bat job started by Task Scheduler does not pause

Hi Old Professor. Welcome to the TenForums @Old Professor

I can't be 100% certain but there is this shift going on from Command Prompt to Powershell in Windows 10.

I really see in Creators update V1703. To tell what version you are running, Windows key + R, type winver, enter.

I don't believe Pause is a valid commend in Powershell.

Not sure how you ran the test.bat but could I suggest you open a command prompt window and run your test.bat. Please ensure it is command prompt and not powershell that defaults to blue background.

Does it pause?

As well if you do Windows key + X is command prompt listed or powershell?

Other members may have a better root cause.

Caledon Ken said:

I can't be 100% certain but there is this shift going on from Command Prompt to Powershell in Windows 10.

Just to clarify this: Command Prompt is not going away, it is not dead, there's no such thing as "shift going on" to PowerShell.

Both Command Prompt and PowerShell are integral parts of Windows 10, with different areas of use. The fact that in build 14971 PowerShell replaced Command Prompt in WIN + X menu (right click Start) does not mean anything else than just that: PowerShell replaced Command Prompt in WIN + X menu. Nothing else.

Last December Computerworld tweeted this:

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) View on Twitter

Microsoft's Senior Program Manager Rich Turner (@richturn_ms) replied to that tweet:

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) View on Twitter

With FUD Rich Turner refers to "Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt", spreading invalid rumours as facts. Quite strong statement from a Senior Product Manager!

He continues:

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) View on Twitter

... and:

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) View on Twitter

Read more: http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/co...emain-decades/

I recommend checking facts before posting.

Kari

Thank you. Wasn't exactly sure where to check and as my sentence started I wasn't 100% certain. Point taken.

Kari would you know why the OP's job run through the task scheduler is indeed now using Powershell as he reported rather than command prompt. Something changed.

Thanks

Old Professor said:

But when I start test.bat from the Task Scheduler, it appears that you are correct in that it runs in Powershell, which does not create a command prompt window.

To run Windows command line commands in PowerShell with parameters, switches and arguments, add cmd /c in front of the the command and place command in quotes (single or double quotes, as you prefer).

An example. To change your default operating system's display name to W10 PRO x64 in boot menu on dual boot system, in an elevated Command Prompt you would use the following command:

bcdedit /set {default} description "W10 PRO x64"

To use same command in an elevated PowerShell, you would need to use following command with command line (in single quotes):

cmd /c 'bcdedit /set {default} description "W10 PRO x64"'

... or the same but command line in double quotes:

cmd /c "bcdedit /set {default} description "W10 PRO x64""

To be sure your batch file is always run in Command Prompt mode, add cmd /c in front of every command line in batch file, adding single or double quotes around the command itself as told above. The cmd/c prefix tells system that command line that follows in quotes must be run in Command Prompt mode, regardless if it is launched from Command Prompt or PowerShell.

Kari

If I understand you correctly, this would be the syntax for the OP's batch command:

cmd /c "c:\bat\test.logtime /T >> c:\bat\test.log"

And would execute properly from either Command Prompt OR Powershell?

CWGilley said:

If I understand you correctly, this would be the syntax for the OP's batch command:

cmd /c "c:\bat\test.logtime /T >> c:\bat\test.log"

And would execute properly from either Command Prompt OR Powershell?

Yes and no

OP's original post clearly has the batch file wrong typed due missing line breaks.

If we look that test batch with added line breaks, as it should be, it looks like this:

Code:

time /T > c:\bat\test.log
echo "--------------- starting test" >> c:\bat\test.log
echo "-------------- finished test" >> c:\bat\test.log
time /T >> c:\bat\test.log
pause

To be sure this will be run in Command Prompt mode, it would need to be edited like this:

Code:

cmd /c time /T > c:\bat\test.log
cmd /c echo "--------------- starting test" >> c:\bat\test.log
cmd /c echo "-------------- finished test" >> c:\bat\test.log
cmd /c time /T >> c:\bat\test.log
cmd /c pause

The cmd /c prefix is usually only needed when running command line commands with parameters in PowerShell, but it does no harm and can be used also in Command Prompt. When the prefix is used, command will be run in Command Prompt regardless if it is started from Command Prompt, PowerShell or WIN + R prompt.

Kari

Thank you Sir. You have a good day and weekend too.