Where's Autoexec?

[Clausius2]

Where's Autoexec.bat file in Windows XP? I need to modify it but I have not been able to find it. Going on search doesn't work too. It isn't at System32 folder. It seems my operative system hasn't got this file. Could it be possible?

[dduardo]

I always thought autoexec.bat was in C:\

From what I've read on the internet, windows xp doesn't use autoexec.bat anymore, but you can still create it if you want to.

[Clausius2]

mmmm...I see. So you think it isn't used in WXP. I don't know what I'm gonna do now.... Let me think. Anyway thanks and merry christmas.

[dduardo]

You could always try cygwin to automate scripts:

http://www.cygwin.com/

And Merry Christmas to you too

[master_coda]

What do you need autoexec to do? If all you need to do is run a program at startup or set environment variables, that can be done without it.

[Clausius2]

What do you need autoexec to do? If all you need to do is run a program at startup or set environment variables, that can be done without it.

Well, I don't know well what I have to do. I have a meshing tool called Gambit. It only works under MSDOS, so I have to make a modification (as a friend told me) writting in Autoexec:

"set PATH=%PATH%;c:\fluent.inc\ntbin\ntx86"

to help it to be boosted.

Where can I make this modification if not in Autoexec?

[NoTime]

Select ->Start->Control Panel->System

Pick the advanced tab in System and click the environment variables button.

Select "path" in the variables window and click edit.
Add your stuff to the end.
Be careful not to mess with the rest of the path or things might stop working.

Note: The DOS compatibility box is poor in win 2000. Much worse than win NT.
XP may be even worse, so your stuff may not run anyway.
I boot to win 98 for a lot of old programs, but a lot of the newer hardware simply will not support the old DOS calls, so now I keep an old machine as well.

[Clausius2]

Select ->Start->Control Panel->System

Pick the advanced tab in System and click the environment variables button.

Select "path" in the variables window and click edit.
Add your stuff to the end.
Be careful not to mess with the rest of the path or things might stop working.

Note: The DOS compatibility box is poor in win 2000. Much worse than win NT.
XP may be even worse, so your stuff may not run anyway.
I boot to win 98 for a lot of old programs, but a lot of the newer hardware simply will not support the old DOS calls, so now I keep an old machine as well.

It doesn't work. Thanks anyway.

[TenaliRaman]

simply make bat file using notepad,
1>Open Notepad
2>type in the file : set PATH=%PATH%;c:\fluent.inc\ntbin\ntx86
3> in the next line : type the complete path to your application exe file
e.g if gambit.exe is in c:\gambit folder then type
C:\gambit\gambit
4> save the file as <blah>.bat (the name could be anything u want but the extension should be bat)
5> you can run your program now by double clicking this bat file.
this bat file will execute your program as well as set the path initially.

However sometimes if your environment variable size is exceeding limits, the path variable may not be set. In which case u will have to increase it. Thats done by
1> right click on the bat file
2> click properties
3> click the memory tab
4> open the initial environment roll-out
5> choose the max value that should be 4096
6> ok it

Now your environment variables will be set.

-- AI
P.S -> If u want more details regards this, post back and i will explain a bit more

[russ_watters]

It doesn't work. Thanks anyway. There is a decent chance the program can't run on XP. Try www.bootdisk.com and booting to a dos floppy (and running the program off a disk).

[Clausius2]

Thanks all, but I have decided I'm not going to play with system files for a long time. I have had to format my hard disk this time. :cry: