Running a CMD or BAT in silent mode

Question

How can I run a CMD or  bat file in silent mode  I m looking to prevent the CMD interface from being shown to the user

User · Accepted Answer

I have proposed in StackOverflow question a way to run a batch file in the background (no DOS windows displayed)

That should answer your question.

Here it is:

From your first script, call your second script with the following line:

wscript.exe invis.vbs run.bat %*

Actually, you are calling a vbs script with:

the [path]\name of your script
all the other arguments needed by your script (%*)

Then, invis.vbs will call your script with the Windows Script Host Run() method, which takes:

intWindowStyle : 0 means "invisible windows"
bWaitOnReturn : false means your first script does not need to wait for your second script to finish

See the question for the full invis.vbs script:

Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
WshShell.Run """" & WScript.Arguments(0) & """" & sargs, 0, False
                                                         ^
                             means "invisible window" ---|

Update after Tammen's feedback:

If you are in a DOS session and you want to launch another script "in the background", a simple /b (as detailed in the same aforementioned question) can be enough:

You can use start /b second.bat to launch a second batch file asynchronously from your first that shares your first one's window.

User · Answer

Use Bat To Exe Converter to do this  http   download cnet com Bat-To-Exe-Converter 3000-2069 4-10555897 html  Choose Direct Download Link   1 - Open Bat to Exe Converter  select your Bat file  2 - In Option menu select  Invisible Application   then press compile button    Done

User · Answer

I think this is the easiest and shortest solution to running a batch file without opening the DOS window  it can be very distracting when you want to schedule a set of commands to run periodically  so the DOS window keeps popping up  here is your solution  Use a VBS Script to call the batch file      Set WshShell   CreateObject  WScript Shell     WshShell Run chr 34   amp   C  Batch Files  mycommands bat   amp  Chr 34   0  Set WshShell   Nothing    Copy the lines above to an editor and save the file with  VBS extension  Edit the  BAT file name and path accordingly

User · Answer

The below silent  bat file code prevents the need to have two bat files  using  quot goto quot  and  quot   quot    It does it all in the same  bat file  Tested and confirmed working in Windows 10 Make sure you replace  quot C  pathToFile ThisBatFile bat  quot  with the path to this same  bat file  Keep the space after  quot  bat quot    echo off if   1            goto PreSilentCall   else       goto SilentCall     PreSilentCall REM Insert code here you want to have happen BEFORE this same  bat file is called silently REM such as setting paths like the below two lines  set WorkingDirWithSlash   dp0 set WorkingDirectory  WorkingDirWithSlash  0 -1   REM below code will run this same file silently  but will go to the SilentCall section cd C  Windows System32 if exist C  Windows Temp invis vbs   del C  Windows Temp invis vbs  f  q   echo CreateObject  quot Wscript Shell quot   Run  quot C  pathToFile ThisBatFile bat  quot    amp  WScript Arguments 0   0  False  gt  C  Windows Temp invis vbs wscript exe C  Windows Temp invis vbs Initialized if  ERRORLEVEL   0       echo Successfully started SilentCall code  This command prompt can now be exited      goto Exit      SilentCall cd  WorkingDirectory  REM Insert code you want to be done silently   REM Make sure this section has no errors as you won t be able to tell if there are any   REM since it will be running silently  You can add a greater than symbol at the end of REM your commands in this section to output the results to a  txt file for the purpose  REM of debugging this section of code     Exit  If your  bat file needs more than just the  quot Initialized quot  argument  which tells the bat file to go to  SilentCall section   add  quot   amp  WScript Arguments 1   quot     quot   amp  WScript Arguments 2   quot   etc  depending on the number of arguments  then edit the line where wscript exe is called   quot wscript exe C  Windows Temp invis vbs Initialized BatFileArgOne BatFileArgTwo quot

User · Answer

Use Bat To Exe Converter to do this  http   download cnet com Bat-To-Exe-Converter 3000-2069 4-10555897 html  Choose Direct Download Link   1 - Open Bat to Exe Converter  select your Bat file  2 - In Option menu select  Invisible Application   then press compile button    Done

User · Answer

Another way of doing it  without 3rd party programs nor converters   batch to exe  programs actually just put your batch file in the tmp folder and then run it silently so anyone can just fetch it from there an get your code  no vbs files  because nobody knows vbs  just one line at the beginning of the batch file    echo off  gt  NUL

User · Answer

Include the phrase   echo off  Right at the top of your bat script

User · Answer

Use Advanced BAT to EXE Converter from http   www battoexeconverter com  This will allow you to embed any additional binaries with your batch file in to one stand alone completely silent EXE and its freeware

User · Answer

Include the phrase   echo off  Right at the top of your bat script

User · Answer

I m created RunApp to do such a job and also using it in my production env  hope it s helps   The config like below   file  config arg   style hidden  MyBatchFile bat arg1 arg2   And launch runapp exe instead

User · Answer

Include the phrase   echo off  Right at the top of your bat script

User · Answer

If i want to run command promt in silent mode  then there is a simple vbs command   Set ws CreateObject  WScript Shell   ws Run  TASKKILL exe  F  IM iexplore exe    if i wanted to open an url in cmd silently  then here is a code   Set WshShell   WScript CreateObject  WScript Shell    Return   WshShell Run  iexplore exe http   otaxi ge log index php   0   wait 10 seconds WScript sleep 10000  Set ws CreateObject  WScript Shell   ws Run  TASKKILL exe  F  IM iexplore exe

User · Answer

I m pretty confident I like this method the best  Copy and paste the code below into a  vbs file  From there you ll call the batch file    so make sure you edit the last line to specify the path and name of the batch file  which should contain the file you d like to launch or perform the actions you need performed   Const HIDDEN WINDOW   12   strComputer        Set objWMIService   GetObject  winmgmts       amp    impersonationLevel impersonate       amp  strComputer  amp    root cimv2    Set objStartup   objWMIService Get  Win32 ProcessStartup     Set objConfig   objStartup SpawnInstance   objConfig ShowWindow   HIDDEN WINDOW  Set objProcess   GetObject  winmgmts root cimv2 Win32 Process    errReturn   objProcess Create  C  PathOfFile name bat   null  objConfig  intProcessID    It definitely worked for me  Comments are welcomed

User · Answer

Use Advanced BAT to EXE Converter from http   www battoexeconverter com  This will allow you to embed any additional binaries with your batch file in to one stand alone completely silent EXE and its freeware

User · Answer

The below silent  bat file code prevents the need to have two bat files  using  quot goto quot  and  quot   quot    It does it all in the same  bat file  Tested and confirmed working in Windows 10 Make sure you replace  quot C  pathToFile ThisBatFile bat  quot  with the path to this same  bat file  Keep the space after  quot  bat quot    echo off if   1            goto PreSilentCall   else       goto SilentCall     PreSilentCall REM Insert code here you want to have happen BEFORE this same  bat file is called silently REM such as setting paths like the below two lines  set WorkingDirWithSlash   dp0 set WorkingDirectory  WorkingDirWithSlash  0 -1   REM below code will run this same file silently  but will go to the SilentCall section cd C  Windows System32 if exist C  Windows Temp invis vbs   del C  Windows Temp invis vbs  f  q   echo CreateObject  quot Wscript Shell quot   Run  quot C  pathToFile ThisBatFile bat  quot    amp  WScript Arguments 0   0  False  gt  C  Windows Temp invis vbs wscript exe C  Windows Temp invis vbs Initialized if  ERRORLEVEL   0       echo Successfully started SilentCall code  This command prompt can now be exited      goto Exit      SilentCall cd  WorkingDirectory  REM Insert code you want to be done silently   REM Make sure this section has no errors as you won t be able to tell if there are any   REM since it will be running silently  You can add a greater than symbol at the end of REM your commands in this section to output the results to a  txt file for the purpose  REM of debugging this section of code     Exit  If your  bat file needs more than just the  quot Initialized quot  argument  which tells the bat file to go to  SilentCall section   add  quot   amp  WScript Arguments 1   quot     quot   amp  WScript Arguments 2   quot   etc  depending on the number of arguments  then edit the line where wscript exe is called   quot wscript exe C  Windows Temp invis vbs Initialized BatFileArgOne BatFileArgTwo quot

User · Answer

Try SilentCMD  This is a small freeware program that executes a batch file without displaying the command prompt window

User · Answer

I m pretty confident I like this method the best  Copy and paste the code below into a  vbs file  From there you ll call the batch file    so make sure you edit the last line to specify the path and name of the batch file  which should contain the file you d like to launch or perform the actions you need performed   Const HIDDEN WINDOW   12   strComputer        Set objWMIService   GetObject  winmgmts       amp    impersonationLevel impersonate       amp  strComputer  amp    root cimv2    Set objStartup   objWMIService Get  Win32 ProcessStartup     Set objConfig   objStartup SpawnInstance   objConfig ShowWindow   HIDDEN WINDOW  Set objProcess   GetObject  winmgmts root cimv2 Win32 Process    errReturn   objProcess Create  C  PathOfFile name bat   null  objConfig  intProcessID    It definitely worked for me  Comments are welcomed

User · Answer

I m created RunApp to do such a job and also using it in my production env  hope it s helps   The config like below   file  config arg   style hidden  MyBatchFile bat arg1 arg2   And launch runapp exe instead

User · Answer

Include the phrase   echo off  Right at the top of your bat script

User · Answer

Another way of doing it  without 3rd party programs nor converters   batch to exe  programs actually just put your batch file in the tmp folder and then run it silently so anyone can just fetch it from there an get your code  no vbs files  because nobody knows vbs  just one line at the beginning of the batch file    echo off  gt  NUL

User · Answer

Try SilentCMD  This is a small freeware program that executes a batch file without displaying the command prompt window

User · Answer

I think this is the easiest and shortest solution to running a batch file without opening the DOS window  it can be very distracting when you want to schedule a set of commands to run periodically  so the DOS window keeps popping up  here is your solution  Use a VBS Script to call the batch file      Set WshShell   CreateObject  WScript Shell     WshShell Run chr 34   amp   C  Batch Files  mycommands bat   amp  Chr 34   0  Set WshShell   Nothing    Copy the lines above to an editor and save the file with  VBS extension  Edit the  BAT file name and path accordingly

User · Answer

If i want to run command promt in silent mode  then there is a simple vbs command   Set ws CreateObject  WScript Shell   ws Run  TASKKILL exe  F  IM iexplore exe    if i wanted to open an url in cmd silently  then here is a code   Set WshShell   WScript CreateObject  WScript Shell    Return   WshShell Run  iexplore exe http   otaxi ge log index php   0   wait 10 seconds WScript sleep 10000  Set ws CreateObject  WScript Shell   ws Run  TASKKILL exe  F  IM iexplore exe

[scripting] Running a CMD or BAT in silent mode

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