Running a hotfix prior to login ???

[Frank]

Greetings!

I'm wondering if I can run a Win2k Pro hotfix via either
the RunServices or RunServicesOnce registry keys. NOTE
that I'm trying to bypass the requirement that the hotfix
run under an account with admin priveleges. My thinking is
that the RunServices/RunServicesOnce keys will run the
hotfix *prior* to the login prompt, and hence will do so
under the "machine account", which I understand to be
equivalent to the local admin account.

Does this make sense?

NOTE one last thing. I started down this path because
apparently Novell ZENWorks *is* able to pull this off; see
http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/zenworks/features/trenc
hes/tr_distrib_ms_patches_zw.html . I'm wondering if
ZENWorks is using some sort of "runonce" registry setting
to do this. If so, then I'm wondering if I can essentially
do the same thing, but without ZENWorks.


Thanks,
Frank

 

[Torgeir Bakken (MVP)]

I'm wondering if I can run a Win2k Pro hotfix via either
the RunServices or RunServicesOnce registry keys. NOTE
that I'm trying to bypass the requirement that the hotfix
run under an account with admin priveleges. My thinking is
that the RunServices/RunServicesOnce keys will run the
hotfix *prior* to the login prompt, and hence will do so
under the "machine account", which I understand to be
equivalent to the local admin account.

Hi

If you have Active Directory:

You could do it in a computer startup script (with a GPO) that runs as
part of the boot up process (before the user logs in). It runs under the
system context and has admin rights.

To be able to access files over the network from the computer
startup script, you could put the file(s) on a network share and
grant read access for the AD group "Domain Computers" to the share.

Alternatively, you could map a drive on the fly, like this:

sDomainUser = "arp.corp\computer_fix"
sPswd = "something"

Set oNetwork = CreateObject("Wscript.Network")

oNetwork.MapNetworkDrive _
"Y:", "\\server\netlogon\some folder",, sDomainUser, sPswd

 

[Torgeir Bakken (MVP)]

I'm wondering if I can run a Win2k Pro hotfix via either
the RunServices or RunServicesOnce registry keys. NOTE
that I'm trying to bypass the requirement that the hotfix
run under an account with admin priveleges. My thinking is
that the RunServices/RunServicesOnce keys will run the
hotfix *prior* to the login prompt, and hence will do so
under the "machine account", which I understand to be
equivalent to the local admin account.

Hi

If you have Active Directory:

You could do it in a computer startup script (with a GPO) that runs as
part of the boot up process (before the user logs in). It runs under the
system context and has admin rights.

To be able to access files over the network from the computer
startup script, you could put the file(s) on a network share and
grant read access for the AD group "Domain Computers" to the share.

Alternatively, you could map a drive on the fly, like this:

sDomainUser = "arp.corp\computer_fix"
sPswd = "something"

Set oNetwork = CreateObject("Wscript.Network")

oNetwork.MapNetworkDrive _
"Y:", "\\server\netlogon\some folder",, sDomainUser, sPswd

 

[Frank]

Torgeir,

Thanks for the speedy reply!

No, I'm not (yet) running AD - it's a domain system. We'll be moving to AD
soon though. Once I do I'll look into your suggestions.


Thanks again,
Frank

 

[Frank]

Torgeir,

Thanks for the speedy reply!

No, I'm not (yet) running AD - it's a domain system. We'll be moving to AD
soon though. Once I do I'll look into your suggestions.


Thanks again,
Frank