note syphilis Cd doesn't return a value so nothing is output with this example Interesting ... and there's probably a good reason for that, but I don't know what it is. Certainly, the behaviour you're seeing doesn't conform to the documentation I get for cd, which begins with: <c> C:\_32\C>cd /? Displays the name of or changes the current directory. CHDIR [/D] [drive:][path] CHDIR [..] CD [/D] [drive:][path] CD [..] .. Specifies that you want to change to the parent directory. Type CD drive: to display the current directory in the specified drive. Type CD without parameters to display the current drive and directory. ..... </c> Perhaps you're running in a different shell (I use cmd.exe), or perhaps your cmd.exe shell finds a different 'cd' implementation to run. To force your cmd.exe shell to use its own implementation, I think you just need to involve a shell metacharacter in the command - eg: <c> cd <nul </c> Does that command print out the current directory for you ? (Admittedly this has nothing to do with the subject you initially raised ... but I find it a little bit interesting.) Cheers, Rob 1010796 1010856