DOCUMENT:Q72487 17-DEC-2000 [msdos] TITLE :Error Messages Caused by DIRCMD PRODUCT :Microsoft Disk Operating System PROD/VER:MS-DOS:5.x,6.0,6.2,6.21,6.22 OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS: ====================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft MS-DOS operating system versions 5.0, 5.0a, 6.0, 6.2, 6.21, 6.22 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY ======= There are two error messages that can be caused by incorrectly setting DIRCMD options: Path not found and Too many parameters - X (Error occurred in the environment variable) MORE INFORMATION ================ DIRCMD allows you to "program" the DIR command. DIRCMD is an MS-DOS environment variable and can be set from the command line or the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. However, because it is a true environment variable, it can also be set to any ASCII string. All subsequent DIR commands will reference DIRCMD until reset or changed. If DIRCMD is improperly set, it can result in "odd" effects or error messages. The following are examples of errors caused by incorrectly setting DIRCMD: Example 1: set DIRCMD=\O\L -------------------------- The use of backslashes instead of forward slashes will typically display the "Path not found" error message because MS-DOS searches for files in the "L" subdirectory under the "O" subdirectory. Example 2: set DIRCMD=O;L ------------------------- MS-DOS will interpret "O" and "L" to be filenames. In addition, if file "O" is not found, MS-DOS will look at the "L" entry and give the following error message: Too many parameters - L (Error occurred in environment variable) In both cases, the files in the current directory will not be listed. This behavior continues until DIRCMD is reset. Additional query words: 6.22 5.00 5.00a 6.00 6.20 6.21 ====================================================================== Keywords : Technology : kbMSDOSSearch kbMSDOS621 kbMSDOS622 kbMSDOS620 kbMSDOS600 kbMSDOS500 kbMSDOS500a Version : MS-DOS:5.x,6.0,6.2,6.21,6.22 ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Copyright Microsoft Corporation 2000.