XP hides autoexec.bat

[Mason A. Clark]

I'm just curious -- what's going on?

I use autoexec.bat and it's visible in dos for editing.
It is used by XP on boot up -- that's demonstrable.

But: XP will *not* display the existence of autoexec.bat
in Explorer of My Computer.

It shows the seven other odds and ends in the C: root, including
autoexec.bak when my editor creates it.

If it hides autoexec.bat, what else may it be hiding that
I should know about? And why the strange selectiveness?

Mason C

( If your curious, I use autoexec.bat to extend the path to
include my dos utilities and bats - a couple of which I use
to good purpose. I also set dircmd=/oen. ( I often
prefer to use dos to see directories and files and have an
excellent old dos thing to quickly scan txt files.)

 

[David Candy]

Type dir /a then

 

[*Vanguard*]

Mason A. Clark said in

But: XP will *not* display the existence of autoexec.bat
in Explorer of My Computer.

It shows the seven other odds and ends in the C: root, including
autoexec.bak when my editor creates it.

<snip>

So turn off the "hide protected operating system files" option in
Explorer.

Just because Explorer doesn't list a file doesn't mean you cannot access
it. Just enter "notepad c:\autoexec.bat" using Start -> Run and you'll
be editing it.

 

[*Vanguard*]

Mason A. Clark said in

( If your curious, I use autoexec.bat to extend the path to
include my dos utilities and bats - a couple of which I use
to good purpose. I also set dircmd=/oen. ( I often
prefer to use dos to see directories and files and have an
excellent old dos thing to quickly scan txt files.)

Also,

There is no need to use autoexec.bat to extend the PATH environment
variable. Just right-click on My Computer, Properties, Advanced tab,
Environment Variables button, and add/update the variable definitions
under SYSTEM (so everyone gets the change) or under USER (so only your
currently logged on account sees the change).

 

[Jerry]

XP Uses CONFIG.NT and AUTOEXEC.NT Look in the \system32 folder

 

[David Candy]

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;100843

 

[PopRivet]

Type dir /a then

....
Another gem from the land of the mindless.

 

[PopRivet]

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;100843

....
Brilliant; just, plain, freaking brilliant advise
without meaning/clarification or intelligence. You're
not a mind reader: Quit expecting others to be.
The information in this article applies to:
a.. Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
b.. Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
c.. Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
d.. Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.1
e.. Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
f.. Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.1
g.. Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0

 

[*Vanguard*]

PopRivet said in news:[email protected]:

...
Brilliant; just, plain, freaking brilliant advise
without meaning/clarification or intelligence. You're
not a mind reader: Quit expecting others to be.
The information in this article applies to:
a.. Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
b.. Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
c.. Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
d.. Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.1
e.. Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
f.. Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.1
g.. Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0

What, you thought Windows XP was some fantastically different version
than Windows 2000? Boy, are you gullible to marketeers.

What, you can't READ the referenced KB article?

What, you're too lazy to do your own [advanced] search on "autoexec" or
"autoexec.nt" at http://support.microsoft.com for Windows XP? Maybe
then you would have glomed onto:

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=314495
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=314106
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=324767

where they tell you that autoexec.nt and config.nt are used by the Win16
VM when you load 16-bit applications and by the DOS VM for running
emulated DOS-mode apps, not when you load Windows itself. Neither of
those .nt files are used when Windows itself loads.

It's not David's job to hold your hand or to wipe your butt. He
provided the clue. Do your own work from there.