VBscript for Auto-Creating Outlook Email Signatures using Active Directory

Here is the VBscript code to do so. Tweak the formatting and contents of signature template below as needed

Create the VBscript file (.vbs), deploy it via an Active Directory group policy, and let it do all the work for you.

‘ ——————
‘ DISABLE STATIONERY
‘ ——————

Dim WshShell

Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject(“WScript.Shell”)

 ’2010 code
strPath = “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Common\MailSettings\NewStationery”
wshshell.regwrite strPath, “”, “REG_EXPAND_SZ”

’2003 code
strPath = “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Common\MailSettings\NewStationery”
wshshell.regwrite strPath, “”, “REG_EXPAND_SZ”

‘This is the 2007 one
strPath=”HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Common\MailSettings\NewStationery”
wshshell.regwrite strPath, “”, “REG_EXPAND_SZ”

‘This is the 2000 code
strPath = “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Common\MailSettings\NewStationery”
wshshell.regwrite strPath, “”, “REG_EXPAND_SZ”

‘ —————
‘ SETUP SIGNATURE
‘ —————

Set objSysInfo = CreateObject(“ADSystemInfo”)

strUser = objSysInfo.UserName
Set objUser = GetObject(“LDAP://” & strUser)

strName = objUser.FullName
strCompany = objUser.Company
strPhone = objUser.telephoneNumber
strMobile = objUser.Mobile
strFax = objUser.facsimileTelephoneNumber

Set objWord = CreateObject(“Word.Application”)

Set objDoc = objWord.Documents.Add()
Set objSelection = objWord.Selection

Set objEmailOptions = objWord.EmailOptions
Set objSignatureObject = objEmailOptions.EmailSignature
Set objSignatureEntries = objSignatureObject.EmailSignatureEntries

objSelection.Font.Name = “Arial”
objSelection.Font.Size = “10″
objSelection.Font.Color = vbBlack

objSelection.Font.Bold = True
objSelection.TypeText UCase(strName)
objSelection.TypeText Chr(11)
objSelection.TypeText UCase(strCompany)
objSelection.Font.Bold = False
objSelection.TypeText Chr(11)

objSelection.Font.Name = “Arial”
objSelection.Font.Size = “9″

If strMobile <> “” Then
   objSelection.TypeText “Mobile: ” + strMobile + “  Tel: ” + strPhone
Else
   objSelection.TypeText “Tel: ” + strPhone
End If

If strFax <> “” Then
   objSelection.TypeText Chr(11)
   objSelection.TypeText “Fax: ” + strFax
End If
objSelection.TypeText Chr(11)

objSelection.TypeText “Address 1″
objSelection.TypeText Chr(11)
objSelection.TypeText “Address 2″
objSelection.TypeText Chr(11)

‘ Add a picture
objSelection.TypeParagraph()
Set objShape = objSelection.InlineShapes.AddPicture(“\\server1\picture.jpg“)
objSelection.TypeText Chr(11)

objSelection.Font.Name = “Arial”
objSelection.Font.Size = “8″

‘ Add a hyperlink to disclaimer
objSelection.TypeText “This email and all its contents are subject to the following disclaimer; “
objSelection.Hyperlinks.Add objSelection.Range, “http://www.company.com/disclaimer.txt“, “”, “”, “http://www.company.com/disclaimer.txt”

Set

objSelection = objDoc.Range(objSelection.End-40,objSelection.End)
objSelection.Font.Name = “Arial”
objSelection.Font.Size = 8

Set objSelection = objDoc.Range()

objSignatureEntries.Add “AD Signature”, objSelection
objSignatureObject.NewMessageSignature = “AD Signature”
‘ objSignatureObject.ReplyMessageSignature = “AD Signature”

objDoc.Saved = True
objWord.Quit

Build a Windows 7 ImageX Dual-Architecture Capture USB Drive

Purpose

The following instructions are for creating a USB flash drive with the ImageX capture utility on it, for capturing both x86 and x64 reference PCs. It saves having to carry around two separate flash drives.

Steps

On the machine with WAIK7 installed, do the following:
1. Click Start, point to All Programs, and then click Microsoft Windows AIK.
2. Right-click Deployment Tools Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.
3. Click Yes to open the Deployment Tools Command Prompt window with elevated permissions.
4. In the Deployment Tools Command Prompt window, execute the following:

a. Type copype.cmd x86 C:\winpe_x86 and then press ENTER.
b. Type copype.cmd amd64 C:\winpe_amd64 and then press ENTER.

5. In the Deployment Tools Command Prompt window, perform the following tasks:

a. Type copy C:\winpe_x86\winpe.wim C:\winpe_x86\ISO\sources\boot.wim and then press ENTER.
b. Type copy C:\winpe_amd64\winpe.wim C:\winpe_amd64\ISO\sources\boot.wim and then press ENTER.

6. In the Deployment Tools Command Prompt window, perform the following tasks:

a. Type copy “C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\x86\ImageX.exe” C:\winpe_x86\ISO\ and then press ENTER.
b. Type copy “C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\amd64\ImageX.exe” C:\winpe_amd64\ISO\ and then press ENTER.

7. Insert a USB flash drive into the computer.
8. In the Deployment Tools Command Prompt window, type diskpart, and then press ENTER.
9. Perform the following tasks to prepare the USB flash drive:

a. Type list disk, and then press ENTER.
b. From the list of disks, identify the number of the USB flash drive. It is important that you identify the correct disk, as you will be formatting the disk. Make sure the size and free space match what you expect for the USB flash drive.
c. Type select disk number, where number is the disk number of the USB flash drive, and then press ENTER.
d. Type clean, and then press ENTER.
e. Type create partition primary, and then press ENTER.
f. Type select partition 1, and then press ENTER.
g. Type format fs=ntfs quick, and then press ENTER.
h. Type active, and then press ENTER.
i. Type exit, and then press ENTER.

10. In the Deployment Tools Command Prompt window

a. Type xcopy /s C:\winpe_amd64\iso\*.* D:\, where D is the drive letter of the USB flash drive, and then press ENTER.
b. Type xcopy /s C:\winpe_x86\iso\sources D:\sourcesx86, where D is the drive letter of the USB flash drive, and then press ENTER

11. Now that the USB flash drive files are in place, the boot manager needs to be adjusted for the extra operating system (WinPE x86) in order to be able to boot it.

a. Type bcdedit /enum all /store D:\boot\bcd, where D is the drive letter of the USB flash drive, and take note of the DeviceID against the {default} boot loader’s “device” parameter (within the {} brackets).
b. Type bcdedit /store D:\boot\bcd /set {bootmgr} displaybootmenu Yes, and then press ENTER.
c. Type bcdedit /store D:\boot\bcd /set {bootmgr} timeout 30, and then press ENTER.
d. Type bcdedit /store D:\boot\bcd /create /d “WinPE x86″ /application osloader, and then press ENTER. Taking note of the {ID} that is returned as it will be required in the next steps.
e. Type bcdedit /store D:\boot\bcd /set {ID} detecthal yes, replacing ID with the ID from step “d”, and then press ENTER.
f. Type bcdedit /store D:\boot\bcd /set {ID} ems yes, and then press ENTER.
g. Type bcdedit /store D:\boot\bcd /set {ID} winpe yes, and then press ENTER.
h. Type bcdedit /store D:\boot\bcd /set {ID} device ramdisk=[boot]\sourcesx86\boot.wim,{DeviceID}, replacing DeviceID with the ID from step “a”, and then press ENTER.
i. Type bcdedit /store D:\boot\bcd /set {ID} osdevice ramdisk=[boot]\sourcesx86\boot.wim,{DeviceID}, and then press ENTER.
j. Type bcdedit /store D:\boot\bcd /set {ID} path \windows\system32\boot\winload.exe, and then press ENTER.
k. Type bcdedit.exe /store D:\boot\bcd /displayorder {ID} /addlast, and then press ENTER.

The USB flash drive will now be ready to use. Boot from the USB, and you will be given the option to boot either WinPE x86 or WinPE x64. Select the architecture of the reference PC that you intend to capture, and then do the ImageX capture.

AD Group Policy – Regional Options not being Applied

I’ve been scratching my head over this problem for a while now and finally came across the solution. Here it is…

When creating a Group Policy (GPO) for Regional Settings, ie. User Configuration > Preferences > Control Panel Settings > Regional Options, there is an interesting behaviour that is not obvious unless you read about it before creating the GPO setting. The underlined in red options are options that will not be applied to users.

By using Function key F5 through F8, you can toggle the settings on and off.

F5 – Enable all settings
F6 – Enable setting where cursor is sitting
F7 – Disable setting where cursor is sitting
F8 – Disable all settings

The settings will underline green as you turn them on.

Hope this helps!

Lync 2010 Server – Setting up support for BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 5.02 Collaboration Service

The following steps allow an organisation that wants to upgrade to Lync Server 2010 to do so, without breaking their BlackBerry Enterprise IM clients.

In the past, the only way to support BlackBerry Enterprise IM in an OCS 2007 R2 environment has been to use a separate OCS 2007 R1 CWA (Communicator Web Access) server to provide the integration between BES and OCS. In the current scenario, it is still necessary to use an OCS 2007 R1 CWA server to make it work, until such a time as Research in Motion releases OCS 2007 R2 and Lync 2010 support within BES. It is not necessary to have any other 2007 servers, other than the 2007 R1 CWA server. It is also not necessary to have any 2007 pools.

Note: The following steps assume that there are no 2007 pools or servers in place.

 

Step 1:

Setup a new Lync Server 2010 topology with a new pool, publish it, and install the server.

Step 2:

Setup an OCS 2007 R1 CWA server on a separate server, and configure it with default settings.

Step 3:

Install OCSWMIBC.MSI from the Lync Server 2010 media DVD.

Step 4:

Run the “Merge 2007 or 2007 R2 Topology” wizard, accepting all the default options. Then check that the OCS 2007 R1 CWA server is under the “BackCompatSite\Trusted Application Servers” folder.

Step 5:

Publish the new topology.

Step 6:

Point the BES 5.02 collaboration service at the OCS 2007 R1 virtual web server, and restart this service.

 

BlackBerry Enterprise IM clients should now be working!

For more detailed instructions on integrating OCS 2007 R1 with Lync Server 2010, please review the following procedure:

http://www.ocspedia.com/fe/Lync_Server_2010_Merge_Topology.aspx?ArticleID=107