Start
Updated: January 21, 2005
Starts a separate Command Prompt window to run a specified
program or command. Used without parameters, start opens
a second command prompt window.
Syntax
start ["Title"] [/dPath]
[/i] [/min] [/max] [{/separate |
/shared}] [{/low | /normal | /high |
/realtime | /abovenormal | belownormal}] [/wait]
[/b] [FileName] [Parameters]
Parameters
"Title"
Specifies the title to display in Command Prompt
window title bar.
/dPath
Specifies the startup directory.
/i
Passes the Cmd.exe startup environment to the new
Command Prompt window.
/min
Starts a new minimized Command Prompt window.
/max
Starts a new maximized Command Prompt window.
/separate
Starts 16-bit programs in a separate memory space.
/shared
Starts 16-bit programs in a shared memory space.
/low
Starts an application in the idle priority class.
/normal
Starts an application in the normal priority class.
/high
Starts an application in the high priority class.
/realtime
Starts an application in the realtime priority
class.
/abovenormal
Starts an application in the abovenormal priority
class.
/belownormal
Starts an application in the belownormal priority
class.
/wait
Starts an application and waits for it to end.
/b
Starts an application without opening a new Command
Prompt window. CTRL+C handling is ignored unless the
application enables CTRL+C processing. Use
CTRL+BREAK to interrupt the application.
FileName
Specifies the command or program to start.
Parameters
Specifies parameters to pass to the command or
program.
Remarks
- You can run nonexecutable files through their file association by typing the name of the file as a command. For more information about creating these associations in a command script by using assoc and ftype, see Related Topics.
- When you run a command that contains a the string "CMD" as the first token without an extension or path qualifier, "CMD" is replaced with the value of the COMSPEC variable. This prevents users from picking up cmd from the current directory.
- When you run a 32-bit graphical user interface (GUI) application, cmd does not wait for the application to quit before returning to the command prompt. This new behavior does not occur if you run the application from a command script.
- When you run a command that uses a first token that does not contain an extension, Cmd.exe uses the value of the PATHEXT environment variable to determine which extensions to look for and in what order. The default value for the PATHEXT variable is: .COM;.EXE;.BAT;.CMD (that is, the syntax is the same as the PATH variable, with semicolons separating the different elements).
- When you search for an executable and there is no match on any extension, start searches directory name. If it does, start opens Explorer.exe on that path.
Examples
To start the Myapp program at the command prompt and retain use
of the current Command Prompt window, type:
start myapp
Formatting legend
| Format | Meaning |
| Italic | Information that the user must supply |
| Bold | Elements that the user must type exactly as shown |
| Ellipsis (...) | Parameter that can be repeated several times in a command line |
| Between brackets ([]) | Optional items |
| Between braces ({}); choices separated by pipe (|). Example: {even|odd} | Set of choices from which the user must choose only one |
| Courier font | Code or program output |