PRB: DX1350 or DX1270 Errors Caused by Environment Variable

MS-DOS          | WINDOWS

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Visual C++ for Windows, version 1.0
• Microsoft FORTRAN PowerStation for MS-DOS, version 1.0
• Microsoft Macro Assembler (MASM) for MS-DOS, versions 6.1 and 6.1a
• Microsoft LINK for MS-DOS, version 5.5
• Microsoft NMAKE for MS-DOS, version 1.3

SYMPTOMS

An attempt to run a Microsoft compiler, assembler, or utility that uses the DOSXNT MS-DOS extender may fail and generate one of the following messages:

   DOSXNT : fatal error DX1350: cannot load program : file not found
   Additional info: "xxx"

   DOSXNT : fatal error DX1270: command line error :
         unknown command switch xxx
   Info: Error in switch xxx of environment variable TNT (xxx)

   DOSXNT : fatal error DX1270: command line error :
         unknown command switch xxx
   Info: Error in switch xxx of environment variable GOTNT (xxx)

CAUSE

The DOSXNT MS-DOS extender searches the MS-DOS environment variables for the strings "TNT," "GOTNT," or any prefix of "TNT" or "GOTNT". Therefore, the following environment variables can cause the errors above:

   G, GO, GOT, GOTN, GOTNT, T, TN, TNT

RESOLUTION

Use the MS-DOS SET command to remove the environment variable. For more information on this technique, please see below.

MORE INFORMATION

For a list of MS-DOS environment variables, enter the command "SET" (without quotation marks) at the MS-DOS prompt. Each environment variable is listed in the following form:

   <variable>=<value>

   set tnt=

In Microsoft Windows, an environment variable set in an MS-DOS window is valid only in that window. To remove a variable that causes the problems above, you must exit Windows first, then enter the SET command above. Because the offending variable is most likely set in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, you should edit that file to remove (or comment out) the offending SET statement.