The Mole #8: Technical Answers from Inside Microsoft - Javascript, Regional Settings, Domain Name Change, Post SP3 Fixes

Article
02/09/2009

May 3, 1999

Editors Note The questions and answers below are from the Inside Microsoft column that appears regularly on the TechNet Web site (https://www.microsoft.com/technet). To find out how to submit questions of your own, see the end of this article or go to https://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/insider/default.mspx.

The TechNet Mole provides expert answers from deep within Microsoft to questions from IT professionals. This installment focuses on these issues:

Javascript submit.form code
Regional Settings on NT
Change your Domain Name
Post-SP3 Help!

Here's the Javascript submit.form code

Dear Mole:

Complaint: Why doesn't the Javascript 'submit.form' function work in I.E. 4.0 /SP 1.0 ? I can run the same code under Netscape Communicator 4.0 and it works fine.......what's up?

 <html>
 <head>
 <title>
 Eli Lilly - Job Posting System
 </title>
 </head>
 <script language="JavaScript1.1">

// The code below works fine in Netscape 4.0 but not in I.E. 4.0 S.P. 1.0..... ?

 function test_lengths(form)
 {
 if (form.requisition.length == 0)
 {
 msg = "\n\nThere are no Previous Requisitions found for this Job Title.";
 msg1 = "\n\nPlease go back and select another Job Title";
 msg2 = "\n\n OR";
 msg3 = "\n\nClick on the Highlighted Text: 'New Posting from a Blank  Template'.";
 msg4 = "\n\nTo Create a New Posting from a Blank Template.";
 alert(msg+msg1+msg2+msg3+msg4);
 return false;
 }
 form.submit(); <-------------------- Not submitting the form
 info......why
 not ?
 return true;
 }
 </script>
 <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
 ....
 .....
 <INPUT TYPE="button" VALUE="Show Previous Posting"  onclick="test_lengths(this.form)">

Mike Reuter, Eli Lilly & Company

Dear Mike,

Mole has dug deep and wide in search of syntax that will solve your problem. Here's your answer:

 <FORM NAME="oForm" ACTION="whatever.cgi">
 <INPUT TYPE="text" VALUE="some text" NAME="oText">
 </FORM>
 <INPUT TYPE="button" VALUE="Some button unrelated to the previous form"  onclick="fnSubmit()">
 <SCRIPT>
 function fnSubmit(){
 oForm.submit();
 }
 </SCRIPT>

In order for the method to work, you need to make sure that:

The form is identified by using the NAME (in this case, oForm), ID, or through the forms collection, such as document.forms[0].
The submit method is invoked on the value used in #1, in this sample, oForm.
The ACTION attribute is provided on the FORM element. If it isn't supplied, nothing happens.

For more information about authoring forms, visit this address at the Microsoft Developers' Network website: https://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/author/forms/formsoverview.asp.

Make Greenwich Mean Time Your NT System Default

Mole,

Is there any way of configuring NT server4.0 such that the system account will use UK settings—on installing I have changed from US to UK and subsequently changed regional settings from Control Panel on build completion to UK from US.

However, backgroundprocesses running using the system account still seem to use US time/date format.

Paul Edwards, SEMA Group, England

Dear Paul,

The solution to your problem is just two clicks away. The trick, as usual, is understanding where to click. In Control Panel, execute "Regional Settings". In the Regional Settings Properties dialog box, check the "Set as system default locale" box. Now click OK, and you should find your entire network has been Anglicized.

See visual aid below.

Change your Domain Name

Mole:

The Windows NT domain structure within our organization is as follows:

Accounts domain
Resource domain

When the network was first implemented a number of Windows NT 4.0 workstation machines were added to the accounts domain rather than the resource domain where they should have been. The design of the network is changing and therefore ALL new workstation accounts are now being added to the RESOURCE domain. However there are still a number of machines still in the incorrect domain, ACCOUNTS, (approximately 50 workstations).

The question following this information: Is it possible to remotely change the domain that a workstation connects to without visiting each individual workstation? I know it is possible to add a machine name to a domain by using Server Manager (and this adds the computer account to the correct domain). Although the domain name on the workstation will need to be changed.

I look forward to a positive response.

Ian Leplar

Dear Ian,

Talk about positive! There are a couple of ways to solve your dilemma. The easiest of these is to use the NETDOM utility in the Windows NT Server Resource Kit, Supplement 2. NETDOM is a powerful command-line utility that helps network administrators manage accounts. You should be able to use it to effect your name changes remotely, thus avoiding visits to each computer involved.

You can also find a slightly more labor intensive method of Domain Name Changing in the article at **175023:**Renaming a Windows NT Domain Member. Note that this method has not been widely tested in large networks, so you use it at your own risk.

Post-SP3 Help!

Dear Mole:

I am the project manager of a Service Pack 3 deployment on NT Workstations. I've tried everything and cannot connect to the FTP site and Microsoft's https://support.microsoft.com/support/downloads/default.asp does not appear to have links to the Post-SP3 hotfixes.

Please help me locate these much needed files.

Shane C. Hage

Hey, Shane.

There are several places to find hotfixes for Microsoft Windows NT 4.0. The TechNet CD publishes available hotfixes each month. Look for links to them from the cover page or in the \Tools and Utilities bin. To get the latest, check TechNet's download section (https://support.microsoft.com/support/downloads/default.asp). Microsoft also offers an FTP site, where you'll find individual fixes stored in separate folders labeled by release version (that is, post-SP3, post-SP4, etc.) Connect to ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/winnt/winnt-public/fixes/usa/nt40/ to download what you need. Note that if you can't connect to an FTP site, your network may have a router filter installed to block FTP-type packets, a rather common security precaution. You can test for this by trying to connect to FTP sites besides ours.

In addition, you can monitor and download new security related hotfixes from https://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/update/bulletins/.

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