by In DOS, many standard system commands were provided for common tasks such as listing files on a disk or moving files. Some commands were built into the command interpreter, others existed as external commands on disk. Over the several generations of DOS, commands were added for the additional functions of the operating system. In the current Microsoft Windows operating system, a text-mode command prompt window, cmd.exe, can still be used.
When you are using a Microsoft MS-DOS command prompt shell window, you can type the following commands into the window. Click a command shown below for a description of how to use that command.
- cd : Change directory or display current directory path.
- cls : Clear the window.
- dir : Display list of contents of current directory.
- help : Display list of commands or help about a command.
- notepad : Run the Windows Notepad text editor.
- type : Displays the contents of a text file.
Some other useful commands are:
- assoc : Displays or modifies filename extension associations.
- attrib : Displays or changes file attributes.
- call : Calls one batch program file from another.
- chkdsk : Checks a disk and displays a status report.
- chkntfs : Displays or modifies the checking of disk at startup.
- color : Sets the text and background colors.
- comp : Compares the contents of two files or sets of files.
- copy : Copies one or more files to another location.
- date : Displays or sets the computer’s date.
- del (or erase) : Deletes one or more files.
- defrag : Defragment the specified storage device.
- doskey : Display command history; define macros.
- echo : Displays messages, or turns command echoing on/off.
- edit : Runs the MS-DOS text editor.
- exit : Closes the MS-DOS window.
- fc : Compares two files or sets of files and displays the differences.
- find : Searches for a text string in a file or files.
- findstr : Search for a regular expression text string in a file or files.
- goto : Used in a batch program file to jump to a particular line.
- if : Used in a batch program file to perform conditional testing.
- md (or mkdir) : Creates a directory.
- more : Displays the contents of a file one screen at a time.
- move : Moves one or more files from one directory to another directory.
- rd (or rmdir) : Removes a directory.
- rem : Used in a batch program file to identify comments.
- ren (or rename) : Renames a file or files.
- sort : Sorts input.
- start : Starts a new window to run a specified program or command.
- time : Displays or sets the computer’s time.
- tree : Graphically displays the directory structure of a drive or directory.
- xcopy : Copies files and directory trees.
The following internet related commands are not part of MS-DOS but can be typed at the MS-DOS command prompt:
- arp : Displays ARP (address resolution protocol) translation tables.
- ftp : FTP (file transfer program) to transfer files to/from server.
- ipconfig : Displays internet configuration, including IP address.
- netsh : Network services shell.
- nslookup : Lookup IP address to/from domain name.
- netstat : Displays current TCP/IP network connections and statistics.
- ping : Ping the specified internet IP address or host name.
- telnet : Starts a text-based telnet session to the specified host.
- tftp : Transfers files to/from remote computer running TFTP service.
- tracert : Traces the route to the specified IP address or host.
The following command are not part of MS-DOS and do not come with Windows but are available from third-parties. Some are equivalent to the Linux utility by the same name.
- config : Defragment one or more files (rather than entire drive).
- clip : Copy command output to Windows clipboard.
- du : Displays disk usage for selected files or directories.
- lynx : Text based web browser.
- paste : Paste Windows clipboard to command input.
- strings : Find all strings of a specified minimum length.
- whois : Lookup domain ownership information.
