Start Windows batch file maximized

I've written a batch file that I plan on distributing to a few dozen machines. It automatically checks the working state of several devices. I recently added a "menu" at the start of the script, prompting the user to select specific items to query from a list. The list, however, is too long to see without scrolling.

Rather than refining my list, what can I add to the batch to start the Windows shell maximized? I tried to cheat and Right click the .bat -> Properties -> Change the "Run" state to "Maximized", but this option does not exist (and frankly I'd rather add this feature within the script itself).

The machines that are running the script are running Windows 7

Solution 1:

You can try start /MAX yourscript.bat to start your script in a maximized cmd (up to Windows 7)

Edit (by Rik):

I've created a small example which shows how you could do it all in one batch-file
(without a separate launcher):

@echo off
if not "%1" == "max" start /MAX cmd /c %0 max & exit/b

:: here comes the rest of your batch-file
echo "test"

pause

There will be a slight flicker of the original batch-file (which will exit immediately) before starting the maximized version.

Simple explanation:
If the batch is not called with the parameter max we call itself again (%0), this time maximized with the help of start /max, and with the parameter max and that way the second time its called it will skip the if-statement and continue with your commands.

Breakdown:

• if not "%1" == "max" execute the next command only if %1 is not "max". %1 stands for the first parameter given to the batch-file. So my_batch.bat max will have max in the %1-variable. If we didn't start the batch with a max parameter we need to execute this line.
• start /MAX start the command after it, in maximized form.
• cmd /c execute cmd.exe and /c means exit afterwards.
• %0 max. The %0 stands for your own batch-file name and here max is its first parameter. This means we need to skip that first if-line or else we get caught in a loop :)
• & exit/b: The & means execute the next command simultaneous with the previous. This means we executed the start /max your batchfile and in the meantime exit the current batch.

This also means we can't call this version with any other parameters than max. If your batch-files needs a parameter to start then you'll need to do some more magic (like shifting the %1 after testing).
If that's the case let us know.