Arghhh! Problem using findstr command under Vista

OK. Here's the deal...

I'm trying to use the findstr command (it's the find string command) in a Vista elevated command prompt window

Specifically, i enter:

Code:

findstr /c:Friendly /m /i /s /d:c:\Windows  *.inf

which should

• Search C:/Windows and all its subdirectories
• Find all files of type .inf
• And output the name of every file containg the string "friendly"

It does run and does output the filenames as i expect but the darn command never terminates! It completes outputing the file names and then continues to keep running until i have to kill it by hand!

This command works just fine entered exactly the same in an XP command prompt window but not in Vista!

Anyone know what the problem is?????

P.S. i can see the findstr process still running (using Process Explorer even though it no longer has any file handles open)

Code:

.
    Wildcard: any character
*
    Repeat: zero or more occurrences of previous character or class

I think the Asterix is causing the issue
Please test without it to confirm

It seems "." (as in just a dot without quotes) is the wildcard ie:

findstr /c:Friendly /m /i /s /d:c:\Windows .inf

Note I haven't tested this, but would like your feedback

Hmmm.. Good idea and has me trying different approaches toward success but not yet

Here's what i find
1. As mentioned in last post

Code:

  [B]findstr /c:Friendly /m /i /s /d:c:\Windows *.inf[/B]

Works fine in XP but not so in Vista

2. I tried your suggestion

Code:

 [B]findstr /c:Friendly /m /i /s /d:c:\Windows .inf[/B]

Returns within 30 seconds with no match

3. But gives me a thought, so i try

Code:

 [B]findstr /c:Friendly /m /i /s /d:c:\Windows "*.inf"[/B]

Provides same list of directories like in case 1) above and then appears to hang

4. So decided to next try try with full filename (no wildcard)

Code:

  [B]findstr /c:Friendly /m /i /s /d:c:\Windows usbaapl.inf[/B]

It completes within 30 seconds and correctly returns System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\usbaapl.inf_d9da5e84\usbaapl.inf

5. Hmm.. so i'm guessing either
a) The wild card has it hung up on some huge or hidden or permission access related directory that is giving me grief or
b) The wild card is just gonna make it take a really long time (i have limited remote logon access to a vista machine so haven't tried lettin it run yet for a real long time)

In any case, will let you know should i figure this out! Thanks for the input :approve:

Long shot, but try ..inf (ie Dot Dot INF)

Anyway, it's solved it was the asterisk whilst in Vista
Although you haven't got the command line yet, please do reply once you do

as an aside.....

i found another interesting freeware tool.. check out pingplotter (and i've downloaded and used this one before referrin you to it )

Hey I Ping Plotted you
Using the freeware program: http://www.pingplotter.com/freeware.html

It said: Destination not reached in 35 hops
Oh well

How effectively does it map something out? It seems worht the money if it does a good job. You can count hops by pinging it. Unless they dont allow ICMP in which case does this work?

Umm.. if ICMP isn't allowed then ping itself doesn't work! And if ping doesn't work none of the standard net diagnostic tools (ping, pathping, or traceroute) will work as they all rely on ping. (As does this freeware tool, pingtool)

But assuming ping is working then pingtool gives not just hopcount but a quick visual / graphic display of lag between hops so you can see where your network lags are.

And one should at least be able to ping through gateways up to an ISP. So, for example, kimsland can't ping my public IP address (because i disable ping replies from my router) but you can view the network path and time lags between hops ping takes up to reaching my ISP. (which still supplies lots of good network traffic data between almost but not quite the two end-points)

Well, i think there's more then one way to skin a cat (the Vista cat, that is!) :rolleyes:

I thought of a way to try avoid passing the * (wildcard character) to findstr in Vista.

If you ever need do the same sometime future, download the strings function from Sysinternals

I entered

Code:

strings -a -s C:\Windows\*.inf | findstr /i /c:friendlyname

which appears to work (almost) in at least it now

• Outputs every line in every inf file under C:\Windows which
• Matches my string friendlyname and then.........
• The command string actually terminates! :approve:

Except (of course, there's gotta be an "except" with Vista!) I now also see a few lines that say things like

Code:

FINDSTR: Line 863931 is too long.
FINDSTR: Line 863934 is too long.
FINDSTR: Line 863935 is too long.

So i think i may at least have a work around plus maybe a clue to the source of the original problem. No more time to work on it now... but will keep you posted