This article presents a list of commands used by DOS operating systems, especially as used on x86-based IBM PC compatibles (PCs). Other DOS operating systems are not part of the scope of this list.
In DOS, many standard system commands were provided for common tasks such as listing files on a disk or moving files. Some commands were built into the command interpreter, others existed as external commands on disk. Over the several generations of DOS, commands were added for the additional functions of the operating system. In the current Microsoft Windows operating system, a text-mode command prompt window, cmd.exe, can still be used.
Command processing[edit]
The command interpreter for DOS runs when no application programs are running. When an application exits, if the transient portion of the command interpreter in memory was overwritten, DOS will reload it from disk. Some commands are internal—built into COMMAND.COM; others are external commands stored on disk. When the user types a line of text at the operating system command prompt, COMMAND.COM will parse the line and attempt to match a command name to a built-in command or to the name of an executable program file or batch file on disk. If no match is found, an error message is printed, and the command prompt is refreshed.
External commands were too large to keep in the command processor, or were less frequently used. Such utility programs would be stored on disk and loaded just like regular application programs but were distributed with the operating system. Copies of these utility command programs had to be on an accessible disk, either on the current drive or on the command path set in the command interpreter.
In the list below, commands that can accept more than one file name, or a filename including wildcards (* and ?), are said to accept a filespec (file specification) parameter. Commands that can accept only a single file name are said to accept a filename parameter. Additionally, command line switches, or other parameter strings, can be supplied on the command line. Spaces and symbols such as a «/» or a «-» may be used to allow the command processor to parse the command line into filenames, file specifications, and other options.
The command interpreter preserves the case of whatever parameters are passed to commands, but the command names themselves and file names are case-insensitive.
Many commands are the same across many DOS systems, but some differ in command syntax or name.
DOS commands[edit]
A partial list of the most common commands for MS-DOS and IBM PC DOS follows below.
APPEND[edit]
Sets the path to be searched for data files or displays the current search path.
The APPEND command is similar to the PATH command that tells DOS where to search for program files (files with a .COM, . EXE, or .BAT file name extension).
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.2 and later.[1]
ASSIGN[edit]
The command redirects requests for disk operations on one drive to a different drive. It can also display drive assignments or reset all drive letters to their original assignments.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3 through 5 and IBM PC DOS releases 2 through 5.[1]
ATMDM[edit]
Lists connections and addresses seen by Windows ATM call manager.
ATTRIB[edit]
Attrib changes or views the attributes of one or more files. It defaults to display the attributes of all files in the current directory. The file attributes available include read-only, archive, system, and hidden attributes. The command has the capability to process whole folders and subfolders of files and also process all files.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3 and later.[1]
BACKUP and RESTORE[edit]
These are commands to backup and restore files from an external disk. These appeared in version 2, and continued to PC DOS 5 and MS-DOS 6 (PC DOS 7 had a deversioned check). In DOS 6, these were replaced by commercial programs (CPBACKUP, MSBACKUP), which allowed files to be restored to different locations.[1]
BASIC and BASICA[edit]
An implementation of the BASIC programming language for PCs. Implementing BASIC in this way was very common in operating systems on 8- and 16-bit machines made in the 1980s.
IBM computers had BASIC 1.1 in ROM, and IBM’s versions of BASIC used code in this ROM-BASIC, which allowed for extra memory in the code area. BASICA last appeared in IBM PC DOS 5.02, and in OS/2 (2.0 and later), the version had ROM-BASIC moved into the program code.
Microsoft released GW-BASIC for machines with no ROM-BASIC. Some OEM releases had basic.com and basica.com as loaders for GW-BASIC.EXE.
BASIC was dropped after MS-DOS 4, and PC DOS 5.02. OS/2 (which uses PC DOS 5), has it, while MS-DOS 5 does not.
BREAK[edit]
This command is used to instruct DOS to check whether the Ctrl and Break keys have been pressed before carrying out a program request.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
CALL[edit]
Starts a batch file from within another batch file and returns when that one ends.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.3 and later.[1]
CD and CHDIR[edit]
The CHDIR (or the alternative name CD) command either displays or changes the current working directory.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
CHCP[edit]
The command either displays or changes the active code page used to display character glyphs in a console window. Similar functionality can be achieved with MODE CON: CP SELECT=yyy.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.3 and later.[1]
CHKDSK[edit]
CHKDSK verifies a storage volume (for example, a hard disk, disk partition or floppy disk) for file system integrity. The command has the ability to fix errors on a volume and recover information from defective disk sectors of a volume.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.[1]
CHOICE[edit]
The CHOICE command is used in batch files to prompt the user to select one item from a set of single-character choices. Choice was introduced as an external command with MS-DOS 6.0;[1][2] Novell DOS 7[3] and PC DOS 7.0. Earlier versions of DR-DOS supported this function with the built-in switch command (for numeric choices) or by beginning a command with a question mark.[3] This command was formerly called ync (yes-no-cancel).
CLS[edit]
The CLS or CLRSCR command clears the terminal screen.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
COMMAND[edit]
Start a new instance of the command interpreter.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.[1]
COMP[edit]
Show differences between any two files, or any two sets of files.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.3 through 5 and IBM PC DOS releases 1 through 5.[1]
COPY[edit]
Makes copies of existing files.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.[1]
CTTY[edit]
Defines the terminal device (for example, COM1) to use for input and output.[4]
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
DATE[edit]
Displays the system date and prompts the user to enter a new date. Complements the TIME command.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.[1]
DBLBOOT[edit]
![[icon]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg/20px-Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg.png){kind=small} |
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(Not a command: This is a batch file added to DOS 6.X Supplemental Disks to help create DoubleSpace boot floppies.[5])
DBLSPACE[edit]
A disk compression utility supplied with MS-DOS version 6.0 (released in 1993) and version 6.2.[1]
DEBUG[edit]
A very primitive assembler and disassembler.
DEFRAG[edit]
The command has the ability to analyze the file fragmentation on a disk drive or to defragment a drive. This command is called DEFRAG in MS-DOS/PC DOS and diskopt in DR-DOS.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.[1]
DEL and ERASE[edit]
DEL (or the alternative form ERASE) is used to delete one or more files.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.[1]
DELTREE[edit]
Deletes a directory along with all of the files and subdirectories that it contains. Normally, it will ask for confirmation of the potentially dangerous action. Since the RD (RMDIR) command can not delete a directory if the directory is not empty (except in Windows NT & 10), the DELTREE command can be used to delete the whole directory.
The deltree command is included in certain versions of Microsoft Windows and MS-DOS operating systems. It is specifically available only in versions of MS-DOS 6.0 and higher,[1] and in Microsoft Windows 9x. In Windows NT, the functionality provided exists but is handled by the command rd or rmdir which has slightly different syntax. This command is not present in Windows 7 and 8. In Windows 10, the command switch is RD /S or RMDIR /S.
DIR[edit]
The DIR command displays the contents of a directory. The contents comprise the disk’s volume label and serial number; one directory or filename per line, including the filename extension, the file size in bytes, and the date and time the file was last modified; and the total number of files listed, their cumulative size, and the free space (in bytes) remaining on the disk. The command is one of the few commands that exist from the first versions of DOS.[1] The command can display files in subdirectories. The resulting directory listing can be sorted by various criteria and filenames can be displayed in a chosen format.
DISKCOMP[edit]
A command for comparing the complete contents of a floppy disk to another one.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.2 and later and IBM PC DOS releases 1 and later.[1]
DISKCOPY[edit]
A command for copying the complete contents of a diskette to another diskette.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
DOSKEY[edit]
A command that adds command history, macro functionality, and improved editing features to the command-line interpreter.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 5 and later.[1]
DOSSIZE[edit]
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Displays how much memory various DOS components occupy.[6]
DRVSPACE[edit]
A disk compression utility supplied with MS-DOS version 6.22.[1]
ECHO[edit]
The ECHO command prints its own arguments back out to the DOS equivalent of the standard output stream. (Hence the name, ECHO) Usually, this means directly to the screen, but the output of echo can be redirected, like any other command, to files or devices. Often used in batch files to print text out to the user.
Another important use of the echo command is to toggle echoing of commands on and off in batch files. Traditionally batch files begin with the @echo off statement. This says to the interpreter that echoing of commands should be off during the whole execution of the batch file, thus resulting in a «tidier» output (the @ symbol declares that this particular command (echo off) should also be executed without echo.)
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
EDIT[edit]
EDIT is a full-screen text editor, included with MS-DOS versions 5 and 6,[1] OS/2 and Windows NT to 4.0 The corresponding program in Windows 95 and later, and Windows 2000 and later is Edit v2.0. PC DOS 6 and later use the DOS E Editor and DR-DOS used editor up to version 7.
EDLIN[edit]
DOS line-editor. It can be used with a script file, like debug, this makes it of some use even today. The absence of a console editor in MS-DOS/PC DOS 1–4 created an after-market for third-party editors.
In DOS 5, an extra command «?» was added to give the user much-needed help.
DOS 6 was the last version to contain EDLIN; for MS-DOS 6, it’s on the supplemental disks,[1] while PC DOS 6 had it in the base install. Windows NT 32-bit, and OS/2 have Edlin.
EMM386[edit]
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The EMM386 command enables or disables EMM386 expanded-memory support on a computer with an 80386 or higher processor.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 5 and later.[1]
ERASE[edit]
See: DEL and ERASE
EXE2BIN[edit]
Converts an executable (.exe) file into a binary file with the extension .com, which is a memory image of the program.
The size of the resident code and data sections combined in the input .exe file must be less than 64 KB. The file must also have no stack segment.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 through 5. It is available separately for version 6 on the Supplemental Disk.[1]
EXIT[edit]
Exits the current command processor. If the exit is used at the primary command, it has no effect unless in a DOS window under Microsoft Windows, in which case the window is closed and the user returns to the desktop.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
EXPAND[edit]
The Microsoft File Expansion Utility is used to uncompress one or more compressed cabinet files (.CAB). The command dates back to 1990 and was supplied on floppy disc for MS-DOS versions 5 and later.[7][1]
FAKEMOUS[edit]
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FAKEMOUS is an IBM PS/2 mouse utility used with AccessDOS. It is included on the MS-DOS 6 Supplemental Disk.[8][9]
AccessDOS assists persons with disabilities.
FASTHELP[edit]
Provides information for MS-DOS commands.
FASTOPEN[edit]
A command that provides accelerated access to frequently-used files and directories.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.3 and later.[1]
FC[edit]
Show differences between any two files, or any two sets of files.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later – primarily non-IBM releases.[1]
FDISK[edit]
The FDISK command manipulates hard disk partition tables. The name derives from IBM’s habit of calling hard drives fixed disks. FDISK has the ability to display information about, create, and delete DOS partitions or logical DOS drive. It can also install a standard master boot record on the hard drive.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.2 and later and IBM PC DOS 2.0 releases and later.[1]
FIND[edit]
The FIND command is a filter to find lines in the input data stream that contain or don’t contain a specified string and send these to the output data stream. It may also be used as a pipe.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
FINDSTR[edit]
The FINDSTR command is a GREP-oriented FIND-like utility. Among its uses is the logical-OR lacking in FIND.
FINDSTR "YES NO MAYBE" *.txt
-
- would find all TXT files with one or more of the above-listed words YES, NO, MAYBE.
FOR[edit]
Iteration: repeats a command for each out of a specified set of files.
The FOR loop can be used to parse a file or the output of a command.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
FORMAT[edit]
Deletes the FAT entries and the root directory of the drive/partition, and reformats it for MS-DOS. In most cases, this should only be used on floppy drives or other removable media. This command can potentially erase everything on a computer’s drive.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.[1]
GOTO[edit]
Main article: Goto
The Goto command transfers execution to a specified label. Labels are specified at the beginning of a line, with a colon (:likethis).
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
Used in Batch files.
GRAFTABL[edit]
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The GRAFTABL command enables the display of an extended character set in graphics mode.[10]
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3 through 5.[1]
GRAPHICS[edit]
A TSR program to enable the sending of graphical screen dump to printer by pressing <Print Screen>.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.2 and later and IBM PC DOS releases 2 and later.[1]
HELP[edit]
Gives help about DOS commands.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 5 thru Windows XP. Full-screen command help is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.[1] Beginning with Windows XP, the command processor «DOS» offers builtin-help for commands by using /? (e.g. COPY /?)
IF[edit]
IF is a conditional statement, that allows branching of the program execution. It evaluates the specified condition, and only if it is true, then it executes the remainder of the command line. Otherwise, it skips the remainder of the line and continues with next command line.
Used in Batch files.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
INTERSVR and INTERLNK[edit]
In MS-DOS; filelink in DR-DOS.
Network PCs using a null modem cable or LapLink cable. The server-side version of InterLnk, it also immobilizes the machine it’s running on as it is an active app (As opposed to a terminate-and-stay-resident program) which must be running for any transfer to take place. DR-DOS’ filelink is executed on both the client and server.
New in PC DOS 5.02, MS-DOS 6.0.[11][1]
JOIN[edit]
The JOIN command attaches a drive letter to a specified directory on another drive.[11] The opposite can be achieved via the SUBST command.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3 through 5. It is available separately for versions 6.2 and later on the Supplemental Disk.[1]
KEYB[edit]
The KEYB command is used to select a keyboard layout.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.3 and later.[1]
From DOS 3.0 through 3.21, there are instead per-country commands, namely KEYBFR, KEYBGR, KEYBIT, KEYBSP and KEYBUK.
LABEL[edit]
Changes the label on a logical drive, such as a hard disk partition or a floppy disk.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.1 and later and IBM PC DOS releases 3 and later.[1]
LINK4[edit]
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Microsoft 8086 Object Linker[12]
LOADFIX[edit]
Loads a program above the first 64K of memory, and runs the program. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 5 and later.[1] It is included only in MS-DOS/PC DOS. DR-DOS used memmax, which opened or closed lower, upper, and video memory access, to block the lower 64K of memory.[13]
LOADHIGH and LH[edit]
A command that loads a program into the upper memory area.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 5 and later.[1]
It is called hiload in DR-DOS.
MD or MKDIR[edit]
Makes a new directory. The parent of the directory specified will be created if it does not already exist.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
MEM[edit]
Displays memory usage. It is capable of displaying program size and status, memory in use, and internal drivers. It is an external command.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 4 and later and DR DOS releases 5.0 and later.[1]
On earlier DOS versions the memory usage could be shown by running CHKDSK. In DR DOS the parameter /A could be used to only show the memory usage.
MEMMAKER[edit]
Starting with version 6,[1] MS-DOS included the external program MemMaker which was used to free system memory (especially Conventional memory) by automatically reconfiguring the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files. This was usually done by moving TSR programs and device drivers to the upper memory. The whole process required two system restarts. Before the first restart the user was asked whether to enable EMS Memory, since use of expanded memory required a reserved 64KiB region in upper memory. The first restart inserted the SIZER.EXE program which gauged the memory needed by each TSR or Driver. MemMaker would then calculate the optimal Driver and TSR placement in upper memory and modify the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS accordingly, and reboot the second time.[14]
MEMMAKER.EXE and SIZER.EXE were developed for Microsoft by Helix Software Company and were eliminated starting in MS-DOS 7 (Windows 95); however, they could be obtained from Microsoft’s FTP server as part of the OLDDOS.EXE package, alongside other tools.
PC DOS uses another program called RamBoost to optimize memory, working either with PC DOS’s HIMEM/EMM386 or a third-party memory manager. RamBoost was licensed to IBM by Central Point Software.
MIRROR[edit]
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The MIRROR command saves disk storage information that can be used to recover accidentally erased files.
The command is available in MS-DOS version 5. It is available separately for versions 6.2 and later on Supplemental Disk.[1]
MODE[edit]
Configures system devices. Changes graphics modes, adjusts keyboard settings, prepares code pages, and sets up port redirection.[15]
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.2 and later and IBM PC DOS releases 1 and later.[1]
MORE[edit]
The MORE command paginates text, so that one can view files containing more than one screen of text. More may also be used as a filter. While viewing MORE text, the return key displays the next line, the space bar displays the next page.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
MOVE[edit]
Moves files or renames directories.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.[1]
DR-DOS used a separate command for renaming directories, rendir.
MSAV[edit]
Main article: MSAV
A command that scans the computer for known viruses.[16][17]
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.[1]
MSBACKUP[edit]
The MSBACKUP command is used to backup or restore one or more files from one disk to another.
The New York Times said that MSBACKUP «is much better and faster than the old BACKUP command used in earlier versions of DOS, but it does lack some of the advanced features found in backup software packages that are sold separately.[18] There is another offering, named MWBACKUP, that is GUI-oriented. It was introduced for Windows for Workgroups (3.11).[19]
The MSBACKUP command is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.[1]
MSCDEX[edit]
MSCDEX is a driver executable which allows DOS programs to recognize, read, and control CD-ROMs.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.[1]
MSD[edit]
The MSD command provides detailed technical information about the computer’s hardware and software. MSD was new in MS-DOS 6;[1][20] the PC DOS version of this command is QCONFIG.[citation needed] The command appeared first in Word2, and then in Windows 3.10.
MSHERC[edit]
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The MSHERC.COM (also QBHERC.COM) was a TSR graphics driver supplied with Microsoft QuickC, QuickBASIC, and the C Compiler, to allow use of the Hercules adapter high-resolution graphics capability (720 x 348, 2 colors).[21]
NLSFUNC[edit]
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Loads extended Nationalization and Localization Support from COUNTRY.SYS, and changed the codepage of drivers and system modules resident in RAM.[citation needed]
In later versions of DR-DOS 6, NLSFUNC relocated itself into the HiMem area, thereby freeing a portion of the nearly invaluable lower 640KiB that constituted the ”conventional” memory available to software.[citation needed]
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.3 and later.[1]
PATH[edit]
Displays or sets a search path for executable files.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
PAUSE[edit]
Suspends processing of a batch program and displays the message Press any key to continue. . ., if not given other text to display.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.[1]
PING[edit]
Allows the user to test the availability of a network connection to a specified host. Hostnames are usually resolved to IP addresses.[22]
It is not included in many DOS versions; typically ones with network stacks will have it as a diagnostic tool.
POWER[edit]
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The POWER command is used to turn power management on and off, report the status of power management, and set levels of power conservation. It is an external command implemented as POWER.EXE.[23]
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.[1]
PRINT[edit]
The PRINT command adds or removes files in the print queue. This command was introduced in MS-DOS version 2.[1] Before that there was no built-in support for background printing files. The user would usually use the copy command to copy files to LPT1.
PRINTFIX[edit]
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PROMPT[edit]
The PROMPT command allows the user to change the prompt in the command screen. The default prompt is $p (i.e. PROMPT $p), which displays the drive and current path as the prompt, but can be changed to anything. PROMPT $d, displays the current system date as the prompt. Type PROMPT /? in the cmd screen for help on this function.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later and IBM PC DOS releases 2.1 and later.[1]
PS[edit]
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A utility inspired by the UNIX/XENIX ps command. It also provides a full-screen mode, similar to the top utility on UNIX systems.[6]
QBASIC[edit]
An integrated development environment and BASIC interpreter.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 5 and later.[1]
RD or RMDIR[edit]
Remove a directory (delete a directory); by default the directories must be empty of files for the command to succeed.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
The deltree command in some versions of MS-DOS and all versions of Windows 9x removes non-empty directories.
RECOVER[edit]
A primitive filesystem error recovery utility included in MS-DOS / IBM PC DOS.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 through 5.[1]
REM[edit]
Remark (comment) command, normally used within a batch file, and for DR-DOS, PC/MS-DOS 6 and above, in CONFIG.SYS. This command is processed by the command processor. Thus, its output can be redirected to create a zero-byte file. REM is useful in logged sessions or screen-captures. One might add comments by way of labels, usually starting with double-colon (::). These are not processed by the command processor.
REN[edit]
The REN command renames a file. Unlike the move command, this command cannot be used to rename subdirectories, or rename files across drives. Mass renames can be accomplished by the use of the wildcards characters asterisk (*) and question mark (?).[24]
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.[1]
REPLACE[edit]
A command that is used to replace one or more existing computer files or add new files to a target directory.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.2 and later.[1]
RESTORE[edit]
See: BACKUP and RESTORE
SCANDISK[edit]
Disk diagnostic utility. Scandisk was a replacement for the chkdsk utility, starting with MS-DOS version 6.2 and later.[1] Its primary advantages over chkdsk is that it is more reliable and has the ability to run a surface scan which finds and marks bad clusters on the disk. It also provided mouse point-and-click TUI, allowing for interactive session to complement command-line batch run.
chkdsk had surface scan and bad cluster detection functionality included, and was used again on Windows NT-based operating systems.
SELECT[edit]
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The SELECT command formats a disk and installs country-specific information and keyboard codes.
It was initially only available with IBM PC DOS. The version included with PC DOS 3.0 and 3.1 is hard-coded to transfer the operating system from A: to B:, while from PC DOS 3.2 onward you can specify the source and destination, and can be used to install DOS to the harddisk.
The version included with MS-DOS 4 and PC DOS 4 is no longer a simple command-line utility, but a full-fledged installer.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.3 and 4 and IBM PC DOS releases 3 through 4.[1]
This command is no longer included in DOS Version 5 and later, where it has been replaced by SETUP.
SET[edit]
Sets environment variables.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
cmd.exe in Windows NT 2000, 4DOS, 4OS2, 4NT, and a number of third-party solutions allow direct entry of environment variables from the command prompt. From at least Windows 2000, the set command allows for the evaluation of strings into variables, thus providing inter alia a means of performing integer arithmetic.[25]
SETUP[edit]
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The command is available in MS-DOS versions 5 and later.[1]
This command does a computer setup. With all computers running DOS versions 5 and
later, it runs the computer setup, such as Windows 95 setup and Windows 98 setup.
SETVER[edit]
SetVer is a TSR program designed to return a different value to the version of DOS that is running. This allows programs that look for a specific version of DOS to run under a different DOS.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 5 and later.[1]
[edit]
Installs support for file sharing and locking capabilities.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3 and later.[1]
SHIFT[edit]
The SHIFT command increases number of replaceable parameters to more than the standard ten for use in batch files.
This is done by changing the position of replaceable parameters. It replaces each of the replacement parameters with the subsequent one (e.g. %0 with %1, %1 with %2, etc.).
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
SIZER[edit]
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The external command SIZER.EXE is not intended to be started directly from the command prompt. Is used by MemMaker during the memory-optimization process.
SMARTDRV[edit]
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.[1]
SORT[edit]
A filter to sort lines in the input data stream and send them to the output data stream. Similar to the Unix command sort. Handles files up to 64k. This sort is always case insensitive.[26]
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
SUBST[edit]
A utility to map a subdirectory to a drive letter.[11] The opposite can be achieved via the JOIN command.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.1 and later.[1]
SYS[edit]
A utility to make a volume bootable. Sys rewrites the Volume Boot Code (the first sector of the partition that SYS is acting on) so that the code, when executed, will look for IO.SYS. SYS also copies the core DOS system files, IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS, and COMMAND.COM, to the volume. SYS does not rewrite the Master Boot Record, contrary to widely held belief.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.[1]
TELNET[edit]
The Telnet Client is a tool for developers and administrators to help manage and test network connectivity.[27]
TIME[edit]
Display the system time and waits for the user to enter a new time. Complements the DATE command.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.[1]
TITLE[edit]
Enables a user to change the title of their MS-DOS window.
TREE[edit]
It is an external command, graphically displays the path of each directory and sub-directories on the specified drive.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.2 and later and IBM PC DOS releases 2 and later.[1]
TRUENAME[edit]
Internal command that expands the name of a file, directory, or drive, and display its absolute pathname as the result. It will expand relative pathnames, SUBST drives, and JOIN directories, to find the actual directory.
For example, in DOS 7.1, if the current directory is C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM, then
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM>TRUENAME ..\WIN.INI C:\WINDOWS\WIN.INI
The argument does not need to refer to an existing file or directory: TRUENAME will output the absolute pathname as if it did. Also TRUENAME does not search in the PATH.
For example, in DOS 5, if the current directory is C:\TEMP, then TRUENAME command.com will display C:\TEMP\COMMAND.COM (which does not exist), not C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM (which does and is in the PATH).
This command displays the UNC pathnames of mapped network or local CD drives. This command is an undocumented DOS command. The help switch «/?» defines it as a «Reserved command name». It is available in MS-DOS version 5.00 and later, including the DOS 7 and 8 in Windows 95/98/ME. The C library function realpath performs this function. The Microsoft Windows NT command processors do not support this command, including the versions of command.com for NT.
TYPE[edit]
Displays a file. The more command is frequently used in conjunction with this command, e.g. type long-text-file | more. TYPE can be used to concatenate files (type file1 file2 > file3); however this won’t work for large files[dubious – discuss][citation needed]—use copy command instead.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.[1]
UNDELETE[edit]
Restores file previously deleted with del. By default all recoverable files in the working directory are restored; options are used to change this behavior. If the MS-DOS mirror TSR program is used, then deletion tracking files are created and can be used by undelete.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 5 and later.[1]
UNFORMAT[edit]
MS-DOS version 5 introduced the quick format option (Format /Q) which removes the disk’s file table without deleting any of the data. The same version also introduced the UNFORMAT command to undo the effects of a quick format, restoring the file table and making all the files accessible again. It is important to note that UNFORMAT only works if invoked before any further changes have overwritten the drive’s contents.[1]
VER[edit]
An internal DOS command, that reports the DOS version presently running, and since MS-DOS 5, whether DOS is loaded high.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
VERIFY[edit]
Enables or disables the feature to determine if files have been correctly written to disk. If no parameter is provided, the command will display the current setting.[28]
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
VOL[edit]
An internal command that displays the disk volume label and serial number.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
VSAFE[edit]
Main article: MSAV
A TSR program that continuously monitors the computer for viruses.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.[1]
XCOPY[edit]
Copy entire directory trees. Xcopy is a version of the copy command that can move files and directories from one location to another.
XCOPY usage and attributes can be obtained by typing XCOPY /? in the DOS Command line.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.2 and later.[1]
See also[edit]
- Category:Windows commands
- Command-line interface
- List of CONFIG.SYS directives
- Timeline of DOS operating systems
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn Wolverton, Van (2003). Running MS-DOS Version 6.22 (20th Anniversary Edition), 6th Revised edition. Microsoft Press. ISBN 0-7356-1812-7.
- ^ «MS-DOS choice command help». Retrieved 2014-09-10.
- ^ a b «Caldera DR-DOS 7.03 User Guide». Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2014-09-10.
- ^ Does not automatically appear in Help
- ^ «Q100021: Unable to Access Compressed Drives Using DBLBOOT.BAT Disk».
- ^ a b Multitasking MS-DOS 4.0, Goupil OEM
- ^ «expand — Windows CMD». SS64.com. Retrieved 2022-08-27.
- ^ «Q97835: COMMANDS.TXT: Supplemental Disk Commands (Part 2 of 2)».
- ^ «Q117600: MS-DOS 6.22 Supplemental Disk: Description & How to Obtain».
- ^ graftabl | Microsoft Docs
- ^ a b c EasyDOS Command Index
- ^ MS-DOS Version 4.10 Fujitsu ICL OEM
- ^ DR DOS 6.0 User Guide. Digital Research. 1991.
- ^ Cooper, Jim (May 2001). Using MS-DOS 6.22. Que Publishing. p. 455. ISBN 0789725738.
- ^ «MS-DOS mode command help». Retrieved 2014-09-10.
- ^ «More».
- ^ MS-DOS and Windows command line msav command
- ^ Peter H. Lewis (1994-01-04). «It’s 1994. So Where Are Your Data?». The New York Times.
- ^ Source: Zeos International: «What is MWBACKUP.EXE?».
- ^ «MS-DOS msd command help». Retrieved 2014-09-10.
- ^ https://www.pcjs.org/pubs/pc/reference/microsoft/kb/Q44273/[dead link]
- ^ «MS-DOS and Windows command line ping command».
- ^ MS-DOS and Windows command line power command
- ^ «Microsoft TechNet Rename (ren) article».
- ^ Karp, David Aaron; Tim O’Reilly; Troy Mott (2005). Windows XP in a nutshell. Nutshell handbook (2 ed.). O’Reilly Media, Inc. p. 422. ISBN 978-0-596-00900-7. Retrieved 2010-11-26.
- ^ «Microsoft on «sort»«. Retrieved 2014-09-10.
- ^ Client must be activated from Admin
- ^ «DOS Command: VERIFY». Retrieved 2014-09-10.
Further reading[edit]
- Cooper, Jim (2001). Special Edition Using MS-DOS 6.22, Third Edition. Que Publishing. ISBN 978-0789725738.
- Wolverton, Van (1990). MS-DOS Commands: Microsoft Quick Reference, 4th Revised edition. Microsoft Press. ISBN 978-1556152894.
External links[edit]
- Command-Line Reference : Microsoft TechNet Database «Command-Line Reference»
- The MS-DOS 6 Technical Reference on TechNet contains the official Microsoft MS-DOS 6 command reference documentation.
- DR-DOS 7.03 online manual Archived 2018-08-21 at the Wayback Machine
- MDGx MS-DOS Undocumented + Hidden Secrets
- MS-DOS v1.25 and v2.0 source code
There are several guides to DOS commands available that are licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License:
- The FreeDOS Spec at SourceForge is a plaintext specification, written in 1999, for how DOS commands should work in FreeDOS
- MS-DOS commands
- Reference for windows commands with examples
- A Collection of Undocumented and Obscure Features in Various MS-DOS Versions
Основные команды DOS
Применительно к DOS, все команды подразделяются на внутренние (те, что обрабатываются командным процессором command.com) и внешние, являющиеся системными утилитами. Так, полная версия MS-DOS поставляется с большим числом дополнительных утилит, которые вполне можно рассматривать как команды. В командной строке, входящей в состав Windows, имеется только поддержка внутренних команд и основных внешних, необходимых лишь для обеспечения базовой функциональности и возможности запуска программ, созданных для DOS. Кроме того, ряд команд, строго говоря, вовсе не является командами DOS, а являются консольными программами Windows XP.
VER
Команда VER (от VERsion — версия) является внутренней и выводит версию используемой операционной системы. Для Windows XP она выведет на экран следующую информацию:
Microsoft Windows XP [Версия 5.1.2600]
А для Windows 7:
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]
Так что теперь мы знаем, что на самом деле, Windows 7 — никакая не 7, а 6.1.
DIR
Для того чтобы узнать, что находится в текущем каталоге на диске, используют команду DIR (от DIRectory — каталог). При этом, для того чтобы сменить текущий диск, используют команду, состоящую только из имени диска, то есть буквы и двоеточия (не забывайте нажимать Enter для выполнения команд). Так, командой A: вы перейдете на диск A:. Например, если вставить новую дискету в дисковод и набрать сначала A:, а затем DIR, то можно будет увидеть примерно следующее:
Том в устройстве A не имеет метки.
Серийный номер тома: 234F-18F9
Содержимое папки A:\
Файл не найден
Если бы на дискете присутствовали файлы и (или) каталоги, то команда DIR вывела бы их список с указанием размера и даты создания. Если файлов много, то можно прибегнуть к помощи специального ключа w:
dir /w
В этом случае информация о файлах будет выведена в компактном виде — в несколько столбцов и без дополнительной информации (то есть только имена).
CD
Для того чтобы сменить текущий каталог, используется команда CD (от Change Directory — сменить каталог). При этом смена каталога осуществляется по принципу «от текущего». Допустим, у вас на диске C: имеется каталог DIR1, в который вложен каталог DIR2. Если вы находитесь в корневом каталоге диска C: (то есть C:\), то, чтобы добраться до каталога DIR2, вам надо ввести последовательно две команды DIR:
cd dir1
После этого приглашение системы сменится на c:\DIR1\>
cd dir2
Теперь приглашение системы сменится на c:\DIR1\DIR2\>
Чтобы перейти сразу на несколько каталогов по иерархии файловой системы, надо все их перечислить. В нашем случае, чтобы не вводить команду дважды, следовало бы написать:
cd dir1\dir2
Если же требуется перейти на уровень выше (например, из DIR2 в DIR1), следует вместо имени директории ставить две точки:
cd..
MD
Команда MD (от Make Directory — создать каталог) предназначена для создания каталогов. Если вы хотите создать каталог «MYDIR» непосредственно внутри текущего, то вводите:
md MYDIR
Если же вы находитесь, например, в корневом каталоге диска D:, а создать новый каталог надо внутри другого (например, DIR1 на диске C:), то требуется указать полный путь:
md c:\DIR1\MYDIR
Следует запомнить, что при выполнении всех команд DOS отталкивается от текущего каталога, то есть от того, который вы видите в системном приглашении. И если вам требуется выполнить действие в другом месте, то вы должны либо указывать полный путь, включая имя диска, либо перейти в нужный каталог при помощи команды CD.
COPY
Для копирования файлов используется команда COPY. Например, чтобы с ее помощью скопировать файл command.com с диска C: на диск D:, следует написать:
copy c:\command.com d:
Таким образом, здесь первый параметр определяет исходное имя файла, а второй — расположение создаваемой копии. В примере выше файл command.com появится в корневом каталоге диска D:. Если же требуется при копировании еще и изменить имя файла, то необходимо указать и новое имя:
copy myfile1.txt myfile2.txt
Здесь производится копирование файла myfile1.txt из текущего каталога в файл myfile2.txt, который будет находиться в том же каталоге, что и myfile1.txt.
MOVE
Если требуется не скопировать файл, а перенести его на новое место, используют команду MOVE (переместить):
move myfile1.txt a:\
Таким образом, файл myfile1.txt из текущего каталога переместится в корневой каталог диска A:. В случае удачного выполнения команды файл будет скопирован в новое место и удален в исходном.
DEL
Для удаления файлов используют команду DEL (от DELete — удалить). Например, если ввести:
del c:\dir1\myfile1.txt
то будет удален файл myfile1.txt из каталога DIR1 на диске C:. Если указать не имя файла, а только имя каталога, то будут удалены все файлы из указанного каталога.
EDIT
Когда возникает необходимость внести какие-либо изменения в текстовый файл, то можно воспользоваться внешней командой EDIT (правка), которая загружает простой текстовый редактор, входящий в поставку любой версии DOS и Windows 9х. Существует два способа воспользоваться этой программой. Во-первых, можно просто написать в командной строке «edit» и нажать Enter, после чего будет загружен редактор с пустым документом. Но целесообразнее сразу указывать имя редактируемого файла, например:
edit c:\autoexec.bat
В результате выполнения такой команды в редактор сразу же с диска C: будет загружен файл AUTOEXEC.BAT. Если у вас все еще установлена Windows 9x, то вы увидите примерно то, что изображено на рис. 6.1.
Рис. 6.1. Штатный редактор с загруженным файлом AUTOEXEC.BAT
В верхней строке вы видите меню редактора. Наиболее важным является меню Файл, при помощи которого можно сохранить отредактированный документ (выбрав из него соответствующий пункт), а также выйти из программы. Для того чтобы переключиться из собственно области, где можно править текст, в меню, следует нажать клавишу Alt, а затем перемещаться между пунктами при помощи стрелок. Забегая вперед, хочу отметить, что при помощи Alt вы можете перейти в меню в любой Windows-программе. Так же следует отметить, что в семействе Windows NT (включая XP, Vista и Seven) этой команды нет.
FORMAT
Рассмотренные выше внутренние команды применяются для работы с файлами — копирования, переноса и т.д. Для работы с диском существуют специальные внешние команды. Команда FORMAT является одной из наиболее важных и применяется для логического форматирования дисков.
ПРИМЕЧАНИЕ
Прежде чем операционная система сможет работать с диском, его требуется отформатировать. При форматировании каждый физический блок информации на диске связывается с логической структурой файловой системы. Учтите, что после форматирования жесткого диска восстановление какой-либо ранее находившейся на нем информации невозможно.
Для использования этой команды следует указать имя диска. Например, чтобы отформатировать дискету, следует ввести:
format a:
У команды FORMAT имеется ряд ключей, основные из которых перечислены в таблице ниже.
| Ключ | Описание |
|---|---|
| /S | После форматирования переносит системные файлы DOS на диск. Примени-тельно к дискете — делает ее загрузочной. Данный ключ работает только в DOS и Windows 9x |
| /F:размер | Указывает размер форматируемых гибких дисков. В качестве размера указывают одно из следующих значений: 160, 180, 320, 360, 640, 720, 1.2, 1.44, 2.88. Как правило, этот ключ не используют, так как система определяет размер дискеты автоматически |
| /FS:система | Определяет тип файловой системы (FAT, FAT32 или NTFS) для жесткого диска (для Windows Vista/7 — так же UDF). Данный ключ работает только в Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7 |
| /Q | Производит быстрое форматирование |
Для использования ключа следует ввести в командную строку команду, затем — обязательный параметр (имя диска), а затем — через пробел — имя ключа или ключей. Так, для форматирования стандартной 3,5-дюймовой дискеты можно ввести:
format a: /f:1.44 /u
При использовании команды FORMAT следует быть предельно внимательным!
SYS
Если требуется создать системный диск, следует не просто скопировать файлы io.sys, msdos.sys и command.com, а прибегнуть к помощи команды SYS. Дело в том, что само присутствие системных файлов еще не делает диск системным — необходимо, чтобы компьютер знал, где именно находятся эти файлы (причем физически, так как на момент загрузки файловая система ОС еще сама не загружена). Именно команда SYS располагает системные файлы там, где их будет искать компьютер для загрузки операционной системы. Например, для переноса системных файлов с диска A: на диск C: следует ввести:
sys a: c:
Данная команда имеется только в DOS и Windows 9x.
FDISK
Команда FORMAT производит логическое форматирование. Кроме этого существует еще и возможность логического разделения жестких дисков. Это делают при помощи команды FDISK, для запуска которой достаточно ввести ее имя в командную строку и нажать Enter.
ВНИМАНИЕ
Команда FDISK имеется только в DOS и Windows 9x. В Windows XP создание разделов диска возможно либо в процессе установки системы, либо при помощи специальной оснастки Управление компьютером. Здесь рассматривается вариант подготовки диска в среде DOS.
При запуске FDISK, команда спросит, следует ли включить поддержку больших дисков. Если вы ответите «Y» (от yes — да), то в дальнейшем будете работать с системой FAT32. При этом становится возможным создавать логические разделы объемом свыше 2 Гбайт. Кроме того, в FAT32 более эффективно, чем в VFAT, распределяется место между файлами. После того, как ответите на вопрос о поддержке больших дисков, вы увидите основное меню программы FDISK, изображенное на рис. 6.2.
Рис. 6.2. Главное меню FDISK
Для выбора действия в этой программе следует нажимать цифру, соответствующую номеру меню, после чего нажимать Enter. Возврат в предшествующее меню и выход из программы осуществляется клавишей отмены (Esc).
CONVERT
Эта команда, напротив, уже не имеет отношения к DOS и имеется только в Windows 2000/XP и выше. С ее помощью можно преобразовывать логические диски из FAT в NTFS. Для ее запуска следует вызвать командную строку Windows (Пуск ‘ Программы ‘ Стандартные). Подобно команде FORMAT, для выполнения CONVERT следует указать имя диска для преобразования и дополнительно — конечную файловую систему при помощи ключа FS:
convert C: /FS:NTFS
Учтите, что преобразованный в NTFS диск для DOS является невидимым. Иначе говоря, загрузившись с системной дискеты, содержащей DOS (Windows 9x), вы не сможете получить доступ к NTFS-дискам.
2011-04-12
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This article presents a list of commands used by DOS operating systems, especially as used on x86-based IBM PC compatibles (PCs). Other DOS operating systems are not part of the scope of this list.
In DOS, many standard system commands were provided for common tasks such as listing files on a disk or moving files. Some commands were built into the command interpreter, others existed as external commands on disk. Over the several generations of DOS, commands were added for the additional functions of the operating system. In the current Microsoft Windows operating system, a text-mode command prompt window, cmd.exe, can still be used.
Command processing[edit]
The command interpreter for DOS runs when no application programs are running. When an application exits, if the transient portion of the command interpreter in memory was overwritten, DOS will reload it from disk. Some commands are internal—built into COMMAND.COM; others are external commands stored on disk. When the user types a line of text at the operating system command prompt, COMMAND.COM will parse the line and attempt to match a command name to a built-in command or to the name of an executable program file or batch file on disk. If no match is found, an error message is printed, and the command prompt is refreshed.
External commands were too large to keep in the command processor, or were less frequently used. Such utility programs would be stored on disk and loaded just like regular application programs but were distributed with the operating system. Copies of these utility command programs had to be on an accessible disk, either on the current drive or on the command path set in the command interpreter.
In the list below, commands that can accept more than one file name, or a filename including wildcards (* and ?), are said to accept a filespec (file specification) parameter. Commands that can accept only a single file name are said to accept a filename parameter. Additionally, command line switches, or other parameter strings, can be supplied on the command line. Spaces and symbols such as a «/» or a «-» may be used to allow the command processor to parse the command line into filenames, file specifications, and other options.
The command interpreter preserves the case of whatever parameters are passed to commands, but the command names themselves and file names are case-insensitive.
Many commands are the same across many DOS systems, but some differ in command syntax or name.
DOS commands[edit]
A partial list of the most common commands for MS-DOS and IBM PC DOS follows below.
APPEND[edit]
Sets the path to be searched for data files or displays the current search path.
The APPEND command is similar to the PATH command that tells DOS where to search for program files (files with a .COM, . EXE, or .BAT file name extension).
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.2 and later.[1]
ASSIGN[edit]
The command redirects requests for disk operations on one drive to a different drive. It can also display drive assignments or reset all drive letters to their original assignments.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3 through 5 and IBM PC DOS releases 2 through 5.[1]
ATMDM[edit]
Lists connections and addresses seen by Windows ATM call manager.
ATTRIB[edit]
Attrib changes or views the attributes of one or more files. It defaults to display the attributes of all files in the current directory. The file attributes available include read-only, archive, system, and hidden attributes. The command has the capability to process whole folders and subfolders of files and also process all files.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3 and later.[1]
BACKUP and RESTORE[edit]
These are commands to backup and restore files from an external disk. These appeared in version 2, and continued to PC DOS 5 and MS-DOS 6 (PC DOS 7 had a deversioned check). In DOS 6, these were replaced by commercial programs (CPBACKUP, MSBACKUP), which allowed files to be restored to different locations.[1]
BASIC and BASICA[edit]
An implementation of the BASIC programming language for PCs. Implementing BASIC in this way was very common in operating systems on 8- and 16-bit machines made in the 1980s.
IBM computers had BASIC 1.1 in ROM, and IBM’s versions of BASIC used code in this ROM-BASIC, which allowed for extra memory in the code area. BASICA last appeared in IBM PC DOS 5.02, and in OS/2 (2.0 and later), the version had ROM-BASIC moved into the program code.
Microsoft released GW-BASIC for machines with no ROM-BASIC. Some OEM releases had basic.com and basica.com as loaders for GW-BASIC.EXE.
BASIC was dropped after MS-DOS 4, and PC DOS 5.02. OS/2 (which uses PC DOS 5), has it, while MS-DOS 5 does not.
BREAK[edit]
This command is used to instruct DOS to check whether the Ctrl and Break keys have been pressed before carrying out a program request.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
CALL[edit]
Starts a batch file from within another batch file and returns when that one ends.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.3 and later.[1]
CD and CHDIR[edit]
The CHDIR (or the alternative name CD) command either displays or changes the current working directory.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
CHCP[edit]
The command either displays or changes the active code page used to display character glyphs in a console window. Similar functionality can be achieved with MODE CON: CP SELECT=yyy.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.3 and later.[1]
CHKDSK[edit]
CHKDSK verifies a storage volume (for example, a hard disk, disk partition or floppy disk) for file system integrity. The command has the ability to fix errors on a volume and recover information from defective disk sectors of a volume.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.[1]
CHOICE[edit]
The CHOICE command is used in batch files to prompt the user to select one item from a set of single-character choices. Choice was introduced as an external command with MS-DOS 6.0;[1][2] Novell DOS 7[3] and PC DOS 7.0. Earlier versions of DR-DOS supported this function with the built-in switch command (for numeric choices) or by beginning a command with a question mark.[3] This command was formerly called ync (yes-no-cancel).
CLS[edit]
The CLS or CLRSCR command clears the terminal screen.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
COMMAND[edit]
Start a new instance of the command interpreter.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.[1]
COMP[edit]
Show differences between any two files, or any two sets of files.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.3 through 5 and IBM PC DOS releases 1 through 5.[1]
COPY[edit]
Makes copies of existing files.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.[1]
CTTY[edit]
Defines the terminal device (for example, COM1) to use for input and output.[4]
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
DATE[edit]
Displays the system date and prompts the user to enter a new date. Complements the TIME command.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.[1]
DBLBOOT[edit]
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(Not a command: This is a batch file added to DOS 6.X Supplemental Disks to help create DoubleSpace boot floppies.[5])
DBLSPACE[edit]
A disk compression utility supplied with MS-DOS version 6.0 (released in 1993) and version 6.2.[1]
DEBUG[edit]
A very primitive assembler and disassembler.
DEFRAG[edit]
The command has the ability to analyze the file fragmentation on a disk drive or to defragment a drive. This command is called DEFRAG in MS-DOS/PC DOS and diskopt in DR-DOS.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.[1]
DEL and ERASE[edit]
DEL (or the alternative form ERASE) is used to delete one or more files.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.[1]
DELTREE[edit]
Deletes a directory along with all of the files and subdirectories that it contains. Normally, it will ask for confirmation of the potentially dangerous action. Since the RD (RMDIR) command can not delete a directory if the directory is not empty (except in Windows NT & 10), the DELTREE command can be used to delete the whole directory.
The deltree command is included in certain versions of Microsoft Windows and MS-DOS operating systems. It is specifically available only in versions of MS-DOS 6.0 and higher,[1] and in Microsoft Windows 9x. In Windows NT, the functionality provided exists but is handled by the command rd or rmdir which has slightly different syntax. This command is not present in Windows 7 and 8. In Windows 10, the command switch is RD /S or RMDIR /S.
DIR[edit]
The DIR command displays the contents of a directory. The contents comprise the disk’s volume label and serial number; one directory or filename per line, including the filename extension, the file size in bytes, and the date and time the file was last modified; and the total number of files listed, their cumulative size, and the free space (in bytes) remaining on the disk. The command is one of the few commands that exist from the first versions of DOS.[1] The command can display files in subdirectories. The resulting directory listing can be sorted by various criteria and filenames can be displayed in a chosen format.
DISKCOMP[edit]
A command for comparing the complete contents of a floppy disk to another one.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.2 and later and IBM PC DOS releases 1 and later.[1]
DISKCOPY[edit]
A command for copying the complete contents of a diskette to another diskette.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
DOSKEY[edit]
A command that adds command history, macro functionality, and improved editing features to the command-line interpreter.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 5 and later.[1]
DOSSIZE[edit]
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Displays how much memory various DOS components occupy.[6]
DRVSPACE[edit]
A disk compression utility supplied with MS-DOS version 6.22.[1]
ECHO[edit]
The ECHO command prints its own arguments back out to the DOS equivalent of the standard output stream. (Hence the name, ECHO) Usually, this means directly to the screen, but the output of echo can be redirected, like any other command, to files or devices. Often used in batch files to print text out to the user.
Another important use of the echo command is to toggle echoing of commands on and off in batch files. Traditionally batch files begin with the @echo off statement. This says to the interpreter that echoing of commands should be off during the whole execution of the batch file, thus resulting in a «tidier» output (the @ symbol declares that this particular command (echo off) should also be executed without echo.)
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
EDIT[edit]
EDIT is a full-screen text editor, included with MS-DOS versions 5 and 6,[1] OS/2 and Windows NT to 4.0 The corresponding program in Windows 95 and later, and Windows 2000 and later is Edit v2.0. PC DOS 6 and later use the DOS E Editor and DR-DOS used editor up to version 7.
EDLIN[edit]
DOS line-editor. It can be used with a script file, like debug, this makes it of some use even today. The absence of a console editor in MS-DOS/PC DOS 1–4 created an after-market for third-party editors.
In DOS 5, an extra command «?» was added to give the user much-needed help.
DOS 6 was the last version to contain EDLIN; for MS-DOS 6, it’s on the supplemental disks,[1] while PC DOS 6 had it in the base install. Windows NT 32-bit, and OS/2 have Edlin.
EMM386[edit]
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The EMM386 command enables or disables EMM386 expanded-memory support on a computer with an 80386 or higher processor.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 5 and later.[1]
ERASE[edit]
See: DEL and ERASE
EXE2BIN[edit]
Converts an executable (.exe) file into a binary file with the extension .com, which is a memory image of the program.
The size of the resident code and data sections combined in the input .exe file must be less than 64 KB. The file must also have no stack segment.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 through 5. It is available separately for version 6 on the Supplemental Disk.[1]
EXIT[edit]
Exits the current command processor. If the exit is used at the primary command, it has no effect unless in a DOS window under Microsoft Windows, in which case the window is closed and the user returns to the desktop.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
EXPAND[edit]
The Microsoft File Expansion Utility is used to uncompress one or more compressed cabinet files (.CAB). The command dates back to 1990 and was supplied on floppy disc for MS-DOS versions 5 and later.[7][1]
FAKEMOUS[edit]
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FAKEMOUS is an IBM PS/2 mouse utility used with AccessDOS. It is included on the MS-DOS 6 Supplemental Disk.[8][9]
AccessDOS assists persons with disabilities.
FASTHELP[edit]
Provides information for MS-DOS commands.
FASTOPEN[edit]
A command that provides accelerated access to frequently-used files and directories.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.3 and later.[1]
FC[edit]
Show differences between any two files, or any two sets of files.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later – primarily non-IBM releases.[1]
FDISK[edit]
The FDISK command manipulates hard disk partition tables. The name derives from IBM’s habit of calling hard drives fixed disks. FDISK has the ability to display information about, create, and delete DOS partitions or logical DOS drive. It can also install a standard master boot record on the hard drive.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.2 and later and IBM PC DOS 2.0 releases and later.[1]
FIND[edit]
The FIND command is a filter to find lines in the input data stream that contain or don’t contain a specified string and send these to the output data stream. It may also be used as a pipe.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
FINDSTR[edit]
The FINDSTR command is a GREP-oriented FIND-like utility. Among its uses is the logical-OR lacking in FIND.
FINDSTR "YES NO MAYBE" *.txt
-
- would find all TXT files with one or more of the above-listed words YES, NO, MAYBE.
FOR[edit]
Iteration: repeats a command for each out of a specified set of files.
The FOR loop can be used to parse a file or the output of a command.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
FORMAT[edit]
Deletes the FAT entries and the root directory of the drive/partition, and reformats it for MS-DOS. In most cases, this should only be used on floppy drives or other removable media. This command can potentially erase everything on a computer’s drive.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.[1]
GOTO[edit]
Main article: Goto
The Goto command transfers execution to a specified label. Labels are specified at the beginning of a line, with a colon (:likethis).
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
Used in Batch files.
GRAFTABL[edit]
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The GRAFTABL command enables the display of an extended character set in graphics mode.[10]
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3 through 5.[1]
GRAPHICS[edit]
A TSR program to enable the sending of graphical screen dump to printer by pressing <Print Screen>.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.2 and later and IBM PC DOS releases 2 and later.[1]
HELP[edit]
Gives help about DOS commands.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 5 thru Windows XP. Full-screen command help is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.[1] Beginning with Windows XP, the command processor «DOS» offers builtin-help for commands by using /? (e.g. COPY /?)
IF[edit]
IF is a conditional statement, that allows branching of the program execution. It evaluates the specified condition, and only if it is true, then it executes the remainder of the command line. Otherwise, it skips the remainder of the line and continues with next command line.
Used in Batch files.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
INTERSVR and INTERLNK[edit]
In MS-DOS; filelink in DR-DOS.
Network PCs using a null modem cable or LapLink cable. The server-side version of InterLnk, it also immobilizes the machine it’s running on as it is an active app (As opposed to a terminate-and-stay-resident program) which must be running for any transfer to take place. DR-DOS’ filelink is executed on both the client and server.
New in PC DOS 5.02, MS-DOS 6.0.[11][1]
JOIN[edit]
The JOIN command attaches a drive letter to a specified directory on another drive.[11] The opposite can be achieved via the SUBST command.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3 through 5. It is available separately for versions 6.2 and later on the Supplemental Disk.[1]
KEYB[edit]
The KEYB command is used to select a keyboard layout.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.3 and later.[1]
From DOS 3.0 through 3.21, there are instead per-country commands, namely KEYBFR, KEYBGR, KEYBIT, KEYBSP and KEYBUK.
LABEL[edit]
Changes the label on a logical drive, such as a hard disk partition or a floppy disk.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.1 and later and IBM PC DOS releases 3 and later.[1]
LINK4[edit]
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Microsoft 8086 Object Linker[12]
LOADFIX[edit]
Loads a program above the first 64K of memory, and runs the program. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 5 and later.[1] It is included only in MS-DOS/PC DOS. DR-DOS used memmax, which opened or closed lower, upper, and video memory access, to block the lower 64K of memory.[13]
LOADHIGH and LH[edit]
A command that loads a program into the upper memory area.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 5 and later.[1]
It is called hiload in DR-DOS.
MD or MKDIR[edit]
Makes a new directory. The parent of the directory specified will be created if it does not already exist.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
MEM[edit]
Displays memory usage. It is capable of displaying program size and status, memory in use, and internal drivers. It is an external command.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 4 and later and DR DOS releases 5.0 and later.[1]
On earlier DOS versions the memory usage could be shown by running CHKDSK. In DR DOS the parameter /A could be used to only show the memory usage.
MEMMAKER[edit]
Starting with version 6,[1] MS-DOS included the external program MemMaker which was used to free system memory (especially Conventional memory) by automatically reconfiguring the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files. This was usually done by moving TSR programs and device drivers to the upper memory. The whole process required two system restarts. Before the first restart the user was asked whether to enable EMS Memory, since use of expanded memory required a reserved 64KiB region in upper memory. The first restart inserted the SIZER.EXE program which gauged the memory needed by each TSR or Driver. MemMaker would then calculate the optimal Driver and TSR placement in upper memory and modify the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS accordingly, and reboot the second time.[14]
MEMMAKER.EXE and SIZER.EXE were developed for Microsoft by Helix Software Company and were eliminated starting in MS-DOS 7 (Windows 95); however, they could be obtained from Microsoft’s FTP server as part of the OLDDOS.EXE package, alongside other tools.
PC DOS uses another program called RamBoost to optimize memory, working either with PC DOS’s HIMEM/EMM386 or a third-party memory manager. RamBoost was licensed to IBM by Central Point Software.
MIRROR[edit]
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The MIRROR command saves disk storage information that can be used to recover accidentally erased files.
The command is available in MS-DOS version 5. It is available separately for versions 6.2 and later on Supplemental Disk.[1]
MODE[edit]
Configures system devices. Changes graphics modes, adjusts keyboard settings, prepares code pages, and sets up port redirection.[15]
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.2 and later and IBM PC DOS releases 1 and later.[1]
MORE[edit]
The MORE command paginates text, so that one can view files containing more than one screen of text. More may also be used as a filter. While viewing MORE text, the return key displays the next line, the space bar displays the next page.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
MOVE[edit]
Moves files or renames directories.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.[1]
DR-DOS used a separate command for renaming directories, rendir.
MSAV[edit]
Main article: MSAV
A command that scans the computer for known viruses.[16][17]
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.[1]
MSBACKUP[edit]
The MSBACKUP command is used to backup or restore one or more files from one disk to another.
The New York Times said that MSBACKUP «is much better and faster than the old BACKUP command used in earlier versions of DOS, but it does lack some of the advanced features found in backup software packages that are sold separately.[18] There is another offering, named MWBACKUP, that is GUI-oriented. It was introduced for Windows for Workgroups (3.11).[19]
The MSBACKUP command is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.[1]
MSCDEX[edit]
MSCDEX is a driver executable which allows DOS programs to recognize, read, and control CD-ROMs.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.[1]
MSD[edit]
The MSD command provides detailed technical information about the computer’s hardware and software. MSD was new in MS-DOS 6;[1][20] the PC DOS version of this command is QCONFIG.[citation needed] The command appeared first in Word2, and then in Windows 3.10.
MSHERC[edit]
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The MSHERC.COM (also QBHERC.COM) was a TSR graphics driver supplied with Microsoft QuickC, QuickBASIC, and the C Compiler, to allow use of the Hercules adapter high-resolution graphics capability (720 x 348, 2 colors).[21]
NLSFUNC[edit]
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Loads extended Nationalization and Localization Support from COUNTRY.SYS, and changed the codepage of drivers and system modules resident in RAM.[citation needed]
In later versions of DR-DOS 6, NLSFUNC relocated itself into the HiMem area, thereby freeing a portion of the nearly invaluable lower 640KiB that constituted the ”conventional” memory available to software.[citation needed]
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.3 and later.[1]
PATH[edit]
Displays or sets a search path for executable files.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
PAUSE[edit]
Suspends processing of a batch program and displays the message Press any key to continue. . ., if not given other text to display.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.[1]
PING[edit]
Allows the user to test the availability of a network connection to a specified host. Hostnames are usually resolved to IP addresses.[22]
It is not included in many DOS versions; typically ones with network stacks will have it as a diagnostic tool.
POWER[edit]
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The POWER command is used to turn power management on and off, report the status of power management, and set levels of power conservation. It is an external command implemented as POWER.EXE.[23]
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.[1]
PRINT[edit]
The PRINT command adds or removes files in the print queue. This command was introduced in MS-DOS version 2.[1] Before that there was no built-in support for background printing files. The user would usually use the copy command to copy files to LPT1.
PRINTFIX[edit]
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PROMPT[edit]
The PROMPT command allows the user to change the prompt in the command screen. The default prompt is $p (i.e. PROMPT $p), which displays the drive and current path as the prompt, but can be changed to anything. PROMPT $d, displays the current system date as the prompt. Type PROMPT /? in the cmd screen for help on this function.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later and IBM PC DOS releases 2.1 and later.[1]
PS[edit]
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A utility inspired by the UNIX/XENIX ps command. It also provides a full-screen mode, similar to the top utility on UNIX systems.[6]
QBASIC[edit]
An integrated development environment and BASIC interpreter.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 5 and later.[1]
RD or RMDIR[edit]
Remove a directory (delete a directory); by default the directories must be empty of files for the command to succeed.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
The deltree command in some versions of MS-DOS and all versions of Windows 9x removes non-empty directories.
RECOVER[edit]
A primitive filesystem error recovery utility included in MS-DOS / IBM PC DOS.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 through 5.[1]
REM[edit]
Remark (comment) command, normally used within a batch file, and for DR-DOS, PC/MS-DOS 6 and above, in CONFIG.SYS. This command is processed by the command processor. Thus, its output can be redirected to create a zero-byte file. REM is useful in logged sessions or screen-captures. One might add comments by way of labels, usually starting with double-colon (::). These are not processed by the command processor.
REN[edit]
The REN command renames a file. Unlike the move command, this command cannot be used to rename subdirectories, or rename files across drives. Mass renames can be accomplished by the use of the wildcards characters asterisk (*) and question mark (?).[24]
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.[1]
REPLACE[edit]
A command that is used to replace one or more existing computer files or add new files to a target directory.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.2 and later.[1]
RESTORE[edit]
See: BACKUP and RESTORE
SCANDISK[edit]
Disk diagnostic utility. Scandisk was a replacement for the chkdsk utility, starting with MS-DOS version 6.2 and later.[1] Its primary advantages over chkdsk is that it is more reliable and has the ability to run a surface scan which finds and marks bad clusters on the disk. It also provided mouse point-and-click TUI, allowing for interactive session to complement command-line batch run.
chkdsk had surface scan and bad cluster detection functionality included, and was used again on Windows NT-based operating systems.
SELECT[edit]
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The SELECT command formats a disk and installs country-specific information and keyboard codes.
It was initially only available with IBM PC DOS. The version included with PC DOS 3.0 and 3.1 is hard-coded to transfer the operating system from A: to B:, while from PC DOS 3.2 onward you can specify the source and destination, and can be used to install DOS to the harddisk.
The version included with MS-DOS 4 and PC DOS 4 is no longer a simple command-line utility, but a full-fledged installer.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.3 and 4 and IBM PC DOS releases 3 through 4.[1]
This command is no longer included in DOS Version 5 and later, where it has been replaced by SETUP.
SET[edit]
Sets environment variables.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
cmd.exe in Windows NT 2000, 4DOS, 4OS2, 4NT, and a number of third-party solutions allow direct entry of environment variables from the command prompt. From at least Windows 2000, the set command allows for the evaluation of strings into variables, thus providing inter alia a means of performing integer arithmetic.[25]
SETUP[edit]
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The command is available in MS-DOS versions 5 and later.[1]
This command does a computer setup. With all computers running DOS versions 5 and
later, it runs the computer setup, such as Windows 95 setup and Windows 98 setup.
SETVER[edit]
SetVer is a TSR program designed to return a different value to the version of DOS that is running. This allows programs that look for a specific version of DOS to run under a different DOS.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 5 and later.[1]
[edit]
Installs support for file sharing and locking capabilities.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3 and later.[1]
SHIFT[edit]
The SHIFT command increases number of replaceable parameters to more than the standard ten for use in batch files.
This is done by changing the position of replaceable parameters. It replaces each of the replacement parameters with the subsequent one (e.g. %0 with %1, %1 with %2, etc.).
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
SIZER[edit]
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The external command SIZER.EXE is not intended to be started directly from the command prompt. Is used by MemMaker during the memory-optimization process.
SMARTDRV[edit]
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.[1]
SORT[edit]
A filter to sort lines in the input data stream and send them to the output data stream. Similar to the Unix command sort. Handles files up to 64k. This sort is always case insensitive.[26]
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
SUBST[edit]
A utility to map a subdirectory to a drive letter.[11] The opposite can be achieved via the JOIN command.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.1 and later.[1]
SYS[edit]
A utility to make a volume bootable. Sys rewrites the Volume Boot Code (the first sector of the partition that SYS is acting on) so that the code, when executed, will look for IO.SYS. SYS also copies the core DOS system files, IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS, and COMMAND.COM, to the volume. SYS does not rewrite the Master Boot Record, contrary to widely held belief.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.[1]
TELNET[edit]
The Telnet Client is a tool for developers and administrators to help manage and test network connectivity.[27]
TIME[edit]
Display the system time and waits for the user to enter a new time. Complements the DATE command.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.[1]
TITLE[edit]
Enables a user to change the title of their MS-DOS window.
TREE[edit]
It is an external command, graphically displays the path of each directory and sub-directories on the specified drive.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.2 and later and IBM PC DOS releases 2 and later.[1]
TRUENAME[edit]
Internal command that expands the name of a file, directory, or drive, and display its absolute pathname as the result. It will expand relative pathnames, SUBST drives, and JOIN directories, to find the actual directory.
For example, in DOS 7.1, if the current directory is C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM, then
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM>TRUENAME ..\WIN.INI C:\WINDOWS\WIN.INI
The argument does not need to refer to an existing file or directory: TRUENAME will output the absolute pathname as if it did. Also TRUENAME does not search in the PATH.
For example, in DOS 5, if the current directory is C:\TEMP, then TRUENAME command.com will display C:\TEMP\COMMAND.COM (which does not exist), not C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM (which does and is in the PATH).
This command displays the UNC pathnames of mapped network or local CD drives. This command is an undocumented DOS command. The help switch «/?» defines it as a «Reserved command name». It is available in MS-DOS version 5.00 and later, including the DOS 7 and 8 in Windows 95/98/ME. The C library function realpath performs this function. The Microsoft Windows NT command processors do not support this command, including the versions of command.com for NT.
TYPE[edit]
Displays a file. The more command is frequently used in conjunction with this command, e.g. type long-text-file | more. TYPE can be used to concatenate files (type file1 file2 > file3); however this won’t work for large files[dubious – discuss][citation needed]—use copy command instead.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.[1]
UNDELETE[edit]
Restores file previously deleted with del. By default all recoverable files in the working directory are restored; options are used to change this behavior. If the MS-DOS mirror TSR program is used, then deletion tracking files are created and can be used by undelete.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 5 and later.[1]
UNFORMAT[edit]
MS-DOS version 5 introduced the quick format option (Format /Q) which removes the disk’s file table without deleting any of the data. The same version also introduced the UNFORMAT command to undo the effects of a quick format, restoring the file table and making all the files accessible again. It is important to note that UNFORMAT only works if invoked before any further changes have overwritten the drive’s contents.[1]
VER[edit]
An internal DOS command, that reports the DOS version presently running, and since MS-DOS 5, whether DOS is loaded high.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
VERIFY[edit]
Enables or disables the feature to determine if files have been correctly written to disk. If no parameter is provided, the command will display the current setting.[28]
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
VOL[edit]
An internal command that displays the disk volume label and serial number.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.[1]
VSAFE[edit]
Main article: MSAV
A TSR program that continuously monitors the computer for viruses.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.[1]
XCOPY[edit]
Copy entire directory trees. Xcopy is a version of the copy command that can move files and directories from one location to another.
XCOPY usage and attributes can be obtained by typing XCOPY /? in the DOS Command line.
The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.2 and later.[1]
See also[edit]
- Category:Windows commands
- Command-line interface
- List of CONFIG.SYS directives
- Timeline of DOS operating systems
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn Wolverton, Van (2003). Running MS-DOS Version 6.22 (20th Anniversary Edition), 6th Revised edition. Microsoft Press. ISBN 0-7356-1812-7.
- ^ «MS-DOS choice command help». Retrieved 2014-09-10.
- ^ a b «Caldera DR-DOS 7.03 User Guide». Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2014-09-10.
- ^ Does not automatically appear in Help
- ^ «Q100021: Unable to Access Compressed Drives Using DBLBOOT.BAT Disk».
- ^ a b Multitasking MS-DOS 4.0, Goupil OEM
- ^ «expand — Windows CMD». SS64.com. Retrieved 2022-08-27.
- ^ «Q97835: COMMANDS.TXT: Supplemental Disk Commands (Part 2 of 2)».
- ^ «Q117600: MS-DOS 6.22 Supplemental Disk: Description & How to Obtain».
- ^ graftabl | Microsoft Docs
- ^ a b c EasyDOS Command Index
- ^ MS-DOS Version 4.10 Fujitsu ICL OEM
- ^ DR DOS 6.0 User Guide. Digital Research. 1991.
- ^ Cooper, Jim (May 2001). Using MS-DOS 6.22. Que Publishing. p. 455. ISBN 0789725738.
- ^ «MS-DOS mode command help». Retrieved 2014-09-10.
- ^ «More».
- ^ MS-DOS and Windows command line msav command
- ^ Peter H. Lewis (1994-01-04). «It’s 1994. So Where Are Your Data?». The New York Times.
- ^ Source: Zeos International: «What is MWBACKUP.EXE?».
- ^ «MS-DOS msd command help». Retrieved 2014-09-10.
- ^ https://www.pcjs.org/pubs/pc/reference/microsoft/kb/Q44273/[dead link]
- ^ «MS-DOS and Windows command line ping command».
- ^ MS-DOS and Windows command line power command
- ^ «Microsoft TechNet Rename (ren) article».
- ^ Karp, David Aaron; Tim O’Reilly; Troy Mott (2005). Windows XP in a nutshell. Nutshell handbook (2 ed.). O’Reilly Media, Inc. p. 422. ISBN 978-0-596-00900-7. Retrieved 2010-11-26.
- ^ «Microsoft on «sort»«. Retrieved 2014-09-10.
- ^ Client must be activated from Admin
- ^ «DOS Command: VERIFY». Retrieved 2014-09-10.
Further reading[edit]
- Cooper, Jim (2001). Special Edition Using MS-DOS 6.22, Third Edition. Que Publishing. ISBN 978-0789725738.
- Wolverton, Van (1990). MS-DOS Commands: Microsoft Quick Reference, 4th Revised edition. Microsoft Press. ISBN 978-1556152894.
External links[edit]
- Command-Line Reference : Microsoft TechNet Database «Command-Line Reference»
- The MS-DOS 6 Technical Reference on TechNet contains the official Microsoft MS-DOS 6 command reference documentation.
- DR-DOS 7.03 online manual Archived 2018-08-21 at the Wayback Machine
- MDGx MS-DOS Undocumented + Hidden Secrets
- MS-DOS v1.25 and v2.0 source code
There are several guides to DOS commands available that are licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License:
- The FreeDOS Spec at SourceForge is a plaintext specification, written in 1999, for how DOS commands should work in FreeDOS
- MS-DOS commands
- Reference for windows commands with examples
- A Collection of Undocumented and Obscure Features in Various MS-DOS Versions
Данный совет, применим для ОС Windows XP. Актуальность
(применимость/эффективность) для ОС Windows Vista/7/8/8.1, не
гарантируется.
Просмотр каталога.
команда: dir
формат:dir дисковод: имя каталога
Параметр Р задаёт поэкранный режим вывода
W выводит только информацию об именах файлов в каталоге.
Примеры:
dir — вывести оглавление текущего каталога;
dir*.exe — вывести сведения о всех файлах с расширением .exe
из текущего каталога;
dir a: — вывести оглавление корневого каталога диска а:
Изменение текущего каталога.
Команда: cd (Change Directory)
Формат: cd дисковод:путь
Примеры:
cd games — переход в каталог GAMES текущего диска;
cd.. — переход в предыдущий каталог;
cd — переход в корневой каталог текущего диска
Создание каталога.
Команда md (Make Directory)
Формат: md дисковод:путь
Примеры:
md games создание подкаталога GAMES в текущем каталоге;
md d:gamesdoom2 — создание подкаталога DOOM2 в каталоге
GAMES диска D:
Уничтожение каталога.
Команда: rd (Remove Directory).
Формат: rd дисковод:путь
Примеры: rd games удаление подкаталога GAMES в текущем
каталоге;
rd d:gamesdoom2 — удаление подкаталога DOOM2 в каталоге
GAMES диска D:
ВНИМАНИЕ! УДАЛИТЬ МОЖНО ТОЛЬКО ПУСТОЙ КАТАЛОГ!
Создание текстовых файлов.
Команда: copy con
Формат: copy con имя файла
После нажатия ENTER нужно ввести текст файла, затем
последовательно нажать F6 ENTER
Пример:
Copy con games.txt — создание текстового файла Games.txt в
текущем каталоге.
Копирование файлов.
Команда: copy
Формат: copy (имя копируемого файла) (имя каталога, в
который нужно поместить файл)
Пример:
Copy games.txt games копировать файл games.txt в подкаталог
GAMES текущего диска.
Удаление файлов.
Команда: del
Формат: del имя файла
Пример:
Del games.txt — удаление файла games.txt из текущего
каталога.
Переименование файлов.
Команда: ren (Rename) Формат: ren (имя. файла) (новое имя.
файла)
Пример: Ren games.txt games.doc — изменить имя файла
games.txt
на games.doc в текущем каталоге».
Изменение вида приглашения DOS.
Команда: prompt
Формат: prompt (текст)
В качестве текста можно использовать символы:
$p — текущий дисковод и каталог;
$n — текущий дисковод;
$d — текущая дата;
$t — текущее время;
$v — версия DOS;
$_ — переход на новую строку;
$s — пробел;
$h — удаление предыдущего символа; $e — символ с кодом 27
(ESC);
$g — символ >
$b — символ |;
$$ — символ $;
Другие команды.
Date — вывод информации о дате с возможностью настройки.
Time — вывод информации о времени с возможностью настройки.
Verify on — включить режим проверки записи на диск.
Verify of — выключить режим проверки записи на диск.
Verify — вывести информацию о том, включен ли режим проверки
записи на диск.
Path — определяет порядок поиска наиболее часто запускаемых
программ.
Ver — показывает версию операционной системы.
Cls — производит очистку экрана.
Label — выводит информацию о метке диска с возможностью её
изменения.
Иногда бывает так, что проходит очень много лет и мы с вами не можем вспомнить тех простых команд которые использовали почти каждый день с персональным компьютером и любимым всеми NC. Тем не менее, иногда нам требуется справочная информация, которую в Интернет найти с каждым ждём всё труднее и труднее. Тут выложены все команды старого доброго и наверное уже забытого всеми MS-DOS! Даже часто случается так, что из под Windows нам необходимо запустить эмулятор MS-DOS для этого нужно нажать кнопку «Пуск» -> «Выполнить» -> «cmd» и мы увидим окно чёрное окно консоли командной строки где мы и запускаем эмулятор DOS командой command.com (обратный выход win.com и что бы закрыть окно эмуля пишем — exit). (Но на сам деле это не «чистый» эмэсдос, а всего лишь его эмулятор.) Желаем удачи!
Смена текущей директории
Формат команды:
cd [дисковод:][путь]
Примеры:
cd \ — переход в корневую директорию текущего диска;
cd \exe — переход в директорию exe в корневой директории;
cd .. — переход в наддиректорию;
cd — сообщает текущий диск и директорию.
Просмотр содержимого директории
Формат команды:
dir [дисковод:][путь\][имя-файла] [параметры]
Параметры:
/p — поэкранный вывод;
/w — вывод в широком формате;
/s — оглавление указанного в команде директорий и всех их поддиректорий;
/b — только имена файлов без заголовочных и итоговых сведений;
/aатрибут — сведения о файлах, имеющих указанные атрибуты.
Сортировки:
/on — по имени;
/oe — по расширению;
/od — по времени;
/og — сначала выводить сведения о директориях;
Примеры:
dir — оглавление текущей директории
dir *.exe — сведения обо всех файлах .exe текущей директории
dir a: — оглавление текущей директории диска а:
dir /w — оглавление текущей директории в широком формате
dir с:\*.exe /s — сведения обо всех файлах .exe на диске с:
dir *.* /ash /b — сведения обо всех файлах текущей директории с атрибутами «системный» и «скрытый», при этом выводить только имена файлов без заголовочных и итоговых сведений.
Вывод оглавления в файл или на принтер:
dir > prn — вывести оглавление текущей директории на принтер;
dir c:\*.txt > txtfiles.txt — создать в файле txtfiles.txt список всех файлов с расширением .txt, находящихся в корневой директории диска c:.
Создание директории
Формат команды:
md [дисковод:][путь\]имя-директории
Примеры:
md abc — создать директорию abc в текущей директории;
md c:\users\my — создать директорию my в директории users в корневой директории диска c:.
Удаление директории
Удаление пустой директории
Формат команды:
rd [дисковод:][путь\]имя-директории
Примеры:
rd abc — удалить директорию abc из текущей директории;
rd c:\users\my — удалить директорию my из поддиректории users корневой директории диска c:.
Удаление директории со всем содержимым
Формат команды:
deltree [/y] имя-файла-или-директории
Команда deltree может удалять как директории, так и файлы. В имени файла-или-директории можно использовать символы * и ?.
Примеры:
deltree temp — удалить директорию или файл с именем temp из текущей директории;
deltree /y d* — удалить из текущей директории все директории и файлы, имя которых начинается на d, не запрашивая подтверждение.
Переименование директории
Формат команды:
move [дисковод:][путь\]имя-директории новое-имя-директории
Примеры:
move a:\temp tmp — переименовать директорию temp корневой директории диска а: в tmp.
Установка списка директорий для поиска выполняемых программ
Формат команды:
path [дисковод:][путь\]имя-директории [; [дисковод:][путь\]имя-директории]
Примеры:
path ; — поиск программ должен вестись только в текущей директории
path — имена директорий, в которых производится поиск программ
path c:\exe; c:\exe\program; d:\msdos — поиск программ производить в директориях exe, program, msdos.
Команды MS-DOS для работы с файлами
Создание текстовых файлов
Формат команды:
copy con имя-файла
Ctrl+Z, F6 — признак конца файла.
Enter — признак конца строки.
Примеры:
copy con work.txt — создать в текущей директории текстовый файл work.txt.
Удаление файлов
Формат команды:
del имя-файла
Примеры:
del *.txt — удалить все файлы с расширением .txt из текущей директории;
del name.doc — удалить из текущей директории файл с именем name.doc.
Переименование файлов
Формат команды:
ren имя-файла1 имя-файла2
В параметре имя-файла1 можно указывать дисковод и путь, в имя-файла2 — нет.
Команда ren не обрабатывает скрытые файлы.
Примеры:
ren xxx.doc xxx.txt — переименовать файл xxx.doc текущей директории в xxx.txt;
ren a:*.txt *.doc — переименовать все файлы текущей директории на диске а: с расширением .txt в файлы с такими же именами и расширениями .doc.
Копирование файлов
Формат команды:
copy имя-файла1 имя-файла2
copy имя файла1 [имя-директории2]
В именах файлов можно употреблять символы * и ?, а также указывать имя диска и путь.
Команда copy не копирует скрытые файлы и файлы нулевой длины.
Если файл с таким же именем, как у копии, создаваемой командой уже существует, то он замещается.
Примеры:
copy x.txt z.txt — скопировать файл x.txt в текущую директорию с именем z.txt;
copy a:\*.* — cкопировать все файлы из корневой директории диска а: в текущую директорию текущего диска;
copy \text\*.txt a:*.doc — скопировать из поддиректории text текущей директории все файлы с расширением txt в текущую директорию диска а:. Файлы получат расширения doc.
Использование устройств:
copy t1.txt prn — копирование файла t1.txt на принтер;
copy t1.txt con — копирование файла t1.txt на экран монитора.
Соединение (конкатенация) файлов
Формат команды:
copy имя-файла [+имя-файла]…[имя файла]
Если имя исходного файла (или одного из файлов) совпадает с именем создаваемого командой copy файла, то существующий файл замещается. Например, если файл all.doc уже существует, то команда copy *.doc all.doc будет ошибочной, т.к. файл all.doc будет уничтожена в начале копирования.
Примеры:
copy .lst+*.ref *.prn — к каждому файлу текущей директории с расширением lst добавить файл с тем же именем и расширением ref, результат записывается в файл с тем же именем и расширением prn;
copy f1.doc+f2.doc — объединить файлы f1.doc и f2.doc, содержимое объединенного файла записывается в файл f1.doc;
copy *.txt all.prn — содержимое всех файлов с расширением txt записывается в файл all.prn.
Перемещение файлов в другую директорию
Формат команды:
move [/y] имя-файла имя-директории
move [/y] имя-файла [дисковод:][путь]новое-имя-файла
С параметром /y при существовании в директории-приемнике файлов с теми же именами, что и пересылаемые, выполняется замещение этих файлов без запроса. Задание нового имени возможно только при пересылке одного файла. Например, команда move *.bac a:\*.old ошибочна.
Примеры:
move *.doc d:\ — переместить файлы с расширением doc из текущей директории в корневую директорию диска d:;
move f1.txt tmp\f2.txt — переместить файл f1.txt в директорию tmp с переименованием в f2.txt.
Сравнение файлов
Формат команды:
fc [параметры] имя-файла имя-файла [имя-файла-протокола]
Если имя файла-протокола не задано, сведения о сравнении выводятся на экран.
Параметры:
/l — построчное сравнение. Если программа обнаруживает различия в файлах, она пытается найти после точки рассогласования места, начиная с которых файлы снова становятся одинаковыми. На выходе — различающиеся строки;
/b — побайтовое сравнение. После обнаружения различия файлов сравнение прекращается.
По умолчанию режим сравнения выбирается по расширению:
/b — .exe, .com, .sys, .obj, .lib, .bin,
/l — остальные.
Параметры построчного сравнения:
/c — игнорировать различия между строчными и прописными буквами;
/n — вывод номеров строк;
/число — сколько строк файлов должно совпадать, чтобы файлы считались снова согласованными. По умолчанию 2 строки;
/lbчисло — размер внутреннего буфера для нахождения соответствий в файлах после рассогласования. По умолчанию 100 строк.
Примеры:
fc doclad.doc doclad1.doc > diff — сравнить файлы, отчет поместить в файл diff.
Вывод файла на экран
Формат команды:
type имя-файла
Примеры:
type t1.doc — вывод на экран файла type t1.doc из текущей директории.
Команда копирования xcopy
Формат команды:
xcopy имя-файла-или-директории [имя-файла-или-директории]…[параметры]
Преимущества команды xcopy:
/s — копирование файлов из указанных директорий и всех их поддиректорий. Файлы из поддиректорий копируются в соответствующие поддиректории той директории, в который копируются файлы;
/e — копирование всех поддиректорий, даже если они пусты. Используется только вместе с режимом /s;
/a — копирование только тех файлов, у которых установлен атрибут «архивировать»;
/m — копирование только тех файлов, у которых установлен атрибут «архивировать». После копирования, атрибут «архивировать» отменяется;
/dдата — копирование файлов, созданных или измененных начиная с указанной даты. Если дата не указана, то копируются только файлы, более новые, чем файлы, которые они замещают;
/p — запрос на копирование каждого файла;
/y — перезапись имеющихся файлов с теми же именами без запросов;
/n — проверка правильности копирования каждого файла.
Примеры:
xcopy a:\ b:\ /s /e — копирование всех директорий с диска а: на b:;
xcopy *.doc a:\ /s — копирование всех файлов с расширением .doc из текущей директории в корневую директорию диска а:. Файлы с расширением .doc из поддиректорий текущей директории копируются в одноименные поддиректории корневой директории диска а:;
xcopy *.* a:\ /s /e — копирование всех файлов и поддиректорий текущей директории в корневую директорию и соответствующие поддиректории диска а: (создание архивной копии файлов текущей директории);
xcopy *.* a:\ /m /s /e — копирование всех измененных файлов и поддиректорий текущей директории в корневую директорию и соответствующие поддиректорию диска а:, (обновление архивной копии файлов текущей директории).
Команды MS-DOS для работы с дисками
Смена текущего дисковода
Формат команды:
Имя-дисковода:
Примеры:
С: — установить текущим диск с:;
a: — установить текущим диск a:.
Режим проверки при записи на диски
Формат команды:
verify [on/off]
Примеры:
verify on — включить режим проверки при записи на диски;
verify off — отключить режим проверки при записи на диски;
verify — вывести информацию о том, включен или выключен режим проверки.
Форматирование дискет
Формат команды:
format дисковод: [параметры]
Параметры:
/s — создать системный диск;
/v:метка — задание метки диска;
/u — безусловное форматирование с уничтожением имеющихся данных;
/q — быстрая очистка без контроля наличия сбойных участков.
Если параметры не указаны, то программа проверяет, форматирована ли дискета; оставляет формат таким же, что и имеющийся; стирает информацию обо всех файлах и директориях из системных областей; тестирует область данных на наличие сбойных участков.
Примеры:
format a: /u — безусловное форматирование дискеты а:;
format a: /q — очистка дискеты;
format a: /s — форматировать дискету и сделать ее системной.
Перенос на диск системных файлов MS-DOS
Формат команды:
sys [путь] диск:
Если путь не задан, системные файлы берутся из корневой директории текущего диска.
Примеры:
sys a: — перенести на диск а: системные файлы из корневой директории текущего диска.
Задание метки диска
Формат команды:
label дисковод:
Метка — обозначение длиной до 11 символов.
Недопустимые символы: * ? / \ | . , ; : + = [ ] ( ) & < > ^ » .
Чтобы узнать метку диска, можно использовать команду vol. (vol дисковод:)
Примеры:
label a: — сообщить меткe диска а:.
Программы и команды MS-DOS общесистемного назначения
Вывод информации о дате и установка даты в компьютере
Формат команды:
date
Примеры:
date
Запрос: Введите новую дату (дд-мм-гг): (Enter new date (dd-mm-yy))
Вводимая строка: 10-12-2010
Вывод информации о времени и установка времени в компьютере
Формат команды:
time
Примеры:
time — вывести текущее время;
time 11:29 — установить время 11 часов 29 минут.
Изменение вида приглашения MS-DOS
Формат команды:
prompt [текст]
Специальные сочетания символов:
$p — текущий дисковод и директория;
$n — текущий дисковод;
$d — текущая дата;
$t — текущее время;
$v — версия MS-DOS;
$_ — переход на новую строку;
$s — пробел;
$g — символ «>»;
$h — удаление предыдущего символа.
Примеры:
prompt $p$g — устанавливает приглашение вида c:\users\doc>;
prompt $t$h$h$h$h$h$h$g — устанавливает приглашение вида 13:38>.
Получение информации о версии MS-DOS
Формат команды:
ver
На экран выводится версия используемой операционной системы. Например: MS-DOS Version 6.22