When you run a batch program, each of the batch program's commands are typically displayed (echoed) on the screen. You can toggle this feature on or off by using the ECHO command. (ECHO [ON|OFF])

Inserting an at sign (@) in front of a command in a batch program prevents that one line from being echoed to the screen.

The command "echo off" would turn off echoing any further commands to the screen but, you would still see those two words, "echo off", on the screen.

So to get around that, simply add an "@" prefix . . . "@echo off".