Microsoft DOS and command prompt

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Creating Boot Disk
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Questions and answersOperating system definitions

About MS-DOS

Short for Microsoft Disk operating system, MS-DOS is a non-graphical command line operating system created for IBM compatible computers that was first introduced by Microsoft in August 1981 and was last updated in 1994 when MS-DOS 6.22 was released. Although the MS-DOS operating system is not commonly used today, the command shell more commonly known as the Windows command line is still used and recommended. Continue reading >>

Tip: If you're new to MS-DOS or the Windows command line we suggest reading how to use the Windows command line (DOS).

MS-DOS command list

Tip: See the complete overview for a brief description on each of the below commands.
Tip: Browse by type: Internal commands, External commands, and Recovery console commands.

A	ansi.sys | append | arp | assign | assoc | at | atmadm | attrib
B	backup | batch | bootcfg | break
C	cacls | call | cd | chcp | chdir | chkdsk | chkntfs | choice | cipher | cls | cmd | color | command | comp | compact | control | convert | copy | ctty
D	date | debug | defrag | del | delete | deltree | dir | disable | diskcomp | diskcopy | diskpart | doskey | dosshell | driveparm
E	echo | edit | edlin | emm386 | enable | endlocal | erase | exit | expand | extract
F	fasthelp | fc | fdisk | find | findstr | fixboot | fixmbr | for| forfiles | format | ftp | ftype
G	goto | gpupdate | graftabl
H	help | himem.sys | hostname
I	if | ifhlp.sys | ipconfig
J	None
K	keyb
L	label | lh | listsvc | loadfix | loadhigh | lock | logoff | logon
M	map | md | mem| mkdir | mode | more | move | msav | msbackup | msd | mscdex | mwbackup
N	nbtstat | net | netsh | netstat | nlsfunc | nslookup
O	None
P	path | pathping | pause | ping | popd | power | print | prompt | pushd
Q	qbasic
R	rd | reg | ren | rename | rmdir | robocopy | route | runas
S	scandisk | scanreg | set | setlocal | setver | sfc | share | shift | shutdown | smartdrv | sort | start | subst | switches | sys | systeminfo | systemroot
T	taskkill | tasklist | telnet | time | title | tracert | tree | tskill | type
U	undelete | unformat | unlock
V	ver | verify | vol
W	wmic
X	xcopy
Y	None
Z	None

Recent MS-DOS forum posts

• Quoted path with space in it still results in error
  Hello All, Please help me with this. The command line…
• Xcopy with dynamic file name as parameter
  I need to copy a file from one directory to…
• System admin via cmd
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• MS-DOS Disks to CD-ROM transfer
  Hi, I have a laptop with a formatted hard drive…
• Big banks using DOS
  Hi, I have just been to my bank - one…
• File transfer the files one by one
  Hi All, I have a requirement in which i have…
• Need to create bat file to append a text at the end of each sql script
  Need to create a bat file to add text at…
• batch problem
  i want to add a registry file named edit 2.reg…
• MOVED: Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Error
  This topic has been moved to Windows Vista/7/8. http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php?topic=132733.0
• batch file for renaming existing folder
  My requirement is : If folder is already exist then…