what you need to do is throw away you batch file and start over in this new language…

Mainly a cross post to say “me too!” or “I agree completely!”.
I am referring to this blog post:

“[…]
For example, in response to “How do I write a batch file that…” some people will say, “First, install “. This doesn’t actually solve the problem; it merely replaces it with a different problem.
In particular, if the solution begins with “First, install…” you’ve pretty much lost out of the gate. Solving a five-minute problem by taking a half hour to download and install a program is a net loss.
[…]
So be careful when you suggest a solution that has a high activation energy. Sure, something could be taken care of by a one-line perl script, but getting perl onto the machine is hardly a one-line endeavor.
[…]”