Sometimes, there's a need to schedule a "ping" to a webpage (that needs to be pre-compiled, for instance). While using PowerShell is the easiest way to do this, it's not always available on older server, while VBScript is nearly always a safe bet. The biggest issue with using VBScript or the command line is …

For quite some time now, I have been using a scheduled task that executes a VBS file on my web server in order to update local weather information in a database. After porting the site to a Windows 2008 server, the scheduled task began to fail. The script is a bit out of date since the implementation of PowerShell, but …

A frustrated administrator friend just messaged me, asking how he can, in VBScript, "run a simple batch file using a simple command line without defining a billion vars and initting a bunch of bullshit." Apparently, this isn't well documented on the web, so I'm taking a stab at it. Set WshShell = …

Recently, a friend of mine asked to write a script to compare two SQL Server tables using mostly VBScript. The very thought made me shudder; I wanted desperately to compare the tables in SQL Server but ultimately, the company's requirements prevented us from doing so. Here were the stipulations: First, the script …

Recently, I wanted to see if my ex in DC was reading my blog so I ran my referer log against an outdated copy of the MaxMind GeoIP locator database. I figured the database could use some updating so I ran the ImportMaxMindGeoIP.vbs script I posted awhile back, and much like in real life, I received an "Access …

The other day, I was texting a friend and some guy looked at me and said "Oh hey, 2002 called, it wants its T9 back." Haha, slightly cliche but I laughed anyway. Then I went and bought myself a Blackberry. I totally love it, I won't lie. So I imported my contacts into Outlook from a Sony Ericsson mobile phone …

Looking for the T-SQL (somewhat) equivalent to VBScript's FormatDateTime function? I've been too, for years. I finally found it within the CONVERT() function. As stated in SQL Server Books Online: In CONVERT ( data_type [ ( length ) ] , expression [ , style ] ), style is the style of the date format used to convert …

Someone recently asked why I don't use SQL Mail on my SQL Servers (2000 and below). The answer is: I don't want to install Outlook on my SQL Servers. Sure, there are ways around it but I prefer just using "net send" to alert the Operator (moi) then forwarding those messages on to my inbox and phone. Although …

Recently, someone asked if there was a way to be notified when servers have been added to an Active Directory domain. I looked around the Internet and it seems there's not a direct way to do this without some large software package. So in lieu of having an instant notification, I created a script that tallies up newly …

This is more of a post for proper keywords. My previous entry titled "Import MaxMind City CSVs into SQL Server 2005" assumes the user has already conducted research to find that MaxMind's free GeoIP database provides the functionality to look up the location of an IP address. So, if you wish to quickly and …