I have a batch file which processes the command line parameter as "%1", allowing me to pass information into the batch file via the command line. Standard stuff.

When I create a shortcut to the batch file in Windows 98 (and all prior versions of Windows if I recall correctly), I can edit the properties of the shortcut and place a question mark on the command line to the batch file.

The question mark is interpreted by Windows, preprocessed before execution. When I doubleclick on the shortcut, Windows stops and puts up an interactive dialog box where I can enter the parameter I want in place of a question mark. Then it runs the program with that parameter.

Thus, allowing me to change the parameter to the batch file interactively from a Windows interface. Neat.

Another thing I can do with the properties of that shortcut is choose to check or to uncheck the option that reads "Close on exit". This allows me to choose whether or not the batch file's window will disappear when it's done running.

Okay, so far so good. The above is just background... Anyone who's messed with batch files enough in Windows knows about that stuff.

But here's where it gets interesting:

In Windows 2000, if I create a shortcut to that batch file, it does not honor the question mark as an interactive prompt, it merely passes a question mark to the batch file as the parameter. AND... It doesn't offer me the "Close on Exit" option, either.

So Windows 2000 has simply removed those features, right? Not quite. It gets even more interesting here:

If I copy the shortcut file created in Windows 98 onto Windows 2000, then run that shortcut file, it works, and when I edit the properties of the shortcut I see all of the options that I had originally seen in Windows 98.

Although it's a bit buggy. My command line gets truncated if it's too long (I had to edit "Program Files" to "Progra~1" to get it to fit), and one of the fields in the properties box was garbage characters (those square symbols you see when high ascii is displayed in a Windows dialog box).

Anyone know what's going on here, and if there is a way I can create this "old style" shortcut natively in Windows 2000?