Hide Command Window of BAT file that Executes Another EXE File

Question

This is a batch file in Windows   Here is my  bat file           echo off copy  C  Remoting config-Training   C  Remoting config    C  ThirdParty exe    This works fine except the  bat file leaves the command window open the whole time the  ThirdParty  application is running  I need the command window to close    I would use the short-cut for the application but I must be able to run this copy command first  it actually changes which data base and server to use for the application      The ThirdParty application does not allow the user to change the source of the db or the application server     We re doing this to allow users to change from a test environment to the production environment

User · Answer

To make the command window of a  bat file that executes a  exe file exit out as fast as possible  use the line  start before the file you re trying to execute  Here is an example    insert other code here   start executable exe  insert other code here    You don t have to use other code with  start executable exe

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I used this to start a cmd file from C    Process proc   new Process    proc StartInfo WorkingDirectory    myWorkingDirectory   proc StartInfo FileName    myFileName cmd   proc StartInfo WindowStyle   ProcessWindowStyle Hidden  proc Start    proc WaitForExit

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To make the command window of a  bat file that executes a  exe file exit out as fast as possible  use the line  start before the file you re trying to execute  Here is an example    insert other code here   start executable exe  insert other code here    You don t have to use other code with  start executable exe

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Using Windows API we can start new process  a console application  and hide its  black  window  This can be done at process creation and avoid showing  black  window at all   In CreateProcess function the dwCreationFlags parameter can have CREATE NO WINDOW flag   The process is a console application that is being run without a console window  Therefore  the console handle for the application is not set  This flag is ignored if the application is not a console application   Here is a link to hide-win32-console-window executable using this method and source code   hide-win32-console-window is similar to Jamesdlin s silentbatch program   There is open question  what to do with program s output when its window does not exist  What if exceptions happen  Not a good solution to throw away the output  hide-win32-console-window uses anonymous pipes to redirect program s output to file created in current directory   Usage  batchscript starter exe full path to application  arguments to pass on   Example running python script  batchscript starter exe c  Python27 python exe -c  import time  print  prog start    time sleep 3 0   print  prog end       The output file is created in working directory named python 2019-05-13-13-32-39 log with output from the python command   prog start prog end   Example running command  batchscript starter exe C  WINDOWS system32 cmd exe  C dir     The output file is created in working directory named cmd 2019-05-13-13-37-28 log with output from CMD    Volume in drive Z is Storage  Volume Serial Number is XXXX-YYYY   Directory of hide console project hide-win32-console-window  2019-05-13  13 37     lt DIR gt             2019-05-13  13 37     lt DIR gt              2019-05-13  04 41            17 274 batchscript starter cpp 2018-04-10  01 08            46 227 batchscript starter ico 2019-05-12  11 27             7 042 batchscript starter rc 2019-05-12  11 27             1 451 batchscript starter sln 2019-05-12  21 51             8 943 batchscript starter vcxproj 2019-05-12  21 51             1 664 batchscript starter vcxproj filters 2019-05-13  03 38             1 736 batchscript starter vcxproj user 2019-05-13  13 37                 0 cmd 2019-05-13-13-37-28 log 2019-05-13  04 34             1 518 LICENSE 2019-05-13  13 32                22 python 2019-05-13-13-32-39 log 2019-05-13  04 55                82 README md 2019-05-13  04 44             1 562 Resource h 2018-04-10  01 08            46 227 small ico 2019-05-13  04 44               630 targetver h 2019-05-13  04 57     lt DIR gt           x64               14 File s         134 378 bytes                3 Dir s           692 992 bytes free   Example shortcut for running  bat script    Target field   C  batchscript starter exe C  WINDOWS system32 cmd exe  C C  start wiki bat   Directory specified in Start in field will hold output files

User · Answer

Please use this one  the above does not work  I have tested in  Window server 2003    echo off  copy  C  Remoting config-Training   C  Remoting config  Start  I     C  ThirdParty exe  exit

User · Answer

Try this    echo off  copy  C  Remoting config-Training   C  Remoting config  start C  ThirdParty exe exit

User · Answer

Great tip  It works with batch files that are running a java program also   start javaw -classpath   CP   main Main

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Compile the batch file to an executable using Batch2Exe http   www f2ko de programs php lang en amp pid b2e  Use the  Invisible Window  option

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run it under a different user   assuming this is a windows box  create a user account for scheduled tasks  run it as that user  The command prompt will only show for the user currently logged in

User · Answer

Or you can use   Start  d  the directory of the executable   b  the name of the executable   parameters of the executable   1   If  1 is a file then it is passed to your executable  For example in notepad exe foo txt  1 is  foo txt    The  b parameter of the start command does this      Starts an application without opening a new Command Prompt window  CTRL C handling is ignored unless the application enables CTRL C processing  Use CTRL BREAK to interrupt the application    Which is exactly what we want

User · Answer

I haven t really found a good way to do that natively  so I just use a utility called hstart which does it for me  If there s a neater way to do it  that would be nice

User · Answer

I used this to start a cmd file from C    Process proc   new Process    proc StartInfo WorkingDirectory    myWorkingDirectory   proc StartInfo FileName    myFileName cmd   proc StartInfo WindowStyle   ProcessWindowStyle Hidden  proc Start    proc WaitForExit

User · Answer

Try this    echo off  copy  C  Remoting config-Training   C  Remoting config  start C  ThirdParty exe exit

User · Answer

Using start works fine  unless you are using a scripting language  Fortunately  there s a way out for Python - just use pythonw exe instead of python exe      Title not needed  start pythonw exe application py   In case you need quotes  do this      Title needed start  Great Python App  pythonw exe  C  Program Files Vendor App application py

User · Answer

Try this    echo off  copy  C  Remoting config-Training   C  Remoting config  start C  ThirdParty exe exit

User · Answer

You might be interested in trying my silentbatch program  which will run a  bat  cmd script  suppress creation of the Command Prompt window entirely  so you won t see it appear and then disappear   and optionally log the output to a specified file

User · Answer

Create a  vbs file with this code   CreateObject  Wscript Shell   Run  your batch bat  0 True   This  vbs will run your batch bat hidden   Works fine for me

User · Answer

Try this    echo off  copy  C  Remoting config-Training   C  Remoting config  start C  ThirdParty exe exit

User · Answer

Compile the batch file to an executable using Batch2Exe http   www f2ko de programs php lang en amp pid b2e  Use the  Invisible Window  option

User · Answer

Great tip  It works with batch files that are running a java program also   start javaw -classpath   CP   main Main

User · Answer

Using start works for me    echo off copy  C  Remoting config-Training   C  Remoting config  start C  ThirdParty exe   EDIT  Ok  looking more closely  start seems to interpret the first parameter as the new window title if quoted  So  if you need to quote the path to your ThirdParty exe you must supply a title string as well    Examples      Title not needed  start C  ThirdParty exe     Title needed start  Third Party App   C  Program Files Vendor ThirdParty exe

User · Answer

Using start works for me    echo off copy  C  Remoting config-Training   C  Remoting config  start C  ThirdParty exe   EDIT  Ok  looking more closely  start seems to interpret the first parameter as the new window title if quoted  So  if you need to quote the path to your ThirdParty exe you must supply a title string as well    Examples      Title not needed  start C  ThirdParty exe     Title needed start  Third Party App   C  Program Files Vendor ThirdParty exe

User · Answer

I haven t really found a good way to do that natively  so I just use a utility called hstart which does it for me  If there s a neater way to do it  that would be nice

User · Answer

Using start works for me    echo off copy  C  Remoting config-Training   C  Remoting config  start C  ThirdParty exe   EDIT  Ok  looking more closely  start seems to interpret the first parameter as the new window title if quoted  So  if you need to quote the path to your ThirdParty exe you must supply a title string as well    Examples      Title not needed  start C  ThirdParty exe     Title needed start  Third Party App   C  Program Files Vendor ThirdParty exe

User · Answer

Using Windows API we can start new process  a console application  and hide its  black  window  This can be done at process creation and avoid showing  black  window at all   In CreateProcess function the dwCreationFlags parameter can have CREATE NO WINDOW flag   The process is a console application that is being run without a console window  Therefore  the console handle for the application is not set  This flag is ignored if the application is not a console application   Here is a link to hide-win32-console-window executable using this method and source code   hide-win32-console-window is similar to Jamesdlin s silentbatch program   There is open question  what to do with program s output when its window does not exist  What if exceptions happen  Not a good solution to throw away the output  hide-win32-console-window uses anonymous pipes to redirect program s output to file created in current directory   Usage  batchscript starter exe full path to application  arguments to pass on   Example running python script  batchscript starter exe c  Python27 python exe -c  import time  print  prog start    time sleep 3 0   print  prog end       The output file is created in working directory named python 2019-05-13-13-32-39 log with output from the python command   prog start prog end   Example running command  batchscript starter exe C  WINDOWS system32 cmd exe  C dir     The output file is created in working directory named cmd 2019-05-13-13-37-28 log with output from CMD    Volume in drive Z is Storage  Volume Serial Number is XXXX-YYYY   Directory of hide console project hide-win32-console-window  2019-05-13  13 37     lt DIR gt             2019-05-13  13 37     lt DIR gt              2019-05-13  04 41            17 274 batchscript starter cpp 2018-04-10  01 08            46 227 batchscript starter ico 2019-05-12  11 27             7 042 batchscript starter rc 2019-05-12  11 27             1 451 batchscript starter sln 2019-05-12  21 51             8 943 batchscript starter vcxproj 2019-05-12  21 51             1 664 batchscript starter vcxproj filters 2019-05-13  03 38             1 736 batchscript starter vcxproj user 2019-05-13  13 37                 0 cmd 2019-05-13-13-37-28 log 2019-05-13  04 34             1 518 LICENSE 2019-05-13  13 32                22 python 2019-05-13-13-32-39 log 2019-05-13  04 55                82 README md 2019-05-13  04 44             1 562 Resource h 2018-04-10  01 08            46 227 small ico 2019-05-13  04 44               630 targetver h 2019-05-13  04 57     lt DIR gt           x64               14 File s         134 378 bytes                3 Dir s           692 992 bytes free   Example shortcut for running  bat script    Target field   C  batchscript starter exe C  WINDOWS system32 cmd exe  C C  start wiki bat   Directory specified in Start in field will hold output files

User · Answer

Using start works for me    echo off copy  C  Remoting config-Training   C  Remoting config  start C  ThirdParty exe   EDIT  Ok  looking more closely  start seems to interpret the first parameter as the new window title if quoted  So  if you need to quote the path to your ThirdParty exe you must supply a title string as well    Examples      Title not needed  start C  ThirdParty exe     Title needed start  Third Party App   C  Program Files Vendor ThirdParty exe

User · Answer

Or you can use   Start  d  the directory of the executable   b  the name of the executable   parameters of the executable   1   If  1 is a file then it is passed to your executable  For example in notepad exe foo txt  1 is  foo txt    The  b parameter of the start command does this      Starts an application without opening a new Command Prompt window  CTRL C handling is ignored unless the application enables CTRL C processing  Use CTRL BREAK to interrupt the application    Which is exactly what we want

User · Answer

You might be interested in trying my silentbatch program  which will run a  bat  cmd script  suppress creation of the Command Prompt window entirely  so you won t see it appear and then disappear   and optionally log the output to a specified file

User · Answer

Please use this one  the above does not work  I have tested in  Window server 2003    echo off  copy  C  Remoting config-Training   C  Remoting config  Start  I     C  ThirdParty exe  exit

User · Answer

You can create a VBS script that will force the window to be hidden   Set WshShell   WScript CreateObject  WScript Shell   obj   WshShell Run    C  Program Files  x86  McKesson HRS Distributed SwE bat     0  set WshShell   Nothing   Then  rather than executing the batch file  execute the script

User · Answer

I haven t really found a good way to do that natively  so I just use a utility called hstart which does it for me  If there s a neater way to do it  that would be nice

User · Answer

run it under a different user   assuming this is a windows box  create a user account for scheduled tasks  run it as that user  The command prompt will only show for the user currently logged in

User · Answer

Create a  vbs file with this code   CreateObject  Wscript Shell   Run  your batch bat  0 True   This  vbs will run your batch bat hidden   Works fine for me

User · Answer

You can create a VBS script that will force the window to be hidden   Set WshShell   WScript CreateObject  WScript Shell   obj   WshShell Run    C  Program Files  x86  McKesson HRS Distributed SwE bat     0  set WshShell   Nothing   Then  rather than executing the batch file  execute the script

User · Answer

Using start works fine  unless you are using a scripting language  Fortunately  there s a way out for Python - just use pythonw exe instead of python exe      Title not needed  start pythonw exe application py   In case you need quotes  do this      Title needed start  Great Python App  pythonw exe  C  Program Files Vendor App application py

User · Answer

I haven t really found a good way to do that natively  so I just use a utility called hstart which does it for me  If there s a neater way to do it  that would be nice

[windows] Hide Command Window of .BAT file that Executes Another .EXE File

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