simple batch file

[justins]

Hi, this is I hope a very simple question.

I want to make a batch file on my desktop to run a program (with parameters) and then shutdown my computer. I have already created a shortcut on my desktop to run the program as I want it. The target of the shortcut is:

"C:\Program Files\2BrightSparks\SyncBack\SyncBack.exe" "Email messages"

Double clicking on this shortcut runs the program as I want it to, so I know that I'm calling the program with the correct syntax. As a second check I entered this exact same line into a command line prompt, and again it runs fine.

Now, I want to use a batch file so that I can enter another line below it to shut down the machine when the task is done. To start with I just tried to get the batch file to run the task, forgetting about the shutdown bit, so I entered the exact same line into a batch file (with nothing else in the file) and saved it on my desktop with a .bat suffix. But when I double click on this batch file my program doesn't run All I get is a dos window opening and then closing straight away before I can read what it says in the window.

I'm running XP home SP2.

Any ideas much appreciated,

Justin

[RJ]

Try this line, it should work:

shutdown -s -t 0

RJ

[justins]

No, same problem. I can't even shutdown my machine with a batch file. When I run a file with that line in (shutdown -s -t 0) I just get the same thing - DOS window opens and then closes before I can read it. Anybody know how I can stop this dos window from closing automatically so that I can read any error messages?

[shaticus]

just put "pause" (minus the quotes) on a seperate line after the first command but before the shutdown command

[justins]

I REALLY can't do ANYTHING from a batch file. Please look at my first post - I can't even run the original program, let alone shut the machine down afterwards. I'm confident that it's not a problem with my syntax as (like I said in my first post) I can run theses commands from a command line prompt fine, but NOTHING works from a batch file

[Force Flow]

Try this. Open up notepad, paste the following code in notepad, and save it as a *.bat file.

@echo off
start /d"C:\Program Files\2BrightSparks\SyncBack\" SyncBack.exe
pause

Take a look here for a shutdown: http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v24/vic24.htm

[justins]

I worked this one out...

I was saving the .bat file as "unencode text document" instead of "text document"...silly me... Thanks for all the help anyway...l

[Doobie]

Originally Posted by justins I worked this one out... I was saving the .bat file as "unencode text document" instead of "text document"...silly me... Thanks for all the help anyway...l

you might want to use
start /wait

so the computer will shut down when your program has ended instead of the .bat running shutdown command after starting your program.