DIR COMMAND USAGE

CD COMMAND USAGE

Lists the contents current directory

C:\>dir

Lists Contents of absolute path

A:\documents\pictures\bitmaps>dir c:\”program files”

Switches: /w /p /s

Sorting Switches: /oe /oen /od /on /one /x

Wildcards: * ?

Wildcard usage:

C:/winnt/system32>DIR *.exe

C:/winnt/system32>DIR *.*

Changes to a directory

Folder by folder method

C:\>cd winnt

C:\winnt>cd system32

Absolute path method

C:\>cd c:\winnt\system32

Move to parent folder

C:\>cd..

Move to root folder

C:\>cd/

The parent folder is what ever folder is above your current folder

The Root folder is the top most folder

COPY/MOVE COMMAND USAGE

DEL COMMAND USAGE

This command is always used in this style

Copy “path of file” “path”

Example1:

C:\>copy Friday.doc c:\”documents and settings”

Example 2:

C:\>copy a:\weekdays\Thursday.doc c:\temp\days

Example 3:

C:\>move Friday.doc c:\”documents and settings”

Delete from current directory

C:\>Del Friday.doc

Delete From Absolute Path

C:\>Del a:\weekdays\Thursday.doc

CLS & TREE COMMAND USAGE

Clears all text from the screen

C:\>CLS

TREE Command will draw a symbolic representation of your location within the file system

FORMAT COMMAND USAGE

EDIT and TYPE COMMAND USAGE

Deletes and Prepares a floppy or hard disk to have new data written to it. When this command is preformed all data on a disk is lost.

Format First hard Drive

C:\>format c:

Format Floppy Drive

C:\>format a:

When the edit command is used on a file, DOS launches and external text editing application to edit the file.

Example 1

C:>edit c:\”documents and settings”\Thursday.txt

The Type Command displays directly on the DOS screen the contents of a file. This command only displays data and will not allow you to edit.

Example 2

C:\>type Thursday.txt

MD & RD & REN COMMAND USAGE

Makes a directory

C:\winnt>MD MYbackup

Removes a Directory

C:\winnt>RD MYbackup

Rename a File Or Folder

C:\>ren bob.txt joey.txt

C:\>ren c:\docs c:\pics

ATTRIB COMMAND

Other External Commands

ATTRIB commands will change the attributes and permissions of a file or folder.

+Adds an Attribute

- Removes an Attribute

c:\>attrib Thursday.doc +h

c:\>attrib Friday.Doc +a -h
All Switches: A R H S

Archive | Read-Only| Hidden | System

External commands are separate tools not always built into dos.

XCOPY – Copies an entire directory along with everything that directory contains.

DELTREE – Deletes an entire directory along with everything that directory contains.

QBASIC – An external application used to write and compile other dos programs from source code.

SCANDISK – Scans a drives directory structure checking for errors.

FDISK – USED to VIEW/CREATE/DELETE partitions

IPCONFIG – Network utility used to display and manage IP addresses

OTHER TIPS:

1) To launch DOS from windows you execute cmd or command from the run prompt in the start menu.

2) The SystemRoot is the directory where the operating systems core files are located Typically c:\winnt on NT based systems.

3)c:\program files\ is typically where most “user installed applications” are located.

4)c:\documents and settings\ is typically where desktop icons, documents, start menu icons and personal preferences are stored. Example: The user bob’s documents would be located in c:\documents and settings\bob\my documents

System information

TIME – Display or Change the system time

Label – Changes the label of a disk

VOL – Displays to label of a disk

VER – Displays what operations system you are using

Change to Default Windows Directory trick

C:\>CD %windir%