"Finally, a step-by-step VBScripting book to make you look like a programmer without the time and sweat! Don't waste your time searching the Internet for examples--this book does it for you!"

--Greg A. Marino, Senior Systems Engineer/Consultant, Westtown Consulting Group, Inc.

Visual Basic Scripting (VBScript) and Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) are vital tools for systems administrators grappling with the increasing complexity of Windows technologies. However, busy admins have been without a straightforward guide to scripting...until now.

Managing Windows® with VBScript and WMI explains how Windows administrators can effectively use VBScript to automate common administrative tasks and simplify complex ones. Detailed coverage of security concerns provides admins with the means for safely using VBScript in Windows environments. The book is organized around the problems you face daily, with reusable examples and coverage of Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows 2003.

This user-friendly reference demystifies scripting and then shows you how to produce new scripts from scratch. You will be producing useful scripts right away as you study the VBScript language and learn how to control nearly every aspect of the Windows operating system with WMI and the Active Directory Services Interface (ASDI). You will be able to build your own administrative Web pages and use advanced scripting technologies such as script encryption, scripting components, and script security. The book closes with still more ready-made example scripts accompanied by complete line-by-line explanations. The CD includes all the code from the book and trial versions of PrimalScript 3.0 and VbsEdit. A companion Web site provides updates and errata.

Inside you will find answers to such questions as:

• How do you write effective logon scripts? Chapter 11

• How do you write scripts that query and modify user and group information? Chapter 16

• How can you query the IP addresses from multiple network adapters in multiple remote computers? Chapter 19

• How can you design, write, run, test, and debug your own administrative Web pages? Chapter 24

• How can you reuse code between various scripts? Chapter 25

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 9 Ratings

Not to basic for this administrator - 2004-06-18
Reviewer Rating:
Was Joseph DeMarco (previous review) reading the same book? The book has several chapters on AD scripting, and they showed me how to create users, delete them, create OUs, and more. The book has THIRTEEN chapters on learning VBScript, which I didn't know and now I finally do. They're clearly written and they're not super-deep, so I got through them quickly. If you're a professional developer, this book isn't for you. If you're a systems administrator, I can't see how this book wouldn't be helpful.

The book has several "Putting it All Together" chapters which sum up everything that came before and show you how to design, write, and debug a complete script. I took a previous review's advice and checked out the authors Web site and there are GOBS of additional script samples, tutorials, and more. The book doesn't, for example, go into remote scripting - which I think would have blown my mind when I started - but the Web site has a good tutorial on it and several user discussions on it.

I bought the Micosoft Windows 2000 Scripting Guide and thought it was WAY too deep. Every time I started to learn something it would go off on a tangent. That book is starting to be useful to me as a reference, now, because it contains SO MUCH information, but Don Jones's book showed me how to make sense of everything.

Too Basic for System Administrators - 2004-06-17
Reviewer Rating:
I bought this book based on other customers' reviews. The book talks very generally about scripting for Active Directory. The book contains the word "VBScript", as well as "Managing Windows". However, it covers very little about the in's & out's of what it possible. The sections on ADSI are watered down and virtually useless. The script examples are simple, and aren't thorough at all. I found more information on Microsoft's web site.

For an experienced system administrator, this book is not for you. If you are an absolute beginner and want to learn a few simple tasks using VBScript, have at.

As for Mr. O'Connel's comment above, perhaps I should have been more specific. For example, while the book does show you how to create & delete users and OU's (incidentally with error-ridden scripts), nothing about the underlying ADSI object model is discussed. There are hundreds of ADSI objects available through LDAP, few of which are covered in this book. For the ones that are covered, there is no discussion of the attributes or methods of these objects.

So, yes, I did read the same book as Mr. O'Connel. However, I was seeking "way more detail" from a book entitled "Managing Windows".

Nice introduction, a little code heavy - 2005-01-10
Reviewer Rating:
This is a nice introduction, reasonably well written, introduction to using Windows automation through VBScript. About a third of the book acts as an introduction to the basics of VBScript for use in this context. He covers basics like variables, conditionals, functions, error handling, and more. The other two thirds of the book covers a variety of topics like shell extensions, ASP, XML, active directory and more. This is up-to-date stuff.

On the downside the exposition depends a little too much on code. But if you like that sort of thing you will do well with that. It's not unusual for tech books, but it's enough that I took a star off for it.

Basic to Advanced. Covers Everything. - 2007-10-04
Reviewer Rating:
Very Good Book for Admins who are not very comfortable with programming. Covers from the Basics till Advanced topics. Good buy if you want to take control.

Overall, an excellent primer - 2007-09-15
Reviewer Rating:
I was up and running in no time. Finished this book in a couple weeks, and was automating my companies Terminal Server user environments and Active Directory tasks in no time. I recommend this book to any beginner, as well as to someone just needing to solidify some concepts they may have missed while "frankensteining" their scripts. You know we've all done that!

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