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Q74166: MS-DOS: Piped DIR Command Shows Temporary Files

Article: Q74166
Product(s): Microsoft Disk Operating System
Version(s): MS-DOS:5.0,5.0a,6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 19-NOV-1999

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft MS-DOS operating system versions 5.0, 5.0a, 6.0 
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SUMMARY
=======

Temporary files having a zero byte size can be seen if the DIR command is issued
with a pipe symbol and parameters MORE or SORT. These files are seen when the
DIR command is listing files residing in the temporary directory.

If the temporary directory is set to be: C:\windows\temp and the current
directory is C:\windows\temp, then the following examples of commands will show
the temporary DOS files:

  dir | more
  dir | sort

The files can also be seen if the current directory is not the temporary
directory by including a path as shown below:

  dir C:\windows\temp | more
  dir \windows\temp |sort

The files will appear as eight-character files with no file extensions. They will
have zero bytes and will be stamped with the date and time that the command was
given, as follows:

  AOBOAJCF 0 7-04-91 2:45p
  AOBOAJCK 0 7-04-91 2:45p.

If you don't use the pipe parameter, these files will not be visible. They are
temporary and are deleted immediately after the command is finished executing.

This information applies to MS-DOS version 5.0. In versions previous to 5.0, the
temporary files were not created in the directory specified by the temp
variable, but rather in the root directory of the active drive.

Additional query words: 5.00 5.00a 6.00 noupd

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbMSDOSSearch kbMSDOS600 kbMSDOS500 kbMSDOS500a
Version           : MS-DOS:5.0,5.0a,6.0

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