Proxy Server and Exchange Set up VB Script

[~Martin~]

I'm Looking for a VB Script that on logon will set the
Proxy Server and Port, and auto resolve the users exchange
information therefore the user dosn't have to do it
themselves.

Is there a VB Script out there that will accomplish this?

Martin

 

[Oli Restorick [MVP]]

Any particular reason for not using Group Policy to set the proxy settings?

Anyway, courtesy of Mark Blaskie (http://groups.google.com/ is great for
finding this stuff).....

Dim Shell
Set Shell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

Shell.RegWrite "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings\ProxyEnable",1,"REG_DWORD"
Shell.RegWrite "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings\ProxyServer","proxyserver:8080"
Shell.RegWrite "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings\ProxyOveride","abc;<local>"

WScript.Quit()

The Exchange/Outlook thing is much more tricky. There are some third-party
tools to do this and also some free Microsoft ones. I would give you names
of the free ones, but to be honest I never had any success with them.

This is the commercial one that springs to mind:
http://www.metastore.be/products_profilemaker.asp

The way I do it is to use the Custom Installation Wizard from the Office
Resource Kit to prespecify the mailbox name and server. The username is
%username% and the server name I set here is simply "exchange". I then
create a DNS A record for "exchange" and point it at my actual Exchange
server (which has a different name). That way I can change the name of my
Exchange server without reinstalling all my workstations!

For Exchange 5.5 (yeah, I know), this relies on having usernames that are
sufficiently long that they don't match a partial display name. It also
relies on the mailbox alias being exactly the same as the NT username. For
example, if my username was something short, like "OR", it would match
George Orwell in the address list and try to connect to the wrong mailbox.
This is because the mailbox alias isn't the first on the list of attributes
to match against.

I don't know the score for Exchange 2000 or 2003 (but I'll be finding out
soon enough).

Cheers

Oli

 

[~Martin~]

Oli,

I created a REG file to cure the Proxy Server Setting
populated with info attached below and it seems to work
alright.

The reason for not changing the Group Policy is that the
previous administrator messed up and the administrator is
unable to access the Group Policy folder. When I am logged
in as the Network and Local Machine admin and I try and
properties the GroupPolicy folder and am prompted that I
have no access to that folder and to contact an
administrator, what is one to do. I hope that this is a
good work around until our new Win2000 Adv Servers arrive
and all the workstations on the network are re-imaged.

As you indicated, the exchange issue will be a bit more
demanding to tackle.

What is the abc;<local> do for the Proxy Override??

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersio
n\Internet Settings]
"ProxyServer"="ServerNameort"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersio
n\Internet Settings]
"ProxyEnable"="0x1"

 

[NIC Student]

The Group Policy folder? Do you mean inside the SYSVOL share?

You may need to take ownership of it if you are logged on as domain admin.
You then need to fix the permissions. Perhaps that will help you, I can
suggest an article if you are having SYSVOL issues. A new server won't help
a bit if that's the case since it will simply inherit the broken sysvol.

 

[~Martin~]

Nic,

The group policy folder I refer to is on the local
machine "C:\WINNT\system32\GroupPolicy". The person who
made the workstation image up didn't have clue. On about
1/2 the machines, prior to sysprep'ing them prior to
burning the image, he forgot to deny List/Read/Execute to
this folder, therefore the restrictions applied and now
the admin both network and workstation can not view the
securities tab for that folder.

 

[NIC Student]

Can you take ownership?

 

[~Martin~]

Scott,

One of the restrictions implemented by the group
policy, is the in-ability to view the "Security" tab when
you property a file/folder. Unless there is another way of
taking ownership than through the advanced button on the
Secuity Tab, I would have to say no.

Is there another way of acheiving ownership?

Martin

 

[NIC Student]

HOW TO: Use the File Ownership Script Tool (Fileowners.pl) in Windows 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320046

Also, you can go to the folder above the Group Policy folder (system32) and
taking ownership from there - advanced>owner>replace owner on subfolders.
I'm not sure from your message if the security tab is available on folders
other than the GP.

 

[~Martin~]

Scott,

Never thought of trying that... I'll give it a try and
let you know.

Thanks.

Martin

-----Original Message-----
HOW TO: Use the File Ownership Script Tool

(Fileowners.pl) in Windows 2000