# System.util.execute Show Cmd Window

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/system-util-execute-show-cmd-window/81267>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Tags:** vision\
**Created:** [October 31, 2023, 7:27pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/system-util-execute-show-cmd-window/81267 "2023-10-31T19:27:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jim\_Weber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@Jim\_Weber](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Jim_Weber)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 7:27pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/system-util-execute-show-cmd-window/81267/1 "2023-10-31T19:27:44Z")

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Hello,  
How to I get the CMD window to pop up when running a cmd file in system.util.execute? i.e. system.util.execute(["C:\Cmds\StartSAPDnLd.cmd"])?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 8:32pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/system-util-execute-show-cmd-window/81267/2 "2023-10-31T20:32:19Z")

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Where (in what scope) are you running this script?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jim\_Weber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@Jim\_Weber](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Jim_Weber)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 8:56pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/system-util-execute-show-cmd-window/81267/3 "2023-10-31T20:56:03Z")

</div>

In a script on a Vision Push Button.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 9:00pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/system-util-execute-show-cmd-window/81267/4 "2023-10-31T21:00:29Z")

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Try something like:

```auto
system.util.execute(["cmd", "/k", "start", "C:/Cmds/StartSAPDnLd.cmd"])

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jim\_Weber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@Jim\_Weber](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Jim_Weber)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 11:05pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/system-util-execute-show-cmd-window/81267/5 "2023-10-31T23:05:46Z")

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Awesome! That worked. I looked all over the place for the Commands/arguments for system.util.execute, where are they documented? Like where can I find where "cmd", "/k", "start", means? Thanks again.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 11:19pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/system-util-execute-show-cmd-window/81267/6 "2023-10-31T23:19:08Z")

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`system.util.execute` doesn't have any functionality built in. All it does is ask the underlying operating system to run some program (the first argument) with some arguments (the remaining arguments). So you're invoking the Windows builtin `cmd.exe` with `/k start someFile` as the arguments.  
The `/k` flag is documented here: [cmd | Microsoft Learn](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/cmd)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jim\_Weber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@Jim\_Weber](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Jim_Weber)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 11:22pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/system-util-execute-show-cmd-window/81267/7 "2023-10-31T23:22:25Z")

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Thanks, that explanation makes it pretty easy to understand.