The book you need to succeed! Vbscript, jscript

viii
Writing PowerShell, VBScript, and JScript Bible took a lot of work and research. Much of the time 
was spent searching for undocumented features, resolving problems with poorly documented 
interfaces, and exploring uncharted areas of Windows. Then, I had to write about the hidden fea-
tures and the many interfaces I had discovered. I hope you’ll agree that the result was worth all of 
the effort. The book contains over 300 code examples and dozens of working scripts, all designed 
to provide a top-notch tutorial and reference.
PowerShell, VBScript, and JScript Bible wouldn’t have been possible without a lot of help from 
others and, especially, the team at Wiley: Katie Mohr, the Acquisitions Editor, and Ed Connor, 
the Development Editor.
A big thank you goes out to my close contacts and friends at Microsoft. Thanks also to Studio B 
literary agency and my agents, David Rogelberg and Neil Salkind. Neil has a terrific knack for 
helping me find projects that are both fun and challenging. 
I hope I haven’t forgotten anyone, but if I have, it was an oversight. Honest. ;-)
William R. Stanek
There are a few people without whom I wouldn’t have been able to contribute to this book. Neil 
Salkind at Studio B who asked is perhaps first in the queue to be thanked. Richard Siddaway, 
who started the first PowerShell user group, is probably the person most responsible for the 
depth of my interest in the subject. At Microsoft, I should mention Jeffrey Snover for his encour-
agement and Eileen Brown, my manager but also my friend, mentor, and when I least deserve it, 
my advocate. She deserves far greater thanks than a mention here. And finally, my family: my 
wife, Jackie, and my children, Lisa and Paul. Kids: the book in your hands is one of the reasons 
why Daddy kept asking you to be quiet. 
James O’Neill
To my wife, Christine, and our daughters, Madison and Isabel, I love you, and thanks for always 
being there for me. Also, thanks to the authors, editors, and other invaluable staff that I’ve had 
the pleasure of working with.
Jeffrey Rosen
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ix
 Acknowledgments
If you’ve purchased PowerShell, VBScript, and JScript Bible or are thumbing through the book in a 
bookstore somewhere, you probably want to know how this book can help you. Our goal in writing 
PowerShell, VBScript, and JScript Bible is to create the best resource available on scripting the 
Windows operating system. 
As you’ll learn in this book, Windows scripting involves many different technologies. These technol-
ogies include:
Windows operating systems
■
Windows Script Host (WSH)
■
Scripting languages, such as VBScript and JScript
■
Windows PowerShell
■
ActiveX and COM (Component Object Model) components
■
Microsoft Active Directory
■
ADSI (Active Directory Services Interfaces)
■
WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation)
■
We’ve tried to pack in as much information about these topics as possible, and to present the infor-
mation in a way that is both clear and concise. We’ve also tried to present Windows scripting in a 
unique way, offering both VBScript and JScript solutions throughout the text and then discussing 
how to accomplish similar tasks using PowerShell. In this way, you can learn exactly how VBScript, 
JScript, and PowerShell can be used with Windows. With this approach, you gain insight into 
unique scripting techniques necessary to implement solutions in VBScript, JScript, and PowerShell, 
and, if you prefer one technique over the other, there’s no more guesswork.
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x
Introduction ..............................................................................................................................xxxi
Part I: Getting Started with Windows Scripting
Introducing Windows Scripting
Chapter 1: 
 ...................................................................................3
VBScript Essentials
Chapter 2: 
 .....................................................................................................13
JScript Essentials
Chapter 3: 
 ........................................................................................................39
PowerShell Fundamentals
Chapter 4: 
 ..........................................................................................57
Part II: Windows VBScript and JScript
Creating Scripts and Scripting Files
Chapter 5: 
 ........................................................................... 91
VBScript and JScript Scripting Basics
Chapter 6: 
 ....................................................................... 107
Input, Output, and Error Handling with VBScript and JScript
Chapter 7: 
 .................................129
Working with Files and Folders in VBScript and JScript
Chapter 8: 
 ..........................................153
Reading and Writing Files
Chapter 9: 
 ........................................................................................ 181
Managing Drives and Printers with VBScript and JScript
Chapter 10: 
 ....................................... 197
Confi guring Menus, Shortcuts, and Startup Applications
Chapter 11: 
 ....................................... 211
Working with the Windows Registry and Event Logs
Chapter 12: 
 ............................................ 231
Part III: Network and Directory Service Scripting
Scheduling One-time and Recurring Tasks
Chapter 13: 
 ............................................................265
Managing Computer and User Scripts
Chapter 14: 
 ....................................................................289
Introducing Active Directory
Chapter 15: 
 Services Interfaces ..................................................... 301
Using Schema to Master ADSI
Chapter 16: 
 ................................................................................ 331
Managing Local and Domain Resources with ADSI
Chapter 17: 
 ................................................347
Service and Resource Administration with ADSI
Chapter 18: 
....................................................377
Maintaining Shared Directories, Printer Queues, and Print Jobs
Chapter 19: 
 ............................ 413
Managing Active Directory Domain Extensions
Chapter 20: 
 ..................................................... 439
Part IV: Windows PowerShell
Input, Output, and Error Handling in PowerShell 
Chapter 21: 
 .................................................483
Working with Files and the Registry in PowerShell
Chapter 22: 
 ................................................523
Event Logging, Services, and Process Monitoring with PowerShell
Chapter 23: 
 ........................ 541
Working with Active Directory Using ADSI and PowerShell
Chapter 24: 
 .................................. 557
Working with WMI in PowerShell
Chapter 25: 
 .......................................................................... 581
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