Windows 2000 Quick Fixes

Execute a program using command-line switches

Command-line switches modify the function of a command. For example, the switch /ogn when added to a dir command sorts the directory listing with directories first followed by files, all in alphanumeric order. You can open a console prompt and type dir /ogn to see how it works. Another example is Symantec’s pcAnywhere, which supports several switches that control the way pcAnywhere starts. The /r switch, for example, hides the startup splash screen. Microsoft Word supports several switches including /m, which prevents any autoexec macros from executing. Many other applications, including most Windows 2000 console commands, also support command-line switches. You can incorporate these switches in a few different ways depending on what you’re trying to accomplish.

Tip

With most console commands you can execute the command followed by the /? switch to view a list of available switches and other command parameters, as well as the command syntax. For some Windows applications, executing the program with the /? switch opens the program’s Help file focused on the page that references the program’s startup switches.

Modify the shortcut’s properties

Most likely you have a shortcut on the desktop, in a folder, or in the Start menu that points to an application with which you’d like to use command-line switches to modify the program’s startup. You can add command switches simply by modifying the shortcut’s target:

1. Right-click the shortcut and ...