Dos Command Index

APPEND
(External)

APPEND ;
APPEND [d:]path[;][d:]path[...]
APPEND [/X:on|off][/path:on|off] [/E]

Displays or sets the search path for data files. DOS will search the specified path(s) if the file is not found in the
current path.

ASSIGN
(External)

ASSIGN x=y [...] /sta

Redirects disk drive requests to a different drive.

ATTRIB
(External)

ATTRIB [d:][path]filename [/S]
ATTRIB [+R|-R] [+A|-A] [+S|-S] [+H|-H] [d:][path]filename [/S]

Sets or displays the read-only, archive, system, and hidden attributes of a file or directory.

BACKUP
(External)

BACKUP d:[path][filename] d:[/S][/M][/A][/F:(size)] [/P][/D:date] [/T:time] [/L:[path]filename]

Makes a backup copy of one or more files. (In DOS Version 6, this program is stored on the DOS supplemental
disk.)

BREAK
(Internal)

BREAK =on|off

Used from the DOS prompt or in a batch file or in the CONFIG.SYS file to set (or display) whether or not DOS
should check for a Ctrl + Break key combination.

BUFFERS
(Internal)

BUFFERS=(number),(read-ahead number)

Used in the CONFIG.SYS file to set the number of disk buffers (number) that will be available for use during
data input. Also used to set a value for the number of sectors to be read in advance (read-ahead) during data
input operations.

CALL
(Internal)

CALL [d:][path]batchfilename [options]

Calls another batch file and then returns to current batch file to continue.

CHCP
(Internal)

CHCP (codepage)

Displays the current code page or changes the code page that DOS will use.

CHDIR
(Internal)

CHDIR (CD) [d:]path
CHDIR (CD)[..]

Displays working (current) directory and/or changes to a different directory.

CHKDSK
(External)

CHKDSK [d:][path][filename] [/F][/V]

Checks a disk and provides a file and memory status report.

CHOICE
(Internal)

CHOICE [/C[:]keys] [/N][/S][/T[:]c,nn] [text]

Used to provide a prompt so that a user can make a choice while a batch program is running.

CLS (Clear Screen)
(Internal)

CLS

Clears (erases) the screen.

COMMAND
(External)

COMMAND [d:][path] [device] [/P][/E:(size)] [/MSG][/Y [/C (command)|/K (command)]

Starts a new version of the DOS command processor (the program that loads the DOS Internal programs).

COMP
(External)

COMP [d:][path][filename] [d:][path][filename] [/A][/C][/D][/L][/N:(number)]

Compares two groups of files to find information that does not match. (See FC command).

COPY
(Internal)

COPY [/Y|-Y] [/A][/B] [d:][path]filename [/A][/B] [d:][path][filename] [/V]
or
COPY [/Y|-Y][/A][/B] [d:][path]filename+[d:][path]filename[...][d:][path][filename] [/V]

Copies and appends files.

COUNTRY
(Internal)

COUNTRY=country code,[code page][,][d:][filename]

Used in the CONFIG.SYS file to tell DOS to use country-specific text conventions during processing.

CTTY
(Internal)

CTTY (device)

Changes the standard I/O (Input/Output) device to an auxiliary device.

DATE
(Internal)

DATE mm-dd-yy

Displays and/or sets the system date.

DBLSPACE
(External)

DBLSPACE / automount=drives
DBLSPACE /chkdsk [/F] [d:]
DBLSPACE /compress d: [/newdrive=host:] [/reserve=size] [/F]
DBLSPACE /create d: [/newdrive=host:] [/reserve=size] [/size=size]
DBLSPACE /defragment [d:] ]/F]
DBLSPACE /delete d:
DBLSPACE /doubleguard=0|1
DBLSPACE /format d:
DBLSPACE [/info] [d:]
DBLSPACE /list
DBLSPACE /mount[=nnn] host: [/newdrive=d:]
DBLSPACE /ratio[=ratio] [d:] [/all]
DBLSPACE /size[=size] [/reserve=size] d:
DBLSPACE /uncompress d:
DBLSPACE /unmount [d:]

A program available with DOS 6.0 that allows you to compress information on a disk.

DEBUG
(External)

DEBUG [pathname] [parameters]

An MS-DOS utility used to test and edit programs.

DEFRAG
(External)

DEFRAG [d:] [/F][/S[:]order] [/B][/skiphigh [/LCD|/BW|/GO] [/H]
DEFRAG [d:] [/V][/B][/skiphigh] [/LCD]|/BW|/GO] [/H]

Optimizes disk performance by reorganizing the files on the disk.

DEL (ERASE)
(Internal)

DEL (ERASE) [d:][path]filename [/P]

Deletes (erases) files from disk.

DELOLDOS
(External)

DELOLDOS [/B]

Deletes all files from previous versions of DOS after a 5.0 or 6.0 installation.

DELTREE
(External)

DELTREE [/Y] [d:]path [d:]path[...]

Deletes (erases) a directory including all files and subdirectories that are in it.

DEVICE
(Internal)

DEVICE=(driver name)

Used in the CONFIG.SYS file to tell DOS which device driver to load.

DEVICEHIGH
(Internal)

DEVICEHIGH=(driver name)

Like DEVICE, DEVICEHIGH is used in the CONFIG.SYS file to tell DOS which device driver software to use for
devices; however, this option is used to install the device driver into the upper memory area.

DIR
(Internal)

DIR [d:][path][filename] [/A:(attributes)] [/O:(order)] [/B][/C][/CH][/L][/S][/P][/W]

Displays directory of files and directories stored on disk.

DISKCOMP
(External)

DISKCOMP [d:] [d:][/1][/8]

Compares the contents of two diskettes.

DISKCOPY
(External)

DISKCOPY [d:] [d:][/1][/V][/M]

Makes an exact copy of a diskette.

DOS
(Internal)

DOS=[high|low],[umb|noumb]

Used in the CONFIG.SYS file to specify the memory location for DOS. It is used to load DOS into the upper
memory area and to specify whether or not the upper memory blocks will be used.

DOSKEY
(External)

DOSKEY [reinstall] [/bufsize=size][/macros][/history][/insert|/overstrike] [macroname=[text]]

Loads the Doskey program into memory which can be used to recall DOS commands so that you can edit them.

DOSSHELL
(External)

DOSSHELL [/B] [/G:[resolution][n]]|[/T:[resolution][n]]

Initiates the graphic shell program using the specified screen resolution.

DRIVPARM
(Internal)

DRIVPARM= /D:(number) [/C] [/F:(form factor)] [/H:(number)] [/I][ /N][/S:(number)] [/T:(tracks)]

Used in the CONFIG.SYS file to set parameters for a disk drive.