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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 command In computing, a command is a directive to a computer program to perform a specific task. It may be issued via a command-line interface, such as a shell, or as input to a network service as part of a network protocol, or as an event in a graphic ...
s 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 Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
operating system, a text-mode command prompt window, cmd.exe, can still be used.


Command processing

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

A partial list of the most common commands for MS-DOS and IBM PC DOS follows below.


APPEND

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.


ASSIGN

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.


ATMDM

Lists connections and addresses seen by Windows ATM call manager.


ATTRIB

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.


BACKUP and RESTORE

These are commands to
backup In information technology, a backup, or data backup is a copy of computer data taken and stored elsewhere so that it may be used to restore the original after a data loss event. The verb form, referring to the process of doing so, is "back up", w ...
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.


BASIC and BASICA

An implementation of the
BASIC BASIC (Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages designed for ease of use. The original version was created by John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz at Dartmouth College ...
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

This command is used to instruct DOS to check whether the and keys have been pressed before carrying out a program request. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.


CALL

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.


CD and CHDIR

The CHDIR (or the alternative name CD) command either displays or changes the current working
directory Directory may refer to: * Directory (computing), or folder, a file system structure in which to store computer files * Directory (OpenVMS command) * Directory service, a software application for organizing information about a computer network's u ...
. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.


CHCP

The command either displays or changes the active
code page In computing, a code page is a character encoding and as such it is a specific association of a set of printable characters and control characters with unique numbers. Typically each number represents the binary value in a single byte. (In some co ...
used to display character glyphs in a
console window A terminal emulator, or terminal application, is a computer program that emulates a video terminal within some other display architecture. Though typically synonymous with a shell or text terminal, the term ''terminal'' covers all remote termin ...
. Similar functionality can be achieved with MODE CON: CP SELECT=. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.3 and later.


CHKDSK

CHKDSK verifies a storage volume (for example, a
hard disk A hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive, or fixed disk is an electro-mechanical data storage device that stores and retrieves digital data using magnetic storage with one or more rigid rapidly rotating platters coated with magnet ...
, disk partition or
floppy disk A floppy disk or floppy diskette (casually referred to as a floppy, or a diskette) is an obsolescent type of disk storage composed of a thin and flexible disk of a magnetic storage medium in a square or nearly square plastic enclosure lined w ...
) 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.


CHOICE

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; Novell DOS 7 and PC DOS 7.0. Earlier versions of
DR-DOS DR-DOS (written as DR DOS, without a hyphen, in versions up to and including 6.0) is a disk operating system for IBM PC compatibles. Upon its introduction in 1988, it was the first DOS attempting to be compatible with IBM PC DOS and MS-D ...
supported this function with the built-in ''switch'' command (for numeric choices) or by beginning a command with a question mark. This command was formerly called ync (yes-no-cancel).


CLS

The CLS or CLRSCR command clears the terminal screen. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.


COMMAND

Start a new instance of the command interpreter. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.


COMP

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.


COPY

Makes copies of existing files. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.


CTTY

Defines the
terminal Terminal may refer to: Computing Hardware * Terminal (electronics), a device for joining electrical circuits together * Terminal (telecommunication), a device communicating over a line * Computer terminal, a set of primary input and output devic ...
device (for example, COM1) to use for input and output. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.


DATE

Displays the
system date In computer science and computer programming, system time represents a computer system's notion of the passage of time. In this sense, ''time'' also includes the passing of days on the calendar. System time is measured by a ''system clock'', w ...
and prompts the user to enter a new date. Complements the TIME command. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.


DBLBOOT

(Not a command: This is a batch file added to DOS 6.X Supplemental Disks to help create DoubleSpace boot floppies.)


DBLSPACE

A
disk compression A disk compression software utility increases the amount of information that can be stored on a hard disk drive of given size. Unlike a file compression utility, which compresses only specified files—and which requires the user to designate ...
utility supplied with MS-DOS version 6.0 (released in 1993) and version 6.2.


DEBUG

A very primitive assembler and disassembler.


DEFRAG

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 DR-DOS (written as DR DOS, without a hyphen, in versions up to and including 6.0) is a disk operating system for IBM PC compatibles. Upon its introduction in 1988, it was the first DOS attempting to be compatible with IBM PC DOS and MS-D ...
. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.


DEL and ERASE

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.


DELTREE

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 Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
and MS-DOS operating systems. It is specifically available only in versions of MS-DOS 6.0 and higher, and in Microsoft Windows 9x. In Windows NT, the functionality provided exists but is handled by the command or which has slightly different syntax. This command is not present in Windows 7 and 8. In Windows 10, the command switch is or .


DIR

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. 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

A command for comparing the complete contents of a
floppy disk A floppy disk or floppy diskette (casually referred to as a floppy, or a diskette) is an obsolescent type of disk storage composed of a thin and flexible disk of a magnetic storage medium in a square or nearly square plastic enclosure lined w ...
to another one. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.2 and later and IBM PC DOS releases 1 and later.


DISKCOPY

A command for copying the complete contents of a diskette to another diskette. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.


DOSKEY

A command that adds command history,
macro Macro (or MACRO) may refer to: Science and technology * Macroscopic, subjects visible to the eye * Macro photography, a type of close-up photography * Image macro, a picture with text superimposed * Monopole, Astrophysics and Cosmic Ray Observat ...
functionality, and improved editing features to the command-line interpreter. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 5 and later.


DOSSIZE

Displays how much memory various DOS components occupy.Multitasking MS-DOS 4.0, Goupil OEM
/ref>


DRVSPACE

A
disk compression A disk compression software utility increases the amount of information that can be stored on a hard disk drive of given size. Unlike a file compression utility, which compresses only specified files—and which requires the user to designate ...
utility supplied with MS-DOS version 6.22.


ECHO

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.


EDIT

EDIT is a full-screen text editor, included with MS-DOS versions 5 and 6, 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

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, while PC DOS 6 had it in the base install. Windows NT 32-bit, and OS/2 have Edlin.


EMM386

The EMM386 command enables or disables EMM386 expanded-memory support on a computer with an
80386 The Intel 386, originally released as 80386 and later renamed i386, is a 32-bit microprocessor introduced in 1985. The first versions had 275,000 transistors


ERASE

See:
DEL and ERASE


EXE2BIN

Converts an
executable In computing, executable code, an executable file, or an executable program, sometimes simply referred to as an executable or binary, causes a computer "to perform indicated tasks according to encoded instruction (computer science), instructi ...
(
.exe .exe is a common filename extension denoting an executable file (the main execution point of a computer program) for Microsoft Windows, OS/2, and DOS. File formats There are numerous file formats which may be used by a file with a extensi ...
) file into a binary file with the
extension Extension, extend or extended may refer to: Mathematics Logic or set theory * Axiom of extensionality * Extensible cardinal * Extension (model theory) * Extension (predicate logic), the set of tuples of values that satisfy the predicate * E ...
.com The domain name .com is a top-level domain (TLD) in the Domain Name System (DNS) of the Internet. Added at the beginning of 1985, its name is derived from the word ''commercial'', indicating its original intended purpose for domains registere ...
, which is a memory image of the program. The size of the resident
code In communications and information processing, code is a system of rules to convert information—such as a letter, word, sound, image, or gesture—into another form, sometimes shortened or secret, for communication through a communication ...
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.


EXIT

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.


EXPAND

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.


FAKEMOUS

FAKEMOUS is an IBM PS/2 mouse utility used with AccessDOS. It is included on the MS-DOS 6 Supplemental Disk. AccessDOS assists persons with disabilities.


FASTHELP

Provides information for MS-DOS commands.


FASTOPEN

A command that provides accelerated access to frequently-used files and directories. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.3 and later.


FC

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.


FDISK

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 A master boot record (MBR) is a special type of boot sector at the very beginning of partitioned computer mass storage devices like fixed disks or removable drives intended for use with IBM PC-compatible systems and beyond. The concept of MBR ...
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.


FIND

The FIND command is a filter to find lines in the input data stream that contain or don't contain a specified
string String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
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.


FINDSTR

The FINDSTR command is a GREP-oriented ''FIND''-like utility. Among its uses is the logical-OR lacking in FIND. ::would find all TXT files with one or more of the above-listed words YES, NO, MAYBE.


FOR

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.


FORMAT

Deletes the FAT entries and the
root directory In a computer file system, and primarily used in the Unix and Unix-like operating systems, the root directory is the first or top-most directory in a hierarchy. It can be likened to the trunk of a tree, as the starting point where all branches ...
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 Expandable storage is a form of computer storage that is designed to be inserted and removed from a system. Some forms of removable media, such as optical discs, require a reader to be installed in the computer, while others, such as USB flash dri ...
. This command can potentially erase everything on a computer's drive. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.


GOTO

The ''Goto'' command transfers execution to a specified label. Labels are specified at the beginning of a line, with a colon (). The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later. Used in Batch files.


GRAFTABL

The GRAFTABL command enables the display of an extended character set in graphics mode. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3 through 5.


GRAPHICS

A TSR program to enable the sending of graphical screen dump to printer by pressing . The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.2 and later and IBM PC DOS releases 2 and later.


HELP

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. Beginning with Windows XP, the command processor "DOS" offers builtin-help for commands by using (e.g. )


IF

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.


INTERSVR and INTERLNK

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 TSR app) 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.


JOIN

The JOIN command attaches a drive letter to a specified directory on another drive.EasyDOS Command Index
/ref> 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.


KEYB

The KEYB command is used to select a keyboard layout. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.3 and later. From DOS 3.0 through 3.21, there are instead per-country commands, namely KEYBFR, KEYBGR, KEYBIT, KEYBSP and KEYBUK.


LABEL

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.


LINK4

Microsoft 8086 Object Linker


LOADFIX

Loads a program above the first 64K of memory, and runs the program. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 5 and later. 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.


LOADHIGH and LH

A command that loads a program into the upper memory area. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 5 and later. It is called ''hiload'' in DR-DOS.


MD or MKDIR

Makes a new
directory Directory may refer to: * Directory (computing), or folder, a file system structure in which to store computer files * Directory (OpenVMS command) * Directory service, a software application for organizing information about a computer network's u ...
. 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.


MEM

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. 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

Starting with version 6, MS-DOS included the external program MemMaker which was used to free system memory (especially Conventional memory) by automatically reconfiguring the
AUTOEXEC.BAT AUTOEXEC.BAT is a system file that was originally on DOS-type operating systems. It is a plain-text batch file in the root directory of the boot device. The name of the file is an abbreviation of "automatic execution", which describes its funct ...
and
CONFIG.SYS CONFIG.SYS is the primary configuration file for the DOS and OS/2 operating systems. It is a special ASCII text file that contains user-accessible setup or configuration directives evaluated by the operating system's DOS BIOS (typically residing ...
files. This was usually done by moving TSR programs and
device driver In computing, a device driver is a computer program that operates or controls a particular type of device that is attached to a computer or automaton. A driver provides a software interface to hardware devices, enabling operating systems and ot ...
s to the upper memory. The whole process required two system restarts. Before the first restart the user was asked whether to enable
EMS Memory In DOS memory management, expanded memory is a system of bank switching that provided additional memory to DOS programs beyond the limit of conventional memory (640 KiB). ''Expanded memory'' is an umbrella term for several incompatible tech ...
, 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. MEMMAKER.EXE and SIZER.EXE were developed for Microsoft by
Helix Software Company Helix Software Company was a New York City based software company founded in October 1986. The company developed software tools and utilities for DOS and Windows. In 1993, Helix licensed some of its memory management technology to Microsoft for ...
and were eliminated starting in
MS-DOS 7 MS-DOS 7 is a real mode operating system for IBM PC compatibles. Unlike earlier versions of MS-DOS it was not released separately by Microsoft, but included in the Windows 9x family of operating systems. Windows 95 RTM reports to be MS-DOS 7.0, ...
( 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 Central Point Software, Inc. (CP, CPS, Central Point) was a leading software utilities maker for the personal computer, PC market, supplying utilities software for the DOS and Microsoft Windows markets. It also made Apple II copy programs. Throu ...
.


MIRROR

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.


MODE

Configures system devices. Changes graphics modes, adjusts keyboard settings, prepares
code page In computing, a code page is a character encoding and as such it is a specific association of a set of printable characters and control characters with unique numbers. Typically each number represents the binary value in a single byte. (In some co ...
s, and sets up port redirection. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.2 and later and IBM PC DOS releases 1 and later.


MORE

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.


MOVE

Moves files or renames directories. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later. DR-DOS used a separate command for renaming directories, rendir.


MSAV

A command that scans the computer for known viruses. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.


MSBACKUP

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. There is another offering, named MWBACKUP, that is
GUI The GUI ( "UI" by itself is still usually pronounced . or ), graphical user interface, is a form of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices through graphical icons and audio indicator such as primary notation, inste ...
-oriented. It was introduced for Windows for Workgroups (3.11). The MSBACKUP command is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.


MSCDEX

MSCDEX is a driver executable which allows DOS programs to recognize, read, and control
CD-ROM A CD-ROM (, compact disc read-only memory) is a type of read-only memory consisting of a pre-pressed optical compact disc that contains data. Computers can read—but not write or erase—CD-ROMs. Some CDs, called enhanced CDs, hold both comput ...
s. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.


MSD

The MSD command provides detailed technical information about the computer's hardware and software. MSD was new in MS-DOS 6; the PC DOS version of this command is QCONFIG. The command appeared first in Word2, and then in Windows 3.10.


MSHERC

The MSHERC.COM (also QBHERC.COM) was a TSR (Terminate and Stay Resident) 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).


NLSFUNC

Loads extended Nationalization and Localization Support from COUNTRY.SYS, and changed the codepage of drivers and system modules resident in RAM. 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. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.3 and later.


PATH

Displays or sets a search path for executable files. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.


PAUSE

Suspends processing of a batch program and displays the message , if not given other text to display. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.


PING

Allows the user to test the availability of a network connection to a specified host. Hostnames are usually resolved to IP addresses. It is not included in many DOS versions; typically ones with network stacks will have it as a diagnostic tool.


POWER

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. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.


PRINT

The PRINT command adds or removes files in the print queue. This command was introduced in MS-DOS version 2. 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


PROMPT

The command allows the user to change the prompt in the command screen. The default prompt is (i.e. ), which displays the drive and current path as the prompt, but can be changed to anything. , displays the current system date as the prompt. Type 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.


PS

A utility inspired by the UNIX/XENIX ps command. It also provides a full-screen mode, similar to the
top A spinning top, or simply a top, is a toy with a squat body and a sharp point at the bottom, designed to be spun on its vertical axis, balancing on the tip due to the gyroscopic effect. Once set in motion, a top will usually wobble for a few ...
utility on UNIX systems.


QBASIC

An integrated development environment and
BASIC BASIC (Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages designed for ease of use. The original version was created by John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz at Dartmouth College ...
interpreter. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 5 and later.


RD or RMDIR

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. The
deltree In computing, DELTREE (short for ''delete tree'') is a command line command in some Microsoft operating systems, SpartaDOS X and FreeDOS that recursively deletes an entire subdirectory of files. Overview When IBM and Microsoft introduced PC DOS 1 ...
command in some versions of MS-DOS and all versions of Windows 9x removes non-empty directories.


RECOVER

A primitive filesystem error recovery utility included in MS-DOS / IBM PC DOS. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 through 5.


REM

Remark (
comment Comment may refer to: * Comment (linguistics) or rheme, that which is said about the topic (theme) of a sentence * Bernard Comment (born 1960), Swiss writer and publisher Computing * Comment (computer programming), explanatory text or informat ...
) 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

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 (?). The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.


REPLACE

A command that is used to replace one or more existing computer files or add new files to a target
directory Directory may refer to: * Directory (computing), or folder, a file system structure in which to store computer files * Directory (OpenVMS command) * Directory service, a software application for organizing information about a computer network's u ...
. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.2 and later.


RESTORE

See:
BACKUP and RESTORE Backup and Restore (formerly Backup and Restore Center) is the primary backup component of Windows Vista and Windows 7. It can create file and folder backups, as well as system images backups, to be used for recovery in the event of data corrup ...


SCANDISK

Disk diagnostic utility. Scandisk was a replacement for the chkdsk utility, starting with MS-DOS version 6.2 and later. 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

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. This command is no longer included in DOS Version 5 and later, where it has been replaced by SETUP.


SET

Sets environment variables. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later. 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.


SETUP

The command is available in MS-DOS versions 5 and later. 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

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.


SHARE

Installs support for file sharing and locking capabilities. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3 and later.


SHIFT

The SHIFT command increases number of
replaceable parameter Replaceable or Replaceability may refer to: * Replaceability (technology), the concept of interchangeable parts * Replaceable parameter (DOS), in batch files * "Replaceable" (CKY song) * "Replaceable" (Killers song) See also * Replaceability ...
s 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. with , with , etc.). The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.


SIZER

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

The command is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.


SORT

A filter to sort lines in the input data stream and send them to the output data stream. Similar to the Unix command
sort Sort may refer to: * Sorting, any process of arranging items in sequence or in sets ** Sorting algorithm, any algorithm for arranging elements in lists ** Sort (Unix), a Unix utility which sorts the lines of a file ** Sort (C++), a function in the ...
. Handles files up to 64k. This sort is always case insensitive. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.


SUBST

A utility to map a subdirectory to a drive letter. The opposite can be achieved via the JOIN command. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.1 and later.


SYS

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 is an essential part of MS-DOS and Windows 9x. It contains the default MS-DOS device drivers (hardware interfacing routines) and the DOS initialization program. Boot sequence In the PC bootup sequence, the first sector of the boot disk is ...
. SYS also copies the core DOS system files, IO.SYS,
MSDOS.SYS MSDOS.SYS is a system file in MS-DOS and Windows 9x operating systems. In versions of MS-DOS from 1.1x through 6.22, the file comprises the MS-DOS kernel and is responsible for file access and program management. MSDOS.SYS is loaded by the DOS BI ...
, and
COMMAND.COM COMMAND.COM is the default command-line interpreter for MS-DOS, Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows Me. In the case of DOS, it is the default user interface as well. It has an additional role as the usual first program run after boot (init proc ...
, 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.


TELNET

The Telnet Client is a tool for developers and administrators to help manage and test network connectivity.


TIME

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.


TITLE

Enables a user to change the title of their MS-DOS window.


TREE

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.


TRUENAME

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 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

Displays a file. The
more More or Mores may refer to: Computing * MORE (application), outline software for Mac OS * more (command), a shell command * MORE protocol, a routing protocol * Missouri Research and Education Network Music Albums * ''More!'' (album), by Booka ...
command is frequently used in conjunction with this command, e.g. type ''long-text-file'' , more. TYPE can be used to concatenate files (); however this won't work for large files—use copy command instead. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 1 and later.


UNDELETE

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.


UNFORMAT

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.


VER

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.


VERIFY

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. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.


VOL

An internal command that displays the disk volume label and serial number. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 2 and later.


VSAFE

A TSR program that continuously monitors the computer for viruses. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 6 and later.


XCOPY

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 in the DOS Command line. The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.2 and later.


See also

* :Windows commands *
Command-line interface A command-line interpreter or command-line processor uses a command-line interface (CLI) to receive commands from a user in the form of lines of text. This provides a means of setting parameters for the environment, invoking executables and pro ...
*
List of CONFIG.SYS directives CONFIG.SYS is the primary configuration file for the DOS and OS/2 operating systems. It is a special ASCII text file that contains user-accessible setup or configuration directives evaluated by the operating system's DOS BIOS (typically residing ...
* Timeline of DOS operating systems


References


Further reading

* *


External links


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 documention.
DR-DOS 7.03 online manual


There are several guides to DOS commands available that are licensed under the
GNU Free Documentation License The GNU Free Documentation License (GNU FDL or simply GFDL) is a copyleft license for free documentation, designed by the Free Software Foundation (FSF) for the GNU Project. It is similar to the GNU General Public License, giving readers the r ...
:
The FreeDOS Spec
at SourceForge is a plaintext specification, written in 1999, for how DOS commands should work in FreeDOS
MS-DOS commandsReference for windows commands with examplesA Collection of Undocumented and Obscure Features in Various MS-DOS Versions
{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Dos Commands DOS commands
DOS commands DOS is shorthand for the MS-DOS and IBM PC DOS family of operating systems. DOS may also refer to: Computing * Data over signalling (DoS), multiplexing data onto a signalling channel * Denial-of-service attack (DoS), an attack on a communicatio ...