Windows 2025 server has a new feature called OSConfig that permits you to configure Microsoft"s recommended security settings.
This can be done through powershell, Windows Admin center and Azure Policy
More details and command lines could be found here:
If you need to execute powershell scripts on remote computers you might give a look to following article:
https://sid-500.com/2025/01/13/powershell-how-to-execute-powershell-scripts-ps1-on-remote-computers/
Today I would like to take note on blog about curl command line tool that allow to send and receive data from servers using URL and for scripts automation too.
It supports various internet protocols like http, https, ftp, ftps, scp, sftp.
Is used for file download, testing and website checking
curl -vvv https://www.google.it
Curl -vvv https://website User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:58.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/58.0
curl man page
These are ping and windows commands to show network interfaces and change packet size
ping -t app.livewebinar.com -f -l 1400
netsh interface ipv4 show interface
netsh interface ipv4 set subinterface <ID> mtu=1360 store=persistent
There is an easy and quick way to get .TXT file with all AD Usernames and relatives last logon dates.
In previous article I mentioned a way to check remote client/server uptime.
https://www.alessandromazzanti.com/2022/03/scripting-how-to-check-server-uptime.html
An alternative way is to execute these powershell commands:
$serverName = "NomeDelServer"
$uptime = (Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_OperatingSystem -ComputerName $serverName).ConvertToDateTime((Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_OperatingSystem -ComputerName $serverName).LastBootUpTime)
$uptime
If you have to automate some PVS Citrix actions you could have a look to this article.
It contain several useful information:
From my side I found useful this command line instructions to automatically publish test to prod Xenapp environment
Invoke-PvsPromoteDiskVersion -DiskLocatorName ““YourDiskName” -StoreName “YourStoreName” -SiteName “YourSiteName” -Test
Other than using telnet with this syntax (it is required to install Telnet Client on device using add/remove program or alternative ways)
telnet IP/hostname port_number
telnet 192.168.100.2 443
otherwise you can utilize powershell too with this syntax
PS C:\> Test-NetConnection
or PS C:\> tnc
Example 1: Test ping connectivity
PS C:\> Test-NetConnection
Example 2: Test ping connectivity with detailed results
PS C:\> Test-NetConnection -Port 80 -InformationLevel "Detailed"
Example 3: Test TCP connectivity and display detailed results
PS C:\> Test-NetConnection -ComputerName ayampenyet.com -Port 443
Example 6: Perform route diagnostics to connect to a remote host with routing constraints
PS C:\> Test-NetConnection -ComputerName "www.contoso.com" -ConstrainInterface 5 -DiagnoseRouting -InformationLevel "Detailed"
more examples coud be found here
In case you need to search recursively folders in a specific path and then delete them you can use below powershell script. (these example folders are related to teams cache cleaning topic)
Be aware that -whatif option permits to see output without really deleting folders.
Get-ChildItem "diskdrive:\path\*\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Teams\*" -directory | Where name -in ('application cache','blob storage','databases','GPUcache','IndexedDB','Local Storage','tmp', 'cache') | ForEach{Remove-Item $_.FullName -Recurse -Force -whatif}
If you need to activate your windows Client or Server you could use below commands.
slmgr.vbs /upk
slmgr.vbs /cpky
slmgr.vbs /ipk *********** (you must indicate Key)
slmgr.vbs /ato
[other articles]
Slmgr.vbs options for obtaining volume activation information
How to Use Slmgr to Change, Remove, or Extend Your Windows License
On Cisco Network devices you could have necessity to show running configuration withouth breaks/pauses:
switches/router:
show terminal | in Length
terminal length 0
show run
show run brief
WLC
config paging disable
show run-config" to display the config.
Cisco ASA
Pager (saved)
terminal pager (telnet session not saved)
The default is 24 lines; 0 means no page limit.
1. Type "pager 0" in priviledged mode to set your terminal to display without any breaks.
2. Type "show run-config" to display the config.
3. Type "pager 20" in priviledged mode to set your terminal to display with breaks every 20 lines.
full article:
There is an easy way to find string internally command output.
This command is Findstr known.
systeminfo | findstr /i "system model"
To find local server/pc network connection in plase below command it could be very useful
nestat -ano | findstr /i "x.y.z.w"Easy and quick blog post, here it is how to automate Task Scheduler Power Shell 7 scripts:
https://sid-500.com/2022/08/17/how-to-include-your-powershell-7-scripts-in-task-scheduler/
If you have necessity to analyze single folder (and relatives subfolders), identifying all files extensions, count files numbers and indicate total size this script will assist you on this requirement
$directory = "D:\foo"
#Get all items
Get-ChildItem -Path $directory -Recurse |
#Get only files
Where-Object { !$_.PSIsContainer } |
#Group by extension
Group-Object Extension |
#Get data
Select-Object @{n="Extension";e={$_.Name -replace '^\.'}}, @{n="Size (MB)";e={[math]::Round((($_.Group | Measure-Object Length -Sum).Sum / 1MB), 2)}}, Count
If you need to plan one shot (fixed time and date) reboot you could use this command.
It will create a scheduled task, that can be executed with or without any one logged on.
(no password saving is required)
Obviously any other customization is easily to be rearranged.
schtasks /create /sc once /tn taskname /tr "shutdown -r -f” /st hh:mm /sd dd/mm/yyyy /NP
/NP No password is stored. The task runs
non-interactively
as the given user. Only local resources
are available.
Valid schedule types: MINUTE, HOURLY, DAILY, WEEKLY,
MONTHLY, ONCE, ONSTART, ONLOGON, ONIDLE, ONEVENT.
/SD startdate Specifies
the first date on which the task runs. The
format is dd/mm/yyyy. Defaults to the current
date. This is not applicable for schedule types:
ONCE,
ONSTART, ONLOGON, ONIDLE,
ONEVENT.
/ST starttime Specifies
the start time to run the task. The time
format is HH:mm (24 hour time) for example,
14:30 for
2:30 PM. Defaults to current time if /ST is not
specified. This
option is required with /SC ONCE.
/TN taskname Specifies the string in the
form of path\name
which uniquely identifies this scheduled task.
/TR taskrun
Specifies the path and file name of the program to be
run at the scheduled time.
Example:
C:\windows\system32\calc.exe
schtasks /create /sc once /tn
"Server Reboot" /st 19:00 /sd 19/05/2025 /NP /tr "shutdown -r
-f”
If you must check server uptime (or any other information) systeminfo is an interesting command line tool (Windows builtin)
SystemInfo /s SERVERNAME| find "Boot Time:"
With previous command you could obtain remote server uptime information
Indeed concatenating previous commands, using &&, it will aggregate several server info "one shot"
SystemInfo /s SERVERNAME1 | find "Boot Time:" && SystemInfo /s SERVERNAME2| find "Boot Time:"
Consider that you might launch command line, locally, with AD account with enough permissions on remote servers.
[related article]
Scripting - How to refresh remote client ip
[Update - 2022.11.17]
There is an alternative way to check, remotely, system uptime, it is using psexec in conjunction with wmic command.
About psexec you can review this old blog article:
https://www.alessandromazzanti.com/2014/04/psexec-21-download-and-tutorials.html
In the past we managed 2008 to 2016 migration and so I am taking note about robocopy syntax that it was useful during this project. (focused on file servers migration)
Approach was replicating root folder on new server, enabling share (on new server), stopping old share folder and finally launching this command (from old file server) for final folder synchronization.
robocopy local_drive:\localfoldername \\remote_server\remote_share_name /E /COPYALL /SEC /MIR /ZB /W:1 /R:1 /LOG:C:\locallogfolder\SYNC_OLDSERVER_VS_NEWSERVER_DATE_TIME.LOG /TEE
/SEC it replicate security permissions
/Tee it enable video logging real time display
/SECFIX it fix security permissions
Meanwhile I am adding old blog articles links:
Backup - Robocopy and real time monitoring of any file changes
https://www.alessandromazzanti.com/2016/09/backup-robocopy-and-real-time.html
Scritping - Using robocopy to replicate files to remote location on scheduled tasks and sending final log and status email
https://www.alessandromazzanti.com/2014/01/scritping-use-robocopy-to-replicate.html
Backup – Lista dei comandi di Robocopy
https://www.alessandromazzanti.com/2013/02/backup-lista-dei-comandi-di-robocopy.html
Tips - How to migrate file server share and permissions
https://www.alessandromazzanti.com/2015/11/tips-how-to-migrate-file-server-share.html
Scripting - Inviare una mail da riga di comando in windows
https://www.alessandromazzanti.com/2011/01/inviare-una-mail-da-riga-di-comando-in.html
There is an easy and quick way to get .TXT file with all AD computer names and relativse last logon dates.
There are several ways on how backup Cisco switches (or other vendors name) can be done.
One of them is downloading TFTP client server
https://tftp.en.uptodown.com/windows
Launching it and deciding where saving configuration files.
Be aware taking note about client IP.
Later you need to connect to switches using any SSH clients (I warmly suggest using these clients:
https://www.alessandromazzanti.com/2018/11/freeware-solarwinds-software-free-tools.html
and execute below commands on switches:
Router#copy running-config tftp:
Address or name of remote host []? 64.104.207.171
Destination filename [ce_2-confg]? backup_cfg_for_my_router
!!
1030 bytes copied in 2.489 secs (395 bytes/sec)
CE_2#
Where:[original article]