Enumerate BIOS

[skar]

Hi all,

I want to run a script on a new, out of the box machine that will read the entire BIOS and output everything into a CVS or some other format. Dont care, I can use Perl to fudge it into another format.

I can get a bootable USB key with WinPE running but it's the WMI hooks I need help with for the vendors. Dell, Fujitsu, HP... the usual suspects. Win32_BIOS just doesnt do enough.

Has anyone attempted this before? And please, please dont reply with "Why dont you use a pen and paper?" or I'll send round a killer camel to beat you to death.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

How about Win32_ComputerSystemProduct using Vendor?

Hope this helps

HarleyQuinn
---------------------------------
The most overlooked advantage to owning a computer is that if they foul up there's no law against wacking them around a little. - Joe Martin

Get the most out of Tek-Tips, read FAQ222-2244 before posting.

 

[markdmac]

What do you specifically think that you don't get from Win32_BIOS (that is IN the BIOS) that you want to get?.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

Check out my scripting solutions at

http://www.thespidersparlor.com/vbscript

Work SMARTER not HARDER. The Spider's Parlor's Admin Script Pack is a collection of Administrative scripts designed to make IT Administration easier! Save time, get more work done, get the Admin Script Pack.

 

[skar]

I did look at using Win32_BIOS but it only brings back basic information. It wont tell me, for example, the setting for the ambiant keyboard on a Dell E6500. I'm not looking for specific information. I just want to read in all settings and their values and pump it into a CSV or some other human readable text file.

From what I've learnt, and I could be wrong here so please feel free to educate me, but Win32_BIOS reads in the SMBIOS data. This was a standard set by Microsoft for manufactures to abide by for their gold reseller badge. That way Windows could read in this info and use it for various things.

 

[skar]

Just had a quick look at Win32_ComputerSystemProduct but it's really hooking into the hardware and not the BIOS. But it was worth a shot. Thanks for the info on that one.

 

[markdmac]

There is a ton of information available through WMI. It is just a matter of knowing what information you want to find the right WMI class to query.

I would recommend that you download a copy of Scriptomatic from Microsoft. It will help you see what is available.

If you initially just want to browse through your WMI, then download WMI Tools from Microsoft. That will give you CIM Studio and allow you to do some browsing and check what is currently available in WMI.

If you provide more specifics about what you are looking for then we may be able to assist.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

Check out my scripting solutions at

http://www.thespidersparlor.com/vbscript

Work SMARTER not HARDER. The Spider's Parlor's Admin Script Pack is a collection of Administrative scripts designed to make IT Administration easier! Save time, get more work done, get the Admin Script Pack.

 

[PHV]

What about Manufacturer in Win32_BIOS ?

Hope This Helps, PH.
FAQ219-2884
FAQ181-2886

 

[skar]

Win32_BIOS:

strComputer = "."
Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:" _
    & "{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")

Set colBIOS = objWMIService.ExecQuery _
    ("Select * from Win32_BIOS")

For each objBIOS in colBIOS
    Wscript.Echo "Build Number: " & objBIOS.BuildNumber
    Wscript.Echo "Current Language: " & objBIOS.CurrentLanguage
    Wscript.Echo "Installable Languages: " & objBIOS.InstallableLanguages
    Wscript.Echo "Manufacturer: " & objBIOS.Manufacturer
    Wscript.Echo "Name: " & objBIOS.Name
    Wscript.Echo "Primary BIOS: " & objBIOS.PrimaryBIOS
    Wscript.Echo "Release Date: " & objBIOS.ReleaseDate
    Wscript.Echo "Serial Number: " & objBIOS.SerialNumber
    Wscript.Echo "SMBIOS Version: " & objBIOS.SMBIOSBIOSVersion
    Wscript.Echo "SMBIOS Major Version: " & objBIOS.SMBIOSMajorVersion
    Wscript.Echo "SMBIOS Minor Version: " & objBIOS.SMBIOSMinorVersion
    Wscript.Echo "SMBIOS Present: " & objBIOS.SMBIOSPresent
    Wscript.Echo "Status: " & objBIOS.Status
    Wscript.Echo "Version: " & objBIOS.Version
    For i = 0 to Ubound(objBIOS.BiosCharacteristics)
        Wscript.Echo "BIOS Characteristics: " & _
            objBIOS.BiosCharacteristics(i)
    Next
Next

As far as I'm aware that's all that it can pull from the BIOS. I want all the settings. There has to be a way to just snapshot the entire BIOS without having to be specific.

Scriptomatic is a great tool to quickly knock up scripts. I think the above code is from scriptomatic. But as you can see it needs to be told what values to look for.

 

[strongm]

>There has to be a way to just snapshot the entire BIOS

On what do you base that assumption? Unfortunately, large chunks of each vendor's BIOS tend to be proprietary, and things are not found in the same place (heck, different versions of a single vendor's BIOS don't even tend to have things in the same place). WMI only reads data that has been commonly agreed.

 

[tsuji]

>There has to be a way to just snapshot the entire BIOS without having to be specific.
Sure.
[tt] For each objBIOS in colBIOS
wscript.echo objBIOS.getobjecttext_
Next[/tt]
Otherwise, official documentation is always the base for any serious work other than archiving - that can be make people addicted to.

 

[skar]

I think the answer to this is to get the vendors to provide some sort of snapshot tools. VBscript just isnt going to do what I need it to do.

To be honest I thought I was barking up the wrong tree but it's always worth a shot and asking. Someone may have already tried to do it and re-inventing the wheel is never any fun.

Tek-Tips is one of the only places where you going to get some decent threads going with ideas. Thanks to you all for helping out. It really is appreciated.