* Eric Parker
| There are 2 problems that are most likely related:
| 
| (let ((output-pathname
|   (make-pathname :directory "d:/test-dir/" :name "x")))
|   (open output-pathname :direction output))

  What made you think this would work to begin with?  Directories are not
  specified that way.  D: is a device, not a directory component.

  Interactively, what does (pathname "d:/test-dir/") evaluate to?
  Next, what does (make-pathname :name "x" :defaults *) evaluate to?
  This means you should be able to write

(make-pathname :name "x" :defaults #p"d:/test-dir/")

  Please read up on *default-pathname-defaults* in the documentation.

| I am under pressure right now.  I don't have time to read a bunch of
| books to determine how to use this functionality.

  It should take less time than to use a mailing list for help.

| I just want to turn it off.  I'll tell it myself where I want stuff to
| go.  I don't want it to assume anything.

  So use namestrings directly instead of pathnames, then.

| Right now ACL is totally unusable for my purposes.

  Why are you using an unfamiliar tool when you are under pressure?

///
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  In a fight against something, the fight has value, victory has none.
  In a fight for something, the fight is a loss, victory merely relief.