How 2 allow power users to change computer description

[rcertz]

I need a solution to what "should" be a simple problem. The background of the problem is my company uses an unfriendly/unmemorable computer naming scheme. So I wanted to get the username set in the computer description via login script by using: net config server /srvcomment:"%username%". Of course there is the registry security at: hkeylocalmachine-->system-->currentcontrolset-->services-->lanmanserver-->parameters hive. So in GPO I set security to this hive for Domain Users to have write access. However I am still getting access is denied errors when the script runs for anybody with privleges lower then admin. Can anybody advise a workaround so powerusers can be able to modify the computer descritptions? I was hoping to find an option in the GPO, but have not been able to find one. Thank you in advance for you advice.

Regards

 

[elmurado]

I wouldn't personally have the username in the computername. Change it with a startup script? Map some kind of text file with old name and new name perhaps? Otherwise, escalate privileges for a while and then change the name and then change them back down.
How many machines are we talking here?

 

[rcertz]

You misread my question. I dont want to make the username the the computer name. I want the username to be inserted into the computer description. That way the computer name is still sorted properly in the network neighborood, but the username is displayed so I can see who is on what machine. Im talking about 70 machines.

 

[elmurado]

Sorry mate-in a rush there. Now I see what you mean. if you want to see who is logged on where, you could use psloggedon from sysinternals.
as for changing the description, what happens if you did a script which directly changes the key? Rather than using the command you specified?

 

[elmurado]

Also, will it need a reboot anyway for the change to take place?
Have you seen this?

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/resources/qanda/dec05/hey1207.mspx

 

[rcertz]

Yea I have seen that page. Changing the reg key is exactly what I am trying to do with the net config server command. The more reading I do, the more I think it wont be possible without giving them admin rights. I may abandon this, as it was only for me anyway. Ill look for some third party method like look@lan or something. Though Im not finding anything that looks very reliable. Its not one of those high priority things. Thanks for your advice.

 

[BenChristian]

If you wanted to find out whos logged in to which machine, you could acheive this using vbscript/wmi. I could bash something together for you if you like. Are you generally wanting to see who is logged in to a specific machine, or do you want an overall picture disaplaying all machines, and whos logged in?

Ben Christian
MCSE, MCSA:Messaging

http://www.benchristian.com

 

[rcertz]

Basically I want to get an overall picture as to whom is logged into what.