Send Text and Email to User from Task Sequence

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Bonus: Learn to use Gmails SMTP service.

Updated 1/31/2019 – Updated Script to work independently of XAML Form, you can use the last script to send text / email by running the script and using arguments: SendTextEmail.ps1 -UserEmail gwblok@garytown.com -UserCell 6512015555 -UserCellProvider Verizon

Updated 3/6/2018 – added auto close feature, so if user ignores the window, it will auto close allowing the TS to continue. (Updated the 3rd Form image below to reflect the change)

Or if some of you awesome PowerShell guys want to make my code pretty and add that feature…  🙂

As I try to improve the user experience for in-place upgrades, notifications came to mind, and how to incorporate that into the process.  Using the TS variable _SMSTSUserStarted = true, I launch a powershell driven “front end” to collect the user’s email, cell number & provider, then use that to notify user when process is complete.

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ConfigMgr Client Provisioning Mode

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Update 8/14/2019 – SEE MORE INFO AT BOTTOM… – MS created official Docs for Prov Mode & 1902 pulls machines out of Prov Mode automatically after 48 hours – Docs HERE

Update 8/3/2018 – With ConfigMgr 1806, The client no longer goes into Provisioning Mode if you run a Compatibility Scan.  Confirmed in my lab!

Update 3/15/2018 – Ran several more tests to learn what actions are available to run during Provisioning mode.  Scroll to bottom for updates.

Original Post:

I’ve been doing a lot of testing with Provisioning Mode.  I needed to know what was going on when a system was in provisioning mode.

Quick Overview of what works and what is difference. (As I continue testing, I’ll continue to update this list)

  1. Works Normally
    1. Software Center
      1. Lists all Deployments available & required it knew about before entering provisioning mode
      2. Can Install any of those by clicking “Install”
    2. ConfigMgr Control Panel
      1. You can still trigger actions, or change cache size
        1. By Triggering Actions, you can get deployments to install if they are past deadline
  2. Differences
    1. Policy doesn’t update Automatically
    2. Does NOT report to CM (Inventory)
    3. Does NOT run Required Deployments automatically once deadline hits.

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BGIn-Place Upgrades

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I thought that was a clever title, but it seems more confusing the longer I look at it… anyway, this is the follow up post to take BGinfo from MDT, and add it’s capabilities to the ConfigMgr In-Place Upgrade Task Sequence Process.  If you’ve been working with in-place upgrade task sequences, you’ll know they are a different beast than regular OSD.  You can’t just call an application and expect it to show up on the screen.. like in OSD, you can say Command Line Step: notepad.exe… and guess what, a notepad.exe window opens during the TS.. freaking amazing!

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BGinfo Updating MDT Default Templates

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If you use MDT, then you’re familiar with their use of changing the background and adding system information during the OSD process.  This is pretty handy to get some basic info, but with a little tweaking, you can add additional data that can be very useful to make visible during OSD.

Basics, the required files used during this process are stored here: MDT Package\Tools\x64 & x86

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ConfigMgr Lab – Adding Ninite Apps

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So you have a Personal ConfigMgr lab, but you want to add some app deployments to better simulate your actual environment.  So you add Chrome, Reader, and a couple others (NOT JAVA).  Next Month, they are out of date.  You probably don’t have time to keep your personal lab app deployments updated, so you keep deploying old versions.  How about, you leverage ninite.com’s ability to dynamically install the latest version of the app every time?  Now you’re asking, “Isn’t the command line version that supports silent install cost money?”  Yes, yes, it does, to use ninite’s silent install, you need the Pro version.  What, you don’t want to pay for pro when it’s your personal lab?  I hear you.  Powershell to the rescue!  It doesn’t make it completely silent, but it will allow you to automate it to work with the ConfigMgr App Model during OSD and Post OSD.

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