Uninstall when not in a collection

Alot of admins would like to uninstall software when the computer is not in a collection. While this thought processes is sound it can't be done. ConfigMgr needs to send policy to machines that are in a certain collection.

So how do we get around this problem.
I want to point back to a blog post I have labeled, "Collections in reverse"
http://sms-hints-tricks.blogspot.com/2009/03/using-collections-in-reverse.html

What I do is simply have a collection of the software I want people to be allowed to have, say Google Earth.
Then I have a collection of people that are NOT in the google earth collection. Now when I place an "approved" machine in the google Earth collection nothing happens since this is a user based install via the web, but the computer is removed from the uninstall collection. Otherwise, the day after they install it the machine would kick off the uninstall.


So you see, you still need to create a collection of computers, in this example we have 2 the approved collection and the Uninstall collection.

Manage Computers via SCCM console

Have you wanted to manage a machine from the SCCM console only to find there is no tool to do it. So you must lauch Computer Manager and then connect to the remote machine. Well here is the simple right click tool to help you do just that.

<ActionDescription Class="Group" DisplayName="ConfigMgr" MnemonicDisplayName="ConfigMgr Tools" Description="ConfigMgr Tools" SqmDataPoint="100">
<ActionGroups>
<ActionDescription Class="Executable" DisplayName="Computer Management" MnemonicDisplayName="Computer Management" Description="Manage remove computer">
<Executable>
<FilePath>c:\WINDOWS\system32\compmgmt.msc</FilePath>
<Parameters>/computer:\\##SUB:Name##</Parameters>
</Executable>
</ActionDescription>
</ActionGroups>
</ActionDescription>

Place this in the query node, machine node etc and restart the console. Now you can right click on a machine and select Manager Computer. Granted this will only work if your account has the appropriate permissions to the machine.

Configuration Manager 2007 R3

Yes, Microsoft is releasing a R3 for ConfigMgr. This is the first R3 release in MS history.

Jeff Wettlaufer, Sr. Technical Product Manager, announces it in a blog post:

"Configuration Manager 2007 R3 will release will release as a beta at the end of October 2009, with a targeted release of late Q1 calendar 2010."

http://blogs.technet.com/systemcenter/archive/2009/09/08/announcing-system-center-configuration-manager-2007-r3.aspx

sccm driver pack

Well as of today Dell has updated some driver files for SCCM.

The Dell Optiplex 760 has a new driver pack (9/4/2009) under Systems Management

What is even better is that some of the models are showing a pack for System Center Configuration Manager. This should make it easier to load and inject drivers into the image. I will see if I can run down the model list and list a few here for you to see.

Microsoft Subnet

For those of you that aren't aware there is a new blog site in town (at least to me):

Microsoft Subnet

http://www.networkworld.com/subnets/microsoft/

They have some very good articles and insites. There are also contests each month for you to read the blog entries.

Check it out. I think you will like what you see. I do so far!!

MMS 2009 Hands on Lab

Seems the MS is sending out the Hands on Lab (HOL) DVD again. I just recieved notification that it had been shipped. Much like last year, they can't put the entire HOL session on the DVD because they require Virtual PC but they do have many of the walk thrus so you can do it yourself at home or at work. Very nice work. They don't have to pass this on to us but it is a nice jesture, not to mention nice for those that couldn't or didn't have time to get in to the Lab.