MSDOS Commands

cd command

above command is used to change current working directory

cls command

above command clears the terminal screen

command command

Start a new instance of the command interpreter.

copy command

makes copy of existing files

date command

Displays the system date and prompts the user to enter a new date.

del or erase command

DEL (or the alternative form ERASE) is used to delete one or more files.

deltree command

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.

dir command

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.

edit command

EDIT is a full-screen text editor, included with MS-DOS

fdisk command

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 on the hard drive.

format command

Deletes the FAT entries and the root directory 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. This command can potentially erase everything on a computer's drive.

help command

Gives help about DOS commands.

label command

Changes the label on a logical drive, such as a hard disk partition or a floppy disk.

md or mkdir command

Makes a new directory. The parent of the directory specified will be created if it does not already exist.

more command

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.

move command

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.

path command

Displays or sets a search path for executable files.

ping command

Allows the user to test the availability of a network connection to a specified host. Hostnames are usually resolved to IP addresses.

prompt command

The PROMPT command allows the user to change the prompt in the command screen. The default prompt is $p (i.e. PROMPT $p), which displays the drive and current path as the prompt, but can be changed to anything. PROMPT $d, displays the current system date as the prompt. Type PROMPT /? in the cmd screen for help on this function.

qbasic command

An integrated development environment and BASIC interpreter.

rd or rmdir command

Remove a directory (delete a directory); by default the directories must be empty of files for the command to succeed.

ren command

The REN command renames a file.

setup command

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.

smartdrv command

SmartDrive (or SMARTDRV) is a disk caching program shipped with MS-DOS versions 4.01 through 6.22 and Windows 3.0 through Windows 3.11.It improves data transfer rates by storing frequently accessed data in random-access memory (RAM).

sys command

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. SYS also copies the core DOS system files, IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS, and COMMAND.COM, to the volume. SYS does not rewrite the Master Boot Record, contrary to widely held belief.

telnet command

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

time command

Display the system time and waits for the user to enter a new time.

tree command

It is an external command, graphically displays the path of each directory and sub-directories on the specified drive.

type command

Displays a file. The more command is frequently used in conjunction with this command, e.g. type long-text-file | more

ver command

An internal DOS command, that reports the DOS version presently running, and since MS-DOS 5, whether DOS is loaded high.

vol command

An internal command that displays the disk volume label and serial number.

xcopy command

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 XCOPY /? in the DOS Command line.