Documentation overview

Welcome to the FastTrack Automation Studio online documentation. If you are new to the FastTrack universe, you should start by going through the "Getting Started Wizard" in the script editor, which you can start from the "Help" tab in the Script Editor.

The starter articles to the left below are also highly recommended. Video tutorials covering the essentials are available on the videos page.

Documentation overview

Logon scripts

Setting up logon scripts

Goes through the basics of using FastTrack Logon for logon scripts without writing any scripts. Highly recommended for first time users.

Using IP printers instead of print servers

How to kill your print servers with FastTrack.

OneDrive Mapping

How to map user's personal OneDrive for Business folder as a drive letter.

SharePoint Mapping

How to map SharePoint folders as drive letters.

Logon scripts examples

Inspiration for what you can do with your logon scripts.

Make logon scripts visible on Windows 10, 8, 7

Goes through how to unhide your logon script on Windows Vista and newer operating systems.

Customizing FastTrack Logon

How to change the settings of FastTrack Logon.

Logon scripts FAQ

Answers to common questions regarding logon scripts.

Setting up startup scripts

How to use FastTrack Logon for Startup Scripts.

SmartDock - VPN Logon Scripts

Learn how to use the free SmartDock utility to control your portable computers when offline.

Folder Redirection

Learn how to set up Folder Redirection in Logon Scripts.

Desktop Authority vs FastTrack

A comparison of features.

Outlook Signatures

Outlook Signatures

Learn how to create a template signature and deploy it to all users.

Signature Deployment

Learn how to depoy outlook signatures.

Outlook Automation Overview

A general introduction to deploying Outlook signatures and profiles, running PST backups and retrieving information from Outlook.

Outlook Signature On-Demand Application

Learn how to create an on-demand exe application to install signatures.

Software Deployment

Software Deployment

This page shows you how to deploy software without doing any scripting at all. Highly recommended for first time users.

Unattended concepts

This guide goes through the basics of scripting and executing unattended installations in your domain by scripting.

Avast Unattended Installation

How to repackage Avast for unattended installation.

AVG Unattended Installation

How to repackage AVG for unattended installation.

TeamViewer Unattended Installation

How to repackage TeamViewer for unattended installation.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Unattended Installation

How to repackage Malwarebytes for unattended installation.

Microsoft Security Essentials Unattended Installation

How to repackage Microsoft Security Essentials for unattended installation.

Operating System deployment

Unattended Windows deployments

Find out how FastTrack can help you with Windows deployments by embedding a script into the setup process.

Active Directory Tools

HelpDesk application

A sample script that shows how to modify Active Directory, removing the need for HelpDesk users to be domain administrators.

Active Directory password expiry notifier

A sample script that can be set up to daily notify users of pending password changes to avoid locked out accounts.

Obsolete Active Directory accounts report

A sample script to identify user accounts that are obsolete.

SkyBox (Cloud Inventory and Jobs)

Understanding inventory

Read about how the cloud inventory works and how it can help you keep an effortless inventory of your computers.

Understanding Cloud Jobs

Learn how to use Cloud Jobs to manage your network.

Live Inventory Demo

Try a live demo of the inventory web with fictitious data.

Generating a SkyBox Server

Shows how to generate a SkyBox server for your local network.

Deploying a SkyBox client

Goes through some suggestions to deploy a SkyBox client, if you are not using FastTrack Logon.

Controlling Internet Browsers

Controlling browsers using FastTrack

Learn how to control the start page of Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome at the same time and how to force one of them as the default browser without dirty registry hacks. The article will also go through how to inject a script as a mediator to force users to use a specific browser for specific web pages, similar to products like Browsium.

Videos

Videos

Visit out videos page for various videos on features.

Forums

Forums

Visit our forums to share scripts, experiences or get help from other people using FastTrack.

Custom Scripting - starter guides

Functional overview

A quick overview of command features.

Getting Started Quick Guide

Goes through the basics of the language.

10 problems you should solve with FastTrack

Top 10 problems you can solve with FastTrack.

Working with logical paths

Learn how to avoid hard-coding paths into your scripts.

Executing external programs

A guide to executing external programs from your scripts.

Embedding PowerShell, VBScript or KiXtart

How to include foreign script snippets in FastTrack scripts.

Using graphical user interfaces

How to use a pre-built graphical user interface in scripts.

Backup and replicate data

Read this article to learn how to use the SyncDir command.

Script encryption

Encrypting scripts is seamless. In fact, it is achieved by simply setting a property in the editor. Learn how.

Cloud Backup

A free cloud backup service for your scripts and configurations comes with your licensing. Click the link for more information.

Custom Scripting - Advanced starter guides

General how to examples

Example scripts of general interest based on customer questions. Learn for example how to backup Sql Server, fix the Microsoft Office user name document problem and how to delete illegal file types from clients.

Azure Active Directory

Shows how to use user and group Azure AD data in own scripts.

Working with the Windows Registry

Learn how to interact with the Windows Registry on 32-bit and 64-bit machines.

Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)

Learn how to use WMI in your scripts.

Interacting with SQL Server

How to read or write records or issue backup commands.

FTP Synchronization

Shows how to synchronize data to or from your FTP server from within your scripts.

User Account Control (UAC)

Learn how UAC will affect your scripting.

Writing your own commands and functions

Learn how to write your own commands and functions.

Script compilation

Compiling scripts into exe files

Learn how to compile your script or project into an .exe file with a single mouse-click.

Compiling scripts into MSI files

Learn how to compile your script and setup files into an .msi file. The msi file can be a regular one-time installation or an installation of a scheduled task that runs your script daily.

Building a Thin PC

Learn how to you can build your own locked down Thin PC for public computers using exe and msi compilation and standard Group Policies.

SCCM

SCCM Integration

Learn how to combine SCCM and FastTrack into building richer Task Sequences and to get access to standard SCCM logging from your scripts.

Remote Desktop Services and Citrix XenApp

RDS Session Terminator application

A sample app that shows how to kill disconnected RDS farm sessions.

Deploy applications to server farms

How to deploy your Remote Desktop Services RemoteApp or Citrix farm applications through a central script. The central script is started from a scheduled task on each server deployed through GPO.

Create RemoteApp or XenApp boot scripts

How to create user menus and boot scripts that ensures that users only start an application once.

Citrix XenApp and XenDeskop session control

FastTrack is certified by Citrix as a "Citrix Ready" product. Access client information from the server side and create sessions from the client side with Citrix XenApp and XenDesktop.

Remote Desktop Services session control

Access client information from the server side and create sessions from the client side with Remote Desktop Services.

Reconnect printer mapping

Remap printers when users reconnect to a session.

COM automation scripts

COM automation

Learn how to use the Component Object Model (COM) with FastTrack.

Case studies

Case study: Company using FastTrack to solve maritime industry problems

A case study where a company providing IT and communication services to sea-based operations has used FastTrack on vessels at sea to optimize operations and infrastructure.

Case study: KiXtart Logon Script Conversion

A case study where a KiXtart logon script was converted to FastTrack in the American division of a very large international company.

Case study: Consultancy company logon script

An example where a consultancy company has automate processes like creating a corporate Outlook signature file and install standard applications through a logon script.

Case study: Hosting center automation

See how a hosting center automated the customer creation process and created a customer self-service solution using just two scripts.

Case study: Automated office 2007 installation

An example showing how a customer has distributed Microsoft Office 2007 to computers through a logon script.

Case study: Client toolbox

An example of a customer having created a script to assist user's in backing-up documents and other user-related tasks.






Rating: 5 out of 5

"Use this as a replacement for VBScript and PowerShell"

"It's easy to include attractive GUI elements in FastTrack scripts, beyond the basic dialog boxes and text input that VBScript offers ... Another powerful feature is the ability to distribute scripts as Windows Installer (.msi) or standard .exe files. Although interesting in its own right, this ability results in a much more intriguing capability: to repackage -- or wrap -- software installers as .msi files without using snapshots. If you've ever created an .msi installer file from before-and-after system snapshots, for use with a software distribution system such as Group Policy or SCCM, then you know how hit-and-miss the results can be."

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Rating: 8 out of 10

"Faster than the rest"

"We found the FastTrack syntax to be more transparent and easier to learn than Microsoft's PowerShell – the editor in particular provided good support in this regard. the Script Editor offers a large number of options from the command set through to simple output of graphical elements, which cannot be achieved at all with PowerShell or other solutions or only with a significantly greater level of effort."

"Anyone wanting to tackle the many hurdles in everyday admin and especially anyone for whom logon scripts and client automation is a priority will benefit from the variety of functions offered by FastTrack."

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