Outline
• Introduction
• Filesystem Navigation
• Folder Management
• File Management
Introduction
• DOS Stands for "Disk Operating System."
• DOS was the first operating system used by IBM-compatible
computers.
• It was originally available in two versions that were essentially the
same but marketed under two different names.
• "PC-DOS" was the version developed by IBM while "MS-DOS" was the
version that Microsoft bought the rights to.
“Dos.” [Online]. Available: https://techterms.com/definition/dos. [Accessed: 09-Feb-2021].
Starting MS-DOS
• Steps
1. Click Start Button
2. In the Search or Run line, type cmd (short for command), and press Enter
File System Navigation
• dir command
• Use this command to display a listing of the contents of the current directory.
Information about the files and subdirectories of the current directory will be
displayed.
• examples:
• dir /p | Pause the directory listing after every screenful. To continue the
listing, press any key (e.g.: spacebar or Enter key)
“How To Use DOS,” MS-DOS Commands. [Online]. Available:
https://www.c3scripts.com/tutorials/msdos/commands.html. [Accessed: 10-Feb-2021].
File and Folder Management
• dir /s *.txt | Displays a listing of all .txt files located in the current
directory and in all subdirectories.
File System Navigation
• cdcommand
• Use the cd command to make a different directory the "current" directory. "cd" is
short for "change directory".
• The command can be typed as either:
• cd directory
or
• cd drive:directory
“How To Use DOS,” MS-DOS Commands. [Online]. Available:
https://www.c3scripts.com/tutorials/msdos/commands.html. [Accessed: 10-Feb-2021].
• examples:
• cd /d drive:directory | Make the specified directory directory
the current directory and also switch do the drive:drive.
• cd .. | You can also type cd.. (the two dots are required) to back out one
level out of the current directory. If the current directory is C:\mystuff\ebooks
then typing cd .. will change the current directory to C:\mystuff.
• copy command
• Copies one or more files to another location.
• examples:
• copy source destination | The source specifies the file or files
to be copied while the destination specifies the directory and/or filename for
the new file(s).
“How To Use DOS,” MS-DOS Commands. [Online]. Available:
https://www.c3scripts.com/tutorials/msdos/commands.html. [Accessed: 10-Feb-2021].
File and Folder Management
• del command
• Deletes one or more files. The specified file (or files) is deleted immediately
deleted without any confirmation.
• examples:
• del /P names | names specifies a list of one or more files or
directories. Wildcards may be used to delete multiple files. If a
directory is specified, all files within the directory will be deleted. The /p
option prompts for confirmation before deleting each file.
“How To Use DOS,” MS-DOS Commands. [Online]. Available:
https://www.c3scripts.com/tutorials/msdos/commands.html. [Accessed: 10-Feb-2021].
File and Folder Management
• del /P *.tmp | The character * (an asterisk) is the wildcard character
and allows you to delete all matching files by using one command, such as
"del *.tmp" deletes all files that end with ".tmp" in their filename.
• md command
• This command creates a folder or directory.
• examples:
• md \a | creates a folder c at \a\b in the current working directory.
• md a | creates a folder a in the current working directory.
“How To Use DOS,” MS-DOS Commands. [Online]. Available:
https://www.c3scripts.com/tutorials/msdos/commands.html. [Accessed: 10-Feb-2021].
File and Folder Management
• move command
• Moves one or more files from one directory to another directory.
• examples:
• move /-Y source destination | Moves the source to the
destination. The source specifies the path and name of the file or
files you want to move while the destination specifies the path to the
new location of the file. The –Y parameter causes a prompt to confirm you
want to overwrite an existing destination file
“How To Use DOS,” MS-DOS Commands. [Online]. Available:
https://www.c3scripts.com/tutorials/msdos/commands.html. [Accessed: 10-Feb-2021].
File and Folder Management
• rd command
• This command removes a directory.
• examples:
• rd /S directory | Removes all directories and files in the specified
directory in addition to the directory itself.
• tree command
• Graphically displays the directory structure of a drive or directory.
“How To Use DOS,” MS-DOS Commands. [Online]. Available:
https://www.c3scripts.com/tutorials/msdos/commands.html. [Accessed: 10-Feb-2021].
File and Folder Management
• examples:
• tree /F | Displays the directory structure with the names of the files in
each folder.
• tree /F directory | Displays the structure with the names of the files
in the selected directory.
“How To Use DOS,” MS-DOS Commands. [Online]. Available:
https://www.c3scripts.com/tutorials/msdos/commands.html. [Accessed: 10-Feb-2021].
