"cmd" not longer loads root

[JClark]

win 2k/sp4

For some reason, when I go to start/run and type cmd, it no longer
comes up as c:\
Instead, it comes up
c:\documents and settings\username>

How did I manage to do this?
Any way to change it back to the old way?

Thanks.

Jack

 

[Wouter]

win 2k/sp4

For some reason, when I go to start/run and type cmd, it no
longer comes up as c:\
Instead, it comes up
c:\documents and settings\username>

How did I manage to do this?
Any way to change it back to the old way?

Thanks.

Jack

Did it ever work the way you want?
You can create a shortcut to %SystemRoot%\system32\cmd.exe
Right click the shortcut: Properties>Shortcut>Start in
Change the "Start in" field to c:\

 

[dcdon]

Hi JClark,

Wouter is perfectly right.

You can also REM the MS copyright message et al by adding the switch "/k"(no quotes) i.e.
....cmd.exe /k , in the Target line in properties. That will give you a perfectly clean
%SystemRoot% prompt.

I find the easiest way to place shortcuts to desktop is to find the item in Start menu, right
drag it to desktop (right drag will not move the icon), and choose create shortcut (or right
mouse>SendToDesktopAsShortcut). Right mouse the icon on desktop then choose properties. Change
properties and StartIn and your all set.

I have a question? How did your Command Prompt ever open at %SystemRoot%?

You may have had this happen due to Windows Update previously, hotpatches not needed for your
particular system, and/or some type of infection. Trojan horses can do this when the user(s)
access is redirected. I.E. Perpetrator redirects an file to be %SystemRoot% like
SystemRoot=C:\WINNT.



good computing,
don
----------------





win 2k/sp4

For some reason, when I go to start/run and type cmd, it no longer
comes up as c:\
Instead, it comes up
c:\documents and settings\username>

How did I manage to do this?
Any way to change it back to the old way?

Thanks.

Jack

 

[JClark]

Hi JClark,

Wouter is perfectly right.

You can also REM the MS copyright message et al by adding the switch "/k"(no quotes) i.e.
...cmd.exe /k , in the Target line in properties. That will give you a perfectly clean
%SystemRoot% prompt.

I find the easiest way to place shortcuts to desktop is to find the item in Start menu, right
drag it to desktop (right drag will not move the icon), and choose create shortcut (or right
mouse>SendToDesktopAsShortcut). Right mouse the icon on desktop then choose properties. Change
properties and StartIn and your all set.

I have a question? How did your Command Prompt ever open at %SystemRoot%?

You may have had this happen due to Windows Update previously, hotpatches not needed for your
particular system, and/or some type of infection. Trojan horses can do this when the user(s)
access is redirected. I.E. Perpetrator redirects an file to be %SystemRoot% like
SystemRoot=C:\WINNT.



good computing,
don
----------------





win 2k/sp4

For some reason, when I go to start/run and type cmd, it no longer
comes up as c:\
Instead, it comes up
c:\documents and settings\username>

How did I manage to do this?
Any way to change it back to the old way?

Thanks.

Jack

Wouter, Don:
Thanks for helpful replies. I've copied them and will follow your
advice. A desktop shortcut seems fine. But I'm still a bit mystified
about why it changed. I always used to go to start/run and type "cmd"
and got the black screen at the c:\> prompt. Now for some reason it
opens to the documents and settings folder.
It started I think when I created two shortcuts to windows explorer so
that they would open to often used folders:
%windir%\explorer.exe /e and
%windir%\explorer.exe /e,c:\dnld-updt-pw-w2k
Maybe that had something to do with it.

Thanks again

Jack

 

[dcdon]

There are so many things happening these days, it's heck to keep up with what caused what.

I try very hard to be deliberate, even about hotpatches, and I spread them out over several
days when I know I'll get to give them at least some testing. And I try to read all about such
as that before even installing. This stuff has a tendency to make everyone paranoid. Just
gottta keep your head up and eyes open, then a dang bug hits you right in the mouth.

And your quite welcome.

hehe,
don
---------

Hi JClark,

Wouter is perfectly right.

You can also REM the MS copyright message et al by adding the switch "/k"(no quotes) i.e.
...cmd.exe /k , in the Target line in properties. That will give you a perfectly clean
%SystemRoot% prompt.

I find the easiest way to place shortcuts to desktop is to find the item in Start menu, right
drag it to desktop (right drag will not move the icon), and choose create shortcut (or right
mouse>SendToDesktopAsShortcut). Right mouse the icon on desktop then choose properties. Change
properties and StartIn and your all set.

I have a question? How did your Command Prompt ever open at %SystemRoot%?

You may have had this happen due to Windows Update previously, hotpatches not needed for your
particular system, and/or some type of infection. Trojan horses can do this when the user(s)
access is redirected. I.E. Perpetrator redirects an file to be %SystemRoot% like
SystemRoot=C:\WINNT.



good computing,
don
----------------





win 2k/sp4

For some reason, when I go to start/run and type cmd, it no longer
comes up as c:\
Instead, it comes up
c:\documents and settings\username>

How did I manage to do this?
Any way to change it back to the old way?

Thanks.

Jack

Wouter, Don:
Thanks for helpful replies. I've copied them and will follow your
advice. A desktop shortcut seems fine. But I'm still a bit mystified
about why it changed. I always used to go to start/run and type "cmd"
and got the black screen at the c:\> prompt. Now for some reason it
opens to the documents and settings folder.
It started I think when I created two shortcuts to windows explorer so
that they would open to often used folders:
%windir%\explorer.exe /e and
%windir%\explorer.exe /e,c:\dnld-updt-pw-w2k
Maybe that had something to do with it.

Thanks again

Jack

 

[Gary Smith]

Thanks for helpful replies. I've copied them and will follow your
advice. A desktop shortcut seems fine. But I'm still a bit mystified
about why it changed. I always used to go to start/run and type "cmd"
and got the black screen at the c:\> prompt. Now for some reason it
opens to the documents and settings folder.
It started I think when I created two shortcuts to windows explorer so
that they would open to often used folders:
%windir%\explorer.exe /e and
%windir%\explorer.exe /e,c:\dnld-updt-pw-w2k
Maybe that had something to do with it.

It has been reported that this change (and it is a change -- my system
opens at D:\, which is my system drive) is due to SP4 or one of the recent
patches. Supposedly cmd opens by default to %HomeDrive%%HomePath% and the
value of %HomePath% was changed from \ to \Documents and
Settings\%UserName% by the patch.

 

[JClark]

It has been reported that this change (and it is a change -- my system
opens at D:\, which is my system drive) is due to SP4 or one of the recent
patches. Supposedly cmd opens by default to %HomeDrive%%HomePath% and the
value of %HomePath% was changed from \ to \Documents and
Settings\%UserName% by the patch.

Hi Gary: This may indeed be the case, because I just installed wn2k on
my son's laptop (It came with XP, but I "upgraded" to win2kP)...using
my OEM copy of win2k into which I slipstreamed SP4. And indeed, his
start\run\cmd now comes up as
c:\documents and settings\userid\

Thanks.

Jack