COMMAND.COM Parses Long Filenames to 8.3 Standard

 Last reviewed: August 30, 1996
Article ID: Q126672
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows 95

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

Typing 

   copy "a+b" c
copies the file A+B to a file called C.

KBCategory: kbusage kbui
KBSubcategory: wpp95 win95
Additional reference words: 95

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Last reviewed: August 30, 1996
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