Troubleshooting Code 800A0400 – Expected Statement
Perhaps instead of ‘Expected Statement’, ‘missing character’ would be a better error message. I have noticed with error 800A0400 how often the problem is at the beginning or the end of the line mentioned in the error message.
Introduction to Code 800A0400
Error code 800A0400 is a generic message when you execute a VBScript. A wild guess, you have missed a command at the beginning of a line.
The Symptoms You Get
The script does not execute as you had hoped. Instead you get a message box like this picture:
The Cause of Error 800A0400
Your VBScript contain is missing a statement. This is a difficult error to track down. However, the good news is that I have three examples. Most likely you have placed a statement, which is not appropriate for the logic of your script. For example, extra brackets, or missing command.
Note: the clue ‘Source: Microsoft VBScript compilation error’. My point is that ‘compilation error’ and not a ‘runtime error’, means this is a syntax error in your script.
The Solution for Error: Expected statement
The Windows Scripting Host gives us two useful clues, firstly, look on Line: 10, do count any remark or empty lines. Secondly, the Char: number 1, is useful in tracing the error. In this case there is something wrong with the Select statement.
The line number, as is so often the case, is crucial to solving this error. The problem is that the whole line is gibberish to the VBScript engine. So take another look at each word, punctuation and see if you can spot a simple error.
‡
Example 1 of Error code: 800A0400
Missing underscore at the end of the line 7:
‘ WSHname.vbs
‘ Sample VBScript to check WSH Version
‘ Author Guy Thomas https://computerperformance.co.uk/
‘ Version 2.3 – September 2010
‘ ——————————————————-
On Error Resume Next
WScript.Echo "WSH Version: " & WScript.Version & " " & WScript.BuildVersion
& vbcr & "File name: " WScript.ScriptName
WScript.Quit
Solution
Missing underscore at the end of the line:
WScript.Echo "WSH Version: " & WScript.Version & " " & _
‘ WSHname.vbs
‘ Sample VBScript to check WSH Version
‘ Author Guy Thomas https://computerperformance.co.uk/
‘ Version 2.3 – September 2010
‘ ——————————————————-
On Error Resume Next
WScript.Echo "WSH Version: " & WScript.Version & " " & _ WScript.BuildVersion
& vbcr & "File name: " WScript.ScriptName
WScript.Quit
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Example 2 of 800A0400
Error on Line 4.
Talk about stupid errors, there is no ‘ apostrophe to Rem out that line of dashes.
Actual
————————
Should be:
‘ —————————–
‘The script is below, and the pclist.txt contain only 2 line:
‘ mainsrv
‘ computer1
——————————————————–
Const ForReading = 1
Set objDictionary = CreateObject("Scripting.Dictionary")
Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set objTextFile = objFSO.OpenTextFile _
("e:\scripts\pclist.txt", ForReading)
i = 0
Do Until objTextFile.AtEndOfStream
strNextLine = objTextFile.Readline
objDictionary.Add i, strNextLine
i = i + 1
Loop
For Each objItem in objDictionary
StrComputer = objDictionary.Item(objItem)
Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:" _
& "{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputer& "\root\cimv2")
Set colServices = objWMIService.ExecQuery _
("SELECT * FROM Win32_Service")
Wscript.Echo strComputer, colServices.Count
Next
Example 3 of 800A0400 (Code available)
I just plain missed command, for example no ‘Set’.
Problem
"Error" ObjNetwork = CreateObject("Wscript.Network")
Correction
Set ObjNetwork = CreateObject("Wscript.Network")
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Example 4 – No need for End If
The 800A0400 error message in VBScript often appears when the user adds a "End" statement when there is no need for one. For example, in this script, the user puts "End If", when there is no If statement to end.
MsgBox "Click OK to continue"
Input = InputBox("Type your name")
End If
There was no need for the user to put "End If", so the script host says that the user needs to put an ‘If’ statement, but wouldn’t it make much more sense if it told the user to delete the ‘End If’ statement?
This example was kindly sent in by Alex Jones.
Select Case Example of Error Code 800A0400
n_Num = 3
Select Case n_Num
Case n_Num 1
wscript.echo 1
Case 2
wscript.echo 2
Case 3
wscript.echo 3
End Case
Solutions:
Should be Case 1 (Not Case n_Num 1)
Should be End Select (Not End Case)
Kindly sent in by Bradley Harris.
See More Windows Update Error Codes 8004 Series
• Error 800A101A8 Object Required •Error 800A0046 •Error 800A10AD •Error 800A000D
• Error 80048820 •Error 800A0401 •Review of SolarWinds Permissions Monitor
• Error 80040E14 • Error 800A03EA • Error 800A0408 • Error 800A03EE
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