Most people run BatteryInfoView by double-clicking it — but the program also accepts a small, precise set of command-line options that save battery information straight to a file, with no window interaction at all. That makes scripted health snapshots, scheduled exports, and IT inventory checks possible. This page is the full list: every documented option, what it produces, and a working example for each. If an option is not in the table below, it is not documented — and this guide will say so plainly rather than guess.
Command-line saving was added in v1.10 (‘Command-line options for saving battery information into a file’). The current version is v1.27 — get it from the download page. For the interactive equivalent, see How to Export a Battery Report; all guides live in the Tutorials hub.
The full list: 8 documented options
Seven options save battery information in different file formats. The eighth, /savelangfile, belongs to the translation system and is documented under Translating on the official page rather than in the command-line table — it is included here so the list is genuinely complete.
| Option | Produces |
|---|---|
/stext <Filename> | Save battery information into a regular text file |
/stab <Filename> | Save battery information into a tab-delimited text file |
/scomma <Filename> | Save battery information into a comma-delimited text file (CSV-style) |
/stabular <Filename> | Save battery information into a tabular text file |
/shtml <Filename> | Save battery information into an HTML file (Horizontal) |
/sverhtml <Filename> | Save battery information into an HTML file (Vertical) |
/sxml <Filename> | Save battery information into an XML file |
/savelangfile | Generates BatteryInfoView_lng.ini for translation (no filename argument) |
No other switches are documented. In particular, there is no documented switch for writing the Battery Log to a file from the command line — automatic saving of log lines is a GUI feature configured in Advanced Options (F9), covered in the Battery Log guide. If a third-party page lists additional BatteryInfoView switches, treat them as unverified unless they appear in NirSoft’s own documentation.
How to run an option
Open Command Prompt or PowerShell, change to the folder containing BatteryInfoView.exe (or use the full path to the executable), and run the executable followed by the option and the output filename. Quote any path that contains spaces. The information saved is the Battery Information data — the same values you see in the F7 view, including Designed Capacity, Full Charged Capacity, and Battery Health (see the health check).
Examples
BatteryInfoView.exe /scomma "C:\Reports\battery.csv"— a comma-delimited file, ready to open in Excel.BatteryInfoView.exe /stext "C:\Reports\battery.txt"— a plain text record for archiving or emailing.BatteryInfoView.exe /stab "C:\Reports\battery.txt"— tab-delimited, handy when values themselves contain commas.BatteryInfoView.exe /stabular "C:\Reports\battery.txt"— tabular text layout.BatteryInfoView.exe /shtml "C:\Reports\battery.html"— horizontal HTML report, readable in any browser.BatteryInfoView.exe /sverhtml "C:\Reports\battery-vertical.html"— the same report in vertical layout, often easier to read for a single battery’s field list.BatteryInfoView.exe /sxml "C:\Reports\battery.xml"— structured XML for scripts or inventory tooling.BatteryInfoView.exe /savelangfile— generates theBatteryInfoView_lng.inilanguage file in the program’s folder, the starting point for making or updating a translation (see Language Packs).
Practical patterns
A dated health snapshot from a script
Because the output filename is yours to choose, a small batch file or scheduled task can build the date into the name — for example saving a CSV per run into a Reports folder — and quietly accumulate the trend record described in Export a Battery Report. Run it weekly on a machine you are monitoring and you can watch Full Charged Capacity and Battery Health move (or, ideally, barely move) over months, and read the percentage correctly with Wear Level vs Battery Health.
Checking several laptops
On each machine, run the same command with the same format and collect the files. CSV (/scomma) or XML (/sxml) are the practical choices: identical structure per file means the results can be combined in a spreadsheet in minutes. Remember the portability point — there is nothing to install on each machine first; carry the executable on a USB stick as described in BatteryInfoView Portable.
Command line vs Ctrl+S: which should you use?
They reach the same formats by different routes. Ctrl+S (Save Selected Items) in the GUI exports exactly the rows you selected, from either the F7 information view or the F8 log view — use it for one-off reports and for anything involving the log. Command-line options export the battery information without interaction — use them for scripts, scheduled snapshots, and repeatable inventory work. Neither route changes any battery or system setting; both only write the file you named.
Frequently asked questions
Can I combine multiple save options in one run?
The documented usage is one save option with its filename per invocation, as in the examples above. To produce two formats, run the command twice with different options and filenames — it takes a second and keeps each run simple and predictable.
Where is the output file created if I give only a filename, with no folder?
Relative paths resolve the way Windows normally resolves them for the process — in practice, run the command from a known folder or, more reliably, always pass a full path in quotes, as every example on this page does.
Is there a silent or hidden-mode switch?
No silent-mode switch is documented in the official list above. The GUI does offer a separate ‘Start As Hidden’ option (with ‘Put Icon On Tray’, v1.15) for interactive use, but that is a program option, not an additional command-line switch — do not invent one.
Next: put the options to work in Export a Battery Report, generate a language file and read Language Packs, or return to the Tutorials hub.
Troubleshooting command-line runs
If a command-line run appears to do nothing, work through three checks before assuming the option failed. First, confirm you are running the copy of BatteryInfoView.exe you think you are: if both a 32-bit and a 64-bit folder exist, a shortcut or a changed working directory can easily launch the other copy, and the output file will be written relative to that run. Second, check the output path exactly as typed — a missing folder in the path is the most common reason no file appears, which is why every example on this page uses a full, quoted path inside a folder that already exists. Create the destination folder first, then re-run the command. Third, look for the file with its exact name: the save options write precisely the filename you supplied, with no added date or suffix, so a file manager sorted by name rather than by date can hide a fresh export in plain sight.
Also remember what these options export: the Battery Information values, as seen in the F7 view. If a value such as cycle count is blank in the F7 view because the battery does not provide it, it will be blank in the exported file too — the command line changes how the data leaves the program, not what the battery reports. For blank-field explanations, see Check Your Cycle Count and the Troubleshooting hub. Finally, keep the set of commands you rely on small and documented in your own notes: with only eight documented options, a one-line note per machine — which option, which path, which schedule — is enough to reproduce any capture months later without re-reading this page.