Err Msg: "Specified COMMAND Directory Bad" (83273)

MORE INFORMATION

The following examples illustrate how the error may be caused in Windows 3.x and MS-DOS:

The error will be received if running an MS-DOS application as a parameter of COMMAND.COM without the /C option. The format of the Optional Parameters line in the .PIF should read as follows:
```
      Optional Parameters:   /c [drive]\[dir]\PROGRAM.EXE
```
The error message may occur when associating a data file with a .PIF that invokes COMMAND.COM with the /C option, using PIF Editor. For example:
```
      Program Filename:    COMMAND.COM
      Window Title:        Test
      Optional Parameters: /c foot.exe
      Start-up Directory:  c:\ 
```
To associate the data file (TEST.JNK) with this .PIF, put the associated file to the right of the Optional Parameters: /C option, as follows
```
      Optional Parameters: /c foot.exe test.jnk
						
```
rather than:
```
      Optional Parameters: test.jnk /c foot.exe
```

If you type command at a command prompt with incorrect options, the error message
Specified COMMAND search directory bad
will be displayed. After receiving this message, the PATH, PROMPT, and other environment variables will be lost because a new environment is being set. Type exit to reset the initial environment.
If there is an incorrect COMSPEC variable or no COMSPEC variable in the SHELL statement of the CONFIG.SYS file, the error message
Cannot Find COMMAND.COM
may be displayed when exiting an application, or the error message
Specified Command Search Directory Bad
may be displayed on startup. The error message will occur as the COMSPEC variable is attempting to set.

To correct the error, make sure that the CONFIG.SYS file contains the line:
```
      shell=[drive]\[dir]\command.com [drive]\[dir]\ /p
						
```
(Where [drive] refers to the drive that contains the MS-DOS directory and files or the drive that contains COMMAND.COM, and [dir] refers to the appropriate MS-DOS directory that contains COMMAND.COM.)

Make sure to use correct syntax with COMMAND.COM. For more information on proper syntax, see the "Microsoft MS-DOS User's Guide and Reference" version 5.0 manual.