[gptalk] Re: I Need The Perfect Desktop WMI Filter
- From: "Darren Mar-Elia" <darren@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2008 13:19:35 -0800
You can certainly use a NOT operator in a query but that doesn't help when
what you're trying to find a lack of instances. The key would be to see if
there is a way to form a query that results in true if no instances of a
class (e.g. Win32_Battery) are found. I haven't found a way to do that yet,
but I'm guessing it is possible with the right syntax.
No changes to this in 2008, btw.
Darren
From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Nelson, Jamie R
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 1:13 PM
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] Re: I Need The Perfect Desktop WMI Filter
Yeah, I use ChassisType all the time in scripting logic.guess I have never
tried to use it in a WMI filter before.
You're right in that it doesn't work with arrays. It's too bad you can't
configure the reverse of a filter (so the filter applies if a statement is
FALSE). If that were possible you could just use the reverse of
Win32_Battery and you'd be done. Are WMI filters going to be more flexible
in Server 2008?
One thing you might think about doing is this.have a startup script that
adds systems to a domain security group (if you detect them to be a laptop)
and apply your filtering that way. It would be kind of similar to how the
WMI <http://www.mml.ru/WMIF2K/> Filtering for Windows 2000 solution works,
except I would not mess with the whole server-side component. Just give
"Domain Computers" managed-by rights to the group.
Jamie Nelson | Systems Engineer | Systems Support, Information Technology |
I N T E G R I S Health | Phone 405.552.0903 | Fax 405.553.5687 |
<http://www.integrisok.com/> http://www.integrisok.com
From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Jakob H. Heidelberg
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 3:02 PM
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] Re: I Need The Perfect Desktop WMI Filter
That's not gonna work at all - because that's an Array. WMI filters/WQL
cannot handle arrays unfortunately. I know many forums claim that class is a
solution - but for WMI queries it's not, with scripting logic it's no
problem.
The Win32_Fan class could also work - but in my case both laptops and
desktops "reject" that class (return false as they are empty).
This is really strange. Sometimes, stuff that seems so simple, really isn't
- please prove me wrong J
Regards
/Jakob
From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Nelson, Jamie R
Sent: 11. februar 2008 21:53
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] Re: I Need The Perfect Desktop WMI Filter
So you haven't had any luck with ChassisTypes in Win32_SystemEnclosure?
Jamie Nelson | Systems Engineer | Systems Support, Information Technology |
I N T E G R I S Health | Phone 405.552.0903 | Fax 405.553.5687 |
<http://www.integrisok.com/> http://www.integrisok.com
From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Darren Mar-Elia
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 2:37 PM
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] Re: I Need The Perfect Desktop WMI Filter
Its certainly a tough problem. Of course, GP Preferences has a laptop vs.
desktop filter built into it for its settings but it doesn't do any good for
the regular GP settings. One other class you might try. I did a quick check
of my desktop vs. laptop. What came back is that my desktop has instances of
the Win32_Fan class, but my laptop does not. Maybe???
Darren
From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Jakob H. Heidelberg
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 12:05 AM
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] Re: I Need The Perfect Desktop WMI Filter
I can't seem to make that work - in my case my laptop has 2 SystemSlots
(CardBus + Mini-PCI) and my desktop returns 2 (AGP and PCI). I'm using
Scriptomatic for this.
Also, using WQL I wouldn't know how to make a "count" - as that would be
needed I guess?
I could maybe try to go for "PCI%", as I expect most desktops to have PCI
slots (and laptops to have Mini-PCI, but that would depend on the form
factor) - or maybe AGP (does onboard VGA count as AGP? Any PCI VGA left out
there?) - something like:
A) Select * From Win32_SystemSlot Where SlotDesignation = "PCI%"
Or
B) Select * From Win32_SystemSlot Where SlotDesignation = "AGP"
Would that run through ALL slots on the machine, exactly like:
A)
strComputer = "."
bolFound = False
Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & strComputer & "\root\CIMV2")
Set colItems = objWMIService.ExecQuery("SELECT * FROM Win32_SystemSlot")
For Each objItem In colItems
If Left(Ucase(objItem.SlotDesignation),3) = "PCI" Then bolFound = True
Next
Msgbox bolFound
B)
strComputer = "."
bolFound = False
Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & strComputer & "\root\CIMV2")
Set colItems = objWMIService.ExecQuery("SELECT * FROM Win32_SystemSlot")
For Each objItem In colItems
If Ucase(objItem.SlotDesignation) = "AGP" Then bolFound = True
Next
Msgbox bolFound
If this is "true", the it might just do it - as Virtual Machines does not
have these slots I cannot test the WMI filter right now. Still not
convinced, but I think we are closer to the goal now J
Thanx!
/Jakob
From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Darren Mar-Elia
Sent: 11. februar 2008 01:21
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] Re: I Need The Perfect Desktop WMI Filter
Yes, I can understand the problem. You want desktops to return True all the
time instead of having them return false. One idea that might be worth
exploring is querying Win32_SystemSlot. My expectation is that laptops
should have 0 system slots or at least no more than 1, though I don't have
one to test now, and that desktops should have > 0. So that might be worth
exploring.
Darren
From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Jakob H. Heidelberg
Sent: Sunday, February 10, 2008 12:02 PM
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] Re: I Need The Perfect Desktop WMI Filter
Hi Darren,
I have to turn it around somehow - have been there (just selecting the
class) - the thing is the query will return FALSE on a desktop (have tested
with you WMI TEST tool too). So, a desktop will not load the GPO.
Select * from Win32_Battery is OK for spotting a laptop though. But, I'm
basically looking for something like:
A) Select * from Win32_SomeClassOnlyDesktopsHave
Or
B )Select * from Win32_SomeClass.SomeValue = "SomeValueOnlyDesktopsHave"
Or
C) Some way of saying "if you don't know the class (eg. Battery), apply the
GPO anyway" (Brainstorm: On Error, NULL return etc. - just not possible with
WQL).
The "quest" is to find the perfect, *universal*, way of spotting
"Non-laptops" or Desktops - it can be done by looking for some special
computer Manufacturer, computer Model, BIOS version or whatever - but that's
different from environment to environment.
Any ideas?
Regards & thanks
/Jakob
From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Darren Mar-Elia
Sent: 10. februar 2008 20:34
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] Re: I Need The Perfect Desktop WMI Filter
Jakob-
I think you were close when you were using Win32_Battery. That is the one
thing that you can reliably say that laptops have, but desktops don't. So,
have you tried the following:
Select * from Win32_Battery
Just that. Nothing else. What that does is determine if there are any
instances of that class. If not (i.e., on a desktop machine) it returns
false. If so, on a laptop, it returns true.
Waddya think?
Darren
From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Jakob H. Heidelberg
Sent: Sunday, February 10, 2008 8:36 AM
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] I Need The Perfect Desktop WMI Filter
Hi all,
I'm in desperate need of *the perfect WMI filter for spotting DESKTOP
computers only* - have been thinking about this for some days now.
I've been around solutions looking for ChassisType before - which basically
doesn't work because that's an Array. Have tried PowerSupplyState,
DesktopMonitor, DisplayConfiguration and others - just haven't found the
perfect "this is definitely a desktop WMI value".
I've also been around using Battery/PortableBattery
/PCMCIAController/POTSModem - which all work fine to spot LAPTOPS. However,
desktops don't know the CLASS at all, so they return FALSE no matter what. I
can't even say things like "Select * From Win32_Battery Where Availability
!= 2" or "Where Not X Like Y" or whatever - a desktop doesn't handle the
Win32_Battery class at all, so it's gonna say "Heck, I don't know anything
about that class *Panic* - I'm out!" - or just "False" J.
The thing is, that normally it's the LAPTOPS that have special hardware -
like Batteries and built-in Modems, PCMCIA slots etc. - so they are pretty
easy to find. With desktop computers it's another story for my part - hope
you can help me out here.
Please - I know lot's of "workarounds", but what I need is a *WMI filter*
and it has to return *TRUE* for *DESKTOPS* (or let's call the NON-LAPTOPS,
it doesn't matter). Also, if the customer had used computer names like
"DESKxxx" for desktops and "LAPTxxx" for laptops, I know I could have used
WMI filters for computer name - but unfortunately that's not the case. You
could say I'm looking for a global solution for spotting DESKTOPS using WMI
filter - I know lots of cases where this could come in handy.
Hope to hear from you soon! J
Best regards
Jakob H. Heidelberg
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