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<empty> username returned via remote WMI

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<empty> username returned via remote WMI - 7/29/2008 8:48:55 AM

loyalsoldier

Posts: 3
Score: 0
Joined: 7/29/2008
Status: offline

Hello. I've been working on this script for awhile and can not get it working the way I want it to. Actually, it does work using an administrator's user/pwd, but not when using a limited users' user/pwd.

Here is what I'm trying to do: remotely access the WMI from several computers, retrieve the currently logged on username, and calculate how long they have been logged on. This is for a library environment. With the administrator account everything works. With a non-admin account it goes all the way through w/ no errors, but doesn't produce the end results (how long the users have been logged on). I've narrowed it down to this: The admin account will return the username for the remote computer, but the non-admin account does not. I'm thinking it is permissions, but I've tried a lot of things to get it to work, including full access to Everyone. I have the CIMV2 permissions (Remote) & the DCOM permissions (Remote Launch & Remote Activation) set on clients. I have verified this with the WMI CMI Studio tool (WMI Tools) download from Microsoft.....admin account shows a username while the non-admin account shows <empty>.

The code runs from inside MS Excel as a macro (updates cells with how long each user is logged on). I've disabled the "Activesheet" lines so it should work as a .vbs file. Below is the code:

' Script made by: Troy Luschen
' Created: 02Jul2008
' Modified 11Jul2008
' Purpose: retrieve usage for lab users (time spent logged on to computer)

' Note: will only retrieve logged on time for currently logged on users
' For finding errors either uncomment the line "On Error Resume Next" or
' copy the next line & place where needed:
' MsgBox "Error " & Err.Number & " (" & Err.Description & ") "

' Sources:
' [link=http://gps678.com/13/d0e54e4e6250b791.html]http://gps678.com/13/d0e54e4e6250b791.html[/link]
' [link=http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/resources/qanda/may05/hey0526.mspx]http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/resources/qanda/may05/hey0526.mspx[/link]
' [link=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa394603(VS.85).aspx]http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa394603(VS.85).aspx[/link]
' [link=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa389290.aspx]http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa389290.aspx[/link]
' [link=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa393266(VS.85).aspx]http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa393266(VS.85).aspx[/link]
' [link=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa393613(VS.85).aspx]http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa393613(VS.85).aspx[/link]

' The variables that you can customize are the following:
' PCarray, cLetter, cNumber, PCName, PCNamed, PCNames

'#####################   VARIABLES ######################################
Dim objSWbemLocator, objWMIService, Domain, objUser, usage, colItems
Dim PCarray, uName, uPwd, cLetter, cNumber, PCName, PCNamed, PCNames

' Add the computers that you want to have checked to see if they are in use or not.
' Update the "Longest Usage Times"'s Computers column as necessary.
PCarray = Array("computer1", "computer2")

' There are two security settings that must be configured on every computer for this
' script to work:
' 1: Setting DCOM Security to Allow a User to Access a Computer Remotely
' Note: have not found a way to implement this into a script, so you have to do this
' manually on each computer.
'   I.      Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Component Services
'   II.     Component Services | Computers | Right click My Computer and go to Properties
'   III.    Com Security tab | Launch & Activation Permissions' Edit Limits
'   IV.     Add the group/users you wish to have remote access and give them
'           Remote Launch and Remote Activation permissions.
' 2: Namespace Security with the WMI Control
' [Note: implemented into a startup script. See Step 3 of "Install MySQL ODBC Connector.vbs"]
' The below username and password variables are for the account you wish to use to access
' each computer in the PCarray variable above. The user account you choose must have access
' permissions to the WMI Control on each computer. It is HIGHLY recommended to not use your
' administrator username and password for this, as that will allow anyone with access to
' this .xls file (i.e. circulation staff) the ability to have admin rights on the network.
' Using your administrator username and password also defeats the purpose of steps 1 & 2
' above, as you don't need to set those permissions for an admin account.
' To enable access on each computer (See Source #6 above for more info.):
'   1. Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Computer Management
'   2. Services and Applications | WMI Control Properties | Security tab
'   3. Click on CIMV2 and go to Security on the bottom.
'   4. Add the user account (can be a group which the user is a member of)
'       and assign the "Remote Enable" permission
uName = "desk1"
uPwd = "password"
'uName = "administrator"
'uPwd = ""

'X value of first cell to contain output (column)
cLetter = "M"

'Y value of first cell to contain output (row)
cNumber = "5"

' While scanning the computers listed in the PCarray variable, the status bar on the bottom
' will update with each computer.  Here you can choose whether you want the full computer
' name displayed, or just a section of it.  Example: display "5FSS-LIB-LAB1" or "LAB1"?
' PCName: 0 = partial name; 1 = full name.
' PCNamed: the delimiter used in the name to break it apart
' PCNames: section number to use in the broken apart name
'   (i.e. 5FSS-LIB-LAB1 has 3 sections, but counting starts at 0.  To use "LAB1" PCNames would be "2".)
PCName = "0"
PCNamed = "-"
PCNames = "2"

'#####################   DO NOT EDIT SCRIPT CODE BELOW   ######################################
' On Error Resume Next

' Give user visual confirmation that the script is working and not hung up
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Application.DisplayStatusBar = True

Set objSystemInfo = CreateObject("ADSystemInfo")
Domain = objSystemInfo.DomainShortName
Set objSWbemLocator = CreateObject("WbemScripting.SWbemLocator")

For Each PC In PCarray
  If PCName = 1 Then  ' Full name
      Application.StatusBar = "Please wait...Checking " & PC
  Else                ' Partial name
      PCstrip = Split(PC, PCNamed)
      Application.StatusBar = "Please wait...Checking " & PCstrip(PCNames)
  End If
  Set objWMIService = objSWbemLocator.ConnectServer(PC, _
      "root\cimv2", _
      uName, _
      uPwd, _
      "MS_409", _
      "ntlmdomain:" + Domain)
Set colItems = objWMIService.ExecQuery("Select * From Win32_ComputerSystem")
  For Each objitem In colItems
      If objitem.username <> "" Then
          ' Has a user logged on
          arrName = Split(objitem.username, "\")
          Set objUser = GetObject("WinNT://" & Domain & "/" & arrName(1) & ",user")
          usage = DateDiff("n", objUser.LastLogin, Now())
          If usage >= 720 Then ' Do not show a number if the last logon was over 12 hours ago
              usage = 0
          End If
'            ActiveSheet.Range(cLetter & cNumber) = usage
      Else
          ' Error: no one logged on
          usage = 0
'            ActiveSheet.Range(cLetter & cNumber) = usage
      End If
  Next
  cNumber = cNumber + 1
Next

Application.StatusBar = False
Application.ScreenUpdating = True

Any help with this would be appreciated.
Thank you.

Post #: 1

RE: <empty> username returned via remote WMI - 7/29/2008 11:29:08 AM

dm_4ever

Posts: 2669
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Joined: 6/29/2006
From: Orange County, California
Status: offline

So why can't you use an admin account?

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(in reply to loyalsoldier)

Post #: 2

RE: <empty> username returned via remote WMI - 7/29/2008 4:48:37 PM

loyalsoldier

Posts: 3
Score: 0
Joined: 7/29/2008
Status: offline

This is something that is going to be used by the library staff who work the front desk. It lets them know who has been using the computers the longest so that if all of them are taken they know who to kick off for someone else to use a computer (1 hour limit when busy). I don't want administrator credentials out in the open for anyone to get to.

(in reply to dm_4ever)

Post #: 3

RE: <empty> username returned via remote WMI - 8/14/2008 3:44:12 AM

loyalsoldier

Posts: 3
Score: 0
Joined: 7/29/2008
Status: offline

When retrieving information from the ROOT\CIMV2 namespace using WMI, is the information that you can retrieve dependent on what credentials you are using (i.e. administrator verses non-administrator)? Could that be why I can get the username with an administrator account, but with a non-administrator account it shows <empty>?

Thank you.

(in reply to loyalsoldier)

Post #: 4

RE: <empty> username returned via remote WMI - 8/14/2008 5:14:55 AM

chiltz

Posts: 76
Score: 0
Joined: 6/13/2007
Status: offline

what about creating a service account to run the vbscript...give the service account the neccesary admin access.

(in reply to loyalsoldier)

Post #: 5

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