[h-e-w] How to specify the initial dired directory

[Jay Bingham]

It has been a while since I have actively followed this mailing list. But a 
situation has arisen for which I cannot find an answer and rather than spend 
any more time fruitlessly searching the info nodes I am appealing to the 
brilliant minds on this list.

I recently upgraded to emacs 23.2 on my windows XP PC after years of using 
21.3. (I completely missed all of version 22. There were a few things that are 
different in the way 23.2 initializes, I have figured out how to overcome all 
but one. And despite searching the info nodes I cannot find the answer for it).
In 21.3 when I brought it up the directory that would open when I first invoked 
dired was the c:\ directory now when I bring up 23.2 the directory that opens 
is c:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME. This is unacceptable. I do not want that 
to be the default directory. My HOME environment variable is set to c:\ which 
would be acceptable.
I seem to recall from years ago when I was using emacs much more at work that 
there was a variable that could be set to specify the initial directory, but I 
cannot remember what it was. I have searched the list of variables in the Info 
nodes and nothing jumps out at me as the variable that will do this.  Does this 
variable still exist and if so can someone tell me what it is?
While you are at it can you tell me why even though my HOME environment 
variable is set to c:\ this is not the directory that dired defaults to like 
info says it should.
__
J_)
C_)ingham

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