MS-DOS overview

MS-DOS, the acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System, is an operating system with a command-line interface used on personal computers. As with other operating systems such as OS/2, it translates keyboard input by the user into operations the computer can perform, it also oversees operations such as disk input and output, video support, keyboard control, and many internal functions related to program execution and file maintenance.

You type MS-DOS commands using a command prompt window. To end your MS-DOS session, type exit in the command prompt window at the blinking cursor.
The MS-DOS mode is a shell in which the MS-DOS environment is emulated in 32-bit systems, such as Windows. MS-DOS-based programs can run with Windows and might create a program information file (PIF) which appears as a shortcut on your desktop.

Notes
• To open a command prompt, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command Prompt.
• Creating a program information file (PIF) for an MS-DOS-based program creates a shortcut to the program executable. All the settings saved in the PIF file are contained in the shortcut.


Copy text from a command prompt window
1. Open the Command Prompt window.
2. Right-click the title bar of the command prompt window, point to Edit, and then click Mark.
3. Click the beginning of the text you want to copy.
4. Press and hold down the SHIFT key, and then click the end of the text you want to copy (or you can click and drag the cursor to select the text).
5. Right-click the title bar, point to Edit, and then click Copy.
6. Position the cursor where you want the text to be inserted:
• In an MS-DOS-based program, or in a command prompt window, right-click the title bar, point to Edit, and then click Paste.
• In a Windows-based program, click the Edit menu, and then click Paste.

Notes
• To open a command prompt, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command Prompt.
• You cannot paste text into a command prompt window or MS-DOS-based program when it is running in a full screen. For more information, click Related Topics

To display Help for an MS-DOS command
1. Open the Command Prompt window.
2. At the command prompt, type the name of the command you want help on, followed by /?. For example, type chdir /? to get Help on the chdir command.
Notes
• To display Help one screen at a time, type the command followed by | more. For example, type dir /? | more for Help on the dir command