Teh Tech » Batch

Add Date and Time to any Batch File Output

admin — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 14:59:08 +0000

This trick is useful for both troubleshooting batch file tasks and when using a batch file to create a log. For example I have a scheduled task that renames some of my backup folders at night and then moved a few files around for me. When the batch file starts I uses the below code to print the time it starts, I repeat the two lines at the end of the batch file so that I can see what time the job completed. This is useful for figuring out average time of a task so that you can schedule other things without interfering.

Date /T >> c:\script.log
Time /T >> c:\script.log

And here is what it looks like in a actual batch file:

Echo running backup script >> G:\log\backup.log
Date /T >> G:\log\backup.log
Time /T >> G:\log\backup.log
Rename f:\backup\full f:\backup\full_old
md f:\backup\full
Move f:\backup\full_old g:\archive
Delete f:\backup\full\log.txt
Echo completed at >> G:\log\backup.log
Date /T >> G:\log\backup.log

Time /T >> G:\log\backup.log

The output would look like:

Running backup script
Thu 04/23/2009
10:53 AM
Completed at
Thu 04/23/2009
11:23 AM

How to Rename a File Over a Network Through a Batch File

admin — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 04:12:11 +0000

Sometime you need to rename a file or a folder that does not reside on your sever. For example I run a scheduled task on one sever to rename the folder on another server so that I can automatically archive backups weekly. Batch files or command line operations do not support UNC paths like \\myserver\my_share without taking some steps first.

For this example I have a server called “server01″ is is running a script that will rename a folder called ‘Full’ that resides in a share called backup on a server called ‘server02′. First we map to the share, perform the operation, and then unmap the session. This method does not require a drive letter and thus works well and will never cause a DLA conflict.

net use \\server02\backup
rename \\server02\backup\full \\server02\backup\archive
net use /delete \\server02\backup

Essentially the net use function allows you to then use the path in the script. Remember that if you do not have rights to the folder you are mapping to you may need to specify them in the first line.

Change your Power Options to ‘Always On’

admin — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 07:31:24 +0000

It is anoying as hell when you push out an update or a patch and a computer is off. Â This hopefully will limit this problem. Although it is impossible to keep a user fromÂ shuttingÂ down this will at least keep the computer from doing it on its own. Â This can be pushed in a batch file, or deployed as part of a login script for rollouts, and of course through kasyea. Â Note this will only work on windows xp sp2 or higher.

Batch or login script:

powercfg /setactive “always on”

Kaseya

Script Name: Power Option – Always onÂ

Script Description: Turns the computers power configuation to the ‘always on’ setting

IF TrueÂ

THEN

Â Â Execute Shell Command

Â Â Â Parameter 1 : powercfg /setactive “always on”

Â Â Â Parameter 2 : 1

Â Â Â Â Â OS Type : 0

ELSE

Automatically Remove Windows Search 4.0

admin — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:24:00 +0000

Microsoft has a funny way of sneaking ‘features’ in with patches. In this case Windows Search 4.0 is not really a feature as much as a problem. It was installed on a few of the networksÂ I support as part of our weekly patching, and the next day I got a bunch of calls about reduced performance. I figured that people would complain until it finished indexing. Not the case, it seemed to cripple computers and crush servers. It indexed to the point of actually leaving no resources for users to authenticate to one of our terminal servers. I started looking for a fix and came up with this:

Kaseya:

Script Name: Remove Windows Search 4.0
Script Description:

IF Test File
Parameter 1 : C:WINDOWS$NtUninstallKB940157$spuninstspuninst.exe
Exists :
THEN
Execute File
Parameter 1 : C:WINDOWS$NtUninstallKB940157$spuninstspuninst.exe
Parameter 2 : /quiet /norestart
Parameter 3 : 3
OS Type : 0
ELSE

Windows logon script or batch file:

C:WINDOWS$NtUninstallKB940157$spuninstspuninst.exe /quiet /norestart

If you are using kasaya you can import that script directly and run it to remove the ‘feature’. You can also add the above line to a login script or batch file. This will automatically, silently remove the update with no user intervention or popup. Â itÂ literallyÂ just disappears.

WARNING: running this on a terminal server with users logged in will cause new users to not be able to authenticate until you restart the server. Â Always follow best practice for software uninstalls. Â Careful when you run it on servers

Just a nice simple way to remove windows search 4.0 infection from your network.

Inserting a Wait in a Batch File, Using Netstat in a Login Script

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:50:33 +0000

So you want to pause a batch file for a few seconds.Â Unfortunately windows doesn’t provide a very simple way of doing this.Â Â I wanted to run ‘netstat -b’ 25 seconds after a user logged into their computer as to give the computer enough time to start up all background applications.Â But, there is no wait function in batch files.Â Well I found a workaround.Â If you use the ‘-n’ argument with the ping command you can specify the amount of time to run a ping for.Â Thus ping -n 60 127.0.0.1 will ping your local host for 60 seconds.Â This will more or less keep the batch file at a standstill for a specified number of seconds before continuing.Â In my case I used it for a pause in a login script.

echo off
title login script
color 1f
set name=%computername%
ping -n 25 127.0.0.1
echo %computername% >> g:\%name%.log
date /T >> g:\%name%.log
time /T >> g:\%name%.log
netstat -b >> g:\%name%.log
echo *********************************************** >> g:\%name%.log
echo *********************************************** >> g:\%name%.log
echo *********************************************** >> g:\%name%.log
echo *********************************************** >> g:\%name%.log
echo *********************************************** >> g:\%name%.log

Â
In this script the ‘G’ Drive is a mapped drive for administration.Â When a user logs in they will open the log stamp it with their computer name, the date and the time.Â Then the netstat output, followed by a few lines of asterisks to separate the uses visually.Â I have an OU with this script applied to it.Â If I suspect a user is doing something sketchy I add them to this OU, to do a little snooping.