Where is the old DOS I used to know? If I type: cd\Program Files I get the message "too many parameters". I've seen the DOS help file, but the suggested syntax with and without quotes does not work under Windows XP Home. The only directories I can move to are those that have 8 or less characters in the name. I also notice that when you change directories from a batch file, you are returned to the original directory when the batch file commands have completed. This is not the way it used to be.

If anyone knows of a resource that discusses navigating directories in DOS under current Windows operating systems, I would appreciate knowing about it.

Until then, I'll continue using DIRMAGIC.COM to work around Microsoft's shortcommings.

Why, you ask, do I use DOS? DOS is an old friend that gives me a sense of control that Windows has tried to drain away over the years.
Example: you've played a MIDI music file on the internet that you want to save, but could not control the download location. So it's somewhere in your internet files, and searching in Explorer does not reveal it, so you assume Microsoft does not want you to get your hands on this file. That's where DOS and the "DIR /S HELLODOL*.MID" command can locate your file that Windows could not.


Jerry Dale

For program files use:-
PROGRA~1
If you use dir there should be a list on left, that cuts down the "too many parameters" probelm.
And if you d/l a file like midi or flash just look in your temp folder, they all get stored there.

Thanks for your comments. I do not understand what you mean by "list on the left" to resolve navigating, from DOS, directories that have spaces in the name. If you know how to resolve the "too many parameters" using the DIR command and the directory "Program Files", I would like to know.

I use Netscape; my internet files do not get stored in C:\TEMP. The files are stored several layers down in one of 4 directories. Explorer would not let me navigate to them, but the DIR /s command allowed me to locate a file in one of the 4 directories. Putting the results of my DIR command into a batch file, then adding "copy" at the front of the line and "c:\temp" at the end of the line allowed me to copy the file to a convenient directory.

If this DOS technique of copying files is not obvious to anyone, I typed from my root directory in DOS: dir /s hellodo*.mid > getfile.bat
Then I edited getfile.bat, adding the copy command and the destination drive and directory, to look something like the text below, although it is just an example for syntax purposes:

copy c:\Program Files\Netscape\User1\Tempory Cache\000F13\Hello_Dolly_Put_On_Your_Sunday_Shoes. mid c:\temp

JD

If you type "dir/p" what i get is a list on the left of what dos wants you to call them, like program files becomes progra~1, just install your doskey and it''ll save a lot of typing.
For the temp, i meant to say they are saved in

C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files

Old dos did not allow spaces in directory names.

try this:
cd "c:\program files"

Microsoft added tab completion (like we enjoy in some shells in unix) to the DOS shell for Windows 2000 and XP.

You can also use cd prog*

If you are running Win2K /XP then there are 2 types of command windows.

CMD and COMMAND

Try using the other type of command window ??

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Using the CMD window instead of COMMAND made the difference. The DOS statements cd prog* and cd "c:\program files" worked in the DOS CMD window. I had no clue there was a difference. I thought I was the victim of different versions of the same operating system.

JerryDal

It's something to do with running in 16bit or 32 bit mode but i can never remember which is which I guess CMD must be the 16 bit version!

Anyway glad i could help

Command is 16 bit in win98.
in Win2K they are bth 32bit. Both are stored in the system32 directory.
In W2K, they added a 32 bit version of the command.com program.

The actual problem was that Microsoft suddenly wanted to use spaces in their filenames and forgot they had to be compatible with their older versions.
They didn't give a sh*t, so the solved it with the '~' character. 'Still used in 95 and 98 and compatible with w2K.

cd progra~1

works always.

what version of netscape are you running??

So, how about running native DOS 6.22 within Microsoft Virtual PC 2007, under Windows Vista SP1 ?..
I have an INFORMIX-SQL database app running flawlessly like this!

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