Current Folder Setting in Windows7

I am using Windows 7 with Matlab 2011b. My previous experience has been with 2011a on XP. How do I set the current folder and the folder that gets looked at when I try to open a file?

On XP I could right click on the Matlab icon and under properties I could put the folder name in "start in". Is there an analogous way to do it under Windows 7?

Thanks.

Answer 1

[Walter Roberson]

I would gather from this posting I found that the feature is still there: http://superuser.com/questions/87398/windows-7-administrator-command-prompt-start-in-path

[David Koenig]

Walter,

Thanks for responding but I was hoping that there was a way to do that within Matlab. Also, the windows 7/20011b version does not remember the current directory. Is there any way to do that?

Dave

[David Koenig]

Sorry. As is often the case, I ask for help and then fumble around and stumble on to an answer. In this case, after right clicking on the icon I get two choices in a pop up and if I then right click on Matlab 2011a I get a pop up showing the properties option which I can then use to set the "start in" folder. Thanks anyway.

Dave

[Walter Roberson]

I am not certain I understand. You start up MATLAB by clicking on an icon, you discover you are not in the directory you had hoped to be, so you want to execute some MATLAB commands that will change the behavior of the icon on subsequent times you click on it? And this will be easier or more robust than just right-clicking on the icon and editing the "start in" property ??

Not remembering the current directory: I speculate that you are running in to a feature in Windows 7, which tries to prevent against user programs writing in to some of the "system" directories so as to reduce possible viruses / trojans. Depending exactly where you installed MATLAB and exactly where your home directory is, this Windows security feature can block MATLAB from saving preferences, including interfering with the path tool. I understand that installing in to different locations or changing home directory locations can help. There is probably a MathWorks Technical Solution about this. I have not used Windows 7 myself, so I did not bother to remember the details.