asked on

How can I send a broadcast alert message to my Win 7 AD-joined machines?

I'm beginning to deploy Windows 7 to the university, and would like to replicate our Novell broadcast message feature in our new AD environment.

We run SCCM, so I understand that a possibility exists there, but we need it to be a more immediate message if it were a physical security situation.

cdesigner

Try msg.exe
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/w7itprogeneral/thread/344aa708-5477-46f9-be4f-ad8b3b2348b0

NotVeryFat

Crude, but very basic, would MSG work? (Type msg /? in a command prompt)

MU-IT

ASKER

This doesn't send messages out to everyone in the domain, just the machine I'm on.

cdesigner

Do you need a free solution?

MU-IT

ASKER

Preferebly. Do you have a pay-for solution in mind?

mrroonie

you could roll this out via GP - http://www.winpopup.net/

"LAN winpopup software supports mass messaging to all your PC users. This option help to notify about important events"

cdesigner

Contact them:
http://www.cezeo.com/solutions/one-way-instant-messenger/

They have huge discounts for .edu

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

omgang

membership

This solution is only available to members.

To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.

Start Free Trial

MU-IT

ASKER

In just trying a machines IP, with the firewall off and the registry key in place for "Allow RPC" per:

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/itprovistanetworking/thread/257ac6da-1d9f-4354-8e40-128e11c319ee/

I still get the "Error 1722 getting session names"

omgang

Do you have admin rights on the machine?
OM Gang

omgang

And are you issuing this exact command?
msg * /SERVER:192.168.1.25 /TIME:15 This is a test message

OM Gang

MU-IT

ASKER

Yes, that exact command (with the appropriate IP in it's place), and my id is in the administrators group.

omgang

Try to your own IP address.
If possible try logging in as local admin and issuing the command. I recall receiving errors on machines when running as standard user.
OM Gang

MU-IT

ASKER

I've got it working with the command: msg /SERVER:192.168.1.25 * This is a test message

after additionally changing the registry key fDenyTSConnections from 1 to 0, and applying a reboot.

using "msg /Server:* * this is a test message" doesn't work.
using "msg /server:machinename * this is a test message" doesn't work.

I worry about an iterative script through our various subnets (we've got a Class b) taking longer than whatever event we're trying to announce. It takes a few seconds just to do a single machine.

omgang

With the delays I have built in for passing the admin password and the delay to let the previous command to process before issuing the next command I am expecting 30-50 seconds per 100 messages. Might be able to tweak that down a bit with further testing.
Options to speed up messge delivery include mulitple scirpts each targeting some number of machines and a single script to call them all.....does that sound a bit like 'Lord of the Rings'? "one ring to rule them all......
Sorry, I often get sidetracked.
Of course msg.exe may not be suitable for your situation. I was just pointing out that it can be used.
OM Gang

MU-IT

ASKER

No, I believe it will work perfectly for us. I've trimmed some stuff out of the script, and am working on the iterative subnet functionality.

Points forthcoming.

MU-IT

ASKER

Thanks!

MU-IT

ASKER

It would be of further help if you could provide your subnet example, please.

omgang

Example to issue the message to ip addresses 25 through 50 on the subnet specified in the recipient file. For total coverage you'd use 1 to 254
OM Gang

Add to declarations
Dim intCounter, FirstAddy, LastAddy

FirstAddy = 25
LastAddy = 50

'iterate through each line in the text file and issue the shell command for each
Do While Not objTextFile.AtEndOfStream
strDestComputer = objTextFile.ReadLine '<---- each entry is a subnet, e.g. 192.168.1.
      For intCounter = FirstAddy to LastAddy
strFullCmd = strRunAsCmd & Chr(34) & strNetCmd & strDestComputer&intCounter & " /TIME:" & intDelay & " " & _
strUserName & " " & strMsg & Chr(34)
wshShell.Run strFullCmd
WScript.Sleep intSleep
wshShell.SendKeys strPass & "~"
'pause execution for a bit to allow previous command to execute
WScript.Sleep 250
Next
Loop

       'broadcast - get subnet ID from text file and send a message to all available addresses
       For intCounter = FirstAddy to LastAddy
       'build the full command we want to issue in the shell
       strFullCommand = strCommand & " " & strRecipMachine & intCounter & " " & strFullMessage
       wshShell.Run strFullCommand
       'MsgBox strFullCmd, OK, "command"
       Next

omgang

Sorry, disregard the code at the bottom of my last post (the code that begins with 'broadcast.....) as that's what I copied from one of my scripts.
OM Gang