1. search/google for Windows && fork and you'll discover that there are some serious limitations there (and a wiser head, more familiar with NT may be able to tell you if its limitations are even more severe than those of consumer-oriented W32 OSen.

2. Yes, of course you can execute those from your script, directly, but you may have to do so SEQUENTIALLY if your diagnosis of a fork-problem is correct. Would sequential execution be a problem?

OTOH, I don't believe a Windows batch file does any forking. That would mean that the .bat is already trying to run your scripts sequentially, which, in turn, tends to throw the diagnosis into question.

So, please take a look at:

013: #$status=
014: system ($program) ==0 or die "$program exited funny: $?";
[download]

...and explain -- in detail -- to yourself, your teddybear and the Monks (if still need-be) what you think you're doing with those lines, noting that your script is now returning YOUR 'die' message, not something else.

Possible HINT Did the scripts enumerated in your .bat run or not?