February, 2007

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I import a .CSV file into an Office Access database? -- CS Hey, CS. We’ll get to your question in just a minute. First, though, a few thoughts leftover from Super Bowl XLI: Overall the Scripting Guy who writes...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I change the last modified timestamp for all the files in a folder? I’d like the first file to have a specified timestamp, then each subsequent file to have a timestamp one minute later than the previous file. -- AF Hey...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I monitor event log messages for a specific word or phrase? -- GH Hey, GH. You know, now that the 2007 Scripting Games are over (have we mentioned that the 2008 Games are just a year away?) it’s time for the Scripting Guys...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I monitor a folder for new files and then automatically open each new file that gets added to that folder? -- CA Hey, CA. You know, today is Valentine’s Day in the US, which means that right now most American men are saying...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I force a user to log off after 5 minutes of inactivity? -- CS Hey, CS. You know, no doubt at least some of you are wondering why we Scripting Guys are so excited about the Winter Scripting Games (coming February 12-23...

Hey, Scripting Guy! In an Office Excel spreadsheet, how can I change the color of the text if the value in column B minus the value in column A is greater than or equal to 10? -- EP Hey, EP. You know, before the Scripting Guy who writes this column...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I put the date that a Microsoft Word document was last saved in the footer of that document? Oh: and how can I center that footer while I’m at it? -- GH Hey, GH. Well, the best way to go about – say, wait a second here:...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I write a script that, for each member in a group, returns the member’s name, department, address, title, and description? -- TL-V Hey, TL-V. You would have to mention the word “script,” wouldn’t you? Usually that wouldn...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I save an Office Excel chart as a picture? -- JB Hey, JB. You know, yesterday was a good day for the Scripting Guy who writes this column. If the phone rings at the Scripting House and if it’s for the Scripting...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I specify the number of decimal places to be displayed in an Excel spreadsheet? -- JS Hey, JS. Yes, it is Presidents Day here in the US, a day on which schools, banks, and government offices are all closed. Fortunately,...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I configure Office Excel to autosave every 5 minutes? -- KK Hey, KK. You know, that’s a good question. As it turns out, the autosave capability in Microsoft Excel – hey, wait a minute: do you realize what...

Hey, Scripting Guy! Someone told me that there’s a way to use Windows PowerShell to get a list of all the open windows on a computer. Any chance you could show me how to do that? -- JD Hey, JD. You bet we can. Before we do that, however, we’d...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I prompt a user for information and then pass that information to a command-line tool? -- SD Hey, SD. efh;r9d/fjwf Sorry; let’s try that again. j ewewrj 2gr CX # 2kkkkw Sorry; the Scripting Guy who writes this column...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I specify the tab order in an HTA? -- MJ Hey, MJ. This is the time of year when the greatest and most-anticipated sporting event on the planet takes place, and we know that most of you are dying to hear what the Scripting...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I get the uptime of a service? -- JC Hey, JC. You know, if you could have seen the Scripting Guy who writes this column this morning you would have reconsidered asking him a question about uptime. Although he woke up in...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I delete all the messages in my Sent Items folder? -- OG Hey, OG. You know, throughout his entire life the Scripting Guy who writes this column has been told that “the only dumb question is the question that goes...

Hey, Scripting Guy! We have a logon script that needs to perform certain tasks only on the first and second Mondays of the month. How can I determine whether the script is running on the first or second Monday in a month? -- WA Hey, WA. You know, a...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I use a blank row to separate rows of data in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet? -- AR Hey, AR. You know, most people believe that the Scripting Guys all think alike, that we always agree on everything. That’s not true, though;...

Hey, Scripting Guy! While browsing the Internet I found a script that showed me how to get a list of all the unique words in a text file. That’s useful, but I’d like to go one step further: how can I determine the number of times each of those words occurs...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I saw your article about inserting text into a Microsoft Word bookmark. How can I do the same sort of thing in a text file? -- LR Hey, LR. You’ll have to forgive the Scripting Guy who writes this column if he seems a little less...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I determine the full name of a user in a Windows NT 4.0 domain when all I have is the user’s logon name? -- NH Hey, NH. In case you’re wondering, after a less-than-auspicious beginning the Scripting Guy who writes this column...