Hack 40 Change WINS for All Enabled Adapters

Changing WINS settings on client machines can be a pain when you have to move your WINS servers. This hack makes it easier .

If you are using WINS as a name -resolution method (typically in a mixed NT/2000 environment) and have to change your WINS serversfor example, when you install a new WINS serveryou have to reconfigure WINS settings on all your client computers. If you are using DHCP, you can configure the 044 WINS/NBNS Servers option on your DHCP servers to provide client computers with new WINS servers addresses, but this requires releasing and renewing DHCP leases on all your clients .

Here's another approach you can use. The following script changes the WINS server settings on client machines and is useful when you install new WINS servers and need to change your WINS server settings on workstations across the board. Note that the script also works on multihomed machines (machines that have two or more network adapters).

The Code

Type the following code into Notepad (with Word Wrap disabled) and save it with a .vbs extension as ChangeWINS.vbs :

 Option Explicit  On Error Resume Next  Dim objLocator, objService, NIC  Dim strComputer, strUsername, strPassword  Dim strWINS1, strWINS2  Dim intErr  strComputer = "."  strUsername = ""  strPassword = ""  strWINS1 = "172.16.1.122"  strWINS2 = "172.16.1.132"  Set objLocator = CreateObject("WbemScripting.SWbemLocator")  Set objService = objLocator.ConnectServer(strComputer, "root/cimv2", & strUsername,  strPassword)  objService.Security_.impersonationlevel = 3  For Each NIC In objService.ExecQuery("Select * from Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration  Where IPEnabled=True")  WScript.Echo "Nic Index: " & NIC.index  WScript.Echo "Current Settings"  WScript.Echo "Primary Wins Server: " & NIC.WINSPrimaryServer  WScript.Echo "Secondary Wins Server: " & NIC.WINSSecondaryServer  intErr = NIC.SetWinsServer(strWINS1, strWINS2)  If intErr <> 0 Then Wscript.Echo "Error changing WINS"  Next  Set objService = Nothing  Set objLocator = Nothing 

Running the Hack

To run this hack, you first have to customize it. For example, if your primary WINS server is 10.0.0.15 and your secondary server is 10.0.0.16, change these lines:

 strWINS1 = "172.16.1.122"  strWINS2 = "172.16.1.132" 

to this:

 strWINS1 = "  10.0.0.15  "  strWINS2 = "  10.0.0.16  " 

Then, create a shortcut to the script and double-click on the shortcut to run the script. This will refresh your computer's WINS settings.

Rod Trent