Microsoft KB Archive/81096

Knowledge Base

Windows PIF File Search Processes

Article ID: 81096

Article Last Modified on 7/19/2005

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APPLIES TO

• Microsoft Windows 2.03 Standard Edition
• Microsoft Windows 2.1 Standard Edition
• Microsoft Windows 2.11 Standard Edition
• Microsoft Windows 3.0 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q81096

SUMMARY

Windows/286, Windows/386

When you activate an application with the extension .COM, .EXE, or .BAT, Windows will search for a PIF file in the following order:

1. The WIN.INI [pif] section
2. The directory where the executable file is specified
3. As follows, where <startup> is the directory in which Windows is initially executed (usually \WINDOWS):
   
   
   1. If the executable file is a .PIF file, Windows looks in <startup>\PIF; then, it looks along the path.
   2. If the executable file is not a .PIF, Windows looks along the path; then, it looks in <startup>\PIF.

Windows 3.0

Attempting to start a non-Windows-based application may result in the execution of the wrong non-Windows-based application. This problem occurs because of Windows 3.0's search algorithm. When Windows prepares to run a non-Windows-based application, it searches for a .PIF file with the same name as the executable file. The first .PIF file found is executed.

Windows searches the directory in which the application is located, the WINDOWS directory, and the directories in the PATH statement. If Windows finds no .PIF file, it uses _DEFAULT.PIF.

MORE INFORMATION

For example, Quicken and Quattro Pro have the same executable filename. An attempt to run Quicken (Q.EXE) may result in the execution of Quattro Pro (Q.EXE) if the first Q.PIF file found points to the incorrect Q.EXE file, unless one of the following steps is taken:

1. Rename the .PIF file to a unique name. For example, rename Q.PIF to QUICKEN.PIF or QUATTRO.PIF.
   
   -or-
2. Move the .PIF file into the directory containing its .EXE file: For example, move Q.PIF for Quicken to the QUICKEN directory, or Q.PIF for Quattro Pro to the QUATTRO directory.
   
   -or-
3. Do the following:
   
   
   1. From the Program Manager, select the icon you want to edit.
   2. From the File menu, choose Properties.
   3. In the Command Line text box, type the [Drive][Path][Filename.PIF] of the .PIF file you want to run. For example, C:\QUICKEN\Q.PIF instead of Q.PIF.

Additional query words: 1.00 2.00 2.x 3.00 3.00a win30 q.exe quicken quattro quatro qpro pif

Keywords: KB81096

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