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Perspectives
- Spring Cleaning: How to Get Rid of Those Dust Collectors
Scripter's Toolkit
- GPMC Script Can Help Find GPO Settings
This & That
- Free PowerShell Cmdlets for AD and PowerShell GUI Available
- Web Site, Free Newsletter Devoted to Windows Interoperability
Info to Go
/* ==================================== */
:: **** Perspectives ****
by Karen Bemowski, kbemowski@windowsitpro.com
Spring Cleaning: How to Get Rid of Those Dust Collectors
I'm going to talk about an issue that's not directly related to scripting,
but I think it's one that you might run into: what to do with that old
computer sitting at home gathering dust. My dust collector is an old Apple
Macintosh system (and I do mean old--it's Mac OS 9).
I first thought about donating my computer system to a charity such
Goodwill. According to Goodwill's Web site
( http://pentonmedia.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=5119B:6B7D3383C3CE94447634A869C9002EC9 )
some of its stores accept computer donations. Unfortunately, none of the
Goodwill stores near me accepted them. I did find one charity that accepted
newer computers, but my computer definitely didn't fall into that category.
That's when I decided I'd be better off trying to find a computer recycler.
(Although the city in which I live hasn't banned computers from the landfill
yet, I wanted to be environmentally conscious.) Recyclers remove useful
parts, remove hazardous materials (e.g., mercury, lead), and break down the
rest of the computer for recycling (e.g., glass, plastics).
Some communities have sponsored recycling drives for computers. For
example, the City of Worcester, the Regional Environmental Council of Central
Massachusetts, and Metech International are jointly sponsoring a "Free
Household Recycling Event" on April 21 in Worcester, Massachusetts
( http://pentonmedia.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=511A4:6B7D3383C3CE94447634A869C9002EC9 ).
People can drop off not only computer equipment but also televisions,
microwaves, and other electronic equipment. Unfortunately, I couldn't find
any scheduled recycling drives near me, so my search continued.
I found some companies that offer computer-recycling programs for
consumers. For example, the Lenovo ThinkPlus Recycling Service
( http://pentonmedia.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=511A2:6B7D3383C3CE94447634A869C9002EC9 )
lets you recycle any manufacturer's PC equipment, including processors,
monitors, printers, and optional attachments. The company decides whether to
refurbish and donate the equipment to a charity (in which case you get a tax-
deductible receipt) or recycle it. You provide your own box (26 x 26 x 26
inches maximum) and packing materials. Anything you can fit into the box is
one charge: $30, which includes shipping. (The maximum weight limit is 69
pounds per box.) I discovered that this was a deal. I found one company that
charged per piece. For example, it charged $22.75 for a PC processor, $29.95
for a 19-inch monitor, and $22.75 for a dot-matrix printer. Although the
prices included shipping, you had to supply your own boxes and packing
materials. It definitely pays to shop around if you're looking for a computer
recycler!
I was thinking about going with the Lenovo ThinkPlus Recycling Service
when I ran across the National Technology Recycling Program (NTRP). This
nonprofit group has a database of computer recycling organizations on its Web
site at http://pentonmedia.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=511AD:6B7D3383C3CE94447634A869C9002EC9 . When I search by state, I found that
Wisconsin's Department of Corrections has a computer-recycling program
( http://pentonmedia.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=511A9:6B7D3383C3CE94447634A869C9002EC9 )
that both residents and companies can use. In this program, incarcerated
individuals are employed and trained in how to refurbish and recycle
computers. State residents can drop off their computers at designated drop
boxes. The only charge is $10 for a monitor.
I decided to go with the Department of Corrections' computer-recycling
program. Not only will I be keeping my computer out of the landfill but I
also might be helping people learn a trade and possibly turn their lives
around.
I will, however, take the precautions that everyone should take when
donating computers--that is, getting rid of any personal data with a disk-
cleaning utility or similar tool. On the Microsoft Web page "Microsoft tips
for donating computer equipment"
( http://pentonmedia.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=511A7:6B7D3383C3CE94447634A869C9002EC9 )
you can find a list of disk-cleaning utilities for Windows and Macs as well
as other helpful information.
The "Microsoft tips for donating computer equipment" Web page also
includes a link to TechSoup. If you have a newer computer that you want to
donate, you can probably find groups that will refurbish and donate them to
charities. TechSoup provides a searchable database that you can use to find
such groups. Go to http://pentonmedia.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=511AB:6B7D3383C3CE94447634A869C9002EC9 and click the Donate Hardware
Recycling box in the lower left side of the Web page. After you enter your
search radius, you'll get a list of groups. Unfortunately, the listing
includes only a brief write-up and contact information, so you need to either
go to the group's Web site or call the group to get the information you need.
I guess getting rid of dust collectors can be a lot of work!
:: **** Scripter's Toolkit ****
GPMC Script Can Help Find GPO Settings
If you can't remember in which Group Policy Object (GPO) a setting
resides, you might want to try GetReportsForAllGPOs.wsf.
GetReportsForAllGPOs.wsf is one of the sample scripts that ships with Group
Policy Management Console (GPMC). For each GPO in Active Directory (AD),
GetReportsForAllGPOs.wsf generates an HTML file and an XML file that contains
configuration and other types of information about the GPO. You can also use
this script to generate HTML and XML files for a specific GPO or for all the
GPOs in a specific domain. To read about this script and how to use it, check
out the Reader to Reader article "Script Makes Searching for GPO Settings a
Snap" on the Windows IT Pro Web site at
http://pentonmedia.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=5119F:6B7D3383C3CE94447634A869C9002EC9 .
:: **** This & That ****
Free PowerShell Cmdlets for AD and PowerShell GUI Available
If you're into Windows PowerShell, you might be interested in knowing that
Quest Software has released ActiveRoles Management Shell for Active Directory
beta 1, which is a set of PowerShell commands (i.e., cmdlets) to perform
administrative tasks within Active Directory (AD). Currently, there are only
eight cmdlets but according to Bob Bobel, the ActiveRoles Server product
manager at Quest Software, more will be added.
You don't need Quest Software's ActiveRoles Server to use the cmdlets.
However, you do need the following system requirements:
- Windows XP SP2, Windows 2003 SP1, or later
- Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0
- Microsoft Windows PowerShell 1.0
The cmdlets execute directly against AD through a domain controller (DC)
you specify. (If you have ActiveRoles Server, you use that product's -proxy
switch to execute the command against ActiveRoles Server.)
You can download the free cmdlets at http://pentonmedia.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=511A6:6B7D3383C3CE94447634A869C9002EC9 .
At this time, the download requires free registration. Note that you can't
use a free email address, such as gmail.com or yahoo.com.
Quest Software also offers PowerGUI, a free GUI for PowerShell called
PowerGUI. You can download PowerGUI, which has the same requirements as
ActiveRoles Management Shell for Active Directory, at http://pentonmedia.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=511AE:6B7D3383C3CE94447634A869C9002EC9 .
Web Site, Free Newsletter Devoted to Windows Interoperability
If you work in a mixed environment, you might want to visit TechX World
( http://pentonmedia.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=511AC:6B7D3383C3CE94447634A869C9002EC9 ) for information about Windows interoperability. The
TechX World community gives you access to interoperability articles that
aren't available anywhere else; news, tips, and tricks from interop experts
and other users; and forums and blog posts by other community members.
On the Web site, you can sign up for the free TechX Interoperability
UPDATE email newsletter. Or, you can directly access the sign-up page at
http://pentonmedia.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=511AA:6B7D3383C3CE94447634A869C9002EC9 .
:: **** Info to Go ****
You know you need to manage your email data, but how do you do it? What steps
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Are all your malware definitions completely up-to-date? If they are, then
you're halfway home to total malware protection. Windows Vista might be the
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