Jan> It could be a bug in the NT expand-file-name routines (what does Jan> (expand-file-name "test" "~/test/") give under your machines). (expand-file-name "test" "~/test/") "c:\\WinNt\\Profiles\\AichnerA\\test\\test" Jan> I do not know the NT port but shouldn't HOME be a directory including Jan> driveletter since otherwise it is not uniquely specified? Yes. (getenv "HOME") "c:\\WinNt\\Profiles\\AichnerA" Jan> The funny thing is that XEmacs tries to do its best to copy with funny Jan> HOME values but on NT it seems to be switched of explicitly: Jan> if (IS_DIRECTORY_SEP (nm[1]) Jan> || nm[1] == 0) /* ~ by itself */ Jan> { Jan> if (!(newdir = (Bufbyte *) get_home_directory())) Jan> newdir = (Bufbyte *) ""; Jan> nm++; Jan> #ifdef WINDOWSNT Jan> collapse_newdir = 0; Jan> #endif Jan> } Jan> The collapse_newdir explicitly tells XEmacs to not consider the fact your Jan> HOME prefix starts with a / and just prepend the current dir which Jan> happened to be c:\home\cgw in your case. It seems bogus to me. Jan> Could you try removing that code and then test what happends to expand Jan> file name in all case. i.e. with Jan> 1. HOME includes driveletter Jan> 2. HOME does not include drive letter. Jan> 3. HOME is a network path This experiment proved too painful under the MS-DOG shell. Adrian -- Adrian Aichner European Design Center Teradyne GmbH Semiconductor Test Group Telephone +49/89/41861(0)-208 Dingolfinger Strasse 2 Fax +49/89/41861-217 (What is a Fax?) D-81673 MUENCHEN E-mail adrian.aichner(a)teradyne.com