My programming teacher is requiring that everyone participate in the science fair this year, and now they accept computer-related projects. So, knowing only one language (Windows batch), I asked if I could make some kind of text based game in batch code. She said that I can only write the code, but not execute it.
She said that if we're even caught on the command prompt, we apparently get in big trouble and never get access to a school computer for the rest of the time I'm at the high school, or something like that... Even if all the code contains is a bunch of echos and simple variables, she won't let me and my partner run it. She also said that we must work on the project during school in her class.
So to sum all that up, she's letting me write a game/program, but I'm not allowed to test it to make sure it works in school, which will be when I'm writing it most...
So is there any way to run/test a batch script with simple echo and set /p commands without the "dangerous, black command prompt" showing up?
I think she has no idea what she's talking about, because on the board, she wrote "back script" lol
A batch file runs like any other executable file by double-clicking the file within Windows. However, because a batch file runs in a command line it immediately exits when done, so you may only see a black box for a second.
If the batch file is closing too fast, or you want to read the output from the batch file you can edit the batch file and add a pause to the end of the file. The pause command waits for user input before continuing.
A .BAT file can be made into a .EXE or .COM file to keep the program's source hidden from a user. You could use the .BAT to .EXE converter file to convert the batch files to .EXE file. In this program you can point to the batch file you want to convert into an executable file, include additional files, change the icon of the file, and add file details.
For Information on Batch files, this is one of the best resource.
Try this:
#echo off
color F0
mode con lines=25 cols=60
cls
title "Notepad - MyProgram.bat"
set /P "name=What is your name? "
echo Hello %name%, glad to see you...
pause
Execute it via a double click or enter in files browser...
Related
I am currently using a program called USBDeviewer for auditing purposes. Basically what it does is it gets a list of USB devices that were used on a particular PC. The program can create a log file but you have to do it manually. The keyboard command to save a log file is ctrl+A to select all devices and then ctrl+S to save. After you select save you are prompted to enter a filename and location to save it.
I need a batch script that will automatically run this program and save the information on the log file to a folder automatically without any human intervention such as typing in the name (it needs a different name every time, perhaps the filename can include a different date every time).
This is a simple script but I am not familiar with batch scripting so any help would be appreciated.
Save Command-Line Options for usbdeview.exe
/stext Filename : Save the list of all USB devices into a regular text file.
#echo off
set Log=c:\temp\logfile.txt
usbdeview.exe /stext %Log%
I realize this might be a very basic question but I am slightly new to working with batch.
I am trying to use delprof to delete user profiles off multiple remote computers. I have Delprof.exe saved and can run it from a cmd window to put in different required arguments such as "/p /d:30". I can have my batch file run the application using the start command but it quickly closes the window.
I need to have delprof run from the batch but be interactive so it can prompt me with what profiles it has found and if I want to delete them. Basically Im trying to use this so I dont need to enter the arguments every time. I want it to be one click on the batch file and it will pop up with the profiles found and ask me which ones it should delete.
You are not clear on exactly what you want. But omitting start will probably do what you want. Which is run delprof as if you typed it at command line.
If not see the set /p command.
set /p remote=Enter Computer Name
delprof /c:\\%remote%
Gist: I want a task scheduled that just saves an existing text file every 15 minutes.
I used the task scheduler to create a task and when I'm in the area where I add actions, I'm stuck. I know, this sounds stupid.
I chose start a program and set the program to "C:\Windows\System32\notepad.exe". I don't know what to put in the Arguments or Start in. I'm thinking I should put the path to the file, but that would just open it, right? I want it saved. I tried adding a -s /s or whatever but it doesn't seem to work.
Very interesting. Try moving file to itself by "cmd /c move file.txt file.txt". You are correct that opening file in notepad would need you to save it. however I would like to say no file, even if some changes being made to it, need to be saved. In my understanding if any application that is making change to the file is actually writing to it permanently.
I want to hide a bat file or its commands in a image file so when the image is opened the commands in the bat file is executed.
Assuming you're speaking specifically for the windows platform (what with "batch" files), you can't.
Batch files are parsed, not compiled, so an image file with batch in it would still be read as an image file.
I really can't sum it up more clearly than things just don't work like this.
However, assuming you're doing things ethically, you can re-associate, say, a .jpg extension to be opened with the command prompt and put your batch script in a text file with a .jpg extension.
Just a final note: Questions like these are often looked poorly upon by the StackOverflow members simply because you're hardly ever trying to achieve something like this with good intentions. I won't be the first to flame you, but I definitely won't be the last.
There are a number of ways in which a single file can contain two distinct streams of data which are independent of, and don't interfere with, each other. One commonly cited example of this is how it is possible to append a .zip file to a .jpg file and still have the combined file function as both types of files, depending on what sort of application is opening it. This trick takes advantage of the specific way jpeg and zip files are structured. These sorts of files are akin to polyglot program.
Another common method of embedding unrelated information into a file is steganography, which is the concealment of messages within mundane objects (like an image file.)
You might also consider using an Alternate Data Stream, though in such a case the batch file would arguably not be embedded in the image.
Once you have your batch file embedded, by whatever means, you must then find a way to cause the batch file to be run instead of--or in addition to--whichever image-viewing application the user has configured.
It can be safe to assume that the average user does not expect a file ending in .jpg (for example) to open a cmd.exe window and start executing unknown instructions. Windows Explorer, the application which under most circumstances decides what program to run when a certain file type is double clicked, has sane defaults (i.e. a .jpg file gets opened with an image viewing application) though these can be changed (though users generally don't change these sane defaults to insane customizations like cmd.exe.)
The simplest method would be to write your own handler program and cause it to become the default handler for image file types. I believe that all handler applications must be compiled PE application or library files (.exe, .dll, .scr, etc.) so another batch file won't work here. Your custom handler must reverse the embedding to retrieve the embedded batch file and then execute it with cmd.exe.
But if you've already managed to supplant the default handler with your own code then the embedded batch file is moot since you've already got your code running.
I have to echo what #Di-0xide said about this question. If you're trying to write a legitimate application and this is part of your design plan, then you need to go back to the drawing board because no legitimate application should ever do this sort of thing.
Although there are no doubt many more malace reasons why someone would want to embed a batch file within an image,
and have it execute when the image is opened. I can see at least one legitimate reason for wanting to perform the task.
What if you have a family computer, shared with your 2 kids, the wife, and yourself. Lets say you have some files you don't
want your children to come across, or a directory full of journal entries. It would be pretty neat if a simple batch file that would
change the attributes settings of the directory, containing the sensitive files. This way a parent could rest assure that their
kids wont stumble upon dads nudie pics. LOL
IE: Lets say someone wrote 2 simple batch files s.bat(to show the directory) and h.bat(to hide the directory)
hide.bat
#echo off
REM Show the directory containing sensitive info:
attrib +a +s +h +r C:\path\to\the\directory\to\hide
REM Hide this batch file(or image containing the batch file):
attrib +a +s +h +r C:\path\to\the\batch\files\hide.bat
REM Show a batch file(or image containing the batch file) that will allow for showing the directory:
attrib -a -s -h -r C:\path\to\the\batch\files\show.bat
show.bat
#echo off
REM Show the directory containing sensitive info:
attrib -a -s -h -r C:\path\to\the\directory\to\hide
REM Show the batch file(or image containing the batch file) that will allow user to hide directory:
attrib -a -s -h -r C:\path\to\the\batch\files\h.bat
REM Hide this batch file(or image containing the batch file):
attrib +a +s +h +r C:\path\to\the\batch\files\s.bat
I think it would work better having images that would execute the show.bat and hide.bat batch files, rather than just changing the icon on each batch file.
Perhaps writing a handler program that would change the attributes of the directory then open the image and associate the handler to some unused extension, would work.
Just a thought.
Simplest way to do this is to just create your batch file as normal and then create a desktop shortcut of the same batch file. Finally right-click on the shortcut and change the icon to what ever image you want. Once all changes are made then anytime the image is opened, the batch file will run.
This is easy just use winrar archive to embed bat file in image. This will run bat file before image or you can change settings to run image file before bat.
Follow this tutorial to do so:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytvKVYYrqEw
Can you execute a VBS file as a screen saver? I have managed to rename cmd.exe to *.scr and this works, but I need to be able to run a VBS file as the screen saver if this is possible.
No, this is not possible.
In Windows, screen savers (*.scr files) are a special type of executable (.exe) file. That is why renaming a program like cmd.exe to cmd.scr causes it to sort of "work" as a screen saver. In particular, screen savers respond to certain command line switches (or parameters), which is how the OS gets them to do things like show the configuration dialog or display a preview.
But you can't compile VBScript files into executables, so there's no way to make this trick work for them.
You might be able to migrate the VBScript code to a VB 6 application, which you could then compile into an executable and run as a screen saver, but I can't imagine that this would be worth the development time. If you're interested in such a thing (and can get your hands on an old copy of VB 6!), you can probably find several how-to guides online, like this one.
But I'm honestly having a hard time imagining why one would ever want to run a VBScript script as a screen saver, or what it would display on the screen. You don't have very much control over what gets displayed on the screen, and you can't call down to native Windows API functions from VBScript. You'd end up relying upon some external library, so you might as well just use that library in the first place.
You can simply write a batch file that starts your vb script:
CD "%SystemRoot%\System32"
Start /Wait Wscript.exe "c:\program files\myscript.vbs"
Exit
Then compile the batch to exe, rename the exe to scr.