MS-DOS

Introduction

The Command Prompt (Electronic communication)

When you initial activate your pc, you'll see some cryptic data flash by. disk operating system(MS-DOS) displays this data to allow you to savvy it's configuring your pc. you'll be able to ignore it for currently. once the knowledge stops scrolling past, you will see the following:

C:> this is often referred to as the command prompt or DOS prompt. The flashing underscore next to the command prompt is termed the cursor. The indicator shows wherever the command you kind can seem.

Typing a Command

This section explains a way to group A command at the electronic communication and demonstrates the "Bad command or file name" message.

To type a command at the electronic communication(Command-prompt)

Type the subsequent at the electronic communication (you will kind the command in either uppercase or minuscular letters ):

nul

If you create a writing mistake, press the BACKSPACE to erase the error, then strive once more.

Press ENTER.

You must press ENTER when each command you kind. The following message appears:

Bad command or file name

The "Bad command or file name" message seems after you kind one thing that MSDOS doesn't acknowledge. as a result of nul isn't a legitimate disk operating system command, disk operating system displays the "Bad command or file name" message.

Now, kind the subsequent command at the command prompt:

ver

The following message seems on your screen:

MS-DOS version half-dozen.22


Viewing the Contents of a Directory
In this section, you'll read the contents of a directory by victimisation the dir command. The dir command stands for "directory."

To view the contents of a directory
Type the subsequent at the command prompt:

dir

This is referred to as a directory list. A directory list may be a list of all the files and subdirectories that a directory contains. during this case, you see all the files and directories within the main or root directory of your drive. All the files and directories on your drive area unit keep within the root directory.

Changing Directories

Look at the list on your screen. All the names that have <DIR> beside them area unit directories. You'll be able to see an inventory of the files in another directory by dynamic to it directory, then using the dir command once more. during this case, you'll modification to the DOS directory.

Before you start this section, confirm you've got a directory named DOS by concluding the subsequent procedure.

To make certain you've got a directory named Windows

If you are doing not see a line within the directory list indicating that you just have a directory named Windows, kind the subsequent at the command prompt:

dir /s Windows

You will see a message that has a line like the following:

Directory of C:DIRNAME

To change from the basis directory to the WINDOWS directory
To change directories, you'll use the cd command. The cd command stands for "change directory."

Type the subsequent at the command prompt:

cd windows

The electronic communication changes. It ought to currently seem like the following:

C:WINDOWS>

Next, you'll use the dir command to look at an inventory of the files within the DOS directory.

To view an inventory of the files within the WINDOWS directory
Type the subsequent at the command prompt:

dir

A list of the files within the WINDOWS directory seems, however scrolls by too quickly to browse. you'll be able to modify the dir command in order that it displays just one screen of knowledge at a time.

To view the contents of a directory one screen at a timec
Type the subsequent at the command prompt:

dir /p

One screen of knowledge seems. At very cheap of the screen, you'll see the subsequent message:

Press any key to continue . . .

to look at succeeding screen of knowledge, press any key on your keyboard. Repeat this step till the electronic communication seems at very cheap of your screen.

When you written the dir command now, you enclosed the /p switch when the command. A switch modifies the means disk operating system carries out a command. Generally, a switch consists of a forward slash (/) that's followed by one or additional letters or numbers. after you used the /p switch with the dir command, you given that disk operating system ought to pause when it displays every screen of directory list data. The p really stands for "page"

Another useful switch you'll be able to use with the dir command is that the /w switch. The /w switch indicates that disk operating system ought to show a large version of the directory list.

To view the contents of a directory in wide format as follows
Type the subsequent at the electronic communication:

dir /w

The directory list seems, with the filenames listed in wide format. Note that solely filenames ar listed. No info regarding the files' size or date and time of creation seems.

If the directory contains a lot of files than can work on one screen, you'll mix the /p and /w switches as follows:

dir /w /p

Changing Back to the foundation Directory
Next, you may modification from the DOS directory to the foundation directory. the foundation directory is that the directory you were in before you modified to the DOS directory. Before you start this section, make certain your electronic communication feels like the following:

C:\DOS>

To change to the foundation directory
Type the subsequent at the command prompt:

cd \

Note that the slash you sort during this command could be a backslash (\), not a forward slash (/).

No matter that directory you're in, this command continuously returns you to the foundation directory of a drive. the foundation directory doesn't have a reputation. it's merely named by a backslash (\).

The electronic communication ought to currently seem like the following:

C:\>

When your electronic communication seems almost like this---that is, once it doesn't contain the name of a directory---you ar within the root directory.
Creating a Directory
In this section, you may produce 2 directories. making a directory is useful if you wish to arrange connected files into teams to create them simple to search out. Before you start this section, make certain the electronic communication feels like the following:

C:\>

To create a directory, you may use the md command. The md command stands for "make directory."

To create and alter to a directory named FRUIT
Type the subsequent at the command prompt:

md fruit

You have currently creat impotence a directory named FRUIT. you will not see the new FRUIT directory till you do the dir command within the next step.

To confirm that you simply with success created the FRUIT directory, sort the subsequent at the command prompt:

dir or dir /p

Look through the directory list. a brand new entry somewhere within the list ought to look almost like the following:
FRUIT
09-25-93 12:09p
To change to the new FRUIT directory, sort the subsequent at the command prompt:

cd fruit

The electronic communication ought to currently seem like the following:

C:\FRUIT>

You will currently produce a directory inside the FRUIT directory, named GRAPES.

To create and work with a directory named GRAPES as follows
Type the subsequent at the command prompt:

md grapes

You will not see the new GRAPES directory till you do the dir command within the next step.

To confirm that you simply with success created the GRAPES directory, sort the subsequent at the command prompt:

dir

A list almost like the subsequent appears:

Note that there ar 3 entries within the FRUIT directory. One is that the GRAPES directory that you simply} just created. There ar 2 alternative entries---one feels like one amount (.) and therefore the alternative feels like a double amount (..). These directory entries ar necessary to MSDOS, however you'll ignore them. they seem in each directory and cont own info reference to the directory structure.

The GRAPES directory could be a directory of the FRUIT directory. A directory could be a directory inside another directory. Subdirectories ar helpful if you wish to more subdivide info.

To change to the GRAPES directory, sort the subsequent at the command prompt:

cd grapes
The electronic communication ought to currently seem like the following:

C:\FRUIT\GRAPES>
To switch back to the FRUIT directory, sort the following:

cd ..
The electronic communication ought to currently seem like the following:

C:\FRUIT>

When the cd command is followed by 2 periods (..), MS-DOS moves up one level within the directory structure. during this case, you captive up one level from the GRAPES directory to the FRUIT directory.

Deleting a Directory

If you not use a selected directory, you will need to delete it to alter your directory structure. Deleting a directory is additionally helpful if you sort the incorrect name once you ar making a directory and you wish to delete the wrong directory before making a brand new one.

In this section, you may delete the GRAPES directory. Before you start this section, make certain the electronic communication feels like the following:

C:\FRUIT>

To delete a directory, use the rd command. The rd command stands for "remove directory."

To delete the GRAPES directory
Type the subsequent at the command prompt:

rd grapes

To confirm that you simply with success deleted the GRAPES directory, sort the subsequent at the command prompt:

dir

The GRAPES directory ought to not seem within the directory list.

Note you can not delete a directory if you're in it. Before you'll delete a directory, you want to create the directory that's one level higher the present directory. To do this, type cd.. at the command prompt(MS-DOS).

Changing Drives

This section describes the way to modification drives. dynamic drives is helpful if you wish to figure with files that ar on a unique drive.
So far, you've got been operating with drive C. you've got alternative drives you'll use to store info. as an example, drive A is your 1st magnetic disk drive. The files and directories on drive A ar settled on the magnetic disk within the drive. (You may additionally have a drive B, that contains the files and directories hold on on the magnetic disk in this drive.)