Software inventory

Task: find out on how many machines Excel 2000 is installed.

Basically, what all is about is this:

·	Collect data from a number of machines

·	Use the filter to find matching strings

There are several places to search for an installed application:

·	The registry

·	The program directory

·	The file associations

·	The desktop items

·	The start menu

·	"Add/remove programs" in the control panel

Registry example

First of all we need to know what to look for; we must examine a machine where we know that the software in question is installed:

·	Click the Windows start button, select run and start regedit.

·	Open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

·	Open the SOFTWARE key

·	As you see, each vendor got its own key. Now open the Microsoft key.

·	Press CTRL+F for find, enter the string "excel".

·	There are a number of keys (press F3 to find next), but finally you will find the key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Excel".

·	A good guess is now, that if Excel 2000 is installed on a machine, there are a key named "Excel" under ""HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\9.0\".

Now we know what to look for, time to start AdmWin.

·	In order to use NTinfo to read from the registry we must create an "Aux" section:

[Aux_Begin]
Enumerate.Registry.Keys HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE; SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\9.0; SOFT
[Aux_End]

·	Copy the above code to the page labeled "SetupBatcher & NTreport".

·	Go to the page labeled "NTinfo", select domain, check the [Auxiliary] box and click "Scan".

·	Click Filter, enter Column "3" "=" "*excel*" as the first criteria, click "Filter".

·	All rows with the string "excel" in the third column will be displayed.

Program directory example

·	Use the AUX section to run a DOS dir command, see the NTreport example Search the program directory on all NT machines in a domain for folders with the string "Netscape", "ftp" or "ICQ" in the name (yes you should search for "Excel" instead).

·	Version 6.04 and later: use the File finder.

Associations example

·	Select domain, check the Associations box and click "Scan".

·	Excel creates files with the extension .xls so that's a good thing to search for.

·	Click Filter, enter Column "4" "=" "*xls*" as the first criteria, click "Filter".

·	All rows with the string 'xls" in the fourth column will be displayed.

Start menu example

·	Select machines / domains to search. Check the "Start menu files" box. Click "Scan".

·	Click Filter, enter Column "4" "=" "*excel*" as the first criteria, click "Filter".

·	All rows with the string "excel" in the fourth column will be displayed.

Control panel > add/remove programs example

·	Select machines / domains to search. Check the "Programs" box. Click "Scan".

·	Click Filter, enter Column "3" "=" "*excel*" (or "*office*") as the first criteria, click "Filter".

·	All rows with the string "excel" (or "office") in the third column will be displayed.