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    When I set up my Windows Home Server, I was somewhat distressed that I was going to have to go around to each computer on my network and add the usernames for each account. Perhaps a feature to include would be the functionality to retrieve usernames/passwords from the local machines, perhaps even displaying a list and allowing an administrator to select the users that they wish to import.

     

    Another thing that came to me, although somewhat unrelated, has to do with other Windows installers. I recently upgraded my Media Player to version 11, and it told me that System Restore was turned off (I do my backups through the console now, and see little or no need for System Restore) - perhaps when installing applications that come up with warnings like this one, the installer could check to see if backups to a WHS were being performed before nagging about a simple issue like this one.

    Monday, July 9, 2007 5:19 PM

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     Aaron Dyck wrote:

    When I set up my Windows Home Server, I was somewhat distressed that I was going to have to go around to each computer on my network and add the usernames for each account. Perhaps a feature to include would be the functionality to retrieve usernames/passwords from the local machines, perhaps even displaying a list and allowing an administrator to select the users that they wish to import.

    Another thing that came to me, although somewhat unrelated, has to do with other Windows installers. I recently upgraded my Media Player to version 11, and it told me that System Restore was turned off (I do my backups through the console now, and see little or no need for System Restore) - perhaps when installing applications that come up with warnings like this one, the installer could check to see if backups to a WHS were being performed before nagging about a simple issue like this one.


    Not a good idea. Let's NOT turn WHS into a hacking tool where people can plug WHS into a network and get  list of users and passwords.

    I don't think WMP11 is supported, even if it does install. I also don't think they're going to change all of the installers to check for WHS details.

    Monday, July 9, 2007 6:03 PM
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    Retrieving users from client PCs isn't too difficult. Retrieving passwords is, umm, otherwise. There are tools that can crack passwords stored in the SAM database, but I'm unaware of any Windows API calls that will do the same thing.

    Sorry...
    Monday, July 9, 2007 7:30 PM
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    Having System Restore on gives you more security - don't shoot yourself in the foot, remember that WHS is not release software yet.

     

    I think WiMP 11 telling you that System Restore is off is a) impressive b) very sensible, sorry!

    Tuesday, July 10, 2007 12:47 AM
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    Suffice it to say that, yes, there is a security issue with retrieving passwords. Perhaps, however, a dialog box that lists all user names on all systems, including a breakdown of each system that contains that username. Or something along these lines. I have purchased several computers over the past years, and each one of them has logins that are for that machine. Only recently have I started to network these machines and as such I have no standardisation. It would be very handy to show which PC has which usernames, and perhaps even a remote console to administer the local users for each machine. Barring that, having roaming profiles would be nice too, although I don't expect that outside of a domain!
    Wednesday, July 11, 2007 4:13 PM
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     Aaron Dyck wrote:
    Suffice it to say that, yes, there is a security issue with retrieving passwords. Perhaps, however, a dialog box that lists all user names on all systems, including a breakdown of each system that contains that username. Or something along these lines. I have purchased several computers over the past years, and each one of them has logins that are for that machine. Only recently have I started to network these machines and as such I have no standardisation. It would be very handy to show which PC has which usernames, and perhaps even a remote console to administer the local users for each machine. Barring that, having roaming profiles would be nice too, although I don't expect that outside of a domain!


    You don't need WHS to tell you local users nor what's on it because you have the actual machine, just look on each PC. Write them down if you're not using the WHS connector or RDP to setup new users.
    Wednesday, July 11, 2007 6:25 PM
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     SME wrote:

    You don't need WHS to tell you local users nor what's on it because you have the actual machine, just look on each PC. Write them down if you're not using the WHS connector or RDP to setup new users.
    True, I don't need WHS to tell me local users, but it would be convenient. I am suggesting this, not saying it's a quirk or a bug. I am saying that it would simplify my life, as an end user. Granted, not everyone feels this way, and I respect your opinion (I have read a great number of your posts). If I had installed Home Server first (prior to any of my PCs) I would not need to retrieve all of these usernames. That said, I have not re-installed a Microsoft OS in years. I have three computers (other than the server) that run MS products actively, as well as a couple of Linux boxes. The linux boxes are more of a curiosity than anything else, and as such do get re-installed. Perhaps a truly professional implementation of WHS would include me ghosting all of my machines with a standardized set of users. Unfortunately for me, the wife would never go for that - she is too attached to the settings she has on her laptop and the shared desktop, and even at the suggestion of the word 'format' she cringes. Even if, during the initial setup, WHS ran a routine to ask if you want to import usernames from PCs as they are connected, and even set them up on the server as disabled accounts, allowing me to choose which ones to activate, it would be nice. Once again, I am merely suggesting that this is a convenience for me, and is not something that would necessarily be useful to everyone.
    Wednesday, July 11, 2007 9:14 PM
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     Crash2975 wrote:

    Having System Restore on gives you more security - don't shoot yourself in the foot, remember that WHS is not release software yet.

     

    I think WiMP 11 telling you that System Restore is off is a) impressive b) very sensible, sorry!

     

    Very true. I personally have had System Restore disabled for quite some time, as I do all of my trouble-shooting the old-fashioned way (regedits, Add/Remove programs, etc.), and rarely run into issues with this. I feel that the hard drive space can be better utilized elsewhere. That said, I agree that it is both impressive and sensible for Media Player to tell me that System Restore is off, you are correct on these. I would like to retract this portion of my comment. My decision to not use System Restore is one that I have come to myself, and not everyone agrees. I do, however, love the backup feature of WHS, although I hope to never need it!

    Wednesday, July 11, 2007 9:17 PM