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Summary : Use a Windows PowerShell cmdlet to create a hash table. How can I use Windows PowerShell to create a hash table if do not remember the special syntax? Use the ConvertFrom-StringData cmdlet, and put each key-value pair on its own line. (You can perform this on a single line by using backtick...

Summary : Microsoft PFE and guest blogger, Chris Wu, talks about working with hash tables. Microsoft Scripting Guy, Ed Wilson, is here. Welcome back guest blogger, Chris Wu … Admittedly, hash tables didn’t catch my attention when I started using Windows PowerShell, but over time it...

Summary : Microsoft premier field engineer, Chris Wu, talks about combining Windows PowerShell arrays. Microsoft Scripting Guy, Ed Wilson, is here. Chris Wu, a Microsoft PFE, is back to share his knowledge. See previous Hey, Scripting Guy! Blog guest posts from Chris. Here is contact information...

Summary : Learn how to work with hash tables that contain other hash tables in Windows PowerShell. Microsoft Scripting Guy, Ed Wilson, is here. Well, it is a typical winter day here in Charlotte, North Carolina in the United States. I am not talking about a nice, cool, sunny day with cobalt blue skies...

Summary : Learn about creating an array of arrays in Windows PowerShell, and see how to store numerical data and rich objects in elements. Microsoft Scripting Guy, Ed Wilson, is here. Yesterday in Charlotte, North Carolina in the United States, it was 60 degrees Fahrenheit (that is 15 degrees Celsius...

Summary : Learn two ways to read a CSV file with Windows PowerShell and build distinguished names on the fly. Hey, Scripting Guy! I am working on my first big project with Windows PowerShell, and I have been unable to locate a good answer on the Internet. I am having trouble figuring out how to connect...

Summary : Microsoft Scripting Guy Ed Wilson talks about formatting multilevel arrays in Windows PowerShell. Hey, Scripting Guy! I am having a problem with arrays. I have two-level arrays and they work perfectly when I have the arrays defined on a single line. But when I try to format my script...

Summary : Learn how to Use Windows PowerShell hash tables with your cmdlets to create powerful commands. Hey, Scripting Guy! I think I understand hash tables after having read your earlier articles about working with hash tables. What I do not understand is how hash tables work within Windows PowerShell...

Summary : Microsoft Scripting Guy Ed Wilson covers the basics of hash tables in Windows PowerShell. Hey, Scripting Guy! I have been reading your articles for several years, but I have never been compelled to write until today. I was reading an old article about putting all the Windows PowerShell...

Summary : In preparation for creating a Windows PowerShell ISE add-on to automatically remove aliases, Scripting Guy Ed Wilson builds a hash table with alias definitions. Microsoft Scripting Guy, Ed Wilson, here. It has finally happened, I unveiled the last event of the 2011 Windows PowerShell Scripting...

Summary : Advanced Event 7 in 2011 Scripting Games uses Windows PowerShell to map user's names to Twitter names. About this event Division Advanced Date of Event 4/12/2011 12:15 AM Due Date 4/19/2011 12:15 AM Event...

Summary : Learn how to speed up array comparisons in Windows PowerShell by using a runtime regular expression Hey, Scripting Guy! I am interested in speeding up comparisons of arrays when I use Windows PowerShell. Can you help me? —CR Hello CR, Microsoft Scripting Guy, Ed Wilson...

Note : We are no longer accepting entries for this event. See the due dates page for a list of all event due dates. About This Event Division Beginner Date of Event May 6, 2010 Due Date May 13, 2010 ...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I would like to parse the firewall log on my computer and find out the kinds of packets that are going out. You know, how many Web page packets, how many DNS lookups, how many pings. That kind of stuff. I figure that I can look at these logs and pick up diagnostic information. For...

Determining if SQL Is Installed; How to Read Paired Information into a Dictionary Object Hey, Scripting Guy! Being an avid reader of your columns for the last several years has been a blast. I wrote you once before but with no success (in terms of a reply, which was expected, and in terms of not seeing...

How Do I Troubleshoot Some Scripts Not Executing on Certain Computers? Hey, Scripting Guy! I have VBScripts executed using GPOs per organizational unit. For some reason, the scripts are not executed on certain computers. Sometimes, clicking Repair on Local Area Network connection and logging off...

How Can I Return File Names of Files Created in Less Than an Hour from the Current Time? Hey, Scripting Guy! I am attempting to write a script that looks at the creation dates of all files in a certain directory. If the files were created less than an hour from the current time, the script will...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I import a fixed-width data file into Microsoft Excel? -- RS Hey, RS. This column is being written on a Friday morning, and so far it’s been a very weird morning at that. For one thing, it’s not raining and – if you look closely – you can even see the sun. (It’s been awhile...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I have two text files that contain numbers. I need to write a script that can determine whether a given number exists in both of these text files. If it does, I need to delete that line from each of the two files. How do I do that? -- KT Hey, KT. Before we get started today, we...

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 Windows ME? That’s a weird name; couldn’t possibly...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I have a dumb question for you: If I have two lists how can I verify that all the items in list 2 can be found in list 1? -- SS Hey, SS. Trust us; we’ve heard sillier questions. For example, awhile back the Scripting Son came downstairs on a Saturday morning to find the Scripting...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I get the names of 10 randomly-selected files in a folder? I need to do that so I can test and verify our backup and restore policies. -- CS Hey, CS. You know, if you’re interested in things that are random, haphazard, arbitrary, or downright chaotic, well, you came to...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I test a dynamic array to see if the array is empty? -- SH Hey, SH. Today’s column is dated Wednesday, July 5 th . If there really is a column today that means that, unlike last year, the neighbors and their errant fireworks didn’t set fire to the Scripting House. If there...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I import a fixed-width file into Microsoft Excel? -- JP Hey, JP. We have a confession to make here, something we’re terribly ashamed of: for a moment - just for a moment, mind you - we doubted Microsoft Excel. Yes, we know: how could we do such a thing? All we can say is...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I know I can use the Split function to split a line into individual items. But how can I tell how many “splits” I ended up with; that is, how many individual items did I generate from a single line? -- SA Hey, SA. For those of you who are relative newcomers to scripting (or those...