DOS not running via windows explorer

[Excel2006]

Hi

I have created lots of BATCH files that used to run via windows explorer.
However, whenever I click on the files now, I get a “Open with” dialog box and the
“always use selected program….” is blanked out.
What could be the cause of this?

 

[RoryA]

Check under Tools-Folder options in explorer and see what, if anything, is set for the .bat file type. There shouldn't really be anything there. If there isn't, you can either rename the files with a CMD extension or add a new file type of BAT and associate it with MSDOS batch files.

 

[Excel2006]

Thx. That's so simple!! WHat could be the cause of this? Does my PC has some kind of virus on it?

 

[RoryA]

Nope - mine is the same. I suspect there was a Windows update (probably security related) or our IT department (and possibly yours) have been fannying around again.

 

[Excel2006]

SInce I have so many batch files with .bat extension, it would take a while to change them all to .CMD.

IS there an easy way to change them using a .cmd file?

I know a few commands in DOS.

Part of the code would be, I think:

ren *.bat *.cmd

 

[RoryA]

Ren doesn't allow you to specify subdirectories. If they are all on the same drive, you would run something like:

xcopy C:\*.bat *.cmd /s

to copy them as cmd files, or you could simply add .bat to the file types again. You could do the renaming as a loop using a

for /f %%a IN (’dir /b *.txt’) do call rename.bat %%~na %%~xa

type syntax, but you need to avoid renaming files like autoexec.bat

 

[Excel2006]

thx.

1st code

I tried the first code and got a cyclic error.

2nd code:

The system cannot find the file Тdir.

 

[RoryA]

You can't run the first code from a batch file for obvious reasons, if that's what you were doing! You need to run it from a command prompt.
The second code was a rough example of what a loop would look like, not actual code for you to use, due to my point about not renaming certain key batch files.