opening multiple pdf documents using batch file

Question

Hello,

I am trying to open several pdf documents using a simple batch file:

ECHO OFF CLS cd Program Files\Adobe\Reader 9.0\Reader Acrord32.exe C:\Users\BW1.pdf Acrord32.exe C:\Users\BW2.pdf Acrord32.exe C:\Users\BW3.pdf Acrord32.exe C:\Users\BW4.pdf Acrord32.exe C:\Users\BW5.pdf Acrord32.exe C:\Users\BW6.pdf EXIT

The above batch file opens the first pdf only, then waits until I close it for the next pdf file to open. How can I have all the pdf documents open at the same time? (Like going to Acrobat Reader, file->Open->xx.pdf)

Thank you for any help Dmitri

Answer 1

Use start:

start acrord32.exe 1.pdf
start acrord32.exe 2.pdf
start acrord32.exe 3.pdf

Or even (as Johannes Rössel suggests in the comment below):

start 1.pdf
start 2.pdf
start 3.pdf

Would probably work as well (depending on your default PDF viewer).

A list of other available batch commands.

Answer 2

Have you tried whether Acrobat Reader allows for more files on the commandline, ie.

start acrord32.exe 1.pdf 2.pdf 3.pdf

Answer 3

Thank you!

Using start did the trick. I had to use start as many times as the number of pdf documents I want to open. For some reason

start acrord32.exe 1.pdf 2.pdf 3.pdf

opens only the first document. So I guess Acrobat reader might not allow for more files on the command line.

I rally appreciate your answers.

Answer 4

Has anyone tried opening pdf file in browser or iframe. i need that and start or acrord32 opens in new window always. i want to open in the same window from where th ethe page having vbscript is run.

by the way, Acrord32.exe 1.pdf 2.pdf 3.pdf works; it opens multiple pdf files in different broswers.

Answer 5

For me it works even without the start command. I use:

c:\path\to\my.pdf

in cmd.exe windows frequently, and it always opens Acrobat Reader (my default viewer on Windows). In a batchfile I've written to generate PDF via Ghostscript, my last two lines are:

"%ouptutpath%\%outputfile%.pdf"
"%outputpath%\%outputfile%-optimized.pdf"

which automatically opens both generated PDFs in two different Reader windows. (My %outputpath% contains spaces, the %outputfile% may also have some...)