Some Notes on the Machines

It’s built into most OEM installs of Windows 10 and 11, and can often be installed. On server builds it’s touch and go.

To see if you have it, try winget list from CMD or Powershell.

One good way to test it, is to install Microsoft .NET framework (SDK) 6, thus, from administrative Powershell:

winget install --id Microsoft.DotNet.Runtime.6 --silent --accept-source-agreements

I learned just now that if you add other seemingly valuable options to the one above, e.g., --scope machine, at least while running as SYSTEM, it will fail citing package not found. So you’ll want to test carefully.

Here’s one proven just now for 7zip (there’s a “search” option in winget to get the ID):

winget install --exact --id 7zip.7zip --accept-package-agreements --silent --scope machine

Here’s one for Google Chrome, needs a bit of extra:

winget.exe install --exact --id Google.Chrome --silent --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements --scope machine

And here’s a way to upgrade everything Winget can upgrade. There are some systems to not use this on, e.g., anything with some Autodesk products:

winget upgrade --all --include-unknown

If you do want to use it from the SYSTEM account, in scripting, it gets interesting. You’ll want to first run the below, and then winget will run as expected.

# Function to find the path to winget.exe
function Find-WinGet-Path {
    # Get the WinGet path (for use when running in SYSTEM context).
    $WinGetPathToResolve = Join-Path -Path $ENV:ProgramFiles -ChildPath 'WindowsApps\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_*_*__8wekyb3d8bbwe'
    $ResolveWinGetPath = Resolve-Path -Path $WinGetPathToResolve | Sort-Object {
        [version]($_.Path -replace '^[^\d]+_((\d+\.)*\d+)_.*', '$1')
    }
    if ($ResolveWinGetPath) {
        # If we have multiple versions - use the latest.
        $WinGetPath = $ResolveWinGetPath[-1].Path
    }

    # Get the User-Context WinGet exe location.
    $WinGetExePath = Get-Command -Name winget.exe -CommandType Application -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

    # Select the correct WinGet exe
    if (Test-Path -Path (Join-Path $WinGetPath 'winget.exe')) {
        # Running in SYSTEM-Context.
        $WinGet = Join-Path $WinGetPath 'winget.exe'
    } elseif ($WinGetExePath) {
        # Get User-Context if SYSTEM-Context not found.
        $WinGet = $WinGetExePath.Path
    } else {
        Write-Output 'WinGet not Found!'
        Stop-Transcript
        exit 1
    }

    # Return WinGet path
    return ($WinGet -replace '\winget.exe','')
}

Function Add-PathVariable {
    param (
        [string]$addPath
    )
    if (Test-Path $addPath){
        $regexAddPath = [regex]::Escape($addPath)
        $arrPath = $env:Path -split ';' | Where-Object {$_ -notMatch 
"^$regexAddPath\\?"}
        $env:Path = ($arrPath + $addPath) -join ';'
    } else {
        Throw "'$addPath' is not a valid path."
    }
}

Add-PathVariable (Find-Winget-Path)

Installing has been even more interesting. I’ve tried a lot of things. The below worked very well just now on Server 2019. There may be one extra module install in it, will test when it comes up again.

#Begin winget installation

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Force > $null

Function PrepareModule {
	param( [string]$ModuleName )

	"Preparing Powershell environment: Getting online " + $ModuleName + " info..."
	$OnlineModuleInfo = Find-Module $ModuleName -Repository PSGallery
	"Preparing Powershell environment: Getting local " + $ModuleName + " info (if exists)..."
	$LocalModuleInfo = Get-InstalledModule $ModuleName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue > $null

	If ($OnlineModuleInfo.Version -ne $LocalModuleInfo.Version) {
		"Preparing Powershell environment: Removing old " + $ModuleName + " (if exists)..."
		Uninstall-Module -Name $ModuleName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue > $null
		"Preparing Powershell environment: Installing new " + $ModuleName + "..."
		Install-Module -Name $ModuleName -Repository PSGallery
		"Preparing Powershell environment: Importing new " + $ModuleName + "..."
		Import-Module -Name $ModuleName
		}
}

"Setting up to use Powershell Gallery..."
Install-PackageProvider -Name NuGet -MinimumVersion 2.8.5.201 -Force
Set-PSRepository -InstallationPolicy Trusted -Name PSGallery

PrepareModule("NuGet")	

Install-Script -Name winget-install 

#End winget installation

If you can get to an administrative or system shell:

Reset-ComputerMachinePassword -Server DC.domain.local -Credential (Get-Credential)

Try this:

@("MsOnline","ExchangeOnlineManagement","AzureAD","AzureRM","Az","Microsoft.Graph","MicrosoftTeams","Microsoft.Online.SharePoint.PowerShell","Microsoft.PowerApps.Administration.PowerShell","Microsoft.PowerApps.PowerShell","WhiteboardAdmin","O365CentralizedAddInDeployment","PnP.PowerShell","MicrosoftPowerBIMgmt")|%{if(!(get-module -listavailable -name $_)){install-module -name $_ -skippublishercheck -allowclobber -force}elseif((get-module -listavailable -name $_).version -lt (find-module $_).version){update-module -name $_ -force;Get-InstalledModule -name $_ -allversions| where {$_.version -lt (get-installedmodule -name $_.name).version} | Uninstall-Module -force}}

From www.tbone.se/2023/02/27/update-your-windows-11-with-some-powerful-one-liners/”

To get the link speed of all NICs in Powershell:

Get-NetAdapter | select interfaceDescription, name, status, linkSpeed.

It also removes old versions.

Get-InstalledModule |%{if((get-module -listavailable -name $_.name).version -lt (find-module $_.name).version){update-module -name $_.name -force;Get-InstalledModule -name $_.name -allversions| where {$_.version -lt (get-installedmodule -name $_.name).version} | Uninstall-Module -force}}

From www.tbone.se/2023/02/27/update-your-windows-11-with-some-powerful-one-liners/

This method uses Powershell module PsWindowsUpdate.

1. Run this in administrative Powershell:

[Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [Net.SecurityProtocolType]::Tls12
Set-Executionpolicy RemoteSigned -Scope Process -Force
Install-PackageProvider -Name NuGet -Force -ErrorAction 'SilentlyContinue' > $null
Set-PSRepository -Name PSGallery -InstallationPolicy Trusted
If (Get-InstalledModule -Name PsWindowsUpdate -ErrorAction 'SilentlyContinue') {
	Update-Module -Name PSWindowsUpdate -Force
} Else {
	Install-Module -Name PSWindowsUpdate -Force
}
Import-Module PSWindowsUpdate

2. Then check the list of available updates:

Get-WindowsUpdate

3. The next step is to actually do the updates. There are good reasons and multiple methods to be careful. Alas, thus far, there does not appear to be a way to install updates a given number of days after release, e.g., 30, so as to give Microsoft time to respond to issues. Here is a glancing overview of what we do have:

Install-WindowsUpdate -NotCategory "Drivers","Service Packs","FeaturePacks" -NotTitle "preview" -AcceptAll 

Install-WindowsUpdate -NotCategory "Drivers","Service Packs","FeaturePacks" -NotTitle "preview" -AcceptAll -IgnoreReboot

Install-WindowsUpdate -AcceptAll -AutoReboot

Install-WindowsUpdate -NotKBArticleID KB1234567 -AcceptAll

Install-WindowsUpdate -NotKBArticleID KB1234567 -AcceptAll -IgnoreReboot

Install-WindowsUpdate -AcceptAll -NotKBArticleID "KB1234567,KB7654321"

Reset-WUComponents

Get-Command -Module PSWindowsUpdate

1. Open up an administrative Powershell. Run IPCONFIG /ALL. That will get you a list of active NICs. DNS in use, is set for each NIC if you have more than one.
2. The name of each NIC has a prefix that has to be omitted. There are a number of prefixes which are common. For a simple wired NIC, it’s usually “Ethernet Adapter”; on many HPE servers, IPCONFIG /ALL will therefore show the second NIC as Ethernet adapter Embedded LOM 1 Port 2.
3. So let’s say you have a LAN with three active DNS servers (10.11.12.13, 10.11.12.14, and 10.11.12.15), and you want your HPE server of the above description, with the first two NICs active, to use all of them. Here’s the Powershell commands:

Set-DnsClientServerAddress "Embedded LOM 1 Port 1" -ServerAddresses ("10.11.12.13","10.11.12.14","10.11.12.15")

Set-DnsClientServerAddress "Embedded LOM 1 Port 2" -ServerAddresses ("10.11.12.13","10.11.12.14","10.11.12.15")

4. For a second example, let’s say we’re on a common workstation, and we want to change DNS from a static setting, to whatever DHCP will pass out:

Set-DnsClientServerAddress "Ethernet" -ResetServerAddresses

Longstanding, works well unless BITS is corrupt:

Start-BitsTransfer -Source $URL -Destination $Path

On 1809 and up:

curl.exe -O $URL

A pure Powershell method:

(New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadFile($URL,$Path)

This removes all local admins from a machine’s Administrators group, except the built-in Administrator and “Domain Admins” if it’s on a domain.

$LocalDomain = $env:USERDOMAIN
$DomainAdmins = "$LocalDomain\Domain Admins"
$ComputerName = $env:COMPUTERNAME
$OEMAdministrator = "$ComputerName\Administrator"
Get-LocalGroupMember Administrators | ForEach-Object {
	$UserName = $_.Name
	"Found: $UserName"
	If (($UserName -ne $DomainAdmins) -and ($UserName -ne $OEMAdministrator)) {
		"Removing $UserName from local Administrators group."
		Remove-LocalGroupMember -Group Administrators -Member $UserName
		}
	""
}

If you see GPO policies get implemented and re-implemented even though the settings have been removed, or if it just doesn’t happen, try the following in administrative Powershell. These clear the GPO cache on the machine you’re looking at.

Remove-Item "$env:windir\system32\GroupPolicy" -Force -Recurse
Remove-Item "HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft" -Force -Recurse
Remove-Item "HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft" -Force -Recurse
Remove-Item "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy Objects" -Force -Recurse
Remove-Item "HKCU:\\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies" -Force -Recurse