BgInfo

[Broni]

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilities/bginfo.mspx

 

How many times have you walked up to a system in your office and needed to click through several diagnostic windows to remind yourself of important aspects of its configuration, such as its name, IP address, or operating system version If you manage multiple computers you probably need BGInfo. It automatically displays relevant information about a Windows computer on the desktop's background, such as the computer name, IP address, service pack version, and more. You can edit any field as well as the font and background colors, and can place it in your startup folder so that it runs every boot, or even configure it to display as the background for the logon screen.

Because BGInfo simply writes a new desktop bitmap and exits you don't have to worry about it consuming system resources or interfering with other applications.

BGInfo works on 95 and higher, and Windows NT 4.0 and higher.

[Zylstra]

There are quite a few useful SysInternals programs out there (and Microsoft Windows Powertools) that are very handy to have.
Thanks for linking to them, Broni. Many of the utilities run standalone, therefor, making them portable. Extremely useful for system administrators, and students who get put in charge of fixing their school computers

[Broni]

Yeah...I use bunch of them.

The main site is here:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/default.mspx

or, if you want them without all Micro$oft EULA crap, you can get same programs from before Sysinternals were taken over by M$, from here:
http://court.shrock.org/sysinternals/

[K!ra]

thnx broni your the best.
cherz!

[patio]

I have the last zipped version of the Sysinternals utilities before they got gobbled up by the Mothership if needed.

This one is a new addition i'll certainly take it around the block for a spin...

[Broni]

It would be my dream to require every new poster to attach a screenshot like this, so we wouldn't have to ask same questions again, and again:
- What windows version?
- What browser? Version?
- How much RAM?
etc., etc., etc.

I guess, it'll remain as my dream...oh well...

[michaewlewis]

I put bginfo on all the computers I set up here at work. It's a great tool. I've also been using process explorer instead of task manager. It's a lot more in depth.

It would be my dream to require every new poster to attach a screenshot like this, so we wouldn't have to ask same questions again, and again:
- What windows version?
- What browser? Version?
- How much RAM?
etc., etc., etc.

I guess, it'll remain as my dream...oh well...

Maybe we could make some sort of script that would run when the user hits Post, to grab system specs. I don't know, like a java program or something..... I've seen other websites do stuff like that, but not forums.

[Zylstra]

<snippity>
I guess, it'll remain as my dream...oh well...

Maybe we could make some sort of script that would run when the user hits Post, to grab system specs. I don't know, like a java program or something..... I've seen other websites do stuff like that, but not forums.

[/quote]
We used to have a button that would get users started off by a similar statement as this:

"I am using <operating system name here> and <browser name here>"

The only thing is that, well, its kind of pointless for two reasons:
1) We dont get much from knowing the OS and Browser, unless its in the Internet Browser issues area.
2) Half the users didnt use it in the first place.

As for a javascript:
Javascript is limited to the information it can/will collect. Many browsers are very restrictive about the information they send out.

Java application:
Many new users might not have Java Platform on their computer. Not to mention, Java's initial load time for internet web applications can be very slow.

[michaewlewis]

I don't think it would be that difficult to implement something like that..... Just throw an if statement in somewhere saying that if the browser doesn't have java installed, then run something else.

Or maybe another option is to have a flashing popup on the side of the page that says "Don't forget your specs!"

[Zylstra]

I honestly think that what you are describing would be too much to ask for.
Actually, a button saying "Help me make a new post" bringing you to a CGI page that puts information directly into a new topic field would be much better. (Using Dropdowns to select an OS, etc)

[michaewlewis]

hey, I like that idea.....