RW> h-search is a batch file. [..]

 MK> NetMgr is also a little dense and can't guess your thoughts. If you
 MK> mean "batch file" you have to write a name of a batch file:
 MK> 'h-search.bat'. 

actually not... netmgr finds and executes the bat file without the
extension just fine...

for example (taken basically from the docs)... files i created are in
square brackets at the beginning of each section... each section is
separated by two blank lines... i elected to look for messages addressed to
footest without the received bit, process them, and then turn on the
received bit so they wouldn't be processed again... the .bat file doesn't
even use the [subject] data and it is only included for example and
completeness...

[command line]
netmgr -Cfootest.cfg


[footest.cfg]
ScanDir z:\mail
Log z:\netmgr\nmgrfoo.log
mask *, *, footest, 1:3634/12.0, *, -r
action runexternal footest [repfile] [subject]
action rewrite *, *, *, *, *, +r


[footest.bat - 4DOS!]
{at}echo off
rem this next line logs _all_ command line parameters
echo %& >> footest.log
rem this next line creates the mask line for netmgr to read on return
echo Automatic Reply, {at}myaka, *, *, Response to your message, * >> %1
rem these next five lines create the message
echo Hello %%ffrom! >> %1
echo. >> %1
echo This is an automatic reply! >> %1
echo. >> %1
echo Greetings! >> %1
rem this is the end of the .bat file
:end


[footest.log - created by the footest.bat file. note three word subject]
Z:\NETMGR\netmsg.rep foo test #1


[nmgrfoo.log - created by netmgr]
  30 Apr 15:55:33 NMGR Begin, NMGR 1.0y (436 K)
  30 Apr 15:55:33 NMGR Scanning z:\mail (206 msgs)
  30 Apr 15:55:52 NMGR FILEd msg#222 in Z:\NETMGR\netmsg.msg
  30 Apr 15:55:52 NMGR Executing: "footest D:\FD\NETMGR\netmsg.rep foo
test #1"
  30 Apr 15:57:16 NMGR Saving message as #0
  30 Apr 15:57:16 NMGR Bounced msg#222 to mark lewis (1:3634/12.0)
  30 Apr 15:57:16 NMGR Saving message as #222
  30 Apr 15:57:16 NMGR Rewrote msg#222.
  30 Apr 15:57:16 NMGR End, NMGR 1.0y (427 K)


hope this helps...

)\/(ark