Question

Import computer descriptions to active directory

Asked by: EnvisionTech

Hello,

We just took over network management for a new client with hundreds of windows machines on their network.  Their former techs were very good at putting helpful descriptions into the computer description field as they deployed the workstations, however, they had left the description field in AD for all the computers blank.  We are wondering if there is a way to automatically (via script or otherwise) to import the computer description from all the workstations to their matching AD account.  Any help is much appreciated.

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Asked On
2009-03-09 at 13:08:31ID24213791
Tags

active directory

,

scripting

,

windows

Topics

Active Directory

,

Windows 2003 Server

,

VB Script

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
6

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Answers

 

by: dhoffman_98Posted on 2009-03-09 at 13:17:07ID: 23840360

The computer description on each workstation is stored in the registry for the machine, not in AD, so you'd have to find some way using WMI to pull that information from each computer, and then dump them all to a new file formatted for LDIFDE to import.

It is possible, but somewhat complicated.

 

by: dhoffman_98Posted on 2009-03-09 at 13:20:41ID: 23840413

Oh, and by the way, the registry key where the computer description is stored:
KEY: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Service\lanmanserver\parameters
PARAMETER: srvcomment
TYPE: String

 

by: EnvisionTechPosted on 2009-03-09 at 13:25:46ID: 23840457

Yup.  I've seen that key.  But I've got minimal scripting skills so I'm hoping one the gods here have something they are willing to share.

 

by: Shift-3Posted on 2009-03-09 at 13:39:55ID: 23840601

Below is a script adapted from the one in this article.  If run as a logon script it should do what you're after.

Const HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE = &H80000002
 
Set objRegistry = GetObject("winmgmts:\\.\root\default:StdRegProv")
 
strKeyPath = "System\CurrentControlSet\Services\lanmanserver\parameters"
strValueName = "srvcomment"
objRegistry.GetStringValue HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, strKeyPath, strValueName, strDescription
 
Set objSysInfo = CreateObject("ADSystemInfo")
Set objComputer = GetObject("LDAP://" & objSysInfo.ComputerName)
 
objComputer.Description = strDescription
objComputer.SetInfo

                                              
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by: Shift-3Posted on 2009-03-09 at 13:53:10ID: 23840751

On second thought, it might be better to run it as a startup script rather than a logon script.  The computer account is more likely to have write permission to its own Description field (though according to that article, users probably do as well).

 

by: EnvisionTechPosted on 2009-05-18 at 18:32:26ID: 24417845

I'm so sorry, I totally forgot about this question.  Shift-3, this is great info, and exatly what I'm looking for.  Now that I see the original article that you mention, I'm also very interested in doing what they are doing with the script in the original article.  Is it possible to put the functions of your script above with the script in the original article into one script?  Or would it be best to just call them one after the other as separate scripts?


Sorry again for the delay on this question, the craziness at the office has been unusually high.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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