I'd like to execute .logopen /u /t /d each time I launch WinDbg - so that a logfile will be created automatically, right from the beginning of each session, without me having to specify it explicitly.
Is there a way to specify a certain command / set of commands to be executed upon WinDbg launch?
You can create a shortcut link or batch file which uses the /c command line parameter:
WinDbg.exe /c ".logopen /t /u /d"
Related
I'm currently trying to run a batch file as a startup script to detect and remove whatever version of office a user has installed and then to install Office 365. I have the install working however, when I attempted to uninstall Office 2013 I received the following error:
Input Error: Can not find script file "C:\Windows\OffScrub_O15msi.vbs"
The Offscrub file is in the same location as the script, is someone able to tell me why it's looking in C:\Windows for it?
Update
Please find my current script which now works for Office 2013, I previously added the line Remove2016Installs $true when using -Command to remove Office 2016, this worked. Since using -File to work around my initial problem I've been unable to get the script to remove Office 2016 and would like some advice on how to do this, I've read that whatever command is after -File needs to be the last which I believe might be why it's failing.
My full script is below:
start "----NOTICE----" cmd.exe /t:ec /Q /k "echo OFFICE 365 IS BEING INSTALLED. THIS WINDOW WILL CLOSE WHEN COMPLETE&&prompt $h"
#echo off
pushd "%~dp0"
powershell.exe -executionpolicy bypass -NoExit -File "Remove-PreviousOfficeInstalls.ps1"
popd
reg Query "HKLM\Hardware\Description\System\CentralProcessor\0" | find /i "x86" > NUL && set OS=32BIT || set OS=64BIT
if %OS%==32BIT "\\domain\SYSVOL\domain\Policies\{Policy Number}\Machine\Scripts\Startup\setup.exe" /configure "\\domain\SYSVOL\domain\Policies\{Policy Number}\Machine\Scripts\Startup\configuration-Office365-x86.xml"
if %OS%==64BIT "\\domain\SYSVOL\domain\Policies\{Policy Number}\Machine\Scripts\Startup\setup.exe" /configure "\\domain\SYSVOL\domain\Policies\{Policy Number}\Machine\Scripts\Startup\configuration-Office365-x64.xml"
taskkill /IM cmd.exe /FI "WINDOWTITLE EQ ----NOTICE----"
taskkill /IM cmd.exe /FI "WINDOWTITLE EQ Administrator: ----NOTICE----"
echo %date% %time% Setup ended with error code %errorlevel%. >> %LogLocation%\%computername%.txt
Update Finished
There's a line that calls the Powershell script Remove-PreviousOfficeInstalls, this is a file from GitHub that is very popular for the removal of whichever Office version you have installed.
I can run this command if say I copy these files to the desktop and amend the locations in the scripts, I'm not sure what this reference to C:\Windows is though when run from \domain\SYSVOL\domain\Policies{Policy Number}\Machine\Scripts\Startup\?
If you run a default instances of PowerShell it always starts in a certain directory. It depends on how and who it is started by. For instance an administrative PowerShell usually starts in C:\Windows\System32. If you use any paths that are not absolute they're applied relative to this directory.
To work around this you need to change the directory it's using. For instance by using cd to change the directory. My guess would be that your script Remove-PreviousOfficeInstalls.ps1 contains a relative call to the VBS.
An easy fix would be to run a script block instead of a single command and just cd to \\domain\SYSVOL\domain\Policies\'{Policy Number}'\Machine\Scripts\Startup\ prior to running the ps1.
The PowerShell help you can view by following [this] link or running powershell -h has the following information in regards to using the -Command switch.
...
Script blocks must be enclosed in braces ({}). You can specify a script block only when running PowerShell.exe in PowerShell. If you want to use a script block when running from another shell you must use the format:
"& {}"
...
The other important parameter for your use case is -File.
Runs the specified script in the local scope ("dot-sourced"), so that the functions and variables that the script creates are available in the current session. Enter the script file path and any parameters.
...
Your batch contains the following line:
powershell.exe -executionpolicy bypass -Command "\\domain\SYSVOL\domain\Policies\'{Policy Number}'\Machine\Scripts\Startup\Remove-PreviousOfficeInstalls.ps1 -Remove2016Installs $true"
What you do is run a single command to invoke a script with a parameter. The problems is that said script checks its locations based on certain function and with your invocation that location is wrongly detected.
There are multiple ways to fix this. One would be to change the directory before invoking the script. To do this you'd need to use a script block as the parameter for -Command. An example for this would be:
powershell.exe -Command "& {Write-Output 'Hello'; Write-Output 'World';}"
As you can see there are two independent Write-Output commands being run. You'd change this to a cd \\domain\SYSVOL\domain\Policies\'{Policy Number}'\Machine\Scripts\Startup\ and the invocation of your script. As a bonus you wouldn't need to put the whole path in front of the script anymore.
The other option would be to run powershell -File with your current invocation of the script. That should also mean that the script is read from the file and the corresponding parameters are populated accordingly.
If neither of these options work you will have to check what $PSScriptRoot is being populated with and/or what the return of (Get-Item -Path ".\").FullName is as those are the two commands used to determine the location of the script that's being executed. To do this you could use a script block.
thanks for your help regarding this. My resolution was to use the following bat command:
`start "----NOTICE----" cmd.exe /t:ec /Q /k "echo OFFICE 365 IS BEING INSTALLED. THIS WINDOW WILL CLOSE WHEN COMPLETE&&prompt $h"`
#echo off
pushd "%~dp0"
powershell.exe -executionpolicy bypass -File Remove-PreviousOfficeInstalls.ps1 -Remove2016Installs
popd
reg Query "HKLM\Hardware\Description\System\CentralProcessor\0" | find /i "x86" > NUL && set OS=32BIT || set OS=64BIT
if %OS%==32BIT "\\Server\Folder\Folder\setup.exe" /configure "\\Server\Folder\Folder\configuration-Office365-x86.xml"
if %OS%==64BIT "\\Server\Folder\Folder\setup.exe" /configure "\\Server\Folder\Folder\configuration-Office365-x64.xml"
taskkill /IM cmd.exe /FI "WINDOWTITLE EQ ----NOTICE----"
taskkill /IM cmd.exe /FI "WINDOWTITLE EQ Administrator: ----NOTICE----"
echo %date% %time% Setup ended with error code %errorlevel%. >> %LogLocation%\%computername%.txt
I had to amend the Remove-PreviousOfficeInstalls powershell script to include the switch command:
[Parameter(ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName=$true)]
[switch]$Remove2016Installs = $false,
This then did exactly what I was after, it detected the current version of Office, removed it and installed the correct bit version of Office 365 for that PC\Laptop.
Thanks for all your help
I currently have a .cmd file that runs the following two commands on startup
PowerShell -Command "Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted" >> "%TEMP%\StartupLog.txt" 2>&1
PowerShell C:\Users\elias\Desktop\Script123.ps1 >> "%TEMP%\StartupLog.txt" 2>&1
But when this runs on startup it shows the command prompt. I'm wondering if there's anyway to run this without showing the command prompt.
Thank You
Invoking a .cmd file directly invariably opens a console window, so you need to invoke it via a wrapper executable that hides it:
This answer of mine contains a VBScript script that does just that; assuming you've saved it as runHidden.vbs in the current dir and that you want to invoke some-batch-file.cmd from the current dir:
wscript .\runHidden.vbs cmd "/c .\some-batch-file.cmd"
Try powershell -command "& { $x = New-Object -ComObject Shell.Application; $x.minimizeall() }" in the beginning of the code.
This command can minimize all windows.
I hope this can be helpful, if you have any other questions, please comment below.
Create a wrapper with VBScript:
Option Explicit
Dim WshShell
Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
WshShell.Run "cmd /c blah.cmd", 0, False
Then change the startup item to
wscript.exe wrapper.vbs
I'm wondering if there is a way to minimize a batch window after it runs a certain command. I already know start /min and tricks to START the window minimized but what about while it's running a loop or timeout?
Let's say:
echo Hello!
timeout /t 100
:COMMAND TO MINIMIZE WINDOW WHILE TIMEOUT IS RUNNING
Right now i'm calling an autoit script in the bat file to hide the window while the command is running with :
WinSetState($application_name, "", #SW_HIDE)
but i'm looking for a pure batch/powershell/vbs solution that can be coded directly in the .bat file.
Thank you for your time!
Use PowerShell's invocation options, executing no command or script.
#echo off & setlocal
echo Hello!
powershell -window minimized -command ""
timeout /t 100
powershell -window normal -command ""
FWIW, -window hidden is also available if you wish.
You can also minimize all windows by using below code with powershell.
$shell = New-Object -ComObject "Shell.Application"
$shell.minimizeall()
Check:
https://techibee.com/powershell/powershell-minimize-all-windows/1017
You can minimize the command prompt on during the run but you'll need two additional scripts: windowMode and getCmdPid.bat:
#echo off
echo Hello!
call getCmdPid >nul
call windowMode -pid %errorlevel% -mode minimized
timeout /t 100
call getCmdPid >nul
call windowMode -pid %errorlevel% -mode normal
This will do. You need to however run the minimize before the timeout as it is in batch. Timeout will now occur once the window is minimized. This example will keep the window during the ping so you can see it minimizes.
echo Hello!
ping 127.0.0.1
if not DEFINED IS_MINIMIZED set IS_MINIMIZED=1 && start "" /min "%~dpnx0" %* && exit
timeout /t 100
exit
I am having a bunch of issues with getting a PowerShell command to run. All it is doing is running a command that would be run in a CMD prompt window.
Here is the command:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Configuration Manager\AdminConsole\bin\i386\CmRcViewer.exe" PCNAME
I have tried the following with no success (I have tried many iterations of this to try and get one that works. Syntax is probably all screwed up):
$TEXT = $textbox.Text #$textbox is where the user enters the PC name.
$CMDCOMMAND = "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Configuration Manager\AdminConsole\bin\i386\CmRcViewer.exe"
Start-Process '"$CMDCOMMAND" $TEXT'
#iex -Command ('"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Configuration Manager\AdminConsole\bin\i386\CmRcViewer.exe"' $TEXT)
The command will just open SCCM remote connection window to the computer the user specifies in the text box.
Try this:
& "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Configuration Manager\AdminConsole\bin\i386\CmRcViewer.exe" PCNAME
To PowerShell a string "..." is just a string and PowerShell evaluates it by echoing it to the screen. To get PowerShell to execute the command whose name is in a string, you use the call operator &.
To run or convert batch files externally from PowerShell (particularly if you wish to sign all your scheduled task scripts with a certificate) I simply create a PowerShell script, e.g. deletefolders.ps1.
Input the following into the script:
cmd.exe /c "rd /s /q C:\#TEMP\test1"
cmd.exe /c "rd /s /q C:\#TEMP\test2"
cmd.exe /c "rd /s /q C:\#TEMP\test3"
*Each command needs to be put on a new line calling cmd.exe again.
This script can now be signed and run from PowerShell outputting the commands to command prompt / cmd directly.
It is a much safer way than running batch files!
One solution would be to pipe your command from PowerShell to CMD. Running the following command will pipe the notepad.exe command over to CMD, which will then open the Notepad application.
PS C:\> "notepad.exe" | cmd
Once the command has run in CMD, you will be returned to a PowerShell prompt, and can continue running your PowerShell script.
Edits
CMD's Startup Message is Shown
As mklement0 points out, this method shows CMD's startup message. If you were to copy the output using the method above into another terminal, the startup message will be copied along with it.
For those who may need this info:
I figured out that you can pretty much run a command that's in your PATH from a PS script, and it should work.
Sometimes you may have to pre-launch this command with cmd.exe /c
Examples
Calling git from a PS script
I had to repackage a git client wrapped in Chocolatey (for those who may not know, it's a package manager for Windows) which massively uses PS scripts.
I found out that, once git is in the PATH, commands like
$ca_bundle = git config --get http.sslCAInfo
will store the location of git crt file in $ca_bundle variable.
Looking for an App
Another example that is a combination of the present SO post and this SO post is the use of where command
$java_exe = cmd.exe /c where java
will store the location of java.exe file in $java_exe variable.
You must use the Invoke-Command cmdlet to launch this external program. Normally it works without an effort.
If you need more than one command you should use the Invoke-Expression cmdlet with the -scriptblock option.
I have following PowerShell script:
cmd /c script1.bat
cmd /c script2.bat
script1.bat at the end of execution have "pause" command, so the execution of my PS script stops.
How can send any key cmd.exe to avoid stopping script execution?
NOTE: I can't change batch scripts - they are 3rd party.
You can pipe input to the program (cmd.exe) like this:
"X" | cmd /c script1.bat
You could put an empty file called pause.bat in the same directory. Then it would do nothing instead of pause.
The batch scripts may be 3rd party, but surely you can just a copy/backup and edit the content to remove the PAUSE command?
I sometimes put a PAUSE in if I am testing something and don't want the window to close, but otherwise I can't think of a good reason to keep that in.
I had trouble getting the accepted answer to work for me due having an expression in the bat file path.
"x" | $Env:WRAPPER_HOME\bat\installService.bat $LOGFILE
Error is "Expressions are only allowed as the first element of a pipeline."
Here's what I got working (finally):
[PS script code]
& runner.bat bat_to_run.bat logfile.txt
[runner.bat]
#echo OFF
REM This script can be executed from within a powershell script so that the bat file
REM passed as %1 will not cause execution to halt if PAUSE is encountered.
REM If {logfile} is included, bat file output will be appended to logfile.
REM
REM Usage:
REM runner.bat [path of bat script to execute] {logfile}
if not [%2] == [] GOTO APPEND_OUTPUT
#echo | call %1
GOTO EXIT
:APPEND_OUTPUT
#echo | call %1 1> %2 2>&1
:EXIT