External - PC DOS 7.0
Calculates the value of a mathematical expression.
ACALC [/T[:]format] expression /T Specifies the output format type format D=Decimal (default) B=Binary O=Octal X=heXadecimal A=All (decimal, binary, octal, and hexadecimal) expression Specifies a valid numeric expression. Numbers prefixed with 'b', 'o', and 'x' are assumed to be binary, octal, and hexadecimal respectively. Decimal numbers are not prefixed. Arithmetic Operators: Bitwise Operators: () Separators & Bitwise AND * Multiplication : Bitwise OR / Division ^ Bitwise XOR % Modulo (remainder of x/y) { Left Shift + Addition } Right Shift - Subtraction General Math Functions: ABS(x) Absolute Value of x EXP(x) Exponential of x FACT(x) Factorial of x (a positive number less than 21) LOG(x) Natural Logarithm of x (a positive number) LOG10(x) Logarithm of x (a positive number) to the Base 10 MAX(x;y) Larger of the two values x and y MIN(x;y) Smaller of the two values x and y PI() Value of Pi (3.14159265359) POW(x;y) x raised to the power of y SQRT(x) Square Root of x (a positive number) Trigonometric Math Functions: COS(x) Cosine of the Angle x in Radians SIN(x) Sine of the Angle x in Radians TAN(x) Tangent of the Angle x in Radians
External - MS-DOS 3.2 and above; PC DOS 3.3 and above
Allows programs to open data files in specified directories as if they were in the current directory.
APPEND [[drive:]path[;...]] [/X[:ON | :OFF]] [/PATH:ON | /PATH:OFF] [/E] APPEND ; [drive:]path Specifies a drive and directory to append. /X:ON Applies appended directories to file searches and application execution. /X:OFF Applies appended directories only to requests to open files. /X:OFF is the default setting. /PATH:ON Applies appended directories to file requests that already specify a path. /PATH:ON is the default setting. /PATH:OFF Turns off the effect of /PATH:ON. /E Stores a copy of the appended directory list in an environment variable named APPEND. /E may be used only the first time you use APPEND after starting your system. Type APPEND ; to clear the appended directory list. Type APPEND without parameters to display the appended directory list.
External - DOS 2.0 and above
Redirects requests for disk operations on one drive to a different drive.
ASSIGN [x[:]=y[:][...]] ASSIGN /STATUS x Specifies the drive letter to reassign. y Specifies the drive that x: will be assigned to. /STATUS Displays current drive assignments. Type ASSIGN without parameters to reset all drive letters to original assignments.
External - DOS 3.0 and above
Displays or changes file attributes.
ATTRIB [+R | -R] [+A | -A] [+S | -S] [+H | -H] [[drive:][path]filename] [/S] + Sets an attribute. - Clears an attribute. R Read-only file attribute. A Archive file attribute. S System file attribute. H Hidden file attribute. /S Processes files in all directories in the specified path.
External - DOS 2.0 and above
Backs up one or more files from one disk to another.
BACKUP source destination-drive: [/S] [/M] [/A] [/F[:size]] [/D:date[/T:time]] [/L[:[drive:][path]logfile]] source Specifies the file(s), drive, or directory to back up. destination-drive: Specifies the drive to save backup copies onto. /S Backs up contents of subdirectories. /M Backs up only files that have changed since the last backup. /A Adds backup files to an existing backup disk. /F:[size] Specifies the size of the disk to be formatted. /D:date Backs up only files changed on or after the specified date. /T:time Backs up only files changed at or after the specified time. /L[:[drive:][path]logfile] Creates a log file and entry to record the backup operation.
External - PC DOS 1.0 to PC DOS 5.0
An implementation of the BASIC programming language for PCs.
BASIC [filename] [/F:n] [/S:n] [/C:n] [/M:n[,m]] [/D] BASICA [filename] [/F:n] [/S:n] [/C:n] [/M:n[,m]] [/D] /F:n Specifies the number of files that BASIC may open at once. The default is 3. /S:n Specifies the maximum file record length up to 32767. The default is 128. /C:n Sets the COM port receive buffer size. /C:0 disables COM port support. The default is 256. /M:n[,m] Sets the highest memory location and maximum block size used by BASIC. /D Allows ATN, COS, EXP, LOG, SIN, SQR, and TAN to return double-precision results.
Internal - DOS 2.0 and above
Sets or clears extended CTRL+C checking.
BREAK [ON | OFF] Type BREAK without a parameter to display the current BREAK setting.
Internal - DOS 3.3 and above
Calls one batch program from another.
CALL [drive:][path]filename [batch-parameters] batch-parameters Specifies any command-line information required by the batch program.
Internal - DOS 3.3 and above
Displays or sets the active code page number.
CHCP [nnn] nnn Specifies a code page number. Type CHCP without a parameter to display the active code page number.
Internal - DOS 2.0 and above
Displays the name of or changes the current directory.
CHDIR [drive:][path] CHDIR[..] CD [drive:][path] CD[..] .. Specifies that you want to change to the parent directory. Type CD drive: to display the current directory in the specified drive. Type CD without parameters to display the current drive and directory.
External - DOS 1.0 and above
Checks a disk and displays a status report.
CHKDSK [drive:][[path]filename] [/F] [/V] [drive:][path] Specifies the drive and directory to check. filename Specifies the file(s) to check for fragmentation. /F Fixes errors on the disk. /V Displays the full path and name of every file on the disk. Type CHKDSK without parameters to check the current disk.
External - DOS 6.0 and above
Waits for you to choose one of a set of choices.
CHOICE [/C[:]choices] [/N] [/S] [/T[:]c,nn] [text] /C[:]choices Specifies allowable keys. Default is YN. /N Does not display choices and ? at end of prompt string. /S Treats choice keys as case sensitive. /T[:]c,nn Defaults choice to c after <nn> seconds. text Prompts string to display. ERRORLEVEL is set to offset of key you press in choices.
Internal - DOS 2.0 and above
Clears the screen.
CLS
External - DOS 1.0 and above
Starts a new copy of the DOS Command Interpreter.
COMMAND [[drive:]path] [device] [/E:nnnnn] [/P [/MSG]] [/H] [/O] [/Y [/C command | /K command]] [drive:]path Specifies the directory containing COMMAND.COM file. device Specifies the device to use for command input and output. /E:nnnnn Sets the initial environment size to nnnnn bytes. /P Makes the new Command Interpreter permanent (can't exit). /MSG Stores all error messages in memory (requires /P). /H Loads the Command Interpreter into a UMB if available. /O Disables overwrite prompt on COPY,XCOPY,and MOVE commands. /Y Steps through the batch program specified by /C or /K. /C command Executes the specified command and returns. /K command Executes the specified command and continues running. The /P and /MSG switches may be used only when COMMAND is started by using the SHELL command in the CONFIG.SYS file.
External - PC DOS 1.0 to PC DOS 6.3; MS-DOS 3.3 and above
Compares the contents of two files or sets of files.
COMP [data1] [data2] [/D] [/A] [/L] [/N=number] [/C] data1 Specifies location and name(s) of first file(s) to compare. data2 Specifies location and name(s) of second files to compare. /D Displays differences in decimal format. This is the default setting. /A Displays differences in ASCII characters. /L Displays line numbers for differences. /N=number Compares only the first specified number of lines in each file. /C Disregards case of ASCII letters when comparing files. To compare sets of files, use wildcards in data1 and data2 parameters.
Internal - DOS 1.0 and above
Copies one or more files to another location.
COPY [/A | /B] source [/A | /B] [+ source [/A | /B] [+ ...]] [destination [/A | /B]] [/V] [/Y | /-Y] source Specifies the file or files to be copied. /A Indicates an ASCII text file. /B Indicates a binary file. destination Specifies the directory and/or filename for the new file(s). /V Verifies that new files are written correctly. /Y Suppresses prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an existing destination file. /-Y Causes prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an existing destination file. The switch /Y may be preset in the COPYCMD environment variable. To append files, specify a single file for destination, but multiple files for source (using wildcards or file1+file2+file3 format).
Internal - DOS 2.0 and above
Changes the terminal device used to control your system.
CTTY device device The terminal device you want to use, such as COM1.
External - PC DOS 6.1 and above
Data monitor.
DATAMON [parameters...] General Parameters: /LOAD - Load resident using options from .INI file /LOW - Don't load into UMB's if available /UNLOAD or /U - Remove Data Monitor from memory /STATUS or /S - Get current state of Data Monitor /? - Display this command-line help Enable / Disable Parameters: /SENTRY+ - Enable use of Delete Sentry /SENTRY- - Disable use of Delete Sentry /TRACKER+ - Enable use of Delete Tracker /TRACKER- - Disable use of Delete Tracker
External - DOS 1.0
Internal - DOS 1.1 and above
Displays or sets the date.
DATE [date] Type DATE without parameters to display the current date setting and a prompt for a new one. Press ENTER to keep the same date.
External - DOS 1.0 and above
Runs Debug, a program testing and editing tool.
DEBUG [[drive:][path]filename [testfile-parameters]] [drive:][path]filename Specifies the file you want to test. testfile-parameters Specifies command-line information required by the file you want to test. After Debug starts, type ? to display a list of debugging commands.
assemble A [address] compare C range address dump D [range] enter E address [list] fill F range list go G [=address] [addresses] hex H value1 value2 input I port load L [address] [drive] [firstsector] [number] move M range address name N [pathname] [arglist] output O port byte proceed P [=address] [number] quit Q register R [register] search S range list trace T [=address] [value] unassemble U [range] write W [address] [drive] [firstsector] [number] allocate expanded memory XA [#pages] deallocate expanded memory XD [handle] map expanded memory pages XM [Lpage] [Ppage] [handle] display expanded memory status XS
External - DOS 6.0 and above
Reorganizes files on disks to optimize performance.
DEFRAG [drive:] [/F] [/Sorder] [/B] [/SKIPHIGH] [/LCD | /BW | /G0] [/H] DEFRAG [drive:] [/U] [/B] [/SKIPHIGH] [/LCD | /BW | /G0] [drive:] Drive letter of disk to be optimized. /F Fully optimizes specified disk. /U Unfragments files, leaving space between files. /S Sort files by specified order. order N By Name (alphabetic) E By extension (alphabetic) D By date & time (earliest first) S By size (smallest first) - Suffix to reverse order /B Restarts your computer after optimization. /SKIPHIGH Prevents Defrag from using extended or upper memory. /LCD Runs Defrag using an LCD color scheme. /BW Runs Defrag using a black and white color scheme. /G0 Disable the graphic mouse and graphic character set. /H Moves hidden files.
Internal - DOS 1.0 and above
Deletes one or more files.
DEL [drive:][path]filename [/P] ERASE [drive:][path]filename [/P] [drive:][path]filename Specifies the file(s) to delete. Specify multiple files by using wildcards. /P Prompts for confirmation before deleting each file.
External - DOS 6.0 and above
Deletes a directory and all the subdirectories and files within it.
To Delete one or more directories: DELTREE [/Y] [drive:]path [[drive:]path[...]] /Y Suppresses prompting to confirm whether you want to delete the subdirectory. [drive:]path Specifies the name of the directory you want to delete. Note: Use DELTREE with caution. Every file and subdirectory within the specified directory will be deleted.
Internal - DOS 1.0 and above
Displays a list of files and subdirectories in a directory.
DIR [drive:][path][filename] [/P] [/W] [/A[[:]attribs]] [/O[[:]sortord]] [/S] [/B] [/L] [drive:][path][filename] Specifies drive, directory, and files to list. /P Pauses after each full screen of information. /W Uses wide list format. /A Displays files with specified attributes. attribs D Directories R Read-only files H Hidden files S System files A Files ready to archive - Prefix meaning "not" /O Lists by files in sorted order. sortord N By name (alphabetic) S By size (smallest first) E By extension (alphabetic) D By date & time (earliest first) G Group directories first - Prefix to reverse order /S Displays files in specified directory and all subdirectories. /B Uses bare format (no heading information or summary). /L Uses lowercase. Switches may be preset in the DIRCMD environment variable. Override preset switches by prefixing any switch with - (hyphen)--for example, /-W. To remove the commas from the DIR output, use the NO_SEP environment variable.
External - PC DOS 1.0 and above; MS-DOS 3.2 and above
Compares the contents of two floppy disks.
DISKCOMP [drive1: [drive2:]] [/1] [/8] /1 Compares the first side of the disks. /8 Compares only the first eight sectors of each track.
External - PC DOS 1.0 and above; MS-DOS 2.0 and above
Copies the contents of one floppy disk to another.
DISKCOPY [drive1: [drive2:]] [/1] [/V] [/M] /1 Copies only the first side of the disk. /V Verifies that the information is copied correctly. /M Force multi-pass copy using memory only. The two floppy disks must be the same type. You may specify the same drive for drive1 and drive2.
External - DOS 5.0 and above
Edits command lines, recalls DOS commands, and creates macros.
DOSKEY [/REINSTALL] [/BUFSIZE=size] [/MACROS] [/HISTORY] [/INSERT | /OVERSTRIKE] [macroname=[text]] /REINSTALL Installs a new copy of Doskey. /BUFSIZE=size Sets size of command history buffer. /MACROS Displays all Doskey macros. /HISTORY Displays all commands stored in memory. /INSERT Specifies that new text you type is inserted in old text. /OVERSTRIKE Specifies that new text overwrites old text. macroname Specifies a name for a macro you create. text Specifies commands you want to record. UP and DOWN ARROWS recall commands; ESC clears command line; F7 displays command history; ALT+F7 clears command history; F8 searches command history; F9 selects a command by number; ALT+F10 clears macro definitions. The following are some special codes in Doskey macro definitions: $T Command separator. Allows multiple commands in a macro. $1-$9 Batch parameters. Equivalent to %1-%9 in batch programs. $* Symbol replaced by everything following macro name on command line.
External - PC DOS 5.02 and above
Locks the drive or socket so that media cannot be removed.
DRVLOCK [drive: | socket:] [/ON | /OFF] /ON Sets the lock on. /OFF Sets the lock off.
External - PC DOS 7.0
Load a device driver after system startup.
DYNALOAD filename [parameters] filename Specifies the name of the device driver to load. parameters Specifies any parameters for the device driver.
External - PC DOS 6.1 and above
Starts PC DOS Editor, which creates and changes ASCII files.
E [/Q] [/B] [/S] [/D] [/I] [/C] [/A] [/DM] [/80 |/132] [d:][path][filespec] [=filespec] ['command'] /Q Turns off display of "Loading .." message. /B Displays files in browse (read-only) mode. /S Uses EMS (or hardfile if no EMS is available) to edit files too large for conventional memory. /D Forces file to be loaded from disk. /I Edits STACKER.INI file. /C Edits CONFIG.SYS file. /A Edits AUTOEXEC.BAT file. /DM Disables Mouse. /80 Enables 80 column, 16 color text video (CGA/EGA/MCGA/VGA/SVGA/XGA). /132 Enables 132 column, 16 color text video (XGA). [d:][path][filespec] Specifies drive, directory, and file to edit. = Is shorthand for "same path as last specified" at the DOS prompt, or "same as current file's" at the editor commandline. For example, E \PAS\LANG\FOO.PAS =FOO.BAK will load the two files FOO.PAS and FOO.BAK, both from the directory \PAS\LANG. 'command' Specifies a startup command. For example, E \FOO.PAS 'ALL /IF' will load the file FOO.PAS and then execute the ALL command on this file. Switches may be preset in the E environment variable.
Internal - DOS 2.0 and above
Displays messages, or turns command-echoing on or off.
ECHO [ON | OFF] ECHO [message] Type ECHO without parameters to display the current echo setting.
External - MS-DOS 5.0 and above
Starts the MS-DOS Editor, which creates and changes ASCII files.
EDIT [[drive:][path]filename] [/B] [/G] [/H] [/NOHI] [drive:][path]filename Specifies the ASCII file to edit. /B Allows use of a monochrome monitor with a color graphics card. /G Provides the fastest update of a CGA screen. /H Displays the maximum number of lines possible for your hardware. /NOHI Allows the use of a monitor without high-intensity support.
External - DOS 1.0 to DOS 6.3
Line-oriented text editor.
EDLIN [drive:][path]filename [/B] /B Ignores end-of-file (CTRL+Z) characters.
Edit line line# Append [#lines]A Copy [startline],[endline],toline[,times]C Delete [startline][,endline]D End (save file) E Insert [line]I List [startline][,endline]L Move [startline],[endline],tolineM Page [startline][,endline]P Quit (throw away changes) Q Replace [startline][,endline][?]R[oldtext][CTRL+Znewtext] Search [startline][,endline][?]Stext Transfer [toline]T[drive:][path]filename Write [#lines]W
External - PC DOS 5.02 and above
Ejects the media from a drive.
EJECT [drive:]
External - DOS 5.0 and above
Turns on or off EMM386 expanded memory support.
EMM386 [ON | OFF | AUTO] [W=ON | W=OFF] ON | OFF | AUTO Activates or suspends EMM386.EXE device driver, or places it in auto mode. W=ON | OFF Turns on or off Weitek coprocessor support.
External - DOS 1.1 to DOS 6.3
Converts .EXE (executable) files to binary format.
EXE2BIN [drive1:][path1]input-file [[drive2:][path2]output-file] input-file Specifies the .EXE file to be converted. output-file Specifies the binary file to be created.
Internal - DOS 2.0 and above
Quits the COMMAND.COM program (command interpreter).
EXIT
External - DOS 3.3 to DOS 6.3
Decreases the amount of time needed to open frequently used files and directories.
FASTOPEN drive:[[=]n] [drive:[[=]n][ ...]] [/X] drive: Specifies the hard disk drive you want Fastopen to work with. n Specifies the maximum number of file locations Fastopen retains in its filename cache. /X Creates the filename cache in expanded memory.
External - MS-DOS 2.01 and above; PC DOS 5.0 and above
Compares two files or sets of files and displays the differences between them.
FC [/A] [/C] [/L] [/LBn] [/N] [/T] [/W] [/nnnn] [drive1:][path1]filename1 [drive2:][path2]filename2 FC /B [drive1:][path1]filename1 [drive2:][path2]filename2 /A Displays only first and last lines for each set of differences. /B Performs a binary comparison. /C Disregards the case of letters. /L Compares files as ASCII text. /LBn Sets the maximum consecutive mismatches to the specified number of lines. /N Displays the line numbers on an ASCII comparison. /T Does not expand tabs to spaces. /W Compresses white space (tabs and spaces) for comparison. /nnnn Specifies the number of consecutive lines that must match after a mismatch.
External - PC DOS 2.0 and above; MS-DOS 3.2 and above
Configures a hard disk for use with DOS.
FDISK [/STATUS] /STATUS Displays the status of the fixed disk drive
External - DOS 2.0 and above
Searches for a text string in a file or files.
FIND [/V] [/C] [/N] [/I] [/S] "string" [[drive:][path]filename[ ...]] /V Displays all lines NOT containing the specified string. /C Displays only the count of lines containing the string. /N Displays line numbers with the displayed lines. /I Ignores the case of characters when searching for the string. /S Search subdirectories also. "string" Specifies the text string to find. [drive:][path]filename Specifies a file or files to search. If a pathname is not specified, FIND searches the text typed at the prompt or piped from another command.
Internal - DOS 2.0 and above
Runs a specified command for each file in a set of files.
FOR %variable IN (set) DO command [command-parameters] %variable Specifies a replaceable parameter. (set) Specifies a set of one or more files. Wildcards may be used. command Specifies the command to carry out for each file. command-parameters Specifies parameters or switches for the specified command. To use the FOR command in a batch program, specify %%variable instead of %variable.
External - DOS 1.0 and above
Formats a disk for use with DOS.
FORMAT drive: [/V[:label]] [/Q] [/U] [/F:size] [/B | /S] [/C] FORMAT drive: [/V[:label]] [/Q] [/U] [/T:tracks /N:sectors] [/B | /S] [/C] FORMAT drive: [/V[:label]] [/Q] [/U] [/1] [/4] [/B | /S] [/C] FORMAT drive: [/Q] [/U] [/1] [/4] [/8] [/B | /S] [/C] /V[:label] Specifies the volume label. /Q Performs a quick format. /U Performs an unconditional format. /F:size Specifies the size of the floppy disk to format (such as 160, 180, 320, 360, 720, 1.2, 1.44, 2.88). /B Allocates space on the formatted disk for system files. /S Copies system files to the formatted disk. /T:tracks Specifies the number of tracks per disk side. /N:sectors Specifies the number of sectors per track. /1 Formats a single side of a floppy disk. /4 Formats a 5.25-inch 360K floppy disk in a high-density drive. /8 Formats eight sectors per track. /C Revert to less conservative handling of bad blocks.
Internal - DOS 2.0 and above
Directs DOS to a labelled line in a batch program.
GOTO label label Specifies a text string used in the batch program as a label. You type a label on a line by itself, beginning with a colon.
External - DOS 3.0 to DOS 6.3
Enables DOS to display an extended character set in graphics mode.
GRAFTABL [xxx] GRAFTABL /STATUS xxx Specifies a code page number. /STATUS Displays the current code page selected for use with GRAFTABL.
External - PC DOS 2.0 to PC DOS 6.3; MS-DOS 3.2 and above
Loads a program that can print graphics.
GRAPHICS [type] [[drive:][path]filename] [/R] [/B] [/LCD] [/PRINTBOX:STD | /PRINTBOX:LCD] type Specifies a printer type. [drive:][path]filename Specifies the file containing information on supported printers. /R Prints white on black as seen on the screen. /B Prints the background in color for COLOR4 and COLOR8 printers. /LCD Prints using LCD aspect ratio. /PRINTBOX:STD | /PRINTBOX:LCD Specifies the print-box size, either STD or LCD.
External - MS-DOS 1.1 to MS-DOS 4.0
An implementation of the BASIC programming language for PCs.
GWBASIC [filename] [/F:n] [/I] [/S:n] [/C:n] [/M:[n][,m]] [/D] /F:n Specifies the number of files that GW-BASIC may open at once. The default is 3. /I Statically allocate memory required for file operations. /S:n Specifies the maximum file record length up to 32767. The default is 128. /C:n Sets the COM port receive buffer size. /C:0 disables COM port support. The default is 256. /M:[n][,m] Sets the highest memory location and maximum block size used by GW-BASIC. /D Allows ATN, COS, EXP, LOG, SIN, SQR, and TAN to return double-precision results.
External - DOS 5.0 and above
Displays command help.
HELP [topic]
Internal - DOS 2.0 and above
Performs conditional processing in batch programs.
IF [NOT] ERRORLEVEL number command IF [NOT] string1==string2 command IF [NOT] EXIST filename command NOT Specifies that DOS should carry out the command only if the condition is false. ERRORLEVEL number Specifies a true condition if the last program run returned an exit code equal to or greater than the number specified. command Specifies the command to carry out if the condition is met. string1==string2 Specifies a true condition if the specified text strings match. EXIST filename Specifies a true condition if the specified filename exists.
External - DOS 5.02 and above
Displays status of INTERLNK-INTERSVR redirected drives.
INTERLNK [client=[server]] client Specifies a client drive to redirect to a server drive. Cancels redirection if no server drive is specified. server Specifies a server drive to redirect to a client drive. Type INTERLNK with no parameters to show INTERLNK status.
External - DOS 5.02 and above
Provides serial or parallel file transfer and printing capabilities via redirected drives.
INTERSVR [drive:[...]] [/X=drive:[...]] [/LPT[:][n | address]] [/COM[:][n | address]] [/BAUD:rate] [/V] [/B] drive: Specifies the drive(s) to redirect (by default, all drives are redirected). /X=drive: Specifies the drive(s) to exclude. /LPT[n] Specifies a port to scan. (/LPT scans all LPT ports). /LPT[address] Specifies a port address to scan. /COM[n] Specifies a port to scan. (/COM scans all COM ports). /COM[address] Specifies a port address to scan. /BAUD:rate Set a maximum serial baud rate. /B Displays the INTERLNK server screen in black and white. /V Prevents conflicts with a computer's timer. Specify this switch if you have a serial connection between computers and one of them stops running when you use INTERLNK. INTERSVR /RCOPY Copies INTERLNK files from one computer to another, provided that the computers' serial ports are connected with a 7-wire null-modem cable.
External - DOS 3.1 and above
Joins a disk drive to a directory on another drive.
JOIN [drive1: [drive2:]path] JOIN drive1: /D drive1: Specifies a disk drive that will appear as a directory on drive2. drive2: Specifies a drive to which you want to join drive1. path Specifies the directory to which you want to join drive1. It must be empty and cannot be the root directory. /D Cancels any previous JOIN commands for the specified drive. Type JOIN without parameters to list currently joined drives.
External - DOS 3.3 and above
Configures a keyboard for a specific language.
KEYB [xx[,[yyy][,[drive:][path]filename]]] [/E] [/ID:nnn] xx Specifies a two-letter keyboard code. yyy Specifies the code page for the character set. [drive:][path]filename Specifies the keyboard definition file. /E Specifies that an enhanced keyboard is installed. /ID:nnn Specifies the keyboard in use.
External - PC DOS 3.0 to PC DOS 3.2; MS-DOS 3.2
Configures a keyboard for a specific language.
KEYBFR KEYBGR KEYBIT KEYBSP KEYBUK
External - PC DOS 3.0 and above; MS-DOS 3.1 and above
Creates, changes, or deletes the volume label of a disk.
LABEL [drive:][label]
External - DOS 5.0 and above
Loads a program above the first 64K of memory, and runs the program.
LOADFIX [drive:][path]filename Use LOADFIX to load a program if you have received the message "Packed file corrupt" when trying to load it in low memory.
Internal - DOS 5.0 and above
Loads a program into the upper memory area.
LOADHIGH [drive:][path]filename [parameters] LOADHIGH [/L:region1[,minsize1][;region2[,minsize2]...] [/S]] [drive:][path]filename [parameters] /L:region1[,minsize1][;region2[,minsize2]]... Specifies the region(s) of memory into which to load the program. Region1 specifies the number of the first memory region; minsize1 specifies the minimum size, if any, for region1. Region2 and minsize2 specify the number and minimum size of the second region, if any. You can specify as many regions as you want. /S Shrinks a UMB to its minimum size while the program is loading. [drive:][path]filename Specifies the location and name of the program. parameters Specifies any command-line information required by the program.
External - DOS 4.0 and above
Displays the amount of used and free memory in your system.
MEM [/CLASSIFY | /DEBUG | /FREE | /MODULE modulename] [/PAGE] /CLASSIFY or /C Classifies programs by memory usage. Lists the size of programs, provides a summary of memory in use, and lists the largest memory block available. /DEBUG or /D Displays status of all modules in memory, internal drivers, and other information. /FREE or /F Displays information about the amount of free memory left in both conventional and upper memory. /MODULE or /M Displays a detailed listing of a module's memory use. This option must be followed by the name of a module, optionally separated from /M by a colon. /PAGE or /P Pauses after each full screen of information.
External - DOS 5.0 and above
Records information about one or more disks.
MIRROR [drive:[ ...]] [/1] [/Tdrive[-entries][ ...]] MIRROR [/U] MIRROR [/PARTN] drive: Specifies the drive for which you want to save information. /1 Saves only the latest disk information (does not back up previous information). /Tdrive Loads the deletion-tracking program for the specified drive. -entries Specifies maximum number of entries in the deletion-tracking file. /U Unloads the deletion-tracking program. /PARTN Saves hard disk partition information to a floppy diskette.
Internal - DOS 2.0 and above
Creates a directory.
MKDIR [drive:]path MD [drive:]path
External - PC DOS 1.0 and above; MS-DOS 3.2 and above
Configures system devices.
Enhanced syntax: Printer port: MODE LPTn[:] [COLS=c] [LINES=l] [RETRY=r] Serial port: MODE COMm[:] [BAUD=b] [PARITY=p] [DATA=d] [STOP=s] [RETRY=r] Device Status: MODE [device] [/STATUS] Redirect printing: MODE LPTn[:]=COMm[:] Prepare code page: MODE device CP PREPARE=((yyy[...]) [drive:][path]filename) Select code page: MODE device CP SELECT=yyy Refresh code page: MODE device CP REFRESH Code page status: MODE device CP [/STATUS] Display mode: MODE [display-adapter][,n] MODE CON[:] [COLS=c] [LINES=n] Typematic rate: MODE CON[:] [RATE=r DELAY=d] Legacy syntax: Printer port: MODE LPTn[:][cols][,[lines][,retry]] Serial port: MODE COMn[:]baud[,parity[,databits[,stopbits[,retry]]]] Redirect printing: MODE LPTn[:]=COMn[:] Display mode: MODE [display][,shift] Printer port parameters: cols Specifies the characters per line (80 or 132). lines Specifies the lines per inch (6 or 8). retry Specifies the retry action: e Return an error from a status check of a busy port. b Return busy from a status check of a busy port. p Continue retrying until printer accepts output. r Return ready from a status check of a busy port. n Take no retry action (default). Serial port parameters: baud Specifies the baud rate (110,150,300,600,1200,2400,4800,9600,19200). parity Specifies the parity: n none o odd e even (default) m mark s space databits Specifies the number of data bits (5, 6, 7 or 8). stopbits Specifies the number of stop bits (1, 1.5 or 2). retry Specifies the retry action: e Return an error from a status check of a busy port. b Return busy from a status check of a busy port. p Continue retrying until printer accepts output. r Return ready from a status check of a busy port. n Take no retry action (default). Device status parameters: device Specifies the device (CON, COMn, LPTn, PRN). Display mode parameters: display Specifies the display type (40, 80, BW40, BW80, C040, C080, or MONO). shift Specifies whether to shift a CGA screen left or right (L or R). cols Specifies the number of columns (40 or 80). lines Specifies the number of lines (25, 43 or 50). Typematic rate parameters: rate Specifies the typematic rate (1-32). delay Specifies the typematic delay: 1=0.25 second, 2=0.50 second, 3=0.75 second, 4=1 second Code page parameters: yyy Specifies the code page. filename Specifies the code page information filename.
External - DOS 2.0 and above
Displays output one screen at a time.
MORE < [drive:][path]filename command-name | MORE [drive:][path]filename Specifies a file to display one screen at a time. command-name Specifies a command whose output will be displayed.
External - DOS 5.02 and above
Provides mouse pointer device support.
MOUSE [mouse type] [interrupt] [sensitivity] [accelerate] [cursor] [hardware cursor] OFF mouse type /Cn (serial), /Z (PS2), /In (inPort), /B (bus) (n specifies a port and can be either 1 or 2) interrupt /Rn (n specifies interrupt rate 0-4) sensitivity /Hn (horizontal), /Vn (vertical), /Sn (horiz/vert) (n specifies range of 0-100) accelerate /Pn (n specifies acceleration profile number) cursor /Nn (cursor display delay), /M (force default cursor) (n specifies redraw rate 0-255) hardware cursor /Y (use hardware cursor feature) OFF Removes the mouse driver from memory.
External - DOS 6.0 and above
Moves files and renames files and directories.
To move one or more files: MOVE [/Y | /-Y] [drive:][path]filename1[,...] destination To rename a directory: MOVE [drive:][path]dirname1 dirname2 /Y Suppresses prompting to confirm overwriting of the destination. /-Y Causes prompting to confirm overwriting of the destination. The switch /Y may be present in the COPYCMD environment variable. This may be overridden with /-Y on the command line. [drive:][path]filename1 Specifies the location and name of the file or files you want to move. destination Specifies the new location of the file. Destination can consist of a drive letter and colon, a directory name, or a combination. If you are moving only one file, you can also include a filename if you want to rename the file when you move it. [drive:][path]dirname1 Specifies the directory you want to rename. dirname2 Specifies the new name of the directory.
External - DOS 6.0 and above
Loads the CD-ROM support utility.
MSCDEX /D:driver ... [/E] [/K] [/L:letter] [/M:buffers] [/S] [/V] /D:driver Specifies name of CD-ROM driver /E Load buffers in expanded memory (EMS) /K Load Kanji support /L:letter Specifies first drive letter to use /M:buffers Specifies number of sector buffers /S Load server environment support /V Display verbose memory usage statistics
External - MS-DOS 6.0 and above
Provides detailed technical information about your computer.
MSD [/I] [/F[drive:][path]filename] [/P[drive:][path]filename] [/S[drive:][path][filename]] MSD [/B][/I] /B Runs MSD using a black and white color scheme. /I Bypasses initial hardware detection. /F[drive:][path]filename Requests input and writes an MSD report to the specified file. /P[drive:][path]filename Writes an MSD report to the specified file without first requesting input. /S[drive:][path][filename] Writes a summary MSD report to the specified file. If no filename is specified, output is to the screen.
External - DOS 3.3 and above
Loads country-specific information.
NLSFUNC [[drive:][path]filename] [drive:][path]filename Specifies the file containing country-specific information.
Internal - DOS 2.0 and above
Displays or sets a search path for executable files.
PATH [[drive:]path[;...]] PATH ; Type PATH ; to clear all search-path settings and direct DOS to search only in the current directory. Type PATH without parameters to display the current path.
Internal - DOS 1.0 and above
Suspends processing of a batch program and displays the message "Press any key to continue...."
PAUSE
External - DOS 5.02 and above
Reduces power used by your computer.
POWER [ADV[:MAX | REG | MIN] | STD | OFF] ADV[:MAX | REG | MIN] -- Reduces power by monitoring applications and hardware devices. MAX provides the most power conservation, REG provides average power conservation, and MIN provides the least conservation. STD -- Reduces power by monitoring hardware devices. OFF -- Turns off power management.
External - DOS 2.0 and above
Prints a text file while you are using other DOS commands.
PRINT [/D:device] [/B:size] [/U:ticks1] [/M:ticks2] [/S:ticks3] [/Q:qsize] [/T] [[drive:][path]filename[ ...]] [/C] [/P] /D:device Specifies a print device. /B:size Sets the internal buffer size, in bytes. /U:ticks1 Waits the specified maximum number of clock ticks for the printer to be available. /M:ticks2 Specifies the maximum number of clock ticks it takes to print a character. /S:ticks3 Allocates the scheduler the specified number of clock ticks for background printing. /Q:qsize Specifies the maximum number of files allowed in the print queue. /T Removes all files from the print queue. /C Cancels printing of the preceding filename and subsequent filenames. /P Adds the preceding filename and subsequent filenames to the print queue. Type PRINT without parameters to display the contents of the print queue.
Internal - DOS 2.0 and above
Changes the DOS command prompt.
PROMPT [text] text Specifies a new command prompt. Prompt can be made up of normal characters and the following special codes: $Q = (equal sign) $$ $ (dollar sign) $T Current time $D Current date $P Current drive and path $V DOS version number $N Current drive $G > (greater-than sign) $L < (less-than sign) $B | (pipe) $H Backspace (erases previous character) $E Escape code (ASCII code 27) $_ Carriage return and linefeed Type PROMPT without parameters to reset the prompt to the default setting.
External - MS-DOS 5.0 and above
Starts the MS-DOS QBasic programming environment.
QBASIC [/B] [/EDITOR] [/G] [/H] [/MBF] [/NOHI] [[/RUN] [drive:][path]filename] /B Allows use of a monochrome monitor with a color graphics card. /EDITOR Starts the MS-DOS Editor. /G Provides the fastest update of a CGA screen. /H Displays the maximum number of lines possible for your hardware. /MBF Converts the built-in functions MKS$, MKD$, CVS, and CVD to MKSMBF$, MKDMBF$, CVSMBF, and CVDMBF, respectively. /NOHI Allows the use of a monitor without high-intensity support. /RUN Runs the specified Basic program before displaying it. [[drive:][path]filename] Specifies the program file to load or run.
External - PC DOS 6.1 and above
Displays detailed technical information about your computer.
QCONFIG [/?][/A][/C][/D][/E][/I][/O[file]][/P][/Q] [key="text"] /? Displays this help information. /A Displays all Micro Channel adapters supported by QCONFIG. /C Displays additional detail on async ports. /D Displays a detailed listing of hardware. /E Displays current environment. /I Displays CONFIG.SYS & AUTOEXEC.BAT. /O Redirects output to file QCONFIG.OUT. /Ofile Redirects output to file (anyname). /P Pauses the output between screens. /Q Does not display redirect message. key="text" Defines key with text to appear in output (must be last option).
External - DOS 2.0 to DOS 5.0
Recovers readable information from a bad or defective disk.
RECOVER [drive:][path]filename RECOVER drive:
Internal - DOS 1.0 and above
Records comments (remarks) in a batch file or CONFIG.SYS.
REM [comment]
Internal - DOS 1.0 and above
Renames a file or files.
RENAME [drive:][path]filename1 filename2 REN [drive:][path]filename1 filename2 Note that you cannot specify a new drive or path for your destination file. Use MOVE to move files from one directory to another, or to rename a directory.
External - DOS 3.2 and above
Replaces files.
REPLACE [drive1:][path1]filename [drive2:][path2] [/A] [/P] [/R] [/W] REPLACE [drive1:][path1]filename [drive2:][path2] [/P] [/R] [/S] [/W] [/U] [drive1:][path1]filename Specifies the source file or files. [drive2:][path2] Specifies the directory where files are to be replaced. /A Adds new files to destination directory. Cannot use with /S or /U switches. /P Prompts for confirmation before replacing a file or adding a source file. /R Replaces read-only files as well as unprotected files. /S Replaces files in all subdirectories of the destination directory. Cannot use with the /A switch. /W Waits for you to insert a disk before beginning. /U Replaces (updates) only files that are older than source files. Cannot use with the /A switch.
External - DOS 2.0 and above
Restores files that were backed up by using the BACKUP command.
RESTORE drive1: drive2:[path[filename]] [/S] [/P] [/B:date] [/A:date] [/E:time] [/L:time] [/M] [/N] [/D] drive1: Specifies the drive on which the backup files are stored. drive2:[path[filename]] Specifies the file(s) to restore. /S Restores files in all subdirectories in the path. /P Prompts before restoring read-only files or files changed since the last backup (if appropriate attributes are set). /B Restores only files last changed on or before the specified date. /A Restores only files changed on or after the specified date. /E Restores only files last changed at or earlier than the specified time. /L Restores only files changed at or later than the specified time. /M Restores only files changed since the last backup. /N Restores only files that no longer exist on the destination disk. /D Displays files on the backup disk that match specifications.
External - PC DOS 7.0
Execute a REXX program.
REXX filename [parameters] filename Specifies the name of the REXX program to execute. parameters Specifies any parameters for the REXX program.
External - PC DOS 7.0
Dump the variables of an active REXX procedure.
REXXDUMP
Internal - DOS 2.0 and above
Removes (deletes) a directory.
RMDIR [drive:]path RD [drive:]path
External - MS-DOS 6.2 and above
Runs the ScanDisk disk-repair program.
To check and repair a drive, use the following syntax: SCANDISK [drive: | /ALL] [/CHECKONLY | /AUTOFIX [/NOSAVE]] [/SURFACE] To check and repair an unmounted DriveSpace compressed volume file, use: SCANDISK drive:\DRVSPACE.nnn [/CHECKONLY | /AUTOFIX[/NOSAVE]] To examine a file for fragmentation, use the following syntax: SCANDISK /FRAGMENT [drive:][path]filename To undo repairs you made previously, use the following syntax: SCANDISK /UNDO [drive:] For [drive:], specify the drive containing your Undo disk. /ALL Checks and repairs all local drives. /AUTOFIX Fixes damage without prompting. /CHECKONLY Checks a drive, but does not repair any damage. /CUSTOM Configures and runs ScanDisk according to SCANDISK.INI settings. /NOSAVE With /AUTOFIX, deletes lost clusters rather than saving as files. /NOSUMMARY With /CHECKONLY or /AUTOFIX, prevents ScanDisk from stopping at summary screens. /SURFACE Performs a surface scan after other checks. /MONO Configures ScanDisk for use with a monochrome display. To check and repair the current drive, type SCANDISK without parameters.
Internal - DOS 2.0 and above
Displays, sets, or removes DOS environment variables.
SET [variable=[string]] variable Specifies the environment-variable name. string Specifies a series of characters to assign to the variable. Type SET without parameters to display the current environment variables.
External - DOS 5.0 and above
Sets the version number that DOS reports to a program.
Display current version table: SETVER [drive:path] Add entry: SETVER [drive:path] filename n.nn Delete entry: SETVER [drive:path] filename /DELETE [/QUIET] [drive:path] Specifies location of the SETVER.EXE file. filename Specifies the filename of the program. n.nn Specifies the DOS version to be reported to the program. /DELETE or /D Deletes the version-table entry for the specified program. /QUIET Hides the message typically displayed during deletion of version-table entry.
External - DOS 3.0 and above
Installs file-sharing and locking capabilities on your hard disk.
SHARE [/F:space] [/L:locks] [/NOHMA] /F:space Allocates file space (in bytes) for file-sharing information. /L:locks Sets the number of files that can be locked at one time. /NOHMA Don't load code into the HMA.
Internal - DOS 2.0 and above
Changes the position of replaceable parameters in a batch file.
SHIFT
External - DOS 6.0 and above
Installs and configures the SMARTDrive disk-caching utility.
SMARTDRV [/X] [[drive[+|-]]...] [/U] [/C | /R] [/L] [/V | /Q | /S] [InitCacheSize [WinCacheSize]] [/E:ElementSize] [/B:BufferSize] /X Disables write-behind caching for all drives. drive Sets caching options on specific drive(s). The specified drive(s) will have write-caching disabled unless you add +. + Enables write-behind caching for the specified drive. - Disables all caching for the specified drive. /U Do not load CD-ROM caching module. /C Writes all information currently in write-cache to hard disk. /R Clears the cache and restarts SMARTDrive. /L Prevents SMARTDrive from loading itself into upper memory. /V Displays SMARTDrive status messages when loading. /Q Does not display status information. /S Displays additional information about SMARTDrive's status. InitCacheSize Specifies XMS memory (KB) for the cache. WinCacheSize Specifies XMS memory (KB) for the cache with Windows. /E:ElementSize Specifies how many bytes of information to move at one time. /B:BufferSize Specifies the size of the read-ahead buffer.
External - DOS 2.0 and above
Sorts input and writes results to the screen, a file, or another device.
SORT [/R] [/+n] < [drive1:][path1]filename1 [> [drive2:][path2]filename2] [command |] SORT [/R] [/+n] [> [drive2:][path2]filename2] /R Reverses the sort order; that is, sorts Z to A, then 9 to 0. /+n Sorts the file according to characters in column n. [drive1:][path1]filename1 Specifies a file to be sorted. [drive2:][path2]filename2 Specifies a file where the sorted input is to be stored. command Specifies a command whose output is to be sorted.
External - DOS 3.1 and above
Associates a path with a drive letter.
SUBST [drive1: [drive2:]path] SUBST drive1: /D drive1: Specifies a virtual drive to which you want to assign a path. [drive2:]path Specifies a physical drive and path you want to assign to a virtual drive. /D Deletes a substituted (virtual) drive. Type SUBST with no parameters to display a list of current virtual drives.
External - DOS 1.0 and above
Copies DOS system files and command interpreter to a disk you specify.
SYS [drive1:][path] drive2: [drive1:][path] Specifies the location of the system files. drive2: Specifies the drive the files are to be copied to.
External - DOS 1.0
Internal - DOS 1.1 and above
Displays or sets the system time.
TIME [time] Type TIME with no parameters to display the current time setting and a prompt for a new one. Press ENTER to keep the same time.
External - PC DOS 2.0 and above; MS-DOS 3.2 and above
Graphically displays the directory structure of a drive or path.
TREE [drive:][path] [/F] [/A] /F Displays the names of the files in each directory. /A Uses ASCII instead of extended characters.
Internal - DOS 4.0 and above
Returns a fully qualified filename.
TRUENAME [drive:][path]filename
Internal - DOS 1.0 and above
Displays the contents of a text file.
TYPE [drive:][path]filename
External - DOS 5.0 and above
Restores files previously deleted with the DEL command.
UNDELETE [[drive:][path]filename] [/DT | /DS | /DOS] UNDELETE [/LIST | /ALL | /PURGE[DRIVE] | /STATUS | /LOAD | /UNLOAD /S[DRIVE] | /T[DRIVE]-entrys ]] /LIST Lists the deleted files available to be recovered. /ALL Recovers files without prompting for confirmation. /DOS Recovers files listed as deleted by MS-DOS. /DT Recovers files protected by Delete Tracker. /DS Recovers files protected by Delete Sentry. /LOAD Loads Undelete into memory for delete protection. /UNLOAD Unloads Undelete from memory. /PURGE[drive] Purges all files in the Delete Sentry directory. /STATUS Display the protection method in effect for each drive. /S[drive] Enables Delete Sentry method of protection. /T[drive][-entrys] Enables Delete Tracking method of protection.
External - DOS 5.0 and above
Restores a disk erased by the FORMAT command.
UNFORMAT drive: [/J] UNFORMAT drive: [/U] [/L] [/TEST] [/P] UNFORMAT /PARTN [/L] drive: Specifies the drive to unformat. /J Verifies that the mirror files agree with the system information on the disk. /U Unformats without using MIRROR files. /L Lists all file and directory names found, or, when used with the /PARTN switch, displays current partition tables. /TEST Displays information but does not write changes to disk. /P Sends output messages to printer connected to LPT1. /PARTN Restores disk partition tables.
Internal - DOS 2.0 and above
Displays the DOS version.
VER
Internal - DOS 2.0 and above
Tells DOS whether to verify that your files are written correctly to a disk.
VERIFY [ON | OFF] Type VERIFY without a parameter to display the current VERIFY setting.
Internal - DOS 2.0 and above
Displays the disk volume label and serial number, if they exist.
VOL [drive:]
External - DOS 3.2 and above
Copy entire directory trees.
XCOPY [/Y|/-Y] source [destination] [/A|/M] [/D:date] [/P] [/S] [/E] [/V] [/W] source Specifies the file(s) to copy. destination Specifies the location and/or name of new files. /A Copies files with the archive attribute set, doesn't change the attribute. /M Copies files with the archive attribute set, turns off the archive attribute. /D:date Copies files changed on or after the specified date. /P Prompts you before creating each destination file. /S Copies directories and subdirectories except empty ones. /E Copies any subdirectories, even if empty. /V Verifies each new file. /W Prompts you to press a key before copying. /Y Suppresses prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an existing destination file. /-Y Causes prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an existing destination file. The switch /Y may be preset in the COPYCMD environment variable. This may be overridden with /-Y on the command line