How to launch .BAT file inside HTML?

[jbfarley]

I am having problems with a shockwave .EXE that leaks memory like the dickens. At launch, it loops a welcome screen until a user touches the screen/clicks the mouse, and then it plays all the way through to the end. The memory leakage is coming from the welcome loop. After sitting there looping a lot, the programs eats up too much memory and crashes.

You can prevent crashes by manually quitting and restarting the .EXE, but this is supposed to be run on a standalone kiosk.

I do not have access to the source code; otherwise, I'd have the .EXE quit at the end.

I'm trying a solution that looks like this:

1) At startup, launch local HTML file with graphic saying "Press to begin."

2) On press or click, launch local batch file.

3) batch file opens the .EXE and starts a countdown.

4) At end of countdown, batch file restarts computer. Back to step 1.

Inelegant, but the only solution I can think of. But because of the security risk of HTML opening .BATs, I can't find a way to make this work.

I can set security on the machine to allow ActiveX objects to run. Problem is, I have no skills with ActiveX.

Anybody know a good way to do this in java, launching a local batch file from a local HTML? Or does anyone feel up to giving a noob some ActiveX help? (Also, does anyone use ActiveX anymore? Should I be trying .NET (which I know even less about?))

Alternately, anybody know how to make Windows autolaunch a hyperlinked-to .BAT file, instead popping up the "Do you want to run, save, or cancel?"?

Thanks for taking the time to read this!