Search OutlookPower's 9,088 Outlook and all-things-email article archive 
Home
EasyPrint
News details Click here for the RSS feed's XML code. This is not a browser URL.
Articles-only Click here for the RSS feed's XML code. This is not a browser URL.
Twitter Feed Click here for the Twitter feed.
THIS WEEK'S POWERTIP
BgInfo: an essential tool for server admins
By David Gewirtz

Have you ever used a piece of software for so long, you just took it for granted? I have. In fact, the one I've got in mind right now is even free. It's called BgInfo and it does one thing very well.

As shown in Figure A, BgInfo takes key system information and turns it into a background image for your computer.

FIGURE A


BgInfo takes key system information and turns it into a background image for your computer. Roll over picture for a larger image.

We use BgInfo on all our servers. We can tell, at a glance, the host name, when it booted, the CPU and speed, the default gateway, the DNS servers used, the IP address, the logon domain, the logon server name, the memory in the box, the OS version, the current service pack, and even the volumes and free space. As you can see in Figure B, you can configure it easily from a simple dialog that loads when you boot.

FIGURE B


BgInfo can be configured easily with lots of options. Roll over picture for a larger image.

We've stuck a copy of this on each of our servers. Then, very quickly, when switching between machines (especially since we use a KVM), we can easily see what machine we're dealing with. If you combine BgInfo with setting different background colors for each server, you've got a very quick way to keep track of a bunch of machines.

And, did I mention it was free?

Product availability and resources
For more information on BgInfo, visit http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897557.aspx. (revised link)
David Gewirtz is the author of How To Save Jobs and Where Have All The Emails Gone? For more than 20 years, he has analyzed current, historical, and emerging issues relating to technology, competitiveness, and policy. David is the Editor-in-Chief of the ZATZ magazines, is the Cyberterrorism Advisor for the International Association for Counterterrorism and Security Professionals, and is a member of the instructional faculty at the University of California, Berkeley extension. He can be reached at david@zatz.com and you can follow him at http://www.twitter.com/DavidGewirtz.


Other articles you might like
Get Weekly Email Updates
Subscribe to our regular weekly email newsletter. It's packed with tips, reviews, deep analysis, and the latest news.
 
Recent OutlookPower Articles
More about disappearing text
Removing an Office installation that doesn't want to go away
Using Office on more than one computer
How to fall back in love with your email
Where'd my To-Do Bar go?
Running auto-respond rules when Outlook is closed
Running rules when Outlook is closed
OutlookPower News Center
Typemock Launches Test Lint - for Unit Tests in Visual Studio 2010
AvePoint's DocAve Replicator SharePoint 2010 Beta
Microsoft's IE9 Browser: FAQ
Is Microsoft About to Declare Patent War on Linux?
Anti-virus suites still can't block Google China attack
Microsoft pushing Silverlight 4 for Windows Phone development
Zeus malware now has Windows-like piracy protection
>> Read all the news
More from the ZATZ journals
Computing Unplugged: The iPad defenders have spoken
David Gewirtz Online: CNN commentary and analysis
DominoPower: Application development, William Shatner, and the origin of the universe
-- Advertisement --

BLOGGING AND PODCASTING WITH ONE EASY-TO-USE TOOL
Now you can publish your thoughts, opinions, and comments in your own blog or podcast.

  • Supports multiple authors and multiple blogs or podcasts.
  • Generate and publish RSS feeds for iTunes and other directories.
  • Post photos, images or animations.
  • Get feedback and have conversations with visitors to your site.

Personalize your blog or podcast with your own unique domain name -- or integrate it with your existing site by setting it up as a subdomain.

Tap here and get blogging or podcasting within minutes.

-- Advertisement --

Five Email Mistakes You Should Avoid
Have you ever made any of these mistakes?

  • Forgotten to send an attachment you promised in a message
  • Replied-to-all, annoying everyone
  • Forgotten to Reply-to-All, annoying everyone
  • Sent emails using the wrong email account
  • Said something you oh-so-knew-better than to say

Send Guard can keep you looking good by saving you from yourself.

Tap here to download a fully-functional 30-day trial.

ZATZ Home  ·  News  ·  Back Issues  ·  Credits/Trademarks ·  Link To Us
The Power Magazine for Microsoft Outlook and Exchange Users at OutlookPower.com
Copyright © 1998-2010, ZATZ Publishing. All rights reserved worldwide.
Outlook is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Editor's Login