July, 2007

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I create a new Outlook distribution list based on the membership of an Active Directory group? -- HKM Hey, HKM. Before we launch into today’s column we’d like to make a nomination for the Most Courageous Scripting Performance...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I configure a pair of dropdown lists in an HTA so that, when I change the selection in the first list, the options available in the second list also change? -- PC Hey, PC. Before we get going today, we’d like to make it...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I map a printer based on the local computer’s OU? -- TG Hey, TG. Before we begin, we’d like to offer a sincere and heartfelt apology to the Scripting Editor. In a recent column , we made it sound as if, in her words, the...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I configure the print options in PowerPoint so that, by default, handouts are printed rather than slides? -- OG Hey, OG. You know, whoever said “Lightning never strikes twice in the same place” didn’t reckon on the Scripting...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I create a new WMI namespace under the root namespace? -- MT Hey, MT. So how are you doing, MT? We hope you’re doing well; the Scripting Guys hope that everyone is doing well. (OK: we hope that most everyone is doing well...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I save all my contacts as VCards? -- ET Hey, ET. You know, we have to tell you the truth: after nearly 800 Hey, Scripting Guy! articles the Scripting Guy who writes this column is beginning to get a little burnt-out. Fortunately...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I monitor an application’s log file and issue an alert if the timestamp on that file hasn’t changed in the last 30 minutes? -- JA Hey, JA. You know that’s a very interesting question, and one that – say, wait a second. You...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I truncate file names by removing a common beginning and ending, leaving only the unique middle portion of the name? -- RE Hey, RE. Before we answer your question we’d like to point out that we’ve finally posted the winners...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I create a custom dialog box that presents the user with two options, and then runs the appropriate subroutine based on the option they chose? -- AM Hey, AM. Well, today is another day, which is good; after all, yesterday...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I have a bunch of documents I’m trying to transfer to MySpace. In order to do so, I need to put the <br> tag at the end of each and every line in the document. Is there any way to do that using Microsoft Word, or even Notepad...

Hey, Scripting Guy! Sometimes you go to a Web page and you’ll see a text box that includes some instructions, something like “Please type a description in this box.” When you click on the text box, those instructions disappear; however, if you click on...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I create a logon script that lists the network printers for the logged-on user, then writes that information to a text file? -- RC Hey, RC. You know, the nice thing about coming to work after a few days off is – well, OK...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I create a file of a specified size using a script? -- RE Hey, RE. Well, it’s day 2 of the Walla Walla Invitational Baseball tournament, but at the moment the Scripting Guy who writes this column isn’t thinking about baseball;...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I use Windows PowerShell to retrieve the value of environment variables and the path to a special folder? -- SB Hey, SB. Well, it’s Thursday, which means that the Scripting Guy who writes this column is currently in Walla...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I have an HTA which includes a text box where the user must enter a part number. Part numbers must consist of a certain set of characters; how can I determine if a user entered an invalid character in the part number text box? -- RR...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I open a text file and insert a page break after each line where the only character is the number 1? -- JR Hey, JR. OK, to begin with, there’s no doubt that the Scripting Guy who writes this column doesn’t keep up with the...

Hey, Scripting Guy! In a previous column you showed us how to list all the tables in an Access database. How can I list all the fields in those tables, along with the data type of each field? -- MF Hey, MF. As you may or may not know, there’s a Microsoft...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I set the print area in an Excel spreadsheet? -- PRP Hey, PRP. You know, before the Scripting Guy who writes this column wrote his very first column he took a sacred vow: he vowed never to take a sacred vow, at least not...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I loop through a 12x12 array and replace any null values with a hyphen? -- AM Hey, AM. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you; as it turns out, yesterday was Independence Day (more typically referred to as the Fourth...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I change the local Administrator password on all the computers in my domain? -- AO Hey, AO. You know, according to the now-classic cartoon punch-line, “on the Internet, no one knows if you’re a dog.” To be perfectly honest...

Hey, Scripting Guy! Every Sunday I need to create a folder with a name similar to this: C:\Test\7-2-2007 to 7-6-2007 , with the dates representing the Monday and the Friday of the upcoming week. How can I write a script that will create this folder for...