Scheduling password protected URLs

[MW]

Hello people,

I was trying to schedule a task in windows 2000 to open up a specific
URL in the browser. I was able to add it as Run
C:\PROGRA~1\INTERN~1\IEXPLORE.EXE http://url

The problem is that http://url is a password protected site, and the
script on the page does not execute because it pauses at the "please
type your username and password" box. The password is remembered, but
someone still has to hit enter before the page is accessed

Is there someway to pass the username/password automatically to the URL
so the page executes at a scheduled time?

MW

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

You may have to install and run a keyboard recorder,
e.g. AutoIt (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/autoit).

 

[MW]

Is there any way do it it without having to resort to a recorder?

 

[Gary Smith]

I was trying to schedule a task in windows 2000 to open up a specific
URL in the browser. I was able to add it as Run
C:\PROGRA~1\INTERN~1\IEXPLORE.EXE http://url

The problem is that http://url is a password protected site, and the
script on the page does not execute because it pauses at the "please
type your username and password" box. The password is remembered, but
someone still has to hit enter before the page is accessed

Is there someway to pass the username/password automatically to the URL
so the page executes at a scheduled time?

The HTTP protocol specifies a way to do this by using the format
http://username:password@url. However, this mechanism as implemented in
IE has the potential for abuse and Microsoft has chosen to disable it
entirely in a recent security update. Thus it may not work for you if you
have all recent patches applied.

Apart from the potential for abuse, the method has the drawback that the
user name and password are right out there in the open -- in your script,
in IE's history files, and as long as you're connected to that initial
page, in your address bar.