Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Cool tool!

Mariano Sergio Cosentino created a script that will convert registry keys into ADMX template files. This is awesome as the alternative to deploying large number of registry keys and values is typically a startup script with regedit.exe /s %regfile%.

http://mscosentino-en.blogspot.com/2010/02/convert-registry-file-to-admx-policy.html

Tool is available here:
http://www.mscosentino.com/desarrollos/reg2admxl/reg_2_admx.vbs

Usage is: CSCRIPT REG_2_ADMXL.vbs registry-file language [name]

I used this tool to create a ADMX template of the following registry key:
KEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows Messaging Subsystem

We use Microsoft fRX and it utilizes this key to determine your mail prefences if you're using exchange. If you have the old Office 2000/2003 (IIRC) you should have this key. 2007 and greater now use a different method of storing email account information (apparently). This content is generated by using the "Mail" control panel icon. We used this tool to prestage the server name and a "Windows Messaging Profile" so that when you try to email from fRX you don't go through a complicated wizard asking for things like "server name". If you're organization is like ours, your internal email server name is something users won't know and won't be able to guess (eg, 3-digit-company-abbr,3-digit-code-for-prod-or-dev,3-digit-code-for-virtual-or-physical,3-digit-code-for-server-role(eg EXC-exchange),3-digit-code-for-number).

1 comment:

Mariano S. Cosentino said...

Hi, I'm Glad you liked it!