Is it possible to create a desktop shortcut that, when pressed, will open command prompt and run a pre-defined command?
Yes! You can create a shortcut to cmd.exe with a command specified after it. Alternatively you could create a batch script, if your goal is just to have a clickable way to run commands.
Steps:
Right click on some empty space in Explorer, and in the context menu go to "New/Shortcut".
When prompted to enter a location put either:
"C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe /k Example" This will run the command and keep the command prompt open after.
or
"C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe /c Example" This will run the command and the close the command prompt.
Swap out "Example" with your desired command.
Notes:
If you want to have more than one command, place an "&" symbol in between them. For example: "C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe /k Example & Example".
Yes, make its path:
%comspec% /k DIR C:\
or
%comspec% /k "c:\foo\bar.exe" /1234
I have a Virtual Machine in Virtual PC 2007.
To start it from the desktop, I have the following command in a batch file:
"c:\program files\Microsoft Virtual PC\Virtual PC.exe" -pc "MY-PC" -launch
But that leaves a dos prompt on the host machine until the virtual machine shuts down, and I exit out of the Virtual PC console. That's annoying.
So I changed my command to use the START command, instead:
start "c:\program files\Microsoft Virtual PC\Virtual PC.exe" -pc MY-PC -launch
But it chokes on the parameters passed into Virtual PC.
START has a peculiarity involving double quotes around the first parameter. If the first parameter has double quotes it uses that as the optional TITLE for the new window.
I believe what you want is:
start "" "c:\program files\Microsoft Virtual PC\Virtual PC.exe" -pc MY-PC -launch
In other words, give it an empty title before the name of the program to fake it out.
Instead of a batch file, you can create a shortcut on the desktop.
Set the target to:
"c:\program files\Microsoft Virtual PC\Virtual PC.exe" -pc "MY-PC" -launch
and you're all set. Since you're not starting up a command prompt to launch it, there will be no DOS Box.
The spaces are DOSs/CMDs Problems so you should go to the Path via:
cd "c:\program files\Microsoft Virtual PC"
and then simply start VPC via:
start Virtual~1.exe -pc MY-PC -launch
~1 means the first exe with "Virtual" at the beginning. So if there is a "Virtual PC.exe" and a "Virtual PC1.exe" the first would be the Virtual~1.exe and the second Virtual~2.exe and so on.
Or use a VNC-Client like VirtualBox.
You can use quotes by using the [/D"Path"] use /D only for specifying the path and not the path+program. It appears that all code on the same line that follows goes back to normal meaning you don't need to separate path and file.
start /D "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\" IEXPLORE.EXE
:: or
start /D "TITLE" "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\" IEXPLORE.EXE
:: will start IE with default web page.
start /D "TITLE" "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\" IEXPLORE.EXE www.bing.com :: Starts with Bing, but does not reset your home page.
:: /D stands for "directory" and using quotes is OK!
:: WRONG start /D "TITLE" "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE"
:: ERROR "The current directory is invalid." /D must only be followed by a directory path.
:: Then space and the batchfile or program you wish to start/run"
Tested and works under XP but windows Vista/7/8 may need some adjustments to UAC.
start /b "" "c:\program files\Microsoft Virtual PC\Virtual PC.exe" -pc "MY-PC" -launch
If you want passing parameter and your .exe file in test folder of c: drive
start "parameter" "C:\test\test1.exe" -pc My Name-PC -launch
If you won't want passing parameter and your .exe file in test folder of c: drive
start "" "C:\test\test1.exe" -pc My Name-PC -launch
If you won't want passing parameter and your .exe file in test folder of H: (Any Other)drive
start "" "H:\test\test1.exe" -pc My Name-PC -launch