Getting >nul 2>&1 to work within a batch file

[Quisquose]

How do I get the following command to work from within a batch file?

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doskey closeall=taskkill /IM "cmd.exe" /f >nul 2>&1

I want the output of taskkill to be suppressed. It works perfectly if typed at the command line, but when the above command is used in a batch file, you still see the output text from taskkill.

I am aware that commands behave differently when called from a batch file rather than when they're run directly, but I can't remember what needs to be done to modify the command for use in a batch file.

[Squashman]

You cannot run a Doskey macro from a batch file.

[ShadowThief]

You can, however,

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set "closeall=taskkill /IM "cmd.exe" /f >nul 2>&1"
%closeall%

[Quisquose]

You can, however,

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set "closeall=taskkill /IM "cmd.exe" /f >nul 2>&1"
%closeall%

Thank you, This now hides the output, but in order to get it to work I have to type %closeall% including the percentage marks. How can I get it to work with just the word closeall on its own?

I had a similar issue to this a long while I ago, and I did manage to successfully resolve it, but for the life of me I can't remember how I did it.

[Aacini]

This should work:

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doskey closeall=taskkill /IM "cmd.exe" /f ^>nul 2^>^&1

Anther way to "get it to work with just the word closeall on its own?" is creating a Batch file named closeall.bat with the desired command...

Antonio

[Quisquose]

This should work:

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doskey closeall=taskkill /IM "cmd.exe" /f ^>nul 2^>^&1

Thank you SO much, Antonio. This works perfectly, and it's exactly what I wanted.

This time I will make a careful note of how it's done, so that I can use it as a template guide for achieving a similar effect for other commands in future.

[ShadowThief]

Anther way to "get it to work with just the word closeall on its own?" is creating a Batch file named closeall.bat with the desired command...

They'd still have to either call the secondary script or make peace with the fact that it would have to be the last command in the main script.

[Aacini]

Anther way to "get it to work with just the word closeall on its own?" is creating a Batch file named closeall.bat with the desired command...

They'd still have to either call the secondary script or make peace with the fact that it would have to be the last command in the main script.

As I understand it, they want to enter "closeall" from the keyboard only. There is not any Batch file involved in the use of "closeall" word. As it was said before: "You cannot run a Doskey macro from a batch file".

Antonio

[ShadowThief]

And yet the doskey solution you provided

works perfectly, and it's exactly what I wanted.

which doesn't make sense because

You cannot run a Doskey macro from a batch file.

I'm not sure what Quisquose is looking for anymore, frankly.

[Quisquose]

As I understand it, they want to enter "closeall" from the keyboard only ...

Correct.

[ShadowThief]

from within a batch file?

Did you change your mind when I wasn't looking?

[Aacini]

IMHO the OP have described the problem inaccurately and his question have several details...

I think he wanted to "Getting >nul 2>&1 to work within a doskey macro when the corresponding doskey command is executed in a batch file".

Although the question said that "the following command" (that is a doskey command) "works perfectly if typed at the command line", that is not true. To be clear, if you execute the following command at the command line:

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doskey closeall=taskkill /IM "cmd.exe" /f >nul 2>&1

... then, when you later execute the closeall macro you still see the output text from taskkill.

So in this case, there is no difference on executing the command from the command-line that from a Batch file.

The OP have not clearly separated the doskey command used to define a macro, from the closeall macro used to execute the taskkill command.

Anyway, this confusion disappear if you take into account that: "You cannot run a Doskey macro from a batch file". In other words:

• Just the DOSKEY command can be used in a Batch file.
• The CLOSEALL macro can only be used from the keybard, not from a Batch file.

Antonio

[ShadowThief]

That makes more sense, thanks.