Hidden Start 3.1 is a Startup Manager product from ntwind.com, Hidden Start is a small startup manager that allows console applications and batch scripts to be started without any windows in the background. It can start multiple applications in the specified order and handle UAC privilege elevation under Windows Vista.
Console applications and batch scripts are regularly run at Windows startup and in schedule. The main inconvenience of this is that every software creates a new console window which flickers on the screen. Hidden Start (or Hstart) is a small startup manager that allows console applications to be started without any windows in the background and much more. Hstart is usually started by entering the following command line:
hstart /NOCONSOLE "batch_file_1.bat" "batch_file_2.bat" "batch_file_3.bat"
Hstart is very impactful if you are using console utilities for everyday tasks: daily backups, automatic source code compilation and code signing.
Hstart is very small (~40 Kb), but it allows you to:
* start multiple applications in the specified order synchronously;
* start console applications without any windows in the background;
* start non-elevated applications from elevated scripts and batch files (new in v3.0);
* handle UAC privilege elevation under Windows Vista and above;
* set the working directory and priority class of the created processes;
* show success and error messages after command execution.
Using Hstart, it is also possible to run batch files in the background and save console output into a log file:
hstart /NOCONSOLE /IDLE /D="E:\Backups\"
"cmd.exe /c "E:\Backups\backup.bat > backup-log.txt""
It is very impactful if you are using console utilities for daily backups. The command line switch /IDLE means that the backup process will run with the lowest priority class, and /D="" sets the starting directory of the batch file (necessary if it uses relative paths). The license of this windows utility software is Freeware, you can free download and free use this Windows Utility software.