RegWrite Remote write to @computername?

[Klexen]

I have several computers I need to make registry changes to, and I want to do it while the user is logged in. The logged in users do not have write access to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE". So I'm trying to "Remote" write to their registry by doing

$computer_name = @ComputerName
RegWrite("\\" & $computer_name & "\" & "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSSQLServer\Client\SuperSocketNetLib", "ProtocolOrder", "REG_MULTI_SZ", $inputBox)

This doesn't work from the local machine, however it does work remotely, as it should.

I was able to successfully write to the c:\ drive as a normal logged in user, by

$computer_name = @ComputerName
ShellExecute("\\" & $computer_name & "\c$")

then automating the local admin login to that box. Once I do that, I'm able to write to the C drive as an admin. I assumed that since these credentials exist for me to access the computers, C$, it would also let me write to the registry as admin too. Sadly, it doesn't work that way.

Is there a way to make what I'm trying to do work?

[BrewManNH]

@computername returns the name of the computer the script is being run on, you can't get a remote computer's name that way unless you're running the script on that computer.

[JLogan3o13]

Hi, Klexen. As BrewMan pointed out, @ComputerName is not what you want in this scenario. If it is just a few machines, consider looping through their names with something like this:

Local $pcs[3]

$pcs[0] = "Computer1"
$pcs[1] = "Computer2"
$pcs[2] = "Computer3"

   For $element in $pcs
      RegWrite("" & $element & "" & "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftMSSQLServerClientSuperSocketNetLib", "ProtocolOrder", "REG_MULTI_SZ", $inputBox)
   Next

[Klexen]

I know @ComputerName is used to use the local computers name. The thing is, I need to visit each of these machines to automate other things while they're logged in. The way it is now, I have to remotely write this registry setting and then go to their box locally to do the other things. I was hoping I could avoid the two step process, and fool the computer into thinking I was remotely writing to the registry, locally, by using that computers network name. Just like I do to have admin write access to their C drive, even though they're logged in as a normal user. This I do, by having my script access ComputerNamec$ at which point it prompts for the admin info for that box. I automate those credentials, and once "logged in" I'm able to have admin access to the C drive, even though they're logged in as standard users. I guess my question is, can this trickery work with the registry as well?

I hope that makes sense!

Edited January 27, 2012 by Klexen

[AdamUL]

When you are running the script locally on the machine, is it running under admin credentials? Also, what is the OS you are running the script on?

Adam

[someone]

I just tried using regwrite with the computer namekey (like how it says in the help file) and I was able to write to HKLM and HKCR, didn't test anything else.

I was logged in to both machines with my account, which is an admin. Whats the @error from your code? Are you trying to do this on machines where the account you are running the script with does not have admin rights on the remote box?

[BrewManNH]

If you include the command #RequireAdmin at the top of your script, you can run your script as an admin once you put in the correct credentials. This should eliminate having to do the "remote" regwrites.

[Klexen]

I just tried using regwrite with the computer namekey (like how it says in the help file) and I was able to write to HKLM and HKCR, didn't test anything else.

I was logged in to both machines with my account, which is an admin. Whats the @error from your code? Are you trying to do this on machines where the account you are running the script with does not have admin rights on the remote box?

Yeah, the remote registry write works locally, if the account that executes the script is an admin, but not when you execute the script as a standard user, which is what I need to do. I'm trying to avoid having the "standard" user log off, so that I can login locally as admin to run the script.

If you include the command #RequireAdmin at the top of your script, you can run your script as an admin once you put in the correct credentials. This should eliminate having to do the "remote" regwrites.

The operating system is Windows XP, and if the #RequireAdmin uses the same thing as "Right clicking on a program, and doing RUN AS, then inputting those credentials, that won't work. I get an error when I try to do that manually. I think I just learned why too, reading http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/windows_security_runas.mspx?mfr=true

I'm thinking that "secondary login service" is not running. I'll have to look into that.

[AdamUL]

You will need to have the script re-execute itself as an admin, if it is not admin. There are multiple was to do this.

Adam

[willichan]

If you need to write to the registry as an admin, when the script is running under a non-admin account, you will need to use RunAs() to execute a separate script (or rerun the same script) as an administrator. The drawback is that you will have to embed the administrative credentials into the script. (not recommended, but occasionally done out of pure neccessity).