start, wstart -- start a new program in another window

SYNOPSIS

start [-ABbchlmNnrwx] [-D dtopname] [-d dir] [-p x y] [-s w h] [-S c r] [-t title] command [args...]

wstart [-ABbhlmnrwx] [-D dtopname] [-d dir] [-p x y] [-s w h] [-S c r] [-t title] command [args...]

start lets you run a separate program in a new window. It also allows you to specify the location and size of the new window on your screen. command is the program that you want to run in the window, and args are the arguments to that command.

wstart is a Windows application rather than a console application; no console window is created when a command is invoked with wstart. If a command invoked with wstart does not contain graphical elements, nothing appears on screen.

General Options

start accepts the following general options:

-b

runs command in the background as a detached process (no new window is created). However, windows for subprocesses started by command are created.

-c

creates the desktop dtopname specified by the -D option if it does not already exist. If you do not also specify -D, this option is ignored.

This option is available only on 10/2016/2019/11/2022/2025.

-D dtopname

runs command on another desktop named dtopname. If the specified desktop does not exist, you can create it by also specifying the -c option.

This option is available only on 10/2016/2019/11/2022/2025.

-d dir

sets the default directory for command.

-N

runs command in the background as a detached process (no new window is created). Unlike the -b option, no windows are created for subprocesses started by command.

-t title

specifies the text that is displayed as the title of the new window.

-v

runs the specified 16-bit Windows application in its own virtual machine.

-w

waits for command to finish before start returns. If -w is not specified, start returns immediately.

Priority Options

start accepts the following options to set priority levels:

-A: sets command's priority to above normal. Above normal priority ranks above normal but below high.
-B: sets command's priority to below normal. Above normal priority ranks below normal but above low.
-l: sets command's priority to low.
-n: sets command's priority to normal.
-h: sets command's priority to high.
-r: sets command's priority to realtime. realtime is the highest priority setting to start.

Window Options

start accepts the following options to determine new window settings:

-m: starts the new window minimized.
-p x y: sets the top left position (x y) of the new window. Any negative setting for either x or y is taken as relative from the bottom right corner.
-s w h: specifies the size of the new window. The new window has a width or w and a height of h, both in pixels.
-S c r: specifies the number of text columns (c) and rows (r) in the new window. Note that the smallest window you can create with -S is 80 characters wide and 25 characters high.
-x: starts the new window at maximum size. Note that the -x option overrides any previous setting given with the -p option.

EXAMPLES

To open a new window at maximum size and wait until the program is finished before re-starting the current window, you would enter

start -wx command args...

To open a new window that is 85 x 45, located on the screen at position 10 10, and run the new program as the highest priority, enter

start -rp 10 10 -S 85 45 command args...

DIAGNOSTICS

0: Successful.
1: Could not open window.
2: Failure due to an invalid command line argument.

PORTABILITY

Windows 10. Windows Server 2016. Windows Server 2019. Windows 11. Windows Server 2022. Windows Server 2025.

AVAILABILITY

PTC MKS Toolkit for Power Users
PTC MKS Toolkit for System Administrators
PTC MKS Toolkit for Developers
PTC MKS Toolkit for Interoperability
PTC MKS Toolkit for Professional Developers
PTC MKS Toolkit for Professional Developers 64-Bit Edition
PTC MKS Toolkit for Enterprise Developers
PTC MKS Toolkit for Enterprise Developers 64-Bit Edition

start, wstart
start a new program in another window

Command