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From: Hans-Bernhard Broeker <broeker AT physik DOT rwth-aachen DOT de>
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject: Re: Bad command or file name error
Date: 8 Mar 2002 13:40:12 GMT
Organization: Aachen University of Technology (RWTH)
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Eli Zaretskii <eliz AT is DOT elta DOT co DOT il> wrote:
>> From: "Robert" <robertrichmond AT bigpond DOT com>
>> Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
>> Date: Fri, 08 Mar 2002 12:31:14 GMT
>> 
>> I am getting the following when I run a program from the DOS prompt under
>> Windows XP
>> " Bad command or file name error  "
>> 
>> But then the program comes up directly underneath..??

> Yes, I've seen this on W2K as well.  I have no idea why is the error
> message happening, though.  If someone can explain that, please do.

Just a vague idea: on NT-based platforms, the "command prompt" is not
really a DOS prompt.  The command line processor is cmd.exe, not
command.com.  This means that this environment only becomes a DOS VM
in the moment you start a DOS program from it.  This would mean that
any startup actions for DOS VMs (including equivalents of
autoexec.bat, dosstart.bat, if any such exist, or even commands stored
in the registry), would be executed in this moment, before your DOS
program is started.

In a nutshell, I guess a broken path in an autoexec.bat-workalike
startup procedure could cause this message.  
-- 
Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker AT physik DOT rwth-aachen DOT de)
Even if all the snow were burnt, ashes would remain.