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I have made this batch script which will allow the user to enter a website's URL as well as a time in minutes, it then adds the URL to the hosts file and removes it once the time expires. (Effectively blocking a website for a certain amount of time)

It removes the website from the hosts file by creating another batch file when it is first run, and then uses the AT command to launch the new batch file at the specified time. It works when blocking multiple websites, the only problem is if more then one website is set to become unblocked at the same time, the unblocking process of each new batch file which was created seems to conflict. As you will see, I have attempted to fix this by delaying a batch file from running until the other has completed. Unfortunately it does not work most of the time. Sometimes if the timing is lucky then both batch files will execute without interfering with one another. Here's the code, sorry for my terrible coding techniques, it may seem hard to understand:

@echo off TITLE Site Blocker SET name=%random% SET /P url=Enter website (e.g. www.facebook.com)- SET /P mins=How many minutes do you want to block it for?: GOTO :SET :BACK AT %hh%:%mm% C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat echo. >> C:\WINDOWS\System32\drivers\etc\hosts echo 127.0.0.1 %url% >> C:\WINDOWS\System32\drivers\etc\hosts echo :TOP >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat echo IF EXIST C:\Users\Downloads\temp1.txt GOTO :WAIT >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat echo echo DONT DELETE ^>^> C:\Users\Downloads\temp1.txt >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat echo find /v "%url%" ^< C:\WINDOWS\System32\drivers\etc\hosts ^> C:\Users\%username%\desktop\temp.txt >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat echo del C:\WINDOWS\System32\drivers\etc\hosts /Q >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat echo ren C:\Users\%username%\desktop\temp.txt hosts >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat echo copy C:\Users\%username%\desktop\hosts C:\WINDOWS\System32\drivers\etc\ >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat echo del C:\Users\%username%\desktop\hosts /Q >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat echo msg * %url% unblocked >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat echo del C:\Users\Downloads\temp1.txt /Q >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat echo del C:\users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat /Q >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat echo exit >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat echo :WAIT >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat echo timeout 3 >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat echo GOTO :TOP >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat exit :SET set /a mm=%time:~3,2% set /a hh=%time:~0,2% if %mm% gtr 60 GOTO :CHECK set /a mm=%mm%+%mins% :DONE if %mm% gtr 60 GOTO :CHECK if %mm%==60 set /a hh=%hh%+1 & set /a mm=00 GOTO :BACK exit :CHECK if %mm% gtr 60 set /a hh=%hh%+1 if %mm% gtr 60 set /a mm=%mm%-60 & GOTO :DONE GOTO :DONE

(The program must be run as administrator to work. I therefore compile it to .exe and add an administrator manifest. Compiling to .exe is not the problem though as I have the same problem when running the batch or the compiled .exe)

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    +1 for the most epic batch script I ever saw O.o Commented Aug 30, 2011 at 15:49
  • @Kornel Kisielewicz haha you should have a look at a batch network chat I created a while ago...truly epic :P Commented Aug 30, 2011 at 15:53
  • Why don't you use Powershell?? Commented Aug 30, 2011 at 15:54
  • 1
    @manojlds, there are thousands of more powerful alternatives, but writing batch scripts is like a ancient art that is practiced not because it's the fastest way, but its ceremony... like a Tea Ceremony... Commented Aug 30, 2011 at 15:58
  • 1
    Additionally, I think this answer would provide you with an easier way of removing the specific line of text: stackoverflow.com/questions/418916/… Commented Aug 30, 2011 at 17:28

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I had a little bit of fun with this... and since you didn't mark any answer yet I thought you might like to see it. It seems like your major problem is you want to be able to block multiple websites and have them unblock at the same time correct?

Using your method I modified it with a dynamic looping batch that would allow you to add as many websites to temporarily ban as you want. that way only one batch is accessing the hosts file at a time. It also cleans up everything it creates before getting rid of itself. Hope this helps:

@echo off TITLE Site Blocker setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion SET name=%random% SET /P count=How many websites do you need blocked?: SET /P mins=How many minutes do you want to block them for?: SET N=0 :URL_LOOP SET /a N+=1 IF !N! gtr !count! GOTO SET SET /P url%N%=Enter website (e.g. www.facebook.com)- GOTO URL_LOOP :BACK schtasks /create /sc ONCE /tn %name% /TR C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat /st %hh%:%mm% SET N=0 :HOST_LOOP SET /a N+=1 IF !N! gtr !count! GOTO END_HOST_LOOP echo. 127.0.0.1 !url%N%! >> C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts GOTO HOST_LOOP :END_HOST_LOOP echo @echo off >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat echo setlocal >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat echo :TOP >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat echo copy C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts C:\temp1.txt >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat SET N=0 SET M=1 :FIND_LOOP SET /a M+=1 SET /a N+=1 IF !N! gtr !count! GOTO END_FIND_LOOP echo find /v "!url%N%!" ^< C:\temp%N%.txt ^> C:\temp%M%.txt >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat echo del C:\temp%N%.txt >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat GOTO FIND_LOOP :END_FIND_LOOP echo xcopy /y C:\temp%N%.txt C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat echo del C:\temp%N%.txt >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat SET N=0 :MSG_LOOP SET /a N+=1 IF !N! gtr !count! GOTO END_MSG_LOOP echo msg * !url%N%! unblocked >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat GOTO MSG_LOOP :END_MSG_LOOP echo schtasks /delete /f /tn %name% >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat echo del C:\users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat /Q >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat echo exit >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat echo endlocal >> C:\Users\%username%\downloads\%name%.bat exit :SET set /a mm=%time:~3,2% set /a hh=%time:~0,2% if %mm% gtr 60 GOTO :CHECK set /a mm=%mm%+%mins% :DONE if %mm% gtr 60 GOTO :CHECK if %mm%==60 set /a hh=%hh%+1 & set /a mm=00 GOTO :BACK exit :CHECK if %mm% gtr 60 set /a hh=%hh%+1 if %mm% gtr 60 set /a mm=%mm%-60 & GOTO :DONE GOTO :DONE endlocal

Also... I used schtasks instead of AT so that I could easily find the task after and delete it, since it allows you to apply unique names instead of going from an assigned ID number.

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I have doubts about an IF that you have in the script which seems to be used extensively:

if %mm% gtr 60...

If the idea is to check for minutes greater than 60, I guess this may be the cause of your issues. A minute value can be 0 to 59 never 60.

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I don't think thats the problem, because if %mm%==60 then the hour is increased by one and the minutes return to 0. Calculating the time to wait before running the new batch file seems to work fine. The only problem seems to be if more than one website is unblocked at the same time.
Sorry, I read that part of the code carefully - you are right. Just out of curiousity, is the TIMEOUT really waiting? Can you output the value of %TIME% (before and after timeout statement) into a TEMP file, to see if TIMEOUT bypasses waiting?
@Josh how would %mm% ever be over 59? isn't it just reading the mm from hh:mm:ss.ms
@barlop Because lets say its 6:30 and the user enters 30 mins, then the time would be 6:60...so thats why if this happens, the program must increase hours by 1 and reset mins to 0
@barlop if you check the beginning, he has a user input for %mins% so when it does the math in :SET, minute can increment over 60.
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I don't think it'll fix things, but it might make it easier to read/manage if you didn't create the secondary file, just used the original with arguments to indicate a removal.

For instance (untested, ballparking):

@echo off TITLE Site Blocker if .%1.==.REMOVE. goto :remove SET name=%random% SET /P url=Enter website (e.g. www.facebook.com)- SET /P mins=How many minutes do you want to block it for?: GOTO :SET :remove set URL=%2 :: do removal stuff goto :eof :SET AT %hh%:%mm% thisbatchfile.bat REMOVE %URL%

What are you using to compile it to an .EXE?

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careful on downloading stuff from CNET nowadays (forum.ultravnc.net/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=28692) fyi. I downloaded a video editing app a few weeks ago and it backdoored a toolbar install on the workstation... and it didn't have an uninstall feature, it had to be manually removed.

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