Want to learn DOS. Where do I start?

[Computer]

Any good websites you could reccomend or downloadable software/freeware would be very helpful

[vass0922]

What exactly do you want to learn?
If you're learning for command line utilities for 2k/XP thats something different than 'learning DOS'
(NT/2k/XP is not DOS)

[Computer]

I am using 98. Sorry if I confused you. I really dont know anything. I want to learn the different commands so I can access files other stuff. What is "learning DOS". DOS is just an OS with no graphic interface right? I hope so. Thanks

[travis4prez]

I always loved DOS. It did exacly what you told it to do, didn't hog resources and never crashed. Those were the days. Hope I never see them again though.

Do a google search on DOS Commands and you'll get quite a few hits and a couple of walk throughs to get you going.

If you need a real copy of MS DOS, I could probably scare up a couple of disks for ya. Think I still have 4.0, 5.something, 6.0 and 6.2.

[DoctorReno]

You might be able to get DOS 6.22 from BootDisk.com

[youngqd]

My favorite DOS site:
http://www.computerhope.com/msdos.htm

[joker_927]

I have a 500 page book here with the word DOS on the front. What a novelty item.

boot to a dos prompt and type /help
(come on guys give me a hand it's been a while )

Help commands<<<<oops I didn't look at youngqd's link

other stuff

[Redwolf]

Okay, you need to get olddos.exe form mocrosft. Hold up while I search for it.

http://www.undercoverdesign.com/dosg...um/mesg/56.htm

Put the program in a new directory and run it. It'l extract files (say yes when it asks). Now the newly extracted help.com file. Press Alt+Enter to go from small to full screen. Have fun reading.

It doesn't explain the basics of DOS, so I will. It's pretty easy, really.

You have the [rompt. It's usually somethign like:

C:\>

This can be changed but that's usually what it is.

You press enter after every line. This executes the command.

As you probably know, windows sets up in a system of drives, files, and directories. Like, oh:

Drives:

Would be like A:, B:, C:, so on. To switch to a drive, just type the drive letter with a colon afterwards.

C:\>A:_ <return>
A:\>_

(NOTE: A: is a floppy drive. Drives have to be accessed. So if there is no floppy in A:, you can't use it.)

To change directories, use 'cd' -quotes. Like:

C:\>cd windows_ <return>
C:\WINDOWS>_

Always put a space after a command. The command, in this case, is 'cd'.

If you want to go to another directory, starting from the C: drive, do this:

C:\WINDOWS>cd \
C:\>_

or something like

C:\WINDOWS>cd \MYDOCU~1
C:\My Documents>_

To go to a subdirectory from where you are now, don't put the backslash. Like:

C:\WINDOWS>cd system
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM>_

To go up a directory, use two periods. Like:

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM>cd ..
C:\WINDOWS>

Now, time dor a more complex command. The dir command.

The dir command let's you 'see' what's in a directory. Use it as such:

C:\>dir

You may notice that there is so much, it goes past the screen. A quick remedy is the /p switch.

Switches or options are little things you tack on at the beginning of the command that affect how the command operates. Now try this:

C:\>dir /p

Much better, eh?

Another command is the /w command. Try this:

C:\>dir /w

Now cd into your windows\system directory.

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM>

Ok, now try this:

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM>dir /w

It's too big, eh? Well, we can combine switches. Try this:

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM>dir /w /p

Much better.

Lets say you want to see what's in another directory, but you dont' want to chnage directories. Do it like this:

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM>dir c:\mydocu~1

or

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM>dir ..

Now add switches.

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM>dir /p /w ..

very good.

I'll add more later.

thanks Redwolf, you'd think on a nerd site this thread would have gotten 50 replys!