Script

davidstart · 2017-10-12T09:02:36.000Z

Hi Scripting Guru’s,

I’m after some help with a script to make my life easier while doing new laptop builds for customers, what I need is as much of the following being done by either 1 script or multiple scripts to save me time doing it all manually, these are on Windows 10 machines if that makes a difference, i don’t mind if it’s Powershell, VBS, Bat etc:

Uninstall all of the generic software that comes with Dell/Toshiba laptops - if i can manually type the names as they appear in add/remove programs then that would probably be best e.g. Toshiba Manuals, Toshiba Password Utility, Toshiba Service Station etc
Install Google Chrome and Adobe Reader, this can be on a USB (D: Drive) or from the websites
Delete some shortcuts from the C:\Users\Public\Desktop for Adobe Reader & Chrome
Create a local user account named Staff with the password of Password1 and select Password Never Expires
Create a local admin account named Admin with the password of Admin123 and select Password Never Expires
Add a VPN connection, Don’t remember credentials but allow all users to use that connection
Would be nice to be able to edit the VPN adapter to select PPTP, Optional Encryption, Allow These Protocols MS-Chap-V2

I think the above would save me enough time to do the rest of the bits i need to do manually.

Thanks in advance

Dave

DoctorDNS · 2017-10-12T09:22:23.000Z

This is all doable with PowerShell. However, this forum is not a script writing service. Please read the sticky post at the top of this group ( PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING! Read if you're new to the PowerShell forum! ).

Uninstalling of an application is specific to the application. IN some cases MSIEXEC can be used. Be specific about which softare you want to uninstall.

Shortcuts are .lnk files - so look in the user’s home folder\desktop, like htis;

Get-ChildItem -Path "$env:Homepath\desktop\*.lnk" | Remove-Item

You can create a new local user using New-LocalUser cmdlet. What version of PowerShell do you use?

Adding a VPN connection is harder - waht VPN software are you using?

jordanmamet8400 · 2017-10-12T10:01:32.000Z

Do you have a volume license? If so, it would probably be easier to just create a gold image and deploy.

andrewferguson3 · 2017-10-12T10:03:42.000Z

Do you have many machines to do this to right now, or will all this be done as a one-at-a-time as needed thing? You can definitely script this, but maybe disk imaging is an option here? (There are some free ones like clonezilla) Uninstall all bloatware and install required apps, make accounts on one machine (Dell or toshiba or whatever) then take an image and save it on an external drive. Later when you need to do another laptop of that type, just clone it. Just a thought.
Edit: oh yea, you’d need to be using volume licensing

big-green-man · 2017-10-12T10:29:05.000Z

Jordan7458:

Do you have a volume license? If so, it would probably be easier to just create a gold image and deploy.

OP said these laptops are for customers. Each customer would need to supply the VL and the media.

davidstart · 2017-10-12T10:57:51.000Z

yes i’ve tried cloning in the past but as you said it’s only for volume license really and these aren’t, they are fresh from the supplier with OEM licenses. i’ve got quite a few to do in a batch at the moment which need to be out middle of next week, hence the request for a script to save me hours of time.

The vpn is just the built in Windows client VPN

Powershell version looks like it’s 2016 - with Windows 10 Pro

Many thanks

big-green-man · 2017-10-12T11:31:50.000Z

David172408:

i’ve got quite a few to do in a batch at the moment which need to be out middle of next week, hence the request for a script to save me hours of time.

We still can’t just write one for you (well, we can, but won’t). A lot of uninstalling software comes from calling msiexec or a silent install command (you’d find that command in the registry - each program is different). Otherwise, I recommend you get familiar with the Get-Command cmdlet. It’s your biggest friend when learning to script Powershell. Once you have something for us to work with, we’d be more than happy to help. You just need to put some effort in on your part.