Q73406: Program Group File Format Differences with MS-DOS Shell

Article: Q73406
Product(s): Microsoft Disk Operating System
Version(s): MS-DOS:4.x,5.x,6.x
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 17-DEC-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft MS-DOS operating system versions 4.0, 4.01, 5.0, 5.0a, 6.0, 6.2, 6.21, 6.22 
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SUMMARY
=======

MS-DOS Shell versions 5.0 and later use a different file format to save program
group information than MS-DOS 4.x Shell does.

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

MS-DOS 5.0 and later Shell uses one file (DOSSHELL.INI) in a text format to
store all of the information about Shell, including program groups. MS-DOS 4.0
Shell uses a SHELL.MEU for the Main group and creates a separate file (*.MEU)
for each additional program group. .MEU files are in an undocumented binary
format. The two formats are incompatible with one another, and you must
re-create the program groups in MS-DOS 5.0 and later Shell that you had in
MS-DOS 4.0 Shell.

PC-DOS version 5.0 includes a utility, MEU2INI.EXE, to convert the .MEU files to
.INI files. For more information about converting .MEU files to .INI files,
query on the following words:

  PC-DOS and 5.0 and Shell

Additional query words: 4.00 4.01 4.01a 5.00 5.00a 6.00 DOSSHELL

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbMSDOSSearch kbMSDOS400 kbMSDOS621 kbMSDOS622 kbMSDOS620 kbMSDOS600 kbMSDOS500 kbMSDOS401 kbMSDOS500a
Version           : MS-DOS:4.x,5.x,6.x

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