Reference Information › Command Line Shell Reference Guide › Shell Commands › Utilities › wincfg: Windows Configuration Utility

wincfg: Windows Configuration Utility

This section contains the following topics:

Overview

Windows Server 2008 SID

Overview

The wincfg utility makes it easy for CA AppLogic users to change the SID, Computer Name and Maintainer password for a running Windows appliance from the CA AppLogic command line shell. wincfg starts the application that contains the appliance if it is not already started.

• The NewSID utility is no longer provided by Sysinternals. Visit the following websites to read further.
  • http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897418.aspx
  • http://blogs.technet.com/markrussinovich/archive/2009/11/03/3291024.aspx
• It is assumed that the targeted Windows appliance has the NewSID utility installed in it for the purpose of changing the SID (wincfg prompts the user to download and install NewSID into their Windows appliance). You may obtain NewSID from a source known to you, or use either of the following alternate sources:
  • http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/NewSID-Download-41001.html
  • http://download.chip.eu/en/NewSID-4.1_163115.html
• The appliance must have ssh access enabled through the default interface (typically ssh access is through port 22; enabling the windows firewall may block port 22 by default).

Configure a Windows appliance

Syntax

util wincfg name=<app_name:comp_name> admin_pw=<password>
computer_name=<new_name> --newsid [-s] --yes [-y]

Options

name=app_name:comp_name

Name of appliance to configure in the form application_name:component_name

computer_name=name

New computer name of the appliance

admin_pw=-

The password can be set either directly, by supplying the password string on the command line, or typed to a 'shadow-display' password prompt that does not reveal the entered characters. The shadow entry option is selected by using a single '-' character as the password, that is, admin_pw=-. The admin_pw=- option should ALWAYS be used to prevent others from potentially seeing the password by hitting the up arrow key.

--newsid or -s

Change the SID of the appliance, or enable a new SID for the Windows appliance.

--yes or -y

Answer yes to all questions.

Examples

util wincfg name=tst-windows:main.WIN03S computer_name=WIN03TST 

Change Computer Name of the Windows appliance to WIN03TST

util wincfg name=tst-windows:main.WIN03S admin_pw=- 

Change Maintainer password for the Windows appliance.

util wincfg name=tst-windows:main.WIN03S --newsid 

Change SID for the Windows appliance

util wincfg name=tst-windows:main.WIN03S computer_name=WIN03TST admin_pw=- 

Change Computer Name and Maintainer password for the Windows appliance.

util wincfg name=tst-windows:main.WIN03S computer_name=WIN03TST --newsid 

Change Computer Name and SID of the Windows appliance.

util wincfg name=tst-windows:main.WIN03S admin_pw=- --newsid 

Change Maintainer password and SID of the Windows appliance.

util wincfg name=tst-windows:main.WIN03S computer_name=WIN03TST admin_pw=- --newsid 

Change Computer Name and SID of the Windows appliance.

Notes

• wincfg is invoked in the command line shell using util wincfg. Online help is displayed using help util wincfg.
• The option --yes or -y can be added to answer yes to all questions.
• If the application was stopped before the command was executed, then wincfg will ask if the application should be started.
  • If the answer is yes, then the application is started and the required changes are made. After the appliance is restarted for the changes to take effect, the user is asked if the application should be kept running or shut down.
  • If the answer is no, then wincfg performs no action and returns success.
• For the new SID or computer name changes to take effect the appliance needs to be restarted. Once wincfg changes any of these properties, it will ask the user if it wants to restart the appliance.
  • If the user answers no, then it is up to the user the restart the appliance.
  • If the user answers yes, the appliance is restarted.
• If the application is running and the appliance is stopped, the user is asked whether the appliance should be started.
  • If the answer is yes, the appliance is started, the changes are applied and the user is asked whether the appliance should be left running or shut down
  • If the answer is no, wincfg performs no action and returns success.
• If the --newsid is specified, ensure that the appliance contains the NewSID zip archive.

Warning:

• While entering admin_pw, we suggest that you use admin_pw=- option. Entering the password as clear text in the command line poses a security threat.

Windows Server 2008 SID

You can not use the wincfg utility to change the computer SID on Windows Server 2008 based appliances. Use Microsoft's sysprep to change the SID of Windows Server 2008 based appliances. For more information, see the following websites:

• http://www.brajkovic.info/windows-server-2008/windows-server-2008-r2/how-to-change-sid-on-windows-7-and-windows-server-2008-r2-using-sysprep/

Changing the computer SID with sysprep also restores the OS's Out-of-Box Experience. Many system properties and settings are restored to their defaults.

If you use sysprep to change the SID on a Windows appliance that has Cygwin installed (included in all of the Windows appliance MSI's distributed with CA AppLogic), then update the Cygwin environment to reflect the change to the computer SID as follows:

1. After executing sysprep, restart the appliance using the --debug option (Otherwise, the start operation may fail because the sshd service fails to start).
2. Login to the desktop of the appliance and open a Cygwin Bash shell. Execute the following commands in the shell:

   chmod 777 /etc/passwd
   

   Verifies that the passwd file is writable.

   mkpasswd -l -c > /etc/passwd
   

   Regenerates a passwd file from system users (include new computer SID).

   sed -i -e 's/^Administrator:/root:/' /etc/passwd
   

   Changes Administrator to root.

   chmod 777 /var/log/sshd.log
   

   Verifies that the sshd log file is writable.

   chown -R sshd_server.None /var/empty
   

   Verifies that the directory where sshd stores session files is writable.

   chown sshd_server.None /etc/ssh*
   

   Verifies the correct ownership of sshd configuration files.

   chmod 600 /etc/ssh*
   

   Verifies correct permissions.

   chmod 770 /home/Administrator
   

   Verifies correct permissions.

   cygrunsrv --start sshd
   

   Starts the sshd service. It should start without any errors.

Note: On Windows 2008 64-bit systems, the sysprep utility may fail to execute with a fatal error. In this case, execute the 'mountvol/e" command from the Command window and reboot. Perform the sysprep launch procedure again.