Listing filenames into a file with no access to the command prompt

[GNEP]

Right, hopefully the collective murcbrain can help me here...

What I need to do is put together a list of all files and their location within a directory structure into a text file of some sort so that I can then paste them into a spreadsheet before writing a bit of VBA to run on them.

Now usually, I'd simply go to the command prompt, think wistfully of the days of DOS, do a dir *.* with the right switches, and pipe it into a file.

The problem is, I'm now at the Dept of H, and this being the government an' all, they have disabled the command prompt in WinXP. Also the "run" dialog is diabled (yes, even with windowskey-R).

So is there another quick and easy way that I'm missing? I could do it with a bit of VBA I reckon, but not too happy with that route for other reasons related to what I'm building. Or even take the directories on a pen drive home, but not happy with that either as I may have to repeat regularly.

TIA

Gnep

[GNEP]

Found the solution (that was quick!).

Stupidly they still allow me to create and edit a batch file so I did, and seconds later dir *.* /s >filelist.txt was run

Idiots.

[VJ]

Glad to be of help!


Just curious: can you run CMD from a batch file?



Jörg

[GNEP]

Hmmm... just tried that and nope, get a command prompt window that says "this has been disabled press any key to continue". (They've also left the Command Prompt icon in the start/accessories menu which gives the same result. Fools.)

These are the muppets that would be running any sort of ID card scheme in the UK (current lukewarm news topic).

[VJ]

Weird (didn't know one could disable this)...

Isn't that insulting to the Muppets?


Jörg

[GNEP]

[SitFlyer]

There is another way
I've used this utility for quite a while. With it you can either dump the info to a text file or print it out

No more fumbling with My Computer or Windows Explorer, wishing you could print information about all your files. Karen's Directory Printer can print the name of every file on a drive, along with the file's size, date and time of last modification, and attributes (Read-Only, Hidden, System and Archive)! And now, the list of files can be sorted by name, size, date created, date last modified, or date of last access.

She also has a simple back-up utility that does all my daily back-ups, automatically, to my networked Raid 5

[GNEP]

Thanks SF - looks interesting. However tried it here and yes, I can download an exe, and then run it, but it won't install (presume I don't have the permissions)... Might give it a go at home.

[Fat Tone]

Would that be the same stupid D of H that won't allow a relative of mine to open any picture attachments (forcing the use of PowerPoint) but will allow the installation of browser plugins that then completely bork IE?

[GNEP]

Er, yes it would The building I'm in has one fileserver. It has I think about 200Gb of disk space. It is always full, and we keep getting messages to delete stuff.

And the network speed seems to be about as good as a dialup connection.

Therefore despite having supposedly roaming profiles (which don't actually roam properly - the desktop and all settings remain on the local machine), everyone works off their local drives, or thumb drives. REALLY good idea for data security and backup that...

Oh, and we use Lotus Notes. Say no more. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

[Umfriend]

Man, I wish I still had Lotus Notes......

[GNEP]

Not when it's so slow it freezes your whole system every 15 minutes...

edit: and on second thoughts, yes, it was a nice system, YEARS AGO. Much as I hate to say it, Exchange server and Outlook have moved on a LOOOONG way whilst Notes has stayed still.

Hmmm, I sounded like Gurm then

[Jammrock]

If you have rights to install software, you can install .NET 2.0 RTm and Monad (aka Microsoft Command Shell, aka MSH) Beta 3. MSH will eventually replace CMD in future OSs. I've been playing with it lately and it's very powerful, but you just have to learn a lot of new commands.

Jammrock

[Dilitante1]

Hmmm, I sounded like Gurm then

SHAME on you

[Gurm]

Don't get me started. Had a conversation with a certain MURCer the other day, won a convert to Outlook.

I don't LIKE Outlook... I tolerate it because it's simply better than... oh... any other mail client I've tried.

I welcome suggestions of decent mail clients. By decent, I mean better than Outlook. Already considered, and determined to suck donkey kong, are the following:

- Anything from the Mozilla team
- Eudora

So keep them ideas comin'!