start /wait command not working in batch file with sfc.exe /scannow

Hi ScumPuppy,

Unfortunately this will not work since SFC.exe , or Windows File Protection scan (in windows XP at least) is not running under SFC.exe but under different service.

SFC.exe just executes Winlogon.exe function that scans the files for Windows File Protection, so the result you see where START /WAIT command is not working is actually true since SFC.exe just executes the function and then closes immediately. Winlogon.exe is the process that actually shows you the Windows File Protection scan and progress screen. And you can't really wait for Winlogon to close in your batch file since this process is a core system process and is always on.

What you can use is this:

tasklist /FI "WINDOWTITLE eq Windows File Protection" | FIND "winlogon.exe"

Command above will look for a window title called "Windows File Protection" and will PIPE that command to FIND command that will look for "winlogon.exe" and if it DOESN'T find it, it will be at ERRORLEVEL 1

Example script below can demonstrate this:

Hope this helps :-)

@echo off
 
:check
CLS
ECHO Checking...
ping -n 2 127.0.0.1>nul
tasklist /FI "WINDOWTITLE eq Windows File Protection" | FIND "winlogon.exe"
IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO :execute
goto :wait
 
:wait
CLS
ECHO Windows File Protection still running...
ECHO Waiting 5 seconds
ping -n 2 127.0.0.1>nul
CLS
ECHO Windows File Protection still running...
ECHO Waiting 4 second
ping -n 2 127.0.0.1>nul
CLS
ECHO Windows File Protection still running...
ECHO Waiting 3 seconds
ping -n 2 127.0.0.1>nul
CLS
ECHO Windows File Protection still running...
ECHO Waiting 2 seconds
ping -n 2 127.0.0.1>nul
CLS
ECHO Windows File Protection still running...
ECHO Waiting 1 second
ping -n 2 127.0.0.1>nul
goto :check
 
:execute
ECHO Executing command
 
goto :end
 
:end

                                              

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1. Using colon in goto is not recommended by MS. It does not harm, however.
2. the goto :wait is superfluous. No code between goto and the label
3. The wait part could be a bit compressed (see below)
4. I would check every second, and instead count up the wait time so you have visual feedback how long SFC went.

:wait
for /L %%C in (5,-1,0) do (
  CLS
  ECHO Windows File Protection still running...
  ECHO Waiting %%C seconds
  ping -n 2 127.0.0.1>nul
)
goto :check

                                              

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Hubasan and Qlemo

Thanks for the comments, this sounds very promising.. I will try this when Im next back at work on friday and will update my findings on here :)

Sounds VERY promising :)

Thanks.. will get back to you both!!

Hi guys

Ive tried both versions and it still doesnt work. It runs sfc.exe but the batch file continues to progress whilst sfc is running.

To test its working Im putting a line after it like:

ECHO Test to see if its worked
pause

so if this is working it shouldnt say that line on the screen OR pause the batch and ask to 'press any key' to continue until after the sfc.exe utility  has finished running. unfortunately it goes straight to that point as soon as it starts running :(

any other ideas?

It works for me, but I've a German system, so window title is not the same. Please execute the tasklist command alone
tasklist /FI "WINDOWTITLE eq Windows File Protection"  /v
while sfc runs, to see if the filter is correct.

when i run the tasklist on its own whilst sfc is running I get:

ERROR: not found

so when it works for you does the batch file stay open and not move to the next command until the sfc.exe progress bar has finished? Its not working for me :(

This is more than strange. tasklist without anything is bringing a list of running processes, I hope? I can't sort that error message into any category I would know of:
- if tasklist would not be found, a message   command not found ...   would appear
- if tasklist would not found the filtered process, it outputs an INFORMATIONAL message, no ERROR.

I run sfc.exe /scannow

whilst its running i then type:

tasklist /FI "WINDOWTITLE eq Windows File protection" /v

The following appears directly under it:

ERROR: Not found

Please try
tasklist
alone!

And if that works,
tasklist /v
while sfc is running.

if i run sfc.exe /scannow and then type:

tasklist

I get:

ERROR: not found.

Rather than look for the window named Windows File Protection would it be an idea to look for the process of winlogon.exe?

I dunno.. Im scratching at straws :(

All I want it to do is not go to the next line down until the scan has finished, so if you are testing it can you put a pause at the end of everything and see if it gives you the pause once the scan has completed or if it gives it you straight away while the scan is in progress (as it does currently for me)?

thanks for your time by the way :)

Are we talking about Windows XP here? Please try to search for tasklist.exe, it should be found in your windows\system32 folder.

And no, WinLogon is a process always running, it just opens a message box with the progress bar, and that window we have to catch. At the moment, I do not know of other means than tasklist to find the window from commandline.

Yes, sorry, I should have said, it is windows XP and yes tasklist.exe is present in sys32

In this case you have serious trouble. It appears to me that some required DLLs are not working. Have a look into your EventLog if some errors report there.