No text echo in W2K command prompt

[Art Armfield]

Hello,

Since this is a first post I'll try to give all the info I
can. I have two identical servers, HP Proliant ML350's
dual-proc, 3G RAM running W2K server, TS enabled and am
having a problem with the DOS (command.com) prompt
echo'ing back text that is entered -- problem is it
doesn't. Both servers AND the Proliant ML370 that is the
app server are acting this way.

I'm running an older DOS app with a 32bit runtime on these
servers from the ML370 W2K file server and the app itself
runs fine with no issues. We have to modify config.nt and
add/modify the lines:

files=250
Shell=%SystemRoot%\system32\command.com /e:4096

We've run this configuration sucessfully and have for
three years now and this is the first time I've run into
this. On occasion the users need to drop out of the app to
the command line to run utilities and at first I thought
this to be a problem with our app but it's not.

If I go to start/run and open up a command.com window the
window opens and will show a prompt (slowly) but when you
type a command, say, "dir" you get no echo back to the
screen -- the command is THERE as when you "enter" on it
it will return the directory listing and you'll see your
command reflected in the previous lines.

Does anyone have a CLUE as to what is causing this
behavior? It's a fresh install of W2K SP3 (I'm still not
sold on sp4...)with all patches up to 1 October 2003) but
it's the first time I've seen this.

ANY help appreciated.

Art Armfield

 

[Al Dunbar [MS-MVP]]

I appreciate that this is an old DOS-type app, but must you use command.com?
Have you tried this with CMD.EXE?

/Al

 

[Mark V]

Art Armfield wrote in

Hello,

Since this is a first post I'll try to give all the info I
can. I have two identical servers, HP Proliant ML350's
dual-proc, 3G RAM running W2K server, TS enabled and am
having a problem with the DOS (command.com) prompt
echo'ing back text that is entered -- problem is it
doesn't. Both servers AND the Proliant ML370 that is the
app server are acting this way.

I'm running an older DOS app with a 32bit runtime on these
servers from the ML370 W2K file server and the app itself
runs fine with no issues. We have to modify config.nt and
add/modify the lines:

files=250
Shell=%SystemRoot%\system32\command.com /e:4096

We've run this configuration sucessfully and have for
three years now and this is the first time I've run into
this. On occasion the users need to drop out of the app to
the command line to run utilities and at first I thought
this to be a problem with our app but it's not.

If I go to start/run and open up a command.com window the
window opens and will show a prompt (slowly) but when you
type a command, say, "dir" you get no echo back to the
screen -- the command is THERE as when you "enter" on it
it will return the directory listing and you'll see your
command reflected in the previous lines.

Does anyone have a CLUE as to what is causing this
behavior? It's a fresh install of W2K SP3 (I'm still not
sold on sp4...)with all patches up to 1 October 2003) but
it's the first time I've seen this.

My only suggestion is to confirm the command.com in use and possibly
replace it with a known-good copy from the current SP. You might
also check the properties of command.com, ntvdm.exe and possibly
command.pif.