Windows NT always searches in the current directory first, before it searches
directories in the search path.
Files with the same name, different extensions
You might have some files in the same directory that share the same filename
but have different extensions. For example, you might have a file named
ACCNT.COM that starts an accounting program and another file named ACCNT.BAT that
connects your system to the accounting system network.
Windows NT searches for a file by using default filename extensions in the
following order of precedence: .EXE, .COM, .BAT, and .CMD. To run ACCNT.BAT when
ACCNT.COM exists in the same directory, you must include the .BAT extension on
the command line.
Two or more identical filenames in the path
You might have two or more files in the search path that have the same
filename and extension. Windows NT searches for the specified filename first in the
current directory. Then it searches directories in the order in which they are
listed in the path command.
Specifying multiple paths
To specify more than one path for Windows NT to search, separate entries with
a semicolon (;).
Using path in your AUTOEXEC.NT file
If you place the path command in your AUTOEXEC.NT file, Windows NT automatically appends the
specified MS-DOS subsystem search path to the Windows NT search path every time you
log on to your computer.
More Information About Path