Long Filenames in Command Prompt

• Xcert

  14 Sep 07, 17:26

  Anyone knows why some Windows systems cannot allow long filenames in Command Prompt?
  
  I have 2 computers installed with Windows XP Professional SP2.
  Computer A in Command Prompt
  C:\>cd Program Files
  C:\Program Files>
  
  Computer B in Command Prompt
  C:\>cd Program Files
  Too many parameters - Files
• ndmmxiaomayi

  14 Sep 07, 19:24

  Computer B - did you upgrade it from Win 9x/ME?
  
  Is it a Fat32 system?
• Xcert

  15 Sep 07, 17:57

  Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:

  Computer B - did you upgrade it from Win 9x/ME?
  
  Is it a Fat32 system?

  Its a school lab environment...Both computers are licensed Windows XP Pro...OS should have came from installation CD/recovery CD...Both are not DIY PCs....so shouldnt be using any OEM software.
  
  How to check if its Fat32?
• ndmmxiaomayi

  16 Sep 07, 00:10

  Originally posted by Xcert:

  Its a school lab environment...Both computers are licensed Windows XP Pro...OS should have came from installation CD/recovery CD...Both are not DIY PCs....so shouldnt be using any OEM software.
  
  How to check if its Fat32?

  Hmm... school lab environment... can verify from the school admin that it's not upgraded from Windows 9x/ME?
  
  Open My Computer, select the drive once.
  
  On your left hand side, you will see something like this:
  
  
  
  File System - tells you if it's NTFS or FAT32
  
  Or right click on the drive, select Properties. You will see File System - FAT32/NTFS
• Xcert

  16 Sep 07, 14:23

  Both are NTFS.
• ndmmxiaomayi

  16 Sep 07, 18:18

  On Computer B, can try this instead:
  
  Start > Run and type in cmd.exe
  
  Then try again.
• Xcert

  16 Sep 07, 18:33

  Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:
  On Computer B, can try this instead:
  
  Start > Run and type in [b]cmd.exe
  
  Then try again.[/b]

  thanks mayi...problem solved...but not really understood...
  
  isnt "command" and "cmd" the same when running from Windows XP?
  
  Anyway for all interested....when using "command", the header that comes out is
  
  Microsoft(R) Windows DOS
  (C)Copyright Microsoft Corp 1990-2001.
  
  In this mode,long filename is not supported
  
  for "cmd",the header is
  
  Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
  (C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.
  
  In this mode,long filename is supported.
• ndmmxiaomayi

  16 Sep 07, 18:37

  Originally posted by Xcert:

  thanks mayi...problem solved...but not really understood...
  
  isnt "command" and "cmd" the same when running from Windows XP?
  
  Anyway for all interested....when using "command", the header that comes out is
  
  Microsoft(R) Windows DOS
  (C)Copyright Microsoft Corp 1990-2001.
  
  In this mode,long filename is not supported
  
  for "cmd",the header is
  
  Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
  (C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.
  
  In this mode,long filename is supported.

  command - is the Windows 9x/ME version of Command Prompt. This old version doesn't support long file names.
  
  cmd - is the NT version of Command Prompt, or rather, the newest version that ships with all NT family of Windows. It supports long file names.
• Xcert

  16 Sep 07, 18:47

  Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:

  command - is the Windows 9x/ME version of Command Prompt. This old version doesn't support long file names.
  
  cmd - is the NT version of Command Prompt, or rather, the newest version that ships with all NT family of Windows. It supports long file names.

  I stand corrected.
  
  Thanks mayi for making the effort to solve my issue.