Output to clipboard instead of a File

kpassaur · Post by **kpassaur** » Sat May 27, 2006 4:59 pm

I am trying to determine if an application is installed on a PC without creating a temp file and reading it.

The goal is to have an Autorun CD (that part is no problem) that when it is run checks to see if Acrobat is installed. The dos command below works
and I could direct the output to a file such as c:\temp\testacrobat.txt and then see if the string "File association not found for extension type" exists in the file. However, since it is a standalone CD and it is going to be distributed I would prefer that it didn't write anything to users PC.

Does anyone know of another way of doing this? Like direct the output to the clipboard etc or another way to test if an application is installed. The file association method seems to me to be the best as it disregards versions and with Acrobat maybe they like a different viewer.

C:\Documents and Settings\Keith Passaur>assoc .pdf
.pdf=AcroExch.Document

C:\Documents and Settings\Keith Passaur>assoc ape
File association not found for extension ape

Bob Hansen · Post by **Bob Hansen** » Sat May 27, 2006 11:38 pm

If you finally do need to write somewhere to do this, here are two thoughts:

1. Many years ago it was commont to make RAM drives.

Is it possible that you could create a temporary RAM Drive? Write to it as needed, and then deleted the drive when done?
-------------
2. How about writing to a temp folder, then deleting when done? Net result is nothing is on machine.
------------

kpassaur · Post by **kpassaur** » Sun May 28, 2006 9:27 am

Bob, thanks for the response. I thought of the ram drive but forgot how to do it, however in my research I found a little know component that Microsoft has called "Clip.exe". It is a small exectuable, 6k and if you run it you can write to the clipboard. Here is the code that make it possible to check for a pdf viewer.

Run Program>Clip.exe
Run Program>cmd /c assoc .pdf |Clip
Wait>1
GetClipboard>clipboard

I have gotten it to work with this script and can see what a great complement it is to Macro Scheduler. I appears to be for free distribution as it is available at this Microsoft ftp site.

ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/Services/TechNe ... skit/FILE/

There are other utilities on this site as well and they maybe usefull as well.

Bob Hansen · Post by **Bob Hansen** » Sun May 28, 2006 9:37 pm

Don't forget MJT's Clip Magic also.

Output to clipboard instead of a File

Output to clipboard instead of a File

Found a way to output dos to the clipboard