I have written several VBA macros that access intranet network locations. They work well when users are located on-site. However, when they are off-site and accessing the network via VPN, these network locations are not available unless they manually navigate to them via Windows Explorer and select the "work online" option at the top of the explorer window.
I can already verify whether they are connected via VPN programmatically.
What I need is to be able to perform the equivalent of activating "work online" mode via Excel VBA.
Any suggestions from the hive mind?
Didn't have any success via Google or existing SO posts.
Simplest approach would be to trap the error when the folder cannot be accessed, display a message box to inform the user of the required option, and use Shell command to open the Windows Explorer:
Dim Foldername As String
Foldername = "\\UNCPATH\TO\NETWORK_DRIVE\"
Shell "C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe """ & Foldername & "", vbNormalFocus
Alternatively, you may be able to get this to work, although I could not, it was too long to post as a comment so I will include the procedure here:
Sub fnOfflineStatusVB()
Dim objShell As Object 'IShellDispatch5
Dim objFolder As Object 'Folder3
Set objShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
Set objFolder = objShell.Namespace("\\UNCPATH\TO\NETWORK_DRIVE\")
If (Not objFolder Is Nothing) Then
Dim nReturn As Integer
nReturn = objFolder.OfflineStatus()
End If
Set objFolder = Nothing
Set objShell = Nothing
End Sub
Found it here
Found PowerShell commands that can be executed through CMD successfully. Roadblock that remains is integrating these into a batch file.
These CMD commands work when entered manually:
powershell.exe -noexit "$oWMI=[wmiclass]""\\localhost\root\cimv2:win32_offlinefilescache"""
$oWMI.TransitionOnline("<path here>")
Where "Path here" in angle brackets is an UNC path on my network. However, executing them in a batch file has been unsuccessful thus far.
Here is the code:
#ECHO ON
::Move to non UNC Path directory
cd /D "C:\"
powershell -NoExit -Command "& {'$oWMI=[wmiclass]''\\localhost\root\cimv2:win32_offlinefilescache';$oWMI.TransitionOnline('<Path here>')}"
:: Pause CMD window to give user confirmation that execution has occurred
PAUSE
If anyone has any suggestions on the issue, your advice would be greatly appreciated.
Running PowerShell scripts directly are not permitted due to Group Policy set by IT, which is the reason for this round-about method.
Related
I've got a tricky thing to do here.
I'm using task scheduler to auto-reboot all the computer during the weekend by calling a simple .bat file containing a shutdown command.
I wanted to give the user the possiblilty to cancel that reboot by displaying them a popup saying "Computer is about to restart, do you wish to continue ? Ok or Cancel". I have done that with VB using the popupbox method, it works perfectly.
Here is the problem i'm facing: The task is running under the System account and unless the task is set to run with the current logged on user, the popup box won't appear. I could change the account set in the task but I've got hundreds of users so impossible.
I've done some kind of a workaround, calling the VBS from Psexec... Works, but it's not perfect.
Here is my Psexec command that calls the VB:
Psexec -accepteula -s -i cmd /c C:\Windows\System32\Weekly_Reboot.vbs
Here is my VB:
Dim WshShell, BtnCode
Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
BtnCode = WshShell.Popup("Computer is about to restart, do you wish to continue?", 30, "/!\ Weekly Restart /!\", 4 + 32)
Select Case BtnCode
case 6
Dim objShell
Set objShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
objShell.Run "c:\Windows\System32\Weekly_Reboot.bat"
case 7
WScript.Echo "No prob - the computer won't restart"
case -1
Set objShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
objShell.Run "c:\Windows\System32\Weekly_Reboot.bat"
End Select
And here is the actual reboot command:
Shutdown /f /r /c "This is the weekly reboot"
Any idea would be really awesome ! I really tried googling it, but no luck.
Here is the problem i'm facing: The task is running under the System account and unless the task is set to run with the current logged on user, the popup box won't appear. I could change the account set in the task but I've got hundreds of users so impossible.
Change the task to run under the group called Users. It will make the task run for any logged in user.
I'm not certain if this is needed: but you might want to run it using the highest privileges.
I need to run a few Access macros automatically periodically throughout the day, I do this by scheduling a batch file to open the relevant Access db and run the macro.
The problem that I am having is, if I am working on another Access database and therefore already have an instance of Access open, the batch file runs but only opens the database containing the macro that is supposed to run and stops. So the macro doesn't run.
Has anyone else had this issue or know how to solve it?
The batch files that task scheduler calls look like this:
start /min "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office 15\root\office15\MSACCESS.EXE" "Q:\TC\DNI_Updater\DNIUPDATER.accdb" /X DailyUpdate
I could not find a way to get the DailyUpdate macro to run in the second Access session when using start /min to open that session.
I'm still unsure whether it's possible, but I gave up and switched to VBScript instead. With that approach, it's easy to start the second Access session minimized and run the macro ...
Option Explicit
Dim AccessExePath, DbPath, CmdLine, objShell
DbPath = "C:\Users\hans\Documents\test_hfu.accdb"
AccessExePath = "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\MSAccess.exe"
CmdLine = """" & AccessExePath & """ """ & DbPath & """" & " /X DailyUpdate"
Set objShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
objShell.Run CmdLine, 7 ' Minimize. The active window remains active.
If this approach is satisfactory, you can use the script file as your scheduled task's "Start a program" Action property ...
Is it possible to include in a VB.net 2008 Project a VBScript (test.vbs) and run it if its while the processing necessary? But the main thing is it should be possible to BUILD just one .exe.
If so, can you also receive values / arguments from the VBS file?
Here is an example, although it's pointless, but it is used for unterstanding:
VB.net -> exe is running
the exe runs please_find_the_coputername.vbs
The script please_find_the_coputername.vbs -> obtained the computer name and sends this variable to VB.net
VB.Net displays the computer name via Msgbox().
Note: I know that I can read out the computer name with VB.net but this example is only for understanding my questions.
Edit:
HI #maxedev thank you for your answer.
Wow.. its nice trick.
But I want only to do this VBScript code in VB.net:
Dim strComputer
strComputer = "LP-BKR"
Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" _
& strComputer & "\root\cimv2")
Set colComputer = objWMIService.ExecQuery ("Select * from Win32_ComputerSystem")
For Each objComputer in colComputer
Wscript.Echo "Logged-on Domain: " & objComputer.Domain
Wscript.Echo "Logged-on UserName: " & objComputer.UserName
Wscript.Echo "Logged-on ComputerName: " & objComputer.Name
Next
set objWMIService = Nothing
set colComputer = Nothing
I searched the whole day to get the same Value... but didn't find anything. That's why I decide to do that in this way. But if I think, the trick with clipboard is risky. It pushes the still clipboard text away. How can I realize it?
I'm not sure exactly what you're trying to accomplish, but you could write to a text file and then read it through vb.net - or you could do something like this post to use the clipboard to pass info ie :
VBS:
Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
WshShell.Run "cmd.exe /c echo hello world | clip", 0, TRUE
VB.NET:
MessageBox.Show(Clipboard.GetText)
--shows "hello world"
One solution would be to add a reference to the MS Script Control:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa227400(v=vs.60).aspx
Using that, you can add literally add code (VBScript) with the AddCode() method then run it and get the output back. I have a tiny example here.
Windows automatically provides the information you're looking for in environment variables:
%USERNAME% -> username of the logged in user
%USERDOMAIN% -> WINS name of the domain the user is logged into
%USERDNSDOMAIN% -> FQDN of the domain the user is logged into
%COMPUTERNAME% -> hostname of the computer
I have spend months now trying to get the Visual Basic 2010 codes on how to map a network drive, disconnect them, and re-map network driver.
I will need to be able to map it to the profile folder to something like this:
Full path; “\10.10.10.12\Profile folder".
I need to log in to have access to the network folder /user:Domainname\UserName Password,
then confirm if mapping was successful with a message.
After the mapping I will request the profile name and check if such profile folder exists on the network.
If it exists, return a message stating that the profile exists, and delete the profile folder overwriting any folder property like if reading only, etc.
There are other tasks but his is where I am hit a dead end.
This question is old but maybe the OP is still looking. I wrote an HTA page awhile back to map a network address to a virtual drive. The code is VBScript and so uses the WScript library, which is not a native part of VB.net. See WScript in VB.Net on StackOverflow for more info on that.
The connect script:
SUB doLogOn()
Dim objNetwork, errNum, ojbFSO, strDrive, iNum
Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
If objFSO.FolderExists("\\MyServer\MyFolder\") = False Then
strDrive = "J:"
Set objNetwork = CreateObject("WScript.Network")
On Error Resume Next
objNetwork.MapNetworkDrive strDrive, "\\MyServer\MyFolder", False, "username", "password"
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Err.Clear
End If
Set objFSO = Nothing
Set objNetwork = Nothing
End If
END SUB
Personally, I haven't found code to do the same thing in .Net. The VBScript shown above is pretty primitive; I hope it plus the info on binding WScript gives you an idea or two, though.
Edit: see Eric Dalnas' code, here
Long story short, my application needs to copy a file to a remote target where UNC connections TO the target might not be possible. However UNC connections FROM the target and BACK to the server will always be possible. So the plan was to use WMI to start a remote command shell (cmd) and use the copy command to grab the file. But this doesn't work. The following command works fine when executed manually from the command line of the target:
copy \\192.168.100.12\c$\remotefile.txt c:\localfile.txt
But when I try this same command as part of the InputParameters("CommandLine") it does not work, and produces no error. Note that I can use WMI to connect to the target and remote execution works just fine as I can start calc.exe etc. Here is the code that doesn't work:
Dim ConnectionOptions As New System.Management.ConnectionOptions
With ConnectionOptions
.Username = "target\Administrator"
.Password = "password"
End With
Dim ManagementScope As New System.Management.ManagementScope("\\192.168.100.11\root\cimv2", ConnectionOptions)
Try
ManagementScope.Connect()
MsgBox("connected")
Dim ManagementPath As New System.Management.ManagementPath("Win32_Process")
Dim ManagementOptions As New System.Management.ObjectGetOptions
Dim ManagementClass As New System.Management.ManagementClass(ManagementScope, ManagementPath, ManagementOptions)
Dim InputParameters As System.Management.ManagementBaseObject = ManagementClass.GetMethodParameters("Create")
InputParameters("CommandLine") = "cmd /c copy \\192.168.100.12\c$\remotefile.txt c:\localfile.txt"
Dim OutputParameters As System.Management.ManagementBaseObject = ManagementClass.InvokeMethod("Create", InputParameters, Nothing)
MsgBox("done")
Catch ex As Exception
MsgBox(ex.Message)
End Try
Any ideas why this isn't working? Or does anyone have a better way of doing what I'm trying to do?
Frank you should actually give yourself credit since the method you created is likely the first ever to get around WMI limitations of remote file copy! I did 3 weeks of searching for info/workaround and yours is the only one that works! If I had any points I would vote for your solution...
I created a fully working VBS & WMI script based on your method:
InputParameters("CommandLine") = "cmd /c echo myFTPCommands > c:\ftpscript.txt"
where you replace myFTPCommands as needed with whatever script you want to go into the file c:\ftpscript.bat (or .vbs, .ps1, or whatever you like). If you couldn't fit enough text in the one-line script, then append with the same method using >>. Now, you can use XCOPY, PSEXEC, COPY, or anything else to run the script you just created on the remote host's file system.
Here's my fully fleshed out VBScript using your method. Thanks again. :)
HTH,
Lizz
For security reasons, most methods of programatically connecting to a remote machine and telling it to copy a file to itself from another machine are blocked. One thing that finally worked for me is FTP. Using the above code I can do something like this:
InputParameters("CommandLine") = "ftp -s:c:\ftpscript.txt"
Which causes the ftp commandline utility to run on the remote machine, using c:\ftpscript.txt to get a list of commands from. Since there is no way to copy the ftp script file to the target (again, no UNC connection), I can first do:
InputParameters("CommandLine") = "cmd /c echo myFTPCommands > c:\ftpscript.txt"
And this works :)
UPDATE: Never thought to use XCOPY and it works perfectly:
InputParameters("CommandLine") = "cmd /c echo F | xcopy remotefile localfile"
UPDATE: XCOPY worked yesterday, now it doesn't. NOTHING has changed, so I am at a complete loss for explanation.