CMD prompt problems

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rob
  • Start date Start date
R

Rob

I was installing a new router and wanted to use a few DOS commands
(ipconfig,ping) to check it out.
I found that these commands and more, i.e. help, are no longer available
from the DOS prompt on my machine.
I'm running WinXP-SP1a and have run AV, Ad and Spy scans, with nothing
found. Any other ideas,
short of a re-install?
Thanks.
Rob
 
Hi, Rob.

As a computer user since before MS-DOS was invented, I use the "DOS" window
many times nearly every day. Ipconfig and ping work fine for me.

HOW are you reaching the "DOS prompt"? Are you opening a Command Prompt
window? Or are you running these commands from the Run prompt? Or ...?

If you run these commands from Start | Run, they will run, but the "DOS"
window will close immediately unless you include the switch to keep it open.
If you click Start | All Programs | Accessories | Command Prompt, the DOS
emulator will open the "DOS" window, and it will stay open until you dismiss
it by entering Exit. (Note that I enclose "DOS" in quotes to emphasize that
this is only an emulator and not true MS-DOS, which deals with hardware much
differently from WinXP and can not be run from WinXP.) You can use Command
Prompt's Properties screen to customize the "DOS" window to suit yourself,
adjusting its size, fonts, colors, etc.; sort of like the old PIF files that
we used long ago. In the "DOS" window, almost all your familiar DOS
commands will run as before. To see a mini-help file for each command, type
the command followed by /?. For example: ping /?

RC
 
R. C. White said:
Hi, Rob.

As a computer user since before MS-DOS was invented, I use the "DOS"
window many times nearly every day. Ipconfig and ping work fine for me.

HOW are you reaching the "DOS prompt"? Are you opening a Command Prompt
window? Or are you running these commands from the Run prompt? Or ...?

If you run these commands from Start | Run, they will run, but the "DOS"
window will close immediately unless you include the switch to keep it
open. If you click Start | All Programs | Accessories | Command Prompt,
the DOS emulator will open the "DOS" window, and it will stay open until
you dismiss it by entering Exit. (Note that I enclose "DOS" in quotes
to emphasize that this is only an emulator and not true MS-DOS, which
deals with hardware much differently from WinXP and can not be run from
WinXP.) You can use Command Prompt's Properties screen to customize the
"DOS" window to suit yourself, adjusting its size, fonts, colors, etc.;
sort of like the old PIF files that we used long ago. In the "DOS"
window, almost all your familiar DOS commands will run as before. To
see a mini-help file for each command, type the command followed by /?.
For example: ping /?

RC
Click to expand...

RC,
Agreed. Now if I could only convince Windows to act right. I open the
Command Prompt Window using the Icon and also using Start | Run > CMD but
can only issue a small fraction of the commands I should/used to be able
to do.
I can do Cd, Prompt, Copy, Dir and a few other commands but not Edit,
Help, Ipconfig,
Ping and a host of others. The window does close with the Exit command.
If I run
the command.com file from the System32 folder, all the typical commands
are available in the window then . "Safe Mode with Command Prompt"
yields the
same results. Sad part is I have no idea when this began. Any other
things you think
I might check? Thanks.
Rob
 
First, can you execute an internal command, like dir ? If so, the command
line processor is not broken, at least not totally.


Try this.
Open a command window. navigate to the system32 directory
cd \windows\system32

there, try to run edit or ipconfig. If they run, then I suspect the problem
is that your path variables got hosed somehow.

You can set them, carefully, in MyComputer/Properties/Advanced - find the
Environment Variables button at the bottom.
In the lower section, System Variables, Path should contain, among other
things:
%SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%;

If those two entries are not present, fix them.


Val
Click to expand...

Val,
Thanks. It's true that "if you don't use it you'll lose it". You were
correct with
the PATH statement being hosed. I put the 2 commands back in it and all
is well again. I must have deleted them in error a month or so back when I
was doing other things with the Path and Comspec variables.
Thanks Again. (Gluing hair back in toupee now)
Rob
 
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