[Fix] Windows Batch Files (.bat) do not run when double-clicked

When you double-click a Windows batch file (.bat) or a .cmd file, one of the following symptoms may happen:

  1. The error “Windows cannot find ‘filename.bat’. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again.” occurs when you run a .bat or a .cmd file.
  2. The batch file opens a Command Prompt window, but its commands don’t execute.
  3. Notepad or any other text editor opens the batch file.

Cause

The user may have inadvertently associated .bat files with a text editor, or associated .bat files with cmd.exe, or tampered with the settings in the registry. Once you set a file association for .bat files using the Open with dialog or default programs, there is no way to revert to the default setting using the user interface. The only way to fix it is by changing the settings in the registry.

The error Windows cannot find ‘filename.cmd’ or ‘filename.bat’ occurs if the COMSPEC environment variable is incorrect.

Resolution

Windows Batch file (.bat) and .cmd files are special file types that you can run or automate commands. The Command Prompt reads and interprets the batch/cmd file and runs each command specified in the file.

Step 1: Fix the COMPSPEC variable

If you receive the error “Windows cannot find ‘filename” when running a .bat or a .cmd file, fix the COMSPEC variable.

Open an admin Command Prompt window and run:

setx ComSpec %SystemRoot%\system32\cmd.exe /m

Press Enter.

comspec setx

You should see the message SUCCESS: Specified value was saved in the output.

Exit the Command Prompt window.

The above step should fix the error “Windows cannot find ‘filename’ when running .bat or .cmd files.

Step 2: Fix the .BAT file association

To fix symptoms 2 & 3 explained earlier, the .bat file association must be repaired.

Method 1: Use .BAT/.cmd file association registry fix

  1. Download the .bat fix or .cmd fix for Windows 10/11 from the file association fixes page.
  2. Unzip the archive and double-click the enclosed registry file.
  3. Click Yes when you’re asked for confirmation to continue.
  4. Click OK.

Method 2: Fix the .BAT file association manually

  1. Start the Registry Editor (regedit.exe)
  2. Go to the following key: 
    HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.bat
  3. Set the (default) value data to batfile
  4. Go to the following key: 
    HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\batfile\shell
  5. In the right-pane, make sure that the (default) value data is not set. It should read as value not set. In case you see some other text there, then right-click the (default) value and choose Delete.
  6. Then, proceed to the following key: 
    HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\batfile\shell\open\command
  7. Double-click (default) and set its value data to: 
    "%1" %*
  8. Go to the following branch: 
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.bat

    The values present under one of its subkeys (OpenWithList, OpenWithProgids and UserChoice) may be causing the problem.

  9. Right-click on the .bat key, and choose Delete. Click Yes when prompted for confirmation. Don’t worry! This registry key and its three subkeys are trivial, and they’re only required if you want to override the .bat file association defaults.
  10. Exit the Registry Editor.

Automate the above steps using REG file

To automate the steps listed in Method 2 using a REG file, do the following..

  1. Open Notepad.
  2. Copy the following lines and paste them into Notepad. 
    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\.bat]
@="batfile"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\batfile\shell]
@=-

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\batfile\shell\open\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"

[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.bat]
  3. Save the file with any name having the .reg extension, say fix_bat.reg
  4. Double-click fix_bat.reg to apply the configuration in the registry. Click Yes when prompted for confirmation.

That’s it! You’ve now fixed the batch file association settings. Batch files should now execute correctly when double-clicked.

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Ramesh Srinivasan is passionate about Microsoft technologies and he has been a consecutive ten-time recipient of the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional award in the Windows Shell/Desktop Experience category, from 2003 to 2012. He loves to troubleshoot and write about Windows. Ramesh founded Winhelponline.com in 2005.

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25 thoughts on “[Fix] Windows Batch Files (.bat) do not run when double-clicked”

  1. thanks for the information.

    i got rid of the problem through the reset this pc icon
    i bet your solution would work if i followed your method.

    Reply

  2. I followed your manual registry method. All the keys were already correct, so all I did was delete the .bat key as instructed. It had no effect. *.bat files still don’t execute in Win10. The just open in notepad.

    Reply

  4. Hi
    I have another Question
    I open a bat file with notepad and now all of my bat file open with note pad How I can make my bat file RUN on my windows???
    I use windows 7

    Reply

  6. I tried all the methods, still my windows batch file doesn’t open. The command prompt either flashes and goes off or nothing happens when I try to open the file. Can you help please?
    I was able to open the file before a few weeks

    Reply

    • @Viswes: That means the .bat file association is not the issue here. Adding the Pause command in between your batch file code would tell what’s happening when the file runs.

  8. It’s a file downloaded from the internet and it runs correctly for others,
    is there any other thing I can do open the file. Thank you so much for your help.

    Reply

  9. I tried to follow the steps, but they are not working. Furthermore, now also other software have problems. How can I ripristinate the subkeys (OpenWithList, OpenWithProgids and UserChoice) that I deleted?
    Thank you.

    Matteo

    Reply

    • @Matteo:

      Here’s the default registry entries for .bat under Fileexts

      Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.bat]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.bat\OpenWithList]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.bat\OpenWithProgids]
"batfile"=hex(0):

      The UserChoice key doesn’t exist by default.

  10. I tried all of these (including the .[@echo hi / @pause] bat file and bat files still open in a text editor. Anything else I can try?

    Reply

  11. Well, after trying all of these methods to modify the regedit, it didn’t work. I’m sure I did something wrong. The problem is the system think the bat file is a text file. Simply rename it in explorer, will not work. But if you use the command to rename it back to the *.bat, it will work.
    CMD into the directory where you have the bat file. You will see your bat file has an extension like *.bat.txt. Use the command ren file.bat.txt file.bat. It should rename it back to the correct *.bat file format. Now it works… for me.

    Reply

  12. I have had this issue for a while and I knew something had changed the ability to run commands and batch files so I eventualy got around to it today.
    I never thought it would be so simple!
    IU merely copied your REG file commands into a txt doc and saved it as fixbat.reg. I ran the file and hey presto, the batchfile I had been trying to run just worked right away!
    THANK YOU!

    Reply

  13. This article does not help. I don’t have .bat associated with a text editor and the shell window just opens for a split second. Where’s the explanation and workaround for “The batch file opens a Command Prompt window but its commands doesn’t execute.”?

    Reply

  14. The registry keys are not there.
    HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\batfile\shell and HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\batfile\shell\open\command don’t exist.

    Reply

  15. Hi, I am getting this message while running .bat file it says “Windows cannot find ‘C\Program Files\MPV\mpv-install.bat’. Make sure you have typed the name correctly, and then try again.

    Reply

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