When you use the PIPE filename engine in a Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 2003 or 2008 server operating environment, the DATA step does not run completely, and an error message might appear. Here is an example:

1    filename DIR pipe "dir /B /A-D c:\";
2
3    data directoryDataSet_C_Drive;
4            length line $ 1024;
5            infile DIR;
6            input;
7            line = _infile_;
8    run;

NOTE: The infile DIR is:
      Unnamed Pipe Access Device,
      PROCESS=dir /B /A-D c:\,RECFM=V,LRECL=256

Stderr output:
There is not enough space on the disk.
NOTE: 0 records were read from the infile DIR.

-or-

Stderr output:
stdout: Bad file descriptor
NOTE: 0 records were read from the infile DIR.

The error message occurs if you invoke SAS through the standard shortcut, a desktop shortcut, or directly from the sas.exe in Windows Explorer.

Workaround

To work around this issue, do one of the following:

• Pin the shortcut for the SAS executable to either the Start menu or the Taskbar. When you invoke SAS from a pinned location, you prevent the error message from appearing.
• Or edit your SAS shortcut with the following command:
1. Right-click the shortcut for the SAS executable and select Properties.
2. In the sas.exe - Shortcut Properties dialog box, click the Shortcut tab and enter this command in the Target field:

C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe /c "C:\Progra~1\SAS\SASFoundation\9.2\sas.exe -CONFIG C:\Progra~1\SAS\SASFoundation\9.2\nls\en\SASV9.CFG"

3. Click OK.

(Notice the change in quoting from the original command.)

Operating System and Release Information