three programs in one?

Question

I was wondering if there is a way I can create a shortcut on my desktop that could open two or three programs at once?  I read somewhere that using WordPad and other programs like that, you can do a lot of cool stuff with Windows.  This probably is either too ridiculous to do, or simple to some experts.  Thanks for the help.

chuket · Answer

bklevan

edited:

Yes there is. For example, copy the bold text below to Notepad and 'save as' test.bat to the desktop. It will open IE and OE. This is only an example and most any program can be set up this way:

start http://www.msn.com/
start /max msimn.exe
start /max notepad.exe

Message Edited by chuket on 08-22-2005 09:24 PM

bklevan · Answer

This trick is pretty cool, thanks again.  I am now trying to get the 2004 Encarta to launch from this file but it won't work.  I looked in the Encarta folder and I saw the 'encarta application'.  When I put that info in the .bat file, encarta wouldn't launch.  An error popped up.  Is there a solution?  Thanks again for the help.

rollainm · Answer

Wanna have some fun?   Open Notepad. Type: start /max test.bat Save file as test.bat to your Desktop. Double-click on 'test.bat' and let the fun begin! :smileyvery-happy:

chuket · Answer

bklevan Send the Encarta app to the desktop as a shortcut. When you can get it to open from the desktop, right-click on it, then ☞ properties and post the 'target' back here.

bklevan · Answer

'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Encarta\Encarta Encyclopedia Standard Edition 2004\encarta.exe'   there's the target

RoHe · Answer

I would make 2 minor changes to chuket's .bat file. On the very first line put: @echo off On the very last line put: exit Put all your start commands in between those 2 lines. Ron

chuket · Answer

bklevan

Try this, add this bold text below to the previuos test.bat file to see if it runs:

CD "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Encarta\Encarta Encyclopedia Standard Edition 2004"
start encarta.exe

It should look like this:

start iexplorer.exe
start /max msimn.exe
start /max notepad.exe
CD "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Encarta\Encarta Encyclopedia Standard Edition 2004"
start encarta.exe
cls
exit

If Encarta ran as a shortcut as mentioned in my previuos post, it should open now in the BAT file. BTW, you can name test.bat to anyname.bat as long as it has the .bat extension.

bklevan · Answer

Thanks a million.  It works now.

chuket · Answer

bklevan

Glad you're up and running. The previous examples were just for demonstration purposes. In the test.bat file we created, you can delete or REM out any entry (line) you don't want to start by adding REM and a space before the line as below. Once it is running without an error, you can add @echo off as the first line to make the whole process invisable:

@echo off
rem start iexplore.exe
rem start /max msimn.exe
rem start /max notepad.exe
CD "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Encarta\Encarta Encyclopedia Standard Edition 2004"
start encarta.exe
cls
exit

If you want to post the App's you want to open in addition to Encarta, post back with the targets unless you've figured it out by yourself.

Message Edited by chuket on 08-24-2005 12:11 AM

RoHe · Answer

One more suggestion:
Create a desktop shortcut to your .bat file. Right click that shortcut icon and select properties. Set Run to Minimized

Now when you double-click the shortcut, you'll see an entry on the taskbar like you do for any minimized window. It will be there just long enough for the .bat file to run. As soon as it executes the last line ("exit") the program will end and the entry disappears from the taskbar. That way, you'll barely notice the bat file running. And the desktop stays neat and clean while all those other applications are opening.

Ron

Message Edited by RoHe on 08-23-2005 09:55 PM

Windows General

three programs in one?

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