Batch file tricks


============================================
Subroutine Setup
        When you set up a new subroutine for calling, it is a good idea to make
        sure that there is only one entry point and one exit point.  It is also
        a good practice to create a condition where the routine can return a 
        variable.
        
        
:SUBROUTINE
        !bat_echolog! call :SUBROUTINE [%*]
        set bat_retval=
        
        blah 
        
        for /f blah do (
                - You can't GOTO out of this loop
                - You can't !bat_return! out of this loop
                - So, do it like this:
                        set bat_retval=failed
        )
        
        if /i "!bat_retval!" equ "failed" (goto :SUBROUTINE_END
        
        blah
        ...

:SUBROUTINE_END
!bat_echolog! return-:SUBROUTINE [bat_retval=!bat_retval!]
!bat_return!


============================================
Strip leading zeros
        set bat_source=010
        set /a "bat_dest=1000!bat_source! % 1000"
        echo !bat_dest!              ===> yields 10.
        
        For different number of digits, use 10^digits in place of 1000


:STRIPZEROS %in_val1% out_var1  -- converts in_val1 and sets out_var1 to the new value
        rem     -- in_val1    [in]  - zero leading number
        rem     -- out_var1   [out] - variable name to set the output value to

        setlocal ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION enableextensions

        set bat_inval1=%~1

        for /f "tokens=* delims=0" %%m in ("!bat_inval1!") do (set bat_nz=%%m)
        if not defined bat_nz (
                set bat_outvar1=0
        ) else (
                set bat_outvar1=!bat_nz!
        )
        ( ENDLOCAL & REM RETURN VALUES
                if "%~2" neq "" (set %~2=%bat_outvar1%) else echo.%bat_outvar1%
        )
EXIT /b



============================================
Batch file arithmetic

To do any of these operators, use quotes around the expression.
Note: the comma (,) can be used as a multi-expression separator as follows:
        set a/ "yyyy=100002011 % 10000, mm=10009 % 100, dd=10001 % 100"
        yields:
                yyyy=2011
                mm=9
                dd=1
                
        ()                  - grouping
        ! ~ -               - unary operators
                set /a "!1"     ===> 0
                set /a "!2"     ===> -3
                set /a "-yyyy"  ===> -2011
        * / %               - arithmetic operators (% is modulus[remainder])
        + -                 - arithmetic operators
        << >>               - logical shift
                set /a "1<<3"   ===> 8          (same as 0b0000001 ===>  0b0001000)
                set /a "0x40>>2"        ===>16  (same as 0b1000011 ===>  0b0010000)
        &                   - bitwise and
                set /a "0x43 & 0x40"    ===> 64 (same as 0b00100011 & 0b00100000)
        ^                   - bitwise exclusive or
                set /a "0x43 ^ 0x40"    ===> 64 (same as 0b00100011 & 0b00100000 ===> 0b00000011)
                set /a "0x43 ^ 0x3"     ===> 64 (same as 0b00100011 & 0b00000011 ===> 0b00100000)
        |                   - bitwise or
                set /a "0x43 ^ 0x8"     ===> 64 (same as 0b00100011 & 0b00001000 ===> 0b00101011)
        = *= /= %= += -=    - assignment
          &= ^= |= <<= >>=

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As of Windows 2000, if Command Extensions are enabled, then there are several dynamic environment variables that can be expanded but which don't show up in the list of variables displayed by SET.
These variable values are computed dynamically each time the value of the variable is expanded.
If the user explicitly defines a variable with one of these names, then that definition will override the dynamic one described below:

%=C:% expands to the current directory string on the C: drive 
%=D:% expands to the current directory string on the D: drive if drive D: has been accessed in the current CMD session 
%=ExitCode% expands to the hexadecimal value of the last return code set by EXIT /B 
%=ExitCodeAscii% expands to the ASCII value of the last return code set by EXIT /B if greater than 32 (decimal) 
%CD% expands to the current directory string (no trailing backslash, unless the current directory is a root directory) 
%__CD__% expands to the current directory string, always terminated with a trailing backslash 
Excellent resource for lots of batch files:
        http://www.robvanderwoude.com/batexamples.php

@ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION
FOR %%A IN (83 109 97 114 116 10 71 101 110 105 117 115) DO (
    CMD /C EXIT /B %%A
    SET /P "Var=!=ExitCodeAscii!" < NUL
)
ECHO.
ENDLOCAL

Produces:
        SmartGenious

============================================
redirecting stderr
example:
   dir asdfasdfasd 1>nul 2>nul

The trick is the "space 2>nul".  This is what redirects stderr.

Example, if you want it to not show the error, you could just:
   dir "asdasdfasdf" 2>nul
         Volume in drive C is 640gb
         Volume Serial Number is 6054-DE9A

         Directory of C:\Util

   dir "asdfasdf" 1>nul     or    dir "asdfasdf" >nul
        File Not Found

Here's another example.  In this case, you're doing a dir command and
piping its output to the FIND command.  However, if the directory doesn't
exist, the error message is not displayed.

        for /f "usebackq tokens=*" %%a in (`dir "!bat_sourcedir!" 2^>nul^|find /i /c "1,228,820"`) do (
                echo %%a

        )
or try this...
        for /f "usebackq tokens=*" %%a in (`dir "%bat_startlocation%\ConfirmedFiles" /s/b /ad /on 2^>nul`) do (
                echo %%a
        )
============================================
COMMENTS

        Use the colon "::" as a comment - but not inside code blocks with parenthesis.
        Can't use this in a "for" loop.  Use REM instead.  the "::" technique is not a supported comment.

MULTI-LINE COMMENTS
        goto :ENDCOMMENT1
        if exist "%file%" (
                copy "%file%" "%dest%"
        ) else (
                *** %file% does not exist!
        )
        :ENDCOMMENT1

END OF LINE COMMENT
        use the &rem comment syntax at the end of a line.

REM WITH REDIRECTION
        Problem using REM to comment out a line that uses redirection:
        REM dir > logfile.log

============================================
RETURNING VALUES FROM BATCH
        set RetVal=
        set RetVal1=
        set RetVal2=
        SETLOCAL ENABLEEXTENSIONS ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION

        rem... Then do the work of the batch file... setting RetVal stuff
        rem    along the way.  Then, when you're ready to end the script 
        rem    and return values, to the calling program.  The calling program
        rem    uses %%Errorlevel%% to determine which success (%%errorlevel%%=0) 
        rem    or the reason for the failure in the exit code.  
        rem
        rem    There are issues of defining the retval variables before 
        rem    the SETLOCAL call.  I don't know all the particulars.

        echo Note: Return values are in RetVal environment variables RetVal, RetVal1
        rem Same as:
        rem     ENDLOCAL & SET RETVAL1=%INIVALUE% & SET RETVAL=%KEY%=INIVALUE%
        
        ( ENDLOCAL
                set RetVal1=%INIValue%
                set RetVal=%key%=%inivalue%
        )
        exit /B 0
        
        echo Note: Return values are in RetVal environment variables RetVal, RetVal1
        ( ENDLOCAL
                set RetVal1=%INIValue%
                set RetVal=%key%=%inivalue%
        )
        EXIT /B 3


        Because the shell evaluates environments variables in a command 
        before executing it, you could return var1 and var2 by changing 
        the endlocal (above) to:
        
                endlocal & set /a var1=%var1% & set /a var2=%var2%

        The shell interprets this before execution as:

                endlocal & set /a var1=4 & set /a var2=8


        see (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb490898.aspx)


============================================
BLOCK STANDARD INPUT
SUPPRESS OUTPUT
        Use REM combined with piping to block standard input (http://www.robvanderwoude.com/comments.php)
        
        REM | CHOICE /C:AB /T:A,5 > NUL
        
SUPPRESS OUTPUT
        redirect to the nul: device.  However, some programs output
        to the standard error device.  To suppress that, use:
                ...>nul: 2>&1
        Example:
                pslist>nul: 2>&1
        
        This works because STDOUT is file descriptor 1, and STDERR is file 
        descriptor 2 by convention. (0 is STDIN).  The "2>&1" copies output 
        file descriptor 2 from the new value of 1, which was redirected to
        the nul device.   
        
============================================
CHANGE DIRECTORY  (PUSHD, POPD, NETCMD)

PUSHD
        Change directory and remembe where it changed from.  Also, 
        works across network locations.
        
                c:\>PUSHD "c:\mydocuments\my pictures"
                c:\MyDocuments\My Pictures>cd 2011
                c:\MyDocuments\My Pictures\2011>
        
POPD
        Then, use POPD to return to the previous location, like this:
        
                c:\MyDocuments\My Pictures\2011>POPD
                c:\>

PUSHD with UNC
        It works on network drives, kind of like NETCMD.EXE does.
        by mapping to an availabe drive letter.  However, it isn't 
        smart enough to not make another connection to the same 
        share.  Good news is that POPD removes the connection
        from the NET USE list.  Look at these examples:
        
                c:\>PUSHD "\\server\c$\mydocuments\my pictures"
                Z:\MyDocuments\My Pictures>PUSHD "\\server\c$\mydocuments\temp"
                Y:\MyDocuments\Temp>NET USE


        Status       Local     Remote                    Network
        -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        OK           Y:        \\dsamuelstablet\c$       Microsoft Windows Network
        OK           Z:        \\dsamuelstablet\c$       Microsoft Windows Network
        The command completed successfully.
        
        
        POPD
        NET USE
        
        Status       Local     Remote                    Network
        -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        OK           Z:        \\dsamuelstablet\c$       Microsoft Windows Network
        The command completed successfully.
        
        POPD
        NET USE
        
        There are no entries in the list.
        
NETCMD  
        NETCMD was written in C with the Win32API a long time ago.
        It was designed to augment how the PowerTools CmdShell tool
        worked.  CmdShell didn't work on network locations.  NETCMD
        works on local and network paths.  Just right-click and select
        NETCMD and a new command shell will be created with the directory
        starting at the directory that you right-clicked on.  NETCMD scans
        the NET USE list and if the share already exists in the list, it 
        does not create a new connection.  If it doesn't exist, it creates a
        new connection to the share and then navigates to the directory.  A
        shortcut to NETCMD.exe could be placed in "Send To" directory. To 
        make it available in the right-click menus.  NETCMD can be used this 
        way in any File Open/Save dialog.  NETCMD also sets the title bar to
        the directory.  
        
============================================
To use a literal (like a quote) use the ^ escape character. For example:
        echo "AT %sched_time% /interactive "%*^""

Will echo
    AT 12:01 /interactive "%*"
    
    
============================================
Use the CALL command to fix variable substitution:
    set %variableNamePrefix%!arrayIndex!=somevalue
    
    somtimes doing this fixes problems... i don't know why
    call set %variableNamePrefix%!arrayIndex!=somevalue
    

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Remember that the SET /A command uses integer math.  It wraps at 2^30.

For example: 
    set /A junk="(2<<30)-1"     ==>  2,147,483,647
    set /A junk="(2<<30)  "     ==> -2,147,483,648
    set /A junk="(2<<30)+1"     ==> -2,147,483,647



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Delayed evaluation can cause problems:  Notice this command line

    
    produced this:
    
    1073741824
    !junk!
    
    1,073,741,824

   However, without the !!, it worked like this:
    set /A junk="(2<<29)"&echo.&echo %junk%&echo.&parsenumberwithcomma.bat %junk%
    
    [ 2:59:16.92] C:\Util>    set /A junk="(2<<29)"&echo.&echo %junk%&echo.&parsenumberwithcomma.bat %junk%
    1073741824
    1073741824
    
    1,073,741,824
    
    [ 2:59:21.41] C:\Util>    set /A junk="(2<<28)"&echo.&echo %junk%&echo.&parsenumberwithcomma.bat %junk%
    536870912
    1073741824
    
    1,073,741,824
    
    Notice the delay of the evaluation of %junk% until after the whole command line had been complete processed.
    
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multi-line statement blocks can't end a block with a "::" style comment:

The following statements fails with this error
                    ") was unexpected at this time."

    for %%a in (*.*) do (
        @echo xcopy %1 %2
        :: xcopy %1 %2
    )

Change it to this:
    for %%a in (*.*) do (
        :: xcopy %1 %2
        @echo xcopy %1 %2
    )

Note: Sometimes i've seen this same behavior with a blank
      line as the last line of a block

============================================
Tip:
You can test multi-line FOR and IF commands by using the "(" then hitting ENTER
it will give you a prompt like this:

    More? 
    
    Here's an example:
    
    [ 3:10:10.41] C:\Util>@echo off
    [ 3:10:13.00] C:\Util>for /L %a in (1 1 2) do (
    More? echo %a
    More? set /a junk=%a*2
    More? echo !junk!
    More? )
    1
    2!junk!
    2
    4!junk!

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Use delayedExpansion

============================================
Make a debugger:

What's cool about this is you can enter commands from the breakpoint prompt. I'm
still having trouble with ending the batch file at the prompt.  Bascially, I have 
to just run a badly formed FOR loop to exit.  

One bit of improvement would be to separate the debugging from tracing.

Example: There is a line below with 
            %BREAK% tracing is !tracing!:
            
    At runtime, if !TRACING! isn't ON, it will just skip it as if a comment.
    However, if !TRACING! is ON, it will act like this:
    
        [ 3:20:58.24] Break. Enter Command or "(Q)uit"] tracing is ON:
        
    From there, you can hit enter and run to the next breakpoint.  Or, if
    you like, you can enter batch commands, like this:
    
        [ 3:20:58.24] Break. Enter Command or "(Q)uit"] tracing is ON:set TRAC
        TRACEECHO=echo !time!
        TRACESET=SET
        TRACING=ON
        
    You can even do things like this.  It allows you to run the program without 
    noise from execution until you hit the breakpoint.  Then you can turn echo on
    at the area you're trying to debug, hit enter and run to the next breakpoint, 
    and then enter: echo off.
    
        [ 3:20:58.24] Break. Enter Command or "(Q)uit"] tracing is ON:echo on
        
    Here's two tricks demonstrated: You can turn debugging off.  Also you can see
    that you can call other subroutines, issue dos commands, etc.
    
    And it will turn tracing/debugging off and continue running the program
        [ 3:20:58.24] Break. Enter Command or "(Q)uit"] tracing is ON:set TRACING=OFF
        
        [ 3:21:04.24] Break. Enter Command or "(Q)uit"] tracing is ON:call SETUPTRACING


    set return=goto :EOF
    set return_notrace=goto :EOF

    :SETUPTRACING        
            if /I {!TRACING!} == {ON} (
                set TRACEECHO=echo !time! 
                set TRACESET=SET
                set BREAK=call :BREAKPOINT
            ) ELSE (
                set TRACEECHO=rem .
                set TRACESET=rem .
                set BREAK=rem .
            )

            ::%TRACESET%
            %BREAK% tracing is !tracing!:

                :: These next lines are a little trick that allows you to comment-out
                :: lines of code and stuff inside for loops and other statement
                :: blocks
            set COMMENT=set comment=
            set //=set comment=
    %return_notrace%



    :BREAKPOINT
    :BREAKPOINT2
        set BREAKPOINT_COMMAND=
        SET /P BREAKPOINT_COMMAND=[%TIME% Break. Enter Command or "(Q)uit"] %*
        if /I {"!BREAKPOINT_COMMAND!"} == {"q"} (
            set TRACEECHO=goto :EXIT
            !TRACEECHO! DONE
        )

        if /I {"!BREAKPOINT_COMMAND!"} NEQ {""} (
            set BREAKPOINT_COMMAND2=!BREAKPOINT_COMMAND!
            !TRACEECHO! BREAKPOINT
            !BREAKPOINT_COMMAND2!
            goto BREAKPOINT2
        ) else (
            %return_notrace%
        )
    %return_notrace%
    
    :EXIT
            IF /i ())() 9)(echo (((()()()
            )
    EXITING WITH PREJUDICE

    


============================================
You can't depend on being able to parse the /? switch.  This is because if you
have a statement like this in your batch script:
        CALL xyz %1 or %*
        
It will pass the /? to the CALL command and give you the HELP text for CALL - as 
if you entered CALL /? from the command line.

The workaround is like this:
    echo abc %*|find /i "/?">nul:
    if %errorlevel% equ 0 goto :HELP


============================================
You can use the FOR loop expansion options (like %%~zI to get the file size) inside
a CALL.  You can also substitue the argumet number, like %~f0. For example:

        cd \
        call :TEST "boot.ini"
        %return%

        :TEST
            echo %1, %~f1, %~d1
        %return%


Yielded this:
        "boot.ini", C:\boot.ini, C:

============================================
Here's how I parse out command line arguments.  

update 2007_12_15.  A possible better solution would be to use the SHIFT command:

pseudo code:
   FOR ... (
        set a+=1
        SET ARG!a!=%1
        SHIFT
   )


I do this within :_ASTART 


    :_ASTART
        SET RETURN=goto :RETURN
        SET RETURN_NOTRACE=goto :EOF
        SET TRACEECHO=::
        setlocal enabledelayedexpansion ENABLEEXTENSIONS
        if errorlevel 1 (
            echo ERRORLEVEL=%errorlevel%. Unable to enable delayed variable expansion.
            %return%
        )

            :: CMD_ARGS will be the first argument with any quotes removed
        SET CMD_ARGS=%*
        set cmd_arg0=%~f0
        SET HELP=FALSE

            :: To use the tracing feature, change the TRACING variable to either
            :: ON or OFF
        :SET_TRACING
            set TRACING=OFF

        CALL :SETUPTRACING
        CALL :SAVE_CMD_ARGS
        CALL :CHECK_FOR_HELP
        if /I {%HELP%} == {TRUE} (goto HELP)
        CALL :INITIALIZE
        GOTO :MAIN



    :SAVE_CMD_ARGS
        !TRACEECHO! :SAVE_CMD_ARGS
        set CMD_ARGC=0

        set /A count=1

        ::call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%0"
        FOR /F "usebackq tokens=1-26" %%a in ('%cmd_args%') do (
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%a"
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%b"
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%c"
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%d"
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%e"
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%f"
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%g"
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%h"
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%i"
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%j"
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%k"
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%l"
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%m"
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%n"
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%o"
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%p"
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%q"
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%r"
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%s"
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%t"
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%u"
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%v"
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%w"
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%x"
            call :CMD_ARG_ENTRY "%%y"
            %TRACESET% cmd_arg
        )
        %TRACESET% cmd_arg
    %return%

    :CMD_ARG_ENTRY
        !TRACEECHO! :CMD_ARG_ENTRY
        set cmd_arg_temp=%~1
        IF {!cmd_arg_temp!} == {} %return%
        SET /A CMD_ARGC=!CMD_ARGC!+1
        SET CMD_ARG!CMD_ARGC!=!cmd_arg_temp!
    %RETURN%



============================================
get the date:

The easiest is to use %date% or %time%. For example:

echo %date%, %time%
yields this:
        Mon 03/07/2011, 10:34:55.49

Another trick is to do it this way, though I can't remember why I didn't use the first method:
echo.|date
The current date is: Sun 12/16/2007
Enter the new date: (mm-dd-yy)


The trick here is that the echo.| presses enter for you.

Can do the same with time or cd, etc.

echo.|time
The current time is:  0:15:15.09
Enter the new time:



============================================
If you want to answer Y, try this:

echo Y|chkdsk /F
============================================
If you need "Y", and then hit "Enter", try this:

echo Y>input.inp         for the Y
echo.>>script.txt        for the ENTER
type script.txt|chkdsk /F

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To get system information, try using wmic.exe
============================================
To manipulate the registry, try using the REG.exe command

supports add, remove, import, export, etc
============================================
to get a volume label, use the vol command:

vol d:


============================================
use VER to get the windows version.  WMIC will give you more.
============================================
for regular expression string searching, use FINDSTR
============================================
Sleeping or waiting.

@echo off
echo waiting 5 seconds...
   echo wscript.sleep 5000>sleep.vbs
   start /w wscript.exe sleep.vbs
echo done
del sleep.vbs


also. you may just want to wait for a program by 
launching it differently.  try this:

start /w otherProgram.exe

============================================

to wait for a cdrom or floppy, try this ( can be used on USB drives too)

wmic 
============================================
CALL

Calls one batch program from another. Can also call any executable

CALL [drive:][path]filename [batch-parameters]

  batch-parameters   Specifies any command-line information required by the
                     batch program.

If Command Extensions are enabled CALL changes as follows:

CALL command now accepts labels as the target of the CALL.  The syntax
is:

    CALL :label arguments

A new batch file context is created with the specified arguments and
control is passed to the statement after the label specified.  You must
"exit" twice by reaching the end of the batch script file twice.  The
first time you read the end, control will return to just after the CALL
statement.  The second time will exit the batch script.  Type GOTO /?
for a description of the GOTO :EOF extension that will allow you to
"return" from a batch script.

In addition, expansion of batch script argument references (%0, %1,
etc.) have been changed as follows:


    %* in a batch script refers to all the arguments (e.g. %1 %2 %3
        %4 %5 ...)

    Substitution of batch parameters (%n) has been enhanced.  You can
    now use the following optional syntax:

        %~1         - expands %1 removing any surrounding quotes (")
        %~f1        - expands %1 to a fully qualified path name
        %~d1        - expands %1 to a drive letter only
        %~p1        - expands %1 to a path only
        %~n1        - expands %1 to a file name only
        %~x1        - expands %1 to a file extension only
        %~s1        - expanded path contains short names only
        %~a1        - expands %1 to file attributes
        %~t1        - expands %1 to date/time of file
        %~z1        - expands %1 to size of file
        %~$PATH:1   - searches the directories listed in the PATH
                       environment variable and expands %1 to the fully
                       qualified name of the first one found.  If the
                       environment variable name is not defined or the
                       file is not found by the search, then this
                       modifier expands to the empty string

    The modifiers can be combined to get compound results:

        %~dp1       - expands %1 to a drive letter and path only
        %~nx1       - expands %1 to a file name and extension only
        %~dp$PATH:1 - searches the directories listed in the PATH
                       environment variable for %1 and expands to the
                       drive letter and path of the first one found.
        %~ftza1     - expands %1 to a DIR like output line

    In the above examples %1 and PATH can be replaced by other
    valid values.  The %~ syntax is terminated by a valid argument
    number.  The %~ modifiers may not be used with %*


@echo 01 "%~0"
@echo 02 "%~f0"
@echo 03 "%~d0"
@echo 04 "%~p0"
@echo 05 "%~n0"
@echo 06 "%~x0"
@echo 07 "%~s0"
@echo 08 "%~t0"
@echo 09 "%~z0"
@echo 10 "%~$path:0"
@echo 11 "%~dp0"
@echo 12 "%~nx0"
@echo 13 "%~dp$path:0"
@echo 14 "%~ftza0"


============================================
Reboot tricks:

To REBOOT:
  shutdown -r -f -t 1

To SHUTDOWN:
  shutdown -s -f -t 1



============================================
LOOP FOREVER
        for /L %%a in (0,0,0) do (
                commands
        )

============================================
LIST DRIVES
        wmic /Node:instructor51 LogicalDisk where DriveType="3" get deviceID, DriveType, filesystem, freespace,size /format:csv
============================================
        Remember Reinhard Irnberger's PUSHD trick to automatically map a drive if a UNC path is specified?
        
        I use PUSHD "%~dp0" ever since, as the first command in any batch file that could be run from a UNC path.
        
        Without this PUSHD command, the start/working directory of the batch file will be changed to %windir%\System32.

        This change of working directory also occurs when a batch file is running in elevated mode in Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 or Windows 7.

        It occurs too when a script is started with RUNAS or PSEXEC.
        I suppose that's because my current/working directory is saved in my "volatile environment" in my profile, and thus is not available in the elevated user's environment.

        So there you have it, one more reason to specify (as opposed to assume) the working directory in your batch files.
        I think PUSHD "%~dp0" is by far the most reliable way to do this, and it will work with RUNAS, PSEXEC, UNC paths, UAC and Explorer's "Run as..." option.
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