I found the following text on Google which may help. Someone with more time and DOS experience may want to look at any changes needed for the Windows Cron tool to make it work correctly on all versions of Windows:
This article discusses the seven situations that we've found
can affect automatic closure of a Batch process window.
They're discussed starting with the most common ones first.
The general principle is that: when a Batch process finishes,
and any text generated by the process remains viewable,
Windows re-titles the DVM (Dos box) window so it reads:
"Finished - ScriptName"
and _keeps_ it open. This is so that the text can be read.
If you want the DVM process window to close automatically
at the end of the run, work through these seven solutions:
==1) Scripts run with the initial command @ECHO OFF
Many scripts use @ECHO OFF to prevent the script commands
echoing during the run. For these scripts, if you make sure the
process window is clear of text as the batch script terminates,
Windows will normally close the DVM automatically. The typical
way to do this is to make sure that:
CLS
is used to clear any text before the script finishes. It doesn't have
to be the last command, but there should be no other commands
writing any text display and/or colour changes to screen afterwards.
==2) Scripts run with command echoing left on
If you are not running the script with @ECHO OFF, Windows
leaves the process window open (re-titled "Finished ScriptName")
even if you end the Batch script with an unechoed clear-screen
command: @CLS
Typically you'll be running a script this way for debugging
purposes, and the reason the DVM isn't closed is the
assumption that you'll want to see any debug results, even
a _null_ result.
If you _don't_ want to use @ECHO OFF to turn off command
echoing, but you _do_ nevertheless want the DVM window to
close automatically, you need to end such scripts with the
_two_ commands:
@CLS
@EXIT
(in each case, the @ turns off command echoing for one line only)
==3) Scripts that set coloured backgrounds (usually with ANSI.SYS)
Windows treats coloured backgrounds remaining as a reason
not to close the DVM. To close the DVM process window
automatically, you will normally need to clear the coloured
foreground/background to standard light-grey on black, and, if
necessary, follow the steps for either case (1) or case (2) above
==4) Scripts run from a .PIF shortcut
Right-click the .BAT script and click "Create shortcut" then
right-click the shortcut and click Properties, Program Tab, and
make sure the check-box "Close on exit" _is_ checked. When
run from the shortcut, the script should now close on exit even
when text remains or coloured backgrounds are still set when
the script finishes (such script windows _won't_ normally close
when _not_ run from the shortcut).
==5) Scripts where all the above techniques appear to fail
If the DVM process window remains despite using all the
appropriate methods above, it's normally because the
script hasn't actually "finished". Typically due to a script
error. Check the process window title, and you should
find it doesn't have "Finished" as the initial word, and
when you close the window manually you'll normally
see the "Windows cannot shut down this program
automatically...etc" dialogue box.
The script fault needs to be removed. Check the window
title, and it should show the name of the uncompleted
sub-process, which will give clues. Often, a complex
script that uses child shells will fail to close them all -
in this case COMMAND or similar will remain in the
process window title.
In these cases, you need to debug the Batch script and
get it working properly. Windows will only close a DVM
process window if the process has genuinely completed,
and control has been returned to the Windows Operating
System.
==6) Script apparently fine, but: "Windows cannot shut down etc"
Sometimes, you find that a DVM window occasionally,
but not always, hangs and gives the: "Windows cannot
shut down this program automatically...etc" dialogue box
when you try to close it manually. But you're sure the
script has finished properly.
This can sometimes happen when you've started other
GUI processes (with the START command - with or without
the /wait switch). If you've used the /wait switch, the DVM
will, of course, wait for the GUI thread it started to finish.
However, when this happens without the /wait switch, it
may be due to delays in passing inter-process messages
(particularly on a heavily-loaded system) This leaves the
START command unresolved. Usually, a delay inserted
into the script near the end, or a re-working of the point at
which the START command is used will fix it.
==7) "Your Pop-Up Program Is Ready to Run"
Occasionally, even when your script fulfils _all_ the
requirements above, the process window fails to close
and you see the message:
"Your Pop-Up Program Is Ready to Run"
displayed in the window.
This is caused by uncompleted TSR (terminate and
stay resident) software actions. Typically:
a) You're loading a TSR in AUTOEXEC.BAT or your
script which is incompatible with VMM32 memory
management of the DVM
b) You're loading DosKey with the undocumented /APPEDIT
switch, probably in AUTOEXEC.BAT or CMDINIT.BAT in WinME
(this extends DosKey functionality inside some commands,
such as Debug). This often interferes with closure of DVM windows.
c) You're using the undocumented feature
[386Enh]
LocalLoadHigh=1
in SYSTEM.INI (this setting slightly increases the simulated
"real-mode" sub 640K memory available to DVM processes).
Obviously, if you're doing any of the above, then try _not_
doing it. However, the problem can sometimes be fixed,
without the need to stop doing (a), (b) or (c). Try altering
any upper memory optimisation strategy you're using in
AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS (loading individual
commands high, MEMMAKER loading locations, change
the value of LASTDRIVE, etc). The idea here is that it can
alter memory usage and possibly remove the conflict.
Also read the Microsoft Knowledge Base Article:
Windows Msg: Your Pop-Up Program Is Ready to Run
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q85/6/43.ASP
