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At work we use a program based on MS Visual FoxPro. Even though everybody uses the same password, and the information inside the program is not very delicate, I haven't been able to get the password removed. Simply because the developers want money to do the job and my boss doesn't want to pay.

I also use a BAT file to open my most used programs and websites, which are pretty much all on auto-login. Except the MS Visual FoxPro program.

I found a BAT script somewhere that waits a certain amount of time, and then mimics keyboards entries. But for some reason it doesn't seem to work on Win10. So I am wondering if anybody knows a way to automatically sent the password via the BAT file?

The auto-login script I mention above was found here: Automatically open a browser and login to a site?

Vinnie Van Rooij
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  • you still use FoxPro in this era? – phuclv Jun 29 '17 at 06:43
  • Yes we do. Not really my choice, but it has cost a long time (and thus money Euro's) to make the system do what we want it to do, combined with the external stuff we use (like web CMS and such). The boss doesn't want to make that investment again, so until it crashes and falls to pieces, we will probably continue to use it. – Vinnie Van Rooij Jul 04 '17 at 06:47

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We use AutoHotkey to automate certain tasks with our own in-house VFP application. It works well. It supports Windows 10 (though we only use it on 7 and Server 2008 here)

LAK
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  • Tried it, but it seems its on the blacklist. Admin won't let me install it and the IT s-pecialist dissaproves of the program. The boss can't be bothered to get involved in this. – Vinnie Van Rooij Jun 29 '17 at 06:37
  • Sorry to hear it. It works well for us, and one of the things we do with it is enter the password to our application. Good luck! – LAK Jun 29 '17 at 13:14
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So you have an application developed with M$ Foxpro (one of its various versions).
I cannot speak to how the developers 'built' your application. I can only speak for the various VFP applications that I have written.

When I created applications that 'asked' for Username/Password, I compared the input values against VFP Data table field values that were stored away in an encrypted manner so that the casual 'investigator' could not easily determine the values.

That assumes that the user's were allowed to create new Username/Password combinations - thereby requiring support of dynamic entries.

However the application developers could have done it in a variety of ways:
1. Store encrypted Username/Password values into a local VFP data table.
2. 'Hard code' the Username/Password into the application code prior to compilation (most definitely NOT preferred)
3. Run the input Username/Password against a Web Service where these values are stored on THEIR central system.

With those various ways as possibilities - making it more difficult to tell you which way to go, I'd recommend considering the following:
If an issue is BUSINESS CRITICAL, don't quibble over the Dollars.

Dhugalmac
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  • I agree, however the boss has a different opinion, especially on it being critical or not haha. I was kinda hoping that BATCH files had a hidden function to enter content to an opened screen. – Vinnie Van Rooij Jun 29 '17 at 06:35
  • @VinnieVanRooij no, batch files can only run commands. It doesn't have any means to send key presses to other programs so you have to use a separate tool for that, most commonly [vbs in a hybrid batch file](https://stackoverflow.com/a/17050135/995714) [like this](https://stackoverflow.com/a/25373908/995714). It'll be much easier in [powershell](https://stackoverflow.com/q/21264874/995714) though – phuclv Jul 04 '17 at 07:25
  • Again, not knowing how the developers 'built' your application.... If the Application were built to launch with the possible receipt of Parameters for Username & Password, then the Batch file could include those in the command to launch the application. However this would not be the usual way that things are done. – Dhugalmac Jul 27 '17 at 13:59