DOS path statement

Morn'n Doctors, My DOS has gotten somewhat rusty so need help here.

I have a very long path statemnt ending with this taken from sysedit:

PATH=%PATH%;C:\Program Files\Common Files\Folio Shared;
PATH=%PATH%;C:\Program Files\WASH2000\;

After the embedded (hidden in sysedit or edit autoexec.bat from DOS) portion of the path (%PATH%) which of course isn't hidden in the boot screen, is an extra ; which is causing the "Too many parameters error" on boot. It will finish of course but it irritates me to not remember how / where to edit such a long path.

Compared to poor Maxx this seems trivial but I'd like a clue, Anyone?

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"Finest Kind"

[This message has been edited by griffinspc (edited 05-15-2001).]

Are you saying that there is an extra semicolon within %Path%?

Edit Autoexec.bat and post back all the PATH statements that you find.

Here is a place to get good info on DOS.
http://vernon.frazee.net/ms-dos/6.22/help/

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In just a century, we have gone from teaching Latin and Greek in high school to teaching remedial English in college.
Joseph Sobran

Hey, WhitPhil. The 2 path statements you see are the only 2. The problem, not well explained maybe, is that that is all I can see in "edit autoexec.bat, msconfig or in sysedit".

Yes, there is an extra semicolon in the path but I can't bring up the entire path anywhere to edit it.



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"Finest Kind"

don.laughery, thanks, a nice link. It doesn't have what I need but it's nice to know there is a well defined source for DOS commands. It's bookmarked.

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"Finest Kind"

I just realized what the error is. It is caused by the Long File Names (folders longer than 8 characters) that are in the path. You need to replace the PATHs by the following:

PATH=%PATH%;C:\Progra~1\Common~1\Folios~1
PATH=%PATH%;C:\Progra~1\WASH2000\

OR

Place quotes around the long file names as follows:

PATH=%PATH%;C:\"Program Files"\"Common Files"\"Folio Shared";
PATH=%PATH%;C:\"Program Files"\WASH2000\;

Outstanding, I'll get back to you.

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"Finest Kind"

The famous tilde did the trick. Just for the heck of it I tried the quotes but that wasn't successful:
PATH=%PATH%;C:\Progra~1\Common~1\Folios~1
PATH=%PATH%;C:\Progra~1\WASH2000

Thanks, WhitPhil.

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"Finest Kind"

Glad to see that one of them worked.

It's strange that the quoted names didn't though. They worked fine in my tests.

Were you getting the same error??

Yup, exactly the same. Stranger things than we know.

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"Finest Kind"

To use the quotes you need to enclose the whole path in one set of quotes, not each piece. In otherwords... "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Folio Shared"

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DrMDj:

I don't believe that helps either.

Try the following:
Open a DOS window and enter
PATH. {just to clear the path}
Path="C:\Program Files\Common Files\Folio Shared"
Path
Path=%path%;c:\

The second path is accepted as indicated by the results of the third path.
BUT, after entering the last path, you get a "Too Many Parameters" error. That "seems" to occur when the %path% variable contains the long file names?

Not sure what ya mean Whitphil. I did:

path=%path%;"c:\program files\common files"

Took that. A display of the PATH showed my previous path plus what was added. Then did:

path=%path%;c:\

It took that too and showed everything properly when I did a Path to see what was set.

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[This message has been edited by DrMDJ (edited 05-15-2001).]

Aha. Just found what causes it! Again! (I think/hope)

If the path already exists, it gets turned into the DOS format.
IE: Program Files\Common Files becomes
Progra~1\Common~1

BUT

If the path does not exist, it stays in the original form and the error occurs.

Try

Path="c:\This folder\does not exist"
Path=%path%;c:\

Well, still at it. That's why this board is the best.

Quote:

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If the path already exists, it gets turned into the DOS format.
IE: Program Files\Common Files becomes Progra~1\Common~1

---

Add this bit of info to the list. Most of my path existed previously and the ending statement c:\program files\wash2000 was attached with an update to that software. (Originally wash1999) would that have an impact on the original form vs. an existing path?


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"Finest Kind"

Ok, now I see what ya mean. Interesting little quirk.

I usually only use shortened versions of long names anyway. Since the Path length is limited, it cuts down on unneccessary characters.

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[This message has been edited by DrMDJ (edited 05-16-2001).]