Shortcut to MS-DOS-Based Program Limited to 62 Characters
Article ID: 137939
Article Last Modified on 11/15/2006
APPLIES TO
This article was previously published under Q137939
SYMPTOMS
When you double-click a shortcut for an MS-DOS-based program, you may
receive the following error message:
Cannot find the file '<Path>.' Make sure that the file
exists on your system and that the path and filename
are correct.
CAUSE
Shortcuts for MS-DOS-based programs are stored in .pif files rather than
in .lnk files. The maximum length for a command line in a .pif file is 62
characters. If the command line is longer than 62 characters, you receive
the error message stated above.
RESOLUTION
To work around this limitation, use either of the following methods:
- Reinstall the MS-DOS-based program to a folder with a shorter path,
and then create a shortcut to the new location.
- Create a batch file in the Windows folder that runs the MS-DOS-based
program, and then create a shortcut to the batch file.
Keywords: KB137939