PT. JLN GOVT.

COLLEGE
FARIDABAD
PRACTICAL FILE
ON
MS-DOS

SESSION-2021-22

Submitted To : ……………………..

Submitted By : Aditya

Class : B.Com 1ST YEAR

Roll No. : 1210191075007

 INDEX
1. INTRODUCTION

2. MEANING OF COMPUTER

& MS-DOS

3. MS-DOS COMMANDS

4. INTERNAL DOS COMMANDS

5. EXTERNAL DOS

COMMANDS
INTRODUCTION
Short for Microsoft Disk Operating System, MS-DOS is a non-graphical command line
operating system derived from 86-DOS that was created for IBM compitable
computers. MS-DOS Originally written by Tim Patterson and introduced by Microsoft in
August 1981 and was last updated in 1994 when MS-DOS 6.22 Was released. MS-DOS
allows the user to navigate, open, and otherwise manipulate files on their computer
from a command line instead of a GUI like Windows.

Today, MS-DOS is no longer used; however, the command shell, more commonly
known as the Windows command line is still used by many users. The bottom image
is an example of a Windows command line running in Microsoft Window 10.

Most computer users are only familiar with how to navigate Microsoft Windows using
the mouse. Unlike Windows , MS-DOS is navigated by using MS-DOS commands. For
example, if you wanted to see all the files in a folder in Windows you would double-
click the folder to open the folder in Windows Explorer. In MS-DOS, you would
navigate to the folder using the cd command and then list the files in that folder
using the dir command.
MEANING OF COMPUTER
The word compute is derived from the Latin word ‘computare’, was meaning
“arithmetic accounting”. The Computer meaning is the digital device that stores
information in memory using input devices and manipulate information to produce
output according to given instructions. The actual machinery, the physical parts of a
computer system refer to as Computer Hardware, the instructions (a program) that
tells the computer what to do or how to do that is called Computer Software (often
called just software).

Computer Meaning in general term

Technically, a computer means to calculate or electronic programmable machine.

Computer is used to perform some sequence of instructions in fast and accurate
manner. Computer receives input in the form of digitalized data, using input devices
like keyboard, mouse, joystick, scanner etc. It’s process based on a program
instructions to give output.
DOS-COMMAND

DOS Commands are instructions to perform tasks on files and directories very useful to
Windows users. DOS commands are case insensitive and as you already known file is
the area where we store group of information or data, and collection of group of files
is called a directory.

In MS-DOS the file name follow 8dot3 format and is divided into two parts Primary
name and Secondary name. Primary name is upto 8 characters long and secondary
name is upto 4 characters with dot. For example, in the file-name Logo.jpg, Logo is
the primary name and .jpg is the secondary name. Secondary names are fixed for
particular type of file, meaning for system files the secondary name is designated as
.sys, for text files it is .txt and so on. To name a file or directory special characters
like <>,./*?|& Space are not allowed. Here is the list of some of the important types
of files with their default secondary names : DOS Commands are divided into 2 types :

1. Internal Commands

These are for performing basic operations on files and directories and they do not
need any external file support.

2. external commands

These external commands are for performing advanced tasks and they do need
some external file support as they are not stored in COMMAND.COM.
These are also Batch commands or Batch files which are text files that contain a
list of external and/or external commands which are executed in sequence when
the batch file is executed. AUTOEXEC.BAT gets executed automatically on booting.
Most Commonly Used DOS Commands
1. DATE

This command is used to display the system current date setting and prompt you

to enter a new date. The syntax is : DATE {/T|date}

If you type DATE without parameters then it displays current date and prompts to

enter new date. We should give new date in mm-dd-yy format. If you want to keep

the same date just Press ENTER. DATE command with /T switch tells the

command to just output the current system date, without promptimg for a new

date.

2.TIME
This command is used to displays or set the system time.

The syntax is : TIME [/T|time]

Same as DATE command, typing TIME with no parameters displays the current time
 and a prompt for a new one. Press ENTER to keep the same time. TIME

command used with /T switch tells the command to just output the current system

time, without prompting for a new time.

3. COPY CON
It is used to create a file in the existing directory. Here CON is a DOS reserved

word which stands for console.

Syntax is: COPY CON filename after that press Enter and start typing your text

and after you,re done typing your text, to save and exit hit F6 key.

Displays files with specifiedattributes. The possible attributes

are as follows :

/A:attributes D → Read-only files,H→Hidden

files,A→Files ready for archiving,S→System

files,-Prefix meaning not

/B display in bare format with no heading

information or summary

/C Using this attribute with dir by default displays the

thousand separator in file sizes. To disable display

or separator use /-C

/D Displays file list sorted by column.

/L Uses lowercase in listing file names and sub-directories

/N Display in new long list format where filesnames are

 on the far right.

Displays list by files in sorted order. The sortorder

attributes are as follows :

N→By name (alphabetic),S→By size (smallest first),

/O:sortorder E→By extension (alphabetic),D→By

date/time (oldest first),G→Group directories

first,- Prefix to reverse order

Display page wise pausing after each screenful of

/P information and prompts to press any key to

continue.

/Q Displays the owner of file or files.

Displays files in specified directory and all

subdirectories. Bear caution in using this in your

root directory as you may end up in overflowing

information. To stop the screen overflow at any

/S point hit Paus-Break key.

This sorts and displays the list based on time field

specified. C for creation, A for Last Access, W for

T:timefield Last Written.

/W Displays list width wise or wide list format.

 This is used to display the short names generated

/X for non-8dot3 file names.

Note that switches may be different in the DIRCMD environment variable in which
case just override present switches by prefixing any switch with -(hyphen), for
example instead of using /P use /-P

8. PATH
This command displays the path that how we have come to the present position or

sets a search path for executable files.

Its Syntax is PATH [[drive:]path[;.,.][;%PATH%]]

Typing PATH without any parameters displays the current path under current

directory. Typing PATH; clears all search-path settings and direct cmd.exe to

search only in the current directory and including %PATH% in the new path

setting causes the old path to be appended to the new setting.

9. VER
This command displays the version of the Microsoft Windows running in your

Computer.
10. VOL
It displays the disk volume lable and serial number, if they exist for the drive

specified it displays for the active drive.

Syntax is VOL [DRIVE:]

Most Commonly Used External DOS Commands

1. EDIT
This command is used to modify or change the data of a file.

Syntax is EDIT [/B] [/H] [/R] [/S] [filename(s)]

Using switch /B you can force the edit in monochrome mode. /H displays the

maximum number of lines possible for your system hardware. Whereas using

/R and /S one load files in read-only mode and force the use of short filenames

respectively. [filename(s)] is used to specify file(s) to go edit. You can use wil-

-dcards (*and?) to specify multiple files.

2. XCOPY
This command is used to copy files and directory trees from one disk to another

disk.

Syntax is XCOPY source [destination] [/A|/M] [/D[:date]] [/P] [/S[/E]]

[/V] [/W] [/C] [/I] [/Q] [/F] [/L] [/G] [/H] [/R] [/T] [/U] [/K] [/N]

[/O] [/X] [/Y] [/-Y] [/Z] [/EXCLUDE:FILE1[:FILE2][:FILE3]…]

3. LABEL
It is used to create, change, or delete the volume label of a

disk. Syntax is LABEL [drive:] [label]

LABEL [/MP] [volume] [label]

Here, [drive:] is for specifying the drive letter of a drive to be labeled and

[label] sepicifies the label of the volume risk. [/MP] is used to specify that

the volume should be created as a mount point and [volume] is used to

specify volume name, usually mentioned after drive letter followed by colon

and then giving volume name required.

4. DISKCOPY
This command copies the contents of one floppy from the source drive to a

formatted or un-formatted floppy disk in the destination drive. This command

copies the data from particular position on the source disk to exactly the same

position on the destination disk. Syntax Diskcopy A: B:

copies contents of A: and B: drive. This command can be used with /V switch

which verifies that the disk is copied correctly.

5. CHKDSK
This command is used to check a disk and display a status report with properties

of disk like serial number, volume label, memory and other properties along with

errors on the disk if any.

Syntax is CHKDSK [volume path] [/F] [/V] [/R] [/X] [/I] [/C] [/L[:size]]

[volume path] is where you specify the drive letter followed by a colon and

volume name to be checked. Using /F switch allows you to fix errors on the

disk./V display full path and/or cleanup message if any./R is used in tandem

with /F and used to locate bad sectors and recover readable information. If you

wanted to perform a less vigorous check of index entries on the disk then the

right option is to use /I and /C rather than /R as they skip checking of cycles on

volume and helps in reducing the amount of time required to run CHKDSK.

Using /X forces the volume to dismount first before checking is performed.

6. TREE
This command is very useful to view the list of directories and subdirectories

present on the disk in graphical form. If you wanted to include files also with

directories and subdirectories, then you’ll have to give the command line as

tree/f which presents the tree view of all the content on your disk. Here is the

syntax for this command with allowed switches.

TREE [drive:path] [/F] [/A]

In case you wanted to use ASCII instead of extended characters, then go ahead

include /A in the command line.

 7.DELTREEThis command is used to remove a directory along withits
contents. Syntax is deltree [drive:path]

Here, [drive:path] specifies the directory name to be deleted. All the

subdirectories and files in this directory will be deleted without prompt

and there’s not getting back. So, keep caution while using this command.

8. DOSKEY
This command is generally used to edits command lines and recalls commands.

Syntax is DOSKEY [/REINSTALL] [/HISTORY] [text]

Here,/REINSTALL installs new copy of doskey,/HISTORY is used to display all

previously given commands stored in memory and [text] specifies the commands

you want to record.

9. FIND
This command searches for a specific text string in a file or files. Syntax is

FIND [/V] [/C] [/N] [/I] [/OFF] “string” [[drive:][path]filename[…]]

The basic essential elements in the command line for find are – the atring

enclosed in “ “ and [[drive][path]filename(s)]. String specifies the text string

to find in the file and [[drive:][path]filename(s)] specifies the file or files where

the text string search bis to be done. If a path is not specified,FIND searches the

text typed at the prompt or piped from another command. When you append /OFF

in the command line, it searches and finds even those files with offline attribute

set. Apart from searching the textb string, this command is useful in:

 Displaying only the number count of lines containing the text string@/C
 Displaying line numbers with the displayed lines@/N

10. SORT

This command is used to arrange the data of a file in alphabetical order

(A-Z,0-9) or reverse alphabetical order.

Syntax is SORT [/R] [[drive:][path1][filename1] [/T[DRIVE2:][PATH2]]

[[/O[drive3:][path3][filename3]
/R in command line reverses the sort order; that is, the data of the
specified file sorts Z to A, then 9 to 0. [drive1:][path1:] filename1 specifies
the file to be sorted./T[drive2:][path2] is used in cases of data overflow in
main memory and it specifies the path of the directory to hold the sort’s
working storage and /O [drive3:][path3] filename3 specifies the file where
the sorted input is to be stored.

FEATURES OF DOS
 It is a 16-bit operating system.

 The mouse cannot be used to operate it e, Input in it is through basic system

commands.

 The maximum space available is 2 GB.

 It is free OS.

 It uses a text-based interface and requires text and codes to operate.

 It does not support graphical interface.

 It is a single user operating system.

 It is a character based interface system.

Advantages and Disadvantages
Now you must have been cleared on how to work with DOS. It’s very important for us
to know the advantages and disadvantages of using it. So the following are the
advantages:

 We have direct access to the BIOS and its underlying hardwatre.

 Due to it’s size, it will “boot” much faster than any windows version, thus it
will run in a smaller system.
 It is very lightweight so it does not have the overhead of the multitasking
operating system.

With the advantages, it has many disasdvantages too, which are listed below:

 No multi-tasking supported by the OS.

 Difficulty in memory access when adderessing more tham 640 MB of RAM.
 Automatic IRQ odering is not supported by the OS.