Start VDos minimized

[steve]

Hi Jos,

Hope you are keeping well.

Is there any way to start a vDos session with the vDos window minimized. I have a batch file that is launched from Win10 and the shortcut is set to have the window minimized but this refers to the cmd window that the batch file runs in, not the vDos window itself.

Cheers,
Steve

[Jos]

That seems a complicated one at first.

You would have to use START to force vDos minimized. Or start vDos.exe by a shortcut (set as minimized) by the batch file, instead of directly.

Jos

[steve]

Thanks for the quick response.

I couldn't get either of your suggestions to work - I think they both minimized the Win-10 cmd window that then invokes vDos.exe rather than the vDos window itself.

If it is not currently available as a vDos config option or command then I shall have to think of something else.

Regards,
Steve

[Jos]

My bad, vDos indeed shows its window no matter how it is started.
No option to prevent that, but I think no one needs that (except you).

Jos

[steve]

Not a problem - it was a nice-to-have which I can work round (or live with). Thanks for investigating it for me.

Regards,
Steve

[emendelson]

It isn't the same, but you can use an AutoIt script or something similar to minimize the vDos window as soon as it appears. Here is a compiled version of an AutoIt script that does this:

www.columbia.edu/~em36/vDosMinimize.exe

Place it in the same folder with vDos.exe; create a shortcut to it that runs minimized; or use "start /min vDosMinimize.exe" at the Windows command line.

It's codesigned, but your antivirus might flag it because some antivirus software flags all AutoIt executables. You can compile it yourself with the free AutoIt software; the script contains these three lines:

Run("vdos.exe", "", @sw_MINIMIZE)
WinWait("vDos")
WinSetState("vDos", "", @sw_MINIMIZE)

[steve]

Thank you, I shall give that a try!

Best regards,
Steve