programming wait, in batch files

[Stasis]

One of our dns servers at work is messing up or something and I keep getting the external IP for intranet (since it can be accessed outside, but you cant double-NAT to it) and a simple fix for the mean time till I can figure out what the main problem is, is to bring up a command prompt and run

Net stop "dns client"

Net start "dns client"

and that re-queries the dns (i think) and temporarly fixes the issue.

It normally takes a few seconds for the first command to finish executing, so I want to have my batch file run the first, wait about 5seconds, then run the second. Ive researched a bit on the net and ive found alot of people saying to create a 2nd batch file and then call it within the first...id rather not do that, and id rather not use the pause command. Id like it to be automated, merely beacuse I want to see how to do it

any ideas?

im running winxp.

[Bearded Kirklander]

Google has some good results:

http://labmice.techtarget.com/articles/batchcmds.htm

http://www.cknow.com/tutorcom/batch03_subcmd1.htm

I just typed in PAUSE IN BATCH FILE in Google.

hope some of that helps.

[Nick_B]

There ought to be a sleep command of some sort, but then again, windows scripting isn't my thing.

This machine has sleep on it, but I think it's a cygwin thing. If you don't want to install anything additional and this is really just a temporary quick-fix type of situation, you can always loop the batch file and do something pointless to keep it busy for a few seconds.

This is all kinds of hackish and pretty stupid, but it slows this machine down for about 5 seconds:

@ECHO OFF
for %%i in (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0,a,b,c,d,e,f) 
  do for %%j in (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0,a,b,c,d,e,f)
  do echo . > blah

Have fun and good luck.

Oh, and another avenue is to use windows scripting host. I'm positive it's powerful enough to stop and start services and has to have some sort of sleep function.

EDIT: The indented pieces should be on the same line, but it caused vB to wrap nasty-like.

[Bearded Kirklander]

You could write a little EXE in Delphi or something that does a simple pause for x number of seconds (passed by command line argument) I guess. I used to do that in Quick Basic 4.5 back in the day.

[I4one]

use a double ampersands && in between the commands
so;

Net stop "dns client" && Net start "dns client"

more examples;
FORMAT A: /Q && COPY C:\DATA\*.* A:
will copy all files from C:\DATA to diskette IF and ONLY IF the format succeeds.

XCOPY C:\*.* D:\ /S 2>&1> NUL ¦¦ ECHO Something terrible happened
will display your own custom error message if XCOPY fails

the double pipes || is used to Execute command2 only if execution of command1 has finished unsuccessfully

Source

or even perhaps the Start /wait switch (which can be used with TIME)

[Stasis]

thanks for the help all, im going with I4ones solution on this one, its quick and easy and thats what i need works great, thanks.

[Bearded Kirklander]

Good post, I.

I like learning new stuff. Did not know about that trick. Glad I do know. Thanks.

[I4one]

your welcome both - I finally was able to find an easy effecive solution - but thank rob vanderwoude, (see source). I like to fiddle with batfiles from time to time and really don't know that much (that's the extent of my programming knowledge ) - and you'll be giving me some solutions on occasion when necessary.