Interestingly, another parameter for start is "title" which "Specifies the
title to display in Command Prompt window title bar." Even though this
parameter is supposedly optional, it seems that if the filename for the app
to be executed is enclosed in double quotes (as in my example, because of the
spaces in the path), then the start command uses the filename as the title,
doesn't find anything to execute, and completes without doing anything.

I had to use this syntax to get it to work:

start "mytitle" /wait "C:\Program Files\My Application\My Program" /parameters

and you're right, /B or no /B didn't seem to make a difference.

Start command syntax:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l.../bb491005.aspx

"Tim Meddick" wrote:

> I use the "/b" switch always (just to be on the safe side) but I think
> that it really only applies to 'Command-line' tools and Win16 DOS apps.
>
> ==
>
> Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)
>
>
>
>
> "Lushington" <Lushington@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:F3E0269E-7342-44AB-B2E0-6D952775C3CF@microsoft.com...
> > Thanks (and to Tim Meddick too). The help file just has /wait rather
> > than /w
> > but that's a small point.
> >
> > And I think if I use the /B parameter, it won't open a Command Prompt
> > window, either.
> >
> > "." wrote:
> >
> >> start "" /w Program1
> >> start "" /w Program2
> >>
> >> start /? for help
> >> --
> >> ..
> >> --
> >> "Lushington" <Lushington@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> news:E4484895-A1D2-4FA2-9CF7-31E0DAA75EED@microsoft.com...
> >> > It's been a long time since I've done any batch programming and I
> >> > need my
> >> > memory refreshed.
> >> >
> >> > If I start two applications in sequence
> >> >
> >> > @echo off
> >> > "C:\Program Files\My Application\My Program" /parameters
> >> > "C:\Program Files\Another App\Another Program" /parameters
> >> >
> >> > Does the first program have to complete before the second one
> >> > starts
> >> > (which
> >> > is what I want)? Or do I have to be a little fancier?
> >> >
> >> > A Command Prompt window opens when the batch file is executed. Is
> >> > there a
> >> > way to close the Command Prompt window before the programs
> >> > complete?
> >>
> >>
>
>
>