Hello friends. I'm running win2K and am trying very hard to have a single batch file call two other batch files to run in parallel. This would appear to be very straightforward by simply use the 'start' command. Unfortunately, if I do so, I get the following error:

"The system cannot find the file C:\WINNT\system32\cmd.exe /e:32768."

If I use the call command, things work fine, but I am need of having both of the files running at the same time. I could simply kick off both bats via scheduler, but this seems like an ungraceful solution to something that should be easy. Keep in mind, during testing I'm trying to do this manually, from a command window, so cmd.exe can be found!

Can anyone help?

Thanks!
pd

Report *exactly* the Start command(s) you are trying to run.

Hi IVO -

Um. OK.

start "some title" path_to_my_batfile/batfile_name.bat

Does this help?
pd

As there is no switch /E:nnnnn for Cmd.exe that sounds like some weird side effect I can not figure out from your post.

So please post your Start line as it is (not a generic one) to let me examine it.

Hi IVO -

Very well!

Contents of primary .bat file which I would like to use to kick off subsidiary .bat files:

***************************************
start "title" C:\APPLIC~1\OMS\EXECUT~1\cons1.bat
start "title" C:\APPLIC~1\OMS\EXECUT~1\cons2.bat
*************************************

You will have to trust me that the paths are OK. I can tell you that if I change the name of the last tag, cons1.bat, to something that doesn't exist, say, cons666.bat, that I get a cannot find file windows popup, so I am pretty sure this is not a bat pathing issue.

The contents of cons1.bat are pretty simple:
*************************************
set path=C:\bea\jdk141_05\bin;PATH%

java -classpath ../WEB-INF/lib/omsApp.jar;../WEB-INF/lib/framework.jar;../WEB-INF/lib/Log4J.jar;../WEB-INF/lib/activation.jar;

com/mps/integration/oms/services/ConsumptionInformationConsumer
**********************************

Essentially I am just asking some java classes to be called. The cons1.bat file can be started by itself and runs fine; I only get the failure if I try to use the 'start' command from another .bat file to kick it off. If I use the 'call' command it also works, except my business case dictates the programs called by cons1 and cons2.bat run in parallel.

Thank you so much!

pd

To be short... I noticed the following crappy statement in your previous post that, if not a mismatch, may explain the crazy behavior of the Start command

set path=C:\bea\jdk141_05\bin;PATH%

where the mess is ;PATH% instead of ;%PATH% so destroying your current PATH variable leading to Cmd.exe not found.

Keep me posted.

IVO,

Yep

M2

Mechanix2@Golden-Triangle.com