I'm trying to run a batch file from within Excel. The batch file zips
up two files and renames the zip file with the date and time. It
works fine when run in a DOS box, but when run from Excel, all I get
is a DOS box flashing up *very* briefly, and that's it: the zip file
isn't created.

I'm very much a novice when it comes to VBA. I've tried various bits
of code that I've found, but mostly they are smilar to this:

Sub RunBatchFile()

Dim RetVal
RetVal = Shell("G:\From G Data\Data Files & Test Programs\Work
Data\zipbatch.bat", 1)

End Sub

I've also tried some 'Shell and Wait' code which I have to admit were
a bit over my head. However, one of them ran the Windows Calculator,
and didn't complete until you'd closed Calculator. That worked
perfectly, but when I substituted the name of my batch file (together
with its full path) for "calc.exe", again, all I got was a very brief
DOS Box, and no output zip file.

If it's any help, my batch file looks like this:

"C:\Program Files\System Utilities\WinZip\wzzip" "g:\From G Data\Data
Files & Test Programs\Work Data\temp.zip" files "g:\From G Data\Data
Files & Test Programs\Work Data\London 9100 Revisions.xls" "g:\From G
Data\Data Files & Test Programs\Work Data\test auto.xls"

set d=%date:~-4,4%%date:~-7,2%%date:~0,2%
set d=%d: =_%
set t=%time:~0,2%%time:~3,2%
set t=%t: =0%

RENAME "g:\From G Data\Data Files & Test Programs\Work Data\temp.zip"
"IF098_132%d%%t%.zip"

pause

Any ideas where I might be going wrong?

Many thanks in advance for any help,

Chris.