How to convert SID to username and username to SID

PsGetSid makes reading a computer's SID easy, and works across the network so that you can query SIDs remotely. PsGetSid also lets you see the SIDs of user accounts and translate a SID into the name that represents it.

Usage: psgetsid [\\computer[,computer[,...] | @file] [-u username [-p password]]] [account|SID]

If you want to see a computer's SID just pass the computer's name as a command-line argument. If you want to see a user's SID, name the account (e.g. "administrator") on the command-line and an optional computer name.

Specify a user name if the account you are running from doesn't have administrative privileges on the computer you want to query. If you don't specify a password as an option PsGetSid will prompt you for one so that you can type it in without having it echoed to the display.

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Tags: Active Directory, Windows XP, Windows Server 2000, Windows Server 2003

Published Date: 20070905

How to get detailed hardware information of HP / Compaq server

HP / compaq servers generally have the survey / hpdiags utility installed in %system drive%\hp\hpdiags folder. This utility generates a detailed system information file and can be very useful for many diagnostic and inventory purposes.

1. Run the hpdiags.exe utility and it would generate a survey%Date%%Time%.xml file. (This survey file can be quite cryptic and I generally use the following commands to make it a readable html file.)

2. Copy the surveyxxxx.xml file and survey.xsl file to your computer.

3. Download msxsl.exe from microsoft.com

4. Run the command msxsl.exe <input_file.xml> survey.xsl -o <outpul_file.html>at the command prompt. Give fully qualified path names wherever necessary.

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Tags: Windows XP, Windows Server 2000, Windows Server 2003

Published Date: 20070905

Do I have local admin rights?

Find out how in three mouse clicks (or two keys plus a mouse click)....

1. Click 1: Right-Click My Computer

2. Click 2: Select Properties

3. Click 3: Select the "Computer Name" tab

If the "Change" box is available, you're a local administrator. If it's greyed out, you're not. It's that simple.

So as to combine one tip into two, if you didn't know, you could change Clicks 1 and 2 above with 2 keyboard hits: Windows Key + Break.

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Tags: Windows XP, Windows Server 2000, Windows Server 2003

Published Date: 20070905