Q62774: Using PC-DOS 3.00 and QBX.EXE Will Give SHELL Problems

Article: Q62774
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 7.00 7.10
Operating System(s): MS-DOS
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | SR# S900522-12 buglist7.00 buglist7.10 | mspl13_basic
Last Modified: 6-AUG-1990

When using QuickBASIC Extended (QBX.EXE) version 7.00 or 7.10 under
PC-DOS version 3.00, if you first generate a PC-DOS "Bad command or
file name" error on a SHELL statement, then any subsequent uses of the
SHELL statement with any parameter will result in the "Bad command or
file name" error until you restart QBX.EXE. To work around this
problem, you can either use QuickBASIC version 4.50, or upgrade to
either MS-DOS or a newer version of PC-DOS, or compile the program and
run it outside of the environment with the near strings option
(without /Fs).

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft BASIC
Professional Development System (PDS) versions 7.00 and 7.10 under
PC-DOS 3.00. We are researching this problem and will post new
information here as it becomes available.

This problem does not occur in Microsoft QuickBASIC versions 4.00,
4.00b, or 4.50, or in Microsoft BASIC Compiler versions 6.00 or 6.00b
under PC-DOS.

The following code example demonstrates the problem:

Code Example
------------

   SHELL "Errorxyz"      ' This will cause the first "Bad command or
                         ' file name" error.
   SHELL "CLS"           ' This is supposed to work but it gives a "bad
                         ' command or file name" error

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