Exit a batch file

rctneil · 8 Jan 2010 at 17:20

Hey,
I ahve written a small .bat file whcih I am going to place into my startup folder. When I run the batch file, a command line window appears but doesn't close itself automatically. What can I add to the end of the file to make the window close?

SMB30 · 8 Jan 2010 at 17:25

exit.

rctneil · 8 Jan 2010 at 17:30

Nope, thats not working

SMB30 · 8 Jan 2010 at 17:33

Whats the contents of the batch file?

rctneil · 8 Jan 2010 at 17:33

"D:\Neil\Documents\Small Single Programs\FreeFileSync\64 Bit\RealtimeSync.exe" "D:\Neil\Documents\Config and Plugins\FreeFileSync\keepass_to_dropbox.ffs_batch"

exit

rpstewart · 8 Jan 2010 at 17:37

Is RealtimeSync.exe running in the command line window or as a separate GUI process?

rctneil · 8 Jan 2010 at 17:38

It opens up and sits in the system tray. - It's just that currently I have to close the command line window manually

SMB30 · 8 Jan 2010 at 17:40

Maybe you need the start command before you call the realtimesync program.

rpstewart · 8 Jan 2010 at 17:49

SMB30 said:
Maybe you need the start command before you call the realtimesync program.

Yep, that'll do the trick, the batch file is waiting for realtimesynce to finish before moving to the next command. Using start will return control to the batch file as soon as realtimesync starts.

SMB30 · 8 Jan 2010 at 17:50

Other than that, can you not use the windows task scheduler to achieve the same end result?

rpstewart · 8 Jan 2010 at 17:53

Or a plain old fashioned shortcut in the startup folder....

rctneil · 8 Jan 2010 at 17:54

If I add a start command, it just opens 2 command windows and one of them launches realtimesync

SMB30 · 8 Jan 2010 at 17:57

start "D:\Neil\Documents\Small Single Programs\FreeFileSync\64 Bit\RealtimeSync.exe" "D:\Neil\Documents\Config and Plugins\FreeFileSync\keepass_to_dropbox.ffs_batch"

exit

Is that what you have now?

rpstewart · 8 Jan 2010 at 17:57

Code:

start "D:\Neil\Documents\Small Single Programs\FreeFileSync\64bit\RealtimeSync.exe" "D:\Neil\Documents\Config and Plugins\FreeFileSync\keepass_to_dropbox.ffs_batch"

not

Code:

start
"D:\Neil\Documents\Small Single Programs\FreeFileSync\64 Bit\RealtimeSync.exe" "D:\Neil\Documents\Config and Plugins\FreeFileSync\keepass_to_dropbox.ffs_batch"

Raumarik · 8 Jan 2010 at 17:58

Have you tried copying the entire line and running it manually (pasting) into a command prompt to see if it returns you to the command prompt after it's launched? if so it should work in a batch file with "exit" on the after it.

rctneil · 8 Jan 2010 at 18:00

Right, I tried it exactly as you posted above and it then comes up with a dialog asking what program should the .ffs_batch file be opened with

That should not be showing up. If I take out the start command then it wokrs as I want except the command window does not go away.

Nanobot · 9 Jan 2010 at 11:54

According to the help syntax for the Start command, the first set of quotes is to set a title for the window. Maybe Start is taking your first set of quotes and treating that as a title rather than a command. Can you add a title to the syntax first?
Eg

Start "Title of Window" "Command to run..."?

rpstewart · 9 Jan 2010 at 12:54

Why does this have to be a batch file? What's wrong with creating a shortcut in the startup folder?

SMB30 · 9 Jan 2010 at 13:05

rpstewart said:
Why does this have to be a batch file? What's wrong with creating a shortcut in the startup folder?

+1

Would be much easier this way.

bledd · 9 Jan 2010 at 14:20

create a link to the program that you want to open and just reference the link "c:\app.lnk" in the bat file

once the link has been called, it'll go to the next thing in the bat file

or just use startup as mentioned