STSADM - "Command line error"

I got this question from a client and its one I've wrestled with before. The solution is quite embarrassing, but not always easy to uncover.

The issue in question was this: 

 The SharePoint admin was trying to do a backup of the current SharePoint site. I had left instructions on how to do this before I left so he just copied/pasted my instructions into the command line. After hitting “enter “he got the lovely "Command Line Error" message. He said he spend the whole morning trying to figure out what the issue was.

What was the Solution?

Microsoft word had modified the dashes in the command to the double dash thing. I told him to simply type it all out instead of pasting in the command.

Success!!

Embarrassing no?

So if you are having a command line error and you are pasting in the command, try to type out the command by hand. 

Enjoy!