Remotely Remove IIS via the Command Line Using PsExec and Sysocmgr.exe

IIS components can be manually removed the with the Add/Remove Programs>>Add/Remove Windows Components tool in Control Panel, or they can be uninstalled from the command line with a little script Kung-Fu. Several Windows components can be added/removed using this same technique by modifying the answer file.

Here's the syntax:

psexec \\TARGETMACHINENAME –u DOMAINNAME\%username% sysocmgr /i:%windir%\inf\sysoc.inf /u:"\\path\to\share\IIS_REMOVE-unattended.txt" /r /q

Here are the contents of the IIS_REMOVE-unattended.txt answer file - I've chosen to remove only 3 relevant components of IIS:

[Components]
iis_common = OFF
iis_www = OFF
iis_inetmgr = OFF

Here's what execution looks like:


Running
sysocmgr /?
from Start>>Run will display the available parameters for the tool.

50.7 cents per GB - WD External 2.5" USB-Powered Drive - WDMLZ3200CN

The going rate for consumer storage is $0.20/GB or less you say? Why pay so much?



Ah, but that's in 3.5" internal SATA drives. Once you're able to fit 320GB(298GB as reported by Windows) in a coat pocket without needing an additional bulky power adapter to lug around, you'll see the instant appeal of such a device.

Make sure you get one with a carrying case - which is to say - you'll likely buy the Western Digital My Passport™ Elite™ from Costco.

Starting today there is $30 off coupon in the Costco mailer on a 2.5" external 320GB drive(298GB as reported by Windows OS) - I spent $151.12 including tax today for mine. Comes with a carrying case and an LED capacity gauge on the side that lights up to indicate remaining capacity - 320gb of portable goodness.

You can sometimes ask the Customer Service desk at the warehouse for coupons if you don't have the mailer.

Otherwise you'll pay right around $160.95 to purchase online from Costco.

The device comes formatted as FAT32, which doesn't support files larger tha 4GB(2 ³²−1 bytes to be more precise), so format it with NTFS - that'll work with the latest *NIX & Windows OSes.

Disclaimer: I like Costco quite a bit.

Using Floola and Media Monkey with the iPod Nano(iTunes Fails to Grant Joy)

I purchased a 3rd generation 8GB Nano for $187 & change(not including tax) at my local wholesale warehouse(Costco). I was excited to load several files on to the device for my wife so that she could immediately begin to use it for her birthday. I spoke with a friend who already had the files(hymns and religious talks freely available for personal use from LDS.ORG) loaded on his iPod, and I naively suggested that we copy the files from his device(an older iPod) to the newly purchased gift for my wife. My buddy grinned and explained why copying files from one iPod to another might be difficult and/or undesirable due to limitations of the Apple iTunes software. I understood that Apple would want to maintain a tight grip on their DRM business model, but files that are not distributed by Apple shouldn't be subject to these Apple restrictions, as the use of said files is governed by the author or copyright holder, in this case a company called Intellectual Reserve.

Even though the copyright holder had specifically designated the files as freely copyable and redistributable for personal use, iTunes limits the number of times files may be copied from one device to another, or from a library to a device.

I ended up using a program called Floola to copy the files from my buddy's Mac Mini(not directly from his iPod) to my wife's Nano. Floola is multi-platform and can run directly from an iPod, so I copied the Windows(a standalone executable FLOOLA.EXE) and the Mac(a DMG file) versions to the Nano.

Steps:

1. Installed iTunes 7.4.3 from http://oldversion.com to my wife's PC and copied an album in MP3 format I had previously purchased from allofmp3.com to the iPod Nano using iTunes.
2. Copied Mac & Windows versions of Floola to the iPod Nano & tested adding/deleting tracks - worked fine.
3. Uninstalled iTunes from wife's PC.
4. Went to Buddy's house, plugged in wife's iPod Nano and launched OS X version of Floola directly from the Nano.
5. Used Floola to copy files from buddy's Mac Mini hard drive to wife's iPod Nano.
   
6. Closed Floola, Disconnected Nano from buddy's Mac Mini.
7. Verified that the files now existed on wife's iPod Nano.
8. Returned home.
   
9. Installed Media Monkey on Wife's PC as a replacement for iTunes, showed my wife how to use it in 20 minutes.

While the iTunes interface seems simple to use I really don't see the point in forcing Apple licensing limitations to media I already have the right to use. In my mind iTunes is crippleware because it restricts the playback, management, and transfer of media I already have the right to use and redistribute.

Additional Cons/gripes against the iPod Nano:

• $187 for only 8GB of capacity seems too expensive - that's less than 2 DVD-Rs of storage.
• The included USB sync cable is very thin - since the cable is used for charging(power) as well as data transfer and lacks additional shielding the transfer rate is likely compromised.
• Is my sweetie really gonna watch video on this tiny screen? Rarely, if ever. A monochrome screen with 32GB of storage capacity would be much preferred, allowing for storage of many more audio files.
• Having to pay $30 to install an after market protective cover(InvisibleShield) because the device so easily gets scratched.

Pros:

• Small & light, bright display with good contrast.
• The wheel on the Nano provides a smooth interface. I wonder how often it'll get used by my wife since she's using playlists, though. It's a simple matter to find a playlist on any media player and hit play.