Windows XP or later Windows: How can I run a batch file in the background with no window displayed?

Here is a possible solution:

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

Here is invis.vbs:

set args = WScript.Arguments
num = args.Count

if num = 0 then
    WScript.Echo "Usage: [CScript | WScript] invis.vbs aScript.bat <some script arguments>"
    WScript.Quit 1
end if

sargs = ""
if num > 1 then
    sargs = " "
    for k = 1 to num - 1
        anArg = args.Item(k)
        sargs = sargs & anArg & " "
    next
end if

Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

WshShell.Run """" & WScript.Arguments(0) & """" & sargs, 0, False

Do you need the second batch file to run asynchronously? Typically one batch file runs another synchronously with the call command, and the second one would share the first one's window.

You can use start /b second.bat to launch a second batch file asynchronously from your first that shares your first one's window. If both batch files write to the console simultaneously, the output will be overlapped and probably indecipherable. Also, you'll want to put an exit command at the end of your second batch file, or you'll be within a second cmd shell once everything is done.

Convert the batch file to an exe. Try Bat To Exe Converter or Online Bat To Exe Converter, and choose the option to run it as a ghost application, i.e. no window.

Run it under a different user name, using "runas" or by scheduling it under a different user in Windows Scheduled Tasks.

In the other question I suggested autoexnt. That is also possible in this situation. Just set the service to run manually (ie not automatic at startup). When you want to run your batch, modify the autoexnt.bat file to call the batch file you want, and start the autoexnt service.

The batchfile to start this, can look like this (untested):

echo call c:\path\to\batch.cmd %* > c:\windows\system32\autoexnt.bat
net start autoexnt

Note that batch files started this way run as the system user, which means you do not have access to network shares automatically. But you can use net use to connect to a remote server.

You have to download the Windows 2003 Resource Kit to get it. The Resource Kit can also be installed on other versions of windows, like Windows XP.

I know this already has answers, but if anyone stumbles across this, this might help:

Here's a good way to run it COMPLETELY in the background, without any way to see it. The only way you can interact with it would be to terminate it using taskmgr or Process Hacker.

This uses a third-party tool called NirCmd.

1. Make a script containing this code:

@echo off
nircmd exec hide "MainScript.bat"

2. Save it as whatever you like. "MainScript.bat" can be anything, but note it for later.

3. Now, make another script with the name you noted earlier. For the example, I'll call it MainScript.bat and give it this code:

@echo off
echo Can you see me now?
pause 
exit

4. This will be the code you want to execute in the background.

5. Make sure they are in the same directory, and download NirCmd into the same directory.

Here's the result of these scripts:

NirCmd Download Link

Demo ZIP File

Note: NirCmd isn't my tool, but its still helpful.

You also can use

start /MIN notepad.exe

PS: Unfortunatly, minimized window status depends on command to run. V.G. doen't work

start /MIN calc.exe