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Basic Guide to DOS Basic Guide to DOS
                Logon to MS-DOS

Command Prompt

You can access DOS from any Windows9.x system (Win95,98)
You have two options, either restart your computer in MS-DOS mode by pressing on Start>>Shut Down and selecting Restart in MS-DOS mode or simply clicking MS-DOS Prompt icon located in the Start menu (Start>>Programs)
MS-DOS Prompt simply simulates DOS while still running Windows.
Type "exit" and you will return to Windows.
If you restarted your computer in MS-DOS mode and typed "exit" you will have to wait for Windows to load again...

In this tutorial we will be using MS-DOS Prompt because we still want to access stuff in Windows.

To gain quick access to DOS go to Run box and type "command"
a black box will open with the following

MS-DOS Prompt

To get more comfortable press on Full screen icon fullscreen
You can always switch back by pressing ALT+<enter> on your keyboard.

What you're seeing now is called the Command Prompt, this is where you type commands for DOS to execute.
DOS requires a lot of typing rather than mouse clicking.

The "command" keyword you've just typed inside Run box refers
to DOS Command interpreter called command.com
Many computer users think that "command.com" is the actual DOS program, so they carry it with them and discover that it doesn't work on a computer without DOS.
Command.com is not the actual DOS, it's an interface between you
and DOS that translates the commands you type at the Prompt into
a language "understood" by the computer.
For completeness, the actual DOS program is IO.SYS located at the root directory (Drive C:)
IO.SYS is a hidden file, you won't be able to see it in Windows unless you unhide all files in the root directory.

Press CTRL-P to print the page   <<<Back Continue>>>



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