Octopus Overlords

Posted: **Thu Jan 06, 2005 9:55 pm**

Is it DOS that opens when you run something like "ipconfig" with WindowsXP?

Whatever it is, if I try to run it, it just flashes for a split second and then closes.
This happens everytime.

Any ideas?

Posted: **Thu Jan 06, 2005 10:24 pm**

Try 'cmd' (no tickmarks), then ipconfig /all at the DOS prompt.

~Neal
[edit: took me that long to figure out that the p follows the m in the word 'prompt']

Posted: **Fri Jan 07, 2005 12:28 am**

Also from the start button in WinXP:

start>all programs>accessories>command prompt

DOS window opens up and you can type in whatever command you need. Admittedly though, Neal's method is quicker and I'll file it away for future use. I knew there was something you can type into the run window but always forgot what it was, hence the long way to get to the command prompt.

Posted: **Fri Jan 07, 2005 10:43 am**

Thanks, that worked.

Posted: **Fri Jan 07, 2005 11:05 am**

The reason it closes is that you're running the program ipconfig and the program terminates when it finishes running, closing the appropriate windows. There used to be a GUI version of ipconfig, but it seems to have vanished.

Posted: **Mon Jan 10, 2005 1:18 am**

That was winipconfig. That was the ip utility for win 9X.

Posted: **Mon Jan 10, 2005 1:54 am**

They actually made one for 2000/XP as well. You had to download it, or have the resource cd. I tried it but got used to just using ipconfig.

Posted: **Mon Jan 10, 2005 10:45 am**

Also, if you type "cmd -x", you'll get a dos-window you can scroll up and down in instead of having to type "|" to keep stuff from scrolling up and off the screen.

Posted: **Mon Jan 10, 2005 8:55 pm**

got this off of a pretty good site MSCEworld

1. Right-click an empty spot on the desktop and choose New > Shortcut.
2. Type CMD and press Next then Finish. A new shortcut appears on the desktop.
3. To customize the CMD shortcut right-click it and choose Properties.
4. In the Options tab make sure the QuickEdit mode check-box is selected. NT 4 does NOT have this option selected. QuickEdit lets you perform Copy/Paste operations in a CMD window by right-clicking the text within the window.
5. In the Layout tab make the Width of both the Screen Buffer and the Window Size to 90, and make the Screen Buffer Height 999. This will let you scroll up and down within the CMD window. NT 4 does NOT have this option selected.
6. In the Shortcut tab, in the Target pox, add a "/f:1" to the target (without the quotes). This will let you perform Auto Complete actions in the CMD window. If you want to enter a filename with a long name, type in the first 2-3 letters of the filename and press CTRL+F to scroll the available filenames. Do the same to folder names by pressing CTRL+D.
7. While you're in the Shortcut tab, you can also enable a shortcut key sequence to fire the CMD shortcut. I use CTRL+ALT+F4 but you can select your own favorite sequence.
8. Drag the CMD shortcut the right mouse button and place it on an empty spot in the Quick Launch toolbar.
9. Let go of the right mouse button. Select Copy Here.
10. You now have a nice and working CMD shortcut.

Posted: **Mon Jan 10, 2005 9:00 pm**

Caine wrote:got this off of a pretty good site MSCEworld
1. Right-click an empty spot on the desktop and choose New > Shortcut.
2. Type CMD and press Next then Finish. A new shortcut appears on the desktop.
3. To customize the CMD shortcut right-click it and choose Properties.
4. In the Options tab make sure the QuickEdit mode check-box is selected. NT 4 does NOT have this option selected. QuickEdit lets you perform Copy/Paste operations in a CMD window by right-clicking the text within the window.
5. In the Layout tab make the Width of both the Screen Buffer and the Window Size to 90, and make the Screen Buffer Height 999. This will let you scroll up and down within the CMD window. NT 4 does NOT have this option selected.
6. In the Shortcut tab, in the Target pox, add a "/f:1" to the target (without the quotes). This will let you perform Auto Complete actions in the CMD window. If you want to enter a filename with a long name, type in the first 2-3 letters of the filename and press CTRL+F to scroll the available filenames. Do the same to folder names by pressing CTRL+D.
7. While you're in the Shortcut tab, you can also enable a shortcut key sequence to fire the CMD shortcut. I use CTRL+ALT+F4 but you can select your own favorite sequence.
8. Drag the CMD shortcut the right mouse button and place it on an empty spot in the Quick Launch toolbar.
9. Let go of the right mouse button. Select Copy Here.
10. You now have a nice and working CMD shortcut.

Hey I like that. I wonder If a script could be written to add that to all users? Then I could maybe shoove it to systems with GPO.

Posted: **Mon Jan 10, 2005 9:09 pm**

i wouldn't even worry about making it into a script. just copy that shortcut to a network drive and script it to be copied to "c:\documents and settings\%user%\desktop\"

Posted: **Mon Jan 10, 2005 10:52 pm**

Why you would want to encourage your users to have access to a command prompt is another question entirely.

Posted: **Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:03 pm**

Bad Demographic wrote:Also, if you type "cmd -x", you'll get a dos-window you can scroll up and down in instead of having to type "|" to keep stuff from scrolling up and off the screen.

Awesome! I wasn't aware of that parameter. Learn something new (and useful) every day.

~Neal

Posted: **Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:46 pm**

Zaxxon wrote:Why you would want to encourage your users to have access to a command prompt is another question entirely.

Shoot most of my customers want every user in the domain to have local admin rights. You can preach and preach. They would rather pay me and my crew to run around behind them fixing stuff.

Posted: **Tue Jan 11, 2005 10:39 am**

There's definately something wacky with my desktop shortcuts.....I tried that shortcut tip from Caine, and it took 30 seconds to access the right-click menu

Posted: **Tue Jan 11, 2005 8:53 pm**

Zekester wrote:There's definately something wacky with my desktop shortcuts.....I tried that shortcut tip from Caine, and it took 30 seconds to access the right-click menu

Install any software with shell extensions lately? There are a few programs, especially antivirus, that I've seen do this; for whatever reason, their 'scan this file' shell extension causes pretty hideous delays. Also, check in your filetypes for the 'New' command, you might have a few hundred custom types in there from third-party software.

Posted: **Wed Jan 12, 2005 1:05 am**

WTF is a shell extension?

And am I checking for file types under folder options?

Thanks

Posted: **Wed Jan 12, 2005 1:08 am**

A shell extension is a thing in a new program that shows up when you right-click on the standard Windows right-click menu... for example, if you install Norton, and then when you right-click a file, 'Scan This File' comes up along with open, rename, delete, etc., that's a shell extension.

And for file types, just right-click on your desktop and expand the 'New' option. Default Windows ones are pretty slim, but my general rule is there really shouldn't be more than 20 things on that menu, 40 for an old/well-used machine.

Posted: **Wed Jan 12, 2005 12:23 pm**

Ahhh, ok.

So the only really new thing that I installed recently that added a shell extension, was Ulead burning software.
It's called a "burn document"
Maybe that's it?

Other than that, I have about 20 other choices that have pretty much been there for awhile.

Posted: **Wed Jan 12, 2005 2:56 pm**

It's worth a try, anyway. You can try uninstalling it and checking if it speeds back up... if that is indeed the case, just don't install the extension if it gives you the option. If it goes ahead and installs without asking, you can use one of several shareware or freeware tools (I think Tweak-XP does it best, IIRC... but it's been a long time) that will let you get rid of that particular extension.

Octopus Overlords

"DOS" windows won't stay open with XP

"DOS" windows won't stay open with XP