Vista - Visual Studios and command prompt-Reinstallation

I am relatively new at Visual Studios, and I am trying to get it to work on my vista. My command prompt displays the message "'C:\Windows\system32\command.bat' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file." I checked to see if the application and target were still there, but I am just not sure why it would do this whenever I would run it. Is there any way I can reinstall command prompt without messing up the rest of my computer?

Don't you mean "command.com" instead of command.bat? What version of VS are you trying to set up?

No, it is command prompt. I am trying to install Visual Studios 2008. I have had the problem with command prompt before I tried to install VS though.

Well see if there is such a file as command.com. Type "path" and hit enter. See if C:\Windows\System32 is in the path. If you don't have a command prompt to do this stuff, look in the Startup environment variables settings where you set user paths etc..

In Accessories there should be a command prompt that uses cmd.exe. Typing Path should work there.

Also there must be a tutorial on site here how to set environment variables and other startup params.

iirc there should be some batch file something to do with setting environment variables for the command line compiler. You'd probably have better luck on MS knowledge base how to set it up or on MSDN forums, whatever they are calling them today.

okay. Thanks. I will look up setting the command line compiler. I have Windows\system32 in my path. I will try the MSDN forums also. Thanks so much for your help.