Reader Challenge July 2010

The July 2010 Challenge

Last month's challenge involved a problem that one of my clients was having with a batch file used for backup purposes. Mentioning batch files (or the command line) always brings a lot of email from "old DOS-heads" (a great phrase one reader used under his signature).

In articles I've written for Windows IT Pro over the years, I've extolled the use of commands because there are so many tasks you can perform quickly and efficiently from the command line. In one of those articles, I discussed a registry change that makes the command prompt available from any folder in Windows XP and Windows 2000. When you make this registry change, the right-click menu displays the Command Window Here option, which opens a command prompt in the selected folder. This is easier than opening a command window from the Programs menu and navigating your way through the folders on your drive.

This month's challenge is to answer two questions I received from readers about using the command line.

Question 1

How do you get the Command Window Here option to appear in the right-click menu of a folder in Windows 7 and Windows Vista?

Question 2

How do you save the information you see when you enter /? at the command line?

Answers

Question 1: Hold the Shift key while right-clicking the folder.

Question 2: Redirect the output to a text file using the following syntax:

 /? > .txt

For example, to save a copy of the help file for robocopy, enter

robocopy /? > robocopy.txt

July 2010 Reader Challenge Winner

Congratulations to Bill Rogers of Chicago, Illinois, the winner of our July 2010 Reader Challenge. He wins a copy of Windows 7: The Definitive Guide from O'Reilly Media (www.ora.com).