help using start command!!!

G

Guest

Hi:
I want to use the windows shell "start" command for launching different
types of documents. However I have a problem. For example,

start eula.txt
start index.html

is supposed to open eula.txt in notepad or index.html in the default web
browser.
However, I just get this error:

"The system can't execute the specified program"

When I type "assoc" command I get this for those file types:

..txt=txtfile
..html=FirefoxHTML

When I type "ftype" command I get this related information:

txtfile=%SystemRoot%\system32\NOTEPAD.EXE %1
FirefoxHTML=C:\ARCHIV~1\MOZILL~1\FIREFOX.EXE -requestPending -osint -url "%1"

So I assume the file associations are OK. So what's wrong? start only works
for exe files and http:// urls... isn't it supposed to work also for
associated file types?
If not, what alternative exists (if any)?

Thanks.
 
P

Pegasus \(MVP\)

Manuel S. said:
Hi:
I want to use the windows shell "start" command for launching different
types of documents. However I have a problem. For example,

start eula.txt
start index.html

is supposed to open eula.txt in notepad or index.html in the default web
browser.
However, I just get this error:

"The system can't execute the specified program"

When I type "assoc" command I get this for those file types:

.txt=txtfile
.html=FirefoxHTML

When I type "ftype" command I get this related information:

txtfile=%SystemRoot%\system32\NOTEPAD.EXE %1
FirefoxHTML=C:\ARCHIV~1\MOZILL~1\FIREFOX.EXE -requestPending -osint -url
"%1"

So I assume the file associations are OK. So what's wrong? start only
works
for exe files and http:// urls... isn't it supposed to work also for
associated file types?
If not, what alternative exists (if any)?

Thanks.

This is a log shot but you could try this:

start "Agreement" "Eula.txt"
 
G

Guest

Pegasus (MVP) said:
This is a log shot but you could try this:

start "Agreement" "Eula.txt"

Nop, it didn't work: "the system can't execute the specified program"...
Is it OK what I assume? I mean, start file.txt should launch notepad? is
start command supposed to do that?
Thanks again
 
N

Nightowl

Hi Manuel

Just tried Start with a .txt file and a .jpg file here and they both
opened fine in their respective programs.

Do you perhaps have Command extensions disabled? (They are on by default
in XP.) If you do, Start won't recognise the file associations. You can
turn them on for a particular instance of Cmd by using the /e:blush:n or /X
switch. If you would like to enable extensions permanently you can do
this is the registry under:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor]
or
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor]

Create or modify the DWORD value EnableExtensions and set it to 0x1
(enabled -- 0x0 is disabled).

User settings take precedence over machine settings and command-line
options take precedence over registry settings.

Hope this helps :)
 
G

Guest

Sorry, but didn't work, something is very obscure in my xp - well, it's
microsoft's...
My extensions are enabled in both registry keys.

I repeat my settings:
Windows XP home SP2 - spanish ed.

Shell launching command:

cmd
or
cmd /X (enabling explicitly extensions)

For these commands:

start eula.txt
start index.html
start neutron.jpg

I get the error:
"El sistema no puede ejecutar el programa especificado."
(The system can not execute the specified program)

Assoc command shows this related info:
..jpg=jpegfile
txt=txtfile
..html=FirefoxHTML

FType command shows this related info:

jpegfile=rundll32.exe C:\WINDOWS\system32\shimgvw.dll,ImageView_Fullscreen %1

txtfile=%SystemRoot%\system32\NOTEPAD.EXE %1

FirefoxHTML=C:\ARCHIV~1\MOZILL~1\FIREFOX.EXE -requestPending -osint -url "%1"

Registry keys:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor]\
EnableExtensions=0x1
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor]\
EnableExtensions=0x1

Thanks again for your help.
 
N

Nightowl

Hi Manuel

Sorry that didn't work for you, but from the error message you are
getting, I do think command extensions are the problem, somehow. Start
is not recognising the file associations.

How exactly are you launching cmd? Are you running cmd /X within a
parent cmd window?


Manuel S. said:
Sorry, but didn't work, something is very obscure in my xp - well, it's
microsoft's...
My extensions are enabled in both registry keys.

I repeat my settings:
Windows XP home SP2 - spanish ed.

Shell launching command:

cmd
or
cmd /X (enabling explicitly extensions)

For these commands:

start eula.txt
start index.html
start neutron.jpg

I get the error:
"El sistema no puede ejecutar el programa especificado."
(The system can not execute the specified program)

Assoc command shows this related info:
.jpg=jpegfile
txt=txtfile
.html=FirefoxHTML

FType command shows this related info:

jpegfile=rundll32.exe C:\WINDOWS\system32\shimgvw.dll,ImageView_Fullscreen %1

txtfile=%SystemRoot%\system32\NOTEPAD.EXE %1

FirefoxHTML=C:\ARCHIV~1\MOZILL~1\FIREFOX.EXE -requestPending -osint -url "%1"

Registry keys:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor]\
EnableExtensions=0x1
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor]\
EnableExtensions=0x1

Thanks again for your help.



Nightowl said:
Hi Manuel

Just tried Start with a .txt file and a .jpg file here and they both
opened fine in their respective programs.

Do you perhaps have Command extensions disabled? (They are on by default
in XP.) If you do, Start won't recognise the file associations. You can
turn them on for a particular instance of Cmd by using the /e:blush:n or /X
switch. If you would like to enable extensions permanently you can do
this is the registry under:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor]
or
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor]

Create or modify the DWORD value EnableExtensions and set it to 0x1
(enabled -- 0x0 is disabled).

User settings take precedence over machine settings and command-line
options take precedence over registry settings.

Hope this helps :)
 
G

Guest

Hi, Nightowl:

Well, I just launch the cmd using windows start menu: shell command:
C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe
Start dir: C:\WINDOWS\system32\

But also fails if I use from the run box it or:
C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe /X

I thought it could be the security software, so I disabled my firewall,
antivirus, system process monitor, but nothing... same problem.

Anyway, thanks for your support
 
E

Elmo

Manuel said:
Hi, Nightowl:

Well, I just launch the cmd using windows start menu: shell command:
C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe
Start dir: C:\WINDOWS\system32\

But also fails if I use from the run box it or:
C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe /X

I thought it could be the security software, so I disabled my firewall,
antivirus, system process monitor, but nothing... same problem.

Anyway, thanks for your support

Try this:

Start /?

Maybe the Start command is missing, not the associations to the filetypes.
 
G

Guest

Try this:

Start /?

Maybe the Start command is missing, not the associations to the filetypes.

Hi, Joe: Yes, I did, I mean, I first launch cmd.exe (in the run box or using
the start menu shortcut), then in it I type start file.txt. But doesn't
work!!!!

Start /? only displays info on using the start command: the parameters that
I can pass are the priority, the program, the path...
 
E

Elmo

Manuel said:
Hi, Joe: Yes, I did, I mean, I first launch cmd.exe (in the run box or using
the start menu shortcut), then in it I type start file.txt. But doesn't
work!!!!

Start /? only displays info on using the start command: the parameters that
I can pass are the priority, the program, the path...

OK, i wanted you to run that command to see if you got the same error,
in case the "Start" command was not in the Path, or damaged. But I gues
s that if that command showed the available option, the Start command is
working. No other ideas.. just that shot-in-the-dark.
 
G

Guest

Hi, Joe
OK, I found out what happened: I run into safe mode and start did work, so
then I started normal mode with all services/start up programs disabled.
Again it worked.
After 3 or 4 trials I found it was an antivirus core program which was
interfering with start. I wanted to share this "discovery" because maybe it
can help somebody else.

Thanks again for your support.
Sincerely, Manuel
 
E

Elmo

Manuel said:
Hi, Joe
OK, I found out what happened: I run into safe mode and start did work, so
then I started normal mode with all services/start up programs disabled.
Again it worked.
After 3 or 4 trials I found it was an antivirus core program which was
interfering with start. I wanted to share this "discovery" because maybe it
can help somebody else.

Thanks again for your support.
Sincerely, Manuel

Great news!
 

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