Command.com or cmd.exe

[George]

Hi!
With Windows XP Home, Epson Stylus Photo 810 printer, I run DOS
based programmes, called from batch files. Most work to an acceptable
level.
In QuickBasic, printing fails. (Print screen, nothing. LPRINT just ejects a
blank sheet)
In dBase IV, same.
With Windows updated, dBASE fails altogether, and give error message that
there is something wrong with cmd.exe
I think someone once suggested that there is a difference between
command.com and
cmd.exe which is enough to reduce these problems.
Is this so?
If so, how do I ensure that the best one is used?



george, who remembers "PRESS PLAY ON TAPE #1"

 

[Wesley Vogel]

What is the difference between cmd.exe and command.com?
http://www.winnetmag.com/WindowsScripting/Article/ArticleID/13578/WindowsScripting_13578.html

COMMAND.COM vs. CMD.EXE:
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000395.htm

CMD.EXE or COMMAND.COM
http://www.acky.net/tips/windows/windows/wt054.sht

When using command.com commands are executed by cmd.exe.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Vanguard]

Hi!
With Windows XP Home, Epson Stylus Photo 810 printer, I run DOS
based programmes, called from batch files. Most work to an acceptable
level.
In QuickBasic, printing fails. (Print screen, nothing. LPRINT just
ejects a
blank sheet)
In dBase IV, same.
With Windows updated, dBASE fails altogether, and give error message
that
there is something wrong with cmd.exe
I think someone once suggested that there is a difference between
command.com and
cmd.exe which is enough to reduce these problems.
Is this so?
If so, how do I ensure that the best one is used?

cmd.exe is the command-line parser & interpreter for NT-based versions
of Windows. command.com was used in the 95-based versions of Windows
and included for batch file compatibility under NT.

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000395.htm
http://www.computerhope.com/cmd.htm
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/.../all/proddocs/en-us/ntcmds_shelloverview.mspx
http://www.windowsitpro.com/Article/ArticleID/39566/39566.html

 

[George]

Well, yes. Thanks for the info.
I have now tried the alternative, but no change in result.
Guess I will have to live with it!
Thanks again



george, who remembers "PRESS PLAY ON TAPE #1"

 

[George]

Well, yes. Thanks for the info.
I have now tried the alternative, but no change in result.
Guess I will have to live with it!
Thanks again



george, who remembers "PRESS PLAY ON TAPE #1"

 

[Vanguard]

Well, yes. Thanks for the info.
I have now tried the alternative, but no change in result.
Guess I will have to live with it!

Did you try using the compatibility modes to see if your programs
function correctly then?

 

[David Candy]

If it is a Dos program then cmd is not involved at all. It is irrelevent where you type to start the program.

No Dos program will do a print screen unless it's properties are set to allow it.

 

[George]

Did you try using the compatibility modes to see if your programs
function correctly then?

Yes.
Only after the Windows Updates did it fail with the cmd.exe error.

Opening a DOS window with either command.com or cmd.exe didn't seem to make
any difference.

Ah! Well.......

george, who remembers "PRESS PLAY ON TAPE #1" as well as why I still use
I,J,K,L,....
for counters.

 

[George]

"David Candy" <.> wrote in message
If it is a Dos program then cmd is not involved at all. It is irrelevent

where you type to start the >program.

When I tried to run DOS programmes, after Windows Updates, got the error
message that cmd.exe was failing.

No Dos program will do a print screen unless it's properties are set to

allow it.

Then how can I set such properties? (For QuickBasic4.5 abd dBASE IV?)

Cheers,
And thanks for all the comments.

george, who remembers "PRESS PLAY ON TAPE #1" and why I still use I,J,K,....
for counters!

 

[David Candy]

There is no error message by the name cmd.exe is failing. Dos programs don't use cmd.exe anyway. If you start a dos program in Cmd (which is the only way you can start a dos program at a command prompt because command passes anything typed in it to cmd for execution which starts Dos with command loaded in memory).

A black window is a terminal or console window. It is not tied to any particular program. Any and all console programs will use this window. Cmd, command, netsh, ping, tracert, defrag.exe are some programs that use a console window. If you run ping then ping is using the window - not cmd, not command, not any other program..

Depending on Prt Scn key settings on the Misc tab of a Dos program's properties, a Dos program can still print to printer with Prt Scn key. This is because Windows gets this keystroke normally so Dos programs never see that it was pressed. If you have printing problems this won't help.

 

[Darrell Gorter[MSFT]]

Hello George,
I haven't thought about MS-DOS for awhile.
You may want to check the _default.pif file to make sure that somehow it
didn't get corrupted.
I think MS-Dos based applications still call PIF files when they start up.
So each MS-DOS app can have it's own PIF file or they will default to using
_default.pif

right-click on that file and goto properties
under the program tab
What is on the cmd line?

Search your system for *.pif files to see if there are any other PIF files.
Thanks,
Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
--------------------
From: "George" <[email protected]>
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Subject: Command.com or cmd.exe
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Hi!
With Windows XP Home, Epson Stylus Photo 810 printer, I run DOS
based programmes, called from batch files. Most work to an acceptable
level.
In QuickBasic, printing fails. (Print screen, nothing. LPRINT just ejects a
blank sheet)
In dBase IV, same.
With Windows updated, dBASE fails altogether, and give error message that
there is something wrong with cmd.exe
I think someone once suggested that there is a difference between
command.com and
cmd.exe which is enough to reduce these problems.
Is this so?
If so, how do I ensure that the best one is used?



george, who remembers "PRESS PLAY ON TAPE #1"