# Using 'system.util.execute' to run a program

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-system-util-execute-to-run-a-program/6899>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Created:** [July 20, 2013, 2:53am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-system-util-execute-to-run-a-program/6899 "2013-07-20T02:53:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![drewdin](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/drewdin/32/3363_2.png) [@drewdin](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/drewdin)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 2:53am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-system-util-execute-to-run-a-program/6899/1 "2013-07-20T02:53:25Z")

</div>

I have been trying to run a program on my windows xp box using the system.util.execute command.

If i browse to the folder where the executable file is and run in the command line:

\*note that there is a flag -f

```auto
export.exe -fAta\file\file.txt
```

Everything works perfect, I am trying to emulate this with a script so I do not have to manually export anything.

Here is what I have been trying:  
Path = ‘\Ata\file\file.txt’  
flag = ‘-f%s’ % Path  
system.util.execute([“C:\sp\tor\export.exe”, flag])

I don’t get any errors but it does not work either. Any Suggestions? Thanks

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![drewdin](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/drewdin/32/3363_2.png) [@drewdin](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/drewdin)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 8:07pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-system-util-execute-to-run-a-program/6899/2 "2013-07-20T20:07:04Z")

</div>

crickets…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![drewdin](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/drewdin/32/3363_2.png) [@drewdin](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/drewdin)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-system-util-execute-to-run-a-program/6899/3 "2013-07-22T17:29:14Z")

</div>

this forum is always empty, I have had multiple questions and no one helps. Well, I figured it out using pythons subprocess.popen command if anyone is interested

---

<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:** [July 22, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-system-util-execute-to-run-a-program/6899/4 "2013-07-22T20:19:45Z")

</div>

Forum attention ebbs and flows. Posting something Friday evening or over the weekend is a surefire way to make sure your post isn’t on the ‘new posts’ list come Monday morning.

Glad you got it working - not sure why system.util.execute wasn’t doing it… it doesn’t seem to have a useful return value either 😒