Re: CMD prompt problems

From: Rob (robc_at_insightbb.spambone.com)
Date: 09/13/04 

Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2004 12:27:53 GMT

Rob wrote:

> R. C. White wrote:
>
>> Hi, Rob.
>>
>> As a computer user since before MS-DOS was invented, I use the "DOS"
>> window many times nearly every day. Ipconfig and ping work fine for me.
>>
>> HOW are you reaching the "DOS prompt"? Are you opening a Command
>> Prompt window? Or are you running these commands from the Run
>> prompt? Or ...?
>>
>> If you run these commands from Start | Run, they will run, but the
>> "DOS" window will close immediately unless you include the switch to
>> keep it open. If you click Start | All Programs | Accessories |
>> Command Prompt, the DOS emulator will open the "DOS" window, and it
>> will stay open until you dismiss it by entering Exit. (Note that I
>> enclose "DOS" in quotes to emphasize that this is only an emulator and
>> not true MS-DOS, which deals with hardware much differently from WinXP
>> and can not be run from WinXP.) You can use Command Prompt's
>> Properties screen to customize the "DOS" window to suit yourself,
>> adjusting its size, fonts, colors, etc.; sort of like the old PIF
>> files that we used long ago. In the "DOS" window, almost all your
>> familiar DOS commands will run as before. To see a mini-help file for
>> each command, type the command followed by /?. For example: ping /?
>>
>> RC

VManes wrote:
> First, can you execute an internal command, like dir ? If so, the
command
> line processor is not broken, at least not totally.
>
>
> Try this.
> Open a command window. navigate to the system32 directory
> cd \windows\system32
>
> there, try to run edit or ipconfig. If they run, then I suspect the
problem
> is that your path variables got hosed somehow.
>
> You can set them, carefully, in MyComputer/Properties/Advanced - find
the
> Environment Variables button at the bottom.
> In the lower section, System Variables, Path should contain, among other
> things:
> %SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%;
>
> If those two entries are not present, fix them.
>
>
> Val

Val,
Thanks. It's true that "if you don't use it you'll lose it". You were
correct with
the PATH statement being hosed. I put the 2 commands back in it and all
is well again. I must have deleted them in error a month or so back when I
was doing other things with the Path and Comspec variables.
Thanks Again. (Gluing hair back in toupee now)
Rob