Q30860: Program Aborts after SHELL on COMPAQ 386/20, COMPAQ DOS 3.31

Article: Q30860
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 4.00 4.00b 4.50
Operating System(s): MS-DOS
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | buglist4.00 buglist4.00b buglist4.50 B_BasicCom | mspl13_basic
Last Modified: 11-DEC-1989

A program quits prematurely after executing a SHELL command if it is
running under COMPAQ DOS Version 3.31. The problem has been duplicated
only on a COMPAQ 386 running at 20-megahertz speed.

The problem occurs both in the QB.EXE editor and in a compiled .EXE
program.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in QuickBASIC Versions
4.00, 4.00b, and 4.50 and in Microsoft BASIC Compiler Versions 6.00
and 6.00b (buglist6.00, buglist6.00b) for MS-DOS.

To work around this problem, use an older version of COMPAQ DOS, such
as Version 3.20.

The following code example demonstrates the problem:

   PRINT "START"
   SHELL "DIR A:"
   PRINT "FINISH"
   END

The above program executes the SHELL and then ends without printing
"FINISH".

Microsoft is researching this problem and will post new information
here as it becomes available.

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