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	[x] Attachment Details

Commands Being Run via VBS Script. How to prevent cmd windows?

Zones: VB Script, Windows Batch Scripting

Tags: VBScript

I am making a VBS script that will run three commands to open ports necessary for Remote Assistance. When this VBS script is run, three cmd windows popup for a few seconds and disappear. Is there any way to prevent the window from popping up?

         
             set oShell  = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.shell")
 
oShell.run "netsh firewall add allowedprogram  c:\windows\system32\sessmgr.exe 
 
sessmgr ENABLE"
 
oShell.run "netsh firewall add allowedprogram 
 
c:\windows\PCHEALTH\HELPCTR\Binaries\helpsvc.exe helpsvc ENABLE"
 
oShell.run "netsh firewall add portopening TCP 135 RemoteAssistance"

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7.6

Question Stats

Zone: Programming

Question Asked By: FIM2003

Solution Provided By: newborn1281

Participating Experts: 2

Solution Grade: A

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Comment by RobSampson

Hi guys,

The Exec method of the Shell object can not force hidden windows. It's advantage is that you can read the output from a command prompt. The Run method, as stated, does have a parameter that allows the window to be displayed in any form, including hidden. It actually has three parameters:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/d5fk67ky.aspx

object.Run(strCommand, [intWindowStyle], [bWaitOnReturn])

You can see in the link above the 10 window styles that can be used, including a zero, which puts the application that is to be run in a hidden state.

The third parameter tells the rest of the script to wait until the command being run has finished, before it continues executing more code.

So, you can run the following command hidden:
Set oShell = CreateObject("WScript.shell")
strCommand = "cmd /c netsh firewall add allowedprogram c:\windows\system32\sessmgr.exe sessmgr ENABLE > testing.txt"
oShell strCommand, 1, True

to have the cmd program run in a normal window style. If you use
oShell strCommand, 0, True

the cmd program runs hidden.

Now, for testing, to see cmd window output, you can use:
Set oShell = CreateObject("WScript.shell")
strCommand = "cmd /k netsh firewall add allowedprogram c:\windows\system32\sessmgr.exe sessmgr ENABLE > testing.txt"
oShell strCommand, 1, True

Where I've put cmd /k, not cmd /c. This is usually used for testing, so the command window stays open when the command has finished. You should notice that you must *not* use cmd /k with a zero window style, because then you'll have an open command prompt, which is hidden, and you have to kill it via the task manager.

Hope that helps,

Regards.

Rob.

Comment by FIM2003

Thanks, Rob. I'll give that a try!

Comment by RobSampson

No worries....looks like I was too late, but oh well! It's just more info....

Regards,

Rob.

20080723-EE-VQP-34 / EE_QW_2_20070628