I've noticed subtle differences in [exec]ing a batch file on MS Windows with or without prepending the call with the command interpreter, cmd.exe. Here's an example: ====== (Eigene) 1 % cd c:/iskv/portal_1024 couldn't change working directory to "c:/iskv/portal_1024": no such file or directory (portal_01024) 2 % cd c:/iskv/portal_01024 (portal_01024) 3 % glob * config cti dist help resource resource_cti start_portal.bat (portal_01024) 4 % exec -- start_portal.bat Unable to access jarfile c:\iskv\21c_winbk_\bin\csvstart.jar Das System kann den angegebenen Pfad nicht finden. (portal_01024) 5 % exec -- cmd.exe /c start_portal.bat (portal_01024) 6 % exec -- cmd.exe /c start_portal.bat & 4660 (portal_01024) 7 % exec -- [auto_execok start_portal.bat] Unable to access jarfile c:\iskv\21c_winbk_\bin\csvstart.jar Das System kann den angegebenen Pfad nicht finden. (portal_01024) 8 % ====== ---- Don't know what's going on yet. If I use '''[auto_execok] xyz.BAT''', it gives back '''./xyz.BAT''', which makes not much sense, since Batches are always interpreted by the command interpreter, cmd.exe, on windows, and ar not executable by themselves, only by means of the extension. So, exec bat and exec [auto_execok] are basically the same and both don't work for me in all cases, since the environment of the BAT is then different than if called via cmd.exe.