WMI Python, writing remotely and retrieving env variables values

[Tim Williams]

On 13 Jan 2007 02:01:11 -0800, Tim Golden <tjgolden at gmail.com> wrote:
> Thierry Lam wrote:
> > I'm using the WMI library for python and I was able to connect to
> > another computer on the network with the following line:
> >
> > c = wmi.WMI(computer="the-network-computer", user="hello",
> > password="hello")
> >
> > Is there a way to write information to a file on that computer?
> >
> > How do I read environment variables, for example SystemDrive?
>
> Questions of this sort are really Win32 questions rather than Python
> questions. That's not to say we can't help, but rather that you can
> probably find an answer by going to a search engine of your choice
> and typing in, say, "WMI SystemDrive". I did that, and the first hit
> (from Google) was:
>
> http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa394239.aspx
>
> which indicates that it's available from the Win32_OperatingSystem
> WMI class. So, in Python:
>
> <code>
> import wmi
> c = wmi.WMI () # optionally on another computer
> for os in c.Win32_OperatingSystem ():
>   print os # show the whole thing
>   print os.SystemDrive # get only what you want
>
> </code>
>
> If you were after Environment Variables, then search again,
> this time for "WMI Environment Variables". Third hit:
>
> http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa394143.aspx
>
> pointing to the Win32_Environment class. And so on.
>
> Your first question: can I write into a file? is a little
> more tricky. As far as I know, there's no way even to
> *create* a file with WMI, let alone write information into
> it. It's not really a file-manipulation technology. You can
> get hold of the name of a remote file and other of its
> properties via the CIM_DataFile class, but you'd have
> to translate that into an accessible UNC to be able to
> access it.
>

One possibility is to create a hidden share on the remote computer and
write to a file on it.

Shares ending in $ are hidden,    the unc path would be \\machinename\share$

According to http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa394594.aspx
you need the WMI Win32_Share class and the Create method.

HTH :)