You can call DOS apps and batch files using the SHELL command, like this:
Shell "c:\bats\mybat.bat", vbNormalFocus
But a word of warning: Access will continue to run processes behind the DOS window; if you want to force Access to wait until the batch file has terminated, do this:
-make a little text file called 'notdone.txt' (it doesn't matter what the text file contains, I usually just put the word 'blah' in there, but you might want something like 'please do not delete this file; it is used as part of system x')
-In your batch file, add the following line right at the end:
Copy notdone.txt done.txt
-Then alter your VBA call to the batch file to look like this:
'delete the indicator file if it is already there (like if the app crashed midway last time)
If dir("c:\done.txt") <> "" Then Kill "c:\done.txt"
'start the batch file
Shell "c:\bats\mybat.bat", vbNormalFocus
'wait until the indicator file is copied
While Dir("c:\done.txt") = ""
Wend
'delete the file and carry on as normal
Kill "c:\done.txt"
Hope this helps
Mike
[This message has been edited by Mike Gurman (edited 10-19-2000).]
