Command prompt problems

[John Gough]

If I open a command prompt window and enter a command (e.g. ipconfig,
print, etc) I get the following: "..... is not recognised as an
internal or external command, operable program or batch file." The
only commands that appear to work are dir, cd, cd.., and cd \.

If I try using ipconfig from the Run box, the command prompt window
flashes up and at once disappears again.

I can't find anything in Help or on the Microsoft site to help sort
out problems with Cmd prompt, Can anyone suggest what might be
happening and how to deal with it, please?

 

[Jim]

Sounds like maybe your path is screwed up, go to the command prompt again
and issue the PATH or SET command. Verify PATH variable contains folder for
these utilities. For example, ipconfig.exe should be in
C:\Windows\System32. Of course, search for these utilties too and make sure
they haven't been deleted either (hard to imagine, but check anyway).

 

[Wesley Vogel]

dir, cd, cd.., and cd \ are internal commands, embedded in cmd.exe.
External commands usually come from .exe or .com files in %windir%\system32.

The ipconfig command is ipconfig.exe. It is an external command.

Your PATH and/or a registry entry are messed up.

Why don't my commands work?
http://internet.cybermesa.com/~bstewart/cmdprompt.html#6

Bill Stewart has written a small program called FIXPATH that attempts to fix
these problems.

FIXPATH
http://internet.cybermesa.com/~bstewart/files/fixpath2.zip

"Error! Path value not found in registry!"
The Path value is missing.
FIXPATH will attempt to create the value with the correct data type and
contents.

"Error! The registry value type is not REG_EXPAND_SZ!"
The Path value is the wrong data type. FIXPATH will try to fix this.

"Error! The minimum required directories were not found in the Path!"
The Path value doesn't start with the correct directories. FIXPATH will try
to fix this also.

If FIXPATH.EXE successfully updates the Path value in the registry, you will
need to reboot for the change to take effect.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[John Gough]

dir, cd, cd.., and cd \ are internal commands, embedded in cmd.exe.
External commands usually come from .exe or .com files in %windir%\system32.

The ipconfig command is ipconfig.exe. It is an external command.

Your PATH and/or a registry entry are messed up........[SNIP]

Thanks, Wes and Jim.

I checked Path as you suggested, and that was indeed the problem.
Downloading and running FIXPATH fixed it very quickly.

The path setting had been reduced to:

PATH=D:\Program Files\Microsoft USB Flash Drive Manager\;D:\Program
Files\QuickTime\QTSystem\;C:\program files\Common Files\Ulead
Systems\MPEG;C:\program files\Common Files\Ulead
Systems\DVD;D:\Program Files\Microsoft USB Flash Drive Manager\

so no wonder it couldn't find IPCONFIG!

Thanks again