Disk Operating System Commands
In this article, you will learn about the disk operating system commands. But before discussing the DOS commands, you should know about the disk operating system.
What is Disk Operating System?
A disk operating system is an OS that operates on a hard drive. The operating system commands and regulates the computer’s hardware and peripheral devices while also controlling the program and its operation. Microsoft created and released it as IBM PC DOS for the first time. In 1981, it also referred to the family of DOS known as MS-DOS.
The DOS is a 16-bit operating system, which implies that it may save and process 16 bits of data at once. It is a single-user, single-tasking OS. It is NON-GUI (Graphical User Interface), and it operates within a CUI (Character User Interface) environment.
The Dos operating system allows you to control the computer’s behavior and functionality. It is a command-line operating system, which implies that you must use commands on the command line interface to achieve your desired results. The DOS has been improved from 1.00 to 1.1, 1.25, 6.0, 8.0, and so on over the years.
Features of DOS
There are various features of the disk operating system. Some features of the operating system are as follows:
- It is a free OS.
- It doesn’t support GUI.
- It is a single-user OS.
- It is a 16-bit OS.
- The mouse could not be used to operate it, i.e., the input is provided via the basic system commands.
- It aids make file management, e.g., creating, editing, deleting files, etc.
- It has a text-based interface and relies on text and codes to function.
DOS Commands
DOS Commands are instructions that allow Windows users to conduct tasks on files and folders. As you may know, a file is a container for a collection of information or data, and a directory is a collection of files. These are case insensitive.
The file name in MS-DOS is in 8dot format and broken into two parts – primary and secondary names. The primary name can be up to eight characters long, while the secondary name can be up to four characters with a dot. For example, in the filename Logo.jpg, the primary name is Logo, while the secondary name is .jpg. Secondary names are set for each type of file, so for system files, the secondary name is .sys, and for text files, it is .txt, etc. Special characters such as >, ., /, *, ?, |, & Space are not permitted in file or directory names. Here is a list of the most common file types, along with their default secondary names:
| File name | Extension |
|---|---|
| Text file | .txt |
| Program file | .prg |
| Library file | .lib |
| Command file | .com |
| Batch file | .bat |
| System file | .sys |
| Executable file | .exe |
| Database file | .dbm |
Types of DOS Commands
There are mainly two types of DOS Commands. These are as follows:
- Internal Commands
- External Commands
Internal Commands
Internal commands are loaded into the system memory during system booting. These internal commands may not be seen, modified, detected, or deleted because they do not exist in the form of a file. An internal command is the MS-DOS command stored in system memory and loaded from command.com or cmd.exe. Internal commands include MD, DATE, COPY, CD, TIME, COPR CON, TYPE, etc.
External Commands
External commands are stored in the system memory after system booting. These external commands may easily be viewed, changed, deleted, or copied as they are present in the form of a file. External commands include FORMAT, SYS, EDIT, PROMPT, COPY, PRINT, TREE, SORT, etc.
Why are internal and external commands needed?
Internal commands are more common and essential to the functioning and use of Windows OS. They could be instantly accessible and always available in MS-DOS and Windows by embedding them in the command.com file.
External commands are really effective. They help in the resolution of problems, the enhancement of performance, and the execution of other tasks. External commands typically need more resources than internal commands. These commands keep separate from internal commands aids to decrease the load on Windows. They could also be added to Windows at any time by copying the file containing the external command to the computer.
Commands of Disk Operating System
Here, you will learn the commands of the disk operating system. There are three types of MS-DOS commands: Internal, External, and Recovery Console Commands.
Internal Commands
There are various internal disk operating system commands. Some of the internal commands are as follows:
| Commands | Description |
|---|---|
| assoc | It is used to view the file association. |
| atmadm | It lists the connections and addresses seen by the Windows ATM call manager. |
| break | It is used to enable or disable the computer’s breaking capability. |
| call | It is used to call the batch file from another file. |
| cd | This command is used to modify the system directory. |
| chdir | It is used to modify the system directory. |
| cls | This command is used to clear the system screen. |
| cmd | It is used to open the command interpreter. |
| color | It is used to modify the foreground and background color of the window screen. |
| command | It is used to open the command interpreter. |
| copy | It is used to copy one or more files to a different position. |
| ctty | It is used to change the computer’s input and output devices. |
| date | It is used to see or change the system date. |
| del | It is used to delete one or multiple files. |
| delete | It is used to delete the file. |
| dir | It is used to list the contents of one or multiple dictionaries. |
| drivparm | It allows overwriting of original device drivers. |
| echo | It is used to show messages and enables and disables echo. |
| endlocal | It is used to halt the localization of environment changes enabled by the setlocal command. |
| erase | It is used to erase the files from the system. |
| exit | This command is used to exit from the DOS command interpreter. |
| for | It is used to Boolean used in the batch files. |
| goto | It is used to move a batch file to a particular label or location. |
| if | It allows batch files to carry out conditional processing. |
| lh | It is used to load a device driver into a large amount of memory. |
| loadhigh | It is used to load a device driver into a large amount of memory. |
| lock | It is used to lock the system’s hard drive. |
| md | This command is used to make a new directory in the system. |
| mkdir | This command is used to make a new directory in the system. |
| mklink | This command is used to create a symbolic link. |
| move | It is used to move one or multiple files from one directory to another. |
| path | It is used to view and modify the path location of the system. |
| pause | It is used in batch files to stop the command’s processing. |
| popd | The popd command modifies the directory or network path that the pushd command has saved. |
| prompt | This command is used to view or change the DOS prompt. |
| pushd | It is used to store a directory or network path so that it may be restored at any time. |
| rd | It is used to remove an empty directory from the system. |
| ren | This command is used to rename a file in the system. |
| rename | This command is used to rename a file in the system. |
| rmdir | It is used to remove an empty directory from the system. |
| set | It is used to modify one variable or string to another. |
| setlocal | It enables modifications to be done to local contexts without affecting the rest of the system. |
| shift | It is used in batch programs to modify the location of replaceable parameters. |
| start | It is used to start a specific window in Windows from the DOS prompt. |
| switches | It is used to remove the add functions from the disk operating system. |
| time | This command is used to view and change the system time. |
| title | It is used to change the title of the disk operating system window. |
| type | It is used to show the contents of files. |
| unlock | It is used to unlock a system disk drive. |
| ver | This command is used to show the version of MS-DOS. |
| verify | It enables or disables the feature that determines whether files were properly written. |
| vol | It is used to show the volume information about the specified drive. |
External Commands
There are various external disk operating system commands. Some of the external commands are as follows:
| Commands | Description |
|---|---|
| append | It enables open files in a different directory as if they were in the current one. |
| arp | It is used to display, add, and remove arp data from network devices. |
| assign | It is used to assign a drive letter to a different letter. |
| at | It is used to set a time for commands to be executed. |
| attrib | It is used to show and modify the file attributes. |
| bcdedit | This command is used to change the boot configuration data store. |
| cacls | This command is used to see and change file ACL’s. |
| chcp | It supplements the international keyboard and character set knowledge. |
| chkdsk | It is used to check the hard drive running FAT for errors. |
| chkntfs | It is used to check the hard drive running NTFS for errors. |
| choice | It is used to define a listing or various options within a batch file. |
| clip | It is used to redirect the command line output to the windows clipboard. |
| comp | It is used to compare the files. |
| compact | This command is used to compress and uncompress the files. |
| control | It is used to open control panel icons from the DOS prompt. |
| convert | It is used to convert FAT to NTFS. |
| debug | It is used to debug utility applications that are written in assembly language to change hardware settings. |
| defrag | It is used to rearrange the hard drive to aid with loading programs. |
| deltree | It is used to delete one or multiple files and directories. |
| diskcomp | It is used to compare a disk with another system disk. |
| diskcopy | It is used to copy the information of one disk and put them on another. |
| doskey | It is used to see and execute commands that were run in the past. |
| driverquery | It is used to show a list of installed device drivers. |
| edit | It is used to see and edit files. |
| edlin | It is used to see and edit files. |
| emm386 | It is used to load the extended memory manager. |
| expand | It is used to expand a Microsoft Windows file back to its original format. |
| extract | It is used to extract files from the Microsoft cabinets. |
| fasthelp | It is used to show a listing of MS-DOS commands and their information. |
| fc | It is used to compare the files. |
| fdisk | It is used to set up drive-by, create and manage partitions on the hard drive. |
| find | This command is used to search for text in the file. |
| findstr | It is used to search for a text string within a file. |
| format | It is used to delete and prepare a disk drive for another task. |
| ftp | It is used to connect and work on an FTP server. |
| graftabl | This command is used to show longer characters in graphics mode. |
| help | It is used to show a list of commands with their description. |
| ifshlp.sys | It is used to the 32-bit file manager. |
| ipconfig | It is used to see adapter settings and assigned values. |
| keyb | It is used to modify the layout of the keyboard. |
| label | It is used to modify the label of the disk drive. |
| loadfix | It is used to load a program above the first 64 k. |
| logoff | It is used to log off the current profile using the system. |
| mem | It is used to show the memory on the system. |
| mode | It is used to modify the port or display setting. |
| more | It is used to show a single page at a time. |
| msav | It is used for early Microsoft virus scanners. |
| msd | It is used for disagnostics utility. |
| mscdex | It is used to enable CD-ROM access from the MS-DOS. |
| nbtstat | It is used to show protocol statistics and current TCP and IP connections using NBT. |
| net | It is used to update, fix, and view the network and its settings. |
| netsh | It is used to configure static and dynamic network data from DOS. |
| netstat | It is used to show the TCP and IP network protocol statistics and data. |
| nlsfunc | It is used to load country-specific data. |
| pathping | It is used to see and locate locations of network latency. |
| ping | It is used to test and send data to another network system. |
| power | It is used to conserve power with portable systems. |
| It is used to print data to a printer port. | |
| qbasic | It is used to open the qbasic. |
| robocopy | It is a robust file command for the Windows command line. |
| route | It is used to see and configure windows network route tables. |
| runas | It allows a user to execute a program as another user. |
| sc | It is used to communicate with the Service Control Manager and services. |
| scandisk | It is used to execute the ScanDisk utility. |
| scanreg | It is used to scan the registry and recover the registry from errors. |
| setver | It is used to modify the disk operating system version to trick older disk operating system programs. |
| share | It is used to install support for file sharing and locking capabilities. |
| shutdown | It is used to shut down the system from the DOS prompt. |
| smartdrv | It is used to make a disk cache in conventional memory. |
| sort | It is used to sort the input and shows the output to the window screen. |
| subst | It is used to substitute a directory on the system for another drive letter. |
| sys | It is used to transfer system files to the disk drive. |
| telnet | It is used to telnet to another device from the prompt. |
| tracert | It is used to see a network packets route over a network. |
| tree | It is used to see a visual tree of the hard drive. |
| undelete | It is used to undelete the file that was deleted. |
| unformat | It is used to unformatted a system hard drive. |
| xcopy | It is used to copy various files, directories, or drives from one position to another position. |
Recovery Console Commands
There are various recovery console commands. Some of the recovery console commands are as follows:
| Commands | Description |
|---|---|
| batch | It is used to execute various commands in a file. |
| bootcfg | It allows a user to view, change, and rebuild the boot.ini file. |
| disable | It disables the Windows system services or system drivers. |
| enable | It enables a disabled system service or system drivers. |
| fixboot | It is used to create a new boot sector. |
| fixmbr | It is used to create a new boot record to a system disk drive. |
| fType | It is used to show or changes file types used in file extension associations. |
| listsvc | It shows the system services and system drivers. |
| logon | It is used to list the installations and enable the administrator login. |
| map | It is used to display the device name of a drive. |