DOS Prompt Here vs. Open Command Window Here

[Six Underground]

I note that, in Win 7 HP SP1 x64, when I depress the shift key and
right-click on a folder in Explorer, I am offered the option of "Open
command window here" and also "DOS Prompt Here".

If I use "Open command window here" option, I get a command prompt
launched directly from the folder I've selected. This is what I
normally expect, and If I recall correctly, that's the way it worked
in Windows XP. However, if I use "DOS Prompt Here", the prompt is not
launched from the directory I selected. That is to say, if I attempt
to launch it from C:\Install, I actually get a prompt launched
directly from C:\. If I attempt to launch from C:\, that produces a
prompt from C:\Windows\System32.

This behavior is confusing, and I feel like I'm missing something that
might be important here. If there are two different ways to launch
the prompt, I figure there must be a good reason for it.

The titlebar of either type of command window displays the same text;
in my case, "Administrator: C\windows\system32\cmd.exe". However, I
note that in the case of "DOS Prompt Here", the actual command prompt
is preceded by a Windows version message. With "Open command window
here", I just get the prompt without the version message at all.

Anybody know of any important differences between the two?

Enjoy the day.

6U

 

[...winston]

Win7 Pro (clean installed)
- no option for Dos Prompt Here (on Win7 SP1 x64) when depressing the shift key and rt. click on a folder in Explorer.

PC upgraded from an earlier o/s or third party software adding a feature to the context menu would seem to be the logical reasons
for the 'Dos prompt' item.

Windows 7 doesn't have DOS.



--
....winston
msft mvp mail


"Six Underground" wrote in message

I note that, in Win 7 HP SP1 x64, when I depress the shift key and
right-click on a folder in Explorer, I am offered the option of "Open
command window here" and also "DOS Prompt Here".

If I use "Open command window here" option, I get a command prompt
launched directly from the folder I've selected. This is what I
normally expect, and If I recall correctly, that's the way it worked
in Windows XP. However, if I use "DOS Prompt Here", the prompt is not
launched from the directory I selected. That is to say, if I attempt
to launch it from C:\Install, I actually get a prompt launched
directly from C:\. If I attempt to launch from C:\, that produces a
prompt from C:\Windows\System32.

This behavior is confusing, and I feel like I'm missing something that
might be important here. If there are two different ways to launch
the prompt, I figure there must be a good reason for it.

The titlebar of either type of command window displays the same text;
in my case, "Administrator: C\windows\system32\cmd.exe". However, I
note that in the case of "DOS Prompt Here", the actual command prompt
is preceded by a Windows version message. With "Open command window
here", I just get the prompt without the version message at all.

Anybody know of any important differences between the two?

Enjoy the day.

6U

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I note that, in Win 7 HP SP1 x64, when I depress the shift key and
right-click on a folder in Explorer, I am offered the option of "Open
command window here" and also "DOS Prompt Here".

If I use "Open command window here" option, I get a command prompt
launched directly from the folder I've selected. This is what I
normally expect, and If I recall correctly, that's the way it worked
in Windows XP. However, if I use "DOS Prompt Here", the prompt is not
launched from the directory I selected. That is to say, if I attempt
to launch it from C:\Install, I actually get a prompt launched
directly from C:\. If I attempt to launch from C:\, that produces a
prompt from C:\Windows\System32.

This behavior is confusing, and I feel like I'm missing something that
might be important here. If there are two different ways to launch
the prompt, I figure there must be a good reason for it.

The titlebar of either type of command window displays the same text;
in my case, "Administrator: C\windows\system32\cmd.exe". However, I
note that in the case of "DOS Prompt Here", the actual command prompt
is preceded by a Windows version message. With "Open command window
here", I just get the prompt without the version message at all.

Anybody know of any important differences between the two?

No.

However, I don't have the DOS one here. Maybe you should emulate me

For one thing, it would be a third party app, unless it's left over from
the original version of Windows before you updated. Which might be a
third party app too; it was for me, back in the day...

Have you verified that the directory is what you think? Just run CD
without any arguments; it will echo the current path. I suggest that
just in case the prompt is misleading you.

Although another thought comes to mind. Are you sure the second entry
says "DOS Prompt Here" and not just "DOS Prompt"? You might be seeing
what you want to see and not what's there...

 

[Six Underground]

For one thing, it would be a third party app, unless it's left over from
the original version of Windows before you updated. Which might be a
third party app too; it was for me, back in the day...

Hi Gene.. thanks for responding.

I didn't upgrade from a previous version.

I guess it must have been a third-party app then. As such, I have a
minor mystery to explore.

I checked the extension in ContextEdit and ShellMenuView. Both
utilities confirm that the item is there, but don't give me many clues
about which app installed it.

Have you verified that the directory is what you think? Just run CD
without any arguments; it will echo the current path. I suggest that
just in case the prompt is misleading you.

Yep. It's telling the truth. That's what the prompt really points
to.

Although another thought comes to mind. Are you sure the second entry
says "DOS Prompt Here" and not just "DOS Prompt"? You might be seeing
what you want to see and not what's there...

Yes. It's "DOS Prompt Here". That's verbatim.

I'll most likely simply remove the item entirely. It's not doing much
good, or so it would seem.

Thanks again. Best to you.

6U

 

[Six Underground]

For one thing, it would be a third party app

Just as a follow-up, I searched my program directories to see if I
could find anything close to the last-modified date associated with
the context items (there were two; one for directory and one for
drive), but no joy, and I certainly can't remember what I installed on
July 9th at 1:33 am.

Initially, I thought I'd just go ahead and delete the registry keys,
but I wanted to find out how ShellMenuView disables these types of
items, so I used it to do so. What it does is adds an empty registry
item called LegacyDisable to the following keys:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\DOS Prompt Here
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\DOS Prompt Here

Works like a charm!

Thanks again for the help.

6U

 

[Stan Brown]

I note that, in Win 7 HP SP1 x64, when I depress the shift key and
right-click on a folder in Explorer, I am offered the option of "Open
command window here" and also "DOS Prompt Here".

I'm willing to bet you have some third-party program that created
that "Open DOS Prompt" context item. Microsoft has been adamant for
years that there is no more DOS, and I just can't imagine them using
that old name.

It doesn't by any chance say "4DOS", does it? That's a third-party
shell program from JP Software, now replaced by TCC.

Personally, I have both "Open command window here" and "Open command
prompt here" when I shift-right-click in my Win7 SP1 64-bit Home
Premium. As far as I can see, they do exactly the same thing. In
particular, the window titles are both "C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe",
they both open on the selected folder, and neither is elevated.

 

[Char Jackson]

I'm willing to bet you have some third-party program that created
that "Open DOS Prompt" context item. Microsoft has been adamant for
years that there is no more DOS, and I just can't imagine them using
that old name.

I wonder if it's one of the old Microsoft Powertoys, updated to work
in Win 7. One of those was called "DOS Prompt Here".

<http://www.aumha.org/a/powertoy.php>

 

[Ken Blake]

However, I don't have the DOS one here.

Nor do I.

 

[...winston]

"Char Jackson" wrote in message I wonder if it's one of the old Microsoft Powertoys, updated to work
in Win 7. One of those was called "DOS Prompt Here".

That rings a bell (Dos Prompt Powertoy) but I don't recall Microsoft Powertoys being updated to work in Windows 7 though that never
precluded anyone from installing it.

 

[John Williamson]

"Char Jackson" wrote in message

I wonder if it's one of the old Microsoft Powertoys, updated to work
in Win 7. One of those was called "DOS Prompt Here".


That rings a bell (Dos Prompt Powertoy) but I don't recall Microsoft
Powertoys being updated to work in Windows 7 though that never precluded
anyone from installing it.

I've upgraded back to XP, so I can't check, but what does Powershell
appear as in Windows 7?

 

[Bob Henson]

I wonder if it's one of the old Microsoft Powertoys, updated to work
in Win 7. One of those was called "DOS Prompt Here".

<http://www.aumha.org/a/powertoy.php>

I've got a small .reg file called cmd-always.reg that when added to the
registry restores the old behaviour whereby just right-clicking a
directory offers the prompt "open command window here". I can't remember
where I got it from, but I'm sure it's still around on the web if anyone
wants to Google it.

--
Bob
Tetbury, Gloucestershire, UK


If all seems to be going well, you obviously have no idea what is really
happening.

 

[philo]

I note that, in Win 7 HP SP1 x64, when I depress the shift key and
right-click on a folder in Explorer, I am offered the option of "Open
command window here" and also "DOS Prompt Here".

If I use "Open command window here" option, I get a command prompt
launched directly from the folder I've selected. This is what I
normally expect, and If I recall correctly, that's the way it worked
in Windows XP. However, if I use "DOS Prompt Here", the prompt is not
launched from the directory I selected. That is to say, if I attempt
to launch it from C:\Install, I actually get a prompt launched
directly from C:\. If I attempt to launch from C:\, that produces a
prompt from C:\Windows\System32.

This behavior is confusing, and I feel like I'm missing something that
might be important here. If there are two different ways to launch
the prompt, I figure there must be a good reason for it.

The titlebar of either type of command window displays the same text;
in my case, "Administrator: C\windows\system32\cmd.exe". However, I
note that in the case of "DOS Prompt Here", the actual command prompt
is preceded by a Windows version message. With "Open command window
here", I just get the prompt without the version message at all.

Anybody know of any important differences between the two?

Enjoy the day.

6U

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/termsc/p/command-prompt.htm

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Hi Gene.. thanks for responding.

I didn't upgrade from a previous version.

I guess it must have been a third-party app then. As such, I have a
minor mystery to explore.

I checked the extension in ContextEdit and ShellMenuView. Both
utilities confirm that the item is there, but don't give me many clues
about which app installed it.


Yep. It's telling the truth. That's what the prompt really points
to.


Yes. It's "DOS Prompt Here". That's verbatim.

I'll most likely simply remove the item entirely. It's not doing much
good, or so it would seem.

Thanks again. Best to you.

6U

(I also read your other post, but can't add much to it except
"interesting")

It's not really correct to call it an app, it's really just a context
menu item, as you already know. But I remembered where I got it. It was
included in the Windows tweaks that Microsoft mad available (without
support) for older versions of Windows. It was called TweakUI, unless
I'm confused again

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

(I also read your other post, but can't add much to it except
"interesting")

It's not really correct to call it an app, it's really just a context
menu item, as you already know. But I remembered where I got it. It was
included in the Windows tweaks that Microsoft mad available (without
support) for older versions of Windows. It was called TweakUI, unless
I'm confused again

I just read Char Jackson's post where he refers to PowerToys for
Windows. That's it! But the other name is real too.

No matter, it's been too long for me to have a clear memory of the
taxonomy.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I just read Char Jackson's post where he refers to PowerToys for
Windows. That's it! But the other name is real too.

No matter, it's been too long for me to have a clear memory of the
taxonomy.

Never mind, I Googled and learned a bit more.

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/tweakui.htm

There was a whole set of unsupported tweaks in the set of items called
PowerToys for Windows. TweakUI was one of them, and it included the DOS
Prompt Here item.

 

[Bill Blanton]

I'm willing to bet you have some third-party program that created
that "Open DOS Prompt" context item. Microsoft has been adamant for
years that there is no more DOS, and I just can't imagine them using
that old name.

You can however open a command shell as opposed to a cmd shell.

Start > Run > command

Microsoft(R) Windows DOS
(C)Copyright Microsoft Corp 1990-2001.

The cmd extentions (for one) aren't available when using the command shell.

command /?
cmd /?

 

[...winston]

"John Williamson" wrote in message news:[email protected]...

I've upgraded back to XP, so I can't check, but what does Powershell
appear as in Windows 7?

Windows PowerShell
Copyright (C) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

PS C:\Users\Winston>

 

[Yousuf Khan]

I note that, in Win 7 HP SP1 x64, when I depress the shift key and
right-click on a folder in Explorer, I am offered the option of "Open
command window here" and also "DOS Prompt Here".

DOS Prompt Here is part of the Windows XP Powertools package. You should
uninstall it, as it's now been replaced by the built-in Open Command
Window Here.

Yousuf Khan

 

[SC Tom]

DOS Prompt Here is part of the Windows XP Powertools package. You should
uninstall it, as it's now been replaced by the built-in Open Command
Window Here.

"Open Command Window Here" didn't show on my right-click menu unless I
pressed Shift first. With the reg entry, I now have it available without
pressing Shift first. YMMV, but that's how it works on all three of my Win7
HP machines, (2) 32-bit and (1) 64-bit.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I've upgraded back to XP, so I can't check, but what does Powershell
appear as in Windows 7?

On my computer it looks like an oversized command window with a dark
blue background.

The output of dir looks Unix-like, and pwd works as in Unix.

On a whim, I also tried ls. It looks like dir

ls -help produces an error message, and man help produces a help
message. But that help messsage is about Get-ChildItem, not about ls.

Help ls is the same as man ls, and changing ls to dir gives the same
message.

Go figure...