Show a popup/message box from a Windows batch file

Question

Is there a way to display a message box from a batch file (similar to how xmessage can be used from bash-scripts in Linux)?

Answer 1

Few more ways.

1) The geekiest and hackiest - it uses the IEXPRESS to create small exe that will create a pop-up with a single button (it can create two more types of pop-up messages). Works on EVERY windows from XP and above:

;@echo off
;setlocal

;set ppopup_executable=popupe.exe
;set "message2=click OK to continue"
;
;del /q /f %tmp%\yes >nul 2>&1
;
;copy /y "%~f0" "%temp%\popup.sed" >nul 2>&1

;(echo(FinishMessage=%message2%)>>"%temp%\popup.sed";
;(echo(TargetName=%cd%\%ppopup_executable%)>>"%temp%\popup.sed";
;(echo(FriendlyName=%message1_title%)>>"%temp%\popup.sed"
;
;iexpress /n /q /m %temp%\popup.sed
;%ppopup_executable%
;rem del /q /f %ppopup_executable% >nul 2>&1

;pause

;endlocal
;exit /b 0


[Version]
Class=IEXPRESS
SEDVersion=3
[Options]
PackagePurpose=InstallApp
ShowInstallProgramWindow=1
HideExtractAnimation=1
UseLongFileName=0
InsideCompressed=0
CAB_FixedSize=0
CAB_ResvCodeSigning=0
RebootMode=N
InstallPrompt=%InstallPrompt%
DisplayLicense=%DisplayLicense%
FinishMessage=%FinishMessage%
TargetName=%TargetName%
FriendlyName=%FriendlyName%
AppLaunched=%AppLaunched%
PostInstallCmd=%PostInstallCmd%
AdminQuietInstCmd=%AdminQuietInstCmd%
UserQuietInstCmd=%UserQuietInstCmd%
SourceFiles=SourceFiles
[SourceFiles]
SourceFiles0=C:\Windows\System32\
[SourceFiles0]
%FILE0%=


[Strings]
AppLaunched=subst.exe
PostInstallCmd=<None>
AdminQuietInstCmd=
UserQuietInstCmd=
FILE0="subst.exe"
DisplayLicense=
InstallPrompt=

2) Using MSHTA. Also works on every windows machine from XP and above (despite the OP do not want "external" languages the JavaScript here is minimized). Should be saved as .bat:

@if (true == false) @end /*!
@echo off
mshta "about:<script src='file://%~f0'></script><script>close()</script>" %*
goto :EOF */

alert("Hello, world!");

or in one line:

mshta "about:<script>alert('Hello, world!');close()</script>"

or

mshta "javascript:alert('message');close()"

or

mshta.exe vbscript:Execute("msgbox ""message"",0,""title"":close")

3) Here's parameterized .bat/jscript hybrid (should be saved as bat). It again uses JavaScript despite the OP request but as it is a bat it can be called as a bat file without worries. It uses POPUP which allows a little bit more control than the more popular MSGBOX. It uses WSH, but not MSHTA like in the example above.

 @if (@x)==(@y) @end /***** jscript comment ******
     @echo off

     cscript //E:JScript //nologo "%~f0" "%~nx0" %*
     exit /b 0

 @if (@x)==(@y) @end ******  end comment *********/


var wshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell");
var args=WScript.Arguments;
var title=args.Item(0);

var timeout=-1;
var pressed_message="button pressed";
var timeout_message="timed out";
var message="";

function printHelp() {
    WScript.Echo(title + "[-title Title] [-timeout m] [-tom \"Time-out message\"] [-pbm \"Pressed button message\"]  [-message \"pop-up message\"]");
}

if (WScript.Arguments.Length==1){
    runPopup();
    WScript.Quit(0);
}

if (args.Item(1).toLowerCase() == "-help" || args.Item(1).toLowerCase() == "-h" ) {
    printHelp();
    WScript.Quit(0);
}

if (WScript.Arguments.Length % 2 == 0 ) {
    WScript.Echo("Illegal arguments ");
    printHelp();
    WScript.Quit(1);
}

for (var arg = 1 ; arg<args.Length;arg=arg+2) {

    if (args.Item(arg).toLowerCase() == "-title") {
        title = args.Item(arg+1);
    }

    if (args.Item(arg).toLowerCase() == "-timeout") {
        timeout = parseInt(args.Item(arg+1));
        if (isNaN(timeout)) {
            timeout=-1;
        }
    }

    if (args.Item(arg).toLowerCase() == "-tom") {
        timeout_message = args.Item(arg+1);
    }

    if (args.Item(arg).toLowerCase() == "-pbm") {
        pressed_message = args.Item(arg+1);
    }

    if (args.Item(arg).toLowerCase() == "-message") {
        message = args.Item(arg+1);
    }
}

function runPopup(){
    var btn = wshShell.Popup(message, timeout, title, 0x0 + 0x10);

    switch(btn) {
        // button pressed.
        case 1:
            WScript.Echo(pressed_message);
            break;

        // Timed out.
        case -1:
           WScript.Echo(timeout_message);
           break;
    }
}

runPopup();

4) and one jscript.net/.bat hybrid (should be saved as .bat) .This time it uses .NET and compiles a small .exe file that could be deleted:

@if (@X)==(@Y) @end /****** silent jscript comment ******

@echo off
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::       compile the script    ::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
setlocal


::if exist "%~n0.exe" goto :skip_compilation

:: searching the latest installed .net framework
for /f "tokens=* delims=" %%v in ('dir /b /s /a:d /o:-n "%SystemRoot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v*"') do (
    if exist "%%v\jsc.exe" (
        rem :: the javascript.net compiler
        set "jsc=%%~dpsnfxv\jsc.exe"
        goto :break_loop
    )
)
echo jsc.exe not found && exit /b 0
:break_loop



call %jsc% /nologo /out:"%~n0.exe" "%~f0" 
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::       end of compilation    ::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:skip_compilation

::
::::::::::
"%~n0.exe" %*
::::::::
::
endlocal
exit /b 0

****** end of jscript comment ******/

import System;
import System.Windows;
import System.Windows.Forms

var arguments:String[] = Environment.GetCommandLineArgs();
MessageBox.Show(arguments[1],arguments[0]);

5) and at the end one single call to powershell that creates a pop-up (can be called from command line or from batch if powershell is installed):

powershell [Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("""System.Windows.Forms""");[Windows.Forms.MessageBox]::show("""Hello World""", """My PopUp Message Box""")

6) And the dbenham's approach seen here

start "" cmd /c "echo(&echo(&echo              Hello world!     &echo(&pause>nul"

7) For a system tray notifications you can try this:

call SystemTrayNotification.bat  -tooltip warning -time 3000 -title "Woow" -text "Boom" -icon question

Answer 2

Following on @Fowl's answer, you can improve it with a timeout to only appear for 10 seconds using the following:

mshta "javascript:var sh=new ActiveXObject( 'WScript.Shell' ); sh.Popup( 'Message!', 10, 'Title!', 64 );close()"

See here for more details.

Answer 3

Msg * "insert your message here"

works fine, just save as a .bat file in notepad or make sure the format is set to "all files"

Answer 4

This application can do that, if you convert (wrap) your batch files into executable files.

---

1. Simple Messagebox

   %extd% /messagebox Title Text
   

---

2. Error Messagebox

   %extd% /messagebox  Error "Error message" 16
   

3. Cancel Try Again Messagebox

   %extd% /messagebox Title "Try again or Cancel" 5
   

---

4) "Never ask me again" Messagebox

%extd% /messageboxcheck Title Message 0 {73E8105A-7AD2-4335-B694-94F837A38E79}

Answer 5

You can invoke dll function from user32.dll i think Something like

Rundll32.exe user32.dll, MessageBox (0, "text", "titleText", {extra flags for like topmost messagebox e.t.c})

Typing it from my Phone, don't judge me... otherwise i would link the extra flags.

Answer 6

I use a utility named msgbox.exe from here: http://www.paulsadowski.com/WSH/cmdprogs.htm