Error code 800A0408 Invalid Character

Discussion:

(too old to reply)

AuHuman

2010-02-01 10:21:01 UTC

hi,
i have a vbscript which was compiling with noerrors.
i was using editplus to write my vbscritps
today i tried using primalscript2009 editor.
i added some code to the script and when i tried to run the script i got
the "Error code 800A0408 Invalid Character" error.
i gone through my code a lot of time but i found no invalid character.
i need your help to resolve this issue.

mayayana

2010-02-01 14:28:02 UTC

Permalink

Post by AuHuman
i have a vbscript which was compiling with noerrors.
i was using editplus to write my vbscritps
today i tried using primalscript2009 editor.
i added some code to the script and when i tried to run the script i got
the "Error code 800A0408 Invalid Character" error.
i gone through my code a lot of time but i found no invalid character.
i need your help to resolve this issue.

Why don't you look at the line that the error message
told you the error is on, and then post it here? No one
can help you figure out what character is invalid if
they can't see your code. :)

Usually that error will mean that you used something
invalid in the context. A non alphanumeric in a variable
or an operator that can't work might do it. Though
WSH will try to force an operator to work if it can.
For instance:

i = 2
s = 3
msgbox i & s

I tried that out thinking that it might result in an
invalid character error, but instead the interpreter
converted the numbers to strings and the msgbox
showed "23"!

Al Dunbar

2010-02-03 06:54:23 UTC

Permalink

Post by mayayana

Why don't you look at the line that the error message
told you the error is on, and then post it here? No one
can help you figure out what character is invalid if
they can't see your code. :)
Usually that error will mean that you used something
invalid in the context. A non alphanumeric in a variable
or an operator that can't work might do it. Though
WSH will try to force an operator to work if it can.
i = 2
s = 3
msgbox i & s
I tried that out thinking that it might result in an
invalid character error, but instead the interpreter
converted the numbers to strings and the msgbox
showed "23"!

A google search for "800A0408" finds info such as these:

"If you cut and paste code from other sources (e.g. web sites, other
editors, etc) you often bring along characters that don't show up in Notepad
but are, nonetheless, present -- or do appear as non-prinatable characters,
that look like little squares. If you're looking at the line in question and
it isn't simply an unclosed string or a premature carriage return, try
deleting the line(s) altogether and re-typing them by hand. This should
eliminate the possibility of 'invisible' problem characters mucking up the
stream."
(http://classicasp.aspfaq.com/general/why-do-i-get-800a0408-errors.html).

"Your VBScript contains an illegal character, often at the beginning of a
line. It can happen if you copy the script from word, then paste into
notepad. For example, to 'Rem out a line we need the apostrophe, which is
ASCII character 39; however if you paste from word you may get ASCII 96
(Grave accent)."
(http://www.computerperformance.co.uk/Logon/code/code_800A0408.htm)

It seems to me that the problem is not with either editor, but with editing
with both.

/Al

s***@gmail.com

2016-03-16 18:10:14 UTC

Permalink

Post by mayayana

Why don't you look at the line that the error message
told you the error is on, and then post it here? No one
can help you figure out what character is invalid if
they can't see your code. :)
Usually that error will mean that you used something
invalid in the context. A non alphanumeric in a variable
or an operator that can't work might do it. Though
WSH will try to force an operator to work if it can.
i = 2
s = 3
msgbox i & s
I tried that out thinking that it might result in an
invalid character error, but instead the interpreter
converted the numbers to strings and the msgbox
showed "23"!

My error line is this

Set wshShell = wscript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

pls help me this is important.

Evertjan.

2016-03-16 18:58:19 UTC

Permalink

Post by s***@gmail.com

Post by mayayana

Post by AuHuman
i have a vbscript which was compiling with noerrors.

The essense of VBScript is that it does not compile,
it should just be executed.

So what happens if you put testme.vbs on your desktop
and double-click it?

... if testme.vbs contains:

Set wshShell = wscript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
msgbox "ok"

Do you get that error?

Post by s***@gmail.com

Post by mayayana

Post by AuHuman
i was using editplus to write my vbscritps
today i tried using primalscript2009 editor.
i added some code to the script and when i tried to run the script i got
the "Error code 800A0408 Invalid Character" error.
i gone through my code a lot of time but i found no invalid character.
i need your help to resolve this issue.

Why don't you look at the line that the error message
told you the error is on, and then post it here? No one
can help you figure out what character is invalid if
they can't see your code. :)
Usually that error will mean that you used something
invalid in the context. A non alphanumeric in a variable
or an operator that can't work might do it. Though
WSH will try to force an operator to work if it can.
i = 2
s = 3
msgbox i & s
I tried that out thinking that it might result in an
invalid character error, but instead the interpreter
converted the numbers to strings and the msgbox
showed "23"!

My error line is this
Set wshShell = wscript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
pls help me this is important.

--
Evertjan.
The Netherlands.
(Please change the x'es to dots in my emailaddress)

Mayayana

2016-03-16 20:00:33 UTC

Permalink

| My error line is this
|
| Set wshShell = wscript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
|
| pls help me this is important.
|

You somehow managed to dig up an answer I
gave 6 years ago. Why? What do you need help
with? The first thing you should do is get a real
newsreader and stop using Google Groups. Then
you can take part in the current discussion, in
2016 rather than 2010.

R.Wieser

2016-03-16 20:38:43 UTC

Permalink

sarunaskrusinskas(?),

Post by s***@gmail.com
My error line is this

[Snip]

Thats the line the error is (presumably) been generated on. But what was
the error-message itself ? Thats pretty important you know.

Post by s***@gmail.com
Set wshShell = wscript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

That line itself looks good. Two possibilities I can think of:

#1 - In relation to that post you tagged your question on (a bit of a
no-no), it *might* be possible that there is an invisible character in there
somewhere. Suggestion: delete the whole line and rewrite, preferrably using
a so-called "flat text" editor (ASCII only, no special formatting).

#2 - The error is not actually in that line, but in a line above it. Even a
mis-matched double-quote (") could be causing itit.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

Post by s***@gmail.com

Post by mayayana

Why don't you look at the line that the error message
told you the error is on, and then post it here? No one
can help you figure out what character is invalid if
they can't see your code. :)
Usually that error will mean that you used something
invalid in the context. A non alphanumeric in a variable
or an operator that can't work might do it. Though
WSH will try to force an operator to work if it can.
i = 2
s = 3
msgbox i & s
I tried that out thinking that it might result in an
invalid character error, but instead the interpreter
converted the numbers to strings and the msgbox
showed "23"!

My error line is this
Set wshShell = wscript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
pls help me this is important.

kryppa

2010-11-29 13:41:12 UTC

Permalink

I got the same problem, and I had some crap characters in the beginning of my vb-file that I couldn't see in Notepad, but when i run the file through the TYPE command.

So I edited my vb-file so it started with an empty line, and then run the following command line

for /f "skip=1 tokens=*" %i in (not_working.vbs) do @echo %i >>will_work.txt

And the crappy characters was gone and the script engine accepted it.

/kryppa

Post by AuHuman
hi,
i have a vbscript which was compiling with noerrors.
i was using editplus to write my vbscritps
today i tried using primalscript2009 editor.
i added some code to the script and when i tried to run the script i got
the "Error code 800A0408 Invalid Character" error.
i gone through my code a lot of time but i found no invalid character.
i need your help to resolve this issue.

Why do not you look at the line that the error message
told you the error is on, and then post it here? No one
can help you figure out what character is invalid if
they cannot see your code. :)
Usually that error will mean that you used something
invalid in the context. A non alphanumeric in a variable
or an operator that cannot work might do it. Though
WSH will try to force an operator to work if it can.
i = 2
s = 3
msgbox i & s
I tried that out thinking that it might result in an
invalid character error, but instead the interpreter
converted the numbers to strings and the msgbox
showed "23"!

Post by Al Dunbar
"If you cut and paste code from other sources (e.g. web sites, other
editors, etc) you often bring along characters that do not show up in Notepad
but are, nonetheless, present -- or do appear as non-prinatable characters,
that look like little squares. If you are looking at the line in question and
it is not simply an unclosed string or a premature carriage return, try
deleting the line(s) altogether and re-typing them by hand. This should
eliminate the possibility of 'invisible' problem characters mucking up the
stream."
(http://classicasp.aspfaq.com/general/why-do-i-get-800a0408-errors.html).
"Your VBScript contains an illegal character, often at the beginning of a
line. It can happen if you copy the script from word, then paste into
notepad. For example, to 'Rem out a line we need the apostrophe, which is
ASCII character 39; however if you paste from word you may get ASCII 96
(Grave accent)."
(http://www.computerperformance.co.uk/Logon/code/code_800A0408.htm)
It seems to me that the problem is not with either editor, but with editing
with both.
/Al

I got the same problem, and I had some crap characters in the beginning of my vb-file that I couldn't see in Notepad, but when i run the file through the TYPE command.
So I edited my vb-file so it started with an empty line, and then run the following command line
And the crappy characters was gone and the script engine accepted it.
/kryppa
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Mayayana

2010-11-29 14:34:18 UTC

Permalink

|I got the same problem, and I had some crap characters in the beginning of
my vb-file that I couldn't see in Notepad
|

It sounds like you might be saving the file in Unicode.

|

Post by kryppa
will_work.txt

|

Whatever that means...(DOS?) ...it's not VBScript.

You need to get a real news reader and stop going
to online forums. The online forums are just parasite
websites that repost Usenet posts as their own
content. The post you're responding to is almost
a year old!

kryppa

2010-11-29 13:40:41 UTC

Permalink

I got the same problem, and I had some crap characters in the beginning of my vb-file that I couldn't see in Notepad, but when i run the file through the TYPE command.

So I edited my vb-file so it started with an empty line, and then run the following command line

for /f "skip=1 tokens=*" %i in (not_working.vbs) do @echo %i >>will_work.txt

And the crappy characters was gone and the script engine accepted it.

/kryppa

r***@gmail.com

2013-08-11 03:47:28 UTC

Permalink

i still have this problem although i tried saveed it as ANSi

Todd Vargo

2013-08-11 12:36:54 UTC

Permalink

Post by r***@gmail.com
i still have this problem although i tried saveed it as ANSi

GoogleGroups strikes again!

I've heard of putting a project on the back burner before, but 3 years?
Please do us the courtesy of starting over in a new thread and furnish
all pertinent information about the problem in a single post.

--
Todd Vargo
(Post questions to group only. Remove "z" to email personal messages)

c***@gmail.com

2014-01-13 22:22:05 UTC

Permalink

Going through the same situation now. It doesn't matter if it's a 3 year post or not... 3 years later, there's STILL no solution to this. And yes, we changed it to ANSI....

Post by Todd Vargo

Post by r***@gmail.com
i still have this problem although i tried saveed it as ANSi

GoogleGroups strikes again!
I've heard of putting a project on the back burner before, but 3 years?
Please do us the courtesy of starting over in a new thread and furnish
all pertinent information about the problem in a single post.
--
Todd Vargo
(Post questions to group only. Remove "z" to email personal messages)

Todd Vargo

2014-01-14 07:28:49 UTC

Permalink

Post by c***@gmail.com
Going through the same situation now. It doesn't matter if it's a 3 year post or not... 3 years later, there's STILL no solution to this. And yes, we changed it to ANSI....

You was using multiple editors 3 years ago and from what you described,
you had working code, modified it with one of those editors and then the
code no longer worked. Unfortunately, we are not able to look over your
shoulder to see what it is that you are doing.

Here you are 3 years later complaining that you never solved the
problem, but frankly, if you are still not willing to provide any new
information to work with, then it is doubtful that a solution will be found.

Mayayana

2014-01-14 14:59:57 UTC

Permalink

Going through the same situation now. It doesn't matter if it's a 3 year
post or not... 3 years later, there's STILL no solution to this. And yes,
we changed it to ANSI...
Then get a real news reader and ask a question. I don't
even see the original question here. That's probably true
of many who read this group. So it does matter whether
it's a 3-year-old post. We're not looking at a Google
webpage. We're looking at Usenet posts. Welcome to
the outside world.

I don't understand how people like you think, but I
do know that there are a lot of you, posting ghost followups
to long-dead threads. Do you just think that Google is the
Internet and if you need help you can just "ask Google"?
You can't be bothered to notice that you're posting to a
years-old thread, and you don't think that's relevant?!
Did you think at all? Perhaps you could look up "usenet"
and/or "nttp" so you'll understand the forum. Then you can
also enjoy the advantages of using actual newsreader software
rather that dealing with the awkwardness of forums filtered
through http and Google.

Google is not Usenet. They reprint Usenet posts and,
unfortunately, allow Google members to post to them via
webpage, which confuses things. It's created a large group
of people who actually don't know what newsgroups are.
Google is also not the Internet. (You also may be interested
to know that Google is not email. You don't *have* to use
spyware webmail from Google-Doubleclick. You could get a
real email account, get a real Usenet account, and actually
experience the Internet outside of the spoon-fed sleaze of
Google's "advertarium".)

See here for a free newsgroup server:

http://eternal-september.org/

(I realize that Google addicts don't expect to pay for anything.
You don't have to. The server is free. Thunderbird and other
email/newsreaders are free. If you have an ISP you also already
have real email for free. For that matter, for the price of a
Starbucks kiddie coffee you could have your own domain and
a virtually unlimited number of email accounts. But you will have
to "lift a finger" to get out from under Google. [And if you get a
domain, watch out for the webhosts who subcontract to gmail.
Google has become an insidious and widespread infestation.])