

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