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From: rxcob@minyos.xx.rmit.oz (Owen Baker)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Windows 3 and the default directory?
Summary: Windows 3 and the default directory?
Keywords: Windows 3 and the default directory?
Message-ID: <5534@minyos.xx.rmit.oz>
Date: 3 Sep 90 03:41:39 GMT
Distribution: comp.windows.ms
Organization: RMIT Computer Centre, Melbourne Australia.
Lines: 38

Why does Windows 3 not allow you to specify the default current directory
that an application uses to save or retrieve user files? If you start an
application from the command line (ie. "WIN PM") then in most cases you
will find that the application will look for user files in the directory 
you started from, just what you want! BUT when you start an application 
any other way it defaults to the Windows directory.

On a network this causes many users who are not familiar with drives and
directories to attempt to save their files in the shared Windows directory.
Generally they would not have access to write here anyway so they would get
an error message, but this is not at all a friendly response when you are using 
it for the first time.

Now before you all start telling me to read page 555 of the manual where
it tells you about "Keeping a User's Files Off a Shared Directory" take note
that Microsoft Australia's explanation of page 555 is that it is 
intended to explain how to keep temporary user files off a shared directory
not the actual data files. Oh really? Well when I tested it on a Novell Network
it did not do either so could someone please explain what it does mean???

By the way this problem is not new to Windows 3 either, with earlier Windows
versions the same thing happened and the only nice way around it was to use
Command Post or a similiar menu interface which gave you provision for
entering the default directory when you started an application. Even entries
such as "." and ".\" worked which allowed you to be in any directory to
save/retieve files. What a novel idea!!

Microsoft Windows 3 is vast improvement over previous versions and other
manufacturers attempts at providing a real GUI for PC's. Its such a pity that
it still has these basic flaws. Maybe Windows 3.1 will be an improvement.
How about it Microsoft???

+-------------------------------+-------------------------------------------+
|  Owen Baker                   |  Communication Services Unit              |
|  rxcob@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au   |  RMIT - Victoria University of Technology |
|  (61) (3) 660-2038            |  Melbourne, Victoria, Australia           |
+-------------------------------+-------------------------------------------+
       In this case the above opinions are my own, not RMIT - VUT's.