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DOS -
MSDOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System)
Prior to Windows 2000,Windows 98 and Windows 95,
PCs used an Operating System (an operating system interfaces between YOU and
the Hardware), called DOS. The most popular was MSDOS from Microsoft. In MSDOS
you could only run one program at a time,
......and there were no icons to click on with
your mouse. 
Windows2000/98/95 are operating systems that do
not need MSDOS but there are still occasions when you might need DOS to run old
DOS programs (e.g WordPerfect 5, or DOS games...etc), or do certain tasks still
best suited to DOS.
The DOS interface was a blank black screen rather
like this one. Commands were entered at a prompt (e.g. C:\> ). To run programs
or search for programs to run, to manipulate files (delete,copy,move..etc), you
needed to know the correct commands. Here are a few:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Directory listing - DIR - used to list all the
files in the current directory (now called a Folder).
Type DIR at the command prompt and press the Enter
key on the keyboard:
C:\> DIR
The listing of files in the folder would be
something like:
.......................................................................................................................
|
|
..
|
<DIR>
|
06-20-97
|
11:09a ..
|
|
SOUNDS
|
|
<DIR>
|
06-20-97
|
11:09a
|
SOUNDS
|
ART
|
|
<DIR>
|
06-20-97
|
11:09a
|
ART
|
DOGZ EXE
|
49,831
|
03-05-96
|
|
1:22a
|
DOGZ.HLP
|
NEURON DLL
|
13,456
|
09-25-95
|
|
12:00a
|
NEURON.DLL
|
BRAIN PBT
|
1,881
|
08-10-97
|
|
2:11p
|
BRAIN.PBT
|
TRICKS TDT
|
2,880
|
08-10-97
|
|
2:11p
|
TRICKS.TDT
|
MUGZ
|
|
<DIR>
|
08-10-97
|
2 :09p
|
MUGZ
|
13 file(s) 421,495
bytes
9 dir(s) 50,823,168
bytes free
............................................................................
Notes
DIR/w gives a listing across the screen.
DIR/p gives a listing one page at a time (useful
if the listing is so long it scrolls off the screen).
NOTE: in DOS, Dir and DIR represent the same
thing - DOS does not differentiate between UPPERCASE and LOWERCASE
Sub-Directories
In a listing a name followed by <DIR>
indicated a sub-directory below the current one
A name on it's own with a three letter code after
it, indicated an actual file:
e.g:
DOGZ EXE 
The three letter code indicated the type of file
(EXE for executable, BAT for Batch, COM for Command, HLP for a Help file, TXT
for a text file, WPS for a Wordperfect file...etc).
...........................................................................................................................................
EXE, BAT and COM files were program files which
could be run by simply entering the name at the command prompt. E.g: WP51 to
run WP51.EXE
C:\> WP51
...........................................................................................................................................
to delete or trash a file you use the DEL command:
Del <filename><extention> e.g. Del
Letter1.doc
...........................................................................................................................................
Copying a file: (also introducing 'Path')
To copy a file you use the COPY command
Copy <path><filename>
<path><filename>
The 1st
<path><filename> indicates From: , the 2nd indicates To:
Notice the space after Copy
and <filername>
Path: where a file is, or is to be moved or copied
to: e.g. C:\DOS (the DOS folder), thus:
|
Copy Letter1 C:\DOS |
copy Letter1 to the DOS folder on the C Drive |
or
|
Copy C:\Docs\Letter1 c:\DOS |
copy Letter1 from C Drive Docs folder to C Drive DOS folder |
............................................................................................................................................
Moving a file is similar to copying one:
Move c:\Docs\Letter1 C:\DOS
...........................................................................................................................................
CD Command:
Change Directory - moving between Directories (now called 'folders')
At the top of the C Drive
C:\>
entering CD DOS
gives:
|
C:\> DOS |
The prompt now shows DOS |
You have now moved from the top(root) of the C
Drive to the DOS Directory (folder)
|
To change back up to the root enter |
CD\ |
|
To move back up one level enter: |
CD.. |
...........................................................................................................................................
Drive Letter: Indicating which drive to look at:
The Floppy is the A
Drive, the Hard Drive is usually C drive, and the CD Rom is
usually the D Drive
(but CDRom can be E Drive if
you have 2 Hard Drives):
Entering A: at the prompt moves you to the
floppy drive, e.g.
|
C:\> A: |
Gives |
A:\>_
|
Entering D: moves you to the CDRom |
|
|
A:\> D: |
gives |
D:\>_
(Note a Drive letter is ALWAYS followed by a
hyphen (:)
...............................................................................................................................................
A wildcard is a * symbol and can
stand for any filename or any extension.
|
Copy A:*.doc C:\Docs |
Copies all A drive files with doc extentions, to the C Drive DOS folder |
|
Del A:*.doc |
Deletes all A drive files with doc extentions |
|
Del *.* |
Deletes ALL Filenames with ANY extension (i..e Deletes everything) |
BE CAREFUL USING THIS you could accidentally delete ALL files
inside a program's folder
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
Finally............................
Getting more HELP in DOS
|
At the DOS prompt enter: Help/? |
to get a complete Help listing |
Or
|
At the DOS prompt enter: Help <Command> |
to get help on that command e.g: |
|
C:\> Help DIR |
Help on DIR Command |
|
C:\> Help Copy |
Help on COPY Command |
