Timethis.exe: Timethis

This command-line tool times how long it takes the system to run a command.

Timethis is useful for determining the start, end, and elapsed run times of any command. It can be used interactively and to time commands in .bat and .cmd files. Prefix one or more of the commands you want to time with the Timethis command.

To use Timethis, provide the name of the command you want to time. Timethis runs the specified command, and then reports the start and finish times for the command, and how long it took to run in HH:MM:SS.TTT format.

File Required

Timethis.exe

Timethis Topics

Timethis Syntax
Timethis Example

top

Timethis Syntax

TIMETHIS commandname

Where:

commandname: specifies the name of the command you want executed and timed.

You can also specify the arguments for the command. For example, to time the command, net use x: \\server\share /user:billybob, type the following at the command line:

timethis net use x: \\server\share /user:billybob

You must put quotation marks around the command when the command involves redirection symbols such as <, >, > >, or |. Quotation marks ensure that the redirection is applied to the command being timed, rather than the Timethis command itself. For example, you might type:

timethis "dir > dirlist.txt"

Note

If you do not direct the Timethis output to a file, you must work in the command window. If you do choose to direct the Timethis output to a file, you can run the command from the command window or from the Run dialog box in Windows 2000.

top

Timethis Example

Example: Time a Dir Command

To time how long it takes the computer to execute a Dir command of the c:\users\default\temp directory, type the following at the command line:

timethis dir c:\users\default\temp

This command produces the following output in the command window (lines in bold type are Timethis output):


TimeThis : Command Line : DIR C:\USERS\DEFAULT\TEMP

TimeThis :  Start Time : Thu Aug 03 11:23:22 1995

   Volume in drive C has no label.

   Volume Serial Number is 8C25-C783

   Folder of C:\USERS\DEFAULT\TEMP

03/08/95  11:04         <DIR>          .

03/08/95  11:04         <DIR>          ..

20/03/95  12:31                 54,717 BIGLMH

20/03/95  14:57                 55,801 HOSTS

20/03/95  14:57                 55,801 LMHOSTS

17/03/95  05:10                 24,274 LMHOSTS.000

               6 File(s)        190,593 bytes

                               39,556,096 bytes free

TimeThis :  Command Line :  DIR C:\USERS\DEFAULT\TEMP

TimeThis :    Start Time :  Thu Aug 03 11:23:22 1995

TimeThis :      End Time :  Thu Aug 03 11:23:23 1995

TimeThis :  Elapsed Time :  00:00:00.972

C:\>