Much of this can be had relatively easily via built-in remote queries such as remote Registry access using Win32::TieRegistry and remote file system access, at least for WinNT and beyond. I'm not sure whether remote access to the Registry requires installation/configuration of optional items for Win9x.

Yeah, I know, short on details. Sorry, I don't memorize these things but I usually have little trouble figuring them out when I have to. I don't think it'd take too much digging to find many of these things pretty reliably.

        - tye (but my friends call me "Tye")