My experience with XP Pro is that when one goes to the Run Window and
invokes a DOS command directly, it executes and immediately closes the DOS
window.  Consequently, we instead type the "CMD" command actually to open a
DOS window, change to the directory wherein resides the DOS application
which we wish to invoke and then type the correct program name and hit
enter.  The command will execute and the DOS window remain open until
manually closed, again from the command line.  The command to close the DOS
window is "exit".  That should address your question, I believe.

  Now, a related one of my own.  Previously we used a "Path Statement" to
cause DOS to search a series of subdirectories for the application we
invoked.  Does anybody know how we might duplicate that and avoid having
manually to search for the correct subdirectory for these DOS commands in XP
Pro?

Tommy Holmes, Jr.
[log in to unmask]
713.621.5666

>
> Don Penlington wrote:
>
> > I notice that my XP Pro contains in the System32 folder the following
> > .exe
> > files:
> > Xcopy  XXCopy16  XXCopy  XXPBar.
> >
> > I have not knowingly put these files there--presumably they
> come with XP.
> >
> > If I try to run any of them, (or for that matter any dos file) all I
> > get is
> > a momentary flash of a dos window. Is this normal? If I needed to (and
> > I'm
> > not sure if I ever will) how can I force any dos file to open in XP?
> > Or is
> > that forbidden? I know that XP does not support dos, which makes me
> > curious
> > as to why these files are there.
> >
> > What is the purpose of each of these files? That last one sounds
> > intriguing! A bar in my computer--now that's advanced thinking.
> >
> > I noted Ian's excellent tip about running W98 install from the hard
> > drive,
> > using Xcopy32 from a boot disk. Would XXCopy do the same thing?  Could I
> > install XP in the same way--I believe the setup file is in the I386
> > folder.
> >
> > Don Penlington
> > From the beach at Surfers Paradise.
> > http://www.geocities.com/donaldpen/
> > for sunny Queensland photos, fractal art, free computer tutorials, and
> > more.
> >
> >             Do you want to signoff PCSOFT or just change to
> >                    Digest mode - visit our web site:
> >                   http://freepctech.com/pcsoft.shtml
> >
>
>              Do you want to signoff PCSOFT or just change to
>                     Digest mode - visit our web site:
>                    http://freepctech.com/pcsoft.shtml
>

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