I have many computers isn several buildings and am hoping there is a way through scripting or something to find out the RAM, CPU, HD size, OS etc for computers on the network and any and all other data that can be aquired. rather than going toto each computer and typeing it in an Excel sheet we have. I don't want to buy any 3rd party software. Can one run Task Manager remotely somehow?

DougP
 

Belarc Advisor will tell you OS, IP, Host Name, and classification.  Outside of that and RDP, Teamviewer, or Logmein types, Im unaware.

If you have that many PCs, why is there no remote sessions available or do you have a large enough IT staff to walk too them on each problem?

Learning - A never ending quest for knowledge usually attained by being thrown in a situation and told to fix it NOW.

Quote:

a large enough IT staff to walk too them on each problem

A common problem - too MANY IT people.  Just kidding.  That would be ideal.

Can you use the built-in MsInfo32 tool and when loaded use the Remote Computer option accessible via the View menu of the tool?

Use Windows WMI info to get the hardware information. There are hundreds of scripts you could run to find out the info; here are a bunch: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa394587(v=vs.85).aspx

Cheers
Rob

The answer is always "PEBKAC!"

Actually, PowerShell in Windows 7 makes this easy.  I've been using the following script for a while now and it works pretty well:

http://www.hackyeah.com/2010/08/powershell-pc-info-script-wmi/

Copy everything between Start Code and End Code into notepad and save the file with the extension PS1.  Right-click the file and choose run with PowerShell.  The menu and prompts are intuitive enough to figure it out from there.

Enjoy!

-Carl
"The glass is neither half-full nor half-empty: it's twice as big as it needs to be."

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Spiceworks is free (and excellent - at least as a free tool). It needs a 'server' to be installed on to but that server can be your PC I think.

It's funded by advertising but the adverts are not obtrusive.

(I'm starting to sound like a salesman now, I'm not, just a minor fan of the product).

It scans your network for network devices and also ties in to your domain if you want it to then lists your users.

It also includes a Helpdesk function on which you can permission users to log their own calls.

I like it. Although my boss doesn't so we don't use it as much as I'd like, but it still proves useful.

JJ
Variables won't. Constants aren't
There is no apostrophe in the plural of PC (or PST, or CPU, or HDD, or FDD, or photo, or breakfast...and so on)

ArizonaGeek, thanks, as I mentioned I am looking for something not 3rd party. can this be modified to run remotely? I want to run it from my computer but have it return the results from \\computername not the local machine.
'this script returns the Physical Memory
 

DougP
 

Computer Management -> Action -> Connect to another computer...

 

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
Webmaster Forum

Ok, when I look for the new computers I just set up they are not in this list? These 3 new machines are Windows 7 Home Premium and have been on less than 24 hours. is it because they are not on the domain? or is it becasue they did not propagate out?  Or ?

Also this list seems to have every computer connected/set up  since this entire network was created, whether a machine is still here or not. Can I get a current list? Or how do we get rid of old machines?

Do I need to start a new thread(s)?

DougP
 

Spiceworks, man. I'm telling you!

I know you said "No 3rd party tools" but that really limits you and this 3rd party tool is free...

Just saying.
:)

JJ
Variables won't. Constants aren't
There is no apostrophe in the plural of PC (or PST, or CPU, or HDD, or FDD, or photo, or breakfast...and so on)

If you run the PowerShell script from that link I posted, it will open a command prompt window asking you what "computer name or IP" you want to connect to.  Once connected, the next menu looks like this:

    1) PC Serial Number
    2) PC Printer Info
    3) Current User
    4) OS Info
    5) System Info
    6) Add/Remove Program List
    7) Process List
    8) Service List
    9) USB Devices
    10) Uptime
    11) Disk Space
    12) Memory Info
    13) Processor Info
    14) Monitor Serial Numbers

    C) Change Computer Name
    X) Exit The program

    Enter Selection:


The only catch is that you run it on a Windows 7 computer.  Takes less than a minute to try out, nothing to install.

-Carl
"The glass is neither half-full nor half-empty: it's twice as big as it needs to be."

    For this site's posting policies, click here.

Quote:

is it because they are not on the domain?

Yes.

Quote:

Also this list seems to have every computer connected/set up  since this entire network was created, whether a machine is still here or not. Can I get a current list? Or how do we get rid of old machines?

The lookup uses active directory DNS names to list the machines.

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
Webmaster Forum

Ok I get this error:
The term 'c:\dougcode\vbscripts\PCinfo.PS1' is not recognized as a cmdlet, func
tion, operable program, or script file. Verify the term and try again.
At line:1 char:32
+ c:\dougcode\vbscripts\PCinfo.PS1 <<<<
What can I edit the program in to see line numbers and characters?
 

DougP
 

Try removing the comments at the beginning.  In my copy of the script, the first line reads:


and ends with:

-Carl
"The glass is neither half-full nor half-empty: it's twice as big as it needs to be."

    For this site's posting policies, click here.

this is Windows XP with powershell 1.0, does that make a difference?
now I just get nothing but this
PS C:\dougcode> "C:\dougcode\vb scripts\PCinfo.PS1"
C:\dougcode\vb scripts\PCinfo.PS1

when I run it it just repeats the line I typed in and quits.
Is line 1 at the top or where?

this is the code at the bottom
 

DougP
 

Yes, I'm pretty sure you must be using PowerShell 2.0.  I made the comment earlier that the catch is you should be running the script on Windows 7.

-Carl
"The glass is neither half-full nor half-empty: it's twice as big as it needs to be."

    For this site's posting policies, click here.

OK I'm at work running win 7 pro
I can right click and see "Run with Powershell"
click it opens a black command prompt for split second and I see red letters then it disappears
I open command promt and type powershell PCinfo.PS1
it always says it did not recognize the cmdlet at line 1 column 11. with any script I try to open.
I am doing something wrong here. being a programmer for 20 years I know I am not that stupid to make this work.

????

DougP
 

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee176949.aspx

Learning - A never ending quest for knowledge usually attained by being thrown in a situation and told to fix it NOW.

Thankx DrBOb.
Alrighty then it is a permissions thing.

DougP
 

CDogg,

no PS v1.0 (XP) works fine with that script as well, once you set the execution and path etc. mentioned in the link provided by DrBob...

 

Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

Thanks Ben, good to know.