Background
I want to use ROBOCOPY to backup folders. To learn this, I created a test source folder, containing other subfolders and dummy files.
F:\RoboCopy\RoboCopy_Files
I am able to ROBOCOPY the source folder from the Command line and PowerShell (with using Windows 10).
ROBOCOPY "RoboCopy_Files" "RoboCopy_Files_Testing" /MIR
It does exactly what I want.
Now I put the command into batch file Robocopy.cmd.
Problem symptoms
However, when I put the same command into Robocopy.cmd file, in the root F:\RoboCopy folder and run it, I get only flashing cmd window with my command repeated on ever increasing number of lines.
How can I put the command into a CMD file (e.g. Robocopy.cmd) for later use/share/schedule? How to prevent command prompt from flashing in endless loop without running the command?
Note: I feel this is more about learning how to put cmd scripts into files, than how to use ROBOCOPY.
Cause: File and Command have the same name
I wanted to use the ROBOCOPY command inside the ROBOCOPY file. This is a mistake.
The file ends up calling itself.
Solution 1: Rename batch file
One solution is to rename the batch file to be different from the command(s) in the file.
Solution 2: Use more explicit command call
Another solution could be to use ROBOCOPY.exe or explicitly specify the full path to the exe like C:...\robocopy.exe. This would prevent the "confusion" in calling the command vs calling the batch file itself.
Solution 1 x 2
The best solution (thx Mofi again) is to combine the 1 x 2 together. Use unique batch file name AND specify the full path to command (exe) inside the batch file.
Useful related commands: To determine the full path to command (exe), see the WHERE command (e.g. Where Robocopy.exe - This should be somewhere in windows folder.), system variables (e.g. SS64), or the command SET.
The full version in my case would be to run for example BackupRobocopyFiles.cmd with line:
%SystemRoot%\System32\robocopy.exe "RoboCopy_Files" "RoboCopy_Files_Testing" /MIR /R:2
Note: This would work only if the cmd file is in the root folder F:\RoboCopy. If I would like to run the cmd from different folder (or task sheduler), I would specify the full path to SOURCE_FOLDER and DESTINATION_FOLDER parameters of ROBOCOPY command.
Contributions
The answer was found based on comments by: "MC ND", "eryksun". "Mofi" did point out, that the original Q was not helpful. Thanks to all.
Related
Using the following code
REGEDIT /E C:\output.reg
A registry dump file is created in C directory. It overwrites automatically when a file with the same name exists. When I try changing the output directory to relative path like this
REGEDIT /E output.reg
it wouldn't work.
No file is created but processing takes just as long as usually. Which code can export the whole registry using relative path?
Like requested, the .bat code including debug code:
ECHO %CD%
REGEDIT /E output.reg
PAUSE
Command line output:
C:\Users\Username\Desktop\New_folder>ECHO C:\Users\Username\Desktop\New_folder
C:\Users\Username\Desktop\New_folder
C:\Users\Username\Desktop\New_folder>REGEDIT /E output.reg
C:\Users\Username\Desktop\New_folder>PAUSE
Press any key to exit . . .
Folder before (and after) .bat file execution:
The syntax of the command given in your question is already fine. If you supply a relative path for the output file name then the file will be created relative to the current working directory. This is easily verified from an interactive command prompt.
Whatever is going wrong with your batch script, the problem is not as you have currently surmised. Some of the more obvious explanations include:
The working directory is not what you think it is. Verify it by adding debug code to your script to emit the working directory.
The file is locked for some reason and so regedit cannot write to the file.
You don't have sufficient rights to write to the working directory.
Update
Thanks a lot for your question update. I tried to re-create your scenario (I'm on Windows 7 but I doubt that matters) and indeed I find the same issue as you. The command works fine from an interactive console window, but not when executing in a batch script.
I've no idea why this is, but here a simple enough workaround is to supply a full path:
REGEDIT /E %cd%\output.reg
I run a batch file as an external tool (by adding it in Tools->External tools) in VS2010 (I've checked the "Use Output Window" option). This batch file performs compilation as in VS command prompt. The project that I'm working on has makefiles for various folders, so I use the mk command to build.
In the batch file, I set up the VS environment and then run the following commands:
cd $directoryWhichContainsFileToBuild
mk
cd main //This directory contains the executable that is to be built
mk
I see the output of the first mk in the Output window but after that it just hangs. I also tried to use an echo after the first mk but even that doesn't get printed in the output window (the ones before it can be seen).
Somewhere I read that there is an issue with VS 2010 output window where it hangs after showing some output, although I couldn't really be sure that that is what's the issue here.
Do I need to enable some other VS setting? Has anybody else encountered this issue?
Thanks.
Update: I unchecked the "Use Output Window" and "Close on exit" option, and I see an extra statement: "Press any key to continue". On doing that however, their is no further processing of the batch file.
Update2: Got it to work by prefixing mk with "call".
Thanks all who tried.
It is always good in batch files to specify executables with full path and file extension instead of just the file name. This avoids often lots of problems.
Here was just mk used instead of mk.bat. Therefore on every compile the command line processor cmd.exe searches for mk.* and then checks if any of the found files have an extension listed in environment variable PATHEXT. The order of file extensions separated by a semicolon in PATHEXT defines the order of execution in case of a directory contains multiple mk.* files.
If a command being specified in a batch file not being an internal command of cmd.exe without path, command line processor searches first for a file with given name in current working directory. This is often one more cause of error. What is the current working directory on execution of the batch file?
Next if no file to execute can be found in current working directory, the command line processor searches in all folders being listed in environment variable PATH separated by semicolons.
So specifying in batch files edited only rarely an external application or another batch file with full path, file name and file extension, in double quotes if necessary because of 1 or more spaces in path or file name, helps command line processor to more quickly execute that application or batch file and avoids problems because of executable not found (unknown command).
Sure, when typing commands in a command prompt window, nobody wants to enter the executables with full path, name and extension. But for batch files it is always good to be not lazy and type files to be executed with full path and extension.
TripeHound has given already the explanation why the observed behavior occurred here.
If a batch file is executed from another batch file without using command call, the command line processor continues batch execution in the other batch file and does never come back. In a C/C++ program this is like using goto with the difference that parameters can be passed to the batch file containing the further commands to be executed next.
But running from within a batch file another batch file with call results in continuation of execution below the line calling the other batch file once the other batch file reaches end, except command exit is used in the called batch file without parameter /B.
So the solution here is using:
cd /D "Directory\Which\Contains\File\To\Build"
call "Path\Containing\Batch\File\To\Build\mk.bat"
rem With mk.bat not changing current working directory change working
rem directory to the directory containing the executable to be built.
cd main
call "Path\Containing\Batch\File\To\Build\mk.bat"
BTW: exit exits command processor, exit /B exits just current batch file. I'll give you three guesses why the parameter is B and not a different letter. Yes, B is the first letter of batch.
Writing as a separate answer instead of an update in the question itself as many readers see the header and skim to the answer: got it to work by prefixing mk with "call". (#TripleHound has also posted the conceptual reason for it in the comment above.)
I am using a batch file to view the contents (xml files) of a certain folder.
I need to use a batch file for it.
Found this command on internet and it is working perfectly when I type in the command prompt, but when I type it in and save as a batch file, it doesn't give any out put at all. (Basically not running the content)
FOR /R D:\Myfolder %F in (*.*) do rename %~nF.xml %~nf1.xml
There are no restrictions in the folder either.
Shouldn't have worked from the prompt.
In a batch file, you need to change any % for the metavariable (%F in this case) to %%.
Having said that however, (or, from the prompt, %F and %f) are two different animals. It's virtually the only situation where batch is case-sensitive. Your command attempts to rename files using their NAME only (~nF) so if it was to encounter fred.txt it would attempt to rename Fred.xml to -er, 1.xml (I think, maybe %~nf.xml)
Best to say what you're trying to do. We're reasonably slick at crufting up solutions...
I'm working with installshield and have a group of batch files that I want to run as part of the install process. Instead of executing each batch file from installshield I want to create one batch file that executes all of the batch files.
The issue I have is that the calling batch file sits two directories up from the others. When the batch file tries to call the others they fail to run because they can not find the resources that they need. It seems that when they are executed from the batch file two directories up they are for some reason using the relative path of the calling batch file. Is my assumption correct?
One of the batch files that I am calling is a batch file to star an h2 database the call looks like this:
call h2\bin\h2.bat
If I go to the /h2/bin directory in a command prompt the h2.bat runs fine but once I run it from the calling batch file this is the error that I get.
Error: Could not find or load main class org.h2.tools.Console
How do I call one batch file from another without using the calling batch files path?
Explanation
It seems that when they are executed from the batch file two
directories up they are for some reason using the relative path of the
calling batch file. Is my assumption correct?
Yes your assumption is correct. Calling a batch file will not change the current working directory. The main batch file will be found because you are providing the correct relative path, but all the other relative paths will be seen from the perspective of your current working directory, not from the directory that contains the main batch file.
%~dp0 is your friend, it yields the drive letter and path to the batch file containing that character sequence. Use it as a basis for relative paths and your batch files will work no matter who calls them from where.
Example:
Fictitious h2.bat that won't work:
#echo off
h2.exe start
Working h2.bat:
#echo off
"%~dp0\h2.exe" start
See What does %~dp0 mean, and how does it work? for more explanations on %~dp0
Try setting the directory:
cd ht\bin\
call h2.bat
cd %HOMEPATH%
REM just reset to where ever you were before.
If that doesn't work, try using the C:// prefix in your path. That might/might not work.
Good Luck!
Suppose current .bat file is running in C drive and you want to run .bat file placed in D: directory then in first .bat write.
D:
cd "D:/folder/folder2/"
call batFile.bat
It might be because you don't have permission. M facing the same problem and i found the solution like this -
Right click on your task than properties.
In properties click on General tab and then click on 'User Group or User' and select appropriate user.
Or create a another bat file to call your bat file and schedule that file. you can create the bat file like this -
open Notepad and give your original bat file path and then call bat file with name like -
D:
cd "E:/ABC/FirstJob/main/"
call main_run.bat
Now save this file with .bat extension.
if your bat file is correct, try cmd command as below and hit enter(tried in windows 10):
"\h2.bat"
e.g: "C:\Users..\bin\h2.bat"
I tried :
pushd h2\bin\
call h2.bat
=> It 's okay.
When cvs is typed in cmd.exe in windows 7 nothing is output. The path of the cvs is already in the PATH :C:\Program Files (x86)\CVSNT\; When typing "C:\Program Files (x86)\CVSNT\cvs" there are outputs there. But when other .exe e.g. calc is typed the corresponding program can be executed. Any idea?
This might sound like a strange suggestion, but try cvs.exe instead of just cvs. Without specifying an extension, your operating system will search for the first file that matches the name, cvs. If it happens to find cvs.bat in one of your paths, then it will execute the .bat file instead of the.exe.
If you have cvs.bat , cvs.com, and cvs.exe within the same directory. The order of precedence would be the following:
cvs.com
cvs.bat
cvs.exe
I have a strong suspicion that there's a blank cvs.bat file hidden somewhere in one of folders defined in your path variable, and that you are actually running this batch file when you type cvs.
HI the answer is Run the exe with full path like "C:\Program Files (x86)\CVSNT\cvs.exe" followed by CVS arguments like -q Checkout.....