bg info with a desktop from group policy

[Arcolite]

Perfect, thanks for the pointers.

 

I've now got it sorted.

 

We wanted certain User specific data shown on the desktop (Logon Server, Username...) so we've created two profiles. One for the desktop and one for users.

 

On Startup it applies the Desktop and on Logon it applies the User one.

When the user logs out the Desktop one is re-applied.

[mattx]

Hmmmm - same problem as Arcolite, I used to use this to ID servers in my last job on Citrix farms so it was rather good.

A little odd why it does not work on a simple 2003 AD Domain. I get mine to run but then it displays errrrrrrrr nothing. Even with the /all switch...

 

HA HA HA - been playing around a bit more with this, I now have 2 sets of BGinfo on top of each other !!!

[SYNACK]

Hmmmm - same problem as Arcolite, I used to use this to ID servers in my last job on Citrix farms so it was rather good.

A little odd why it does not work on a simple 2003 AD Domain. I get mine to run but then it displays errrrrrrrr nothing. Even with the /all switch...

 

Have you tried running it in GUI mode while applying to all desktops to see if it spews an error at that point, maybe dropping the /quiet switch for testing if you are running it at machine start.

 

If this doesn't shed any light on it you could try running it with both Filemon and Regmon running which should tell you if there are any file or registry permissions getting in your way.

 

When I run this on servers I usually add the command line to the Run section of the registry so that it is run each time the system is logged in.

[DMcCoy]

Mattx, Have you set the option that controls where it tries to save the new bmp? It uses the windows folder by default but you can save the bgi with the user profile set instead.

[mattx]

Mattx, Have you set the option that controls where it trys to save the new bmp?

 

Yeah I changed that to the users app data dir which is re-directed to their home directory....

 

Have you tried running it in GUI mode while applying to all desktops to see if it spews an error at that point, maybe dropping the /quiet switch for testing if you are running it at machine start.

 

I did get an error message stating it would only run in Admin mode but sorted that, it then ran, but displayed nothing.

I did have it working though, but it only showed the info when the user logs off !!! It works fine for an Admin though which is odd.....

[mattx]

I think its because I moved over to local profiles with folder re-direction - launched it under a normal user and tried a few things, [ it ran, you can preview etc, when you apply the info just does not appear ] - must have something to do with the profile - thats all I can think of at the moment...

[mattx]

Think I've cracked it - I was forcing a wallpaper in a GPO - just turned that off and it may have worked........

[zag]

I have the same problem Mattx, where did you find forcing a wallpaper in GPO? I've been looking for it for 10mins Sure I set it at some point in the past!!

 

Edit: nevermind, I got ours working by using the Save to application directory setting in bginfo.

 

Thanks guys, this really improves our system.

[Uraken]

Has anyone managed to get this working via a gpo for a machine startup script without deploying the bginfo.exe to all machines ? ie via a network share ?

[mattx]

Has anyone managed to get this working via a gpo for a machine startup script without deploying the bginfo.exe to all machines ? ie via a network share ?

 

No & Yes - I have mine working from a share and it launches with a script that calls a script - [ hey, I like messy things ]

 

This is what auto starts starts:

 

start /min p:\bginfo\bginfo.cmd

 

Then this runs: [ the bginfo.cmd ]

 

bginfo.exe config.bgi /timer:0 /silent /nolicprompt
exit

 

Only reason I did it this way was so the cmd did not start in an open box and the kids could close it before it finished running [ unless they see it open and close quickly minimized.. ]

 

This could easily be put into a logon script, but we have the CSE front end which will launch any app with its own autostart feature - [ which is handy ]

[Geoff]

It's probably worth mentioning that v4.22 of BGInfo has been released.

[Uraken]

how does the machine know to point to the p: when it starts up though ? i tried to do mine through the logon share but again the machine does not look there at boot time does it?

[mattx]

how does the machine know to point to the p: when it starts up though ? i tried to do mine through the logon share but again the machine does not look there at boot time does it?

 

Sorry, P: is mapped as part of the normal logon script, you don't have to have the drive letter, just use the UNC and the share name: - example:

 

start /min \\SERVER\SHARE\bginfo\bginfo.cmd

 

All you need to check is that the user has the relevant permissions..

[Uraken]

so if i put this into a machine startup policy and copy the bginfo.exe to the netlogon share should that work?

start bginfo.exe\\server\netlogon\CNCSWorkstations.bgi /timer:0 /silent /all /nolicprompt

[mattx]

Try it !! [ on a test user first ] :-)

[Silverman]

Is there a way to stop users having to accept the terms and conditions of bginfo everytime they log on to a new machine as currently on our system this is a problem where users can simply decline the terms and conditions and bfinfo will not run.

Thanks.

[mattx]

Is there a way to stop users having to accept the terms and conditions of bginfo everytime they log on to a new machine as currently on our system this is a problem where users can simply decline the terms and conditions and bfinfo will not run.

Thanks.

 

Use the '/nolicprompt' switch.

[Uraken]

sorry mattx what i meant was if it *should* work then mine doesn't so was looking for another pointer. i read up some stuff on the bginfo forum last night and its almost impossible to troubleshoot this as a machine start up script. i am going to try it your way with one script calling another.

[Silverman]

Use the '/nolicprompt' switch.

 

Thanks, works perfect.

[mattx]

Spooky - this months Technet Magazine - page 10. An article all about BGInfo........

[jsnetman]

I got BGInfo working after some long trial and error. Basically I produced two .bgi files one for the system and one for the user and used the lines below in the startup, shutdown, user logon/logoff scripts.

 

Userlogon Script

 

copy /y \\jschs2\public\apps\bginfo\bginfo.bgi c:\windows\bginfo

c:\windows\bginfo\bginfo.exe c:\windows\bginfo\bginfo.bgi /timer:0 /silent

 

User logoff Script

 

%systemroot%\bginfo\bginfo.exe %systemroot%\bginfo\sysbgi\bginfo.bgi /timer:0 /silent

 

 

Machine Startup Script

 

copy /y \\jschs2\public\apps\bginfo\sysbgi\bginfo.bgi c:\windows\bginfo\sysbgi

 

 

Machine Shutdown Script

 

del %systemroot%\bginfo\bginfo.bmp /q

del %systemroot%\bginfo.bmp /q

 

This way it shows detail for the current logged on user and also when the machine has no user logged on to it.

[Uraken]

jsnetman: can i assume then that you still had to go around and install bginfo on every machine first?

[jsnetman]

Certainly not! I created folders in c:\windows called bginfo and sysbginfo and set the permissions for students to allow write access in the file system object in AD although they cannot actaually see the C drive. The script in my last post copies the .bgi to all the machines. Also deployed the exe by creating an msi using Winstall Le.

[Uraken]

ah i see, but bginfo.exe still is needed on each machine as opposed to a network share for the machine startup to work.

I currently use bginfo via a login script and server share for all my users and it works well but not for machine start up.

[jsnetman]

Yes you can run it from a share, I don't think it really matters where the exe is.