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%SYSTEMROOT% ?

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franklin97355

franklin97355

Technical User
Jul 11, 2002
3,753
US
When I open a command window and type a command XP can't find it even though it exists in windows\system32 and there is an entry in the path to "%SYSTEMROOT%\system32". In the registry there is an entry (can't remember exactly where) systemroot = D:\windows (where my system is located) What do I need to do to make this work?

Thanks in advance...
 
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Do you mean any command or a specific command?
If specific, which one?

When you open a command prompt, whats the default folder?

Do you have any problems with window's GUI utilities/apps?
 
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Wolluf: the ones I've tried are ping, telnet, tracert, edit and xcopy. The default folder is d:\documents and settings\stephen....Not sure what you mean ablou windows GUI/apps. I can point and click on apps and they run but I've not tried everything yet.
idanraz: Start>all programs>accesories>command prompt then from the prompt inside the box I type the command.
 
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If it has only just started happening you might be able to fix it by using System Restore.
 
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If you go to system properties, advanced tab, click on environment variables - does the path variable look right? - something like %SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%;%SystemRoot%\system32\WBEM (I know you say there is an entry in the path to %SystemRoot%\system32 - did you see that where I'm indicating here?). If not, probably worth updating it.

Can you change directory to the system folder (cd \windows\system32) at the command prompt? If so, can you then use ping etc?

Can you run set command at a command prompt?
 
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Wolluf: Yes, Yes, and Yes although I noticed the path statement had grown fairly long over time so I trimmed some of the non used items out. I'll try it in the next few minutes or so.
 
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Just to get back, after shortening the path statement it works. I have to go now there's thunder on the horizon, don't want to crash now!
 
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franklin97355,

Instead of going through accessories for the MS-Dos Prompt, just use START, Run, and make sure that what you "run" is the word CMD.

If you do this there is no environmental variable size limit in XP.

If you use command instead of cmd (not recommended) and are having problems with the limits to the size of the environment then it would help you tremendously to edit the environmental path statement by using 8.3 replacements. In other words, edit:

C:\WINDOWS\Program Files\MyFavoritePrograms\MyFavorite1
to
C:\WINDOWS\Progra~1\MyFavo~1\MyFavo~1

 
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