Re: Seeding Randomization on CMD (WinXP Pro)

From: Mark V (notvalid_at_nul.invalid)
Date: 10/06/04 

Date: Wed, 06 Oct 2004 00:16:53 -0700

In microsoft.public.win2000.cmdprompt.admin PsyB wrote:

> Can anyone tell me how to get a *PROPER* random number? I have
> defined a variable as follows:
>
> set randnumber=%random%
>
> When querying the contents of my variable %randnumber% when
> staying inside the CMD prompt without an exit, the variable, of
> course, is randomized. However since my script takes exactly the
> same amount of time to run each time it is run, the random number
> will always be the same since the %random% variable is never
> seeded properly (indeed it follows the same progression of
> "random" numbers each and every time that CMD is started). I have
> tried various way to cause inconsistency in how fast the script is
> executed including netstat, ping and dir - anything that might
> change the execution time so that the number pulled from the pool
> is different, though no matter what I have tried I end up
> centering around a single number. Is there any way to generate a
> real random number on CMD? Or is there any way to seed the CMD
> line with the time or some other variable that would allow a
> better randomization? Use of pause is out of the question, though,
> as this needs to be a transparent script.

All I can offer is this:
http://www.optimumx.com/
=================
 Random Number Generator v1.00 (Random.exe) Last Updated:
09/03/1998

Returns an exit code (Errorlevel) of a pseudo-random number based on
lowerbound and upperbound numbers passed as arguments. The number
returned is much more random than the %RANDOM% variable. Use
'Random.exe /?' to view the syntax."
=================

I have used it for years but can only say that it is *more* random
than %random%. I have no statistical study for the tool.

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