WFWG Err Msg: Invalid or Missing COMMAND.COM

 Last reviewed: November 23, 1994
Article ID: Q90197
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows for Workgroups versions 3.1, 3.11

SYMPTOMS

If your AUTOEXEC.BAT file sets the path to COMMAND.COM using a SET COMSPEC= statement after the NET START command, then the NET START command may fail with the following error message and your machine may stop responding (hang): 

   invalid or missing command.com
NOTE: This problem DOES NOT occur if COMMAND.COM is in the root directory.

CAUSE

You can set the path to COMMAND.COM with a SHELL= statement in the CONFIG.SYS file or the COMPSPEC= statement in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

The NET START command fails only when the path to COMMAND.COM is set via SET COMSPEC=, not SHELL=. This is more of a problem with MS-DOS version 4.0, which automatically installs the SET COMPEC= statement in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, and with OEM versions of MS-DOS which do not put COMMAND.COM in the root directory.

WORKAROUND

To fix this problem, restart your computer using a startup (boot) disk in drive A, and edit the CONFIG.SYS and/or AUTOEXEC.BAT files. Move the SET COMSPEC= line so that it is above the NET START command, or remove the SET COMSPEC= statement and use the SHELL= line in the CONFIG.SYS file.

KBCategory: kbenv kberrmsg
KBSubcategory: wfw wfwg
Additional reference words: 3.10 3.11 hang hung locked freeze frozen

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Last reviewed: November 23, 1994
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