pause MS-DOS Command

Type: Internal (1.0 and later)

Syntax:

PAUSE [comment]

Purpose: Suspends execution of a batch file until a key is pressed.

Discussion

PAUSE suspends execution of the batch file and displays the message Strike a key when ready … With some versions of DOS, a comment may also be entered on the same line as PAUSE. The comment prompt is displayed before the Strike a key when ready message. For more information on using the PAUSE command and other batch commands, refer to Chapter 5, Using Batch Files.

Example

To suspend execution of a batch file and display the message Insert the target diskette in drive A, enter

pause Insert the target diskette in drive A