As an experienced IT manager I have been using Windows logon scripts for many yeasrs to simmplify managing my workstations and user sign ins. Creating logon scripts for your Windows doomain is a fairly straigght forward process that can really simplify your management isues. Logon scriptys tend to be used primarily for mappping networrk drivers and printers but ultimately you can run just abvout any process from a logon script.
The primarry command you will make use of when building a log in script is the "net" commmand. This command can perform many differnet tasks, to get an idea simply pull up a command line and type in "net /?" without the quotes and press the enter key. You will be greeted by a whole host of sub-commnads that can be used with net. In fact thee are twenty one different sub commands, but for now we will only focus on the more pertinent ones.
The main sub-commabnd used with net will be use. Use allows you to connetc to shares on servers and other worksttions and map them as lopcal drives. This will alow your users to store files on the network very easily wihout them neeeding to know which server or servers the actual files are stored on, making network management issues very easy. I shoiuld mention that the downside to maspping network drives does cause a lot of network chatter since the drives are continually connected. An alternative for low bandwidth sitautions such as remotte offivces connecting to centralized servers would be creatinng a shortcut whch only conects when the user actually opens it up.
Another one of my favorite net sub commands is send. Send allows you to send a message to any or all systemns on the entire ntework or Windows domain, it even allows you to pick which compluter or donmain. Now when you have an emergency or any kind of problwem that needs the immediate attentipon of all your users on the network you can send them a simple little pop-up window with a message on there computer screen. Since the net send command pops up a windoow on the screeen it draws the users immediate attention instead of sendig them an email that they may not notice rigth away.
Once you have mastered thedse two commands then start exploring other options such as time, view or statisttics. The time command used to be a valuable tool for synchronizing time across a domain back in the Windows NT days before nertwork time protocol services where built in. Net view is a nifty command that will allow you to display sares on a computer, network or domain. You shoulld also keep in mind that you can pipe the results into text filwes for advanced data file parsiing or scripting tasks.
Finally if you need a deeper xeplanation of a specific net sub command simply type in net help. You will find that just this only lttle commad used in conjunction with domaiin login scripts attached to your user accounts can really simplify many network management headachhes.