Note to self

So there I was, changing some GPO settings and pushing out to a test machine. I used remote desktop to connect to the target desktop, ran a 'gpupdate /force' and decided to reboot the machine. erm. Where's the security options gone? All the normal places simply show 'disconnect'. Well once you figure it out (or use google :) ), its remarkably simple. On the desktop, Alt-F4 gives you the 'old school' shutdown options.

SCCM Asset Intelligence - Custom Labels A follow up post to the Java deployment. Using custom labels (Catalog -> Create Software Label)  I've set a description against all java software that has been inventoried (inventoried software, right-click-> properties -> Custom Labels) Now, when running report 'Asset Intelligence -> Software 10B - Computers with a specific custom-labelled software title installed' I can select a collection and label (the one I've made up) I can report on installed Java versions. Saving the data as an Excel spreadsheet and analysing using a pivot tables helps monitor the progress and the spread of different versions.

So, another quarter goes by, another set of Oracle updates http://www.zdnet.com/oracle-fixes-many-vulnerabilities-in-dozens-of-products-7000031640/ Oracle Java 7 has been updated to update 65 so time to update the SCCM deployments. Having a quick review we have: Java files are copied while the offline install is running, from C:\Users\<username>\AppData\LocalLow\Sun\Java\jre1.7.0_65 and C:\Users\<username>\AppData\LocalLow\Sun\Java\jre1.7.0_65_x64 for x86 and x64 respectively Java is offered via Software Center and runs an install script and an uninstall script. The install script (.cmd file) kills off some local processes which might interfere with the install. It then installs x86 and if a 'program files (x86)' directory exists, installs x64 also. Lastly it disables automatic update checks. taskkill /F /IM iexplorer.exe taskkill /F /IM iexplore.exe taskkill /F /IM firefox.exe taskkill /F /IM chrome.exe taskkill /F /IM javaw.exe taskkill /F /I

While updating images in SCCM 2012R2 to apply recent updates to a windows 8 image, I hit the following errors: Failed to install update with error code -2146498513 InstallUpdate returned code 0x800f082f Failed to install update with ID 17242935 on the image. ErrorCode = 2095 To fix: Mount the image (.wim) file using dism: dism /mount-wim /wimfile:d:\sources\os\captures\w8x86.wim /index:2 /mountdir:c:\mount Load the registry SOFTWARE key reg load HKLM\MyKey c:\mount\windows\system32\config\software Find the registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Compnent Based Servicing\SessionsPending Edit the DWORD Exclusives to value 0 (in my case it was 3) unload the registry reg unload HKLM\MyKey commit the changes to the wim dism /unmount-wim /mountdir:c:\mount /commit In SCCM, schedule the updates. Key an eye on the OfflineServicingMgr log file - you might need to do the same again. Links DISM mounting http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff79481

Maybe its just me. I hope not. You go through days of ideas buzzing about your head, things to do, everything is a top priority. Then, suddenly, you find you have an hour of free time and you know you have all these things to do, but cant remember a single one of them. or you stumble into a problem and you know you've dealt with it before. But you cant remember. welcome to my 'note to self'.