We have released130 script samples since we released the 100th sample last month! Our sample repository is growing quickly every month. The team closely monitors the entire TechNet forum platform, and customers’ support calls to Microsoft, and create automation script to ease those frequently asked IT tasks. We wish that the samples will save your time.
In this blog, we introduce 11 new samples, including 4 Windows 8 script samples; 7 Office 365 scripts sample. The scripts are written for solving frequently asked IT tasks that our team observed in the TechNet forums and Microsoft Support Incidents. Many customers are asking about these IT scenarios.
Windows 8 Script Samples
Script to create a custom Refresh Image in Windows 8
Download: SetRefreshImage.zip
Details: http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Script-to-create-a-custom-a6e8b4e8
Description: This PowerShell Script shows how to create custom refresh image.
User Scenarios: Windows refresh feature doesn’t allow you to create custom refresh points like Windows System Restore does. Instead, Refresh creates a Windows Installer Image to help it restore settings to default state. This script can do it.
Acknowledgement: Thanks Anders Wang (one of the PowerShell MVPs in All-In-One Script Framework Team) for the script idea and composing the script sample.
Change the Number of Tile Rows on the Start screen in Windows 8 (VBScript)
Download: ChangeNumberOfAppsTileRows (VBScript).zip
Details: http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Change-the-Number-of-Tile-cd9bcc1a
Description: This VBScript shows how to change the number of tile rows on the Start screen in Windows 8.
User Scenarios: By default, the number of rows for the tiles is fully dependent on the screen resolution or window size that fits on your Windows Screen. But sometimes the user wants to display a specific number of rows of tiles on the Start Screen that is not dependent on the screen size.
Acknowledgement: Thanks Anders Wang (PowerShell MVP) for the script idea and composing the script sample.
Delete invalid shortcut on the Start screen in Windows 8 (VBScript)
Download: RemoveInvaildShortcutOnStartScreen(VBScript).zip
Details: http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Delete-invalid-apps-bfb4b0c3
Description: This VBS Script shows how to remove invalid shortcut on the Start screen.
User Scenarios: Sometimes when you uninstall software on your computer, even though the software is uninstalled successfully, it leaves some shortcuts that were created behind in your computer. These shortcuts do not work as the related softwares are uninstalled. Perhaps you move a file or a folder to a different location, the shortcut to that file or folder becomes invalid as it still points to the earlier location.
Acknowledgement: Thanks Chao Ma for the script idea and composing the script sample.
Change background color of Windows 8 Start screen (VBScript)
Download: ChangeWin8StartScreenBackColor.zip
Details: http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Change-background-color-of-f70f4c41
Description: This sample shows how to change background color of a Windows 8 Start screen by using VBScript.
User Scenarios: IT administrators can use this script to adjust the background color of a Windows 8 Start screen for a group of computers to keep user experience consistent.
Acknowledgement: Thanks Huilin Zhu for collecting the script topic from frequently asked questions in TechNet Windows 8 forums. Zhi-Yi Guo wrote the script sample and Alan Olegario (PFE) reviewed it.
Office 365 Script Samples
Send Emails until a Designated Time in Office 365 Exchange Online
Download: SendOSCEXOMailMessage.zip
Details: http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Send-Emails-until-a-9cee20cf
Description: This script can send an email message with Office 365 Exchange Online. Also this script allows you to delay sending an email message.
User Scenarios: Microsoft Outlook has a feature that enables you to delay sending email messages. However, this feature is not available in the Outlook Web App (OWA). Therefore, in order to delay sending email messages for some business needs, you must find a workaround.
Acknowledgement: Thanks Greg Gu (one of the PowerShell MVPs in All-In-One Script Framework) for the script idea and composing the script sample.
Export Email Messages from OWA in Office 365 Exchange Online
Download: ExportOSCEXOEmailMessage.zip
Details: http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Export-Email-Messages-from-1419bbe9
Description: This script can export email messages from Outlook Web App to a specific folder. These email messages will be saved in .eml format. You need to find the email messages by using search folder.
User Scenarios: Microsoft Outlook allows you to export email messages very easily. However, this feature is not available in the Outlook Web App (OWA). Therefore, in order to export email messages from OWA, you must find a workaround.
Acknowledgement: Thanks Greg Gu (one of the PowerShell MVPs in All-In-One Script Framework) for the script idea and composing the script sample.
Set Email Signatures in Office 365 Exchange Online
Download: SetOSCEXOEmailSignature.zip
Details: http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Set-Email-Signatures-in-792587f5
Description: This script can set email signatures in Office 365 Exchange Online. You can change text signature and HTML signature.
User Scenarios: Microsoft Outlook enables you to change email signatures very easily. However, this feature is difficult to use in Outlook Web App (OWA). For example, it may be difficult to insert images as signatures. Therefore, in order to set email signatures in OWA, you must find a workaround.
Acknowledgement: Thanks Greg Gu for the script idea and composing the script sample.
Connect to Office 365 Exchange Online with Prerequisites Verification
Download: ConnectOffice365.zip
Details: http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Connect-to-Office-365-dd471880
Description: This script establishes a connection to Office 365 Exchange Online. Before establishing a connection, it checks the prerequisites that required by Office 365 Exchange Online.
User Scenarios: Nowadays, Office 365 administrators are required to remember a long command to establish a connection to Office 365 Exchange Online. It’s not easy to remember all the parameters clearly. It’s better to save that command in a Windows PowerShell script. Additionally, it’s worth to check all the prerequisites to help Office 365 administrators to troubleshoot the connection issues.
Acknowledgement: Thanks Greg Gu for the script idea and composing the script sample.
Set Calendar Permission in Office 365 Exchange Online
Download: SetOSCEXOCalendarFolderPermission.zip
Details: http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Set-Calendar-Permission-in-ad7cd4e6
Description: This script can set calendar permission in Office 365 Exchange Online. You can set permission, grant permission and revoke permission on one or multiple calendar folders by using this script.
User Scenarios: Currently, Add-MailboxFolderPermission only accepts single ID as the value of Identity parameter. It requires user to provide a full folder path, for example, "userid\Calendar\Calendar 01". It's inconvenient if you want to set permission on two or more calendar folders.
Acknowledgement: Thanks Greg Gu for the script idea and composing the script sample.
Retrieve Mailbox Folder and Subfolder Size in Office 365 Exchange Online
Download: GetOSCEXOMailboxFolderSize.zip
Details: http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Retrieve-Mailbox-Folder-227e7566
Description: This script can retrieve mailbox folder and subfolder size in Office 365 Exchange Online.
User Scenarios:
Most of you manage your mailbox by using folders. These folders are named with year or other name conventions. When the mailbox is almost full, you will try to archive or delete old email messages. But you found that it’s inconvenient to check the size of each folder in Outlook Web App (OWA). So you are trying to find a workaround to mitigate this problem.
Although, Office 365 administrators can use Get-MailboxFolderStatistics to help helpdesks to check the folder size. It's better to provide a script to reduce the support calls to these administrators in one company.
Acknowledgement: Thanks Greg Gu for the script idea and composing the script sample.
Bulk import the user information from CSV file
Download: ImportUsersFromCSVFile.zip
Details: http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Bulk-import-the-user-568abc5f
Description: This script can be used by an Office365 administrator to batch add user information from a CSV file.
User Scenarios: Sometimes an Office365 administrator must add many users to Microsoft Office365. For example, when an organization first uses Office365, they must import all members to the system.
Acknowledgement: Thanks Tony Zhang for the script idea and composing the script sample. Thank Mauricio Tamayo Ortega (Senior Consultant at Microsoft) for reviewing the script sample.