October, 2006

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I configure an Active Directory user account so that the account password never expires? -- BB Hey, BB. Before we start we have a question for you : wouldn’t you agree that Catch-22 is one of the four greatest novels ever...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I rename a bunch of folders using a script? The old folder names are in the first column of an Excel spreadsheet and the new folder names are in the second column of an Excel spreadsheet. -- SF Hey, SF. Oh, and welcome to...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I delete duplicate items from an array? -- WR Hey, WR. You know, if Microsoft has a weakness – and we’re not saying that it does, we’re just saying if it does – it’s this: we never make mistakes. (What’s that? What about...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I center-align a picture in a Word document? -- CD Hey, CD. In light of the controversy surrounding World Series game 2 (was Detroit Tigers pitcher Kenny Rogers throwing “goopballs” or wasn’t he?) the Scripting Guys felt...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I have approximately 100 Excel files (all with names like 9365.xls) in a folder. I’d like to prompt a user for a file name, open the file, retrieve information from a specified cell, then close the file (ideally Excel would never appear...

Hey, Scripting Guy! Over the past year or so you’ve answered several questions in which you use a script to connect to the Inbox in Microsoft Outlook. But how can I connect to the Junk Mail folder in Outlook? -- ME Hey, ME. Let’s see, what time is...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I use Windows PowerShell to locate and delete all the .tmp files on a drive? -- OR Hey, OR. You know, there’s an old saying: Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day; teach that man to fish and he’ll eat for the rest of...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I print a Microsoft Access report? -- RW Hey, RW. You know the cool thing about being a Scripting Guy – aside from the opportunity to pal around with Paris and Nicole – is the fact that people think we know what we’re doing...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I tell whether a number is even or odd? -- JO Hey, JO. You know, just this morning the Scripting Guy who writes this column was driving in to work when he heard an advertisement for a store that sells HD TVs. “We don’t confuse...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I have a series of string values that I need to convert to an array, splitting the value on the ampersand (&). However, if the ampersand is followed by amp (in other words, if the string is &amp ) I don’t want to split the...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I write a script that will clear the contents of any file that I drag and drop on the script icon? -- SN Hey, SN. Say, you didn’t by any chance misplace a few hundred thousand insects did you? OK; just thought we’d ask....

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I create a table in a SQL Server database? -- FD Hey, FD. And thanks: you’ve saved the Scripting Guys! Or, at any rate, you’ve saved the Scripting Guy who writes this column. As it turns out, this Scripting Guy is getting...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I change an existing hyperlink in a Microsoft Word document? -- PH Hey, PH. You know, we’re impressed that you had the guts to ask a question today; after all, today is Friday the 13 th , a date many people dread, fearing...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I make sure that no row in a text file exceeds 261 characters? -- RK Hey, RK. You know, this was a good day to ask a question; for once the Scripting Guy who writes this column is in an OK mood. (No, he’s never in a good...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I delete a record – or a set of records – from a disconnected recordset? -- SM eHy sm.,. Sorry; let’s try that again: Hey, SM. We apologize for the poor typing the first time around; the Scripting Guy who writes this...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I provide a visual indicator of some kind when copying a large file or large set of files? -- SK Hey, SK. Before we do anything else we should note that the Scripting Guys – or at least the Scripting Guy who writes this...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I compact an Access database using a script? -- DA Hey, DA. We have to tell you the truth: we are thrilled and excited about getting the chance to answer your scripting question. To be honest, that isn’t always the case...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I pass the drive letter of a drive from a VBScript script to the command shell that called that script? -- JF Hey, JF. You know, as kids grow up they pass through a phase where they believe that their parents are capable...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I tell whether a specified table exists in a SQL Server database? -- LL Hey, LL. Well, as it turns out it’s absolutely impossible to tell whether a specified table exists in a SQL Server database. So, sorry, time to go back...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I use one script to monitor for the creation of four or five different processes? -- BC Hey, BC. You know, it’s too bad you didn’t ask how you could monitor four or five TV shows at the same time. Had you done that we would...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I add a line between the existing paragraphs in a Word document? -- GB Hey, GB. You’ll have to forgive us if we seem a little distracted this morning; shocking as this might seem, the Scripting Guy who writes this column...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I use Windows PowerShell to pull records from a Microsoft Access database? -- SB Hey, SB. You know, you’re lucky to get this question answered; after all, this looks as though it’s going to be the very last Hey, Scripting...