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How do I create a batch file timer to execute / call another batch through out the day Maybe on given times to run but not to run on weekends ? Must run on system times can also be .cmd to run on xp server 2003

Ken
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9 Answers9

35

For the timer part of your script i highly reccomend using:

echo.
echo Waiting For One Hour... 
TIMEOUT /T 3600 /NOBREAK
echo.
echo (Put some Other Processes Here)
echo.
pause >nul

This script waits for 1 hour (3600 seconds) and then continues on with the script and the user cannot press any buttons to bypass the timer (besides CTRL+C).

You can use 

Timeout /t 3600 /nobreak >nul

If you don't want to see a countdown on the screen.

stackunderflow
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daniel11
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    Nice. I just found this searching for a simple batch file timer solution - works great, thanks! EDIT: I am using this together with a goto-"loop" to create a simple script which periodically updates my SVN working copy. – alexander.biskop Feb 27 '12 at 15:51
11

I would use the scheduler (control panel) rather than a cmd line or other application.

Control Panel -> Scheduled tasks

Tim
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4

Below is a batch file that will wait for 1 minute, check the day, and then perform an action. It uses PING.EXE, but requires no files that aren't included with Windows.

@ECHO OFF

:LOOP
ECHO Waiting for 1 minute...
  PING -n 60 127.0.0.1>nul
  IF %DATE:~0,3%==Mon CALL SomeOtherFile.cmd
  IF %DATE:~0,3%==Tue CALL SomeOtherFile.cmd
  IF %DATE:~0,3%==Wed CALL SomeOtherFile.cmd
  IF %DATE:~0,3%==Thu CALL WootSomeOtherFile.cmd
  IF %DATE:~0,3%==Fri CALL SomeOtherFile.cmd
  IF %DATE:~0,3%==Sat ECHO Saturday...nothing to do.
  IF %DATE:~0,3%==Sun ECHO Sunday...nothing to do.
GOTO LOOP

It could be improved upon in many ways, but it might get you started.

aphoria
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3

The AT command would do that but that's what the Scheduled Tasks gui is for. Enter "help at" in a cmd window for details.

SumoRunner
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1
@echo off
:Start
title timer
color EC
echo Type in an amount of time (Seconds)
set /p time=

color CE

:loop
cls
ping localhost -n 2 >nul
set /a time=%time%-1
echo %time%
if %time% EQU 0 goto Timesup
goto loop

:Timesup
title Time Is Up!
ping localhost -n 2 >nul
ping localhost -n 2 >nul
cls
echo The Time is up!
pause
cls
echo Thank you for using this software.
pause
goto Web
goto Exit

:Web
rem type ur command here

:Exit
Exit
goto Exit
benimen16
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adwait
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1

I did it by writing a little C# app that just wakes up to launch periodic tasks -- don't know if it is doable from a batch file without downloading extensions to support a sleep command. (For my purposes the Windows scheduler didn't work because the apps launched had no graphics context available.)

Jeff Kotula
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    why is a graphics context needed to launch from the scheduler? I don't understand why that makes any difference. – Tim May 08 '09 at 17:49
  • In my case I needed to launch an application to run automated tests which did lots of graphics (medical imaging). So they wouldn't run without a graphics context. – Jeff Kotula May 08 '09 at 20:48
1
@echo off
:Start # seting a ponter
title timer  #name the cmd window to "Timer"
echo Type in an amount of time (Seconds)  
set /p A=  #wating for input from user
set B=1  

cls  
:loop  
ping localhost -n 2 >nul  #pinging your self for 1 second
set /A A=A-B  #sets the value A - 1
echo %A%  # printing A
if %A% EQU 0 goto Timesup  #if A = 0 go to ponter Timesup eles loop it
goto loop

:Timesup  #ponter Timesup
cls  #clear the screen
MSG * /v "time Is Up!"  #makes a pop up saying "time Is Up!"
goto Exit  #go to exit

:Exit
nocktok toker
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1

better code that doesn't involve ping:

SET COUNTER=0
:loop
SET /a COUNTER=%COUNTER%+1
XCOPY "Server\*" "c:\minecraft\backups\server_backup_%COUNTER%" /i /s
timeout /t 600 /nobreak >nul
goto loop

600 seconds is 10 minutes, however you can set it whatever time you'd like

camille
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Patrick Warren
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0

You could also do this>

@echo off
:loop
set a=60
set /a a-1
if a GTR 1 (
echo %a% minutes remaining...
timeout /t 60 /nobreak >nul
goto a
) else if a LSS 1 goto finished
:finished
::code
::code
::code
pause>nul

Or something like that.

imthegman55
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