Learing about MS-DOS

 

Short for Microsoft Disk operating system, MS-DOS is a non-graphical command line operating system derived from 86-DOS that was created for IBM compatible computers. MS-DOS originally written by Tim Paterson and introduced by Microsoft in August 1981 and was last updated in 1994 when MS-DOS 6.22 was released. MS-DOS allows the user to navigate, open, and otherwise manipulate files on their computer from a command line instead of a GUI like Windows.

Today, MS-DOS is no longer used; however, the command shell, more commonly known as the Windows command line is still used by many users. The picture to the right, is an example of what an MS-DOS window more appropriately referred to as the Windows command line looks like running under Microsoft Windows.
Most computer users are only familiar with how to navigate Microsoft Windows using the mouse. Unlike Windows, MS-DOS is a command-line and is navigated by using MS-DOS commands. For example, if you wanted to see all the files in a folder in Windows you would double-click the folder to open the folder in Windows Explorer. In MS-DOS, to view that same folder you would navigate to the folder using the cd command and then list the files in that folder using the dir command.

MS-DOS secret or unknown commands

Below is a listing of MS-DOS commands that are not listed in any available help manual or in the commands syntax or are commonly unknown commands. Many of these commands that are known can be very useful when using MS-DOS, while some of the other commands are unknown or appear to do nothing.

Caution: Use these commands cautiously, some of the commands can erase data and some without warning.

ATTRIB ,	The command is short for ATTRIB -a -h -r - s *.* (removes all attributes of a file).
BACKUP /HP	Unknown
DIR ,	This lists all files including hidden files, does not work in Windows 95, 98, NT, and 2000.
DIR ...	Lists all directories that do not have extensions. In Windows 95 and Windows 98 will list the contents of the directories previous to the directory currently in.
DOSKEY /APPEDIT	Utilize doskey functions in MS-DOS command utilities such as edlin and debug.
DOSKEY /COMMAND	Unknown
DOSKEY /PERMANENT	Unknown
DOSKEY /SCRSIZE	Unknown
DOSKEY /XHISTORY	Unknown
FDISK /MBR	Recreates the Master Boot Record See CH000175 for additional information.
FDISK /PRI	See FDISK Page for additional information.
FDISK /EXT	See FDISK Page for additional information.
FDISK /LOG	See FDISK Page for additional information.
FDISK /Q	Prevents fdisk from booting the system automatically after exiting fdisk.
FDISK /STATUS	Shows you the current status of your hard drives.
FORMAT /AUTOTEST	Formats the hard drive without any prompting.
FORMAT /BACKUP	Like /AUTOTEST but it will ask you for a volume label.
FORMAT /Z:n	Command used with FDISK supporting FAT32, used to specify the cluster size in bytes where n is multiplied by 512.
MEM /A or /ALL	Adds a line into the MEM command tells the available space in HMA.
RESTORE /Y	Unknown
RESTORE /Z	Unknown
SET DIRCMD=0	Make all directories hidden however still accessible, to get them back SET DIRCMD=
SHARE /NC	Unknown
TRUENAME	When placed before a file, displays the whole directory that exists.
VER /R	Tells you the Revision and if DOS is in HMA.