November, 2004

Hey, Scripting Guy! Can I edit.INI files using a script? -- MZ Hey, MZ. Yes, you can edit .INI files (or any kind of text files, for that matter) using a script. The method you have to use might not be the most elegant process in the world, but it...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I understand how to use CDO to send an email, but how do I include an attachment with that email? -- RT Hey, RT. And, incidentally, thanks for this question. At least one of the Scripting Guys spent most of his Thanksgiving weekend...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I retrieve disk quota information for a single user? -- AB Hey, AB. There are a couple different ways to get disk quota information for a single user, depending on which version of Windows you have installed on the computer...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I’d like to run a script against all the computers on a subnet. Is there a way to do that without having to hardcode all the IP addresses into the script? -- RB Hey, RB. Based on your email, it sounds like you have a setup similar...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I have a script that returns the names of all the users in an Active Directory group. How can I sort those names in alphabetical order? -- JW Hey, JW. Ah, yes, sorting data: the bane of script writers everywhere. Unfortunately...

Hey, Scripting Guy! We use a script to create user accounts. How can I modify this script so that it will place the new user in the same OU as the person running the script? -- CB Hey, CB. Interesting question. We’re assuming that you’ve delegated...

Hey, Scripting Guy! Can I use a script to determine the size of a folder on a remote computer? -- SS Hey, SS. Boy, you’d think you’d be able to do that, wouldn’t you? Especially if you’ve glanced through the WMI class Win32_Directory and noticed the...

Hey, Scripting Guy! Is there any way to determine the default printer on a computer? -- JW Hey, JW. If you’re running Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, determining the default printer is easy. That’s because the WMI class Win32_Printer found on these...

Hey, Scripting Guy! Right now I use a script to open a text file containing computer names. The script reads the first line of the file and connects to that computer, then reads the second line of the file and connects to that computer. Is there a way...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I know how I can shut down a computer using a script, and I even know how I can log a user off using a script. But is there any way I can lock a workstation using a script? -- TO-R Hey, TO-R. Most likely you’re familiar with the...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I tell if an OU has any user accounts in it? -- RL Hey, RL. As a matter of fact, there is a way to determine whether or not an OU contains any user accounts: all you have to do is search just that OU for nothing but user...

Hey, Scripting Guy! Can I pin a file to the Start Menu by using a script? -- ZD Hey, ZD. For those of you who haven’t bought Windows XP yet (hey, what’s the matter with you; we Scripting Guys have families to feed!), by default XP’s Start Menu changes...

Hey, Scripting Guy! Is it possible to create an ODBC Data Sources Name (DSN) on the fly and then remove it when done? -- KC Hey, KC. Is it possible to create and then delete an ODBC DSN? To tell you the truth, we weren’t entirely sure. As it turns...

Hey, Scripting Guy! Can I use a script to rename all the files in a directory and include a "pl-" prefix plus the original file name? -- JP Hey, JP. It’s interesting how many people need to do something similar: they need to rename all the files in...

Hey, Scripting Guy! Can I change the Internet Explorer home page by using a script? -- AH Hey, AH. It’s Monday morning, and after a hard weekend of sitting around watching football, we decided to take it easy this morning. Yes, you can change the Internet...

Hey, Scripting Guy! My user accounts have commas in their CN attributes; for example, Myer, Ken . How do I bind to those user accounts using a script? I always get the error message “An invalid dn syntax has been specified.” -- GT Hey...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I’d like to have a script that can search my computer for all files older than a certain date, and then automatically delete those files. Can I do that? -- GM Hey, GM. Can you write a script that will search for and delete all the...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I have a script that pops up a message box to alert users to a problem. Is there any way I can play a sound at the same time the message box appears? -- TL Hey, TL. You guys do this on purpose, don’t you; you love to ask questions...

Hey, Scripting Guy! Is there a way to delete all the files in the Temporary Internet Files folder using a script? -- KR Hey, AK. You know, prompted by your question one of the Scripting Guys (who shall remain nameless) thought to himself, “Hmmm, I...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I’d like to have a form with four radio buttons on it, each button representing a different computer. You choose a radio button, click another button, and then a script runs against the computer you selected. How do I do that? -- CW...