DOCUMENT:Q101752  31-OCT-1999  [pcmail]
TITLE   :PC Ext: Dispatch Cannot Spawn Batch File Without COMMAND.COM
PRODUCT :Microsoft Mail For PC Networks
PROD/VER:WINDOWS:3.2
OPER/SYS:
KEYWORDS:

======================================================================
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

 - Microsoft Mail for PC Networks, version 3.2 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

When the Dispatch program specifies a batch file with multiple executables as
the idle process and COMMAND.COM cannot be found, only the first executable is
performed; the others are ignored.

CAUSE
=====

The Dispatch program searches for COMMAND.COM after completing the first
executable. The program returns to Dispatch from the idle process when it fails
to locate COMMAND.COM. This can be seen when running Dispatch > ERROR.TXT;
the ERROR.TXT file records the error:

   Invalid COMMAND.COM
   Cannot start COMMAND, exiting

On a fast computer, Dispatch can overwrite this error, thus overwriting the need
to record it in a text file.

This problem occurs only for certain versions of MS-DOS. The following table
shows which versions cause Dispatch to fail to spawn the second batch file
executable:

   Dispatch version     MS-DOS version        Result
   --------------------------------------------------------------

     3.0                3.3, 5.0, 6.0      Success in all cases
     3.2                3.3, 6.0           Success if COMMAND.COM
                                             is in the current
                                             directory of focus
     3.2                5.0                Failure

RESOLUTION
==========

Ensure that a copy of the current version of COMMAND.COM is available in the
directory from which dispatch is executed. Also check your version of MS-DOS
against the above table.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in version 3.2 of Microsoft Mail
for PC Networks. We are researching this problem and will post new information
here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

Additional query words: 3.20 schdist

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbMailSearch kbZNotKeyword3 kbMailPCN320
Version           : WINDOWS:3.2

=============================================================================

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