We explain what MS-DOS is and what the history of this famous operating system was. Also, a list of basic MS-DOS commands.
What is MS-DOS?
MS-DOS is the acronym for MicroSoft Disk Operating system (MicroSoft Disk Operating System) and is the name of one of the operating systems for computer systems based on an x86 architecture and designed by the North American software company Microsoft. It was popularly known as DOS.
This operating system It was preinstalled on most computers from the 1990s and it was the basic software for human interaction with the computer. This required the user to enter some commands manually, using the keyboard, choosing them from a possible list of instructions called commands that I should know.
There were two series of MS-DOS commands: internal and external. The first, also called residentswere loaded automatically at the start of the computer's operating system, from a stored file named command.com; That is why it was possible to activate them without having the entire DOS on the drive from which they are executed.
External commands, on the other hand, were stored in temporary temporary files, but they had to be on hand to be able to invoke the specific desired commands.
See also: Microsoft Word
History of MS-DOS
MS-DOS was born in 1981, created as a basic interface for IBM PC personal computers from a much more primitive previous version known as 86-DOS or QDOS, belonging to Seattle Computer Products. Version 1.0 of MS-DOS appeared in 1982, along with its preinstalled version on PC products: PC-DOS.
It was widely used until the mid-1990s when it was replaced by Windows systems; Despite being based on DOS, the latter offered the user a much friendlier graphical interface than the arid DOS commands. Today much of its structure is preserved in basic and essential processes of some Microsoft Windows systems.
List of basic MS-DOS commands
- CD.. – Moves down one step in the hierarchy of inspected directories or folders.
- CD or CHDIR – Allows you to change the current directory to any other specific directory.
- CLS – Clears the entire information displayed on the screen, returning to the command prompt or prompt.
- COPY – Allows you to copy a specific file to another specific directory.
- DIR – Displays the contents of the current directory on the screen. You can control how it is displayed using additional parameters: /w, /p, etc.
- OF THE – Delete a specific file.
- FOR – Re-enter a command already used.
- MD or MKDIR – Creates a specified directory within the current one.
- MEM – It shows on the screen the amount of RAM memory available and occupied in the system.
- REN or RENAME – Change the name of a file to another that is indicated to the system.
- APPEND – Specify the path of a data file or archive.
- BACKUP – Backs up specified files from the hard drive to removable memory (floppy disk, CD, etc.).
- CHKDSK – Perform a hard drive check and correct any errors found.
- DELTREE – Delete an entire directory with its subdirectories and files.
- DYSKCOPY – Make an identical copy of a floppy disk, using an empty one.
- FORMAT – Erases the entire contents of a physical drive (a floppy disk or hard drive) and recreates the basic file structure it needs to be used.
- PRINT – Send a specific file to the printer.
- LABEL – Displays on the screen and allows you to modify the label assigned to a specific disk drive.
- MOVE – Change the location of a specific file or directory, or rename its subdirectories as well.
- KEYB – Modifies the language assigned to the computer keyboard.
References
- Master Magazine/Systems. Definition of MSDOS.
- How to use MS DOS? (With photos) wikiHow.
- Professional Review. MS-DOS: History of the operating system that marked a before and after.
