Shutdown batch file: endless command repetitions

[niemiro]

Hello again!

Wow, that was an awesome analysis. I don't understand all of it yet, but I do get that the shutdown.bat on my desktop was being targeted by other bats with the shutdown command in them (that explains seeing the /s flag in every readout). I didn't think this was an issue, because I also had tried running Re_start.bat as an administrator, which I thought sets the working directory to system32. But indeed, changing the name of shutdown.bat immediately solved the problem (without rewriting all the bats).

As for the rest, it seems like deep waters to me, but I'll try to parse it later, and I'll get back if a light turns on. Thanks very much for some very astute troubleshooting!

Paul

"I also had tried running Re_start.bat as an administrator, which I thought sets the working directory to system32."

Running a Command Prompt as an Administrator does, but running a batch file as either an Administrator or not sets the working dir to the location of the batch file itself.

"but I do get that the shutdown.bat on my desktop was being targeted by other bats with the shutdown command in them"

In actual fact, in most cases, the desktop copy was targeting itself, and the other ones were targeting different other ones.

I haven't made things clearer with that last sentence, have I!?

But I do also believe that we are making progress!

Richard

 

[paul1149]

Ok, I think I see it now. Every time a desktop bat called for "shutdown", Vista saw it as a recursive call for my shutdown.bat. And that meant that shutdown.bat also pointed to itself - thus, the scrolling. As soon as I tried the bats in other folders, which didn't have a shutdown.bat parked in them, the problem disappeared.

I still don't understand the comment about needing to rewrite all the bats, though (if I understood that correctly). Simply renaming shutdown.bat seems to have solved all my problems.

And thanks for pointing out my error confusing batch files with the command window, with regard to the working directory of an elevated prompt.

Both of you, Tom and Rich, have spent a lot of time with my problem, and I'm very appreciative. I can also say that my delightful new Vista machine (it was a gift), seems a little happier.

Blessings,
Paul