Manipulating the File System Using Shell Scripting

Shell scripting provides limited functionality for manipulating the file system. Although Resource Kit utilities extend the capabilities of shell scripting, it still cannot compare to the more powerful functions of KiXtart and Windows Script Host. So, why use shell scripting? Shell scripting comes built into every operating system, and you will run into situations where shell scripting is your only alternative.

Deleting Files Depending on Extension

The Windows 2000/XP DELETE command supports many options that the Windows 9 x command does not. To remove files based on extension in Windows 2000/XP, start the command prompt and enter the following:

DEL *.

ext

/F /Q /S

Here, ext is the file extension of the files to delete; the /F switch forces the deletion of read-only files; the /Q switch removes prompts; and the /S switch performs deletions not only in the current directory, but in the subdirectories as well.

Deleting Folders and Subfolders

Windows XP includes the RMDIR (Remove Directory) command that mimics the Windows 9 x DELTREE.EXE (Delete Tree) command. To delete a root folder and all its subfolders with RMDIR, start the command prompt and enter the following:

RMDIR /Q /S

directory

Here, directory is the name of the directory to delete; the /Q switch removes prompts; and the /S switch performs the deletion of all files and subdirectories.

Determining File Versions

FILEVER.EXE is a Resource Kit utility to display file versions from the command line. To determine a file version, start the command prompt and enter the following:

FILEVER

filename

Here, filename is the path and name of file to determine the file version.

Updating Program Files Depending on the Version

REPLACE is a command that can be used to update older files with newer file versions. To update a file with a newer version, start the command prompt and enter the following:

REPLACE /R /S /U

source destination

Here, source is the path and name of the source file; destination is the directory to start the replacement; the /R switch allows for readonly file replacement; the /S switch performs the replacement in the current directory and all subdirectories; and the /U switch specifies to only replace files with a newer version.

Replicating Files and Directories

You can tell users to back up their files to the server, but whether the users actually do back the files up is a different story. ROBOCOPY is a Resource Kit utility to copy, move, or replicate files from the command line. To replicate files, start the command prompt and enter the following:

ROBOCOPY /MIR /ETA /NP /LOG+:

logfile source destination

Here, the /MIR mirrors a directory tree; the /ETA switch displays the estimated time of arrival of copied files; the /NP switch causes no copy progress to be displayed; the /LOG+: logfile outputs the status to the logfile ; and destination is the location to replicate the source to.

Displaying File or Folder Attributes

The ATTRIB command allows you to display file or folder attributes. To display the attributes of a file or folder, start the command prompt and enter the following:

ATTRIB

filefolder

Here, filefolder is the file or folder that contains the attributes you wish to display.

Setting/Removing File or Folder Attributes

The ATTRIB command allows you to set or remove file and folder attributes. To set attributes of a file or folder, start a command prompt and enter the following:

ATTRIB +R +H +S

filefolder

To remove attributes of a file or folder, start a command prompt and enter the following:

ATTRIB -R -H -S

filefolder

Appending Text Files

Collecting information from log files can be a time-consuming task. Often, these files are properly formatted but simply need to be collected to a central file. To append the contents of one text file to another, start the command prompt and enter the following:

TYPE

file1

>>

file2

Here, file1 is the file whose contents you want to append to file2 .

Compressing Files and Folders

With Windows NT/2000/XP/2003 and a drive formatted with NTFS (New Technologies File System), you can take advantage of NTFS compression to save disk space by compressing your files and folders. The COMPACT command allows you to compress/uncompress NTFS files and folders from the command line. To compress all the files and subfolders of a folder, start a command prompt and enter the following:

COMPACT /c /s

rootfolder

\*.*

Here, rootfolder is the folder that contains the files and folders you want to compress. The /c option sets the intended action to compress, and /s specifies that the intended action should be applied to all files and subfolders of the rootfolder .

Manipulating the File System Using KiXtart

KiXtart is a scripting language I introduced in Chapter 1 that is best used when you know the exact file or directory you want to manipulate. KiXtart provides poor directory parsing capabilities with its limited DIR command and lack of recursive support. To compensate, you can call external commands for indirect file management and KiXtart commands for direct file management.

Using External Commands

KiXtart provides two statements to run an external 16- or 32-bit application or command: SHELL and RUN . The SHELL statement will wait for the external command to complete, but the RUN statement will not. Both the SHELL and RUN statements have the same syntax:

statement

"

command

"

Here, statement is the RUN or SHELL statement, and command is the command to run. To delete all the files in the temp directory using the RUN statement, you would enter:

RUN "

%COMSPEC%

/C DEL C:\TEMP\*.* /F /Q /S"

Renaming a File or Folder

KiXtart does not contain a function to rename a file or folder. Instead, you can move the current item to a new item with the desired name, providing an item with the new name does not already exist. To rename a file or folder, proceed as follows :

1. Create a new directory to store all files included in this example.

2. Download and extract the latest version of KiXtart from http://www.kixtart.org to the new directory.

3. Select StartRun and enter "kix32 scriptfile. "

Here, scriptfile is the full path of the new directory from step 1 and the file name of a script file that contains the following:

REN( '

oldname

', '

newname

' )

Function REN( $OldFileName, $NewFileName )
  MOVE $OldFileName $NewfileName /h
EndFunction

Here, oldname is the name of the file or folder to rename and newname is the name to rename the oldname to. The REN function uses the MOVE command to rename the file or folder. The /h option specifies to include system and hidden files.

Displaying File or Folder Attributes

The KiXtart command GetFileAttr allows you to display file or folder attributes. To display the attributes of a file or folder, proceed as follows:

1. Create a new directory to store all files included in this example.

2. Download and extract the latest version of KiXtart, from http://www.kixtart.org, to the new directory.

3. Select StartRun and enter "kix32 scriptfile. "

Here, scriptfile is the full path of the new directory from step 1 and file name of a script file that contains the following:

DisplayAttr('

path

)
Sleep 5

Function DisplayAttr($FileFolder)
  $ReadOnly = 0     $Hidden = 0     $System = 0
  $Dir = 0          $Archive = 0    $Encrypt = 0
  $Normal = 0       $Temp = 0       $Sparse = 0
  $Reparse = 0      $Compress = 0   $Offline = 0

  If GetFileAttr($FileFolder) & 1 $ReadOnly = 1 EndIf
  If GetFileAttr($FileFolder) & 2 $Hidden = 1 EndIf
  If GetFileAttr($FileFolder) & 4 $System = 1 EndIf
  If GetFileAttr($FileFolder) & 16 $Dir = 1 EndIf
  If GetFileAttr($FileFolder) & 32 $Archive = 1 EndIf
  If GetFileAttr($FileFolder) & 64 $Encrypt = 1 EndIf
  If GetFileAttr($FileFolder) & 128 $Normal = 1 EndIf
  If GetFileAttr($FileFolder) & 256 $Temp = 1 EndIf
  If GetFileAttr($FileFolder) & 512 $Sparse = 1 EndIf
  If GetFileAttr($FileFolder) & 1024 $Reparse = 1 EndIf
  If GetFileAttr($FileFolder) & 2046 $Compress = 1 EndIf
  If GetFileAttr($FileFolder) & 4096 $Offline = 1 EndIf

  ? "File: " + $FileFolder
  ? ""
  ? "ReadOnly: " + $ReadOnly
  ? "Hidden: " + $Hidden
  ? "System: " + $System
  ? "Directory: " + $Dir
  ? "Archive: " + $Archive
  ? "Encrypted: " + $Encrypt
  ? "Normal: " + $Normal
  ? "Temporary: " + $Temp
  ? "Sparse: " + $Sparse
  ? "Reparse: " + $Reparse
  ? "Compressed: " + $Compress
  ? "Offline: " + $Offline
EndFunction

Here, path is the file or folder that contains the attributes you wish to display.

Setting File or Folder Attributes

The KiXtart command SetFileAttr allows you to set file or folder attributes. To modify the attributes of a file or folder, proceed as follows:

1. Create a new directory to store all files included in this example.

2. Download and extract the latest version of KiXtart, from http://www.kixtart.org, to the new directory.

3. Select StartRun and enter "kix32 scriptfile. "

Here, scriptfile is the full path of the new directory from step 1 and file name of a script file that contains the following:

;Sets Read Only and Hidden attributes
SetAttribs('

filefolder

',1,1,0,0,0,0)

Function SetAttribs($File, $ReadOnly, $Hidden, $System, $Archive,
   $Temp, $Offline)
$Rcode = SetFileAttr($File,128) ;Reset file to normal

  $Attribs = 0
  If $ReadOnly = 1 $Attribs = $Attribs + 1 EndIf
  If $Hidden = 1 $Attribs = $Attribs + 2 EndIf
  If $System = 1 $Attribs = $Attribs + 4 EndIf
  If $Archive = 1 $Attribs = $Attribs + 32 EndIf
  If $Temp = 1 $Attribs = $Attribs + 256 EndIf
  If $Offline = 1 $Attribs = $Attribs + 4096 EndIf

  $SetAttribs = SetFileAttr($File,$Attribs)
EndFunction

Here, filefolder is the file or folder that contains the attributes you want to set. To modify filefolder 's attributes, change the value of the corresponding input parameters ( $ReadOnly , $Hidden , $System , $Archive , $Normal , $Offline ) to 1 to enable, or 0 to disable.

Appending Text Files

To append the contents of one text file to another, proceed as follows:

1. Create a new directory to store all files included in this example.

2. Download and extract the latest version of KiXtart, from http://www.kixtart.org, to the new directory.

3. Select StartRun and enter "kix32 scriptfile. "

Here, scriptfile is the full path of the new directory from step 1 and file name of a script file that contains the following:

$File1

= "

file1

"

$File2

= "

file2

"

$Rcode

= Open(1,

$File1

)

$Rcode

= Open(2,

$File2

,5)

$File1

= ReadLine(1)
While @Error=0
  If

$File1


$Rcode

= WriteLine(2,

$File1

+ Chr(13) + Chr(10))
  EndIf

$File1

= ReadLine(1)
Loop

$Rcode

= Close(1)

$Rcode

= Close(2)

Here, file1 is the file whose contents you want to append to file2 .

Searching and Replacing Lines within Files

Replacing specific lines within text files is a common administrative task. To search and replace a line within a text file, proceed as follows:

1. Create a new directory to store all files included in this example.

2. Download and extract the latest version of KiXtart, from http://www.kixtart.org, to the new directory.

3. Select StartRun and enter "kix32 scriptfile. "

Here, scriptfile is the full path of the new directory from step 1 and file name of a script file that contains the following:

$File

= "

somefile

"

$DLine

= '

searchline

'

$RLine

= '

replaceline

'

$TempFile

=

$File

+ ".TMP"

$LineNum

= 0

$Rcode

= OPEN (1,

$File

, 2)
DEL

$TempFile
$Rcode

= OPEN (2,

$TempFile

, 5)

$Line

= READLINE(1)
WHILE @Error = 0

$LineNum

=

$LineNum

+ 1
  IF

$Line

=

$DLine


$Rcode

= WRITELINE(2,

$RLine

+ Chr(13) + Chr(10))
  ELSE

$Rcode

= WRITELINE(2,

$Line

+ Chr(13) + Chr(10))
  ENDIF

$Line

= READLINE(1)
LOOP

$Rcode

= CLOSE(1)

$Rcode

= CLOSE(2)
COPY

$TempFile $File

DEL

$TempFile

Here, somefile is the file to parse, and replaceline is the text to replace the searchline with.

Searching and Replacing within an INI File

INI files, or initialization files, are text files that were originally created to store configuration information for 16-bit applications. KiXtart is the easiest scripting method for modifying an INI file because it has two built-in INI functions ( READPROFILESTRING and WRITE PROFILESTRING ). To search and replace a value in an INI file, proceed as follows:

1. Create a new directory to store all files included in this example.

2. Download and extract the latest version of KiXtart, from http://www.microsoft.com, to the new directory.

3. Select StartRun and enter "kix32 scriptfile. "

Here, scriptfile is the full path of the new directory from step 1 and file name of a script file that contains the following:

$LoadKey

= ReadProfileString("

inifile"

,

section

,

key

)
If

$LoadKey

=

oldvalue

WriteProfileString("

inifile

",

section

,

key

,

newvalue

)
EndIf

Here, inifile is the complete name and path of the INI file; section is the name of the INI section to search (without the brackets); key is the name of the key to search; oldvalue is the value to find; and newvalue is the value to replace it with.

Manipulating the File System Using Windows Script Host

Many of the file management tasks administrators would like to script are too complex or cannot be done with shell scripting or KiXtart. Through the FileSystemObject object, Windows Script Host (WSH) provides direct access to the file system, allowing you to create complex and unique file management scripts.

Accessing the FileSystemObject Object

The FileSystemObject object stores all the functions that allow you to manipulate the file system through a script file. To create an instance of the FileSystemObject , proceed as follows:

Set

FSO

= CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

Going through Subfolders

This subroutine will work through the subfolders of a main directory, calling another subroutine called MainSub :

Sub GoSubFolders (

objDIR

)
  If

objDIR

<> "\System Volume Information" Then
    MainSub

objDIR

For Each

eFolder

in

objDIR

.SubFolders
      GoSubFolders

eFolder

Next
  End If
End Sub

Connecting to a File

Before performing certain WSH actions on a file, you must first connect to it using the GetFile method. Here is a function to connect to a file:

Function GetFile(

sFILE

)
  On Error Resume Next
  Set

GetFile

=

FSO

.GetFile(

sFILE

)
     If Err.Number <> 0 Then
    Wscript.Echo "Error connecting to: " &

sFILE

& VBlf & _
    "[" & Err.Number & "] " & Err.Description
    Wscript.Quit Err.Number
  End If
End Function

In this script, a connection to a file is attempted, and the user is prompted if any errors occur.

Connecting to a Folder

Before performing certain WSH actions on a folder, you must first connect to it using the GetFolder method. Here is a function to connect to a folder:

Function GetFolder(

sFOLDER

)
  On Error Resume Next
  Set

GetFolder

=

FSO

.GetFolder(

sFOLDER

)
  If Err.Number <> 0 Then
    Wscript.Echo "Error connecting to folder: " & sFOLDER & _
       VBlf & "[" & Err.Number & "] " & Err.Description
    Wscript.Quit Err.Number
  End If
End Function

Generating a Random File Name

Most applications use temporary files ”files with random and or unique names . During your scripting lifetime, you will need to generate a random filename to hold temporary data. Here is a function to create a temporary file name:

Function GetRandomName()
  Set

FSO

= CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
  GetRandomName =

FSO

.GetTempName
End Function

Generating a Directory Listing

To generate a directory list, proceed as follows:

1. Create a new directory to store all files included in this example.

2. Download and install the latest version of Windows Script Host, from http://www.microsoft.com, to the new directory.

3. Select StartRun and enter "cscript scriptfile .vbs."

Here, scriptfile is the full path and file name of a script file that contains the following:

Set

FSO

= CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

sDIR

= "

directory

"

Set

objDIR

= GetFolder(sDIR)
GoSubFolders

objDIR

Sub ListFiles (

objDIR

)
    For Each

efile

in

objDIR

.Files
      Wscript.Echo

efile

Next
End Sub

Sub GoSubFolders (

objDIR

)
  If

objDIR

<> "\System Volume Information" Then
    ListFiles

objDIR

For Each

eFolder

in

objDIR

.SubFolders
      Wscript.Echo

eFolder

GoSubFolders

eFolder

Next
  End If
End Sub

Here, directory is the root folder containing the files and folders to list. The subprocedure ListFiles rotates through all the files within the current directory and lists their names.

Deleting a File

To delete a file with WSH, you can use the DeleteFile method. Here is a subroutine to delete a file:

Sub DelFile(

sFILE

)
  On Error Resume Next

FSO

.DeleteFile

sFILE

, True
  If Err.Number <> 0 Then
    Wscript.Echo "Error deleting file: " &

sFILE

End If
End Sub

In this script, a file deletion is attempted, and the user is prompted if any errors occur.

Deleting All Files within a Folder

To delete all files within a root folder and its subfolders, proceed as follows:

1. Create a new directory to store all files included in this example.

2. Download and install the latest version of Windows Script Host, from http://www.microsoft.com, to the new directory.

3. Select StartRun and enter "cscript scriptfile .vbs."

Here, scriptfile is the full path and file name of a script file that contains the following:

Set

FSO

= CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

sDIR

= "

directory

"
Set

objDIR

= GetFolder(sDIR)
GoSubFolders

objDIR

Sub MainSub (

objDIR

)
  For Each

efile

in

objDIR

.Files
    DelFile

efile

Next
End Sub

Here, directory is the root folder containing the files to delete.

Deleting Files Depending on Size

It happens to all of us, but every now and then a user chooses to upload hundred meg files to a public share. To delete all files within a root folder and its subfolders depending on size, proceed as follows:

1. Create a new directory to store all files included in this example.

2. Download and install the latest version of Windows Script Host, from http://www.microsoft.com, to the new directory.

3. Select StartRun and enter "cscript scriptfile .vbs."

Here, scriptfile is the full path and file name of a script file that contains the following:

Set

FSO

= CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

sDIR

= "

directory

"

lSIZE

=

lowersize
uSIZE

=

uppersize

Set

objDIR

= GetFolder(

sDIR

)
GoSubFolders

objDIR

Sub MainSub (

objDIR

)
  For Each

efile

in

objDIR

.Files
    If

lSIZE

= Null and

uSIZE

= Null Then
      If

efile

.Size = 0 Then
        DelFile

efile

End If
    ElseIf

lSIZE

<> Null and

uSIZE

= Null Then
      If

efile

.Size <

lSIZE

Then
        DelFile

efile

End If
    ElseIf

lSIZE

= Null and

uSIZE

<> "" Then
      If

efile

.Size >

uSIZE

Then
        DelFile

efile

End If
    ElseIf

lSIZE

=

uSIZE

Then
      If

efile

.Size =

lSIZE

Then
        DelFile

efile

End If
    Else
      If

efile

.Size >

lSIZE

and _

efile

.Size <

uSIZE

Then
        DelFile

efile

End If
    End If
  Next
End Sub

Here, directory is the folder containing the files to delete, lowersize is the lower size limit, and uppersize is the upper size limit. If both limits are null, the script will delete all empty files. If just the upper limit is null, the script will delete files smaller than the lower limit. If just the lower limit is null, the script will delete files larger than the upper limit. If both limits are not null but equal, the script will delete files equal to the limit. If both limits are not null and not equal, the script will delete files within the two limits.

Deleting Files Depending on Date

A common administrative task is deleting old files from public shares. To delete all files within a root folder and its subfolders depending on last modified date, proceed as follows:

1. Create a new directory to store all files included in this example.

2. Download and install the latest version of Windows Script Host, from http://www.microsoft.com, to the new directory.

3. Select StartRun and enter "cscript scriptfile .vbs."

Here, scriptfile is the full path and file name of a script file that contains the following:

Set

FSO

= CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

sDIR

= "

directory

"

lDATE

= "

lowerdate

"

uDATE

= "

upperdate

"

lDATE

= CDate(

lDATE

)

uDATE

= CDate(

uDATE

)
Set

objDIR

= GetFolder(

sDIR

)
GoSubFolders

objDIR

Sub MainSub (

objDIR

)
  For Each

efile

in

objDIR

.Files
    If

lDATE

= Null and

uDATE

= Null Then
      If

efile

.DateLastModified = Date Then
        DelFile

efile

End If
    ElseIf

lDATE

<> Null and

uDATE

= Null Then
      If

efile

.DateLastModified <

lDATE

Then
        DelFile

efile

End If
    ElseIf

lDATE

= Null and

uDATE

<> Null Then
      If

efile

.DateLastModified >

uDATE

Then
        DelFile

efile

End If
    ElseIf

lDATE

=

uDATE

Then
      If

efile

.DateLastModified =

lDATE

Then
        DelFile

efile

End If
    Else
      If

efile

.DateLastModified >

lDATE

and _

efile

.DateLastModified <

uDATE

Then
        DelFile

efile

End If
    End If
  Next
End Sub

Here, directory is the folder containing the files to delete, lowerdate is the lower date limit, and upperdate is the upper date limit. If both limits are null, the script will delete files last modified today. If just the upper limit is null, the script will delete files smaller than the lower limit. If just the lower limit is null, the script will delete files larger than the upper limit. If both limits are not null but equal, the script will delete files equal to the limit. If both limits are not null and not equal, the script will delete files within the two limits.

Deleting Files Depending on Name

From hacker tools to new viruses, deleting files with a specific name is a common administrative task. To delete all files with a specific name within a root folder and its subfolders, proceed according to the steps on the next page.

1. Create a new directory to store all files included in this example.

2. Download and install the latest version of Windows Script Host, from http://www.microsoft.com, to the new directory.

3. Select StartRun and enter "cscript scriptfile .vbs."

Here, scriptfile is the full path and file name of a script file that contains the following:

Set

FSO

= CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

sDIR

= "

directory

"

sFILE

= "

filename

"

Set

objDIR

= GetFolder(

sDIR

)
GoSubFolders

objDIR

Sub MainSub (

objDIR

)
  For Each

efile

in

objDIR

.Files
    If LCase(

efile

.Name) = LCase(

sFILE

) Then
      DelFile

efile

End If
  Next
End Sub

Here, directory is the folder containing the files to delete, and filename is the name of the file to search for.

Deleting Files Depending on Extension

Cleaning a system of specific file types, such as TMP (Temporary), MP3 (Motion Picture Experts Group Layer 3 Audio), AVI (Audio Video Interleave), and other file types, is a very common administrative task. To delete all files with a specific extension within a root folder and its subfolders, proceed as follows:

1. Create a new directory to store all files included in this example.

2. Download and install the latest version of Windows Script Host, from http://www.microsoft.com, to the new directory.

3. Select StartRun and enter "cscript scriptfile .vbs."

Here, scriptfile is the full path and file name of a script file that contains the following:

Set

FSO

= CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

sDIR

= "

directory

"

sEXT

= "

EXT

"

Set

objDIR

= GetFolder(

sDIR

)
GoSubFolders

objDIR

Sub MainSub (

objDIR

)
  For Each

efile

in

objDIR

.Files
    fEXT =

FSO

.GetExtensionName(

efile

.Path)
    If LCase(

fEXT

) = LCase(

sEXT

) Then
      DelFile

efile

End If
  Next
End Sub

Here, directory is the folder containing the files to delete, and EXT is the file extension to search for. The sub procedure MainSub rotates through every file within the current directory, checks the file extension, and deletes the file if specified.

Deleting a Folder

To delete a folder with WSH, you can use the DeleteFolder method. Here is a subroutine to delete a folder:

Sub DelFolder(

sFOLDER

)
  On Error Resume Next

FSO

.DeleteFolder

sFOLDER

, True
  If Err.Number <> 0 Then
    Wscript.Echo "Error deleting folder: " &

sFOLDER

End If End Sub

Deleting All Subfolders

To delete all subfolders within a directory, proceed as follows:

1. Create a new directory to store all files included in this example.

2. Download and install the latest version of Windows Script Host, from http://www.microsoft.com, to the new directory.

3. Select StartRun and enter "cscript scriptfile .vbs."

Here, scriptfile is the full path and file name of a script file that contains the following:

Set

FSO

= CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

sDIR

= "

directory

"
Set

objDIR

= GetFolder(

sDIR

)
GoSubFolders

objDIR

Sub GoSubFolders (

objDIR

)
  If

objDIR

<> "\System Volume Information" Then
    For Each

eFolder

in

objDIR

.SubFolders
      DelFolder

eFolder

Next
  End If
End Sub

Here, directory is the folder containing the subfolders to delete.

Deleting Folders Depending on Size

By maintaining public shares, you get to notice all the bad habits of a typical user. One of these habits includes leaving empty folders spread throughout the public share. To delete all folders depending on size within a root folder and its subfolders, proceed as follows:

1. Create a new directory to store all files included in this example.

2. Download and install the latest version of Windows Script Host, from http://www.microsoft.com, to the new directory.

3. Select StartRun and enter "cscript scriptfile .vbs."

Here, scriptfile is the full path and file name of a script file that contains the following:

Set

FSO

= CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

sDIR

= "

directory

"

lSIZE

=

lowersize
uSIZE

=

uppersize

Set

objDIR

= GetFolder(

sDIR

)
GoSubFolders

objDIR

Sub MainSub (

objDIR

)
  If

objDIR

<> "\System Volume Information" Then
    For Each

eFolder

in

objDIR

.SubFolders
      If

lSIZE

= Null and

uSIZE

= Null Then
        If

efolder

.Size = 0 Then
          DelFolder

efolder

End If
      ElseIf

lSIZE

<> Null and

uSIZE

= Null Then
        If

efolder

.Size <

lSIZE

Then
          DelFolder

efolder

End If
      ElseIf

lSIZE

= Null and

uSIZE

<> Null Then
        If

efolder

.Size >

uSIZE

Then
          DelFolder

efolder

End If
      ElseIf

lSIZE

=

uSIZE

Then
        If

efolder

.Size =

lSIZE

Then
          DelFolder

efolder

End If
      Else
        If

efolder

.Size >

lSIZE

and _

efolder

.Size <

uSIZE

Then
          DelFolder

efolder

End If
      End If
    Next
  End If
End Sub

Here, directory is the root folder containing the subfolders to delete, lowersize is the lower size limit, and uppersize is the upper size limit. If both limits are null, the script will delete all subfolders with a size of 0. If just the upper limit is null, the script will delete subfolders smaller than the lower limit. If just the lower limit is null, the script will delete subfolders larger than the upper limit. If both limits are not null but equal, the script will delete subfolders equal to the limit. If both limits are not empty and not null, the script will delete subfolders within the two limits.

Deleting Folders Depending on Date

If you let them, users will leave files and folders forever on a public share. To delete all folders depending on last modified date within a root folder and its subfolders, proceed as follows:

1. Create a new directory to store all files included in this example.

2. Download and install the latest version of Windows Script Host, from http://www.microsoft.com, to the new directory.

3. Select StartRun and enter "cscript scriptfile .vbs."

Here, scriptfile is the full path and file name of a script file that contains the following:

Set

FSO

= CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

sDIR

= "

directory

"

lDATE

= "

lowerdate

"

uDATE

= "

upperdate

"

lDATE

= CDate(

lDATE

)

uDATE

= CDate(

uDATE

)
Set

objDIR

= GetFolder(

sDIR

)
GoSubFolders

objDIR

Sub MainSub (

objDIR

)
  If

objDIR

<> "\System Volume Information" Then
    For Each

eFolder

in

objDIR

.SubFolders
      If

lDATE

= Null and

uDATE

= Null Then
        If

efolder

.DateLastModified = 0 Then
          DelFolder

efolder

End If
      ElseIf

lDATE

<> Null and

uDATE

= Null Then
        If

efolder

.DateLastModified <

lDATE

Then
          DelFolder

efolder

End If
      ElseIf

lDATE

= Null and

uDATE

<> Null Then
        If

efolder

.DateLastModified >

uDATE

Then
          DelFolder

efolder

End If
      ElseIf

lDATE

=

uDATE

Then
        If

efolder

.DateLastModified =

lDATE

Then
          DelFolder

efolder

End If
      Else
        If

efolder

.DateLastModified >

lDATE

and _

efolder

.DateLastModified <

uDATE

Then
          DelFolder

efolder

End If
      End If
    Next
  End If
End Sub

Here, directory is the root folder containing the subfolders to delete, lowerdate is the lower date limit, and upperdate is the upper date limit. If both limits are null, the script will delete subfolders last modified today. If just the upper limit is null, the script will delete subfolders smaller than the lower limit. If just the lower limit is null, the script will delete subfolders larger than the upper limit. If both limits are not null but equal, the script will delete subfolders equal to the limit. If both limits are not null and not equal, the script will delete subfolders within the two limits.

Deleting Folders Depending on Name

Any user public folder called GAMES or QUAKE is most likely not work- related , unless you have a better job than I do. To delete all folders with a specific name within a root folder and its subfolders, proceed as follows:

1. Create a new directory to store all files included in this example.

2. Download and install the latest version of Windows Script Host, from http://www.microsoft.com, to the new directory.

3. Select StartRun and enter "cscript scriptfile .vbs."

Here, scriptfile is the full path and file name of a script file that contains the following:

Set

FSO

= CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

sDIR

= "

directory

"

sFOLDER

= "

foldername

"

Set

objDIR

= GetFolder(

sDIR

)
GoSubFolders

objDIR

Sub MainSub (

objDIR

)
  If

objDIR

<> "\System Volume Information" Then
    For Each

eFolder

in

objDIR

.SubFolders
      If

LCase

(eFolder.Name) =

LCase

(

sFOLDER

) Then
        DelFolder

efolder

End If
    Next
  End If
End Sub

Copying a File

To copy a file with WSH, you can use the CopyFile method. Here is a subroutine to copy a file:

Sub CopyFile(

sFILE

,

sDIR

)
  If Right(

sDIR

,1) <> "\" Then

sDIR

=

sDIR

& "\"
  On Error Resume Next

FSO

.CopyFile

sFILE

,

sDIR

, True
  If Err.Number <> 0 Then
    Wscript.Echo "Error copying file: " &

sFILE

End If
End Sub

Here, sFILE is the file to copy, and sDIR is the location to copy the file to.

Copying a Folder

To copy a folder with WSH, you can use the CopyFolder method. Here is a subroutine to copy a folder:

Sub CopyFolder(

sFOLDER

,

sDIR

)
  If Right(

sFOLDER

,1) = "\" Then

sFOLDER

= Left(

sFOLDER

,(Len(

sFOLDER

)-1))
  End If
  If Right(

sDIR

,1) <> "\" Then

sDIR

=

sDIR

& "\"
  On Error Resume Next

FSO

.CopyFolder

sFOLDER

,

sDIR

, True
  If Err.Number <> 0 Then
    Wscript.Echo "Error copying folder: " &

sFOLDER

End If
End Sub

Here, sFOLDER is the folder to copy, and sDIR is the location to copy the folder to.

Moving a File

To move a file with WSH, you can use the MoveFile method. Here is a subroutine to move a file:

Sub MoveFile(

sFILE

,

sDIR

)
  On Error Resume Next

FSO

.MoveFile

sFILE

, sDIR
  If Err.Number <> 0 Then
    Wscript.Echo "Error moving file: " &

sFILE

End If
End Sub

Here, sFILE is the file to move, and sDIR is the location to move the file to.

Moving Files with Specific Extensions to a Central Directory

Although certain file types, such as MP3s, do not belong in the public share, you may want to keep them for your own purposes. To move files with a specific extension to a central directory, proceed as follows:

1. Create a new directory to store all files included in this example.

2. Download and install the latest version of Windows Script Host, from http://www.microsoft.com, to the new directory.

3. Select StartRun and enter "cscript scriptfile .vbs."

Here, scriptfile is the full path and file name of a script file that contains the following:

Set

FSO

= CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

sEXT

= "

extension

"

sDIR

= "

startdir

"

sNEW

= "

enddir

"

Set

objDIR

= GetFolder(sDIR)
GoSubFolders

objDIR

Sub MainSub (

objDIR

)
    For Each

efile

in objDIR.Files
      fNAME =

efile

fEXT =

FSO

.GetExtensionName(

efile

.Path)
      If

LCase

(

fEXT

) = LCase(

sEXT

) Then

sEXIST

=

sNEW

&

efile

.Name
       If ((

FSO

.FileExists(

sEXIST

)) AND _
      (

efile

<>

sEXIST

)) Then
          DelFile

sEXIST

End If
        On Error Resume Next
        MoveFile

efile

, sNEW
      End If
    Next
End Sub

Here, extension is the name of the extension to search for, startdir is the name of the directory to start the search, and enddir is the directory to store all files.

Moving a Folder

To move a folder with WSH, you can use the MoveFolder method. Here is a subroutine to move a folder:

Sub MoveFolder(

sFOLDER

,

sDIR

)
  If Right(

sFOLDER

,1) = "\" Then

sFOLDER

= Left(

sFOLDER

,(Len(

sFOLDER

)-1))
  End If
  If Right(

sDIR

,1) <> "\" Then

sDIR

=

sDIR

& "\"
  On Error Resume Next

FSO

.MoveFolder

sFOLDER

,

sDIR

If Err.Number <> 0 Then
    Wscript.Echo "Error moving folder: " &

sFOLDER

End If
End Sub

Here, sFOLDER is the folder to move, and sDIR is the location to move the folder to.

Renaming a File

To rename a file, proceed as follows:

1. Create a new directory to store all files included in this example.

2. Download and install the latest version of Windows Script Host, from http://www.microsoft.com, to the new directory.

3. Select StartRun and enter "cscript scriptfile .vbs."

Here, scriptfile is the full path and file name of a script file that contains the following:

MoveFile "

filename

", "

newname

"

Here, filename is the name of the file to rename, and sname is the name to rename the file.

Renaming Specific File Extensions

I don't know what planet of bad habits this came from, but some users like to name files with their own personal extensions. Although this might be beneficial to them when searching for their files, it becomes an administrator's nightmare when these files are being shared. Unfortunately, the DOS RENAME command does not have the ability to act through subdirectories. To rename files with specific extensions with a new extension, proceed as follows:

1. Create a new directory to store all files included in this example.

2. Download and install the latest version of Windows Script Host, from http://www.microsoft.com, to the new directory.

3. Select StartRun and enter "cscript scriptfile .vbs."

Here, scriptfile is the full path and file name of a script file that contains the following:

Set

FSO

= CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

sEXT

= "

oldext

"

sNEW

= "

newext

"

sDIR

= "

directory

"

Set

objDIR

= GetFolder(

sDIR

)
GoSubFolders

objDIR

Sub MainSub (

objDIR

)
  For Each

efile

in

objDIR

.Files

fEXT

=

FSO

.GetExtensionName(

efile

.Path)
    If LCase(

fEXT

) = LCase(

sEXT

) Then

fNAME

=Left(

efile

.name,(Len(

efile

.Name)-Len(

fEXT

)))+sNEW

efile

.name =

fNAME

End If
  Next
End Sub

Here, oldext is the name of the extension to search for, newext is the name of the extension to replace with, and directory is the name of the directory to start the search.

Renaming Files with Short File Names

To rename a file with its short DOS 8.3 name, proceed as follows:

1. Create a new directory to store all files included in this example.

2. Download and install the latest version of Windows Script Host, from http://www.microsoft.com, to the new directory.

3. Select StartRun and enter "cscript scriptfile .vbs."

Here, scriptfile is the full path and file name of a script file that contains the following:

sFILE

= "

filename

"
Set

gFILE

= GetFile

sFILE

ShortName =

gFILE

.shortname

MoveFile sFile,

ShortName

Here, filename is the name of the file to rename. An important thing to know is that you can't rename a file from a long file name to its short name directly because Windows sees long and short file names collectively, and you can't name a file the same name as another file in the current directory. In this example, we first append an SN to the file name and then change the file name to its short name.

Updating Program Files Depending on the Version

To update a program file with a newer version, proceed as follows:

1. Create a new directory to store all files included in this example.

2. Download and install the latest version of Windows Script Host, from http://www.microsoft.com, to the new directory.

3. Select StartRun and enter "cscript scriptfile .vbs."

Here, scriptfile is the full path and file name of a script file that contains the following:

Set

FSO

= CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

sDIR

= "

directory

"

sFILE

= "

filename

"

Set

nFILE

= GetFile(

sFILE

)
Set

objDIR

= GetFolder(

sDIR

)
GoSubFolders

objDIR

Sub MainSub (

objDIR

)
  For Each

efile

in

objDIR

.Files

fVER

=

FSO

.GetFileVersion(

efile

)

nVER

=

FSO

.GetFileVersion(

sFILE

)
    If

LCase

(

efile

.Name) =

LCase

(nFILE.Name) Then
      If

fVER

=

nVER

Then
        CopyFile

nFILE

,

efile

.ParentFolder
      End If
    End If
  Next
End Sub

Here, directory is the folder containing the files to update, and filename is the file used to update the older file versions.

Getting File Attributes

To display the attributes of a file, proceed as follows:

1. Create a new directory to store all files included in this example.

2. Download and install the latest version of Windows Script Host, from http://www.microsoft.com, to the new directory.

3. Select StartRun and enter "cscript scriptfile .vbs."

Here, scriptfile is the full path and file name of a script file that contains the following:

Set

FSO

= CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

fNAME

= "

filename

"

Set

gFILE

= GetFile(

fNAME

)

gATTRIB

=

gFILE

.Attributes

If

gATTRIB

and 1 Then

ReadOnly

= 1 Else

ReadOnly

= 0
If

gATTRIB

and 2 Then

Hidden

= 1 Else

Hidden

= 0
If

gATTRIB

and 4 Then

System

= 1 Else

System

= 0
If

gATTRIB

and 5 Then

Volume

= 1 Else

Volume

= 0
If

gATTRIB

and 16 Then

Directory

= 1 Else

Directory

= 0
If

gATTRIB

and 32 Then

Archive

= 1 Else

Archive

= 0
If

gATTRIB

and 64 Then

Alias

= 1 Else

Alias

= 0
If

gATTRIB

and 128 Then

Compressed

= 1 Else

Compressed

= 0

Wscript.Echo "FILE: " &

UCase

(

fNAME

) & vblf & vblf & _
  "Readonly:  " & vbtab &

ReadOnly

& vblf & _
  "Hidden:    " & vbtab &

Hidden

& vblf & _
  "System:    " & vbtab &

System

& vblf & _
  "Volume:    " & vbtab &

Volume

& vblf & _
  "Directory: " & vbtab &

Directory

& vblf & _
  "Archive:   " & vbtab &

Archive

& vblf & _
  "Alias:     " & vbtab & vbtab &

Alias

& vblf & _
  "Compressed:" & vbtab &

Compressed

Here, filename is the file that contains the attributes you want to get.

{% if main.adsdop %}{% include 'adsenceinline.tpl' %}{% endif %}

Setting File Attributes

To set the attributes of a file, proceed as follows:

1. Create a new directory to store all files included in this example.

2. Download and install the latest version of Windows Script Host, from http://www.microsoft.com, to the new directory.

3. Select StartRun and enter "cscript scriptfile .vbs."

Here, scriptfile is the full path and file name of a script file that contains the following:

Set

FSO

= CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

fNAME

= "

filename

"

ReadOnly

= 0

Hidden

= 0

System

= 0

Archive

= 0

Set

gFILE

= GetFile(

fNAME

)

gFILE

.Attributes = 0
Attribs = 0
If

ReadOnly

= 1 Then Attribs = Attribs + 1
If

Hidden

= 1 Then Attribs = Attribs + 2
If

System

= 1 Then Attribs = Attribs + 4
If

Archive

= 1 Then Attribs = Attribs + 32

gFILE

.Attributes = Attribs

Here, filename is the file that contains the attributes you want to set. To modify filename 's attributes, change the value of the corresponding variable names ( ReadOnly , Hidden , System , Archive ) to 1 to enable, or 0 to disable.

Setting Attributes to All Files within Folders

To set the attributes of all files within a folder and its subfolders, proceed as follows:

1. Create a new directory to store all files included in this example.

2. Download and install the latest version of Windows Script Host from http://www.microsoft.com to the new directory.

3. Select StartRun and enter "cscript scriptfile .vbs."

Here, scriptfile is the full path and file name of a script file that contains the following:

Set

FSO

= CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

sDIR

= "

directory

"

sReadOnly

= 0

sHidden

= 0

sSystem

= 0

sArchive

= 0

Set

objDIR

= GetFolder(

sDIR

)
GoSubFolders

objDIR

Sub MainSub (

objDIR

)
  For Each

efile

in

objDIR

.Files
    Set

gFILE

= GetFile(

efile

)

gFILE

.Attributes = 0
    Attribs = 0
    If

sReadOnly

= 1 Then Attribs = Attribs + 1
    If

sHidden

= 1 Then Attribs = Attribs + 2
    If

sSystem

= 1 Then Attribs = Attribs + 4
    If

sArchive

= 1 Then Attribs = Attribs + 32

gFILE

.Attributes = Attribs
  Next
End Sub

Here, directory contains the files whose attributes you want to set. To modify the attributes, change the values of the corresponding variable names ( ReadOnly , Hidden , System , Archive ) to 1 to enable, or 0 to disable.

Set

FSO

= CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

File1

= "

1stfile

"

File2

= "

2ndfile

"

Set

txtFile1

= FSO.OpenTextFile(File1, 1)
Set

txtFile2

= FSO.OpenTextFile(File2, 8)

Do While

txtFile1

.AtEndOfline <> True

txtFile2

.WriteLine(txtFile1.Readline & vbcr)
Loop

txtFile1.close
txtFile2.close