# Windows equivalent of DOS ASSIGN command?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-equivalent-of-dos-assign-command/85603>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 5, 2001, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-equivalent-of-dos-assign-command/85603 "2001-10-05T15:34:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![keno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f9ae1b/32.png) [@keno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keno)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2001, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-equivalent-of-dos-assign-command/85603/1 "2001-10-05T15:34:50Z")

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I’m running Windows ME and trying to install an old DOS based application which I received as one giant ZIP file. The install.exe only works from A: or B:, and expects to find the supporting files there as well (“Now install Disk #1, etc. …”).

Rather than copying all individual files to floppies, in the old days, I would’ve entered ASSIGN C: = A: (or was it ASSIGN A:=C:?).

Windows ME apparently doesn’t come with the ASSIGN command in the DOS kernel. What can I do in windows to achieve the same result?

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**Author:** ![Dilbert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58f4c7/32.png) [@Dilbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dilbert)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2001, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-equivalent-of-dos-assign-command/85603/2 "2001-10-05T16:16:18Z")

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Try the subst command. I don’t know about ME, but I have it on NT.

Something like:

subst a: c:\mydirectory

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![keno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f9ae1b/32.png) [@keno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keno)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2001, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-equivalent-of-dos-assign-command/85603/3 "2001-10-05T17:50:59Z")

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Thanks – worked like a charm. Actually better than old ASSIGN since I could reassign B: to a directory on C:

This command doesn’t even show up in HELP –