Microsoft KB Archive/100842

= File Limit for DIR Command Sort Options =

Article ID: 100842

Article Last Modified on 5/6/2003

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft MS-DOS 5.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 5.0a
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.2 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.21 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.22 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Windows 95

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This article was previously published under Q100842



SYMPTOMS
When you use the DIR command with the /O switch at a command prompt, you may receive the following error message:

Too many files, directory not sorted

The directory listing is then displayed, but it is not sorted as you requested.



CAUSE
There are more files in the directory than the command interpreter (COMMAND.COM) can sort. The maximum amount of memory that COMMAND.COM can allocate for a DIR operation is 64 kilobytes minus 512 bytes. Each file displayed by the DIR command requires 22 bytes for its entry, making the total number of files that can be displayed in a sorted directory equal to 2295 files [(65536-512)/22].



STATUS
Microsoft is researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.



MORE INFORMATION
The MS-DOS DIR command is internal (built-in) to COMMAND.COM. The DIR command uses memory allocated by COMMAND.COM for its processing.

