Scripting

Executable files can (and should be!) digitally signed. Without a digital signature you can never be sure the files on your hard disk have not been tampered with. There is really no exception to this rule, except maybe smaller open source projects that lack the budget to buy the digital certificate required for signing. Digitally signing executable files is so important that Microsoft made it a requirement in the Windows 7 Logo Program. One might think that such a simple yet important thing as signed executables can be taken for granted by now. Well, let’s have a look!

From time to time the question gets asked how a batch file or console program can be executed silently or hidden, i.e. without a console window popping up. If you do not know what I am talking about: press Win+R, type “help” and press ENTER. A black console window will open, execute the HELP command and close again. Often, this is not desired. Instead, the command should execute without any visible window.