[jaclaz]

Hmmm, I would rather troubleshoot and solve the issue at hand with AT rather than have IE6 SP1 in order to have Task Scheduler.
There is not one reason in the world why plain AT should not work, AFAIK.

There is more than one way to skin a cat, most of them without any need to have Internet Explorer on NT 4.

In my (perverted) mind installing IE on NT4 and upgrading it to IE6 sounds like a complete failure at solving the problem and thus shooting a fly with a cannon.

If the issue is not resolved "simply", I would rather try a third party tool such as (example) nircmd:
http://www.nirsoft.n...ils/nircmd.html



jaclaz

[submix8c]

Maybe scheduling SHUTDOWN instead?
http://www.robvander...om/shutdown.php

Quote

NT4+RK | SHUTDOWN /L /R /T:0 /Y | Effect=Reboot | Remarks=Immediate shutdown & reboot

Reference here -
http://ss64.com/nt/shutdown.html
"Random" site (I like that term now!) giving the MS Link and some info -
http://smallvoid.com...winnt4sp4st.htm
Another "random site" (google cache)

File is not on MS anymore (even with Wayback). But Google

"sp4rk_i386.exe"

Inside the EXE is a CAB and inside it is "NETMGMT_NETADMIN_shutdown.exe".

You could ALSO maybe try the PSSHUTDOWN (robvanderwoude link above lists it).

Wouldn't either one of these be more "direct"?

[allen2]

submix8c, on 02 February 2013 - 11:18 AM, said:

You could ALSO maybe try the PSSHUTDOWN (robvanderwoude link above lists it).

Wouldn't either one of these be more "direct"?

That what i already proposed in his previous thread....

This post has been edited by allen2: 02 February 2013 - 01:54 PM

[submix8c]

Ahhh! The "Thread Merge"...

[am12348]

Hello,

First of all thank you for your useful posts, referinfg to my problem in at command.

I've changed my batch file, that shuts dowwn and restarts NT4 server according to
Jaclaz's post. I've added "pauses" to some places in the batch and configured the
"at" command to run the batch interactively. run the batch interactively step by step.
The pauses have helped me to find out what is wrong wuth the batch. I've fixed the
problems and now, when the time configured in "at| command comes, the batch is
actuvared and is working properly.

Ther is still a one little problem. I use to lock the server when I don't use it and
ublock it by ty[ing a password. When the server is locked, the batch file doesn't
work properly, when the configured time comes. In my logs, I can see that the
batch has been activated, but it haven't worked properly.

Can be any problem in activation of scheduled batches, when the server is locked?
What can I do to overcome this problrm?

Thank you for your useful help,
Amos

[allen2]

If the computer is locked, you'll need to force the shutdown. Psshutdown i linked before has an option to force it and even logoff a user.

[am12348]

Hello,

Thanks to Allen2 for his help

I've the two following questions:

- Does psshutdown fdo the work on NT4?

- Can I use this software freely in any NT4 server?

Thank you

This post has been edited by am12348: 23 February 2013 - 04:09 PM

[submix8c]

1 - For a whopping 1.6 megabytes, you could download it and try. One might assume it will work on NT4 as the OTHER utilities were also suggested (in the OTHER thread).

2 - Uhhhh, yes FREE (or freely???)! A Server is nothing more than a beefed-up workstation.

You're beating the exact same "problem" to death in no less than SIX separate topics!

See THIS (post#11 link AND Allen2's comment) -
www.msfn.org/board/topic/161834-shutting-down-and-restart-nt4/
Which points to THIS -
http://www.robvander...om/shutdown.php
Which SPECIFICALLY STATES NT4!!!!

PLEASE be so kind as to NOT create NEW topics AND be so kind as to READ all Posts and the associated LINKS therein! EVERY single question you have asked has been repeatedly answered - correctly!

Thank you for your support!

[am12348]

Hello,

Before I refer to what submix8c has said, I would like to thank you for everybody's useful posts.

Now to the point . Maybe six separate topics for the same subject are too much.
However , upon my experience in some forums(Not this one) , in many times nobody
refers to a topic that is not either recent or in the first forum page. The topics I've posted
relate to the same subject "Scheduling shutting down and restarting NT4 server", but each time,
I've written different things. I've tried to read and implement what everybody has posted and
when I've met problems , I've posted a new topic in order to get an answer as soon as possible.
Due to company's security policy, I've sometimes asked the same question twice in order to
be sure with what I'm doing.

I hope that now, I'm quite clear and I'm sorry for the misunderstanding.

Thank you,
Amos

[bphlpt]

am12348, on 25 February 2013 - 10:48 PM, said:

...
I've posted a new topic in order to get an answer as soon as possible.

This is not effective, but rather just makes frequent users of the forum annoyed at the needless clutter, as you have seen. Also, posting the same or similar questions in multiple places is not necessary since frequent users often use forum links such as this one - http://www.msfn.org/...earch&do=active - which will pull up all the recent posts, over a time period the user can specify, from anywhere on the board. So if you make a post anywhere at all someone will see it. Try very hard to put it in an appropriate place, since otherwise it might be ignored. After all, if you don't care enough about your issues, and the board, to keep the place tidy and organized for the benefit of others, then why should we care about helping you? Another reasons for a non-response is if at first glance we can't think of anything helpful to post, we might wait to see if anyone else comes up with something. Most of us here don't post just to "hear ourselves talk". So it is perfectly OK if there has not been a response in a reasonable amount of time, say a day or two, to post again, in the same thread, with additional information about what else you have tried while you have been waiting, along with the results of your efforts. Remember we are glad to help you, not do it for you.

Cheers and Regarrds

[am12348]

Hello,

The NT4 worksattion in the company is used to be locked when nobody is working on it. However, some scheduled
processes are not working properly when it is in this state(locked).

Since I want to enable those processes working, I would like to know, if it is possible to unlock the workstation
programtically by a batch file that will be activated by "at" command.

Thank you for your help,
Amos

[Tommy]

Personally, I don't think it's possible but I could be absolutely wrong. What kind of scheduled processes are needed to be run with the system unlocked? Is it something you can put the credentials into the program and it'll launch it at the appropriate time?

[jaclaz]

My guess is that you are having issues somehow connected with this:
http://techsupt.winb...00001035F9.html

Quote

The NT AT command can run when no-one is logged on within certain contraints:

• Hard code everything.
  
• No network connections allowed.
  
• You cannot send keystrokes to anything UNLESS the AT command is set to be interactive AND there is a logged in user AND the workstation is not locked ... only then *maybe* you can send keystrokes..

Some remedies are suggested in the referenced page, but you need to provide more details on the specific issues you are having.

Maybe, just maybe, this approach:
http://www.codeproje...ows-Workstation
http://www.rohitab.c...2#entry10052092
works on NT 4.00 also, but if a way to correct the behaviour of the single specific scheduled tasks is possible, it would be IMHO preferrable.

jaclaz

[am12348]

Hello,

Following to the last post, the problem is as follows:

I've written a batch file that shuts down and restarts the NT4 server and I've posted it in my previous replies.
When the workstation, that is connected to the server, is in an unlocked state, the batch works properly. No
matter, it is activated directly or as a scheduled task("at").


However, when the workstation is locked the batch does not work properly when the "at" time comes.The batch
itself starts working, but the shutting down process is not done.

Since the daily shutting down and restarting process is important for the other processes, I would like to check
if there is "an unlocking command" in NT4. This command will be activated close to the shutting down process
time as is specified in its "at" command.

Again the shutting down batch is:(It is working in an unlocked state)

@ECHO OFF
set temp=c:\temp
PUSHD %temp%
set inf=InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall
(
echo [version]
echo signature=$chicago$
echo [defaultinstall]
)>{out}.inf
rundll32 setupapi,%inf% 1 %temp%\{out}.inf
del {out}.inf
POPD


I hope that I've put all the necessary details of the problem

Thank you,
Amos


,

[jaclaz]

So this is what, the 6th or 7th separate thread you started about the same issue?

Do you expect that members would search the board for all these threads to be current with your progresses?

You already stated how that batch wasn't working, the most current threads being:
http://www.msfn.org/...nd-restart-nt4/
http://www.msfn.org/...utting-own-nt4/
Merged by dencorso into this same thread:
http://www.msfn.org/...ing-the-server/
(you do see the difference between posting a link to something as opposed to referring to your "other thread", don't you?)
BTW; please read, attentively, this post in the latter:
http://www.msfn.org/...ost__p__1031398
http://www.msfn.org/...ost__p__1031398

Divide et impera:
http://en.wikipedia....Divide_and_rule
simply doesn't work on a technical board, on the contrary :

Spoiler

(image courtesy of PuntoMX http://www.msfn.org/...post__p__994013 )

You were already suggested to try using some other programs (listed) INSTEAD of that batch, after one and a half month you are still with that same batch?


What happened with those other programs/approaches that were suggested to you?

What happens NOW, following the given suggestions in THIS thread?


jaclaz

This post has been edited by jaclaz: 19 March 2013 - 05:28 AM

[dencorso]

[jaclaz]

dencorso, on 19 March 2013 - 04:12 AM, said:

Nice move so now the links I posted are invalid

Correcting them.

jaclaz

[dencorso]

Sorry about that. Nobody can make an omelette without breaking some eggs (or are they uggs?)... anyhow, the good thing is: these ones can be unbroken... ain't that great?

[allen2]

Old psshutdown (Sysinternals version 1.0.1.0 and up to 2.34) worked for sure with NT4. Newer versions might or might not work but, as those will work for sure when used remotely: if you have another window (>NT4) computer around, you could use it to remotely shutdown the nt4 and on that other computer, you'll have scheduled tasks working properly instead of the lousy "at" (which was "enough" when there weren't anything beside it).

[jaclaz]

allen2, on 20 March 2013 - 12:28 AM, said:

.... you'll have scheduled tasks working properly instead of the lousy "at" (which was "enough" when there weren't anything beside it).

Just to utterly disagree: when it works, AT works alright. (and no it's not a truism)

And the Task Scheduler in NT 4.00 (besides the IE related issues) is far from "perfect":
http://www.piclist.c.../winnt/cron.htm

Relying on an "external" machine to run tasks (if they are "critical") represent a good way to invite Murphy's Law at dinner for a live demonstration

Another day, another tool/approach (scheduled unlock) :
http://www.softtreet.../archive/51.htm


jaclaz