Share via


Converting the Windows Script Host Sleep Method

Definition: Suspends script execution for a specified length of time, then continues execution.

Sleep

WSH’s sleep method enables you to pause a script for a specified amount of time; PowerShell’s Start-Sleep cmdlet lets you do the very same thing. However, Start-Sleep does have one advantage over the Sleep method. When working with the Sleep method you must specify the sleep time in milliseconds; to pause a script for 5 minutes you must use code like this, with the 300000 representing 300 seconds (5 minutes):

Wscript.Sleep 300000

By contrast, Start-Sleep lets you specify the sleep time in seconds; in other words, Start-Sleep lets you use a command like this one:

Start-Sleep 300

Of course, if you really, truly need to specify sleep times down to the millisecond you can always tack on the -milliseconds parameter:

Start-Sleep -milliseconds 300000

It’s entirely up to you.

See conversions of other Windows Script Host methods and properties.
Return to the VBScript to Windows PowerShell home page