WMI

The Ultimate Server Audit: Deep-Dive Inventory to Excel (VBScript) | Lazy Admin Blog

Posted on March 22, 2026 Updated on April 15, 2026

If you are facing a massive compliance audit or a data center migration, “basic” info isn’t enough. You need to know exactly what is under the hood: What roles are active? How much disk space is actually left? What random software was installed three years ago?

This VBScript is a one-stop-shop. It checks network connectivity and then scrapes WMI and the Registry to build a massive, multi-column Excel report.

What this Script Collects:

Hardware: Manufacturer, Model, CPU Type, and RAM (converted to GB).
OS Details: Version, Caption, and the exact Installation Date.
Storage: Total Size vs. Free Space (with a Red-Alert highlight if space is < 20%).
Network: DHCP status, IP, Subnet, and Gateway.
Software & Roles: Every Windows Server Role/Feature and every application listed in the Registry’s Uninstall key (including version and install date).

Preparation

Directory: Create C:\Temp on your local machine.
Input: Create a file named ServerList.txt in C:\Temp with your server names (one per line).
Excel: Ensure Microsoft Excel is installed.

The Script: Server_Inventory.vbs

' Save as Server_Inventory.vbs in C:\Temp
' lazyadminblog.com - Ultimate Inventory Script
On Error Resume Next 
dtmDate = Date
strMonth = Month(Date)
strDay = Day(Date)
strYear = Right(Year(Date),2)
strFileName = "C:\Temp\ServerInventory_" & strMonth & "-" & strDay & "-" & strYear & ".xls"
Set objExcel = CreateObject("Excel.Application") 
objExcel.Visible = True 
objExcel.Workbooks.Add 
Set fso1 = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject") 
Set pcfile = fso1.OpenTextFile("C:\Temp\ServerList.txt",1) 
Wscript.Echo "Audit in progress... Please wait!"
'--- Setup Header Row ---
Sub SetupHeader(col, text)
    objExcel.Cells(1, col).Value = text 
    objExcel.Cells(1, col).Font.Colorindex = 2
    objExcel.Cells(1, col).Font.Bold = True 
    objExcel.Cells(1, col).Interior.ColorIndex = 23 
    objExcel.Cells(1, col).Alignment = -4108 ' Center
End Sub
SetupHeader 1, "Computer Name"
SetupHeader 2, "Manufacturer"
SetupHeader 3, "Model"
SetupHeader 4, "RAM (GB)"
SetupHeader 5, "Operating System"
SetupHeader 6, "Installed Date"
SetupHeader 7, "Processor"
SetupHeader 8, "Drive"
SetupHeader 9, "Drive Size (GB)"
SetupHeader 10, "Free Space (GB)"
SetupHeader 11, "Adapter Description"
SetupHeader 12, "DHCP Enabled"
SetupHeader 13, "IP Address"
SetupHeader 14, "Subnet"
SetupHeader 15, "Gateway"
SetupHeader 16, "Roles & Features"
SetupHeader 17, "Installed Software"
SetupHeader 18, "Install Date"
SetupHeader 19, "Version"
SetupHeader 20, "Size"
y = 2 
Do While Not pcfile.AtEndOfStream 
    computerName = pcfile.ReadLine 
    Err.Clear 
    Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & computerName & "\root\cimv2") 
    
    If Err.Number = 0 Then 
        ' Fetch Queries
        Set colSettings = objWMIService.ExecQuery("SELECT * FROM Win32_ComputerSystem") 
        Set colOSSettings = objWMIService.ExecQuery("SELECT * FROM Win32_OperatingSystem")
        Set colProcSettings = objWMIService.ExecQuery("SELECT * FROM Win32_Processor")
        Set colDiskSettings = objWMIService.ExecQuery("Select * from Win32_LogicalDisk Where DriveType=3")
        Set colAdapters = objWMIService.ExecQuery("SELECT * FROM Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration WHERE IPEnabled = True")
        
        For Each objComputer In colSettings 
            strManufacturer = objComputer.Manufacturer 
            strModel = objComputer.Model 
            strRAM = FormatNumber((objComputer.TotalPhysicalMemory / (1024^3)), 2)
        
            For Each objOS In colOSSettings
                strOS = objOS.Caption
                OSinstDate = CDate(Mid(objOS.InstallDate,1,4)+"/"+Mid(objOS.InstallDate,5,2)+"/"+Mid(objOS.InstallDate,7,2))
        
                For Each objProc In colProcSettings
                    strProc = objProc.Name
                    
                    ' Populate Static Info
                    objExcel.Cells(y, 1).Value = computerName 
                    objExcel.Cells(y, 2).Value = strManufacturer 
                    objExcel.Cells(y, 3).Value = strModel 
                    objExcel.Cells(y, 4).Value = strRAM 
                    objExcel.Cells(y, 5).Value = strOS 
                    objExcel.Cells(y, 6).Value = OSinstDate
                    objExcel.Cells(y, 7).Value = strProc 
                    ' Drive Logic
                    a = y
                    For Each objDisk In colDiskSettings
                        objExcel.Cells(a, 8).Value = objDisk.DeviceID
                        sz = objDisk.Size / (1024^3)
                        fr = objDisk.FreeSpace / (1024^3)
                        objExcel.Cells(a, 9).Value = FormatNumber(sz, 2)
                        objExcel.Cells(a, 10).Value = FormatNumber(fr, 2)
                        If fr < (sz * 0.2) Then objExcel.Cells(a, 10).Interior.ColorIndex = 3 ' Low Space Alert
                        a = a + 1
                    Next  
                    ' Network Logic
                    b = y
                    For Each objAdapter In colAdapters
                        objExcel.Cells(b, 11).Value = objAdapter.Description
                        objExcel.Cells(b, 12).Value = objAdapter.DHCPEnabled
                        If Not IsNull(objAdapter.IPAddress) Then objExcel.Cells(b, 13).Value = objAdapter.IPAddress(0)
                        If Not IsNull(objAdapter.IPSubnet) Then objExcel.Cells(b, 14).Value = objAdapter.IPSubnet(0)
                        If Not IsNull(objAdapter.DefaultIPGateway) Then objExcel.Cells(b, 15).Value = objAdapter.DefaultIPGateway(0)
                        b = b + 1
                    Next
                    ' Roles & Features
                    x = y
                    Set colRoleFeatures = objWMIService.ExecQuery("Select * from Win32_ServerFeature")
                    If colRoleFeatures.Count > 0 Then
                        For Each objRole In colRoleFeatures
                            objExcel.Cells(x, 16).Value = objRole.Name
                            x = x + 1
                        Next
                    Else
                        objExcel.Cells(x, 16).Value = "None Found"
                    End If
                    ' Software Registry Scan
                    s = y
                    Const HKLM = &H80000002
                    strKey = "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\"
                    Set objReg = GetObject("winmgmts://" & computerName & "/root/default:StdRegProv")
                    objReg.EnumKey HKLM, strKey, arrSubkeys
                    For Each strSubkey In arrSubkeys
                        objReg.GetStringValue HKLM, strKey & strSubkey, "DisplayName", strVal1
                        If strVal1 <> "" Then
                            objExcel.Cells(s, 17).Value = strVal1
                            objReg.GetStringValue HKLM, strKey & strSubkey, "InstallDate", strVal2
                            objExcel.Cells(s, 18).Value = strVal2
                            objReg.GetDWORDValue HKLM, strKey & strSubkey, "VersionMajor", vMaj
                            objReg.GetDWORDValue HKLM, strKey & strSubkey, "VersionMinor", vMin
                            objExcel.Cells(s, 19).Value = vMaj & "." & vMin
                            s = s + 1
                        End If
                    Next
                    ' Advance Row to next available empty spot
                    y = a
                    If b > y Then y = b
                    If x > y Then y = x
                    If s > y Then y = s
                    y = y + 1 ' Buffer line
                Next
            Next
        Next
    Else 
        objExcel.Cells(y, 1).Value = computerName 
        objExcel.Cells(y, 2).Value = "OFFLINE" 
        objExcel.Cells(y, 2).Interior.ColorIndex = 3
        y = y + 1 
    End If 
Loop 
' Final Formatting
For col = 1 To 20: objExcel.Columns(col).AutoFit: Next
objExcel.ActiveWorkbook.SaveAs strFileName
Wscript.Echo "Complete! Report saved to " & strFileName

Why it’s a Game Changer

The “Red Flag” Feature: It automatically highlights any disk with less than 20% free space in Red. This instantly tells you which servers need urgent cleanup.
Software Archeology: Most scripts skip software lists because they are messy. This script pulls directly from the Uninstall registry keys, capturing even the apps that don’t show up in standard WMI queries.
Intelligent Row Management: Because software, roles, and disks all have different counts, the script calculates the “max row” used for each server and jumps to the next clear space for the next machine.

This entry was posted in Active Directory, Scripts and tagged Capacity Planning, Excel Automation, Infrastructure Management, IT Audit, Server Inventory, Software Asset Management, SysAdmin Tools, VBScript, Windows Registry, WMI.

Stop Hunting for Web Servers: How to Auto-Discover Every IIS Instance in Your Domain | Lazy Admin Blog

Posted on March 21, 2026 Updated on April 15, 2026

Have you ever been asked for a list of every active web server in your environment, only to realize your documentation is six months out of date? You could check your DNS records manually, or you could let PowerShell do the detective work for you.

This script scans your Active Directory for Windows Servers, checks if the World Wide Web Publishing Service (W3SVC) is actually running, and then pulls a deep-profile of the hardware, OS, and network configuration for every active hit.

The Setup

Create the workspace: Create a folder at C:\Temp\ServersRunningIIS.
Prepare the list: The script will automatically generate a list of all Windows Servers from AD, but ensure you have the Active Directory PowerShell module installed.
Run with Privileges: Since the script uses WMI to query remote system info (RAM, OS Version, etc.), run your PowerShell ISE or Console as a Domain Admin.

The PowerShell Script

# Script: IIS Server Discovery & Profiler
# Location: lazyadminblog.com
# Purpose: Identify active IIS nodes and collect hardware/OS specs
Import-Module ActiveDirectory
# 1. Harvest all Windows Servers from AD
Write-Host "Gathering server list from Active Directory..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
$servers = Get-ADComputer -Filter {operatingsystem -Like "Windows server*"} | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Name
$servers | Out-File "C:\Temp\ServersRunningIIS\serverlist.txt"
# 2. Load the list for processing
$serversall = Get-Content "C:\Temp\ServersRunningIIS\serverlist.txt" 
Start-Transcript -Path "C:\Temp\ServersRunningIIS\log_output.txt" -Append
foreach($vm in $serversall) {
    try {
        # Check if IIS Service (W3SVC) exists and is running
        $iis = Get-WmiObject Win32_Service -ComputerName $vm -Filter "name='W3SVC'" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
        
        if($iis.State -eq "Running") {
            Write-Host "FOUND: IIS is active on $vm" -BackgroundColor DarkBlue -ForegroundColor DarkYellow
            
            # Collect Network Info
            $ipinfo = Get-WmiObject Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration -ComputerName $vm | 
                      Where-Object {$_.IPEnabled -eq $true -and $_.IPAddress -like "1*"} | Select-Object -First 1
            
            # Collect Hardware Info
            $hwinfo = Get-WmiObject Win32_Computersystem -ComputerName $vm 
            
            # Collect OS Info
            $osinfo = Get-WmiObject Win32_OperatingSystem -ComputerName $vm 
            # Flattening data for CSV-style output
            $allinfo = "$($hwinfo.Name);$($hwinfo.Domain);$($ipinfo.IPAddress);$($ipinfo.IPSubnet);$($ipinfo.DefaultIPGateway);$($hwinfo.TotalPhysicalMemory);$($hwinfo.Manufacturer);$($hwinfo.Model);$($osinfo.Caption);$($osinfo.OSArchitecture);$($osinfo.ServicePackMajorVersion);$($osinfo.SystemDrive);$($osinfo.Version)"
            
            # Save results to our 'Running' list
            $allinfo | Out-File "C:\Temp\ServersRunningIIS\RunningWebServers.txt" -Append
        }
    }
    catch {
        Write-Host "Could not connect to $vm" -ForegroundColor Red
    }
}
Stop-Transcript
Write-Host "Audit Complete! Check C:\Temp\ServersRunningIIS\RunningWebServers.txt" -ForegroundColor Green

What’s inside the report?

The output file (RunningWebServers.txt) uses a semicolon (;) delimiter, making it easy to import into Excel. It captures:

Network: IP Address, Subnet, and Gateway.
Hardware: Manufacturer, Model, RAM, and Domain membership.
Software: OS Version, Architecture (x64/x86), and System Drive.

Lazy Admin Tip

If you want to open the results immediately in Excel, just rename the output file from .txt to .csv and use the “Text to Columns” feature in Excel with the semicolon as the separator!

This entry was posted in Active Directory, Scripts and tagged Active Directory, ADComputer, Automation, IIS, IT Inventory, PowerShell, Scripting, Server Audit, SysAdmin Tools, Web Server Discovery, Windows Server, WMI.

From Zero to Complete IP Inventory in 5 Seconds: The Multi-Host VBScript | Lazy Admin Blog

Posted on March 20, 2026 Updated on April 15, 2026

Manually documenting IP addresses, MACs, and DNS settings is the definition of “busy work.” This VBScript automates the entire process. It reads a list of servers from a text file, queries each one via WMI, and builds a professional Excel report in real-time.

How to Use This Script

Prepare the Input: Create a text file (e.g., servers.txt) and list your hostnames or IP addresses, one per line.
Save the Script: Save the code below as IPAddressInventory.vbs.
Run: Double-click the .vbs file. When prompted, provide the full path to your text file (e.g., C:\Scripts\servers.txt).
Requirement: You must have Microsoft Excel installed on the machine where you run the script.

The VBScript Code

VBScript

			
' Save as IPAddressInventory.vbs
' Input: Text file with Hostnames/IPs
' Output: Excel Spreadsheet (IP_Addresses.xlsx)
On Error Resume Next
Const FOR_READING = 1
'--- File Input ---
strSrvListFile = InputBox ("Please enter the server list file path OR UNC file path" & vbCrLf & "Eg: C:\Scripts\server.txt" & vbCrLf & "Eg: \\servername\scripts\server.txt","File Input location")
Set objFSO = CreateObject ("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set objReadFile = objFSO.OpenTextFile (strSrvListFile, FOR_READING)
'--- File Output ---
strOutput = objfso.GetParentFolderName(strSrvListFile) &"\"
'--- Error Handling ---
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
   WScript.Echo "Please Enter a Valid file Name"
   Err.Clear
   WScript.Quit
End If
'--- Excel Object Creation ---
Set objExcel = CreateObject ("Excel.application")
objExcel.Visible = True
Set objWorkbook = objExcel.Workbooks.Add()
Set objWorksheet = objWorkbook.Worksheets("Sheet1")
x = 1
y = 1
'--- Define Headers ---
objWorksheet.Cells (x, y).value = "S.No"
objWorksheet.Cells (x, y+1).value = "Server Name"
objWorksheet.Cells (x, y+2).value = "Description"
objWorksheet.Cells (x, y+3).value = "IP_Address"
objWorksheet.Cells (x, y+4).value = "Subnet"
objWorksheet.Cells (x, y+5).value = "MACAddress"
objWorksheet.Cells (x, y+6).value = "Gateway" 
objWorksheet.Cells (x, y+7).value = "Preffered DNS"
objWorksheet.Cells (x, y+8).value = "Primary DNS"
objWorksheet.Cells (x, y+9).value = "Secondary DNS"
objWorksheet.Cells (x, y+10).value = "Additional DNS 1"
objWorksheet.Cells (x, y+11).value = "Additional DNS 2"
objWorksheet.Cells (x, y+12).value = "WINS Primary"
objWorksheet.Cells (x, y+13).value = "WINS Secondary"
objWorksheet.Cells (x, y+14).value = "DNS Suffix"
objWorksheet.Cells (x, y+15).value = "DNS Suffix Order"
objWorksheet.Cells (x, y+16).value = "Remarks"
s = 1
Do Until objReadFile.AtEndOfStream
    k = 0
    arrComputer = objReadFile.ReadLine
    strServer = Split (arrComputer, ",")
    objWorksheet.Cells (x+1, y).value = s
    objWorksheet.Cells (x+1, y+1).value = strServer(k)
    Set objWMIService = GetObject ("winmgmts:" & "!\\" & strServer(k) & "\root\cimv2")
   
    '--- Query Network Information ---
    If Err.Number = 0 Then
        WScript.Echo strServer(k) &": Inventoring"
        Set colAdapters = objWMIService.ExecQuery("Select * from Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration Where IPEnabled = True")
            
        For Each objAdapter in colAdapters
            objWorksheet.Cells(x+1, y+2).Value = objAdapter.Description
            
            ' IP Address Logic
            If Not IsNull(objAdapter.IPAddress) Then
                For i = LBound(objAdapter.IPAddress) To UBound(objAdapter.IPAddress)
                    If Not InStr(objAdapter.IPAddress(i),":") > "0" Then
                        objWorksheet.Cells(x+1, y+3).Value = objAdapter.IPAddress(i)
                    End If
                Next
            End If
            ' Subnet Logic
            If Not IsNull(objAdapter.IPSubnet) Then
                For i = LBound(objAdapter.IPSubnet) To UBound(objAdapter.IPSubnet)
                    If objAdapter.IPSubnet(i)<> "64" Then
                        objWorksheet.Cells(x+1, y+4).Value = objAdapter.IPSubnet(i)
                    End If
                Next                     
            End If
            
            objWorksheet.Cells(x+1, y+5).Value = objAdapter.MACAddress
            ' Gateway Logic
            If IsNull(objAdapter.DefaultIPGateway) Then
                objWorksheet.Cells(x+1, y+6).Value = "Gateway Not Set"
            Else
                For i = LBound(objAdapter.DefaultIPGateway) To UBound(objAdapter.DefaultIPGateway)
                    objWorksheet.Cells(x+1, y+6).Value = objAdapter.DefaultIPGateway(i)
                Next
            End If 
            ' DNS Logic
            If IsNull(objAdapter.DNSServerSearchOrder) Then
                objworksheet.Cells(x+1, y+7).Value = "DNS Not Set" 
            Else
                For i = LBound(objAdapter.DNSServerSearchOrder) To UBound(objAdapter.DNSServerSearchOrder)
                    objWorksheet.Cells(x+1, y+7).Value = objAdapter.DNSServerSearchOrder(i)
                    y = y + 1
                Next
            End If
            y = 1
                  
            objWorksheet.Cells(x+1, y+12).Value = objAdapter.WINSPrimaryServer
            objWorksheet.Cells(x+1, y+13).Value = objAdapter.WINSSecondaryServer
            objWorksheet.Cells(x+1, y+14).Value = objAdapter.DNSDomain
            
            ' Suffix Logic
            If IsNull(objAdapter.DNSDomainSuffixSearchOrder) Then
                objworksheet.Cells(x+1, y+14).Value = "Suffix Order NA" 
            Else
                For i = LBound(objAdapter.DNSDomainSuffixSearchOrder) To UBound(objAdapter.DNSDomainSuffixSearchOrder)
                    objWorksheet.Cells(x+1, y+15).Value = objAdapter.DNSDomainSuffixSearchOrder(i)
                    x = x + 1
                Next
                x = x - 1
            End If
                  
            x = x + 1
            WScript.Echo strServer(k) &": Completed" 
        Next
    Else
        ' Error Handling for Offline Servers
        objWorksheet.Cells(x+1, y+16).Value = Err.Number & "_" & Err.Description 
        WScript.Echo strServer(k) &": "& Err.Description
        Err.Clear
        x = x + 1
    End If
    s = s + 1
Loop
'--- Formatting and Saving ---
Set objRange = objWorksheet.UsedRange
objRange.EntireColumn.Autofit()
objExcel.ActiveWorkbook.Saveas strOutput & "IP_Addresses.xlsx"
MsgBox "Operation Completed Successfully " ,,"IP Address"

		

Key Features of the Script

Automatic Excel Formatting: It uses UsedRange.Autofit() to ensure the data is readable as soon as the file opens.
WMI Integration: It queries the Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration class directly from the remote machine.
Multi-Adapter Support: If a server has multiple enabled NICs, the script loops through each to capture all configurations.
Remark Logging: If a machine is unreachable, the error code and description are written directly into the Excel “Remarks” column so you know which servers to check manually.

This entry was posted in Scripts and tagged Asset Management, Automation, Excel, Inventory Automation, IP Address Management, Network Inventory, Networking, Server Administration, SysAdmin Tools, VBS, VBScript, Windows Script Host, WMI, WMI Query.

How to Get Hardware Serial Numbers Remotely (WMIC & PowerShell)

Posted on April 24, 2015 Updated on April 15, 2026

As a SysAdmin, you often need a serial number or UUID for a warranty check or asset tracking. Instead of walking to the user’s desk or remoting into their session, you can pull this data directly from your workstation using these simple commands.

1. Using WMIC (Legacy Command Line)

WMIC is incredibly efficient for quick, one-off queries against remote systems.

To get a remote serial number:

DOS

wmic /node:"RemoteComputerName" bios get serialnumber

To export results to a central text file: If you are auditing multiple machines, use the /append switch to create a running list:

DOS

set myfile=\\Server\Share\Inventory.txt
wmic /append:%myfile% /node:"RemoteComputerName" bios get serialnumber

2. Using PowerShell (Modern Method)

PowerShell is the preferred method for modern Windows environments (Windows 10/11 and Server 2016+). It returns objects that are much easier to manipulate.

Standard Command:

PowerShell

Get-WmiObject -ComputerName "RemoteComputerName" -Class Win32_BIOS

The “Lazy” Short Version:

PowerShell

gwmi -comp "RemoteComputerName" -cl win32_bios

3. Bonus Hardware Commands

Sometimes the serial number isn’t enough. Use these WMIC commands to get a deeper look at the hardware specs:

CPU Details: Get the exact model and clock speeds. wmic cpu get name, CurrentClockSpeed, MaxClockSpeed
System Product Info: Pull the motherboard name and the system’s unique UUID. wmic csproduct get name, identifyingnumber, uuid
Full BIOS Audit: Get the BIOS name, version, and serial number in one go. wmic bios get name, serialnumber, version

Troubleshooting Connectivity

If these commands fail with “Access Denied” or “RPC Server Unavailable,” check the following:

Admin Rights: Your shell must be running with Domain Admin or local administrator permissions on the target.
Firewall: Ensure “Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)” is allowed through the Windows Firewall on the remote machine.
WMI Service: Ensure the WinMgmt service is running on the target.

#SysAdmin #PowerShell #WMIC #WindowsServer #ITPro #TechTips #InventoryManagement #LazyAdmin #RemoteAdmin #HardwareHack

This entry was posted in Windows and tagged Hardware Audit, Inventory, PowerShell, Remote Management, Serial Number, SysAdmin Hacks, Win32_BIOS, WMI, WMIC.