I know I must be making a simple syntax mistake, but I want to have a windows batch file that fires up 9 instances of R and runs a different routine in each one. I want these to run simultaneously (i.e. asynchronously). I can fire up 9 command prompt windows and type a command in each one, but it seems like with the START command I should be able to make them start from a single batch file. 

Here's an example of how I start one of the instances of R:

```
"C:\Program Files (x86)\R\R-2.8.1\bin\R" CMD BATCH "C:\Users\jd\Documents\mexico\Estado\getdata1.r" 

```

Reading this [previous stackoverflow question](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/72671/how-to-create-batch-file-in-windows-using-start-with-a-path-and-command-with-sp) along with [this previous question](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/154075/using-the-dos-start-command-with-parameters-passed-to-the-started-program) makes me think I should be able to do this:

```
START "" "C:\Program Files (x86)\R\R-2.8.1\bin\R" CMD BATCH "C:\Users\jd\Documents\mexico\Estado\getdata1.r" /b

```

That does not return an error, it just returns a prompt and R never starts. What am I missing?