Conference noted::windows95

2757.0. "use short (vs. long) file specs in shortcut target spec?" by HANNAH::SCHULLMAN (Dan Schullman) Fri Jan 24 1997 07:20

Is there some way to force a shortcut target to retain a DOS 8.3 file spec,
rather than substituting the long file name for it?

I've run into some applications that don't take kindly to having their
default directory changed to be under "Program Files".  For many of these,
I've been able to specify "PROGRA~1" at install time instead, and had that
work.  Now, however, I find one for which that hack won't work.  I have
some shortcuts for some subordinate .EXEs that the application has, and
I can't seem to get Windows 95 to keep the PROGRA~1 spec.  If I click OK
when changing the properties, and then look at them again, it's gotten
too clever and changed PROGRA~1 to "Program Files".  The app doesn't
deal with the space too well, and craps out.

						Thanks in advance,
						  Dan S.

RE: .0

> I've run into some applications that don't take kindly to having their
> default directory changed to be under "Program Files".  For many of these,

I meant the default INSTALL directory (vs. the working directory).

The [older] programs don't seem able to cope with the SPACE in the file
spec, instead treating "Files..." as argument(s) to the program.

						--Dan S.

I don't  have an answer to the problem in the base note but I have sometimes
worked  round  these  problems  by  editing  shortcuts  by  hand to have the
filespec  in  quotes  ("C:\Program Files\..."), particularly for files which
are passed as parameters.  This seems to work for many old programs.

Graham

RE: .2

Yeah... I've added quotes sometimes too, but it didn't help here.  The
app is LAUNCH.EXE from eXcursion V2.1.

						--Dan S.