Delay execution for a few seconds/minutes, for use within a batch file.
Syntax
SLEEP time
Key
time The number of seconds to pause
Pause for 10 seconds before running the next command in a batch file:
SLEEP 10
Alternative
A delay can also be produced by the PING command with a loopback address (127.0.0.1), in tests this consumes less processor time than Sleep.exe or Timeout.exe. The delay between each ping is 1 second, so for a delay of 5 seconds ping 6 times.
e.g. for a delay of 30 seconds:
PING -n 31 127.0.0.1>nul
See Clay Calvert's newsgroup posting for a full explanation of this technique.
“O sleep, O gentle sleep, nature's soft nurse, how have I frighted thee, that thou no more wilt weigh my eyelids down, and steep my senses in forgetfulness” ~ Shakespeare (Henry IV)
TIMEOUT - Delay execution for a few seconds/minutes (for use within a batch file.)
WAITFOR - Wait for or send a signal.
PING - Test a network connection.
WScript.Sleep - Sleep
Equivalent PowerShell: Start-Sleep - Suspend shell, script, or runspace activity (sleep)
Equivalent bash command: sleep - Delay for a specified time.