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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchA Windows batch file is a text-based script of commands that the Windows Command shell runs in sequence. It can automate routine command-line tasks; it is not a standalone application. Batch files usually use the .bat extension, and Windows command documentation also recognizes .cmd.
What a batch file does
A batch file collects commands into one script so they can be run together rather than entered one at a time. Microsoft describes batch files as a way to automate routine jobs such as user-account management and nightly backups. The commands run in the Windows Command shell, through cmd.exe, the command interpreter. Microsoft’s Windows commands overview covers the shell and batch-file use.
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A batch file is therefore best understood as an automation script, not an executable application format. It tells the command interpreter what to do when the script runs.
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Batch-file extensions and execution
.bat is the customary extension identified in Microsoft’s overview. Microsoft’s call documentation also refers to batch-program filenames ending in .bat or .cmd. Both are associated with command scripts, not PowerShell scripts. Microsoft’s call command reference explains how batch programs can be invoked.
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When a batch script runs, cmd.exe processes its commands in the command-shell environment. A variable reference such as %USERNAME% is replaced with the corresponding environment-variable value during execution. A child command interpreter inherits its parent’s environment, but changes made in the child do not change the parent’s environment. See Microsoft’s cmd documentation for the interpreter and variable behavior.
How batch files use parameters and other scripts
A batch program can receive parameters and use them in its commands. Microsoft documents positional parameters %0 through %9, along with %* for the full set of arguments. The call command can run another batch program and then let the parent continue, or transfer execution to a label in the same batch program. These features make it possible to reuse script logic and tailor a run to supplied arguments.
How batch files differ from PowerShell
The Windows Command shell and PowerShell are separate command-line shells. A batch file is written for the Windows Command shell; it is not a PowerShell script, and the two should not be treated as interchangeable languages or execution environments. Microsoft’s current guidance recommends PowerShell rather than Windows Commands or Windows Script Host for the most robust, up-to-date Windows automation. Read the Windows commands overview for that recommendation and the distinction between shells.
The cited Microsoft command references apply to Windows 10/11 and supported Windows Server releases, including Windows Server 2025. They document the command environment and syntax; they do not establish a performance advantage for either shell.
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