Batch File Execute Command

 

Apr 26, 2017  Run a batch file from the Command Prompt. To run a batch file, move to the directory containing the file and type the name of the batch file. For example, if the batch file is named 'hope.bat,' you can type 'hope' to execute the batch file. How can I run a program from a batch file without leaving the console open after the program starts? Ask Question Asked 10 years. Use the start command to prevent the batch file from waiting for the program. Just remember to put a empty double quote in front of the program you want to run after 'Start'. If this batch file is something.

Active3 months ago

I'm trying to make my Visual Studio build script execute a .bat file that does something important.

Here is what I'm want to do right now:

But it doesn't work.

I have to do this to make it work:

But this is pretty difficult to add to the Visual Studio script.

How can I do this in one single line?

Mofi
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BingBang32BingBang32

4 Answers

Bugs
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jwganjwgan

'F:- Big Packets -kitterengineCommonTemplate.bat' maybe prefaced with call (see call /?). Or Cd /d 'F:- Big Packets -kitterengineCommon' & Template.bat.

CMD Cheat Sheet

  • Cmd.exe

  • Getting Help

  • Punctuation

  • Naming Files

  • Starting Programs

  • Keys

CMD.exe

First thing to remember its a way of operating a computer. It's the way we did it before WIMP (Windows, Icons, Mouse, Popup menus) became common. It owes it roots to CPM, VMS, and Unix. It was used to start programs and copy and delete files. Also you could change the time and date.

For help on starting CMD type cmd /?. You must start it with either the /k or /c switch unless you just want to type in it.

Getting Help

For general help. Type Help in the command prompt. For each command listed type help <command> (eg help dir) or <command> /? (eg dir /?).

Some commands have sub commands. For example schtasks /create /?.

The NET command's help is unusual. Typing net use /? is brief help. Type net help use for full help. The same applies at the root - net /? is also brief help, use net help.

References in Help to new behaviour are describing changes from CMD in OS/2 and Windows NT4 to the current CMD which is in Windows 2000 and later.

WMIC is a multipurpose command. Type wmic /?.

Punctuation

Naming Files

Starting a Program

See start /? and call /? for help on all three ways.

There are two types of Windows programs - console or non console (these are called GUI even if they don't have one). Console programs attach to the current console or Windows creates a new console. GUI programs have to explicitly create their own windows.

If a full path isn't given then Windows looks in

  1. The directory from which the application loaded.

  2. The current directory for the parent process.

  3. Windows NT/2000/XP: The 32-bit Windows system directory. Use theGetSystemDirectory function to get the path of this directory. Thename of this directory is System32.

  4. Windows NT/2000/XP: The 16-bit Windows system directory. There is nofunction that obtains the path of this directory, but it issearched. The name of this directory is System.

  5. The Windows directory. Use the GetWindowsDirectory function to getthe path of this directory.

  6. The directories that are listed in the PATH environment variable.

Specify a program name

This is the standard way to start a program.

In a batch file the batch will wait for the program to exit. Whentyped the command prompt does not wait for graphicalprograms to exit.

If the program is a batch file control is transferred and the rest of the calling batch file is not executed.

Use Start command

Start starts programs in non standard ways.

Start starts a program and does not wait. Console programs start in a new window. Using the /b switch forces console programs into the same window, which negates the main purpose of Start.

Start uses the Windows graphical shell - same as typing in WinKey + R (Run dialog). Try

Also program names registered under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionApp Paths can also be typed without specifying a full path.

Also note the first set of quotes, if any, MUST be the window title.

Use Call command

Call is used to start batch files and wait for them to exit and continue the current batch file.

Other Filenames

Typing a non program filename is the same as double clicking the file.

Keys

Ctrl + C exits a program without exiting the console window.

For other editing keys type Doskey /?.

  • ↑ and ↓ recall commands

  • ESC clears command line

  • F7 displays command history

  • ALT+F7 clears command history

  • F8 searches command history

  • F9 selects a command by number

  • ALT+F10 clears macro definitions

Also not listed

  • Ctrl + ←or→ Moves a word at a time

  • Ctrl + Backspace Deletes the previous word

  • Home Beginning of line

  • End End of line

  • Ctrl + End Deletes to end of line

temporary_user_name
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user6017774

There are many possibilities to solve this task.

1. RUN the batch file with full path

The easiest solution is running the batch file with full path.

Once end of batch file Template.bat is reached, there is no return to previous script in case of the command line above is within a *.bat or *.cmd file.

The current directory for the batch file Template.bat is the current directory of the current process. In case of Template.bat requires that the directory of this batch file is the current directory, the batch file Template.bat should contain after @echo off as second line the following command line:

Run in a command prompt window cd /? for getting displayed the help of this command explaining parameter /D ... change to specified directory also on a different drive.

Run in a command prompt window call /? for getting displayed the help of this command used also in 2., 4. and 5. solution and explaining also %~dp0 ... drive and path of argument 0 which is the name of the batch file.

2. CALL the batch file with full path

Another solution is calling the batch file with full path.

Batch File Execute Command On Close

The difference to first solution is that after end of batch file Template.bat is reached the batch processing continues in batch script containing this command line.

For the current directory read above.

3. Change directory and RUN batch file with one command line

There are 3 operators for running multiple commands on one command line: &, && and ||.
For details see answer on Single line with multiple commands using Windows batch file

I suggest for this task the && operator.

As on first solution there is no return to current script if this is a *.bat or *.cmd file and changing the directory and continuation of batch processing on Template.bat is successful.

4. Change directory and CALL batch file with one command line

This command line changes the directory and on success calls the batch file.

The difference to third solution is the return to current batch script on exiting processing of Template.bat.

5. Change directory and CALL batch file with keeping current environment with one command line

The four solutions above change the current directory and it is unknown what Template.bat does regarding

  1. current directory
  2. environment variables
  3. command extensions state
  4. delayed expansion state

In case of it is important to keep the environment of current *.bat or *.cmd script unmodified by whatever Template.bat changes on environment for itself, it is advisable to use setlocal and endlocal.

Run in a command prompt window setlocal /? and endlocal /? for getting displayed the help of these two commands. And read answer on change directory command cd ..not working in batch file after npm install explaining more detailed what these two commands do.

Now there is only & instead of && used as it is important here that after setlocal is executed the command endlocal is finally also executed.

ONE MORE NOTE

If batch file Template.bat contains the command exit without parameter /B and this command is really executed, the command process is always exited independent on calling hierarchy. So make sure Template.bat contains exit /B or goto :EOF instead of just exit if there is exit used at all in this batch file.

Community♦
MofiMofi
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You Can Use Cmd Command To Run Batch File.

Here Is My Way =>

More Information =>cmd /?

Batch File Execute Command With Parameters

scientist_7scientist_7

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged windowscmdcommandprompt or ask your own question.

On Windows 10, a batch file is a special kind of text file that typically uses a .bat extension, which can include one or multiple commands that Command Prompt can understand and run in sequence to perform various actions.

Exec Command In Batch File

Usually, you can just input commands manually to perform a particular task, but a batch file simplifies the work of retyping commands, saving you time.

Also, even though, there are other tools, such as PowerShell, that write more advanced scripts, using batch files with Command Prompt is an effective option when you need to run commands to change system settings, automate routines, and launch applications or websites.

In this Windows 10 guide, we walk you through the steps to get started creating and running your first batch file on your computer.

How to create a batch file on Windows 10

The process to write a batch (script or batch script) file is easy. You only need a text editor and a little bit of knowledge to run commands on Command Prompt. In the steps below, we detail the steps for creating a simple and advanced batch file, as well as the steps to write a script to change the system settings.

Writing a simple batch file

To create a simple batch file on Windows 10, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.
  2. Search for Notepad, and click the top result to launch the app.

  3. Type the following lines to create a simple batch file:

    The above script outputs the phrase 'Congratulations! Your first batch file executed successfully' on the screen.

    • @ECHO OFF — This turns off the display prompt to show only the message on a clean line. Usually, this particular line goes at the beginning of the file. (You can use this command without '@,' but the symbol hides the command being executed for a cleaner output.)
    • ECHO — This prints the desired text on the screen.
    • PAUSE — This prevents the console window from closing after executing the command. You can use this command at the end of the script or after a specific command when running multiple tasks and you want to pause between them.
  4. Click the File menu.
  5. Select the Save as option.

  6. Type a name for the script, for example, first_simple_batch.bat.

    Note: While batch files typically use the .bat file extensions, you may also see scripts using the .cmd or .btm file extensions.

Once you complete these steps, you can double-click the file to run it, or you can use the steps below to learn the different ways to execute a batch file on Windows 10.

Writing an advanced batch file

To create an interactive batch file that executes multiple commands, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.
  2. Search for Notepad, and click the top result to launch the app.

  3. Type the following lines to create a complex batch file:

    The above batch script will run a series of commands to query different system information, which are grouped into three different categories: OS INFO, HARDWARE INFO, and NETWORK INFO.

    • @ECHO OFF — This turns off the display prompt to show only the message on a clean line. Usually, this particular line goes at the beginning of the file. (You can use this command without '@,' but the symbol hides the command being executed for a cleaner output.)
    • TITLE — This displays a custom name in the title bar of the console.
    • :: — This allows you to add comments and documentation information, which are ignored when the batch file runs.
    • ECHO — This prints the text on the screen.
    • PAUSE — This prevents the console window from closing after executing the command. You can use this command at the end of the script or after a specific command when running multiple tasks and you want to pause between them.
  4. Click the File menu.
  5. Select the Save as option.
  6. Type a name for the script, for example, first_advanced_batch.bat.

After you complete these steps, you can run the script double-clicking the .bat file, or you can use the steps below to learn the different ways to execute a batch on Windows 10.

Writing an actionable batch file

You're not limited to showing information on a Windows 10 console. You can also write non-interactive batch files to perform virtually any task. For example, to write a batch file that runs a specific command without the need for user interaction, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.
  2. Search for Notepad, and click the top result to launch the app.

  3. Copy and paste the following command:

    The above command is just an ordinary command that maps a network folder as a drive using the 'z' drive letter.

  4. Click the File menu.
  5. Select the Save as option.
  6. Type a name for the script, for example, map-z-drive.bat.

Once you complete these steps, when you run the batch file, the command will map a shared network folder with the settings you specified without the need to open Command Prompt to type the commands manually. Although we only specified one command in the file, you can include as many commands as you like, as long as you write one per line.

How to run a batch file on Windows 10

On Windows 10, there are a least three ways to run a batch file. You can run a batch on-demand (using File Explorer or Command Prompt). You can create a scheduled task using the Task Scheduler. Or you can place the script in the Startup folder to run it every time you sign into your computer.

Running batch file on-demand

When you need to run a batch file on-demand, you can use File Explorer or Command Prompt.

File Explorer

To run a batch file using File Explorer, use these steps:

  1. Open File Explorer.
  2. Navigate to the folder with the script.

  3. Double-click the batch file to run it.

    If you're executing a command that requires administrator privileges, you'll need to run the script as an admin by right-clicking the batch file and selecting the Run as administrator option.

After completing the steps, the batch will run each command in sequence displaying the results on the screen.

Command Prompt

To run a batch file from Command Prompt, use these steps.

  1. Open Start.
  2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

  3. Type the path and the name of the batch file and press Enter:

    C:PATHTOFOLDERBATCH-NAME.bat

Once you run the command, the output will display on the screen regardless of the script containing the 'PAUSE' command or not.

Batch File Execute Command Manager

Running batch file on scheduled

To schedule a batch file on Windows 10, you'll need to use the Task Scheduler with these steps:

  1. Open Start.
  2. Search for Task Scheduler, and click the top result to open the experience.
  3. Right-click the 'Task Scheduler Library' branch, and select the New Folder option.
  4. Type a name for the folder, for example, MyScripts.
  5. Click the OK button.
  6. Expand the 'Task Scheduler Library' branch.
  7. Right-click the MyScripts folder.

  8. Select the Create Basic Task option.

  9. In the 'Name' field, type a short descriptive name for the task, for example, SystemInfoBatch.

  10. In the 'Description' field, create a description for the task. (This step is optional.)
  11. Click the Next button.

  12. Select the Monthly option.

    Task Scheduler allows you to select from a number of triggers, including on a specific date, during startup, or when you or a particular user signs in. Depending on your requirements, you'll need to configure additional parameters. In this case, we're selecting the option to run a task every month.

  13. Click the Next button.
  14. Using the 'Start' settings, specify when the task should start running and the time.

  15. Use the 'Monthly' drop-down menu to pick the months of the year that you want to run the task.

  16. Use the 'Days' or 'On' drop-down menu to specify the days that the task will run.

  17. Click the Next button.

  18. Select the Start a program option to run the batch file.

  19. In the 'Program/script' field, specify the path for the batch file.

  20. Click the Finish button.

Once you complete these steps, the task will be saved, and it'll run the batch file on the schedule you specified.

These instructions cover the steps to create a basic task. If you want to create a more customizable task, use this guide.

Running batch files on startup

Command

Alternatively, if you want to run a batch file every time that you sign into your account, use these easy steps:

Execute Command Minecraft

  1. Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command

  2. Type the following command, and click the OK button:

    shell:startup

  3. Copy and paste the batch file (or shortcut) in the Startup folder.

    Tip: To create a shortcut, right-click, hold, and drag the file into the folder, then release the right-click, and select the Create shortcuts here option from the context menu.

  4. Sign out of your account.
  5. Sign back into your account.

After completing the steps, every time you sign in to your account, the batch file will automatically execute in sequence the commands you wrote.

Batch File Execute Command As Administrator

This guide is focused on Windows 10, but the ability to use batch files has been around for many years, which means that you can refer to these instructions if you're still running Windows 8.1, Windows 7, or an older version.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources: