Trying to Run an Executable

[nevets2001uk]

I'm trying to script the running of MBSA so that I can schedule automatic monthly scans of our servers. I have a script that creates an output directory but when I try to run the executable with the required switches it fails.

I'm using the line

wshshell.run "%COMSPEC% /k ""C:\Program Files\Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer 2\mbsacli.exe"" /target HUKEA1692-ici\HGBEAA01 /wa /nvc /qp /qt /rd ""\\HGBEAC02\Private\Information Technology Department\Administration\Logs""",1,true

The path the executable and the output directory for MBSA reports need to be in quotes to function (due to spaces in the path) and I though the double quotes should do the job. However in the cmd window that opens I get the error 'C:\Program' is not recognised as an internal or external command.

If I remove the output path section of the string it runs fine but won't save the log where I want it.

Any thoughts as this is bugging me now?


Steve G (MCSE / MCSA:Messaging)

 

[tsuji]

Put that commandline into a batch file and run the batch file, say path:\abc.bat, with %comspec% /k path\abc.bat. The reason is not that your commandline has anything wrong, it is because it is too long, coming closing or surpassing 255 characters after expansion of %comspec%. (The exact length limit is around that number but shorter than 255 - can search the documentation if you're interested in the exact figure.) Or you can use 8.3 directory/file convention to make it shorter - I think in this case it would just about to be short enough.

 

[nevets2001uk]

Thanks for your suggestion. My only problem is that I want to end up with something like

wshshell.run "%COMSPEC% /k ""C:\Program Files\Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer\mbsacli.exe"" /target HUKEA1692-ici\HGBEAA01 /wa /nvc /qp /qt /rd ""\\HGBEAC02\Private\Information Technology Department\Administration\Logs\" & year & "\" & month & """",1,true

so that the output goes to a folder that the code creates using the current date. Such as ...Logs\2008\09 - September

Can this be done inside the batch? Or can the generated command string be passed to a batch file?

Steve G (MCSE / MCSA:Messaging)

 

[tsuji]

[0] The problem is solely technical. The wshshell.run() accepts only commandline with certain length limitation. This is often happening if you run, say, java with quite a massive classpath to be specified (just an example). Hence, a way around the limit is to put that line in a batch file and run it with wshshell.run().

[1] Suppose you run the script by double click on a .vbs You can make a .bat in the same directory of the .vbs and use scriptfullpath of the .vbs to make sure you dynamically find the .bat.
[tt]
bat_name="abc.bat" 'the batch file name: as given
bat_dir=replace(wscript.scriptfullname,wscript.scriptname,"") 'except contrived case, it should be enough
bat_fullname=bat_dir & bat_name

arg_y=year(date)
arg_m=month(date)

scmd="%comspec% /k " & chr(34) & bat_fullname & chr(34) & & " " & arg_y & " " & arg_m
set wshshell=createobject("wscript.shell")
wshshell.run scmd,1,true
set wshshell=nothing
[/tt]
[2] And then the batch file (abc.bat) contains something like this.
[tt]
@echo off
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer\mbsacli.exe" /target HUKEA1692-ici\HGBEAA01 /wa /nvc /qp /qt /rd "\\HGBEAC02\Private\Information Technology Department\Administration\Logs\[red]%1[/red]\[red]%2[/red]"
[/tt]

 

[tsuji]

I have a typo (doubl &) there. The corresponding line should be read like this.
[tt] scmd="%comspec% /k " & chr(34) & bat_fullname & chr(34) [highlight]&[/highlight] " " & arg_y & " " & arg_m
[/tt]

 

[nevets2001uk]

Thanks that seems to be getting me there. A final question is that in the second argument the folder name has a space so I enclosed it in quotes. However when it's read inside the batch it still contains the quote marks and therefore causes the path to be incorrect.

How can you pass a string with spaces into the batch without the quote marks being interpretted by the batch?

Steve G (MCSE / MCSA:Messaging)

 

[nevets2001uk]

Not to worry. I found this website which seems to do the job

http://www.ss64.com/ntsyntax/dequote.html

Steve G (MCSE / MCSA:Messaging)

 

[tsuji]

But you don't need to remove the quote from the batch file. Why isn't it done in the vbs?

 

[JPJeffery]

Here's another idea to shorten the path strings. test for unassigned drive letters then use the SUBST command. e.g. (assuming J: and K: are free to use)

subst J: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer 2"
subst K: "\\HGBEAC02\Private\Information Technology Department\Administration\Logs"

...which would mean your code shortens to something like:

wshshell.run "%COMSPEC% /k J:\mbsacli.exe"" /target HUKEA1692-ici\HGBEAA01 /wa /nvc /qp /qt /rd ""K:\" & year & "\" & month & """",1,true

I've not tested this for properly paired-off quote marks, but I'm sure you get the idea. I think it also has the happy result of making the command-line code a little easier to read.

None of this in any way negates Tsuji's suggestions of course, it's just another approach that should achieve the same affect.

JJ
[small][purple]Variables won't. Constants aren't[/purple]
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