The VideoLAN Forums

I want to use the --start-time command from the command line in VLC 3.0.10 in Windows 7 (ultimately probably cvlc in Raspberry pi zero - I don't have it yet). It works, but not as I need: when I invoke this command again, but with a different time, a new window opens. I don't want a new window. I checked "only one instance" in the VLC options - then --start-time only works once, re-invocations don't work (don't change the time). What to do?
Thank you.

Tools -> Preferences (Show settings = All) -> Advanced

There are two options:

Allow only one running instance
One instance when started from file

Make sure both options are unticked, save the preferences then exit and restart VLC.

This not work.

Then I don't know.
You should create a new ticket on the VLC Trac with your above report and the link to this thread:
https://code.videolan.org/videolan/vlc/-/issues

Dash command line flags apply to their respective instance (in VLC, as in most programs). If you don't start a new instance (and thus a new window), then the command line flags of the existing instance will be used. This is very much intended.

VLC uses colon for per-media flags instead.