DOCUMENT:Q83273  17-DEC-2000  [msdos]
TITLE   :Err Msg: "Specified COMMAND Directory Bad"
PRODUCT :Microsoft Disk Operating System
PROD/VER:MS-DOS:5.x
OPER/SYS:
KEYWORDS:

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The information in this article applies to:

 - Microsoft MS-DOS operating system versions 5.0, 5.0a 
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SUMMARY
=======

The following error message will occur if incorrect parameters are used with
COMMAND.COM, or an invalid COMSPEC is being set:

   Specified COMMAND Search Directory Bad

This error will occur in MS-DOS and in the Windows operating system when
COMMAND.COM is used incorrectly in a .PIF (program information file).

MORE INFORMATION
================

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

Windows 3.x
-----------

 - 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

MS-DOS
------

 - If you type "command" (without the quotation marks) 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" (without the quotation marks) 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.

Additional query words: 5.00 5.00a

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbMSDOSSearch kbMSDOS500 kbMSDOS500a
Version           : MS-DOS:5.x

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