Windows XP - Microsoft Documentation
Windows Command Reference - Windows 7/2008.AppDeploy - Deploy/Install Applications
CommandLine - Batch File examples and Utilities
FP Schultze - Batch files
Live.com Safety Scan - free protection & clean up
Smithii - Scripts to slipstream a Windows XP boot disk + Security fixes
OldNewThing - Raymond Chen
Rob van der Woude.com - Batch files, VBS
Timo Salmi - Useful script tricks and tips
Steve Hardy - NT/2K command line scripting
Rick Lively - Commands for every version of Windows and DOS
List of TCP and UDP port numbers
Many resource kit tools and utilities will run successfully on earlier versions of Windows. However Active Directory and NTFS have changed significantly over the years so I recommended you only use the tools supported for your platform.
Windows 7 Resource Kit
By Mitch Tulloch, Tony Northrup & Jerry Honeycutt
1,700 pages, Deploy, Manage, Maintain and Troubleshoot. Example VBS and PowerShell scripts, sample chapter (PDF.)Windows 7 Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) - Free Download (also: Active Directory Domain Services Tools)
Windows 7 Home > Professional upgrade - Allows Win XP applications to run.
Windows Server 2008 Resource Kit - April 2008
By Microsoft Corp
4,000 pages + DVD with more than 200 essential tools and scripts.Sysinternals Suite - The Sysinternals Troubleshooting Utilities, including psTools, rolled up into a single download (12mb).
Windows XP Resource Kit (3rd edition XP/Sp2, March 2005)
By Microsoft Corp
Technical Documentation plus the essential Tools and Utilities for administering both Windows XP and 2003 Server
Windows 2003 Resource Kit (July 2005)
By Microsoft Corp
Seven volume documentation set, Tools and Utilities plus searchable e-books.
Contains: Windows Internals, Group Policy guide, Security Resource Kit, Performance Guide, Troubleshooting Guide, Registry Guide, Administrator's Automation Toolkit.The resource kit tools for XP and 2003 are also available as a free download: Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools - New tools in the download include some neat group policy tools and an updated RoboCopy.
Windows 2003 Administration Tools - Remotely manage computers
Account Lockout Status (LockoutStatus.exe) - display lockout information for a particular user account.
File Checksum Integrity Verifier (FCIV) - Compute and verify cryptographic hash values for files.
Windows XP SP2 Support Tools - Support Tools can be found on the Windows install CD
Uninstall any existing support tools before installing the update above. This will update bitsadmin.exe, extract.exe, httpcfg.exe, iadstools.dll, ipseccmd.exe, netdom.exe, replmon.exeWindows 2000 Resource Kit Tools, free download.
NT 4 ResKit + Update + Q234968 for errata.
Other Toolkits:
Group Policy Management Console SP1 & Group Policy Object Settings spreadsheet
XP Power Toys and Tweak UI - add fun and functionality to Windows (unsupported)
Account Lockout and Management Tools - Troubleshoot account lockouts, add functionality to Active Directory.
Windows NT Shell Scripting
by Tim Hill.
First published in 1998 so no mention of VBS or Powershell, despite this it's still a solid introduction to writing batch files under Windows.
Windows Command-Line Administrator's Pocket Consultant
by William R. Stanek
Core tools and techniques for managing Windows Server 2003 and XP professional systems
Use command-line tools to manage multiple clients and servers. Examples cover the built-in Windows commands plus support tools and the Resource Kit.
Windows 7: The Definitive Guide
by William R Stanek
990 pages. The how and why of Windows 7 - Setup & boot environment, management & security, customization, advanced tips & techniques.
Mark Minasi's Mastering Windows Server 2008
by Mark Minasi.
Comprehensive and understandable guide. Improve the performance and manageability of your network.
minasi.com
Group Policy, Profiles, and IntelliMirror for Windows 2003, 2000, and XP (Third edition)
by Jeremy Moskowitz
Group Policy, Active Directory, Local, Roaming, and Mandatory profiles, Group Policy Software Installation, examples of scripting complex operations.
Also see - Recommended VBScript Books
SysInternals - Microsoft System utilities.
Joeware.net - Admin, AD and Exchange tools.
Nirsoft Utilities
Bamboo Software - Scheduled Tasks and other command line utils.
Console 2 - Front end for the CMD and or PowerShell (review)
CommandLine.co.uk - Useful tools (free Win32 utilities - mostly console)
Frank P. Westlake (mirror) - Free NT, XP and Vista console utilities.
Alexander Frink - NT Security Utils, Logoff, Change password
OptimumX - Utilities by Marty List
Bill Stewart - Batch script and Windows admin tools (TrueLast LogonTime)
FastCopy - An alternative to RoboCopy
System Tools - Dump Event Log, Registry or Security info
Guillaume Bordier - Free utilities
Cygwin - Linux-like environment for Windows, tutorial: 1, 2, 3
unxutils - Port of unix utilities to run under the CMD shell
xCMD - Execute applications on remote systems (like PsExec)
Agent Ransack - File Search (search all file types)
AnalogX - Screen capture, Terminal Server copy, etc
Autohotkey - Automate keystrokes, mouse clicks.
AutoIT - GUI scripting
Classic Shell - Classic start menu for Windows 7
Console2 - a front-end for your existing shell(s), cmd, powershell etc.
CPU-Z - gather information on system devices
CreativeDocs - Vector Graphic Design
Dban - Darik's Boot and Nuke, a boot CD that securely wipes hard disks.
OCS Inventory - Open Source System Management
Filezilla - FTP
Find And Replace Text - Grep-like utility by Lionello Lunesu
Flash uninstall - To allow a full 'clean' reinstall
FlashBlock - Content-filtering extension for Firefox
Inkscape - Vector Graphics (Illustrator)
imgburn.com - Free CD/DVD/Blu-ray burner
isoRecorder - Burn iso image to bootable CD
Lost NT password
MakeMSI - Build Windows Installer files.
MalwareBytes - Anti Malware, run in safe mode with system restore turned off.
Malware ComboFix - Scan and clean malware infections.
Ninite - Automate software installations and updates.
nLite - pre-installation Windows configuration
NTFS undelete - undelete files
nu2/Barts Bootable CDs - Admin/Recovery
Trinity Rescue Kit - Recovery and repair of Windows machines
Microsoft Application Compatibility and User Account Control (UAC)
Netikus - Password, Ping, FTP, event log alerts.
Poor Mans SMS - scan a pre defined IP range and list installed software
PuTTY - Free Telnet/SSH Client
Sumatra - PDF viewer
SyncBack - GUI Backup and synchronize files
SyncToy - Synchronize files and folders
TribbleSoft - Easy Robocopy (GUI)
UnDelete - Diskeeper
USB install for Windows 7 - Copy iso images to a bootable USB stick
WinMerge - open source WinDiff
VirtualDub - Process/Edit .AVI files
VMWare - Free
Wink - Capture screenshots/video, add help text
Microsoft Steady State - Free - Lock down Windows XP/Vista, for shared computers
Zero Assumption Recovery - data recovery
Related
Usenet - cmd shell
SS64 - Windows CMD discussion Forum
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