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Q126672: COMMAND.COM Parses Long Filenames to 8.3 Standard

Article: Q126672
Product(s): Microsoft Windows 95.x Retail Product
Version(s): 95
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): win95
Last Modified: 17-DEC-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows 95 
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SYMPTOMS
========

When you copy a file to a file whose long filename contains a plus sign (+) at
an MS-DOS command prompt in Windows 95, COMMAND.COM parses the long filename
into an MS-DOS 8.3 standard filename. For example, if you type

  " copy vxd__.ini vxd++.ini " (without the quotation marks)

the destination file is actually named INI.

This behavior occurs whether you type the command at an MS-DOS command prompt in
Windows 95 or you boot the computer in the previous version of MS- DOS installed
on the computer and then type the command.

RESOLUTION
==========

Place the last argument on the command line in quotation marks to use the long
filename. For example, type

  " copy vxd__.ini "vxd++.ini" " (without the quotation marks)

to create a destination file called VXD++.INI.

STATUS
======

This behavior is by design.

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

If you do not use quotation marks around the long filename, the filename is
parsed by COMMAND.COM, and COMMAND.COM sees the plus sign as a filename
separator. For example, typing

  " copy a+b c " (without the quotation marks)

copies the files A and B together into a single file called C.

Typing

  " copy "a+b" c " (without the quotation marks)

copies the file A+B to a file called C.

======================================================================
Keywords          : win95 
Technology        : kbWin95search kbZNotKeyword3
Version           : 95

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