Hack 35 Put a Logoff Icon on the Desktop

Here's a script that will enable users to safely reboot their machines when necessary .

Occasionally, users need a way to reboot their machines when applications hang or updates have been installed. Rather than give users instructions about how to do this properly, it would be nice if a user could instead simply click on an icon that would log them off properly and reboot their machine in a way that does not endanger their work.

That's what this script is aboutallowing your users to safely reboot their machines from an icon on their desktops. This VBScript prompts the user to make sure he has saved his data, then logs the user off and automatically reboots. This is quite handy when you push updates via SMS but suppress the reboot.

The Code

Just type the following script into Notepad (with Word Wrap disabled) and save it with a .vbs extension as LogoffIcon.vbs :

 Set OpSysSet = GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate,(Shutdown)}" & _ "//./root/cimv2").ExecQuery("SELECT * FROM " & _ "Win32_OperatingSystem WHERE Primary = true") ianswer = MsgBox("Did you save your data first?"+vbLf++vbLf+ " LOGOFF?", _ vbCritical + vbYesNo, _ "Logoff?") If ianswer = vbYes Then 'If OK, shut down For Each OpSys In OpSysSet outParam = OpSys.Reboot If err.number <> 0 Then WScript.echo "Error number: " & Err.Number & _  vbNewLine & _ "Description: " & Err.Description End If Next  Else ' user selected cancel MsgBox "Logoff Aborted", , "Logoff Aborted" End If 

Copy the script to a folder on the user's machine and create a shortcut to the folder on his desktop. Then, when the user needs to reboot his machine, he can double-click on the shortcut and a dialog box (see Figure 3-7) will suggest that he save his work before logging off.

Figure 3-7. Logging off and rebooting

Once he saves his work and clicks OK, he is logged off and his computer shuts down and restarts.

Chuck Young