Have you tested this simple way of doing it below
program test; {$mode objfpc} {$H+}
uses windows;
begin
ShellExecute(0 , 'open', 'notepad', nil, nil, SW_SHOWNORMAL) ;
ShellExecute(0 , 'open', 'notepad', nil, nil, SW_HIDE) ;
end.
The cmd /k may not even be needed... and it may not even work the way I showed
in the previous examples in my emails.