Set Default Directory Starting Applications from Command Line

When you start Microsoft Windows version 3.1 and a Windows-based application simultaneously from the MS-DOS command prompt, the application default directory will vary depending on whether or not you specify a path for the application. This behavior differs from that of Windows 3.0.

The following examples demonstrate the behavioral differences between Windows 3.0 and 3.1 when you start Windows and a Windows-based application simultaneously from the MS-DOS command prompt.

Example 1

This example assumes you are at the MS-DOS command prompt and the current directory is C:\DOCS. The following command line starts Windows and Write. The default directory for Write will be C:\DOCS, the same as the current directory at MS-DOS before you start Windows. This behavior is true for both Windows 3.0 and 3.1. Type the following at the MS-DOS command prompt:

Example 2

This example assumes you are at the MS-DOS command prompt and the current directory is C:\DOCS. The following command line starts Windows and Write (WRITE.EXE). The default directory will be different depending on the version of Windows being used (see below). For Windows 3.0, the default directory for Write will be C:\DOCS, the same as the current directory at MS-DOS before starting Windows.

For Windows 3.1, the default directory for Write will be C:\WINDOWS, the same as the directory specified for the WRITE.EXE file.

The default directory information applies to all applications started simultaneously with Windows from the command line; however, some applications such as Word version 2.0 for Windows have an .INI file setting that will override the default directory provided by Windows.