(Updated 2007/01/29 with new download paths – API is now out of beta, thank you Aichi!)
After searching for hours and hours I finally found a solution for accessing and changing the windows wireless settings through a programming interface. Using the Wireless Zero Configuration service and the WiFi Native API I was able to change anything that I wanted to. This will allow me to programmatically roll out changes to clients WiFi interfaces through logon scripts or on a client to client basis.

Below I documented the steps that are needed to use the program, and I also have shown the steps needed to use the source code which I have released under the GNU GPL for your own projects. This is my first release of this software, so I encourage you to provide feedback, suggestions, and code!

Download the wifi config executable – 636KB for Windows XP SP2 Only.

To use wifi_config.exe perform the following steps in this order:

1. Install the Microsoft Core XML Services (MSXML) 6.0
2. Install KB893357
3. Install the WLAN API for Windows XP SP2

Executable Options:
-Enable Enable the wireless interfaces specified by limit. If no limit specified, enable all wireless interfaces. This option effectively checks the “Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings” checkbox under the Wireless Network Connection Properties.
-Add Path(s) to an XML file containing the information about the Wireless Access point that you wish to setup.
-Delete Access Point name(s) that you wish to remove from the profile list.
-Nics List wireless interfaces by their description and GUID.
-Aps List access points by AP name.
-Limit GUID of the interface(s) to limit the additions, deletions, and access point listings to. The default is to use all interfaces.
-Help Displays the command line arguments and sample usage (this screen.)

Sample Usage:
Delete access point from all interfaces:
wifi_config.exe -delete SAMPLE-AP

Delete multiple access points from a specific interface:
wifi_config.exe -delete SAMPLE-AP1 SAMPLE-AP2 -limit {GUID}

Add multiple profiles:
wifi_config.exe -add “C:\profile1.xml” “C:\profile2.xml”

List access points:
wifi_config.exe -aps

Microsoft has also provided some sample XML files detailing many common access point configurations.

For those that wish to compile their own Wifi Config

Download the Wifi Config Source – 3.53MB

I had much difficulty in actually getting this (or any) Wifi API to function the way I needed it to.

Here are the steps that I took to get this code to work for me:

Using Visual Studio 2005

1. Install the Microsoft Core XML Services (MSXML) 6.0
2. Install KB893357

Install Wireless SDK + API

3. WLAN API for Windows XP SP2 Beta
4. WLAN SDK for Windows XP SP2
5. Place wlanapi.h, wlanapi.lib, and wlanapi.dll in your build directory
6. Add wlanapi.lib to the library includes
7. Install Install Vista RC1 SDK

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=C2B1E300-F358-4523-B479-F53D234CDCCF&displaylang=en

8. Add the Vista SDK path to your include paths

Includes should contain at least the following:
#define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
#include <stdio.h>
#include <windows.h>
#include <winnt.h>
#include "wlanapi.h"

Ensure that the following DLLs exist on the target machines or in the run directory of your program -
For Release:
– All from:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\redist\x86\Microsoft.VC80.CRT"

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After the install, be sure to edit the remote_conf.ini file to fill out the required information.

As this is an early release, there are many changes that I would like to make and look forward to hearing your feedback. You can reach me at mincus \@ \gmail \.com

The program is licensed as open source under the GPL license, so feel free to modify the program as you may need. Please also let me know of your changes so that I can incorporate them into the main tree.

Microsoft in their infinite wisdom decided that a user shutting down their computer during a service pack or patch install is perfectly fine. That would be okay except for the fact that if a computer is shut down in the middle of a patch install or especially a service pack install the machine will be hosed. Why the functionality to prevent this isn’t included in the installs I don’t know… maybe MS is much more trusting of users, but for anyone that has ever worked at a helpdesk or done software deployment knows, users will do some crazy crazy things.

So, without further ado, I give you Shutdown Monitor

Shutdown Monitor uses a fairly simple trick (think jedi’ish, ‘this is not the shutdown you’re looking for’ ) to prevent the user from inadvertently shutting down their PC. After you start shutdown monitor, it tells windows that it was one of the first programs that was started on the PC, so it will be the first notified if a user initiates a shutdown, reboot, log off etc. When it receives the shutdown notification it checks to see if the program you don’t want the user to interrupt is still running, if it is, it pops up a msg box and tells the user why they can’t shutdown and halts the shutdown process.

Example Usage:
To Prevent the computer from shutting down while XP SP2 is installing use the following -
c:\> "shutdown monitor.exe" update.exe

When the install is finished use the following to remove shutdown monitor from memory -
c:\> "shutdown monitor.exe" quit

This program has been tested on and is intended for use on Microsoft Windows W2K and XP, Hope someone else finds it useful.