I have a batch file that executes several external programs. How can I go to the next line of the batch file after executing the external command without waiting for that command to be finished. For ex: (Knowing that the external command may take awhile to finish, I wanted to be able to go to the next line right away where it says 'echo waiting for program to finish') @echo off set ... call ext_command.exe syntax echo waiting for program to finish ... ...

OK, he didn't read the forum instructions properly. Hi Ronds7, you are asking a NT (WinNT/2K/XP) batch file programming question, but this is DOS forum. So you have asked your question in a *wrong* forum. Please note that Windows 2000 does not include "DOS". The "Command Prompt" in Win2K is just the CLI of Win2K, i.e. the NT System Console, which is NOT DOS. Also, DOS batch and NT batch are different batch languages, which means they are not usually compatible to each other. Below is the *quotation* from the warning messages of this forum: "DO NOT post questions related to NT Batch scripting on this forum. Use the Programming forum. Use the Windows NT, 2000 or XP forum for questions regarding the Windows NT, 2000 or XP "DOS" command prompt." For more information about the "Command Prompt" (Win32 Console) in NT systems (WinNT/2K/XP), you may read this page: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/stewartb/cmdprompt.html --------------- Long Live DOS!

That is a DOS question. I have put down Windows 2000 because that is the OS I'm using right now. I also have a DOS machine under (MSDOS 7.2) and the question I have posted is referring to DOS.

Ronds7, The OS colume should state the exact OS of this question, not the OS you are using right now. Otherwise we may not make the correct batch programs that's corresponding to your OS for you. There is no MS-DOS 7.2. Perhaps you mean MS-DOS 7.1 or MS-DOS 6.2? "I have a batch file that executes several external programs. How can I go to the next line of the batch file after executing the external command without waiting for that command to be finished." DOS is usually a single task OS, so it has to wait for the previous command to be finished in order to run another command. So I think you actually mean a DOS box or a Command Prompt under Windows instead of real mode DOS? --------------- Long Live DOS!

Ok - sorry about the confusion - One of the reasons for having the questioner state their OS and other specs is to assist us in determing the answer as it relates to a specific Operating System (or genre of OS's) - it's not meant to be a poll of whatever other machines you happen to have. That information is not relevant to the question. Maybe you could echo the 'waiting...' line before calling the command? Thinking - it's a habit.