Windows 2000 Quick Fixes

Load a special driver or program for a specific console only

The previous section explained how to configure all command consoles to execute a command or program at startup. What if you want to execute a driver or program only for a specific console command or application? The easiest method is to create a shortcut to cmd.exe with the appropriate switch and command string needed to execute the program.

Create a shortcut to cmd.exe with switches

cmd.exe is the command interpreter responsible for what you see when you open a command console, just like command.com on DOS and Windows systems. cmd supports several parameters and switches that control the way it functions and enable you to start a specific application. Two of cmd’s switches that let you start an application are:

/c string

Execute the command specified by string and terminate the console.

/k string

Execute the command specified by string and remain.

Both switches give you a means of executing either an internal or external command. Follow these steps to create a shortcut to cmd that executes a program and remains (use /c if you want the console to terminate after executing the application):

1. Right-click the desktop or folder location where you want the shortcut created and choose New → Shortcut.

2. Type cmd /k string, where stringis the command to execute. Include in the string any optional parameters or switches for the application.

3. Specify a name for the shortcut and click Finish.

4. Double-click the shortcut to test it. ...